The Daylight Curse, Black And White Memories - $3Judging from the cover/song names I could tell it was going to belong to the post/hardcore/metal variety. For $3 I certainly wasn't expecting anything great. Surprisingly however, I had stumbled across quite a unique metalcore band, whose music refrains from breakdowns and instead in it's place are ripping riffs and epic melodies. A very good buy.
KEN mode, Reprisal - $1I bought this purely because I was intrigued by the cover. I literally had no idea what to expect. The artwork, design and song titles all varied and left no clues as to what this album contained. But I thought hey, a dollar, why not? I was richly rewarded with a sludge-drenched noisecore-esque metal album. Good buy.
Lux, Northern Lights - $1Possibly the oddest find of all, especially considering it was the alternative section. The cover design is reminiscent of a punk band I meant to get into a few years ago, possibly what sparked me into buying it. I wasn't expecting Lux to be an electronica duo who fuse electronics with real instruments and percussion, to form a kind of chill-out ambience atmosphere. A refreshing change from the rest, and good because I'm always seeking good electronic music. A very good buy.
The Human Abstract, Midheaven - $10The most expensive buy, but possibly the best. Having heard and enjoyed a song of theirs a couple of years ago I figured now would be a good time to fuel my interest. Highly technical progressive metal/hardcore. Spastic and unpredictable, though verging on the melodic and calm at times. A very good buy.
Glasseater, Everything Is Beautiful When You Don't Look Down - $2Upon first listen it sounds like a somewhat generic emo album. You imagine the vocalist being scrawny and girly and the guitarist flicking his fringe whilst playing overly-dramaticly. You'd be very wrong there! This album is dated 2003 - a good year or two before all these sceney-emo bands shot to popularity, and you won't find any fringes here either. They play good, modern pop-punk-lenient emotive hardcore without the unnecessary attire or attitude. A very good buy.
New Found Glory, Coming Home - $3Hey, cut me some slack. Tip Of The Iceberg was a legit EP, and Sticks and Stones was a pop-punk great. Besides, everybody is allowed a guilty pleasure. The hate towards this album is justified, as it is considerably more pop-drenched and sugar coated than any other release of theirs. That said, it's not an entirely bad release for those who enjoy music on the lighter and happier side, it's actually an enjoyable listen. Good buy.
Overall, a well-spent $20, and a good start to 2010.
A bit of an unexpected change, I was surprised to see ol' Johnny at the top of my charts this morning. Well, what can I say? The man's a legend. Nobody plays country with the same flair as him. Though most of his earlier songs sound the same (as goes for all country music: who can deny it?) I can still listen to it hour after hour. The stories he tells and the way he tells them are fascinating, and even the minimal music that accompanies it becomes enjoyable. His material towards his later years it beautiful, and some of the most moving music I've ever heard. He definitely holds well the title of keeping me sane.