Top 10s for 2008: John Roger Olsson (The Grand Opening)
The bands/artists I've been listening to most this year:
01. Smog
02. American Music Club
03. Stars of the Lid
04. The Sea and Cake
05. Sophie Zelmani
06. Tarentel
07. Cass McCombs
08. Tim Hecker
09. Ass
10. Tape
The songs I've been listening to most times this year:
01. Smog – Drinking at the dam
02. Cass McCombs – Morning shadows
03. Cass McCombs – Petrified forest
04. Tim Hecker – Rainbow blood
05. Tape – Moth wings
06. Cass McCombs – Crick in my neck
07. Ass – Escape From NY (main title)
08. American Music Club – All the lost souls welcome you to San Francisco
09. Ass – Wheels and wings
10. Cass McCombs – That's that
Highlights this year:
-Celebrating 1 year living together with my fiancé.
-Starting 2 new bands (Ola-Ola & The True Socialists and Hearts No Static).
-Releasing the second The Grand Opening album "Beyond the brightness" and going on tour to support it.
-The summer vacation in Italy and at my parents in Ånge.
-Quitting my job after 8 years.
-Getting a new job.
-My new Gibson ES-335.
-Getting a bit closer to completing my solo album.
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Besides fronting The Grand Opening and developing his solo career, JRO also plays drums in both Will Gambola Sing and Leonwalls (among others) and is producing The Tarantula Waltz' new album, due out early 2009. To top it off, he also claims to be "pretty decent" at tennis and frankly, I wouldn't be all that surprised if that's true. One thing he can't do however, is drive in a calm, safe fashion, at least not in my experience.
www.tgomusic.com
www.myspace.com/thegrandopening