You're Crashing, But You're No Wave...

I don't even know where to begin, way too much stuff has gone on.Some good, some not so good, but all and all, a pretty good year.I'm getting the opportunity to tour again which is amazingly fun.The name of the band is Delta Spirit and you can check them out here.I love getting to do what I love to do and getting to do it with friends is definitely a big bonus.I couldn't ask for anything more.

On the friend front, so many are getting engaged and or having babies, it's insane!!I couldn't be more happy for all of them, The only bummer is now I have to get "nice clothes" for weddings...whammy.I feel so blessed to have the friends I do, I wouldn't be where I am without them.

In keeping with the spirit of a new year beginning and another ending, I wanna post my favorite albums that came out in 2008.The list goes as follows:

Music Top Ten of 2008

# 10 The Famine - Raven and the Reaping
Embodyment was always one of my favorite old Solid State Records bands and when I heard that they had started a new band, which happened to be when I saw them live, I was amazed.They are the best parts of pretty much all of my favorite SSR bands in one.The production is awesome and standard, If you look for more innovative music, this probably isn't your bag, but if you fall on your laurels with heavy music, this is all you need.


# 9 Ratatat - LP3
Ratatat is Ratatat, that's the best way of putting it.They aren't ever out trying to really reinvent the wheel in their genre.They have however, delved a little deeper into more atmosphere on this album, with a little less emphasis on the slutty dance pop sound that garnered them their initial recognition.This is an album that you are more likely to hear in a stoners bedroom, rather than in the club with your friends.
I love it that way.


# 8 Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Jenny Lewis is a babe, Yep, I said it.Physicality aside, this is a very solid album.It's an extremely bi-polar album, full of ballads, surf pop retro twang, orchestral strings and heavy emotion.Its kind of like the bastard stepchild of the last Rilo Kiley album, and the album she did with the Watson Twins.I admit that while this album isn't on heavy rotation for me, it is well deserving of a spot on this list.


# 7 Metallica - Death Magnetic
This year kind of seemed to be the year of potential comebacks for former great bands.With Guns and Roses(aka Axl Rose), Metallica and Rage Against the Machine all possibly putting out albums.While the third never happened and the second just plain sucked, Death Magnetic is the only one to hold it's own in a flooded music market.Although a good step in the right direction, this album wasn't as great as it was made out to be, but it was as close as I can see them returning to the powerhouse they once were.The heavy was there, but James Hetfield's voice will never have that Kill 'Em All pitch to it again, maybe I just need to come to terms with that.This was a hard one for me considering that Metallica basically taught me to play the guitar via a cassette player and tab books, but I do need to look at it under the same microscope I look at all other albums under.Take it for what it is and you won't be disappointed, over analyze it and you'll pick it apart.


# 6 Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
Most People know Randy Newman purely as the guy who's done a lot of the soundtracks to the Disney/Pixar films, that is a travesty.As a musician first, he is incredible...As a songwriter, he's even better.This album is so comedic that you can't but smile when you catch a well placed line or a quick jab at either the president or death.He's slightly political on tracks such as "A Few Words In Defense of Our Country", but not enough to turn away possible fans.To me, this album is a very good time, pay attention or you might miss something.


# 5 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
I'm definitely a sucker for overtly pop driven music, hence why MGMT is in my top 5 of the year.They have the tongue in cheek lyrics that make them something special to listen to but, they also have the heavily over produced sound that you want in a pop/dance band.I also am a fan of their alter-ego group, MSTRKRFT, but can only listen to it for so long before it gets old.This album deserves placement in any pop fans "best of" list for this year.


# 4 Down - Over the Under(Re-Release)
Phil Anselmo.I could end it there and to most Pantera fans that would be enough explanation as to why it's here.As much as I miss the rage and anger he seemed to own during his earlier years, I like the new slightly more mature song writing that he pens for this album.Down seems to have gradually turned from a straight up dirt southern rock band to dirt southern rock band that has been experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs.The riffs are still there, but the atmosphere has grown with the age of the band, adding an erie effect to already more than impressive musicianship.This powerhouse of trail blazing musicians has what it takes to possibly overtake their former glory, in my opinion.


# 3 Hank III - Damn Right, Rebel Proud(Re-Release)
As much as I will have to admit that "Straight to Hell" definitely is more up my alley as far as the variety that I look for in Hank III albums, this is a super solid album.It seems to have possibly lost a little of the edge that the older III albums had, but the music is definitely still good as well as the introspective view that you get from his tangents on topics from drug and alcohol abuse, politics, the state of country music today, as well as love lost.He will definitely be a staple of the future like his grandfather and father, if he can live to see it.


# 2 Between the Buried and Me - Colors : Live
Right off the bat, this album pulls you right into the experience of seeing this band live.It has the perfect mix of room noise and ambiance that you want in a live album, while not sounding too dead.All re-amping and re-touching aside, you definitely can tell that this one of the most impressive live bands that you could ever see.Their talent is almost untouchable by even their influences, and definitely by their peers.This is one of those bands that only comes around every twenty years or so and redefines a genre by destroying it and rebuilding completely sideways.I can't begin to express the admiration I have for this band.....so I'll stop right here.BUY IT!!!!!


# 1 TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Yep, I did it.Well, actually, they did it.This is it, not only my favorite album of the year, but definitely one of my favorite albums of all time.I feel the greatest sorrow for anyone who is not familiar with this band, and I mean that sincerely.This is everything that I have ever wanted in an album, period.Pop sensibility, production value, musicianship, everything.I can compare the first time I listened this album in it's entirety, to the first time I heard Metallica "Ride the Lighting" on cassette.Hold on, let me explain.Have you ever looked for something for so long that you wind up not really knowing if it's out there or not, and not knowing if you're only looking for it for the chase or for the reward?This was it for me, musically at least.I needed something to fill my glass of faith back up in modern music, and this was it, except all of my favorite drink choices side by side.So tastefully done, so epic, a word does not exist in the English language to sum up how strongly I feel about this album.Orgasm, that would be it.


I have more than at least 20 "honorable mentions" that I could post, but I thought they might take away from the power that a "Top 10" list has.I hope you agree and disagree with everything I have on this list, that's what makes music......music.If everyone was into the same thing, I wouldn't listen to it because every band would sound the same.

Keep checkin back to know what's goin with me if you want, you'll probably find out more than you want to know.

Love you all,
Taylor