I'm always up for hearing new music, so instead of doing Top 10 lists, share your favorite music from the past year. Pop or underground, best seller or sitting on your hard drive, throw out music from this year you think other people should check out. Guitar/rock/indie stuff: Cave-In Antenna "Anchor" and "Inspire" are the immediate highlights, but "Youth Overrided" sticks around even longer. Pretty Girls Make Graves The New Romance "This Is Our Emergency" just rocks. "Something Bigger, Something Brighter" and "Holy Names" are also great songs. The Shins Chutes Too Narrow "Saint Simon" needed just one play to stay in my head for the rest of the year, and "Fighting In A Sack" isn't far behind. White Stripes Elephant Oft overlooked are the album tracks, but "Black Math", "The Air Near My Fingers" and "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" take this CD from good to great. The Constantines Shine A Light The title track and "Poison" are standouts. Grandaddy Sumday "El Caminos In The West" is the best song, but "Go In The Go-For It" and "Yeah Is What We Had" are also good tunes. Mars Volta De-loused in the Comatorium It seems like one long song sometimes, but "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" and "Drunkship of Lanterns" standout. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Pig Lib "Us", "Vanessa From Queens" and "Witch Mountain Bridge" are my favorites here. Deftones Deftones "Minerva" and "Good Morning Beautiful a worth checking out. Alien Ant Farm truAnt Thanks in part to Madden 2004, "These Days" was in my head all summer. "Sara Wynn" is also a good song. Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism "The Sound of Settling" and "Expo '86" are my highlights.
Continued Hip hop/beats/electronic/etc. Basement Jaxx Kish Kash Tons o' good stuff here: "Kish Kash", "Lucky Star", "Right Here's The Spot", and "Supersonic" Prefuse 73 One Word Extinguisher Possibly my favorite CD of 2003. Check out "Busy Signal", "Female Demands", "Why I Love You" and "The Color Of Tempo" OutKast Love Below/Speakerboxxx "Hey Ya!", "Spread", "GhettoMusik", "BowTie" -- you can't go wrong. J-Live Always Will Be One of the best rappers around...check out "Add-A-Cipher", "Car Trouble" and "Walkman Music" Dizzee Rascal Boy In Da Corner The sure thing for best of 2004 (I've heard the UK release should finally be out on Matador next January) -- "Fix Up, Look Sharp" and "I Luv U" are just sick. Junior Senior D-d-don't Don't Stop The Beat This is my "etc." in the heading. "Move Your Feet", "Rhythm Bandits", "Shake Me Baby" and "Shake Your Coconuts" are damn catchy. Jay-Z Black Album Of course he'll be back, but "Moment of Clarity", "Lucifer" and "What More Can I Say" will tide me over until then. Inspectah Deck The Movement "City High" is fantastic, and "Framed" and "Big City" are prety good too.
m83- "Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts" Broken Social Scene- "You Forgot it in People" Ms John Paul Soda- "No P or D" Decemberists- "Her Majesty the Decemeberists" Clientele- "The Violet Hour" Postal Service- "Give Up" Shins- "Chutes too Narrow" Sufjan Stevens- "Greetings from Michigan..."
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore Posthumous disc from the auld Joe. A fitting legacy for one of rocks good guys. "Get Down Moses", "Midnight Jam", and "Silver & Gold" are standout tracks. Eddie Reader - Songs of Robert Burns There is definitely something wrong with the world if this is hard to come by on these shores. Beautiful voice, you certainly can't go wrong with the songs, and it's well recorded. "Ye Jacobites", "Wild Mountainside (actually not a Burns scribbed track), and "Aye Fond Kiss" are burned into my brainpan. Killing Joke - Killing Joke The best non metal heavy metal band going. Of a sort. After lying low they come back with this molten slab of.....er.. I'm not sure what to call it. "The Death & Resurrection Show", "Seeing Red", and "Loose Cannon" make me feel like breaking things. Jay Farrar - Terroir Blues I liked this much better than the Sebastopol record. The experimental edge is more in check which let's his natural folky/country songs shine through. "Fool King's Crown", "Heart on the Ground" are notable tracks. Michael Marra - Posted Sober Dundee's answer to Tom Waits, Randy Newman, and some other singer songwriter who smokes too much. Brilliant doesn't even do it justice. "Botanic Endgame" has to be one of the cleverest (and you can read best into that too) songs ever written. Sylvain Chauveau - Un Autre Decembre Followup to the completely overlooked "Nocturne Impalpable". This music will make you want to lie down on the floor an not get up. Ever. That's a good thing. Dick Gaughan - Prentice Piece This is great way to be introduced to the tunes of this master songsmith. I'd list every song on the album as essential, but "One Pound Raise" should get your blood boiling. If you can find 'em, the old 5 Hand Reel lps are worth seeking out too. The Pines - True Love Waits v.1 & 2 Full disclosure: I'm friends with Pam of this UK indie pop duo (+ friends). If you've every owned records by Sarah, Creation, Postcard, etc. you need this. Twee grows up. If you are not humming "I See Stars" after hearing it, you don't have a pulse. Paul Brady - Nobody Knows: The Best of Paul Brady I hate to put another greatest hits collection in here, but this is top notch. I'm a much bigger fan of his traditional output, but this is good way to get a taste of the many different directions he's moved in. I won't even waste your time, "Arthur McBride" is one of the best anti war/recruiting songs I've ever heard.
The Libertines (don't know the album name). I've downloaded just about all their stuff and its great; there is a reason the Guardian named them the best band the UK.
Sleeping With Ghosts ~ Placebo Simply my favourite album they have released. It sounds even better live.
Up the Bracket. This is my number 1 of the year. Others I've enjoyed this year: Virgil Shaw - Still Falling; This guy tells wonderful stories. His songs are melodic and full of nuances. I strongly recommend this cd. Has anyone else even heard of this guy? His Website The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow B.R.M.C - Take Them on On Your Own Joe Strummer and the Mescaleroes - Streetcore Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Lot's of good choices already listed here. Another one that deserves mention: Evanescence - Bring Me To Life Not only does that song rock (as do the band's other songs), but the band's lead singer (Amy Lee) is pretty cute as well!
Top 10 no particular order Elliott - Song in the Air Coheed and Cambria Brand New The Shins Death Cab for Cutie Cursive Mogwai Party of Helicopters Radiohead Wilco - More Like the Moon, ep
the wildhearts -- the wildhearts must be destroyed the darkness -- permission to land jet -- get born the thrills debut record jane's addiction's new record white stripes -- elephant