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Only Thunder (Justin Hackl)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2008?
- Able Baker Fox - Voices
- Torche - Meananderthal
- Russian Circles - Station
- Mouth Of The Architect - Quietly
- Man Man - Rabbit Habits
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?
Able Baker Fox was a huge deal for me. Being a Small Brown Bike fan, I was so excited to hear what was to come next. And it did not disappoint. This album did not leave me turntable or iPod for months. I think the biggest impact it had was finally getting a new album that still had that raw energy with catchy vocals without being supper poppy or cheesey. Also, it was the first album that I could show to almost anyone and 9/10 times they fell in love with it too. This is an album I can listen to anytime, anywhere.
How will you remember 2008? (In terms of music)
Well, the band (Only Thunder) released our first album this year and that is always a great feeling. I got a job at Vinyl Collective and working with Virgil has been nothing but a blast. What job in the world encourages you to drink on the job? But most of all, I moved temporarily to Phoenix, AZ from Denver, CO to go to school. I've been attending Roberto-Venn School Of Luthiery, which is fancy talk for learning how to build and repair guitars. I just finished my first electric guitar and I get to play my first show with it later this week. Super pumped on that. My acoustic guitar will be done closer to the end of January.
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 can only hope that this is a return of the glory days seeing as I work for Vinyl Collective but my guess is that people will eventually find a new hobby instead of trying to collect every color of some album. I never really stopped buying vinyl so for me to see so many great albums come out on vinyl gets me super pumped. Trends will always come and go so my fingers are crossed that majority of the people new to vinyl will always have a passion for it somewhere.
What was the most memorable moment for you in 2008? (Can be in terms of anything)
The first time I played my electric guitar that I built from scratch is a feeling I'll never forget.
What can we look forward to from you in 2009?
Hopefully be on the road as much as possible with the band. A new Only Thunder EP or split EP would be cool. Also, getting a custom/repair guitar shop open by the end of 2009 would fucking rule.
What three records are you looking forward to most in 2009?
Ya know, with fifty hours a week in school for the last four months I've unfortunately been out of the loop. I did hear Isis was in the studio so that will be awesome. Virgil did just sign In The Red to Suburban Home Records and that will kick ass. Um...I guess that is all I can think of
