(no subject)
In keeping with the spirit of the onslaught of top ten lists this month, I present to you......
MY TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2004:
1. Arcade Fire - "Funeral"
Don't be fooled by the subject matter. The songs may chronicle adventures of children on various tunnel-digging adventures ("Neighborhood 1"), but this album is morbid as hell. Four of the band's family members died during the recording process, but through complex choral and string arrangements accompanied with simple songwriting fundamentals, these tracks are therapeutic and uplifting.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Wake Up”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Something filled up my heart with nothing. Someone told me not to cry. But now I’m older. My heart’s colder and I can see that it’s a lie.”
2. TV On The Radio - "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes"
Dabbling in everything from grime ("King Eternal") to barbershop acapella ("Ambulance"), TV On The Radio prove to be one of the most experimental, yet accessible bands with their full length debut. Their tracks run the gamut from being violently political ("Bomb Yourself") to downright sexy ("Wear You Out"), and everything in between.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “The Wrong Way”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Woke up in a magic nigger movie, with the bright lights pointed at me as a metaphor, teaching folks the score about patience, understanding, agape, babe, and sweet, sweet amor.”
3. Modest Mouse - "Good News For People Who Love Bad News"
Hardcore fans were skeptical of the band's major label debut, only to be proven wrong when Isaac Brock and co. continued their long history of expanding their music through various offbeat genres such as New Orleans jazz ("This Devil's Workday"), and even disco ("The View"). Like The Pixies before them, Modest Mouse will have you humming along while scratching your head in confusion.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “The Ocean Breathes Salty”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Your body may be gone, I’m gonna’ carry you in, in my head, in my heart, in my soul. And maybe we’ll get lucky and we’ll both live again. Well, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, don’t think so.”
4. Wilco - "A Ghost Is Born"
Hot off the heels of "Yankee Hotel Fotxtrot," widely regarded as the band's masterpiece and one of the best rock albums to date, Wilco did a complete 180 with their most recent effort, omitting all of the complex ambient noise and returning to their basics: rootsy, stripped down tracks about heartbreak ("At Least That's What You Said"), narcotics ("Handshake Drugs"), and the devil ("Hell is Chrome"). It may not be the mind-blower that "YHF" was, but it's still a noteworthy collection of solid, simple songs.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Wishful Thinking”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Open your arms as far as they will go. Take off your dress, an embarrassing poem was written when I was alone, in love with you. I shook down those lines to shine up the streets. I got up off my hands and knees to thank my lucky stars that you’re not me.”
5. Hot Water Music - "The New What Next"
While toning down their gruff screaming in favor of more melodic tunes like the surf jam "Poison," and (gasp!) a ballad called "Ink And Lead," the Gainesville quartet still manage to sustain their visceral energy with machine gun paced tracks like "The End of the Line" and "This Early Grave." This album is easily the band's most accessible, and the first one that any first time listener should buy.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “All Heads Down”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Where did it begin? The skip in time, the spark of sin where corrupted minds were left to stand with a head and tongue intact.”
6. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Shake The Streets"
Despite the album's upstart title, Ted Leo trimmed down the politics with his most recent effort. But don't worry, true believers. His songs are still thought provoking and catchy as hell, reminiscent of legendary acts like The Jam and Thin Lizzy. He'll still have you snapping your fingers and reaching for your dictionary with gems such as "The Angels' Share" and the title track. And yes, there are still plenty of "SHEBOOYAHS!" for everyone.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Me and Mia”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Fighting for the smallest goal to get a little self-control. I see it in your eyes, I see it in your spine. But call your friends, 'cause we've forgotten what it's like to eat what's rotten, and what's eating you alive might help you to survive.”
7. Jimmy Eat World - “Futures”
Ok, the band’s lyrics have always been slightly cheesy, but they’ve always been sincere. These boys from Mesa, Arizona keep it simple and never try to be anything they’re not. With their fourth studio album, they darken things a bit, pumping out catchy, yet brooding pop rock songs about drugs (“Drugs Or Me”), pain (“Pain”), and of course, turning twenty-three (“23”). Sure, it’s not the most subtle album in the world, but frontman Jim Adkins’ ability to write earnest, solid tunes is undeniable. I mean, come on, not just anyone could spout off a line like “do you feel bad like I feel bad” and make it sound good.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Just Tonight”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Never be the same, never be the same again. I’d give you anything, but you want pain. A little water, please. I taste you all over my teeth. Never again, just tonight, okay?”
8. The Roots - “The Tipping Point”
The most underrated group in hip-hop made an attempt to appeal to the mainstream by featuring minimalist synth beats on tracks like “Don’t Say Nuthin,” but failed. The album’s not selling too well, but there’s enough jazzy rhythm and intelligent lyrics to satisfy any die hard Roots fan, and BlackThought’s Big Daddy Kane impression on “Boom” is flawless, not to mention the ingenious inclusion of the cowbell on the club jam, “Duck Down.”
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Stay Cool”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “The stress got me ignitin’ the potent marijuana leaf, tryin’ to play it cooler than a polar bear colony. You feel the music, knowin’ I’m over there, probably pimpin’ on the same system that forever shorted me.”
9. Franz Ferdinand - “Franz Ferdinand”
They’re Europe’s answer to The Strokes and so much more. These lads from Scotland could wipe the floor with Julian Casablancas any day, towering over his band in diversity, style, and sheer musical talent. Unlike the “THE” bands, Franz Ferdinand’s songs are catchy AND complex, not to mention that tracks like “Jacqueline” and “Michael” are more lyrically coherent than anything put out by The Strokes, The Vines, or The White Stripes. A true breath of fresh air.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Matinee”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “So find me and follow me through corridors, refectories, and files. You must follow, leave this academic factory. You will find me in the matinee, the dark of the matinee. It’s better in the matinee. The dark of the matinee is mine.”
10. American Music Club - “Love Songs For Patriots”
After a ten year hiatus, this group of fifty-somethings from San Francisco returns in full form with their most triumphant album yet. Rather than resort to cliched rants, the band gets their political message across through captivating stories with songs like “Song of the Rats Leaving the Sinking Ship” and “Myopic Books.” They even leave room for some acoustic beauty as well, writing the perfect waking up song with “Another Morning.”
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Patriot’s Heart”
SAMPLE LYRIC: Sorry, I couldn't find the lyrics for this song and do not have a copy of the CD with me since my CDs are all back in Tallahassee.
RUNNERS UP FOR 2004
!!! - “Louden Up Now”
The Fiery Furnaces - “Blueberry Boat”
Incubus - “A Crow Left Of The Murder”
Tom Waits - “Real Gone”
The Zutons - “Who Killed The Zutons?”
That's all she wrote. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! And please, keep this little trend going by posting your top ten list.
Just something to think about.
D-Caff
MY TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2004:
1. Arcade Fire - "Funeral"
Don't be fooled by the subject matter. The songs may chronicle adventures of children on various tunnel-digging adventures ("Neighborhood 1"), but this album is morbid as hell. Four of the band's family members died during the recording process, but through complex choral and string arrangements accompanied with simple songwriting fundamentals, these tracks are therapeutic and uplifting.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Wake Up”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Something filled up my heart with nothing. Someone told me not to cry. But now I’m older. My heart’s colder and I can see that it’s a lie.”
2. TV On The Radio - "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes"
Dabbling in everything from grime ("King Eternal") to barbershop acapella ("Ambulance"), TV On The Radio prove to be one of the most experimental, yet accessible bands with their full length debut. Their tracks run the gamut from being violently political ("Bomb Yourself") to downright sexy ("Wear You Out"), and everything in between.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “The Wrong Way”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Woke up in a magic nigger movie, with the bright lights pointed at me as a metaphor, teaching folks the score about patience, understanding, agape, babe, and sweet, sweet amor.”
3. Modest Mouse - "Good News For People Who Love Bad News"
Hardcore fans were skeptical of the band's major label debut, only to be proven wrong when Isaac Brock and co. continued their long history of expanding their music through various offbeat genres such as New Orleans jazz ("This Devil's Workday"), and even disco ("The View"). Like The Pixies before them, Modest Mouse will have you humming along while scratching your head in confusion.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “The Ocean Breathes Salty”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Your body may be gone, I’m gonna’ carry you in, in my head, in my heart, in my soul. And maybe we’ll get lucky and we’ll both live again. Well, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, don’t think so.”
4. Wilco - "A Ghost Is Born"
Hot off the heels of "Yankee Hotel Fotxtrot," widely regarded as the band's masterpiece and one of the best rock albums to date, Wilco did a complete 180 with their most recent effort, omitting all of the complex ambient noise and returning to their basics: rootsy, stripped down tracks about heartbreak ("At Least That's What You Said"), narcotics ("Handshake Drugs"), and the devil ("Hell is Chrome"). It may not be the mind-blower that "YHF" was, but it's still a noteworthy collection of solid, simple songs.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Wishful Thinking”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Open your arms as far as they will go. Take off your dress, an embarrassing poem was written when I was alone, in love with you. I shook down those lines to shine up the streets. I got up off my hands and knees to thank my lucky stars that you’re not me.”
5. Hot Water Music - "The New What Next"
While toning down their gruff screaming in favor of more melodic tunes like the surf jam "Poison," and (gasp!) a ballad called "Ink And Lead," the Gainesville quartet still manage to sustain their visceral energy with machine gun paced tracks like "The End of the Line" and "This Early Grave." This album is easily the band's most accessible, and the first one that any first time listener should buy.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “All Heads Down”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Where did it begin? The skip in time, the spark of sin where corrupted minds were left to stand with a head and tongue intact.”
6. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Shake The Streets"
Despite the album's upstart title, Ted Leo trimmed down the politics with his most recent effort. But don't worry, true believers. His songs are still thought provoking and catchy as hell, reminiscent of legendary acts like The Jam and Thin Lizzy. He'll still have you snapping your fingers and reaching for your dictionary with gems such as "The Angels' Share" and the title track. And yes, there are still plenty of "SHEBOOYAHS!" for everyone.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Me and Mia”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Fighting for the smallest goal to get a little self-control. I see it in your eyes, I see it in your spine. But call your friends, 'cause we've forgotten what it's like to eat what's rotten, and what's eating you alive might help you to survive.”
7. Jimmy Eat World - “Futures”
Ok, the band’s lyrics have always been slightly cheesy, but they’ve always been sincere. These boys from Mesa, Arizona keep it simple and never try to be anything they’re not. With their fourth studio album, they darken things a bit, pumping out catchy, yet brooding pop rock songs about drugs (“Drugs Or Me”), pain (“Pain”), and of course, turning twenty-three (“23”). Sure, it’s not the most subtle album in the world, but frontman Jim Adkins’ ability to write earnest, solid tunes is undeniable. I mean, come on, not just anyone could spout off a line like “do you feel bad like I feel bad” and make it sound good.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Just Tonight”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “Never be the same, never be the same again. I’d give you anything, but you want pain. A little water, please. I taste you all over my teeth. Never again, just tonight, okay?”
8. The Roots - “The Tipping Point”
The most underrated group in hip-hop made an attempt to appeal to the mainstream by featuring minimalist synth beats on tracks like “Don’t Say Nuthin,” but failed. The album’s not selling too well, but there’s enough jazzy rhythm and intelligent lyrics to satisfy any die hard Roots fan, and BlackThought’s Big Daddy Kane impression on “Boom” is flawless, not to mention the ingenious inclusion of the cowbell on the club jam, “Duck Down.”
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Stay Cool”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “The stress got me ignitin’ the potent marijuana leaf, tryin’ to play it cooler than a polar bear colony. You feel the music, knowin’ I’m over there, probably pimpin’ on the same system that forever shorted me.”
9. Franz Ferdinand - “Franz Ferdinand”
They’re Europe’s answer to The Strokes and so much more. These lads from Scotland could wipe the floor with Julian Casablancas any day, towering over his band in diversity, style, and sheer musical talent. Unlike the “THE” bands, Franz Ferdinand’s songs are catchy AND complex, not to mention that tracks like “Jacqueline” and “Michael” are more lyrically coherent than anything put out by The Strokes, The Vines, or The White Stripes. A true breath of fresh air.
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Matinee”
SAMPLE LYRIC: “So find me and follow me through corridors, refectories, and files. You must follow, leave this academic factory. You will find me in the matinee, the dark of the matinee. It’s better in the matinee. The dark of the matinee is mine.”
10. American Music Club - “Love Songs For Patriots”
After a ten year hiatus, this group of fifty-somethings from San Francisco returns in full form with their most triumphant album yet. Rather than resort to cliched rants, the band gets their political message across through captivating stories with songs like “Song of the Rats Leaving the Sinking Ship” and “Myopic Books.” They even leave room for some acoustic beauty as well, writing the perfect waking up song with “Another Morning.”
ESSENTIAL TRACK: “Patriot’s Heart”
SAMPLE LYRIC: Sorry, I couldn't find the lyrics for this song and do not have a copy of the CD with me since my CDs are all back in Tallahassee.
RUNNERS UP FOR 2004
!!! - “Louden Up Now”
The Fiery Furnaces - “Blueberry Boat”
Incubus - “A Crow Left Of The Murder”
Tom Waits - “Real Gone”
The Zutons - “Who Killed The Zutons?”
That's all she wrote. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! And please, keep this little trend going by posting your top ten list.
Just something to think about.
D-Caff