Bee OK
Friday, January 14, 2005
 
Top 69 Of the Year 2004
  1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral - To elucidate a bit, this album didn't reveal itself to me until quite late in the year. In fact, I originally thought that it was just a pretty good album but nothing special whatsoever. Than one night, on the sixth listen, it hit me like a ton of bricks and realized that this indeed was a special album. I actually can't believe all the praise that it's getting, number one or two on just about every indie publication with Pitchforkmedia (the biggest of them all) giving it the number one slot with my main bulletin board following suite also. This reminds me so much of Bright Eyes Lifted yet no one dare says that anywhere. I believe the only true way to enjoy this album is to play the whole thing from beginning to end. I won't ever play just one song as the beauty is revealed when taking it in on a 48 minute session at a time. It's sad but uplifting at the same time and gives you great comfort in being alive and by the time "Wake Up" comes on, I just feel that chill in my spine and only a few albums have ever been able to do that. A truly remarkable album, opens its soul to bare all and only comes around every once in a great while, I hope I don't lose that feeling for her. I think Tiny Mix Tapes sums it up best and took the words right out of my mouth.
  2. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat - Talk about throwing everything to the wall and seeing what sticks. There are so many things going on in this record that it's overwhelming at first. You almost have to be really dedicated to see if the craziness has anything to it. Starts off with a epic 10 minute song and takes up almost all 80 minutes of a CD. The payoff is more than worth it as it takes you places that an adult only dreams of. A brother and sister group from New York and must have had a blast making this album. It has no business working but they are making music and one of the most unique things I have ever heard. Now I need to hear the debut.
  3. Elbow - Cast Of Thousands - A pop record finally. This album was released last year in the UK but V2 wanted to put out Stereophonics first and push this album back to the following year. That drove me crazy as I waited and read about how great a record it was. So it had to stand the test of time since it came out very early in the year. Elbow are one of the best bands out there today while their debut was rather down, this one comes through pretty positive. They are powerful, experiment with textures, and are not Coldplay. To end it they have thousands of their fans, from a festival, sing in unison, "We still believe in love, so fuck you." Sometimes you can tell, early on, that a band will be around for a long time and have complete fate that they won't let you down. This band is only going to get better, which is quite scary in a good way.
  4. Seafood - As The Cry Flows - A band has to change they cannot stay the same, grow or die. "This is a new band, and their best album by far. Personally, I can’t believe it. I’m dumbfounded that it’s that good. But it really, really is. Seafood are one of the most criminally underrated bands of our time, and this album deserves a place on your shelf" They mellowed out, becoming more like the Delgados Great Eastern with stunning results and get dropped because they are no longer Sonic Youth. I don't think enough people listened to this album because if they did it would be talked about but instead "It’s already a lost classic." quotes by Tim Dellow 'Rockfeedback'
  5. The Earlies - These Were The Earlies - I don't think psychedelic music is that easy to create because you have to be a bit creative. This band seemed to have mastered it already with two members each from the UK and US. This is actually a collection of singles and only out in the UK. It doesn't sound like a collection but rather a debut album. Though its on WB UK it has gotten no exposure but seems to impress the few who have listen to it. They remind me of Mercury Rev, mostly, and look forward to a proper album.
  6. The Radio Dept. - Lesser Matters - Swedish shoegaze in all its glory. I have never grown tired of that sound but really good bands are few and far between these days. The last good album was by Calla, last year, but before that it has been rather bare. This band is more on the ethereal side of things like Slowdive. It also did not grab me at first but when it did it hasn't let go. A lot of people have gravitated to L.A.'s Autolux album, which is quite good itself, but this one really stands out more because of better songs. "Occasionally - once a year in you're lucky - a record comes along and falls into your lap that is so good, so wonderful, that a journalist is positively fearful of writing about it. How can he put into words what only a few bands can put to music? How can one person convey the beauty of a recording without sullying it with mere misplaced words? Lesser Matters is one of those records." Gareth Dobson 'DrownedinSound'
  7. dios malos - dios - Always lowercase, they got sued by Dio (the metal guy) and had to add to their name. Stoner metal heads get confused easily and might pick up this instead, and we can't expose them to actual good music now can we? From Hawthorne C.A. and living the lazy slacker life or that is how the music feels. Add psychedelic to the mix and are similar to Grandaddy in a lot of ways. Not nearly as poppy or out there because its more basic with the guitar but rewarding. A diamond in the rough.
  8. The Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere - It's funny because I no longer smoke pot but for some reason listened to more stoner type of bands. SM, Dungen, Comets On Fire, and Dead Meadow are all those classic stoner type bands with songs that go on for a long time. First heard a song on Rodney on the KROQ and went something like "There's a woman in the mirror in a fiery state As she motions to me I start turning away She's lifting her dress up Trying to keep up." All these bands are stuck in the 70's and we are better for it, even if I have no idea what Dungen is saying.
  9. Razorlight - Up All Night - It's funny because the rock critics totally dismiss this album. For some reason I don't think they would of ever liked this album, no matter how good it was. Never could put my finger on why but they are the ones who are missing out. Quite the infectious album without any effort whatsoever. It's not original or unique but demands to be played and played again. This is a prime example of why I only trust myself. On the surface there does not appear to be anything worthwhile, but music is never about that. It's about the songs and these songs seep into your subconscious until you realize that yeah, this is Rock and Roll. This is the reason why I come back to it year after year and sometimes doesn't need to make sense. "L. O. V. E. R. I'll see you later."
  10. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand - What a funny year; the hype, adoration, than backlash all in the same calendar year. "Take Me Out" changed things, for a minute, and was great. The album was put out early in the year and paid the price. I don't care if it was done before because they caught magic in a bottle and ran with it. If they pulled a Strokes and released this album again than I will write them off. Until then enjoy it because there is not one bad song on this album. It is a great album and no one can tell me differently.
  11. The Legends, The - Up Against The Legends
  12. Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt
  13. Biffy Clyro - The Vertigo Of Bliss
  14. Comets On Fire – Blue Cathedral
  15. The Decemberists - Her Majesty The Decemberists
  16. Adem – Homesongs
  17. John Vanderslice – Cellar Door
  18. Dead Meadow - Shivering King and Others
  19. Kings Of Convenience – Riot On the Empty Street
  20. Autolux - Future Perfect
  21. The Delgados – Universal Audio
  22. Damien Rice - O
  23. Xiu Xiu – Fabulous Muscles
  24. Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing In the Hands Of
  25. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts
  26. Junior Boys – Last Exit
  27. Xela – Tangled Wool
  28. The Walkmen – Bows + Arrows
  29. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
  30. The Veils - The Runaway Found
  31. Bravecaptain - All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace
  32. Air - Talkie Walkie
  33. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
  34. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
  35. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
  36. Muse - Absolution
  37. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
  38. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
  39. The Libertines - The Libertines
  40. The Cooper Temple Clause - Kick Up the Fire, and Let the Flames Break Loose
  41. Shearwater - Winged Life
  42. Erlend Oye - DJ Kicks
  43. Embrace - Out Of Nothing
  44. The Coral - Magic and Medicine
  45. Phoenix - Alphabetical
  46. Hop On Pop - As Drawn By Ethan, Age 2
  47. Interpol - Antics
  48. Hope Of The States - The Lost Riots
  49. Keane - Hopes and Fears
  50. Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
  51. TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
  52. Beta Band - Heroes To Zeros
  53. Telefon Tel Aviv - Map Of What Is Effortless
  54. Elefant - Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid
  55. Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter
  56. The Pleased - Don't Make Things
  57. The New Year - The End Is Near
  58. Jason Molina - Pyramid Electric Co
  59. Arab Strap - Monday At the Hug & Pint
  60. The Cure - The Cure
  61. Ambulance LTD- Ambulance LTD
  62. Azure Ray - Hold On Love
  63. Lowgold - Welcome To Winners
  64. Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly
  65. cLOUDDEAD - Ten
  66. Delays - Faded Seaside Glamour
  67. Frausdots - Couture, Couture, Couture
  68. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
  69. Mew - Frengers

- posted by Bee OK @ 11:20 PM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

Powered by Blogger