Best of 2008: #25, No Age

Rank: #25

Album: Nouns

Artist: No Age

Label: Sub Pop

First up on the Animal Noises' countdown to the best album of the year, is number 25, No Age's Nouns.  Hard-hitting, and somewhat of a throwback to the heavier, post-punk alternative material once would associate with the late 90s to early 2000s, this album grabs you, and grabs you quick.  I almost forgot about music like this, with all of the watered-down crap on the radio today, but somehow, the sound has survived with this record, as a type of relic from when the "scene" wasn't a buzzword, and "emo" wasn't an all-encompassing phrase to describe any band who played a different type of music.  

To be honest, part of this album actually reminds me of Sonic Youth- a difficult task without sounding like a knock-off, but they definitely capture the essence of SY's work from the early 80s in here.  My advice- just kick back and spin this one a few times through before passing your final judgement.  Admittedly, this one flew under may radar screen when it first came out in May, but it's captured my attention since.  I'd classify it under noise, and compare it to the aforementioned Sonic Youth, along with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead and Les Savy Fav.  Enjoy.

Best Track: "Cappo"