First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to say that through this past year, thanks to viewers like you and the wonder of modern technology that is P2P file sharing, I was able to experience an incredible amount of new music by artists both new and old. So this year I decided to add a few extra awards to the end-of-year round-up. Let's begin with....
New Artist of the Year - Audioslave
If you don't have their self-titled debut, your collection is missing a gem. I heard four of the songs on the CD before I went out and purchased it, so I was expecting a worthwhile buy. It exceded even my expectations - $10 at Walmart will get you these 14 stellar tracks. There's just something about the lead vocalist's voice that perfects an already awesome job by all of the band's instruments. Kind of a bluesy sound, I'd say. I should also add that one of the finalists for the coveted Song of the Year award, Show Me How To Live, is on this album.
CD of the Year - Hail to the Thief by Radiohead
As I said at one point in my sidebar, Radiohead has a different sound everytime they put out a new album. With the release of OK Computer, they began to dabble in electronic/dance sounds. Kid A had a little too much of that sound for my liking, but they found a good fusion in their album of b-sides Amnesiac. In 2003, they came back with another job well-done in Hail to the Thief. I've found that even the tracks that I sometimes skip over will start playing themselves in my head. Oddly enough, this is another CD with 14 tracks - unusual for this day and age.
"Retro" Songs of the Year - "Hemmorhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel, "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve Pipe, and "My Sister Lover" by Oasis
It's really hard to describe this category outside of explaining when I hear each song. For some reason, everytime I walk out of the library on campus, "Hemorrhage" starts playing in my head. "Bittersweet Symphony" plays whenever I cut across the big open grassy area on campus, and "My Sister Lover" is like Scurf's anthem; anytime we hit 38th Street, I start humming or tapping the steering wheel to that rocking tune.
And finally...*drum roll*...the coveted award of 2003's Song of the Year goes to...
For lyrics that get me like no others and for a sound that demands to be blasted from one end of campus to another, this song has probably been looped more often than almost any other song I've heard in this past year. I don't know what else to say - this song just plain rocks my world. Probably the rest of the hall's world, too.
A big thank you to everyone who came out tonight and we'll see you all next year!
[applause]
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