Top Ten Albums: 2008

This is always really hard for me. One of my friends made a top fifty which seems like too big an undertaking for me. I’m really picky and to be completely honest this year and last year have been a pretty close minded time for me. I’ve been listening to a lot of noise because it makes me jizz my pants. However, when I do hear albums that catch my attention I take note. While there were a number this year, I can only really make ten. Fifty seems like too gratuitous, plus I’m just not that strong and smart to make a list of albums in order of importance like that. This is my top ten and while it was extremely difficult for me, given the nature of some amazing albums that will probably not be in here, I am satisfied in this list and comfortable enough to say I’ve listened to these albums the most out of any in 2008.

10.) Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that Shit Gold
It was tough bumping an amazing Secret Abuse LP out of my top ten, but this is my album of winter (despite the fact it came out in May). This is all I’ve been blasting and for good reason. Slug and Ant have made some good albums before but none have the drama and lore the way this one does. It fucking delivers on all fronts. “Glass House” and “The Waitress” stand out as some of the biggest heartbreakers of 2008. I don’t care if Slug’s an asshole. Have you heard this record? There is a reason he’s so bitter. Best Hip Hop album of 2008.

9.) Beach House – Devotion
I loved loved loved this album. I can’t say it enough. LOVED. It was my summer. It was how I slouched through those shitty months. It was the end of a harsh time encapsulated for me. It was dreamy, mysterious, and oh so sad. “Wedding Bell” and “Gila” were what got me on board and “Turtle Island” still sends chills through my body. Seeing them live at CMJ was just an extra added treat. Great live band with a great record that reminds me of well, being at a beach except being really drunk and depressed.

8.) Hair Police – Certainty of Swarms
It is the first in what will be many noise records on here. It is also oddly one of the most surprising. I expected insanity. I expected deviance, but I never knew Connelley and co. were capable of something as brutal and destructive as this. I put this album on early in the morning expecting to hear the Halloween-esque howls and creepy sounds and instead I was bludgeoned to death. “Strict” is by far the most intense song they have ever recorded and the final track “Freezing Alone” is the best song by them period.. It is the perfect song for how I’ve felt this long cold winter. Connelley’s voice is in rare form as his howls and screeches sound like a baby being skinned alive. This is Hair Police’s masterpiece and head and shoulders above anything else they’ve ever done. No Fun had an amazing year with “Adult Life”, this, and another album which is further down on this list.

7.) Young Widows – Old Wounds
This album kind of snuck up on me because I had no idea it was released until I was in a record store and saw it. I had been anticipating this album for so long because of the fact 2006’s “Settledown City” was utterly jaw dropping and the best debut for a new band I’ve ever heard. This record did not disappoint and is further proof to my assessment; Young Widows are the best band to come out within the last four years. “Took a Turn” starts off with that driving bass line and kicks into what is the shortest and best song on the album, “Old Skin”. That guitar is so heavy and at such atmospheric levels. “Guitar” showcases this and “21st Century Invention” levels you with crunch. This is also my most overplayed album of this year. I cannot stop raving about this band. They are a must see live for 2009 and my band to watch. They will be headlining in two years if they can keep it together.

6.) Emaciator – Coveting
I don’t own this album and it tears me up inside. My roommate purchased this record and after listening I immediately understood why it is called “Coveting”. I covet this album so bad. I want it so band and as soon as I get home it will be mine. Talk about leaps and bounds, I had no fucking clue Borges could do this. I mean Pedestrian Deposit’s “Vestige” was a hint and his recent stuff has been leading up to it, but holy shit, “Coveting” is simply the motherfucking holy grail in drone. It’s got it all. Trippy tape loop sounds, depressing hums, and that guitar—HOLY FUCK THAT GUITAR. This is Emaciator’s swan song for now I guess because Pedestrian Deposit is to return in full force for this year but what a way to leave us hanging. Borges outdid himself with simply the saddest, most tragic, and most debilitating record to date but this sorrow master project known as Emaciator. If those last ten minutes of this album with that crying guitar, don’t bring tears to your eyes, you are a robot and deserve to be erased.

5.) Prurient – Time Began In a Garden
This is Dom’s first appearance on the list and his fourth on these lists. I said last year he is making a habit of being on here well there is a good fucking reason. Everything he puts out is fucking incredible and utterly stupefying. While other noiseheads and PE behemoths are still angrily screaming at their moms, Dom is fucking destroying the American—no, WORLD dream, one agonizing song after the next. No where is this more evident then on what will now in my mind be a classic American noise album, “Time Began in a Garden”. The concept behind this album is murder and investigation of Jon Benet Ramsey. There were only 100 copies of these double tapes and they came with a poster, stickers, and a skull key. So much time and thought went into this and the songs are as unrelenting as any harsh things he’s ever done…and it’s all drone. Dreary, dark, ambient, miserable drone. These are the saddest songs I’ve ever heard Dom record. “Stun Gun Theory” starts the misery off perfectly and if “December Man” isn’t the most chilling and unsettling thing I’ve ever heard I have to get my pulse checked. To me the highlight is “The Wine Cellar” which upon hearing broke my already cynical American Heart. “Spider Spins a Child” finishes it off and like I said, this record just breaks your heart. This record is about much more than the death of Jon Benet, it’s about the death of the family, the death of our notion of safety and ultimately the death of whatever piece of shit American dream we thought we had. Simply put: fucking brutal as shit.

4.) Akimbo – Jersey Shores
Talk about coming out of no where. These guys have been at it for a while and never get the dues they deserve. They deserve to with this monument of an accomplishment. It is their best record to date and a fucking behemoth in terms of power and heaviness—something this band is well versed in. I did not expect to listen to this album and immediately upon listening I was like, “oh hello what’s this.” I had not been too familiar with Akimbo and that’s my fault as “Jersey Shores” snuck up behind me like the shark of a record it is and tore me to pieces. The album cover fucking rules and any band that can take a concept like shark attacks off the Jersey Shore and shape it into a fucking monster of a record that still rocks, kicks ass, and not get a single ounce of cheesiness deserves five thousand beers in my book. That bass line that resonates throughout the entire album is so heavy and awesome and “Great White Bull” is their best song ever recorded. I love the fact you can pump your fist, headband and still spazz the shit out of this record. AND IT’S A FUCKING CONCEPT RECORD! Whoduhthunkit? Another case where I got to see the band live this year, and I am so grateful I did. They kick even more ass in person.

3.) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
With all this talk about kicking ass and annihilation, one might be surprised to find this record on here and so high. Well, it’s a sad album. Quite frankly, it’s the saddest record I heard all year. And there is a reason I listen to music. The song writing on this record, the best out of all records for 2008. The songs in terms of accessibility and listenability, the best of 2008. This record came along when one my closest friends, who just so happened to be named Emma, was gone abroad in Italy and I missed her. So what, I miss my friends, I don’t care. So the album took on special meaning and after a rough year personally, nothing made me feel more connected than a depressed man, shattered by the world, alone in the Wisconsin woods, recording the most tearjerking album of this year. “Lump Sum” as sad as it is, has a cute little hoppy beat that leads right into the heaviest and most emotional track, “Skinny Love”. Those howls get me every time and the lyrics just make you want to slide even lower into your sulking pit. To me, the standout comes on Wolves Act I and II where the voice cracks to a point where a little vocoder is used. It is subtle but oh so powerful and really that sums up this record beautifully. One of the most powerful of the entire year, also one of the quietest. Sometimes all you need is your voice, a guitar and the woods to make an album heavier than any Judas Priest or Scorpions record you will ever hear.

2.) Prurient – And Still, Wanting
This is Dom’s second appearance on the list, his fifth overall and this record is up there for me next to “AIDS” and “Shipwrecker’s” as one of his crowning achievements, which is saying a lot for Dom considering everything he touches is magic. This is another No Fun release, which as I said earlier had a monumental year, but really this record is important because just when you think Fernow will start going the strict synth route, he lets you know, that his anger, aggression, and pure power in terms of noise and PE will always be unrelenting. From the opening blasts of “Memory Repeating” you are given this idea and then that almighty line, “I woke up today…” gives you a second to breathe before he destroys you again with the legion of feedback and effect loops he has at his beckoning. This man is a fucking warrior (as indicated by earlier releases), his sounds are his weapons and every single album he puts out he unleashes war on some part of the listener. “Garden” attacks the soul while “Wanting” attacks your ears and never lets up. “Total Terrorism” is as it says, complete and utter terror before unleashing mental mayhem on the listener with the best track on the record, “Strict Ideas”. Holy shit, this is a candidate for song of the year. No song captures the spirit of who I am, what I aspire to be and what Dom has been for the past eight years, like “Strict Ideas”. It features the harsh distortion, the sorrow-filled synth and the lyrics of a man plagued with terrible terrible thoughts despite his friendly demeanor. I cannot say enough about this record and what it stands out as one of Dom’s top two albums recorded. “Incense and Rubber” finishes the record off brilliantly in such suspenseful and nerve-wrecking fashion. All I’m going to say is every time I wear a shirt and tie now I will always feel a little naughty. I’ve got some pretty strict, ideas.

1.) Jason Crumer – Ottoman Black
Someone call the kids, for the first time ever a harsh noise record will be taking my honors as best album of the year. This isn’t just your normal run of the mill noise album though. No, oh god no. As I mentioned earlier in my review of this album (see May or June of 2008), this record is a fucking milestone—a motherfucking miracle. There is a reason Crumer is one of the most talked about names in noise right now and it’s because of albums like this. Blending together the greatest parts of harsh noise, drone, power-electronics and sound collage, Crumer set out to craft such an ambitious project and went way beyond what anyone was probably thinking he was going to do. The difference between this and others is leaps and bounds. Simply put: this record makes everyone look like a joke. I don’t say that to put anyone else down, but jesus tap dancing Christ how are you going to top this. “Ottoman Black” had it all. Terror and fright with “Town Crier”, suspense with “Self Deceiver”, gore and violence with “Where Were You?” and complete and utter decimation with “Betrayal After Betrayal, After Betrayal, After Betrayal.” I heard Carlos Giffoni praising this album safe for “Pissed Off Responses” but I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with my hero on this, as I felt this was an appropriate placing for a such a short and spastic release of tension (god knows I do that all the time when I break shit). This leads right into “Certified Blue” which is the culmination of a work of art that elevated Crumer to the top of my list. It is triumphant, yet bitter. Beautiful, yet tragic. It is the perfect metaphor for an album that ruled my world and well no doubt live on as a masterpiece within this particular niche of music. I don’t know what will outdo this album. Every year I hear something that immediately after hearing it, I am floored and know nothing will top it. “Ottoman Black” had my jaw literally dragging on the floor as I felt my brain and my ears get completed wasted. Crumer not only destroys, but this album is so magnificent in power, it brings tears to your eyes. I never knew what it meant to find beauty in something so morose and downtrodden as I did when “Ottoman Black” entered my life and for that—for completely destroying my world and my music life for 2008, I thank you Jason Fucking Crumer.


Honorable Mentions:

Secret Abuse – Violent Narcissus LP: If not for Atmosphere making me shit tears, this gorgeous guitar drone record was number ten.

Mates of State – Re-Arrange Us: Everyone shit on this record like they did “Our Constant Concern” because indie rock’s Captain and Tenille were going through marital problems and they don’t like to hear about that, but you know what—that’s marriage and that’s what makes it more personal. And makes me connect with it more emotionally. Best record by them SINCE “Concern”.

Shallow Waters – Equal Eyes LP: I am an opponent of mixing politics and music, but holy fuck if everyone is as pissed off as this guy I want more more and more. Brutal Power Electronics had me coughing up “Red Foam”.

Ceremony – Still Nothing Moves You: Best and most brutal hardcore album of 2008. Kudos to this band for upping the themes and songwriting while still maintaining a sound makes me break so much fucking shit every time I listen.

Crystal Antlers – EP: The only reason it is not in the top ten is that I am so eagerly anticipating the full length this year. This is the best new band out there right now. Simple infuckingcredible.


There are a lot of bands I am eagerly anticipating for next year: Crystal Antlers, Young Widows, Emeralds, Animal Collective, Wolf Eyes, etc. Next year should be a year for complete and utter mayhem. I look forward to it.

Scumbag Casanova

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Hottie of the moment: Zadi Diaz



I found this show she does Epic Fu. it's pretty good, but she is even gooder....whatever GIRL IS FUCKING CUTE AS SHIT and hot as all fucking get out.



Yes. Check her out Here.

lates skates. I'm off to LA to visit the famz.

- Sad DC

Scumbag Casanova

Thursday, December 11, 2008

So I just got done with one final and I spent all last night on the following paper. I haven't slept and I'm off right now to another final than probably to work, then to another paper. It's a love affair, mainly Jesus and my hotrod....I'm tired dude.

I felt this was relevant though. Being that it is about someone I admire and hey, this is where I post shit about other people and other things. Wish me luck on Milton dudes. That dude was laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame. Totally didn't get any chicks. Total bummer forever bra.

Elliot Smith’s Suicide
Singer-songwriter, Elliot Smith died October 21, 2003 of two apparent self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest (Smoking Gun). Smith had many issues in the past battling drug addiction, most notably an addiction to the narcotics, heroin and morphine. At the time, Elliot Smith was clean and not using drugs which made the apparent suicide a bit suspect (Pelisek 1). One of the first things that was troubling about the entire situation was the manner in which it was told through the first hand account of his girlfriend Jennifer Chiba. Elliot Smith’s suicide note was written on a post-it note and while it was first reported his name was spelled wrong (leading to more suspicion), this was ruled a mistake by the investigator, botching the investigation to a further extent. However, the question of handwriting still remained. The handwriting on the note did not match Elliot Smith’s normal handwriting. The autopsy reports revealed that while the death would be consistent with a suicide, other circumstances have arisen leaving the case open for a possible homicide investigation (The Smoking Gun). This came about through many different ways.
Smith was taken to a hospital where the staff attempted to save his life to no avail. Because he died at the hospital, there was no formal crime scene, other than the initial house in which he performed the alleged stabbing (The Smoking Gun). Collected at that scene were a nail and hair kit as well as a black t-shirt he had apparently bled on. When the body was inspected at the morgue the noted operational scars were seen as well as the two small lacerations directly into the middle of the chest. What was also extremely notable about the body were two small cuts on his left and right arm (The Smoking Gun).
Because Smith had a history with drugs, he was tested to see if there were any illegal substances in his system and it came up negative. The reason why this was done was to ensure that his death was in no way influenced by a substance he used to abuse such as alcohol or heroin (Petrides 1). Heroin is opiate that sedates the senses. As an opiate the chemical structure of heroin fits in easily to the receptors that exist in the brain (Girard 277). Because the addict is put in such a euphoric state, it is possible that one can be rendered so high they might not understand an action they commit towards themselves, such as a stab wound (Arnold Reid 656).
When someone dies of a heroin overdose, in most of the cases track marks are also found along the arms or various body parts where the heroin might have been injected (Girard 277). The only cases where this is not relevant is if the decedent was snorting the powder form of heroin. When the body was examined there were visible scars on his body, but there were none recent enough to deduce that he had been using heroin again (The Smoking Gun). Testimony from close friend and relatives also attested to this citing Smith’s year long sobriety and eagerness to continue making music for the rest of his life (Petrides 1).
Toxicology reports found no traces of heroin or any illegal narcotic in his system. The kidneys were examined and there was no evidence to believe that this was an illegal drug related death in any form. This coupled with the various statements from those close to him, all led to the eventual conclusion that there were no drugs involved. The autopsy report that was filed concluded that there was no evidence of a drug overdose or an abuse of drugs at the time. The tests had yielded inconclusive results as to this theory (The Smoking Gun). For this reason, the coroner had to be certain that Smith had not taken any illegal drugs and this lends itself to the statement that Smith’s death might have involved foulplay.
The autopsy report left the possibility of a homicide open. The stab wounds while fatal nature had no marker of hesitation which is usually consistent with suicide. The knife had also gone through closing (The Smoking Gun). According to the reports, a knife almost always has evidence of certain ways they went in when it comes to suicide. The stab wounds had no distinct angle and seemed as if they were driven with more force. Being that the stab wounds went trough his shirt, it is suspected that there was force used. The biggest inclination finally were the two lacerations on his hand and arm which indicate that there might have been some sort of struggle or a form of defense that was used (The Smoking Gun). The only person present at the time was Jennifer Chiba, who refused to talk to the cops. This act made her an official person of interest in the eyes of the authorities.
The lacerations on the arm did not have a specific pattern to them. Typically if there is an act of self-mutilation that leads to death or that precludes death, there tends to be a pattern of marks along the arm, as with any pattern of stabbing or scratching. In this instance, the marks were scattered throughout different parts of the arms and body to indicate there might have been some sort of struggle (The Smoking Gun). If one were to abide by the suicide conclusion, they might deduce that the struggle might have taken place once the girlfriend realized he was trying to stab himself and tried to stop him. However, the story given and her uncooperative attitude with the police made her a bit suspicious. The fact that her fingerprints were on the knife makes it really difficult for one to believe that she just “pulled the knife out” given her secrecy to the event in question.
Another theory that came about was the possibility of a mixture of alcohol with the prescription drugs to create side effects such as depression. Elliot Smith was not only in rehab for heroin, but also for alcohol as he was a severe alcoholic. Since alcohol is a stimulant which can lead to depression and the medication that Smith was taking was for medication it was widely believed at first that the two might have been mixed. The prescription drugs were anti-depressant drugs and drugs for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Pelisek). A drug that might have been taken was Ritalin and given its mix with alcohol, it could be thought that used to an excess and mixed with alcohol, the results can be depression (Maher 720). This was one of the first things that was looked at in the autopsy report.
Results were inconclusive though as toxicology reports revealed that there was no alcohol in his system and that the medications were taken at prescribed levels. The post-mordem toxicology report discovered that there were no traces of alcohol in his liver, which is where a bulk of alcohol tends to accumulate and have an effect on (Maher 112). While there was decomposition due to his years of heavy drinking, the reduction reaction was not significant and the blood alcohol levels, which were also tested, revealed no alcohol in his system whatsoever. The analysis of the toxiclogical information revealed no evidence of drugs or alcohol used in the body. This begs the question then as to why Smith would have done this, after being sober for a year and seemingly in higher spirits (according to those close to him).
In the police report, it was noted that when the evidence was analyzed, there were two sets of fingerprints on the knife. Both were latent fingerprints that were discovered using the powder method which is typically used when trying to get fingerprints off of hard materials, in this case a stainless steel kitchen knife (Girard 139). The fingerprints were close together; this was also an indication of there being a struggle during the supposed, “suicide”. Chiba refused to answer questions as to whether or not there was struggle. The only council she was willing to give was that she pulled the knife out of his chest despite his willingness to want to kill himself.
Another specimen that was investigated in the report was the heart as the stab wounds to the heart seemed to be what caused the death at the time. Upon further inspection and analysis during the autopsy, it was found that the two stabs wounds had in fact caused the damage but that the first stab wound had only done minor damage (The Smoking Gun). The second stab wound not only pierced skin and bone, but did in fact rupture the heart resulting in a fatal stab wound to Elliot Smith. There are many questions that arise as to why there were two stab wounds and why it was done in such a harsh matter, delivering a blow so brutal it would damage the heart beyond repair causing death (Pelisek).
What makes this suspicious was the fact that there were two stab wounds in the first place and that the second one was done with such force as to pierce the heart. It is often difficult for one to have that type of strength wherein they could take an instrument and force it into their chest cavity, through clothing, bone and into their heart. The angle and distance from the arms to the heart is such that it makes it extremely difficult for one to gather that much momentum for a stab wound to be that harsh (Pelisek). Additionally, after the first stab wound, it can be implied that one would not have the proper amount of energy to deliver the proper blow to rupture the heart. The knife used was also a simple kitchen knife which would have required even more strength on the person attempting to end their own life. If one were to have stabbed Smith, they might have tried once and failed and tried once again, rupturing the heart and causing the death. Regardless of these logical theories, the plain truth on the autopsy report was that the cause of the death for Elliot Smith was a rupture of the heart, caused by the second stab wound to the chest (The Smoking Gun).
The final piece of evidence had nothing to do with the body but had everything to do with the theory of suicide. Before the supposed suicide, Smith had written a suicide note on a post-it note that supposedly read, “I’m so sorry—Love, Elliot. God forgive me.” Questions arose as to the legitimacy of the note as well. One of the questions that were brought up was why Smith would write such a hasty note and something as trivial as a post-it note. If he were so intent on killing himself and it wasn’t a momentary lapse of sanity due to drugs (as the autopsy report indicates), why then would he take to writing a short note before he killed himself? One thing girlfriend Jennifer Chiba did mention in her statement to the police was that they had a terrible fight and that she had locked herself in the bathroom (The Smoking Gun). If one were to examine Smith’s psychological state they could say the sudden fight might have led him to such irrational actions, however, those who were close to him had stated that this was a surprise and that they had never thought he would do this because of his new found happiness (Petrides).
The biggest question with regards to the note was whether or not the handwriting was actually his. Initially when the evidence was collected, the investigator reported that when Smith signed the note he had spelled his own name wrong which brought forth many suspicions from his fans, however it was later discovered that it was mistake on the part of the investigator as the writing had been so illegible it had only looked like he had spelled his name wrong (Pelisek). This instance calls into question the legitimacy of the handwriting and the note. Because the writing was illegible they would have had to do comparison analysis with other documents to see if the handwriting was in fact Smith’s or if it was a forgery done by someone else.
The specimen that was collected was an unrequested specimen as at the time of writing, Smith had no idea they were going to be compared (Girard 161). What made it easy to compare the styles of writing was the fact that Smith was a prolific writer and was proud of the songs he had made. Many times in CD booklets, the lyrics were often copied straight from his handwriting showcasing the love and dedication he often put into his work (Petrides). When comparing the specimen to the writing, it was found to be similar in that it was script, but still not indicative of it not being a forgery (Girard 159). Because his writing style was so public and he had many things with his signature and handwriting lying around, it is quite possible that the forgery could have easily been made by someone close to him, who knew him better than anyone else. The logic was that if he did write the note, he did so in such a hasty and crazy fashion that it was eligible given his mental state. The handwriting wasn’t a one hundred percent match but enough to “gather” a suicide on the part of the investigators, which is a conflicting result from the autopsy which left the death open to a possible homicide (The Smoking Gun).
While the biological, toxicological, and physical tests revealed there was nothing to implicate a suicide, the psychological evaluations are evidently what led to the police shutting the case and not investigating it any further (The Smoking Gun). Smith’s music was often extremely dark and depressing as much of his earlier work spoke about his battles with drugs and depression. Because of his public battles with addiction and suicidal thoughts the authorities felt no need to push the case any further and chalked it up to a depressed guy who finally offed himself, despite the fact he had been clean and sober for a year and he was in the midst of recording an album (Petrides). The autopsy results contradict much of what the police authorities said had been substantial evidence to rule it a suicide (Pelisek). Ignoring the forensic reports and criminalistic science in favor of not delving any deeper might have been a mistake, although to save time and money the authorities would have needed to rule on something, and this was the easier route to go.
Whether or not Smith’s death was in fact a suicide remains to be seen, although the scientific evidence seems to hint at the major possibility of foul play, so much so that the autopsy results explicitly state that there is reason to believe that this might have been a homicide. In this situation science and human biases tended to conflict like they have so many times before, and in the end Smith’s death (although “solved”) will always be a mystery to fans like me and others. A year after his death, girlfriend Jennifer Chiba attempted to sue the Smith family for money she said she was promised by Elliot. Her claims were that they lived together basically as man and wife and that he had promised to take care of her regardless of what happened. They were thrown out of district court and she is currently in the process of taking it to the California Supreme Court.

- Chris