2004 was a pretty decent year for the music scene, even though there were a few bombs, some disappointments, way too many mashups, and dying became the new black. here are some albums i've been throwing around for the past 12 months:
10. death from above 1979 - youre a woman, i'm a machine
they're actually only in this list because they have one of the coolest names ever. also, they brought a little more rock into my sheltered instrumental-rock-lovin life, so i gotta give'em some sort of recognition. HERE YOU GO FUCKERS.
9. animal collective - sung tongs
i don't know why this album is so good, because it gets a little too instrumental even for my tastes. but they still had a great vibe going on. it's a shame i'm the only person i know who can stand listening to them.
8. stars - set yourself on fire
i don't really have anything interesting to say about this band, other than they rock, so insert rant here about how cool it is that they are from le ka-na-duh.
7. black keys - rubber factory
this album is sooo unclassifiable, because it was such a hodge podge of genres. nicely done boys. also, these guys are awesome in interviews, specifically their crazy antics on the new music. so they get brownie points for that.
6. dj krush - jaku
krush, real name hideaki ishii (why do the japanese have the coolest names?) has his own style of breakbeat/ambience, and while i am a new fan, this album really proved to me that his shit could work beautifully for film. also, it takes me into this asian cyberspace world of the future and well, the fact that i don't need drugs to get there means a lot to me. NUMBER SIX YOU GET, MY DEAR HIDEAKI!
5. k-os - joyful rebellion
i joyfully rebelled against my indie rawk tendencies by listening to k-os, an artist some don't consider real hiphop. but you know what? this album is still a fuckin gold nugget. OMG LIKE CANADIAN CONTENT.
4. franz ferdinand - franz ferdinand
this album is probably on every single best o' 2004 list evar, and with good fuckin reason. if anyone showed me how to rock out in that cool ostensibly indie way, it was franz ferdinand. it's like these guys took over the strokes/hives/whatever thing and DID IT RIGHT.
3. the arcade fire - funeral
well this album was so good that i reviewed it for skoo papah, but i'm afraid that unlike some people, funeral did not hit #1 for me. don't get me wrong, this album was phenomenal, and technically speaking, it probably could be higher in my list. but other albums spoke more truly to me this year, so.. i'm afraid it's #3 for you guys. don't worry, i still love you.
2. kanye west - college dropout
this is my speakerboxx/the love below of 2004. i didn't even know this guy existed until pitchfork casually mentioned his presence in the hiphop world. i can sing/faux rap "jesus walks" forwards and backwards. also, his music pisses off my mother so that's always fun.
1. modest people - good news for people who love bad news
this is bad news for older fans who think their new shit is shit, but i will throw my indie cred out the window right now and say this is my favourite album by modest mouse EVER... even more so than the moon and antarctica. i know by saying these blasphemous things, i have cursed myself to a mob of indie hipsters foaming at the mouth, chasing me around with pitchforks, but then again, what is the worst they could do? sneer me to death?
