By Request...My Top Ten

I was having a pretty in depth ping conversation with the one and only Ms. Julie Everett the other day (okay, it really wasn't that in depth) and she mentioned that she would like to see a blog about my top ten all time favorite albums.
Seeing that my mind changes like the weather, I can't make any promises that this list will remain the same for longer than a week. I have come to the conclusion that I should probably make two different top ten lists; one for albums that mean a lot to me and the other for albums that are musically phenomenal. But no...she asked for just one top ten...so here we go...

Amos Lee - Supply and Demand
This is an amazing album. Although Sweet Pea was wildly overplayed on that AT&T commercial, you can't deny that the other 13 songs on the album (particularly Careless & Southern Girl) are works of art. I'm trying my darnedest to choose ten different artists for this list, but I could easily say that his self-titled album is also one of my very favorite albums ever, as well.

Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
Let's not kid ourselves...the man can write a dang song. "Try to ignore all this blood on the floor; it's just this heart on my sleeve that's bleeding." It's an amazing lyric...and it's not even from the best song on this album! As with Amos Lee, I could easily add another one of Ray's albums (Til the Sun Turns Black) to this list, but I shall refrain.

Jewel - Spirit
This one is a little embarrassing for me. I definitely don't find it to be a musically genius album (although, I still find Absence of Fear to be a beautiful song), but I was crazy-obsessed with it when I was about 18 years old. I would listen to it on constant rotation driving from Wentzville to St. Louis and back again. There is nothing like a stupid 18 year old girl listening to Jewel while driving to the east side of St. Louis to the only club that would let her in at 18. Ohhhh, how lucky I am that I didn't get murdered.

Ani DiFranco - Little Plastic Castles
Again, this album is one that has nothing to do with the genius of the music, but more to do with what the album represented for me around 2002. Sidenote though...I did quote As Is to Thomas just last week. See? Still stands up.

Third Day - Third Day
There is no voice on this planet like Mac Powell's. I have loved Third Day since they first came on the scene (before they grew to become Christian rock royalty) and here's a fun fact about Sarah, if you didn't already know: this is my favorite band ever. They have yet to put out a less-than-stellar album, but with Love Song coming from this particular album, I have chosen it for my top ten.

Newton Faulkner - Rebuilt By Humans
I kept going back and forth on whether I lean towards Newton's Hand Built By Robots album over his Rebuilt By Humans album. It almost feels like I'm choosing which child I love more...it's impossible. I "chose" Rebuilt By Humans because it's the album that actually was the inspiration for this blog.
Julie: Dang, this Newton CD is GOOD.
Me: Oh, yeah....definitely one of my top ten albums ever.
Julie: Oh, you should blog about that list.
*Annnnnnnnnnnd....scene*
But, much like Ray and Amos...I would probably put both of his albums on this list. Dang. Jewel SO doesn't deserve to be on this list.

The Script - Science & Faith
This one is a little controversial (at least in my own head). It's such a new album that I am somewhat shocked that it has broken into my top ten. Obviously, I don't know if it's going to stand the test of time, but it is absolutely solid enough that I can see it doing so. I was a fan of their first album, but I feel like S&F kicked the crap out it.

Dave Matthews Band - Crash
Come on....how could I not have Dave show up in my top ten? Close contender to favorite DMB album would be Before These Crowded Streets. The whole thing really just brings back floods of memories.

Matt Nathanson - Beneath These Fireworks
This guy can't do wrong in my book. This album beat out Some Mad Hope for the simple fact of Weight Of It All and I Saw. Needless to say, I'm stoked to see what his upcoming album has to offer.

John Mayer - Continuum
There isn't a bad song on this album. Not a one.

Seriously...I'm still angry that I have to leave Jewel on this list. She really did mean a lot to me at one time...

Here are some honorable mentions:
Mat Kearney - City of Black and White
William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow and the Crow
Tim Brantley - Goldtop Heights
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Augustana - Can't Love, Can't Hurt
Ben Folds - Ben Folds Live
Cake - Fashion Nugget
Garth Brooks - Greatest Hits (Please don't make fun...I still love it...)
Joshua Radin - Simple Times
Justin Nozuka - You I Wind Land And Sea
Eric Hutchinson - Sounds Like This
Matt Wertz - Everything in Between
Matthew Perryman Jones - Swallow the Sea
Parachute - Losing Sleep
Matchbox 20 - Mad Season
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
Steven Moakler - All the Faint Lights
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Jon McLaughlin - Indiana
Ron Pope - The Bedroom Sessions


I guarantee there are more favorites (when you consider that there are 10,000 songs on my iPod...this is a very, very short list), but it's now 2:30 in the morning and my brain is fried.

So tell me, what am I missing??