List of the Year

lists of 08

no particular order.

1. thrice - alchemy index 3/4
2. nin - ghosts
3. caspian/constants split.
4. god is an astronaught - s/t
5. this town needs guns - animals
6. meshuggah -obzen
7. celebrity - ep
8. Russian Circles - Station
9. roma 79 - praise the divide
10. mogwai - the hawk is howling

honorable mention:
sigur ros- Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
death cab - narrow stairs
mock orange - captain love
city and colour - bring me your love

- how does a 2 song split make a top 10 list?


1. 100% of the songs kick ass. better than most of the other cds on the list.
2. it was a shitty year for releases.

that brings me to the next list.....

- non 08 records that received the most spins -

#1 HANDS DOWN MOST PLAYED
- Oceansize - Frames
somehow, this record slipped my radar in 07, despite me loving the shit out of 05's 'everyone into position'.
when i sat down with frames, i knew then and there that i could survive through the music drought of 08, by celebrating this band's catalog.
....and boy, i have. so when i say Frames is the most played record, i mean that it barely edges out their other lp's/ep's.
if i could put frames as #1 on the 08 list, i would.

2. shiner - the egg
3. nin - the fragile / with teeth / year zero
4. the dear hunter - act I / act II
5. failure - fantastic planet
6. jatun - s/t
7. the life and times - hymns/the magician
8. hum - downward is heavenward
9. thrice - alchemy index 1/2
10. swervedriver - mezcalhead

-top shows-
1. Swervedriver/ life and times @ metro (tlat's set was mediocre to a shitty live mix)
2. my bloody valentine @ aragon
3. the dear hunter @ the beat kitchen
4. thrice @ metro
5. sigur ros @ chicago theater


2009 is shaping up to be sweet though.
records from:
- autolux
- the dear hunter
- the life and times!
- jatun


and for a frame of reference, a few old lists.....
===

Lists of 2007

In no particular order…..

Except for number 1.

Best records of the Year.

1. The Dear Hunter - Act 2.
Simply the best music I have heard in a long, long time.

2. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
A Proggy pop gem.

3. The End - Elementary
Metal album of the year, no doubt.

4. Thrice – The Alchemy Index
Fire is awesome, but water is amazing.

5. Ken Andrews - Secret of the Lost Satellite.
What it lacks in song quality, it makes up for with Production.

6. 6. Tie.
-National Skyline – Last Day EP.
Just awesome. Itunes only. Bastards.
- As Cities Burn - Come now Sleep
At the drive in meets shoegaze. wonderful.

7. Coheed – No World for Tomorrow
Just a killer rock record. A bit of a vocal show case, but still solid.

8. Battles – Mirrored
Avant-garde, and awesome.

9. Radiohead – In Rainbows
Just about anything they do will likely make my list ☺

10. 10. Tie:
- Wilco – Sky Blue Sky.
- Futures of Forestry - Twilight.
Both records are only about 1/2 good....it was a slow year for music!

Honorable Mention:

- Adam Franklin – Bolts of Melody.

- Circa Survive – On Letting Go

- The Fucking Champs – VI

- Jesu – Pale Sketches


Albums that failed to meet meager expectations:

1. Hopesfall – Magnetic North.
The band needs to break up, now.

2. Pelican – City of Echos.
Good riffs do not make a good record.

3. Receiving End of Sirens – The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi.
They booted all the talent in that band. The difference in the 2 records
Scream they made the wrong decision.

Non 2007 Records that got the most play.

1. Shiner- the egg
2. Failure- fantastic planet
3. celebrity- lovesick
4. Cave In- Antenna
5. Isis- Panopticon/Oceanic
6. Clint Mansell – The Fountain Soundtrack
7. Mkshft- Caterwaul Effect
8. Ava- Music of Chance
9. houston- bottom of the curve
10. actors and actresses - we love our enemies
11. swervedriver - mezcalhead
12. life and times – hymns/the magician
13. hum- Downward
14. Dredg – El Cielo
15. Dear Hunter – Act 1
16. Brand New- The Devil and God are raging inside me.


Best Shows of 2007
1. Dear Hunter/Culpa @ Chubby Rain
2. The End @ the Beat Kitchen
3. Caspian/Constants @ The Note
4. The Fucking Champs @ the Bottle
5. Open Hand @ Double Door
6. Isis/Jesu @ Metro (Jesu dropped the ball, isis made up for it).

=====

Lists Of The Year 2006



in no particular order.....
(well, maybe a rough order)


1. the life and times - the magician

2. tool - 10000 days

3. mastodon - blood mountain

4. celebrity - mining for twilight

5. jesu - silver

6. isis - in the absence of truth (and/or Fishtank ep)

7. Constants - the murder of tom fitzgerril

8. Don Cab - World Class Listening Problem

9. of the opera - study natural law

10. tie: 2 mediocre records...... KSE and Incubus

(review below)

---------

Albums i wish i liked more. To be fair, it is not that i don't like these records.....they just weren't what i had expected.....which kills me, because i hate to put high expectations on a record.



Russian Circles - 
Enter --- 
its the EP, with 2 extra songs, that imo, don't hold up with the other tracks on the disc.

Mars Volta-
Amputecture---
i get into the other albums, but this just doesn't do it for me. songwriting and jamming both lack.



Muse-
Blackholes and Revelations
--- i think it is a hair to brit pop for me. less pop, more rock, thats my motto. 



Incubus - Light Grenades
--- it is at least consistent.......in the sense that each album has progressively gotten worse since SCIENCE. Although, to be fair, id rate science at a 10.01, and make yourself at a 10.0........



Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies.
---- Sounds like a batch of killer songs......that didn't make it on to The End of Heartache........the songs aren't bad......but the record is very vanilla......has all the parts: killer guitars, awesome drums, huge vox........just didn't bring it overall. it has potential to grow on me.


-------------------


a few worth mentioning....

del rey - a pyramid for the living (2 drummer inst. indie band)

your black star - sound from the ground (ex elliot.....poppy space rock sounds)

the octave museum- s't_ (stephen brodsky from cave in.....indie pop cd)

En-masse - the alarm_ _(ex further seems forever, moments in grace....poppy space rock
(i have a type, i know))

Irreversible - Age (awesome doom metal meets hopesfall rawk)


---------------

non 06 albums that got the most play


1. Shiner- the egg

2. Failure- fantastic planet

3. celebrity- lovesick

4. Cave In- Antenna

5. Isis- Panopticon

6. Minus the Bear- pirates

7. Mkshft- Caterwaul Effect

8. Ava- Music of Chance

9. houston- bottom of the curve

10. actors and actresses - we love our enemies 

11. swervedriver - mezcalhead

12. life and times - hymns

13. hum- ypaa

14. year of the rabbit - st


------


shows of 06


1. mastodon @ metro

2. life and times @ subt.

3. minus the bear/circles @ logan square/mirmar

4. isis @ beat kitchen

5. pelican/circles @ empty bottle

6. rock in the park_ ;D

7. actors&actresses/caspian

8. pelican/tlat @ metro

9. poison the well @ metro

10. tool/isis @ allstate



----------

lists of the year 2005.....

[U]top 10 cds[/U]
released this year (rough order, changes daily)

1. life and times- suburban hymns
2. coheed- good apollo
3. circa survive- juturna
4. pelican- fire in our throats
5. thrice- vheissu
6. the recieving ends of sirens- between the heart..
7. dredg- catch without arms
8. tmv- frances the mute
9. [B]TIE[/B] open hand- you and me[]minus the bear- menos el oso
10. Theta- tone poems

[U]honorable mention[/U]
death cab for cutie- plans
riddle of steel- got this feelin'
Finch- Say Hello to Sunshinet

[U]biggest disappointment[/U]
avenged sevenfold- city of evil

[U]Top 5 Shows[/U]
1. Pelican/Russian Circles/Red Sparrowes @ Metro
2. Coheed @ Metro
3. Dredg/Circa Survive @ the Rave Bar
4. [B]TIE[/B] Mastodon/Cult of Luna @ Bottom Lounge[]The Life and Times @ Bottom Lounge
5. Open Hand @ Rave Bar (me and 8 people got to see open hand perform, and they rocked as hard as if there were 1000)

[U]Top 5 Local Shows[/U]
1. A Promise Made/Constants/Piglet@ Venetian
2. Braille/Anathello @ Abby
3. Owen/Anathallo/Bullet Conscience @ LFC
4. Mondays Hero/Braille/Ammi/Culpa @ Venetian
5. 24frames/bleeding martyr/protosaur @ Rock and Rack

[U]Non 05 discs that got the most play[/U]
1. Shiner- the egg
2. Failure- fantastic planet
3. hopesfall- the satellite years
4. Cave In- Antenna
5. Isis- Panopticon
6. Minus the Bear- Beer Commercials
7. Mkshft- Caterwaul Effect
8. Ava- Music of Chance
9. Dredg- El Cielo
10.[B]TIE[/B]Year of the Rabbit- S/T[] Incubus- A Crow
Left of the Murder