10 |
Let's
face it, these guys came out
of nowhere. Despite having
had some success in their native
UK , their US breakthrough
no doubt surprised even the
band themselves. Sometimes
all it takes is a song (see
the Killers) and "Run" was
just Bryan Adams enough to
get all the boys and girls
loving it. Unbeknownst to many,
Final
Straw was Snow Patrol's
third LP, and first to snag
them a hit. Good for them we
say; be sure to check them
out on the 2005 U2 tour. And
here's a tip, check out The
Reindeer Section in the coming
year, which features a number
of the Snow Patrol fellas. We think they're even better. |
Final Straw
Snow Patrol |
09 |
To
put out on of the great albums
of all time comes with a downside
-- the memory of it attaches
itself to all your future work
never letting you forget that,
as good as your new record may be, it's not THE record. Air's early-2004 release
Talkie
Walkie is no exception to this rule; the ghosts of Moon
Safari linger
still. To the French pop duo's credit however, they've put out a veritable down
tempo masterpiece. Some records are poorly served by track-by-track breakdowns,
and Talkie Walkie is just such a disk; it's not as much about the individual
songs as the mood put forth. Etherial, sexy, simpler then 10,000
Hz Legend,
Talkie Walkie tries to bring a more personal version of Moon
Safari for the
new millennium to the listener. One noticeable change to Air's formula on display
here is the vocal responsibilities being kept in house this time, as opposed
to the piece meal singing of previous releases. Bolstered by strong singles
"Cherry Blossom Girl," "Surfing On A Rocket," and "Alpha Beta Gaga," along with
other standouts such as "Venus," "Universal Traveler," and Lost
In Translation soundtrack-holdover "Alone In Kyoto," Talkie
Walkie has as many memorable moments
as Moon Safari ever did. It certainly was one of the year's 10 best records
and while it may not be the Air record that makes ones forget Moon
Safari, it
can - as the crowd at Air's two near-sold out nights at 9:30 Club back in April
attest to - come awfully close. |
Talkie Walkie
Air |
08 |
I can remember salivating when the news broke that two of the undergrounds finest
( Madlib and MF Doom ) would come together
to form the duo known as Madvillian . And to make me even happier,
they made an unbelievable album. Madlib's beats often take
on a storybook feel and have a life of their own, so there is no one better
than MF Doom to add vocal accompaniment. Madvilliany is
a unique listening experience. The songs are very short, but they flow perfectly
from one to the next; making it ideal for a beginning to end listen, not for
radio play. As hard as both men work, with their never ending flow of releases,
it is impossible that they would not push each other in the studio to be at
the top of their respective games. The result is the best hip hop album of the
year. Hip hop and general music fans alike need to make sure that Madvilliany is
a part of their collection. |
Madvillainy
Madvillain |
07 |
In
a year of reckless nods to
disco, 80s and new wave,
British
trio Keane has offered an oasis of ballads wiser, older and more
beautiful. Peculiar for its lack of a guitarist, the band captured the
attention of rock critics this past year with its debut album Hopes
and Fears. The LP is full of exhilarating piano-driven songs that
evoke the likes of Coldplay and Travis and are overwhelming in aural
beauty. Having met in college, the members of Keane have come a long
way in honing their sound since losing their guitarist in 2002. When
their first single "Everybody's Changing" was released on the Fierce
Panda label (Coldplay, Idlewild, Supergrass) it had the music media
clamoring for a piece of the band. Finally, the group took its show on
the road, treating audiences to a dazzling array of tunes that blended
majestic, imperial melodies with lyrics of nostalgia, love and loss.
By October, the group had taken home the "Album of the Year" award
at
the Q Magazine awards, a testament to the multiple single-worthy tunes
on the album. |
Hopes and Fears
Keane |
06 |
Landing on countless critic's Best of 2004 lists, The Killers created a Hot
Fuss this year indeed. Certainly not the first new wave revivalist and definitely
not the last, but wow -- what a shot across the bow. Hot flashes of bright,
glossy danceable synth-rock oozing 80's decadence and 90's glam, all the while
sounding decidedly: NOW. The exhilarating singles, "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr.
Brightside" set the tone for their Duran-ish debut, but there is also a
depth to the band revealed throughout the slower, more maudlin offerings of "All
the Things That I've Done," "Andy, You're a Star," and "Everything
Will Be All Right." Already huge in England , The Killers are still a ways
from reaching big-time status in the U.S. No matter, they seem to have the makings
of a group that can achieve some lasting impression. Whether that is based on
the imprint of their first musical foray or because they will grow as artists
that continue to produce quality work is what will be interesting to watch.
Until then, a well deserved fuss for The Killers. |
Hot Fuss
The Killers |
05 |
If
one song defines an album,
than Float On defines Modest
Mouse's Good
News for People Who Love
Bad News. "Float On"
brought Modest Mouse to the
masses with its spacey rhythms
reminiscing bygone times
and reminding us that whatever
happens, life goes on. And
while the masses were using
"Float On" for their summer
road trip soundtracks, long
time fans found solace in
the fact that the album itself
didn't depart from the band's original stylings. These stylings include the
sometimes abrasive, and often fast talking vocals that meld into chaotic shouts
and apathetic ramblings. The lyrics are as cynical as ever, spitting out in-answerable
questions while death and misfortune are referenced throughout. High-pitched
guitars featuring twangs complement snare drumming, often forgoing any semblance
of classic rock song composition. Horns are featured prominently, and the album
uses interludes to explore random song snippets. Finally, listeners are dared
to question their melodramatic youthful past experiences and whether or not
their (past) good times really are killing them. |
Good News For People
Who Like Bad News
Modest Mouse |
04 |
One
of the best new bands to
arrive in recent years, it
is natural that Interpol's
sophomore release, Antics,
would be included in a compilation
of the year's finest records.
Is it as good as their stunning
introduction, Turn
On the Bright Lights?
No -- that would be virtually
impossible, but their dark,
brooding signature sound
is intact, albeit in a slightly
sunnier disposition. The
disc opens with, "Next
Exit," the
rock 'n roll equivalent of
a funeral march that is strangely
captivating. The single "Slow
Hands" is a continuation
of the hyper kinetic guitar-drum
interplay notable in "PDA" and "Stella
Was a Driver and She Was
Always Down" from their
previous album. Based on
the early comparisons to
alt-rock legends, Joy
Division and The
Smiths, their initial
success and the glowing praise
heaped upon them for making
an art rock masterpiece on
their first full-length effort,
Interpol could have easily
crumbled under the weight
of great expectations or
deliberately tried to distance
themselves from anything
that sounded like Bright
Lights. Instead, they should
be lauded for a steady-as-she-goes
approach that doesn't quite
justify the hype of the past,
but shows a proclivity for
a strong future. |
Antics
Interpol |
03 |
Funeral sits up in your head like a ghost in the attic and haunts your thoughts
with its swirling melodies. The album is wracked with grief and melancholy,
but never feels bogged down or weepy. To the contrary, its raw emotive power
is what distinguishes the Arcade Fire from other indie-rock bands purportedly
driven by passion. A recognizable sense of humanity propels these tracks and
gives them a pulse. Vocalist Win Butler's voice sounds pushed to the edge of
collapse, but soars nonetheless over wave after wave of richly orchestrated
guitars, drums, synthesizers, and strings. Like any great album, Funeral captures
you on first listen and rewards you with each subsequent spin. The songs meander
and swell like a river, and navigating them is every bit as adventurous. Funeral was one of 2004's most stunning surprises, and one of its most welcome. The
Arcade Fire is a band worth following through 2005. |
Funeral
The Arcade Fire |
02 |
Once again, Scottish imports have outdone their counterparts, taking the indie
rock scene by a scintillating storm in 2004. The pre-release buzz over Franz
Ferdinand's self-titled debut this past year had rock skeptics condemning the
five-piece to a disappointing U.S. showing, but instead, FF lived up to the
image; to date their LP has sold 675,000 copies in the U.S. and 2.5 million
worldwide. With catchy guitar lines and unapologetic throwbacks to another era,
their arrival on the U.S. scene confirmed that disco and retro were back, only
bred with rock Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡n' roll and a whole lot of noise. Throw in there the smart ties,
the sexual ambiguity and an irrepressible love for fun, and you have the top-runner
on most top ten lists for 2004. |
S/T
Franz Ferdinand |
01 |
For
anyone who has heard this record,
the praise being leaped on
it should come as no surprise.
In a year that contained much
of the same old, TVOTR hit
you over the head with something
so new and different that it
immediately became noteworthy.
Maybe it's the soul, maybe
it's the bass, or the crunchy
guitar, or Tunde Adebimpe's
amazing vocal talents; likely
it's all of the above. The
rightful winner of this year's
Shortlist Prize are not only
modest, they're still poor
as well, saying they were going
to use their $10,000 winner's
check to "pay the rent." Some
critics could claim they were
the obvious choice, and that
we "copped-out" by choosing
them. I say anytime you put
30 people in a room and there
is an overwhelming consensus,
you have yourself a winner.
And if the line Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡My love is
a sucker betÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ doesn't get you,
you're just not human. As the
inevitable expectations grow
for their sophomore release,
you can always throw Desperate
Youth Bloodthirsty Babes in
the CD changer for a dose of
something beautifully different;
something that will be ahead
of its time well into 2005. |
Desperate Youth,
Bloodthirsty Babes
TV On the Radio |
|
