2003 in Media

it was this year that I actualy started paying attention to, and making, annual lists for music and things...

here's some original sources for top albums here and here

here was the original list for top music of the year

1. WAT- Laibach
2. The Golden Age of the Grotesque- Marilyn Manson
3. 13th Step- A Prefect Circle
4. Damnation and a Day- Cradle of Filth
5. Animositsomnia- Ministry
6. Hai!- The Creatures
7. The Matrix: Revolutions Score- Don Davis/Juno Reactor
8. Hail to the Theif- Radiohead
8. Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People- Primus
9. Self-Titled- Deftones
10. Bucketheadland 2- Buckethead

and in retrospect...
1. Marilyn Manson- The Golden Age of the Grotesque
2. A Perfect Circle- 13th Step
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell
4. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief
5. ADULT- Anxiety Always
6. Client- Self-Titled
7. The Desert Sessions 9+10
8. Ministry- Animositsomnia
9. Laibach- WAT
10. Hanzel Und Gretyl- Uber Alles
11. Deftones- Self Titled
12. High Blue Star- Self Titled
13. The Creatures- Hai!
14. Buckethead- Bucketheadland 2
15. Matrix Revolutions Soundtrack
16. Hannin Elias- No Games No Fun
17. Cradle of Filth- Damnation and a Day
18. Primus- Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
19. Muse- Absolution
20. Type O Negative- Life is Killing Me
21. David Bowie- Reality
22. Apocalyptica- Reflections
23. Rasputina- Lost and Found
24. Ladytron- Softcore Jukebox
25. Throwing Muses- Self Titled
26. We're A Happy Family- A Tribute to the Ramonese
27. Death in Vegas- Scorpio Rising
28. Eels- Shootenanny
29. Knorkator- Ich Hasse Musik
30. OhGr- SunnyPsyop
31. Velvet Acid Christ- Hex Angel
32. Janes Addiction- Strays
33. Polyphonic Spree- The Begining Stages Of...
34. Cruxshadows- Ethernaut

At the time, the year wasnt an interesting year of new music. I briefly got into The Donnas, but that passed. Laibach's return was nice, but otherwise, there wernt any real new or notable artists that debuted for me (Except for the White Stripes, but I got over them eventauly)- Looking back though, this was the year that the musical trends for the 00s began to break through, I think. Looking back, the best new artists would be The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Client, and Adult

Electronica began to take hold, and I began to take notice of several bands of this genre, thanks to bigbrother2084 in the clubs and deusdiabolus hooked me up at the Yesterday's Discs. CD Tradepost opened up this year, and CD Warehouse closed shop. I remember that in the spring there was a massive going out of business sale, which was an opportunity to stock up on all sorts of essential music and junk that I didnt listen to then and dont listen to now. Anyway, here are some notable purchesses and discoveries for 2003.

Miss Kittin- 1st Album
Fischerspooner
Sow-Sick
Smashing Pumpkins- Machina+Adore
Love and Rockets- Self Titled + Express
Ladytron- Light and Magic
Beastie Boys- Pauls Boutique
The Damned- Phantasmagoria
The Stooges- Self Titled
Iggy Pop- Lust for Life
Johnny Cash- Live at Folsom
Pulp- We Love Life
Wumpscut- Wreath of Barbs
Juno Reactor- Transmissions
The Raveonettes- Whip it On
Sonic Youth- Goo
David Bowie- Outside
The Ramones- Brain Drain
Curve- Cuckoo + Come Clean
Joy Division- Substance
Underworld- Change the Weather + 100 Days Off

Just about all purchesses were notable discoveries for the year, mainly Ladytron, Sow, The Raveonettes, Miss Kittin, and Joy Division. One notable discovery, the song I credit to breaking me out of my depression, was this music video from Dredg. It was just the right random thing, at the right moment, that brought it all in to perspective, and let me know that it was all going to be ok in the end...

It was also around this time, that Music Video AND TV on DVD really began to blossom. of course, there were video and tv DVD collections available before, but they would be mostly ports from existing VHS collections, or HBO shows that were already on DVD. But 2003 saw the start of the trend of offering complete collections of music videos, and complete seasons of TV series, even series that were still in syndication and/or total garbage.

Also this year, I briefly tried out digital cable boxes, which I found amazing. Like never before, there were so many different channels, featuring all sorts of programs of long ago that I had all but forgotton! But the novelty quickly faded, being that I would never be home during the hours that the shows I really wanted to watch were on.

But there were some notable shows, and I had my set schedule as before. During the weekdays before I went to work there were the Munsters, and Weekends there was MST3K, and eventualy, Sliders. Adult Swim was also more or less still there, but getting progressively, well, less interesting. Not having cable for the 1st few months of the year, I was able to experience the long lost realm of basic TV, such as the wichita public access show Heavy Pork, and a last attempt to enjoy Saturday Night Live, and the CBS sunday movies Hitler: The Rise of Evil and Return to the Batcave. Summer also saw the (disappointing) return of Ren and Stimpy, and the surprisingly halarious Stripperella. Also having a game cube, I had the new generation of games to keep me busy, such as Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, and the Sonic Collection. And, with the obtainment of the game boy adapter, I began to check out the Castlevania series for that system as well.

Now for the movies...

*seen in theatres

1. *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2. *Bad Santa
3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
4. *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
5. *X2: X-Men United
6. *The Matrix Reloaded
7. *The Last Samurai
8. *Big Fish
9. *The Hulk
10. American Splendor
11. *Underworld
12. *Coffee and Cigarettes
13. Kill Bill Vol. 1
14. *The Matrix Revolutions
15. Willard
16. Looney Tunes: Back in Action
17. Anger Management
18. Lost in Translation
19. *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
20. American Wedding
21. House of 1000 Corpses
22. Freddy vs. Jason
23. Party Monster
24. Gigli

As far as websites, the main website I visited regulary, aside from the LJ and the deadjournal, was the daily rotten, Which sprung the rotton library and the rotten deadpool... there was also the old select-a-seat site, the only place to find out about concerts in Wichita in the days before the myspace and the facebooks.

but here I go rambling... what was YOUR media in 2003? Where was YOUR life in 2003?