[Floodedstatue]

It's that time of year again when we get to look back at the high (or low) points of the year musically, and look forward in hope to 2005, where we will see albums from the likes of Doves, Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta....and more.....

But as for 2004, here goes with my 'TOP 5' in ranking order (best first):

1. Pineapple Thief - 12 Stories Down
2. Blackfield - Blackfield (International Edition)
3. Green Day - American Idiot
4. Amplifier - Amplifier
5. Nick Drake - Made To Love Magic

BTW....if no-one has heard of Pineapple Thief before (not many have), I urge you to check them out. I had people ambushing my CD collection asking who this band were because they were so impressed with what they had heard! Check out their 2003 album 'Variations On A Dream', and the soon-to-be-released '12 Stories Down'. A trailer for the new album can be downloaded on their site http://www.pineapplethief.com/listen.htm

Rock on

....pineapple thief sound cool.. a bit like a more mellow version of mansun...

anyway I feel the best album of 2004 has got to be 'Hopes and Fears' by KEANE this album has only been out of my denon in the house to be put in the car! brilliant

Cant wait for the new doves album the new single was played on radio1 monday night and sounds brilliant!

[Oasis-GasPanic]

My Top five of the year are.......

1. Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak / The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons?
2. Eagles Of Death Metal - Peace Love Death Metal
3. Desert Sessions Volume 9 & 10
4. Razorlight - Up All Night

I think next year will all be about Oasis & QOTSA

[Kenny Glasgow]

1/. Tom Waits - Real Gone
2/. Steven Lindsay - Exit Music
3/. Todd Rundgren - Liars
4/. The Shins - Shutes Too Narrow
5/. The Bees - Free The Bees

[karkus30]

1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
3. Mission of Burma - On-Off-On
4. Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First
5. Green Day - American Idiot

Im going to add a sixth. Mastodon-Leviathon after hating its sound at first its grown on me and is probably the only direction left for the pure metal fan.

Oh and Chutes too Narrow was 2003 by the way, but a good album none the less. No votes for Franz Ferdinand , The streets, The Killers , Interpol oh dear

still, Its a bit of fun

[Kenny Glasgow]

Karkus

Got the Streets but it really didn't do it for me at all

FF was overkill, esp here in Scotland, heard it too often, it is good though!

I only bought the Shins in April, does that count

[karkus30]

Originally Posted by Kenny Glasgow

Karkus

Got the Streets but it really didn't do it for me at all

FF was overkill, esp here in Scotland, heard it too often, it is good though!

I only bought the Shins in April, does that count

Think I recommended "Chutes too narrow" about a year ago, on this very forum, I bought it directly from the United States of Armageddon.

I really didnt rate FF and definitely not The Killers. Cant make my mind about The Streets, well I suppose I never bought any Streets albums so infact I voted with my Wallet.

You should buy The Arcade Fire though, its a stunning debut. Strangely I played Pet Sounds tonight and I couldnt help draw comparisons. Great use of bittersweet melodic hooks, clever orchestration and a real emotional ride. Of course it also bears comparison with Talking Heads, The Pixies and early Roxy Music, although thats just from an influence standpoint, as they really just sound like The Arcade Fire. Its not an easy first listen, but after the third time it begins to get its claws in and your singing along by the fourth.

[Henry]

Keane - "Hopes and Fears" for me. Haven't really listened to anything else since I bought it. Saw them play live at Leeds Uni as well. Fantastic!

[JohnG]

1. Green Day - American Idiot

That's the only new one I've bought this year, all the rest have been old stuff that I've never had on CD. There's not been much else that's inspired me to buy it to be honest.

[the_pauley]

My top 5 of 2004 (in no particular order):

Brian Wilson - Smile
Tony Bennett - The Art of Romance
Todd Rundgren - Liars
Diana Krall - The Girl In the Other Room
Boz Scaggs - But Beautiful

Reissue of the year:

Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition)

[captaindobie]

1. U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (25 years, and they still give a *uck)

2. Morrissey - You Are The Quarry (A Very Welcome Return)

3. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (With A Helping Hand From Jack White. Excellent)

[Ian182]

My top 5........ (after much consideration)

1 - Kasabian - Kasabian
2 - Ian Brown - Solarized
3 - The Killers - Hot Fuss
4 - Ash - Meltdown
5 - Keane - Hopes and Fears

Honourable mentions also go to Delays, Ordinary Boys, Wonderstuff, Razorlight, The Music and Green Day.

Yep, I'm still an indie kid at heart

Ian.

[JUS]

I spent most of the year buying and listening to old stuff so I can't make up a top 5!

I like your first two Ian. Kasabian & Ian Brown did it for me I'll have to give The killers and Kean a go..

[dts_boy]

my top 3 would probably be (in no order):

Rhian Benson - God Coast

Kanye West - The College Dropout

Jay Z - The Black Album

Having named those, i have also enjoyed The Streets, Keane. I spend most of my time listeniing to older music, i'm a bit sad like that

[CJROSS]

My 2004 top 10.

Amy Winehouse : Frank
Everlast : White Trash Beautiful
Sasha : Involver *
U2 : How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Peter Cincotti : On the Moon
The Black Keys : Rubber Factory
Keane : Hopes & Fears
Kraftwerk : Tour De France Remixes *
Barb Jungr : Waterloo Sunset
Trojan Records : Roots 3CD Box set *

* All discovered in 2004 not sure if all were released in 2004 though.

[Decadence]

Now 59...brilliant!!!

[CJROSS]

Btw My favourite single of the year was by a band mentioned here a few times :

The Shins : New Slang – “Oh Inverted World” Album 2001, the album before Chutes Too Narrow.

Mental Note : “Must investigate these albums”

FWIW Heard it on a the OST to “Scrubs” which also includes a Tom Hay tune called Overkill, worth it alone for these 2 tracks. Right 2005 will see a check out of The Shins I reckon.

Pauley – Nearly bought the Legacy addition of Grace, but have got 2 CDs of Grace already, the 180g Simply Vinyl pressing and the Grace 4 EPs go on tell me what Im missing dude.

[Kenny Glasgow]

Karkus

Ordered Arcade Fire, it has a UK release in February. After my previous hassle trying to get Dust from an Amazon Marketplace seller I'll hang on until then.

I listened to some of the audio samples and it sounds good with vocals like John Ono Lennon himself

[Decadence]

The Keane album is awesome although it is mildly annoying the way the singer loudly gasps for breath between lines...

[karkus30]

Originally Posted by Kenny Glasgow

Karkus

Ordered Arcade Fire, it has a UK release in February. After my previous hassle trying to get Dust from an Amazon Marketplace seller I'll hang on until then.

I listened to some of the audio samples and it sounds good with vocals like John Ono Lennon himself

It wasnt my fault Ive never had a problem with a marketplace seller and I have ordered several 'difficult to get hold of albums'. Do you check their customer rating ?

[the_pauley]

Heard the title track of the Barb Jungr album on a sampler and loved it. Is the rest of the album in a simialr vein CJROSS? And am I correct in recalling it's a hybrid SACD?

The Legacy edition of "Grace" is well worth it for the remastered sound, the bonus / unreleased stuff and, don't forget, there's a DVD in there too.

[s70rmp]

Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
Social Distortion - Sex, Love & Rock N Roll
Reverend Horton Heat - Revival

[Kenny Glasgow]

Karkus

Yes they had a very good rating......

[CJROSS]

Originally Posted by the_pauley

Heard the title track of the Barb Jungr album on a sampler and loved it. Is the rest of the album in a simialr vein CJROSS? And am I correct in recalling it's a hybrid SACD?

The Legacy edition of "Grace" is well worth it for the remastered sound, the bonus / unreleased stuff and, don't forget, there's a DVD in there too.

Yep Hyrbid SACD / HDCD CD layer, it seems all Linn SACD Hybrids are HDCDs as well, Ive got another Linn SACD - Nigel North and its one too, and Ionly use the CD layer, yep a great album dude. Right that looks like Im buying the Legacy Grace as well.

ATB

[Kenny Glasgow]

CJR

Is the Nigel North another lute album?

[CJROSS]

Yep Kenny :

http://www.linnrecords.com/cd_inform...ecordingID=261

Stunning simply stunning is all I can say – the proverbial in the living room deal. Your probably aware Kenny but if you join up as a member for Linn records there are constantly offers on the go for artists/discs. I get lots of HDCDs via them.

[Bristol Pete]

For me the album of the year is

The Hope of the States - The Lost Riots.

Other albums of note for me were -

Keane - Hopes and Fears

Morrisey - You are the Quarry

Cap

[Kenny Glasgow]

CJR

Thanks I have a couple of his earlier CDs and they are nice to listen to every now and then. I might just get the SACD

[mr jones]

erm...

embrace - out of nothing
killers - hot fuss
beastieboys - the 5 buroughs
elliot smith - from a basement on the hill
greenday - american idiot
five for fighting - the battle for everything


highly commended -
no doubt - the singles
faithless - no roots
maroon 5 - songs about jane
brian wilson - smile
polyhonic spree - together we're heavy
snow patrol - final straw



there have been some musical flops this year thats for sure, in my mind the biggest of these is keane, getting praise for being a horrible mix between coldplay and travis, dull as dishwater.
also of note - "the best of REM in time" which turned out to not be all the best songs, bit of a git really

Dillinger Escape Plan – Miss Machine

Totally awesome band both live and technically – saw them at Manchester Uni – this album will destroy your living room.

Green Day – American Idiot

Enuff said – saw them live at Reading and they kicked ass!

Keane – Hopes and Fears

Brilliant album – not a duff track on it and a memorable performance at Glastonbury to boot.

The Killers – Hot Fuss

A breath of fresh air.

Jet – Get Born

The original AC/DC with Bon Scott re-incarnated on vocals!!