One of the most eagerly awaited lists in the power pop community is David Bash's exhaustive year-end list of the top 125 albums of the year, and I'm proud to be bringing you David's 2008 list. Today I will post the Top 125 proper, and tomorrow I will post his ancillary lists (top EPs, reissues, compilations, tributes, etc.)
So without further ado, here is David's top 125 of 2008:
1. Roger Joseph Manning Jr.-Catnip Dynamite (Pony Canyon)
2. The Doll Test-Mosque Alarm Clock (Unsmashable)
3. The Madd-Ongeneeslijk Beat (Excelsior)
4. The Junipers-Cut Your Key (San Remo)
5. Josh Fix-Free At Last (1650 Entertainment)
6. Adrian Whitehead-One Small Stepping Man (Popboomerang)
7. Three Hour Tour-B Side Oblivion (Martian)
8. The Resonars-That Evil Drone (Burger)
9. The General Store-Mountain Rescue (Brewery)
10. The Lackloves-Cathedral Square Park (Rainbow Quartz)
11. Big Kid-Big Kid III (Self-Released)
12. The Telepathic Butterflies-Breakfast In Suburbia (Rainbow Quartz)
13. Cliff Hillis-The Long Now (Tallboy)
14. Rob Bonfiglio-Bring On The Happy (Damask)
15. The Pop Project-Stars Of Stage And Screen (Suburban Sprawl)
16. Jeremy-Pop Explosion (Jam)
17. Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears-Flight Of The Knife (Black & Greene)
18. The Hi Risers-Once We Get Started (Spinout)
19. The Dress Whites-My God, The Shame! (Self-Released)
20. The 88-Not Only…But Also (Island)
21. The Handcuffs-Electroluv (OOFL)
22. Greg Pope-Popmonster (Octoberville)
23. The Feeling-Join With Us (Universal)
24. The Royal Purple-The Time Element (Umbrella)
25. Tim Morrow-Back To Delton (Self-Released)
26. Pugwash-Eleven Modern Antiquities (1969)
27. The Gurus-Now (Rock Indiana/Rainbow Quartz)
28. Graham Day & The Gaolers-Triple Distilled (Damaged Goods)
29. The Galaxies-Here We Go! (Self-Released)
30. Mari Wilson-Emotional Glamour (Beehive)
31. Rob Smith-Trick Of The Light (Zip)
32. The Goldbergs-Under The Radar (Kool Kat)
33. Kelly Jones-SheBANG! (Good Morning Monkey)
34. Beat Hotel-Move On (Self-Released)
35. The Well Wishers-Jigsaw Days (Thatwasmyskull)
36. Brent Cash-How Will I Know If I’m Awake (Marina)
37. The Respectables-Sibley Gardens (Self-Released)
38. Smash Fashion-A Gentlemen’s Guide… (ElectricPudding)
39. The Afternoons-Sweet Action (Self-Released)
40. Lindsay Buckingham-Gift Of Screws (Reprise)
41. Paul Starling-Doors & Windows (Rockshot)
42. Foxboro Hot Tubs-Stop Drop and Roll!!! (Jingle Town)
43. Garfield’s Birthday-Let Them Eat Cake (Pink Hedgehog)
44. Marmalade Army-Johnny Cake and Moonpies (Modern Artists)
45. Laurie Biagini-Ridin’ The Wave (Self-Released)
46. The Wellingtons-Heading North For The Winter (Zip)
47. Andy Reed-Fast Forward (Kool Kat)
48. Alan Bernhoft-Beatlesque One (Jaxalon)
49. Chewy Marble-Modulations (SideB)
50. The Bye Bye Blackbirds-Houses & Homes (American Dust)
51. Daisy-It’s About Time (Elements)
52. Stratocruiser-Egg Shells (New Atlas)
53. Private Jets-Jet Sounds (Sparkplug)
54. The Sunshine-I Heard A Rumour About You Boy (Self-Released)
55. The Mop Tops-Ground Floor Man (Sound Asleep)
56. The Breakdowns-Heartbreak Radio (Rock Indiana)
57. Leave-On A Happy Note…(Self-Released)
58. The Parties-Can’t Come Down (Rainbow Quartz)
59. The Explorers Club-Freedom Wind (Dead Oceans)
60. Kaiser Chiefs-Off With Their Heads (Universal)
61. The Pleasure-Travel Inside (Rookie)
62. Sarah Borges and The Broken Singles-Diamonds In The Dark (Sugar Hill)
63. The Rhinos-In Rhi-Fi (Rainbow Quartz)
64. We Should Be Dead-Forget Romance, Let’s Dance! (Pop4pop)
65. The Simple Carnival-Girls Aliens Food (Sundrift)
66. Kai Reiner-Kai Reiner (Self-Released)
67. Service Group-Principles Of Electronic Circuitry (Squid Vs. Whale)
68. The Temponauts-A Million Year Picnic (Teen Sound)
69. Dave Dill-Follow The Summer (Self-Released)
70. The Pete Best Band-Haymans Green (EMI)
71. All Day Sucker-The Big Pretend (Self-Released)
72. Deleted Waveform Gatherings-Baby Warfare (Rainbow Quartz)
73. Pinto-Hook Me Up (Self-Released)
74. The Cheeksters-Movers and Shakers (Caterina Sounds)
75. Andy Bopp-This Guitar Kills Singer Songwriters (Rainbow Quartz)
76. Poplord-Full/Filled (Self-Released)
77. The Jellybricks-Goodnight To Everyone (Primitive)
78. Adrian Bourgeois-Adrian Bourgeois (C Side)
79. Hundred Million Martians-Marseille (Plastic Passion)
80. Your Gracious Host-Your Gracious Host (Self-Released)
81. The Human Statues-The Human Statues (Self-Released)
82. Philip Vandermost-Automatic August (Self-Released)
83. Panic At The Disco-Welcome To The Sound Of Pretty Odd (Fueled By Ramen)
84. Pris-The Kiss Off (Thistime)
85. Dropkick-Dot The I-(Taylored)
86. Dimebox-Five And Dime Waltz (Avebury)
87. Young Sportsmen-If You Want It (Unsmashable)
88. Sextus-Stranger Than Fiction (Dramapants)
89. Junebug-Fifth (Planet 8)
90. Monkeeman-Life In The Backseat (Cargo)
91. Captain Wilberforce-Everyone Loves A Villain (Blue Tuxedo)
92. The Pillbugs-Everybody Wants A Way Out (Rainbow Quartz)
93. Rinaldi Sings-Bingo (Tangerine)
94. The Higher Elevations-The Protestant Work Ethic (Time For Action)
95. Derby-Posters Fade (Green Submarine)
96. Norman Kelsey-A Talent For Loving (Self-Released)
97. The Eisenhowers-Film Your Own Atrocities (Serali)
98. The Brigadier-The Rise & Fall Of Responsibility (Self-Released)
99. Baby Scream-Ups And Downs (Recorded Recordings)
100. Lund Bros-Songbook IV (Self-Released)
101. Sloan-Parallel Play (Murderecords)
102. The Stems-Heads Up (Invisible)
103. The Spongetones-Too Clever By Half (Loaded Goat)
104. Class Three Overbite-Horses For Courses (Self-Released)
105. Peter Colours-Welcome To The Show (Bip Bip)
106. Only Make Believe-Message From A Mockingbird (GreenTree)
107. The Powerchords-..Think I’m Gonna (Screaming Apple)
108. Starling Electric-Clouded Staircase (Bar None)
109. Do The Undo-Do The Undo (Excelsior)
110. *The Ringles-Rickenbacker Ballet (Jam)
111. Readymade Breakup-Alive On The Vine (Self-Released)
112. Black Hollies-Casting Shadows (Ernest Jenning)
113. Frank Barajas-Better Times (Operation Big Beat)
114. Epicycle-Jingle Jangle (Self-Released)
115. Triggers-Smoke Show (Self-Released)
116. The Pranks-Modern Communication (Screaming Apple)
117. Michael Mazzarella-Folk Songs For The Curious Few (Self-Released)
118. The Major Labels-Aquavia (Self-Released)
119. The Smith Bros.-Restless (Toin Coss)
120. The Top Drawers-You’re So Fine (Indiepool)
121. The Spring Collection-In Between (Blindspot)
122. Sugar High-Let The Sunshine Out (Thousandaire)
123. Brown Line Fiasco-Superstar (Self-Released)
124. Khalid Hanifi-Pamplemousse Presse (Cerberus)
125. Gigantic-Gigantaphonic Sounds (Zip)
**The Orchid Highway-The Orchid Highway (Rainbow Quartz)
**Vibeke-The World Famous Hat Trip (Pop Detective)
**The last two would have been high on this list, but they were ranked in 2007 when they were released on their previous labels