Albums of the year

[ben grimm]

If this has already been done then I apologise, its just I love lists!
The Open- The Silent Hours
Gillian Welch- Soul Journey
Old Crow Medecine Show-O.C.M.S.
Richmond Fontaine- Post To Wire
Danger Mouse- The Grey Album
Mark Lanegan- Bubblegum

[Chills]

Here are my favs i can think of now. Still lots of stuff to be heard though.

1) Los Lobos: The Ride + Ride This EP
Uplifting, high energy, timeless rock n roll from this class act.

2)Wilco: A Ghost Is Born
Ragged glory! Highlights: Hummingbird, Theologians, the solo in ALTWYS.

3)Black Keys: Rubber Factory
Primal blues rock is not dead

4)The Streets: A Grand Don't Come For Free
Great singles and more

5)Outside category: Brian Wilson: Smile

Discovery of the year: Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
Not a bad year for r&r!

[corey]

My favorite album of the year was "The Dirty South" by the Drive-By Truckers.
bet you didn't see that one comin'...

;)

[SmoothOprtr]

VHS or Beta- Night on Fire
Elbow- Cast of Thousands
Split Habit- Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Zero 7- When it Falls
George Michael- Patience
Peter Cincotti- self titled

[marktwain]

AcousticcitsuocA
Modest Mouse
Black Keys
Danger Mouse
Kanye West
Elliott Smith
Jerry Garcia Band @ Kean College

[sweatboard]

1. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
2. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
3. Interpol - Antics
4. Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
5. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
6. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Wilco - A Ghost is Born
9. Death From Above 1979 - Your A Woman I'm A Machine
10. Kings of Leon - Ah Ha
11. The Killers - Hot Fuss

[wordawg]

I need to give this serious consideration. Especially as I haven't heard any of the albums listed (apart from DBT).

Must be my age.......

[Zmog1974]

I listened to mostly old stuff this year but here are my fav's in no particular order...loved especially Richmond Fontaine & The Radio Dept...RDept satisfied the lo-fi in me ;)
here goes

Richmond Fontaine - Post to Wire
Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S
The Shins- Chutes to Narrow (bought in 2003 on import listened to alot in 2004)
Kings Of Leon-Aha..(pisses on the first album)..
The Broken Family Band- Jesus Songs
St Thomas - The Comeback of St Thomas-Lets Grow Together
Josh Ritter- Hello Starling
M Ward Vincent
The Radio Dept - Lesser Matters
Wilco- A Ghost is Born
Andrew Bird- Weather Systems
Gillian Welch-Soul Journey
Black Keys-Rubber Factory
Menlo Park (Single)Are We Having Fun.

NEW OLD STUFF
Gram Parsons-Live 1973
Dolly Parton- Bluegrass Collection
The Byrds- My Sweetheart the Rodeo-Ultimate Fan Edition
Leon Russell-Leon Russell
Ozark Mountain Daredevils-Best Of

[EC]

Oh Yeah!  Dolly Parton's Bluegrass Album.  I have been meaning to listen to that for some time.  Thanks for reminding me!

[corey]

i really like what I heard of Loretta Lynn's newest album. Really liked it, but don't have it yet so I didn't put it on my list.

[SMc55]

Is that the one with Jack White? It's one of the few albums I bought this year. It's cool.

[dogandponyshow]

Here we go....

Ambulance, LTD
Guided By Voices....Half Smiles of the Decomposed
The THrills.........Let's Bottle Bohemia
Loretta Lynn........Van Lear Rose
The Killers.........Hot Fuss
Drive by Truckers...THe Dirty South
Richmond Fontaine...Post to Wire
The Futureheads
Franz Ferdinand
THe Music...........Welcome to the North
Tom waits...........Real Gone
The Libertines......The Libertines
Coldplay............A Rush of Blood to the Head
Jet.................Get Born
Velvet Revolver.....Contraband
The Shins...........Chutes Too Narrow

D.

[antoniostrohs]

My top ten favorites for 2004

Sonic Youth           Sonic Nurse
The Killers           Hot Fuss
Franz Ferdinand       Franz Ferdinand
Drive By Truckers     The Dirty South
Loretta Lynn          Van Lear Rose
Arcade Fire           Funeral
Vhs or Beta           Night on Fire
Patty Griffin         Impossible Dream
The Secret Machines   Now Here is Nowhere
Old Crow Medicne Show O.C.M.S.

Lots of Honorable mentions to artist who put out fine music in 2004 Wilco,The Futureheads,Steve Earle,Kings of Leon,Tom Waits,Tift Merritt,Neko Case,Iris Dement,Jet,U2,MMJ,Ambulance LTD,Bobby Bare Jr,Gillian Welch,Paul Kelly,Ted Leo and Sun Kil Moon

[dogandponyshow]

Yeah doctorinthehouse....that is with Jack White....the tune Portland Oregon off that disc is easily one of my favorite tunes of the year.  They sing is as a duet.

D.

[corey]

Shit. I forgot the new Bare Jr CD. Good stuff.

How is the newest Neko Case? I fucking love her voice.

[EC]

Yeah Arcade Fire!  They are awesome, soooo awesome!  They're from Canada!  Yeah!

We played them on a long drive on Christmas Day.  I love their dynamics and their progressions.  So great.

[sweatboard]

Man, Everyone should really check out Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans.  I really think you all will like it, because we all have SWEET taste in music.  I can't get over this record right now.  I just bought the vinyl and it's blowing my friggin mind.  Also, I know a few of you love the banjo and Sufjan is rockin it on this record.  I'll go so far as to call this record a "Masterpiece".  Best thing I've spun since AcousticCitsuoca.  I might have to move it right on past Modest Mouse for this years best and that is saying a whole lot.

P.S.
I'm not counting AcousticCitsuoca as an album this year or it would be numero uno.

[corey]

SB,
I heard some of his stuff last night. Very, very cool stuff. A buddy of mine has it on his ipod and let me hear it.
I only heard a couple of songs, but I loved them. He has a great voice as well...

[antoniostrohs]

Hey Sweatboard,Great call on the Sufjan Stevens.I'm lovin it! It is an incredible album.Starting with the first tune"All The Trees in the Field Will Clap Their Hands".It has this slow build up with just a banjo and singing and then slowly build to a beautiful crescendo.Lots of multi-instrumentation and gorgeous layered vocals.To me it has a  definite gospel vibe to some of the songs,very spirtual.It ends with wonderful tune "The Transfiguration".I may have to amend my top ten list.Thanks

[sweatboard]

Yes!!!!! The layered vocals, the buildup, the intimacy of the recording, the banjo, the acoustic guitar, it's a magical album.
I know O was asking about criteria for deciding how an album is ranked in your head, for me this one ranks really high in some categories I consider.

1. Recording and Production (Two albums that should be considered masterpieces were almost ruined do to their shitty recording and production in the early 90's, Nevermind and Ten.  They sound incredibly dated, already.  It's not that I'm against everything that is not low-fi; I just think the Production and Recording needs to fit the record.  I love the recording of Radiohead's - Kid A and also My Morning Jacket's - At Dawn.)

2. Flow and Concept (My favorite records have a particular vision, and seem as if what is driving the creation of the record is so infinitely bigger than the music itself that the artist has to sweat and bleed and toil just to even get close to composing music that is capable of conveying the importance of what they are saying.  The best albums seem to always have that perfect opening track and that perfect closing track, the material in between makes these two tracks perfect)

3. Lyrics and Songwriting (I think the hardest thing to do as a musician must be to write great lyrics, I say this because there is so much more good music out there than lyrics.  There are not many bands in the entire UNIVERSE that write truly great lyrics.  I think Kurt Cobain is one of the best "Song Writers" to ever live.  Meaning I believe the art of songwriting does not hinge on how many chords you use or how intricate they are but how the chords you play relate to each other.  I think Jim James is also extremely gifted in this area.  You have G, C, and D now make them speak.  Lyrics are the same way, it's not how many words you use or how big they are, it's what the words you use mean when you put them together.)
 
4. Cover Art (I don't look for this, it just always seems to occur.  The album art  speaks to what is being said on the record and bounces against it in some way that brings an even higher understanding to what you are hearing, Dark Side of The Moon, At Dawn, Tommy)

5. Some Kick Ass Musicians (You need at least one if not three or four people on the record that just drop your jaw with their instrument, it's not about their "Skill" technically, it's about their relationship with their instrument.  I like, Thurston Moore, Pete Townsend, Keith Moon, Kurt Cobain, Johnny Greenwood, Kim Deal, and Robert Smith.

6. Length (Not that short or long is better, but great albums seem to have the perfect number of songs.  The Acoustic Citsuoca album seems to be perfect in Length; The Sufjan Stevens album seems to be perfect in length.  Sometimes an album kills itself with one or two songs that don't need to be on it, and sometimes an album is just too short and leaves you feeling hungry.)

Oh Yeah,
7. How it speaks to you (I guess that's why we all have different lists)