Well, it's that time of year again, when a bunch of self-righteous journalists make their year end lists. Who are we to fuck with tradition? Nobody, that's who. Yup. We're special.

But before we do, we thought we'd take a minute out to review the finer points of the year:

Bush took our country to war against an enemy who had not acted against us, for reasons he was (and still is) unable to prove, and yet still has the gaull to speak out against "terrorists". I guess that term only applies to people with dark skin, huh George?

The big 5 and the RIAA began actually suing their customers. Am I the only one that sees a minor flaw in their logic? Todd just said no. Very good.

Johnny Cash, John Ritter, and Elliott Smith all checked out this year. Why is it the ones we want to keep that keep leaving, yet Cheney and Ashcroft keep on ticking?

Ok, I think I'm getting too depressed to continue. As far as music, it actually turned out to be a pretty impressive year, which is not how it looked at the start. Tons of good, creative albums came out, a few stretching out the elastic of genres, which had become quite constricting as of late. I have hip lines to prove it.

So here's out top ten lists, with a little extra here and there. Hope you enjoy them, and thanks for sticking with us for the last year.

Love,
-the JT staff (as channelled through Dave Mandell)

The Jaded Times Editorial Staff Official Top Ten List (patent pending)

01. Cursive, The Ugly Organ, Saddle Creek
02. Belle and Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Rough Trade
03. Azure Ray, Hold On Love, Saddle Creek
04. Head of Femur, Ringodom or Proctor, Greyday Productions
05. Criteria, En Garde, Initial Records
06. Cat Power, You Are Free, Matador
07. Mates of State, Team Boo, Polyvinyl
08. Calexico, A Feast of Wires, Quarter Stick
09. Postal Service, Give Up, Subpop
10. Matt Nathanson, Beneath These Fireworks, Universal

Writer's Lists

Lesley Bargar:

01. Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People
02. Sufjan Stevens, Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lake State
03. Cinematic Orchestra, Man With a Movie Camera
04. The Rapture, Echoes
05. Postal Service, Give Up
06. The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
07. Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co.
08. Cat Power, You are Free
09. Calexico, Feast of Wire
10. Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism

Hannah Wright:

01. Head Of Femur - Ringodom Or Proctor
02. Black Nielson - The Seahorse Boe
03. Grandaddy - Sumday
04. Chris T-T - London Is Sinking
05. Goldrush - Don't Bring Me Down (re-issue)
06. Neil Young - On The Beach (re-issue)
07. The Postal Service - Give Up
08. Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
09. Neil Young - Greendale
10. Black Eyes - Black Eyes

Joseph LaSalle:

01. Polyphonic Spree: The Beginning Stages Of...
02. Johnny Cash: Uncovered
03. Cat Power: You are Free
04. The Wrens: Meadowlands
05. Evan Dando: Baby I'm Bored
06. Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
07. The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
08. Songs:Ohia: Magnolia Electric Co.
09. Miracle of 86: Every Famous Last Word
10. New Pronographers: Electric Version

Rhianna Mathias:

1. The Be Good Tanyas, Chinatown
2. M. Ward, Transfiguration of Vincent
3.Criteria, En Garde
4.The Postal Service, Give Up
5.Cursive, The Ugly Organ
6.Cat Power, You Are Free
7.The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
8.Starlight Mints, Built on Squares
9.Motion City Soundtrack, I am the Movie
10.The White Stripes, Elephant

Jared Younis:

01 The Wrens: Meadowlands
02 Still Life: The Incredible Sinking Feeling
03 A Silver Mount Zion: This Is Our Punk Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing
04 Head of Femur: Ringodom or Proctor
05 Wire: Send
06 Cursive: The Ugly Organ
07 The Postal Service: Give Up
08 Criteria: En Garde
09 Ted Leo/Pharmacists: Hearts of Oak
10 Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism

Dave Bookout:

01. The Wrens - The Meadowlands
02. Cursive - The Ugly Organ
03. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
04. Hot Cross - Cryonics
05. The Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium
06. Head Of Femur - Ringodom Or Proctor
07. Rocky Votolato - Suicide Medicine
08. Her Space Holiday - The Young Machines
09. Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn
10. Still Life - The Incredible Sinking Feeling

Todd "fuck reissues!" Drootin:

01. Liars - "Fins to Make Us More Fish Like"
02. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks "Pig Lib"
03. Outkast "Speakerboxx/The Love Below"
04. Jay-Z "The Black Album"
05. Neptunes "Attack of the Clones"
06. Ral Partha Vogelbacher "Kite vs. Obelisk"
07. Radiohead "Hail to the Theif"
08. Daedelus "Rethinking The Weather"
09. Numbers "Ee-Uh"
10. Neil Young and Crazy Horse "Greendale"

5 best non-fiction books I read in 2003 (still Mr. Drootin):

1. "Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer
2. "Abuse Your Illusions" - various (disinfo.com)
3. "Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them" - Al Franken
4. "50 Things The Government Doesn't Want You To Know" Russ Kick
5. "If You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden" - Bill Maher

I did read the Michael Moore book, and it didn't come close...

And finally, Hannah's orange juice review:

the orange juice started well
I was disappointed initially that I'd bought "with juicy bits" instead of "smoothe"
but it was alright, especially once I'd put enough vodka in it
not it seems that the "juicy bits" had mostly sunk to the bottom now
I liked the bit about the vodka.
and I'm now drinking the bottom bit
with vodka in it
but I haven't consumed enough vodka yet not to mind the extensive amounts of juicy bits
it is most perplexing
overall, I'd give this orange juice 5/10
I've had better orange juice

this was Tesco Pure Orange Juice, brought to you by Tesco