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As I Lay Dying (Phil Sgrosso)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2008?
- Radiohead - In Rainbows
- Kings of Leon - Only By the Night
- Meshuggah - obZen
- Opeth - Watershed
- Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling
What band did you discover in 2008 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I've been obsessed with the new Kings of Leon album. I've always seen their name around for the past few years but I've never heard them. I was watching Saturday Night Live for the first time in years and that's where I heard them. They're very good at writing catchy but simple melodies that stay in your head all day. The singer's voice is what grabbed my attention the most. It's inspiring to hear so much passion in their music.
How will you remember 2008? (In terms of music)
It seems as though there are a lot more bands running around these days. It's good to see that there's a big interest in making music but kids are settling for mediocrity a lot easier than what they used to. It seems like it's been hard for really talented bands to catch a break with how congested the market is.
Vinyl record sales saw a significant increase this year while hard copy sales continued to dwindle. Is this a return to the glory days for vinyl or just a phase? Explain.
I think vinyl is really cool because of the packaging/artwork. I don't really care for buying it because of the way it sounds. I think it's annoying to have to go flip the record over every six or so songs. Back in the day, that's all they could do. It seems way more convenient to just plug in my iPod or put in a CD.
What was the most memorable moment for you in 2008? (Can be in terms of anything)
Playing Moscow for the first time was incredible. Just having the opportunity to play there was a good feeling. We had 1,000 kids show up and it just turned into pandemonium. I haven't seen kids go that crazy for us in a long time.
What can we look forward to from you in 2009?
A couple more U.S. tours, then not much more. We'll be writing/ recording in the summertime so 2009 won't be very busy for us. I'm sure something will pop up unexpectedly though and change everything planned so far.
What three records are you looking forward to most in 2009?
The new Mastodon, Dredg, and Deftones? in that order.
Homepage: http://www.asilaydying.com
