Monday, December 06, 2004
Top Ten 2004!!!
It's that time of year again. This year, I had a really hard time making the list. There were a lot of albums that I liked, but not so many that I loved. I guess this was a pretty weird year for me. You would think being unemployed for months would have provided me plenty of time to listen to music, just like a couple of months in an Indian hotel would have done. However, bad old Mr. TV got in the way. I didn't listen nearly as much as I should have. So I felt really unprepared to do the list this year. But while I was writing, I found that it became a lot easier than I thought it would be. These albums must have found a way into my heart all on their own. Anyway, without further ado, here is this year's list:
10. The Killers – Hot Fuss Every year deserves a good party album. Fusing their love for 80s pop and the neon lights of sin city, the Killers have produced a great one. This is a dancing album.
09. Interpol – Antics This one’s a grower for sure. Interpol’s first album, Turn on the Bright Lights, was an instant classic. It grabbed you and held on tightly. Antics takes a few more listens before it creeps its way into your heart.
08. Brian Wilson – SMiLE So, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. The secret album, previously bootlegged by fans around the world, has finally seen the light of day. Such sweeter harmonies were never heard.
07. Morrissey – You Are the Quarry I really wanted this to be the album of the year. I had such high hopes for it. Over all, it’s a strong album, but there are too many slow moments, and there are some songs that sound the same (the beginnings of “America is Not the World” and “I’m Not Sorry” are almost identical). However, the strong tracks confidently carry the album. “Irish Blood, English Heart” and “First of the Gang to Die” are instant Morrissey classics. Morrissey is as tongue-in-cheek melodramatic as ever, and he’s finally letting us in on the joke.
06. Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans Could this be a Christian’s love letter to God? Sufjan Stevens unabashedly recorded an entire album about his faith, and our ears are better for it. These quiet songs, featuring banjo, angelic backing voices, and Stevens’ confessional voice, slowly lift you up to the final blazing crescendo, album closer “The Transfiguration.” And the best part about it is that it isn’t preachy. He’s not trying to witness to you; he is simply expressing his personal love.
05. The Divine Comedy – Absent Friends After one album trying to function as an actual group, the Divine Comedy has gone back to its roots; namely, Neil Hannon. After parting ways with his band, Hannon returned to the helm to write an amazing album. The album opens with the incredibly strong title track, and makes very few hiccups on its journey to the very personal closer (written for Hannon’s daughter). The highpoint of the album is undoubtedly the melodramatic “Our Mutual Friend,” which tells the tale of a three-way love affair gone monstrously wrong. Hannon was always a good storyteller, and he doesn’t disappoint here.
04. The Arcade Fire – Funeral You know when you have a piece of fruit that is so ripe that it is starting to decay? You know that you can get so much goodness from the fruit if you can only cut out or eat around the brown parts. That is what this album sounds like… a band that is influenced by the darkness in the world, but is determined to squeeze out the happiness that is there. These songs are haunting, triumphant, and beautiful.
03. Kings of Convenience – Riot on an Empty Street On their second album, the Kings of Convenience sound more assured and free to let loose a bit. While most of the songs retain their signature slow and quiet sound, there are others which are more uptempo and (gasp!) possibly danceable. The final song, with its haunting refrain by guest singer Feist, is a fitting ending to this beautiful album. This duo has definitely grown, and it will be interesting to see what their next album will contain.
02. The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free Mike Skinner here presents his version of the concept album. We journey through a pretty bad day with the protagonist. He fails to fulfill his obligations, loses his girlfriend, fights with his friends, and, to top it all off, loses a bunch of cash. Sounds simple, right? However, during the course of these hellish events, we learn a lot about this guy, and by the end we are totally pulling for him. Is it any wonder that things kinda turn out OK? More polished than the Streets’ debut, this album is a must-hear.
01. Sondre Lerche – Two Way Monologue He may be young, but this guy sure knows how to write melodic pop songs. This is undoubtedly one of the catchiest albums of the year. Lerche’s songwriting, which was always strong, has aged and matured like a fine wine; the flavors are now much more robust and fleshed-out. Lerche has been compared to artists such as Elvis Costello, Serge Gainsbourg, and Beck, but he has created a unique sound for himself. In a year where there were plenty of things to get me down (moving away from my friends, homesickness while abroad, fights with my parents, and months of unemployment), this album never failed to put a huge grin on my face. For that, Sondre Lerche, I salute you.
On the Cusp:
Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous
Seachange – Lay of the Land
The Walkmen – Bows and Arrows
Single of the Year (tie):
Linkin Park – “Breaking the Habit” (such a guilty pleasure)
Scissor Sisters – “Take Your Mama” (see above)
Top Three Concerts
03. Franz Ferdinand – Dallas (I like them live much better than recorded)
02. The Decemberists – Austin (Bass drums! Costumes!)
01. Morrissey – Fort Worth (Best concert ever.)
It's that time of year again. This year, I had a really hard time making the list. There were a lot of albums that I liked, but not so many that I loved. I guess this was a pretty weird year for me. You would think being unemployed for months would have provided me plenty of time to listen to music, just like a couple of months in an Indian hotel would have done. However, bad old Mr. TV got in the way. I didn't listen nearly as much as I should have. So I felt really unprepared to do the list this year. But while I was writing, I found that it became a lot easier than I thought it would be. These albums must have found a way into my heart all on their own. Anyway, without further ado, here is this year's list:
10. The Killers – Hot Fuss Every year deserves a good party album. Fusing their love for 80s pop and the neon lights of sin city, the Killers have produced a great one. This is a dancing album.
09. Interpol – Antics This one’s a grower for sure. Interpol’s first album, Turn on the Bright Lights, was an instant classic. It grabbed you and held on tightly. Antics takes a few more listens before it creeps its way into your heart.
08. Brian Wilson – SMiLE So, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. The secret album, previously bootlegged by fans around the world, has finally seen the light of day. Such sweeter harmonies were never heard.
07. Morrissey – You Are the Quarry I really wanted this to be the album of the year. I had such high hopes for it. Over all, it’s a strong album, but there are too many slow moments, and there are some songs that sound the same (the beginnings of “America is Not the World” and “I’m Not Sorry” are almost identical). However, the strong tracks confidently carry the album. “Irish Blood, English Heart” and “First of the Gang to Die” are instant Morrissey classics. Morrissey is as tongue-in-cheek melodramatic as ever, and he’s finally letting us in on the joke.
06. Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans Could this be a Christian’s love letter to God? Sufjan Stevens unabashedly recorded an entire album about his faith, and our ears are better for it. These quiet songs, featuring banjo, angelic backing voices, and Stevens’ confessional voice, slowly lift you up to the final blazing crescendo, album closer “The Transfiguration.” And the best part about it is that it isn’t preachy. He’s not trying to witness to you; he is simply expressing his personal love.
05. The Divine Comedy – Absent Friends After one album trying to function as an actual group, the Divine Comedy has gone back to its roots; namely, Neil Hannon. After parting ways with his band, Hannon returned to the helm to write an amazing album. The album opens with the incredibly strong title track, and makes very few hiccups on its journey to the very personal closer (written for Hannon’s daughter). The highpoint of the album is undoubtedly the melodramatic “Our Mutual Friend,” which tells the tale of a three-way love affair gone monstrously wrong. Hannon was always a good storyteller, and he doesn’t disappoint here.
04. The Arcade Fire – Funeral You know when you have a piece of fruit that is so ripe that it is starting to decay? You know that you can get so much goodness from the fruit if you can only cut out or eat around the brown parts. That is what this album sounds like… a band that is influenced by the darkness in the world, but is determined to squeeze out the happiness that is there. These songs are haunting, triumphant, and beautiful.
03. Kings of Convenience – Riot on an Empty Street On their second album, the Kings of Convenience sound more assured and free to let loose a bit. While most of the songs retain their signature slow and quiet sound, there are others which are more uptempo and (gasp!) possibly danceable. The final song, with its haunting refrain by guest singer Feist, is a fitting ending to this beautiful album. This duo has definitely grown, and it will be interesting to see what their next album will contain.
02. The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free Mike Skinner here presents his version of the concept album. We journey through a pretty bad day with the protagonist. He fails to fulfill his obligations, loses his girlfriend, fights with his friends, and, to top it all off, loses a bunch of cash. Sounds simple, right? However, during the course of these hellish events, we learn a lot about this guy, and by the end we are totally pulling for him. Is it any wonder that things kinda turn out OK? More polished than the Streets’ debut, this album is a must-hear.
01. Sondre Lerche – Two Way Monologue He may be young, but this guy sure knows how to write melodic pop songs. This is undoubtedly one of the catchiest albums of the year. Lerche’s songwriting, which was always strong, has aged and matured like a fine wine; the flavors are now much more robust and fleshed-out. Lerche has been compared to artists such as Elvis Costello, Serge Gainsbourg, and Beck, but he has created a unique sound for himself. In a year where there were plenty of things to get me down (moving away from my friends, homesickness while abroad, fights with my parents, and months of unemployment), this album never failed to put a huge grin on my face. For that, Sondre Lerche, I salute you.
On the Cusp:
Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous
Seachange – Lay of the Land
The Walkmen – Bows and Arrows
Single of the Year (tie):
Linkin Park – “Breaking the Habit” (such a guilty pleasure)
Scissor Sisters – “Take Your Mama” (see above)
Top Three Concerts
03. Franz Ferdinand – Dallas (I like them live much better than recorded)
02. The Decemberists – Austin (Bass drums! Costumes!)
01. Morrissey – Fort Worth (Best concert ever.)
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