to finish off music week (or two), here is my list of top 7½ albums of 2002 that you will probably skim over instead of read. its okay, i understand. i'd do the same thing.

1. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
If you think back now about the differences between say, 1992 and 1993, the memories of those years probably just blend in together. I'm sure 10 years from now, if asked to detail my account of 2002, I wouldn't remember a thing. I'd probably confuse it with 2001 or 2003. But if 10 years from now, I play Source Tags and Codes, I'd remember everything about 2002. Melancholy, anger, frustration, forgiveness, and oh yeah, hope. Everything about last year, it's all there. A true epic. A true album. Album of the year.

2. Bad Astronaut - Houston, We Have A Drinking Problem
If I were in an empty white room with no windows or doors and which was slowly filling with water seeping up from the floor, a suspended dream state, then this would be the soundtrack.

½. The Dillinger Escape Plan feat. Mike Patton - Irony Is A Dead Scene EP
Omnipresent Mike Patton sounds like he's gurgling blood while DEP provides the technical precision and ability of the only avant-math-grindcore-metal-post-hardcore band around. A blistering dissonant assualt. Do I sound like a record reviewer yet? Might I add that this album also has its share of thrills, spills, and chills!

3. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
The perfect CD for days when you're out of it.

4. Eels - Souljacker
The songs tell a story. Nobody really does that any more. Sublime did it. wow, 4 albums in and they're all sad (or angry) albums so far. it was a good year.

5. Division of Laura Lee - BlackCity
I've almost lost my voice singing "I'm in need for love! I'm in need for drugs!" from "Number One" on more than one occassion. And I swear he says "You ain't got shit!/Like Radiohead" in "Pretty Electric". Like Trail of Dead, its good to see ugly singers back in rock n roll.

6. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
I would have placed this one higher, but the radio interludes throughout are funny the first time, but annoying for subsequent listens. They take away from the general re-listenabilty of the album; well that and tracks 5 and 7. But other than that, this is still a fucking kick ass rock album.

7. Transplants - Transplants
Punk and rap, together at last! I've been waiting since Nuts and Gum were united.

Other albums (in no real order):

• Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown
  I didn't like it as much as others, but they're a bunch of dorks from Victoria and it's nice to see them make it big. And its still better than Coldplay.
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Master EP/Machine EP
  Karen O is hot. Can't wait till their debut LP album comes out this year.
• OK Go - OK GoExcellent pop-rock album. They stole the show from The Vines last August too.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way
  
• It's clear that Frusciante makes this band what it is. Thank god they fired Dave Navarro.
• Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been
  Yeah it was a DVD, but I've listend to the mp3s just as much as any other album on this list. The DVD is excellent as well.
• Nirvana - Nirvana
  Even though I already have most of the songs on this album, but when are you ever going to hear a new song by that voice again?
• Rolling Stones - 40 Licks
  Holy fuck do they ever have a lot of good songs. But no "I'm Just Waiting on a Friend"? Best Stones video ever!

Rap sucks. Hip Hop is okay:

• N.E.R.D - In Search Of
• Roots - Phrenology
• Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow

Albums I thought sucked at first:

• The Liars - They Threw Us In a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top
  Something about it that made me go back for a second listen. They definitly have their own sound. All my favourite bands have that.
• Sparta - Wiretap Scars
  "Cut Your Ribbon" is pretty fucking cool now.
• Bright Eyes - The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
  If I'm in the mood for some vaginal rocking. Well, sure, he is gay, but its still vaginal rock to me.

Canadian Album of the Year:

• Wide Mouth Mason - Rained Out Parade
  If it were a just world, these guys would be stars and Our Lady Peace would be opening for the Honeymoon Suite reunion show.

A Simple Plan is NOT Punk:

• Ben Weasel - Fidatevi
• Millencolin - Home From Home
• The Queers - Pleasant Screams
  The Queers are finally back on Lookout! and back to their Don't Back Down sound. I've been waiting here for a while, welcome back.
• Bad Religion - Process of Belief
  BR are also back after that horrible last album. It's no scooter, but still good to see them totally redeem themselves with this album.

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No more music talk. Thanks for indulging me, pretentious fucker that I am.