Music Mania: Part....whatever.

So I'm camped out at Panera right now, supposed to be studying for finals, but decided to take a break and take advantage of free wi-fi.

I got an idea from a few people's blogs to list my top ten albums from this year. In all honesty it includes both new albums and albums I just discovered this year. And probably not in any particular order.

"Albertine" by Brooke Fraser. This has seriously been one of my favorite albums since I bought it earlier this year. There isn't a song on it that I don't love. Her lyrics really portray her passionate spirit. The songs "Albertine", "Shawdowfeet", and "The Theif" are my favorites. Hopefully I will be able to catch this New Zealander in concert one day.

"For Emma, Forever Ago" by Bon Iver. A friend recommended this album to me, and it is currently the top played album in my iTunes (but that really isn't saying a whole lot because my iTunes play list was erased when I switched to my Mac). Half the time I can't understand a word he is saying, but the music has so much feeling and emotion behind it. I've read the lyrics as well, and they are equally as moving. Keep your mind open when listening to this one and it will quickly become one of your favorites.

"Keep No Score" by Sleeping At Last. This album technically didn't come out this year, but I just bought it a couple months ago, and his lyrics have nearly brought me to tears. AND they are just as incredible live as they are on the album. I've quoted some of their lyrics in my previous posts.

The self-titled album by Addison Road. Let's pretend for a second that I don't personally know these guys. This album is driven by some great pop-rock anthems that just make you want to dance around and sing along. It's a great feel-good album to pump you up, yet has a few ballads that really show their heart's for the LORD. And now we can stop pretending, and I will say that the members of this band are are some very down to earth people and I really enjoy getting to hang out with them when they come through town.

"The Heat" by Needtobreathe. I think this one came out last year too, but again, I only bought it last month. I saw them live at Exit/In and immediately went home and bought the entire album. The lead singer's voice is simply phenomenal. I really love "Washed by the Water" which has been on the radio a lot lately. Love, love, love it.

Jon Foreman's Solo EPs "Fall," "Winter," "Spring," and "Summer". The first two came out last year but I'm looking at them as a whole. These albums are full of beautiful and vulnerable lyrics that were probably too personal to put onto a Switchfoot album, and I'm glad he didn't. They really prove to me that Jon is one of the best songwriters/artists out there today. If I had to choose one, I'd say get the "Fall" album. The song "Southbound Train" is beautiful.

"So Far: The Acoustic Sessions" by Bethany Dillon. You should never expect a favorites list of mine without a Bethany Dillon album. She put out an acoustic album earlier this year that was simply incredible. It was sliced down to mainly just her, a guitar, and a piano on occasion. She even threw in a Beatles cover. This is the stuff I love from her. It what makes her so incrdible.

"Roots" by Shawn McDonald. This was a highly anticipated album for that I bought as soon as I could get my hands on a copy. I think it is possibly his best album yet as it is infused with many different styles. His voice is great, his lyrics are great, and he can put on a great show. My favorite track would have to be "Greed".

"( )" by Sigur Ros. Yes ( ) is the name of the album. No, the tracks don't have names, and no they don't sing in English. This happens to be one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. You are supposed to listen to the vocal part as if it were just another instrument, and if you do that, it is a phenomenal album. This is actually one of their older albums, but I just bought it this year. Their newest album is very good as well though (but I won't bother to put the title because you wouldn't be able to pronounce it anyways). Who knew Iceland could produce such incredible musicians?

Last, but certainly not least, is Amos Lee's self-titled album. This album could take the most wound-up, stressed out person and completely mellow them out. I know this from personal experience. His song "Colors" is beautiful. I can't get enough of this guy. Warning: do not listen to him if you need to stay awake for long periods of time. It will lead to an ultimate epic fail.

Well thats all. Of course there were some other great albums out there this year, and it was very difficult to narrow it down, but these came out on top in my book.

I have finals for the rest of this week and next, so pray that I can concentrate and get the studying for them done. I probably won't post again until later next week when I finally get home (after a 10 hour car ride *yuck*). Until then, enjoy every day, watch Christmas movies, and drink Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate!

Mac