Top Ten Albums of 2004...

As every year, I've compiled a list of my favorite albums of 2004. These are the "records" that got the most play in either my MP3 player, or truck stereo, etc... They may or may not have been released this year (although I think most of them were), I just needed to have purchased them in 2004. I think it was a good year for music. It was one of the more interesting years and I think people are starting to lean away from pop. Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, The Killers, all these bands had people hear them this year. These are bands that would really have struggled to have been heard a couple years ago. Even though they didn't make my list, they're on plenty of critics year end lists and I'm thrilled to see some talented bands on the charts again.

1) "American Idiot" - Green Day - The most ambitious album they've recorded (without a doubt) is also their best. One listen to "Jesus of Suburbia" and I was hooked. An overtly political album that leaves no doubt which side they take in the red state/blue state divide. See my previous post on this album for more info.

2) "Oh, Inverted World"/"Chutes Too Narrow" (tie) - The Shins - I started listening to these guys more intensely this year and they're my favorite band currently. It's a shame you won't hear them on the radio. This is one of those bands that takes a couple listens but is worth it once you're hooked. Recently caught their performance on Austin City Limits. They're fabulous. I can't wait to see them live.

3) "Give Up" - The Postal Service - A side project formed with "Death Cab For Cutie"'s Ben Gibbard and "Dntel"'s (whoever that is) Jimmy Tamborello. I was first introduced to this from a internet radio station I programmed on Launchcast. It will play artists you might like from the list of favorite artists you gave it. This was one of their suggestions and I haven't stopped listening to it since. I guess you would call it Electronica, but not what you think when you hear that term "electronica". An elegant, approachable electronic album.

4) "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" - U2 - A fantastic album (I think superior to their last one, feels completely cohesive from front to back). It sounds like classic U2 with some updates.

5) "Rainy Day Music" - The Jayhawks - Easily their best album since their masterpiece "Tomorrow The Green Grass". This is the album Jayhawks fans have been waiting for, a return to a earlier sound. There's none of the electronic textures they experimented with on "Smile" and it's great to hear them get back to basics. Now all we need is for Marc Olson to return and I can then re-live my late high school/early college years. Beer run!!!!

6) "In Between Evolution" - The Tragically Hip - Another solid effort from the Hip. It's too bad they aren't bigger in America because they're one of the best bands around.

7) "Contraband" - Velvet Revolver - A "super group" consisting of Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots and members of the dismantled Guns & Roses (including Slash), this was a huge pleasant surprise this year. When I heard these guys were getting together I thought it was a desperation move to try and bring the 80's back with a 90's flourish. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a tremendously loud and fun record. Hard rock done the best way possible. Dirty and LOUD. Are you listening Axl?

8) "To The 5 Bouroughs" - Beastie Boys - Rolling Stone magazine gave this record five stars which is the highest their chart goes, thus calling it a classic. I'm not going to go quite that far. (It makes one wonder if the liberal agenda that goes on throughout the magazine is seeping into the review staff?) Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a good album (and I certainly agree with the political agenda) , I just didn't think it was as fun as "Check Your Head" or "Ill Communication". In the end though, the song "Ch-Ch-Check it Out" is worth the purchase price alone. It has it's moments and is a good Beasties album.

9) "Me and Mr. Johnson" - Eric Clapton - Claptons best album since "From The Cradle". I'm slightly biased on this one, as both records are blues albums (and there weren't many great blues albums this year in my opinion. When the two best are this one and SRV's Live at Montreux, there's a lull in the blues. Not to take anything away from these guys, there just wasn't a lot to go crazy for in Blues this year.) This is a collection of covers that Eric does of Robert Johnson material. If you're not familar with Robert Johnson, you have issues. Robert is the touchstone of the beginning of popular blues music, (many would say he simply IS the blues and all others run through him to modern day). This is a great collection and Mr. Clapton gives them the treatment they deserve.

10) "The Revolution Starts Now" - Steve Earle - I didn't realize this, but three of my top ten this year are Bush bashing albums. You could say maybe the bush bashing agenda I have here at this blog is influencing my reviews. You could say that, but you'd be wrong. You could be Rush Limbaugh and not be able to debate the quality of the music of this and the two others on the list. Well, maybe he could, but he's an idiot. This is the best work by the most unapologetic lefty in music. I like Steve Earle because he really couldn't give a... he doesn't care if you buy his record or not. He's doesn't let silly things like record sales drive what his views are. In country music, it's typically career suicide to say anything against the President. He's commited it time and again with his views.

Honorable mentions:
"A Ghost is Born" - Wilco - This is a good album, but I felt nowhere near as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or some of their other work. I'm having a hard time enjoying post Jay Bennett Wilco. Just a personal thing I guess.

"Places For Breathing" - Revis - Highly derivative and sounded similar to oh... about 100 other bands I've heard, but I loved the record. Highly charged rock similar in sound to (ick) Creed I guess. I hate making that comparison because of my dislike for Creed. It's in that vein though.

"The Rolling Thunder Revue - Bootleg Series" - Bob Dylan - I couldn't bring myself to put this on the list due to the fact that I borrowed it from a friend and didn't actually buy it. It's a terrific show.

"The Beginning Stages Of... " - The Polyphonic Spree - I can't figure this thing out. When they come out on stage they look like extras from the Northfield High School Stage production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", but when they started playing I was completely mesmerized. They look like a cult, but create a terrific sound. They dress in colored robes and have a french horn, trombone, choir, etc... I can't sufficiently explain it to you in words. It's a group that has to be seen to be believed. I would reccmend the album, but it isn't the same without the visual production.

"Julie Roberts" - Julie Roberts - The only thing worth listening to coming out of mainstream country this year. I watched her "In The Moment" special on CMT one night and really liked her voice and music. It has some soul that others are lacking in todays pop/country.

Sports on JC's Birthday...

I know I'm a hypocrite when I say this, I just wish we could have one day a year where we have some reflection on what's important in life. I know we do by getting together with family and all, it just irritates me that we can't take Jesus's birthday off from something we can enjoy the other 364 days of the year. Another installment of "Christmas Under Siege" if you ask me. Now I know not everybody celebrates Christmas, and have a different belief system than me. In that respect, I can understand the NBA and NFL's decision to play games on this day. I guess this is just more of a wish on my part that for one day we as Christians forget about distractions like this and remember there are things more important than sports. I know I'm probably overreacting to this, it just really bothered me to hear that some churches are moving services around to accomodate the Vikings-Packers game Friday night, I'm sure the same thing will happen in the towns playing on Christmas day. It's not the right priorities, in my opinion.

American Idiot, A Review...

When I first think of Green Day, the first thought that comes to mind is they were supposed to be a one album band. This band was supposed to have fizzled out after "Dookie". This is a band that should now be struggling to fill First Avenue, not playing Target Center. How are they still around? Well, for one thing, whatever you think of them, you have to admit that they have a great sense of that pop "hook" that draws listeners in. With American Idiot, they have created their "London Calling". This is easily and by far the best album of their career and if it's not nominated for a Grammy (and I'm talking Best Album Grammy, not Best Performance by a Hard Rock Band while standing on one leg and eating a donut), it will be a huge injustice. I'll admit that because of my musical snobbishness, that I had a hard time going to the store and buying a Green Day record. I've heard some people call this "Dookie with a conscience" and I would have to agree to a point. The music is just as fun as "Dookie" but it is more mature and you can tell these guys are a lot more serious now than they used to be. Many people have called the album a "Punk Rock Opera", whatever that is. It does have a consistent narrative with characters that rear their head throughout the album. It's a politically charged record (much more so than U2's newest, which is shocking. If you would have asked me five years ago which band would be making the most political record of 2004, I highly doubt anyone would've said Green Day. That would be like the Beastie Boys picking up instruments! Are you nuts?!!!). The standout tracks are, of course, "American Idiot", and "Jesus of Suburbia". "Jesus of Suburbia" is the most excellent track, and comprised of different "movements" if you will. The album artwork is the best I've seen in a long while with an arm holding what appears to be a grenade that's morphing into a bleeding heart. I love everything about this album, as much as I initially hated to admit it. It's also great to see a band that once named their albums things like "Kerplunk", "Dookie" and "Nimrod", grow into a political conscience. Would I have even listened to this album if it wasn't politically charged? Absolutely. On first listen, it's the quality of the music that grabs you. Upon further listening is when you realize the band has something to say. This will most likely be my top album of 2004.

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, A Review...

"Uno, Dos, Tres, CATORCE!" From the first words of U2's new album, I knew I was going to love it. No ones explained to me why Bono goes to fourteen after 1,2,3, but I suppose when you're Bono you can do whatever you please. The huge surprise to me on this album is the lack of politics. My expectation was certainly different than the reality. It's certainly there in spots, but nowhere near what I thought there would be. Frankly, I'm quite glad that it's broader in scope than my expectation. I'm sure it would've been quite easy for them to write ten antiwar songs and get on with it. The music itself is a bit of a continuation of the sound they used on "All That You Can't Leave Behind" but with some touches of older U2. The guitar sounds are the familiar, (but fantastic), classic "delay pedal" U2. I've heard people complain about the supposed repetitiveness of Edge's guitar sound, but I see it as more of a signature sound. These people are typically people who adore Satriani, Vai and that souless crowd of guitar players who have yet to write a song that'll be remembered by anyone. It's never been a liability in my opinion. The standout tracks are "Vertigo", "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", and "Crumbs From Your Table". I would recommend this album for anyone, but especially for the people who stopped listening to U2 during "Zooropa". I was very glad to see that U2 have come full circle without plagiarizing their past. This was a very satisfying listen and will remain in my MP3 player for years to come. The title of this blog is a link that gives you the name of a local (INDEPENDENT) record store where you could pick this up.

Quote of the day...

"If the situation in Iraq will continue like this, it will create within the Iraqi people feelings of bitterness, rage and humiliation which will provide, in the long run, an appropriate environment for an Iraqi Hitler to appear similar to the German Hitler who emerged after Germany's defeat and the humiliation of the German people in World War I," - Iraqi Interim President Ghazi al-Yawer

Another example of a crazy liberal trying to undermine what the US is trying to accomplish over there I guess. In all seriousness, I pray he's not right and we (the US) succeed in bringing democracy to Iraq. We have no other options now, we must prevail.

John Mc Cain...

John McCain came slamming home today with criticism of Rumsfeld and his handling of the war. Where was he during the election? That's right, he was on the road with the President helping this administration get re-elected. Hmmm... Why the sudden change of heart John? Why would you campaign for the President, yet not two months after the election say you have no confidence in the guy the President is having run his war? Hmmm... I think I've got it! You had to align yourself with the President during the election because you want the nomination for '08. You knew (or know) that you're too reasonable and moderate to win the nomination from the radical right wing that actually controls the party. So you had to show your fake support for this administration or face the fact that you would never become President. Very clever. I have great respect for John McCain, I just wish that he would have come out with these criticisms during the election. Now's not the time to undermine the troops morale by criticizing the Secretary of Defense. Wink, wink (Let's hear one right wing talk show host criticize McCain for this, something they would attack any Democrat relentlessly for. Good luck finding one).

Thanks to the right wing media once again...

Once again the media is failing to do it's job. It seems that because a reporter helped a soldier phrase a question to Rummy, that this is indeed the story. Let's not concentrate on why the soldier asked the question in the first place. THAT THE TROOPS HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY PROTECTED BECAUSE RUMSFELD WANTED TO RUSH IN TO WAR WITH TOO SMALL OF A FORCE! I am fed up with right wing media. Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter, Drudge, and all the rest of you. How about you show some guts and actually criticize the administration on this issue. Just one time, that's all I'm asking. You say you support the troops, how about proving it for once in your life. Do you not think it's important to give the troops the equipment they need? Did the reporter make all the rest of the troops applaud when the question was asked? Was that all a liberal media conspiracy too? Halliburton's getting all their money, why not the troops for god's sake? "Oh no, another liberal reporter is undermining what we're doing over there, ooohhhh scary." Thank God for the so called "liberal" media. If it wasn't for them all we would hear is what a wonderful job the administration is doing, and nothing is going wrong. I actually heard on the radio today someone blame Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton for the mess we're in. Because they supposedly cut defense budgets. Please comment if I'm wrong, but I believe it was Rumsfeld's idea to go in light with as few troops as possible? Yeah, it's Jimmy Carter's fault, give me a break. I can't take it anymore. These people spread so many lies and half truths it's ridiculous. They do this everytime something happens that shades a bad light on the administration. The press reports a story and they just disregard the facts of the thing and blame it on the "liberal" media. You're right, it's Jimmy Carter and the medias fault that troops are scrounging through dumpsters for armor. I applaud your intelligence. You're just full of brilliant people on the right wing. Way to really dig to the heart of the story. Bravo.