TOP TEN ALBUMS (you've probably never heard of)
1. Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
2. Septic Flesh - Communion (Candlelight)
3. Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely (Warner Bros)
4. Foxy Shazam - Introducing (New Weatherman/Ferret)
5. 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and its Takers (Ferret Music)
6. Secret & Whisper - Great White Whale (Tooth & Nail)
7. Eluveitie - Slania (Nuclear Blast)
8. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig (Mute)
9. Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner)
10. The Giraffes - Prime Motivator (Crustacean)

- ANTON OYVEY

(Dis)honorable mentions:
- Eric Avery - Help Wanted
- Disfear - Live The Storm
- Graveyard - Graveyard
- Lair Of The Minotaur, War Metal Battle Master
- Suicide Note, Empty Rooms
- These Arms Are Snakes, Tail Swallower And Dove
- Time Again, Darker Days
- Tweak Bird, Reservations
- Wetnurse, Invisible City
- Zozobra, Bird Of Prey

-GARY SUAREZ

cocksuckers: (as determined by GARY SUAREZ)
- Any and all black metal bands
- Sarah Palin supporters
- Phil Anselmo side-projects that aren’t Down
- Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and the Bush administration’s Bullshit Bailout
- Family Guy’s past few seasons
- Touring acts that think playing sports arenas in New Jersey or on Long Island counts as a “New York City appearance”
- Those fucking savages that trampled Jdimytai Damour to death just to get discounted shit at Wal-Mart
- Homophobes, hatemongers, and other Republicans
- French Stewart

CHRISTOPHER RODDY'S TOP TEN

1. Genghis Tron - Board Up The House (Relapse)
2. Protest The Hero - Fortress (Vagrant)
3. Rotten Sound - Cycles (Spinefarm)
4. Daylight Dies - Lost To The Living (Candlelight)
5. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1 (Century)
6. Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner)
7. Eluveitie - Slania (Nuclear Blast)
8. Enslaved - Vertebrae (Candlelight)
9. Gojira - The Way Of All Flesh (Prosthetic/Listenable)
10. Hail Of Bullets - Of Frost And War (Metal Blade)

TOP TEN ALBUMS (according to Tim Grierson)

1. Filter - 'Anthems for the Damned'
2. Nine Inch Nails - 'The Slip'
3. One Day as a Lion - 'One Day as a Lion'
4. Black Stone Cherry - 'Folklore and Superstition'
5. Toadies - 'No Deliverance'
6. Eagles of Death Metal - 'Heart On'
7. Shinedown - 'The Sound of Madness'
8. Rev Theory - 'Light It Up'
9. Guns N' Roses - 'Chinese Democracy'
10. Rehab - 'Graffiti the World'

TOP TEN of 1983! (same site)

1. Def Leppard - Pyromania
2. R.E.M. - Murmur
3. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
4. Prince - 1999
5. ZZ Top - Eliminator
6. Genesis - Genesis
7. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
8. Madonna - Madonna
9. Tears for Fears - The Hurting
10. The Plimsouls - Everywhere at Once

Best young band: ELDER.

that dude is wrong, these arms are snakes and zozobra are both killer albums.

quote:

6. Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner)

It's good. Not as good as Deliverance, but it's good.

quote:

Originally posted by v00d00:
- French Stewart

I totally forgot he even existed!

BEST OF: in case you missed it!

duck, duck, Bush!

quote:

Originally posted by v00d00:
TOP TEN of 1983! (same site)

1. Def Leppard - Pyromania
2. R.E.M. - Murmur
3. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
4. Prince - 1999
5. ZZ Top - Eliminator
6. Genesis - Genesis
7. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
8. Madonna - Madonna
9. Tears for Fears - The Hurting
10. The Plimsouls - Everywhere at Once

Man, 1983 sucked!

damn. it's already that time again.

1. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
2. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
3. Portishead - Third
4. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
5. No Age - Nouns
6. Ty Seagull - Ty Seagull
7. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
8. Catatonic Youth - Piss Scene
9. The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
10. Sigur Ros -Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

hmm... that was harder than i thought. 2008, in my opinion, has been somewhat of a drought, as far as "amazing" music is concerned... aside from #'s 1 to 3. my opinion.

10 Most Memorable Rock Stories of 2008
By Tim Grierson

1. 'Chinese Democracy' Finally Arrives (blah,blah)

2. Nine Inch Nails Release 'The Slip' - for Free!

3. Stone Temple Pilots Get Back Together for Beleaguered Summer Tour (hardly went smoothly, and soon there were reports of screaming matches, erratic performances and a canceled date in Florida because of "inclement weather,")

4. Chris Cornell Makes an Album With Timbaland (the hitmaking hip-hop producer. Was it a good idea or a terrible one? We'll find out when Scream hits stores next year.)

5. Nickelback Sign With Live Nation, Record Labels Get Even More Depressed ( the betting is that more superstar acts will abandon traditional record contracts for these new so-called "unified rights" deals.)

6. It's Kid Rock's World - We Just Live in It (he was dealing with the fallout from a bizarre Waffle House altercation that led to his arrest)

7. Rage Against the Machine Rock the DNC and RNC

8. Deftones Bassist's Car Accident Lands Him in Coma

9. Led Zeppelin Reunion Inspires ... Creed Reunion (After the other members of Creed split with lead singer Scott Stapp in 2004, they formed Alter Bridge with new frontman Myles Kennedy. But when word spread that Kennedy was going to jump ship and take over for Robert Plant for next year's purported Led Zeppelin reunion tour, Creed fans started getting excited)

10. Scars on Broadway Cancel Tour for Mysterious Reasons (Daron Malakian canceled all dates, stating that "his heart wasn't into touring at this time." Wild speculation started circulating immediately: Was Malakian's old band, System of a Down, reuniting? Was Malakian in rehab? Did he have cancer? )

ANSWERS FROM 'ROUND DA WEB

Disturbed-Indestructible
Evans Blue-Cold
The Exies-Stray
10 Years-Beautiful
Sixx Am-Life Is Beautiful
Five Finger Death Punch-The Bleeding
Framing Hanley-Hear Me Now
Tantric-Down and Out
-ASKER

Human - The Killers
Sweet & Low - Augustana
Suppose - Secondhand Serenade
Reverie - The Morning Of
His Girl Friday - The Academy Is...
I Will Posses you Heart - Deathcab For Cutie
Nine in the Morning - Panic at the Disco
-MUHAMMAD

Hearts Burst Into Fire by Bullet for My Valentine
Something in Your Mouth by Nickelback
Hate My Life by Theory of A Deadman
Scream by Avenged Sevenfold
Addicted by Saving Abel
Dear Lucid, Our Time Is Right Now by Evans Blue
No More Sorrow by Linkin Park
Let Go by Red
-EVAN

quote:

8. Deftones Bassist's Car Accident Lands Him in Coma

This is the first I've heard of this ... guess he's been in a coma for over a month now. that sucks

According to Scott Ian of ANTHRAX

Favorite Albums (in no specific order):


– Muse — HAARP
– Toxic Holocaust — An Overdose Of Death
– Metallica — Death Magnetic
– AC/DC — Black Ice
– Death Angel — Killing Season
– Testament¬ — The Formation Of Damnation
– Bloc Party — Intimacy
– Slipknot — All Hope Is Gone


Favorite Live Gigs:


– AC/DC at the Forum, Los Angeles (possibly the best show I have ever seen)
– Tenacious D at Reading Festival
– Metallica at Reading Festival
– Van Halen at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas
– Iron Maiden at Verizon Amphitheater Los Angeles


Favorite TV:


– Lost (Season 5)
– The Shield (Season 7)
– Battlestar Galactica (Season 4)
– The Office
– Dexter


Favorite Movies:


– The Dark Knight
– Iron Man

(I barely went to the movies this year and I plan on catching up on DVD and yes I know, Slumdog Millionaire is great and I have to see it.)

Favorite Food:


– The whole chicken and fries at Publican, Chicago. Seriously, I've written about this before and a day doesn't go by without me craving it.

– Maccheroni alla Chitarra con Bottarga at Babbo, NYC. Best pasta dish ever.

– The oysters at Blue Ribbon, NYC.

– The fried chicken at Blue Ribbon, NYC.
I like Blue Ribbon. I like chicken.

– The Gnudi at The Spotted Pig, NYC.
Little magical cheese pillows.

– Devil's On Horseback at The Spotted Pig, NYC.
What are Devil's On Horseback? They're fucking assholes they're so good, that's what they are. (Bacon wrapped dates.)

– The grilled Octopus at Osteria Mozza, LA.

– A cheeseburger from the Apple Pan, LA

– A cheeseburger from In-N-Out, California

– A cheeseburger from the Shake Shack, NYC
(Why have one favorite cheeseburger when you can have 3???)

– Epoisses on raisin date toast with quince paste form the cheese selection at BLD, LA.

– The NY Strip at David Burke, Chicago

– The fresh ricotta and egg raviolo at Osteria Mozza, LA

– Blueberry pancakes and bacon at John O'Groats, LA

– The smoked salmon and scrambled eggs put back into the shell at the Park Café, San Jose Costa Rica

– The calamari at House Of Nanking, SF

– The oysters and the chowder at Swan Oyster Depot, SF

And finally……

– The whole meal I had at Schwa in Chicago. Michael Carlson is a madman/genius creating dishes that I could never hope to explain. I can only say that the meal he served us that night was the best meal I've ever had.


That's that for 08. Here's to a killer 09.
Happy holidays.


Cheers,
Scott

Top Ten Annoying Things about 2008:

1) everyone jumping the gun with top 10 lists before the year's even fucking over. It's almost like they're all trying to sell magazines or something. If I was in a killer band I would definitely release my album New Year's Eve just to thumb my nose at em all.

Now that it's actually over, here's my unofficial top 10 albums list for 2008. I don't expect it to be the absolute best because there's so much great stuff I haven't heard and I'm not one to be obsessed with the latest and greatest - some of the best stuff I got into is pretty old.

What this list represents is the stuff I actually bought and I bought it mostly because I'm already into the artists and I was willing to roll the dice and fork over money without having heard the music. This is a pretty mainstream list and I know many of you loathe anything having to do with mainstream, so I expect I'm in for some major hateration (possibly more than usual).

1) DIG!!! LAZARUS DIG!!! - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (FN Great)

2) DEAR SCIENCE - TV On The Radio (mindblowing creativity run amok)

3) TELL TALE SIGNS - Bob Dylan

4) THIRD - Portishead (relentlessly bleak and hypnotic - a successful reinvention IMHO)

5) EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN TODAY - David Byrne & Brian Eno

6) JUKEBOX - Cat Power (some great songs and she sounds so sexy)

7) 4:13 DREAM - The Cure (the first track is lush and expansive - you pretty much have to be a fan to love the rest of it - which I am)

8) MODERN GUILT - Beck (took me a while to warm up to this one and I'm still trying. DM's production often sounds tacked on. Good but hardly his best)

9) ACCELERATE - R.E.M.

10) LUST LUST LUST - Ravonettes

Disappointments:

1) RISING DOWN - The Roots (straight-up but perfunctory - good rapping though)

2) MOUNTAIN BATTLES - The Breeders (OK, but the magic is MIA. Maybe Kim Deal needs to get on drugs again)

3) SMILE - Boris (some good stuff, but a letdown after PINK)

4) CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY - The Raconteurs (better and more rockin than their first album, but makes a case for those complaining about Jack White offering little more than blues rip-offs. Much of it sounds like it rips off ICKY THUMP but it's not nearly as good as that album)

Overhyped:

1) THA CARTER III - Lil Wayne (I just don't get it. He seems to have a typically lazy flow - a style I don't much care for. Most of the music would've sounded old and tired by the fucking 90's)

2) Vampire Weekend - (so there's some vague afro-pop rhythms and guitar but nothing mind-blowing or even decent)

quote:

Originally posted by v00d00:
TOP TEN ALBUMS (you've probably never heard of)
1. Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
2. Septic Flesh - Communion (Candlelight)
3. Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely (Warner Bros)
4. Foxy Shazam - Introducing (New Weatherman/Ferret)
5. 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and its Takers (Ferret Music)
6. Secret & Whisper - Great White Whale (Tooth & Nail)
7. Eluveitie - Slania (Nuclear Blast)
8. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig (Mute)
9. Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner)
10. The Giraffes - Prime Motivator (Crustacean)

- ANTON OYVEY

Meanderthal is a fucking sick album. Havent heard anything like this since KARP, and thats a stretch.