looked into roxul but bought regular insulation... cant remember exactly why but there was a reason (I bought the insulation a while ago to help spread out the cost of the project...) At any rate, I already have rolls upon rolls of insulation sitting in the corner waiting to be used... Hopefully I can match your sonic bliss with what I have.. thanks for the recommendation!
As for the 5/8 drywall, like I said in my op, general consensus is definitely use it but the green glue research made me question the efficacy... not to mention the weight when hanging from the ceiling...

