TOP FIVE ALBUMS 2008 5. The Bronx - The Bronx III I don’t know whether it’s the fact this is the third album from the Bronx to be called The Bronx, the fact they also perform as a mariachi band covering their own songs, that singer Matt Cauchtran sounds like he has been living on a diet of Marlborough Reds and razor blades since birth, or that their unpredictable live shows just have you utterly hooked from the moment they play a note, but The Bronx slays me every time they put out a new record. This one is no exception. Simply one of the most non-bullshit, exciting bands in rock - period. Mariachi El Bronx 4. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound Although in danger of overhype now, it's no wonder The Gaslight Anthem will most likely feature on many rock folks' favorite lists this year - like Social D covering Bruce Springsteen, the album was fresh because the songs sounded like they had already been around forever. Euphoric punk with a nostalgic edge, The '59 Sound was a great intro to the masses for a great band. 3. Tom Schraeder & His Ego - Lying Through Dinner EP Disappointed with Ryan Adams’ latest effort? As a fan since his Whiskeytown days, so was I. Luckily, discovering singer songwriter Tom Schraeder this year pedaling his raw, bittersweet alt country made up for it. With songwriting as strong as the drinks you'll join him for in the bar afterwards, he's an old soul in a deliciously hype-free new talent, and looks set to be as prolific as Adams, but ironically given his band's moniker, without the ego. 2. Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger I was never a Something Corporate fan. I appreciated it, but I just felt Andrew McMahon was capable of more. And I was right - his next project Jack's Mannequin reached an all time high this year with the release of The Glass Passenger. Honest songwriting from someone who has something to say is rare, and with this album he really won me (and a shitload of others) over. As Andrew has proved, a talent like this can survive anything. 1. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs Emerging gracefully from the inevitable backlash from being unwittingly thrust into the limelight through the O.C. and signing to a major, Death Cab evolved so beautifully that their gradual and subtle ascension to the top of the charts might have gone unnoticed if it weren’t that Death Cab are so godamn good they have been rightly unavoidable in 2008. And "I Will Possess your Heart" has to be a contender for one of the best singles in its genre all year, if not all time. Stunning.