It is hard to know if 2004 really sucked or if it was just our imagination. BigYawn came to exist in 2004 (more or less), so it was really the first full year we paid attention to each and every album that came out. True, in any given year, more than half the albums released aren't very good. So, if you look at the entire year as a whole, it shouldn't be surprising that it seems relatively disappointing. But in 2004, even the highlights seemed mediocre. Trends came and went in 2004, as did the various British bands representing these same trends. Comebacks were big, and everyone loved you if you were from Canada. But all things considered, despite the fact that it was less than spectacular, 2004 wasn't completely devoid of its moments. Here are some highlights...

But first, a short blurb on the site. BigYawn emerged from the womb on January 5th, and other than those three long summer months, we haven't looked back. Some of you love us, some of you hate us, but for the most part it seems like we made the right decision. BY is, and always will be, a work in progress. We made huge strides in 2004, and we hope to continue those positive steps in 2005. 2004 was also the year of the blog, with thousands of sites popping up trying to cover some little music niche. With mainstream music mags' current trend toward covering Top 40s music, the Internet may be the only refuge we have. We are excited that BY is a part of this online musical revolution.

Stylistically, there were some obvious trends in 2004. The synthesizer returned with a flourish, and a plethora of new-wave wannabes flooded the system. It seems everyone had Korgs and Moogs on their tracks. Of course The Killers became the poster boys for this movement, but others like Action, Action, Stellastarr*, VHS or Beta, Ambulance Ltd., and The Bravery all began to make their marks. The garage-pop sound continued to have an influence in 2004, but it was often morphed into a more dance-accessible sound. Franz Ferdinand capitalized on this by coming out with one of the best records of the year. Their self-titled debut was accessible to the folks who wanted to dance and the folks who wanted to rock. Interpol's sophomore release also played on this theme, though they added their own little spin.

Aside from the resurrection of the synth, it was simply cool to be indie in 2004. Everyone was talking about new bands, a disappointment no doubt for longtime fans of bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie, who found their favorite band being played on TV shows and, god forbid, conglomerate radio. You could hear everyone from Muse to the Postal Service on local DC radio this year. Shows around town that barely looked full two years ago were now selling out, much to the chagrin of many older fans without tickets. Longtime underdog bands like Modest Mouse and Wilco were selling out tours across the country. It was almost becoming a game on message boards; Who could talk about the most obscure band? Stations like 103.1 in LA were reverting to playing all indie music all the time. The phrase "indie" became a part of the common vernacular; soccer moms could be heard asking the question, do they have any indie-cred? Kinda makes you wonder what the
backlash will be in 2005, and which bands will buck the trend to make a comeback.

Speaking of reunion tours, the list of bands making comebacks in 2004 is too long to mention here, but the two biggest comebacks were that of The Cure and the Pixies. Both of whom had huge tours that raked in tons of money. The Cure's Curiosa festival even included a number of bands who obviously were influenced by Smith and Co. It was a moment when the old school was helping to usher in the new school. While the Cure toured on a new album, the Pixies reunion was based entirely on playing old material. But that didn't seem to matter as they sold out virtually every show they played. It seems the possibility exists we might see some new material from the Pixies in 2005, or beyond. 2005 already has some interesting comeback contenders on the horizon, with the Happy Mondays and Slint preparing to play some shows. And of course there is the yearly rumor the Stone Roses will reform to play Coachella. Now that the Pixies finally made hell freeze over, it seems virtually any already-burned bridge can be mended.

But not all the big bands were once broken-up punks from Massachusetts. On the contrary, it certainly paid to be from Canada this year. Countless Canucks crossed the border to have huge 2004s. You have the huge Toronto collaborative with Broken Social Scene, Stars and The Dears. Add Metric, The Constantines, The Stills, Death From Above 1979, and the most recent darlings from Montreal, The Arcade Fire, and you are barely scratching the surface. What the hell is in the water up there? It seems that many of theses Canadian bands were on to the secret formula of 2004 -- dare to be different.

With so many bands coming across as clones of each other in 2004, it was the bands that truly created a different sound that stood out and made folks notice. TV on the Radio are the obvious example, taking our album of the year with their full-length debut. But others, such as the Go! Team, Animal Collective and Comets on Fire truly stood out from the crowd, a step ahead of the rest. And then you have the blues soundings of the Black Keys and the burlesque punk of the Dresden Dolls. Just like it was in high school, it was the freaks and nerds who ended up successful with models for wives. So we ask you bands of 2005, drop those garage rock chords and give us something different!

Ok, so maybe 2004 wasn't completely a dissapointment. But despite the plaudits given above, all in all we here at BigYawn were a little unimpressed with the state of music in 2004. Here's to hoping 2005 will prove it was only a temporary setback.