A lot of things happened this year that we never thought would ― Britney came back to us, Lily Allen gave up drinking and Chinese Democracy hit stores. Here we highlight 35 of the Gibson editorial staff’s favorite releases of the year — in no order other than alphabetical — and give you a handful of free downloads too! Who did we forget? Leave us a comment below!
AC/DC
Black Ice
(Columbia)
With the release of Black Ice, AC/DC proved that rock is ageless. Black Ice has its share of rockin’ songs like “Rock N’ Roll Train” and “Spoilin’ For A Fight,” but you also have to remember that this is the band’s first album in eight years. That’s a lot of time to become stale, but they managed to shake off the rust and give their fans exactly what they wanted ― an album with that classic AC/DC sound that won over people around the world. ―Jim Dalrymple
Adele
19
(XL Recordings)
Adele grew up a lot with the release of this year’s 19, sidling out of her teenage years and into public consciousness with a voice far more advanced than her age. Her LP debuted at No. 1 on the British charts and caught fire in the states too, recently garnering her four Grammy nominations.With a cherubic face, a brash Cockney accent and a voice that could stop traffic, Adele has been a hit with critics and music fans alike. Fresh out of high school ― the same one attended by Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash ― Adele wears her admiration of Etta James on her sleeve and crammed her album with modern versions of songs in that same vein ― soulful, melancholy numbers like “Hometown Glory” and “Chasing Pavement,” set against haunting orchestral and piano arrangements. She even included a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” ―Ellen Mallernee
Jessie Baylin
Firesight
(Verve Forecast)
Free Download: “Was I On Your Mind”
Baylin’s is a velvety voice that’ll take you away better than Calgon ever could. Songs like “Was I On Your Mind” and “Leave Your Mark” are timeless but quirky, and Baylin gets bonus points for writing her own songs ― mostly about her famous fiancé, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill. Rising to fame this last couple of years by opening for guys like John Mayer and James Morrison and by devoting a whole lot of time to nurturing her MySpace and Facebook sites, this Nashville-via-L.A. singer/songwriter has the chops and the charm to last in this business for many years to come. ―Ellen Mallernee
Bon Iver
For Emma, Forever Ago
(Jagjaguwar)
Free Download: “Skinny Love”
The story is simple: After the break-up of his longtime band, Justin Edmond retreated to a secluded cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin for the long winter months. In between cutting firewood, Edmond started spending 12 hours a day recording a series of cathartic songs that would end up being Bon Iver’s debut For Emma, Forever Ago. The result is a timeless collection of songs that evoke songwriters like Will Oldham and sounds strangely familiar yet difficult to place. In other words, if you don’t get goose bumps during somber acoustic numbers like “Skinny Love,” well, you just might not be human. ―Jonah Bayer
Black Stone Cherry
Folklore and Superstition
(Roadrunner Records)
Black Stone Cherry is one of the best bands I’ve heard in a long time. They are just one of those bands that you start listening to and can’t stop. They had some hits on the album entitled “Black Stone Cherry,” but nothing compared to 2008’s “Folklore and Superstition.” They have chunky riffs mixed with incredible vocals that make you want to grab your guitar and start jamming. From the southern influenced blues songs like “Blind Man,” “Soulcreek” and “Reverend Wrinkle” to the soulful “Things My Father Said,” you will not be disappointed in this album. ―Jim Dalrymple
David Bowie
Live Santa Monica ’72
(Virgin Records)
This legendary 1972 performance by David Bowie and his Ziggy-era band, the Spiders from Mars, brims with all the excitement Bowie must have felt as he watched stardom hurtling his way. Drawing mostly from his (then) four rock albums, Bowie and sidekick Mick Ronson lead the band through a thrilling set that's free of the pretense that would later mar Bowie's stage act. The show essentially takes Bowie's melodic, minimalist songs and sets them ablaze with a white heat the Spiders never quite mustered in the studio. “Hang On To Yourself” and “Queen Bitch” explode out of the speakers like bottle rockets, thanks in large measure to Ronson’s churning power chords and wah-laden leads. As streamlined as a bullet train, the band seems intent on espousing the glam-punk ethic that rock and roll is most exciting when stripped to its core. Elsewhere, especially on “Changes” and “Life On Mars?,” the set shifts toward Bowie's quirky cabaret leanings, as Mike Garson’s glissando-rich piano underscores Bowie's stylized Anthony Newley-influenced vocals. But these are mere respites, as the metallic sci-fi extravaganza “The Width of a Circle” and “Moonage Daydream” give Ronson the opportunity to flex his solo guitar muscle to its fullest. Postcard-style photos, a reprint of L.A. Times critic Robert Hilburn’s hilariously fawning review of the show, and reproductions of other memorabilia flesh out the package. The only quibble is that much of the between-song banter found on previous bootleg versions has been stripped away. Still, for an early snapshot of glam-rock in its unvarnished ascendance, there's no better document than this one. ―Russell Hall
Coldplay
Viva La Vida
(Capitol)
Sporting “Sgt. Pepper” style military jackets, borrowing artwork by French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix and hooking up with esoteric producer Brian Eno, Coldplay was looking for a career-definiting moment with its fourth studio album. The album isn’t exactly the masterpiece the band thinks it is but it’s pretty great, packed with the kind of tumbling melodies, life-and-death lyrics, and epic guitar flights not heard since, well, the last U2 album. ―Aidin Vaziri
Death Cab For Cutie
Narrow Stairs
(Atlantic)
If we had one complaint about Death Cab For Cutie’s last album Plans, it’s that the indie band’s major-label debut was buffed to a nearly perfect sheen. Thankfully with Narrow Stairs the band have reintroduced a healthy dose of grit and aggression into the mix, which is evident on tracks like the opener “Bixby Canyon Bridge” and proves that the indie rock band are still as capable of penning a somber ballad as they are channeling the swirling feedback of My Bloody Valentine. Bonus props go to the band for opening the album with the eight-and-a-half-minute-long “I Will Possess Your Heart,” which features an introductory drum and bass groove that’s so hypnotizing you’ll never want it to end — until you hear the payoff that ensues, that is. —Jonah Bayer
Dillinger Four
Civil War
(Fat Wreck Chords)
In the punk world, six years between albums means that most of the people who listened to your discs in middle school are now enrolling in college. However, punk cult icons Dillinger Four’s latest album Civil War was well worth the wait. Songs like “Ode To The North American Snake Oil Distributor” and “Parishiltonisametaphor” admittedly add a melodic sheen to the band’s gritty brand of Midwestern punk, but with Civil War Dillinger Four haven’t watered-down their sound as much as they’ve reinvented it. If you’re looking for a punk album that will appease neophytes as well as your cool uncle who grew up seeing The Ramones at CBGB, this is the disc that’ll do it. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t take them quite as long to release their follow-up effort. —Jonah Bayer
Disturbed
Indestructible
(Warner Brothers)
Disturbed’s lead singer David Draiman makes me laugh. That’s no reason to give them the honor of one of the year’s top albums, but he is so hyper that he makes me get into his music. His enthusiasm is infectious and so is the music. I like a band that continually gets better and builds on what it did on the previous album. I have liked every album Disturbed has put out and “Indestructible” shows that Draiman and guitarist Dan Donegan are continuing to grow. (Get Dan Donegan’s guitar tone.) ―Jim Dalrymple
Jakob Dylan
Seeing Things
(Columbia Records)
Devoted Wallflowers fans have long sensed that Jakob Dylan had an album like this one in him. Pared, for the most part, to just voice and acoustic guitar, the songs on Seeing Things bring to mind similar work by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Alejandro Escovedo, and Bruce Springsteen (especially on the latter’s Nebraska). Taking country blues as his starting point, Dylan brings a poet’s sensibility to themes that range from the heartache of a soldier pining for love ones back home (“War Is Kind”) to reflections on persevering in the face of adversity (“Will It Grow”). Dylan’s strength, however, lies in the fact that he’s never brooding or maudlin. Even the darkest moments are tempered with yearning, and hope radiates from the core of each sublime gem. Dylan said he wanted these songs to sound as if they had existed forever. A lofty goal, but fact is roots music rarely gets better than this. ―Russell Hall
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
(Sub Pop)
Free Download: “White Winter Hymnal”
Although Seattle’s Fleet Foxes haven’t been around long, the band has literally exploded onto the neo folk scene, garnering rave reviews everywhere they go. Listening to the band’s debut album, it’s not difficult to see why, considering the way the album ebbs and flows through gypsy-inflected acoustic folk tracks that sound like a slightly more psychedelic version of Neil Young. Hell, even the notoriously snarky Web site Pitchfork Media gave the album nine stars and called the band’s debut “surprisingly full and wide ranging, almost as much as the Bruegel painting that graces the album’s cover.”
―Jonah Bayer
The Gaslight Anthem
The ’59 Sound
(SideOneDummy)
New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem are a rarity in today’s musical climate: They successfully drag up the ghosts of rock greats, but still manage to invent their own take on the worlds of rock, punk and soul with their second full-length The ’59 Sound. Lead by scratchy-throated leader Brian Fallon, the album runs rich with lyrical illusions to Otis Redding and Miles Davis and uses the imagery of “backseats” as often as their predecessor Bruce Springsteen evoked the mythology of his own backstreets. However, throughout it all the Gaslight Anthem are always able to maintain the youthful energy of their punk roots — and if the anthemic title track doesn’t inspire you to rip down the walls of your cubicle and drive straight down to the Jersey shore, you’re just not listening hard enough. —Jonah Bayer
Giant Sand
Provisions
(Yep Roc)
For a quarter century Giant Sand has served as a vehicle for Howe Gelb’s fiercely original ― and at times fiercely demented ― take on roots music. While never coming off as gimmicky, Gelb’s songs are essentially a tangled morass of twisted arrangements and skewed visions, held together by a firm melodic core. Provisions shows Gelb is in no danger of losing his touch. A mix of spaghetti western soundscapes, galloping rockabilly, and languorous balladry, the album coheres through the sheer force of the songwriting. High points include “Stranded Pearl,” which sounds like Willie Nelson, Chris Isaak, and Enrico Morricone rolled into one; “Increment of Love,” which sounds like Harvest-era Neil Young in the throes of a chemically-induced flashback; and “Muck Machine,” a romp into jungle music that evokes Laurie Anderson at her best. As a vocalist, Gelb favors irony over earnestness, employing a near-deadpan delivery that brings to mind a southwest version of Lou Reed. Neko Case, Isobel Campbell, M. Ward, and other guests contribute, but this disc is Gelb’s show all the way. ―Russell Hall
Guns N’ Roses
Chinese Democracy
(Geffen)
I’ve heard all the talk about Axl Rose and how long it took to bring “Chinese Democracy” to market, but so what. I think Guns ‘N Roses’ newest release is pretty damn good and deserves to be on the list of the top releases of 2008. The title track is just classic Axl and that’s what I wanted to hear from him. Frankly, I could care less if he took 15 years or 15 days to put out the album, with the attitude on songs like “Shackler’s Revenge,” “Chinese Democracy” and “I.R.S.” I’m staying a Guns ‘N Roses fan. ―Jim Dalrymple
Buddy Guy
Skin Deep
(Zomba)
Focused by producer Tom Hambridge, Guy returns to the daredevil guitar work that’s his early career signature, bolstered by big-butt contemporary tones. At times the album veers into standard blues-rock, but then songs like the title track and “Whose Gonna Fill Those Shoes,” dealing with race and blues mortality, charge in to stir the air. ―Ted Drozdowski
B.B. King
One Kind Favor
(Geffen Records)
Octogenarian King doesn’t step out of his comfort zone often, but when he does the results are impressive. That’s why this is King’s best recording since his 2000 collaboration with Eric Clapton, Riding with the King. His new co-conspirator is roots production impresario T-Bone Burnett, who vowed to inspire King to play guitar like he did in the ’50s. That doesn’t happen, although King’s laid-back picking is plenty artful. Instead, King turns in a lionine vocal performance on tunes outside his usual songbook, by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Bessie Smith, backed by a hard-churning version of his big band powered by two drums kits. ―Ted Drozdowski
Kings of Leon
Only By The Night
(RCA)
On their fourth album, the Kings of Leon took inspiration from U2, who they opened for in ’05, adding woozy ambient guitar (“Closer”) and stadium-shaking rock songs (“Crawl”). Though their musicianship gets more honed and dynamic at each turn, it’s not just their soundscapes that have shifted. Never as openly sentimental ― before preferring to eulogize one-time conquest Kate Moss’ “perfect nipples”― the Kings put more stock in the power of a good woman this time around. “I’ve been roaming around always looking down at all I see,” lilts frontman Caleb Followill in “Use Somebody.” “You know that I could use somebody, someone like you.” Sure, they’re still wailing about a good, boozy romp in the hay ― their single “Sex On Fire” caught on like wildfire and just got them a Grammy nomination ― but they’re more focused now. They’ve taken hold of the wheel without hitting the brakes. ―Ellen Mallernee
Patty Larkin
Watch The Sky
(Vanguard Record)
On recent albums Patty Larkin has attempted to create a newfangled sound by merging acoustic-based instrumentation with computer-based technology. Watch the Sky is the apex of that approach. Playing and recording everything herself, the veteran singer-songwriter crafts soundscape-ish arrangements that lend a dreamlike, otherworldly mood to her material. Employing such exotic instruments as a bazouki, a toy organ and “slapsteel” guitar (a lap steel detuned and played with a drumstick and hand-slaps), Larkin comes off as part conventional songwriter, part mad-scientist. Tracks such as the trip-hop driven “Phone Message” and the electronica-tinged “Hallelujah” mix Kraftwerk-style textures with folk-pop melodies. Similarly, the blues guitar figure that fuels “Beautiful” is couched in synthesized loops and percussion that bring to mind Laurie Anderson as filtered through Polly Jean Harvey. Best of all, however, is the album’s centerpiece, a song titled “Walking in My Sleep.” Drenched in reverb and framed in a spooky, minor key vibe, the track finds Larkin singing as if inhabited by the (sleepwalking) ghost of Billie Holiday. Like much of Watch the Sky, the song has one foot in blues traditions and the other planted in the future. ―Russell Hall
Jenny Lewis
Acid Tongue
(Warner Bros.)
On her second solo outing, Rilo Kiley singer and former child star Jenny Lewis let her bittersweet voice rip on bruised soul ballads (“Sing A Song For Them”), creepy Southern Gothic romps (“Jack Killed Mom”), and, in at least on instance, a windblown song tailor made for its own rock opera (“The Next Messiah”). She pulled it off with typical charm and wit, assisted by a stable of high-caliber friends such as Elvis Costello, M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel. But it was the title track ― a folky glance back at her drug days ― that marked this as the work of an artist that’s finally come into her own. ―Aidin Vaziri
Lil Wayne
Tha Carter III
(Cash Money Records)
The official rap star of the year. Lil Wayne blew releases by Kanye and co. out of the water. With his album dropping in June, songs like “Lollipop” and “Got Money” became the summer jams, with car windows all over the world cranked down and spraying layers of beats into the streets. Mega stardom quickly followed the rapper. Wanye’s magic doesn’t just lie in the switchboard; like Andre 3000 and Jay-Z before him, his lyrics are worth a listen. ―Ellen Mallernee
Lykke Li
Youth Novels
(Atlantic)
Free Download: Lykke Li “Little Bit” (Loving Hand Remix)
A singer-songwriter from Stockholm that generated lots of blog love in 2008 for her breathy lo-fi electro songs like “Little Bit” and “I’m Good, I’m Gone,” Lykke Li sounded like Bjork minus a million dollars. There’s an endearingly broken quality to the music on her first full-length outing,
Youth Novels. A sly fondness for hip-hop also gave her a penchant for dropping lyrical bombs like, “
And for you I keep my legs apart / And forget about my tainted heart.” You either fell in love instantly or ran away screaming.
―Aidin Vaziri
MGMT
Oracular Spectacular
(Sony)
It didn’t take long to get to know this Brooklyn duo. “This is our decision, to live fast and die young/ We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun,” Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser declared on “Time To Begin.” A celebration of rock and roll excess and absurdity, the group’s debut album was part wobbly Donovan style psychedelia, part sleek New Order disco grooves, served with loads of weirdness that made them appear to be the Flaming Lips’ heir apparent. ―Aidin Vaziri
Mötley Crüe
Saints of Los Angeles
(Eleven Seven Music)
I gave up on Mötley Crüe a few albums ago. I liked some of their recent songs, but overall it really didn’t do anything for me. When I heard “Saints of Los Angeles” I knew the Crüe that I loved was back. This is the first album since “Shout at The Devil” that really excited me. Not only was it good to see Mick Mars rocking out again, but he did a bang up job on the guitar, too. Best of all I liked the fact that this album sounded raw, almost like it was recorded in a garage. It captured the power and sound of what a rock band is supposed to be about. That is the Mötley Crüe that I loved to listen to. ―Jim Dalrymple
My Morning Jacket
Evil Urges
(ATO Records)
This year’s Evil Urges was the band’s first chance at a real hit album, and despite their heap of otherworldly festival grooves and syncopated freak-outs, they reminded us all that sweet and tender is really this band’s bread and butter. This batch of songs seems to come from the same vulnerable place as Tennessee Fire’s “I Will Be There When You Die” and It Still Moves’ “I Will Sing You Songs,” milking James’ voice and his broken heart for all it’s worth. Set against a string section, “The Librarian” follows a bookworm with a pencil in her hair, and is told from the perspective of the guy who watches her through the bookcases and dreams of taking her out for dinner and a good ravishing. The pedal steel cries throughout “Look at You,” and James raves, “Look at you, such a glowing example of peace and glory/Let me follow you.” Just when you think it couldn’t get any more romantic, there’s “Thank You Too,” a song that begs to be played at weddings everywhere. That’s not to say that My Morning Jacket have done without their out-and-out rockers. With a great bang of piano keys and a pair of chugging guitars, “Aluminum Park” wallops with a blast of garage rock, and Zombie-esque voices croak through the throbbing beats on both the title track and “Highly Suspicious.” Chock full of tight, sunny grooves and bizarrely sexy Elton John-ish yowls, Evil Urges was the album of the summer. ―Ellen Mallernee
Neva Dinova
You May Already Be Dreaming
(Saddle Creek)
If you don’t like depressing music, you might as well skip to the next review because there is absolutely no way you’re going to be able to get into the third melancholic masterpiece from Omaha, Nebraska’s own Neva Dinova. Featuring a trio of guitarists and a rhythm section that’s competent without being overindulgent, frontman Jake Bellows has no problem unburdening his insecurities while the group’s music ebbs and throws through everything from Built To Spill-inspired improvisations to stripped-down songs that rely more on subtlety than volume. It’s unlikely that listening to You May Already Be Dreaming will solve any of your personal problems, but at least it’ll let you know that you’re not alone. —Jonah Bayer
Portishead
Third
(Mercury)
After an 11-year hiatus, the moody British band that helped define the cringe-worthy genre “trip-hop” returned with its third studio album, conveniently titled Third. Where the band’s last two albums sounded like they were entirely composed by synthesizers and turntables, this one represents the sound of those instruments being put through the shredder. There are loud guitars, ominous rhythms, and lots of abrasive textures, better for setting off Beth Gibbons’ incredibly ethereal voice. It’s incredibly dark but equally moving stuff. ―Aidin Vaziri
R.E.M.
Accelerate
(Warner Brothers)
Let’s be honest. Ever since drummer Bill Berry left the R.E.M. a decade ago, the band has struggled to regain its footing. Up, the group’s first post-Berry album, was a disaster, 2001’s Reveal was summery but soft, and 2003’s Around the Sun, while showing signs of renewed songwriting strength, lacked coherence. Happily, Accelerate marks a splendid return to form. Pre-release buzz had hinted at a raucous effort along the lines of 1994’s Monster. The album isn't that clamorous, but it does crank the volume ― and the tempos ― in a way that recalls past classics like Green and Document. High points include “Mansized Wreath,” a song powered by a thrilling chorus and Peter Buck’s abrasive riffage; “Supernatural Superserious,” a soaring pop anthem in the tradition of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It;” and “Horse to Water,” a basher that features one of the most ferocious vocals Michael Stipe has ever recorded. Even when the band ratchets down the tempo ― as on the acoustic ballads "Houston" and “Until the Day is Done” ― a sense of indignation, paranoia, and rage lies just beneath the surface. Bottom line is, R.E.M. hasn’t sounded this engaged in years. ―Russell Hall
Russian Circles
Station
(Suicide Squeeze)
If you don’t think that you’re a fan of instrumental music that’s probably just because you haven’t heard Chicago’s Russian Circles. While upon a cursory listen it seems like the band’s sophomore release lacks the bone-crushing heaviness of their debut Enter, the album’s range of dynamics actually makes it a far more cerebral — and varied — listen. For example, “Harper Lewis” feature such gradual builds that you’ll hardly notice the way the song develops from a tribal-fueled rhythm romp to an all out metallic masterpiece, while the delay-fueled “Verses” evoke Russian Circles’ ambient peers like Explosions In The Sky or Mono. However our favorite track is “Youngblood,” a hypnotizing case study in dynamics that proves that when you’re accurately channeling your emotions via music, sometimes words can just get in the way. —Jonah Bayer
Santogold
Santogold
(Downtown Records)
This year’s sequel to the ruckus M.I.A. raised in ’07, Santogold ― a.ka. Santi White ― wrote and executive produced her dynamic debut and packed it with extravagant club bangers laced with hip-hop and world-influenced beats and high-profile collaborations. Before then, the Brooklyn, N.Y., resident was relegated to the sidelines, writing hits for Ashlee Simpson and Lily Allen. On her own, Santogold is quirky and interesting enough to have gotten the underground club kids in a tizzy, but accessible enough to have broken onto charts all over the world.―Ellen Mallernee
Sia
Some People Have Real Problems
(Hear Music)
Free Download: “I Go To Sleep”
The title of Sia’s fourth solo album says it all: Some People Have Real Problems. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Sia Furler is talking about herself. The tunes on Some People Have Real Problems are more dynamic than that of her occasional employers Zero 7 and her voice is far richer than her nearest rival Dido. She shakes off the meditative mood of her previous work for a livelier sound that includes a duet with Beck on “Academia,” the seething soul stomp of “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine,” and a lusty cover of the Kinks ballad made famous by the Pretenders, “I Go to Sleep.” Through it all, the singer grapples with love and loss. Or rather, she seductively growls at all the bad things that come her way. —Aidin Vaziri
Susan Tedeschi
Back to the River
(Verve Forecast)
Tedeschi sings hard on her first album of original tunes since her 1998 breakthrough Just Won’t Burn, with just the right amount of rasp to stand toe-to-toe with her powerhouse guests. They include hubby and slide guitar demon Derek Trucks, Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, and guitarist Doyle Bramhall II. A highlight is “700 Houses,” a New Orleans elegy where Tedeschi’s warmest vocal performance is balanced by Trucks’ delicately warbling slide. ―Ted Drozdowski
The Ting Tings
We Started Nothing
(Columbia)
It makes sense this British duo’s single “Shut Up and Let Me Go” provided the soundtrack for that ubiquitous iTunes ad this year. Their debut set was packed with elastic, infectious dance-rock tunes like “Great DJ” and “That’s Not My Name" that never failed to make bodies move. Time may make The Ting Tings pop culture oddities but 2008 was certainly much more fun with them around. ―Aidin Vaziri
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
(XL Recordings)
Mankind may never understand how a bunch of collegiate nerds attempting to play Afrobeat music became the biggest buzz band of 2008, but you’ve got to hand it to the guys in Vampire Weekend. Despite the cardigans, kitschy song titles like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and saccharine sweet melodies, the group’s self-titled debut album was surprisingly endearing. Maybe more indie-rock acts should take their cues from Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and Chaucer. ―Aidin Vaziri
The Verve
Forth
(MRI)
The cover says it all. The Brit-pop band’s first album since 1997’s mega-selling Urban Hymns has its head high in the clouds, dense with layered psychedelic guitars, drifting melodies and singer Richard Ashcroft's abstract thoughts on life and how to live it (sample lyric: “Does anybody know where we’re really gonna go?/ I was wondering if we’ve got that real soul/ You know the thing we cannot trade or ever own”). It didn’t contain anything with the supreme swagger of “Bittersweet Symphony” but it made a hell of a comedown record. ―Aidin Vaziri