i had to do it

It's the time of the year when people are in the spirit of giving and kindness and my personal favorite, top 10 (enter word) of the year lists. It's truly been an interesting year for music on a personal level as I've managed to truly broaden my horizons musically and here's my list for top 10 albums of the year. Enjoy

10. Beck - Modern Guilt.
Beck has always been on the fringe of my musical palate for many reasons. As catchy as his hooks were and how quirky he was I had a hard time taking him seriously. His album Sea Change is the exception and I've talked about how I feel it before. Modern Guilt is a nice in between Sea Change and many of his other albums; it's energetic, mellow, touching, and fun to listen to all at the same time.


9. The Killers -Day & Age
I didn't like this album at all when first listen to it. I actually turned it off midway through the first play through. However, the more I listen to it the more I am brought in to the music of a group of guys just having fun with what they're doing. Sure, the track "Spaceman" has none of the human touch that a track like "Smile like you mean it" did on their first album, but they've matured (to a point) and I've come around


8. Cynic - Traced in Air
This was an absolute surprise for me. This was an album (and band) that before this year I had never heard of and why should I have, they're a technical/progressive death metal band and beyondDethKlok I've never even wanted to listen to any color of death metal. I wouldn't call this album death metal, I would bearly even consider it metal because it's one of the most relaxing albums I've listened to and it really is a treat. At the very least I would recommend for people to listen to some 30 second previews on amazon.com oriTunes and to give it a shot. Fun Fact - Cynic was using a vocoder way before it was cool for rappers (or Cher)to use it.


7. Justice - † (cross)
If I were to try to describe the French electronic Duo, Justice, I would call them a distilled version of Daft Punk and to me that's a pretty damn good property for a band to have. Their music is chock full of unlicensed samples, but that's just an added bonus because the music truly is amazing even though it's only a few shades from being a bit disco... but in a good way


6. Tech N9ne - Killer
You've really gotta give it to Tech N9ne, he is damn good at what he does and it just so happens that what he does is amazing. If you haven't heard of him, Tecn N9ne is a rapper out of Kansas City who helped popularize the Caribou Lou (see devastating) and always raps about how fucking sweet the Midwest is and I can relate. He raps about (somewhat) everyday life happenings such as doing a shit ton of drugs and seeing what happens and he spits white hot fire pretty damn quick. Oh, and did I mention Killer is a double album?


5. Metallica - Death Magnetic
yep, I said it, Metallica has one of the top ten albums of the year. 'Nuff said


4. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

Girl Talk did something that I never thought would happen; he made me actually enjoy mashup music and not only that, he made something that can be played at a fucking ragger or while studying chemistry (because we all want to cut out the middle man when it comes to meth). Though not as magnificent as his previous effort, Night Ripper, Feed the Animals seamlessly blends a whole album into essentially one long track. There is a good chance that in a year or so whatever money he made off of it will be lost in litigation fees for illegal use of other peoples music, but Girl Talk created something that is greater than the sum of all it's parts... at least the 20 second samples that he throws together.


3. Mindless Self-Indulgence - if

This is without a doubt my guiltiest pleasure whether it's music, movies, or tv shows. MSI is an undefinable band (although I'd give it a shot and call it electro-punk) that have created a highly enjoyable album with their offering if. The music is frenzied and kinetic and all over the fucking place, but that's the way they like it and that's what they do best. It features some of the most over the top and blatant falsettos in musiccourtesy of singer Jimmy Urine (not his legal name as far as I can tell) and it is a case of you either love it or you hate it. If by chance you really like this album I would highlyrecommend their previous album, Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy. Trust me


2. Protest the Hero - Fortress

I'll just say it off the bat that this album will never be considered a hallmark metal album or have a very lasting impression. It is however, be the most exciting and fun (yep, I said fun) metal album of the year. They are technical as hell and each riff sounds like a solo and I say that in a good way, not the Dragonforce way. Fortress combines crushing riffs seamlessly with incredibly melodic passages with jazz influenced drumming and and audible bassists and the tracks have so many tempo and key changes that it'll blow your fucking mind. On top of that the singer, Rody Walker, has got one of the best vocal ranges in recent memory. He can sing well, throw in the falsetto whenever he feels like it, add in a scream, a shout, and a guttural scream pretty damn well.


1. Portishead - Third

Until a month and a half ago, Protest the Hero's Fortress was at number one and had been for the entire year pretty much, but then I heard this. This is Portishead's first album in over a decade and it's an album that really requires a couple listen troughs in order to like it. I hated it the first 3 times I listened to it, but ever since then every time I listen to it is more enjoyable than the last. Words that would describe the album would include bleak, dark, haunting, and hell why not, amazing. Every track draws you deeper and deeper in to an album that would make a hell of a soundtrack for a doomsday film or anything dystopian. As everyone who reads this is aware of, I'm not a very effective writer and this is my plea for everyone to get this album. Straight up pick it up, it's great. Oh yeah, moody would be another good word to describe the album.




Hope you enjoyed, peace bitches