We are proud to present your favorite records from 2004. Thanks to all the fellow music-obsessing folk who sent in lists...especially our loyal AQ customers! And if you're anything like us, you love seeing what other folks have been listening to. Plus it's a great way to find out about stuff you might have missed! Anyway, check em out! And thanks again. Here's to 2005 being even more musically bountiful!
From: Brian Turner of WFMU
RECORDS AND STUFF:
Witchcraft / s/t (TMC)
Sun City Girls / Carnival Folklore Radio 11/12 (Abduction)
Hearts of Darknesses / Music For Drunk Driving (Schematic)
Isaiah Owens / You Without Sin Cast the First Stone (Case Quarter)
The Stars / Will (Pedal)
The Gris Gris / s/t (Birdman)
The Ex / Turn (Touch & Go)
Fe-Mail / Skylubb Fra Haelvete (Important)
Jay Munly / Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots (Alternative Tentacles)
Konono No. 1 / Lubuaku (Terp)
Residual Echoes / s/t (self-released)
Comets On Fire / Blue Cathedral + promo thing of jams/live (Sub Pop)
Trapist / Ballroom (Thrill jockey)
Yob / The Illusion of Motion (Metal Blade)
Kazuki Tomokawa / Itsuka Toku Mite Ita (PSF)
Various / Space Is No Place 2 (Psych-O-Path)
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF:
Monoshock / Runnin' Ape-Like From the Backwards Superman (S-S)
The Faces / Five Guys Walk Into a Bar (Rhino)
Phil Pearlman reissues: Beat of the Earth/Electronic Hole/Relatively Clean Rivers
SCTV, Cassavettes DVD boxes
Family / BBC Sessions (Hux)
Terry Reid / Silver White Light (Water)
The Mice / For Almost Ever Scooter (Scat)
Xex / Group: Xex (The Smack Shire)
The Homosexuals / Astral Glamour (Hyped 2 Death)
LIVE STUFF:
Boris somewhere in Tribeca
Trad Gras Och Stenar at Tonic
Rush at Radio City
The Ex
SONAR fest in Barcelona
3puen at the WFMU Record Fair
Patton Oswalt at Luna Lounge
Devo in Central Park
From: Aaron Mandel
AC NEWMAN - The Slow Wonder
THE BLOW - Poor Aim: Love Songs
FUTUREHEADS - s/t
GRAHAM SMITH - Final Battle
THE KILLERS - Hot Fuss
JOEL RL PHELPS & THE DOWNER TRIO - Customs
RATATAT - Remixes Volume 1
SAUL WILLIAMS - s/t
SOFT PINK TRUTH - Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Soft Pink Truth?
STATUESQUE - Choir Above Fire Below
plus
ADD - "Let It All Burn"
DIZZEE RASCAL - "I Luv You"
DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS - "Godhopping"
KINGS OF CONVENIENCE - "I'd Rather Dance With You"
MIRAH - "We're Both So Sorry"
SMOOSH - "It's Not Your Day To Shine"
TV ON THE RADIO - "New Health Rock"
XIU XIU - "I Luv The Valley OH!"
From: Benjamin Tinker
Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
I Dismissed them for the first 10 months of 2004, "Oy," I figured, "Another pair of siblings with good hair, and what's worse, these are some sorta New York hipsters!" Well my best friend, a New York hipster himself, laid on me this here CD, and I listened to it for weeks with out let up. At the time I was also immersing my self in Yes's Relayer for the first time, and I found that Yes's (and other progressives about which I am obsessives) stories of nautical battles, odd mongrels etc., were similar to Blueberry Boat's 10 min plus opuses of jarring time signature changes, but with a sweet, non affected, and seldom effected, down to earth vocal. The instrumentation reminded me also of early Stephen Merrit's stark arrangements, seemingly sequenced keyboards that switch to different banks of instruments sometimes faster then the time signature shifts, but with occasional live Keith Moon style drum flourishes, and spazzio guitar lines worthy of Fripp's late seventies period as new wave session god. So how could I not love it, complete with minimal sleeve design that belies the baroque-modern smorgasbord of sound within, yet never over blown if anything is overblown, it's the fact that it clocks in at 80min, hard to listen to all the way through at every chance one has to listen to it. I heard they listened to nothing but Dylan for the year leading up to this recording, one may hear Dylan's possible influence in the long visual narratives, which, for me, is possibly the best influence to take from Dylan.
Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld
Jeeze, at least 3 of my picks, I'm sure, will be Aquarius Customers average tops for 2004, Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat, Dungen's Ta Det Lugnt, and this one Ghost's 'oh so' Hypnotic Underworld. Black Sabbath meets Taj Mahal Travelers? YES! It came out at the top of the year, but we all knew that it was destined to be in our lists for bests of that year. Missing them live in a rare San Francisco appearance, due to a wedding, of friends that I introduced, seemed like unjust punishment for the many hours I spent swaying front of the stereo at home.
OOIOO - Kila Kila Kila
Well at least I got to see these guys live. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for me, the night was overshadowed by a jaw dropping performance by openers Crime in Choir. Regardless, OOIOO were still great, but a perfect example of a crowd that seemed not to willing to twitch and turn to what to me is the ultimate dance music. After the show, I had the pleasure to briefly talk with band leader, Yoshimi Pee-Wee, she asked if I thought OOIOO had gotten better technically then the time I saw them at GAMH many moons ago (different line up of musicians then), well, I couldn't exactly remember, but was polite enough to say "Ohhh yeah, definitely..." and then caught my self, "...but you guys were great then too." But yes, this band is totally sharp now, and it shows on Kila Kila Kila, their most focused CD, me thinks, and the addition of strings really works. Hmmm, seems like those Boredoms folks have a well-stocked Alice Coltraine collection going on.
Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt
First sent to me by that same NYC hipster who sent me Blueberry Boat. My first impression? "Wow, I'm so glad some one dug this up and re-issued it! Just goes to prove that music made in the late sixties early seventies RULES!" Well, did I have to check my '60's garage rock cred, or what, I almost lost my lunch when I found out (through friggin' FLAVORPILL, fer chrissake) that these guys are CONTEMPORARY!!! How'd the hell did they get that kinda compression in this day and age? Who could come up with those lovely warbly mellotron runs in the double ought? The Swedes, that's who, and better yet, Swedes who hang with Bjorn Olssen, his noisy tape and lovely fret work and classic melodies that you feel you've heard before fit right along nicely with coconspirators Dungen.
Bruce Haack - The Electronic Record For Children
So glad these Japanese re-issues of classic Haack are out, expensive and digital, but available. This one, to me, is perhaps the most bizarre. With mock TV talk shows naming the Presidents (complete with laugh tracks and tape manipulation), to space journeys where buddies are doing song anddance numbers with kids on comets streaming by, to "African" lullabies back down on À*Earth*?... it's a fun journey with Bruce, Miss Nelson, Chris and the whole gang! I saw a mediocre but admirable documentary on poor Bruce Haack within 2005, and guess what? He was a depressed artist! ("who isn't?"). It was made by a former raver who fell in love with Haack's created "family" of children and inability to deal with adults. Seems like Haack was somewhat of a Henry Darger type character, holing himself up for days, working on his customized electronic keyboards. But booze and other drugs were plaguing him, as well as record companies saying the usual, "Too weird, too dark!" (In the movie, Haack's inferred lover suggests that he was smoking mescaline, I refered that to one of my more druggie friends, and he said, "You don't SMOKE mesciline! That's bad, whatta waste!") Glad also to have this 'cus I lent all my Haack LPs to someone who lent me his ARP 2600 in exchange, no, I'm not about to try and get those LPs back.
Ilhan Mimaroglu - Agitation
My friend Matt once lent me his Freddie Hubbard album "Sing a Song of Songmy", and, let me tell you, it was hard to give back. For those of you who know that album, nuff said, for those of you who don't... well it's one of the best examples of modern black American music combined with the European avant garde, via electronic and string composer arranger Ilhan Mimaroglu. Since then, I kept my eye out for that LP, and any thing else by those two, wasn't long before I stopped buying Hubbard lps (alot of straight jazz, not my bag) but anything Mimaroglu seemed to be involved with was dynomite. To me, he is the best at what sometimes gets called audio collage, or musique concrete, like Basil Kirchin, and Steven Stapelton, Fontana Mix, Revolution No. 9, Mimaroglu's work seems to cross over into much more narrative vein, yet IS still abstract. Like the painter Arshile Gorky, scarred by the violence and injustice he witnessed in Turkey, he seems to carry that knowledge of human perversity, and the possibility to perhaps triumph over it, into almost all of his work, so there is certainly a polemic element that might be off-putting, especially in the late sixties early seventies counter culture, power to the people kind of texts that dominate this and other works of his. But in these not-so-bleeding-heart-liberal times, it's refreshing to hear these pieces, if not frustrating to be reminded that man's inhumanity to man continues. To think back to a time when the US Government's Arts Council would award such work with grants just reminds you how far the pendulum has swung, and that it's time to swing it back.
Felt - Crumbling The Antiseptic Beauty, & Splendor Of Fear
The only reason I'm not sorry to have been into these guys when these albums came out is that I wouldn't enjoy them so much now. When my older sisters came home from collEge bearing Cherry Red Record's The Marine Girls, I fell in love with the guitar driven, simple light sound. Years later when I tracked down a Cherry Red Record comp, Pillows and Prayers, bands like The Monochrome Set and Felt piqued my interest. Upon further investigation, all later and available stuff by them seemed dull and lifeless, so, when these re-issues appeared on the AQ list, how could I not take the gamble and trust the "First Two Album" rule of rock. Sho 'nuff, no exception to the rule, gorgeous gothic, reverby guitar, breathy boy vocals, like a laid back Echo and the Bunnymen, or a much better early R.E.M.
Hans Edler - Elektron Kukeso
They say one can't judge a book by its cover, well, if that's the case for CD's, Hans Edler's Elektron Kukeso might have to be an exception. The moment I saw this sitting on the shelf, I knew I must own it. Swedish mod mad scientist with his 60's sci-fi, touch pad surround console of analogue synth circuits, belly button showing through his button front shirt, a great combination of lax greasy hippie and northern European order. Starting off with some semblance of songs, some of the best high frequency synth sounds ever, piercing, hissy, but never annoying, along with a baritone so soulful and folksy, it's hard not to be emotionally moved by its Norse lone wolf quality. HE'S like a lone viking singing as he glides across the frozen tundra on his dog sled... any way... I make it sound like heavy metAL, it's not that kind of "come from the land of the ice and snow"... eventually the "songs" evaporate into more simple instrumental tunes, with cold stark qualities, and express a certain intelligent melancholy, like some of the Bowie 'Heroes' and Low side two instrumental stuff, with out the annoying, cheesy sax. Inspiring and reassuring for my own forays into Synth noodlings, like Conrad Schnitzler, but without the artistic pretensions (which are just fine for Schnitzler!).
Workshop - Yog Sothoth
I think this is the only release on this list that I first heard on the Aquarius sound system as I was browsing the piles. If you've heard this, you might relate to my curiosity, it's a real mash up of silliness. After I asked who it was, Byram followed it up with, "Like an Electro Grateful Dead." I'm sure 3/4s of those reading will be like , "Yuck, next...". But please don't let that apt description put you off. I was digging their previous LP Es Liebt Dich Und Korperlichkeit Ein Ausgerflippter, which is a much folkyer, guitar driven, and on that you can really hear the influence of their supposed mentor, the late mighty Can guitarist, Michael Karoli. (I had heard that they had an apprenticeship with him). Well, as Byram's quote suggests, they got hold of a vocoder. But the tracks on here have nothing to do with pegged trousers, skinny ties, or ugly Klute hairdonts, infact they are almost more reminiscent of some of Ilitch's bizare bedroom meandering such as synth punk classic "Peripherikredcommando". And as for the Grateful Dead reference, I imagine that was in reference to the free wheeling experimentalism, i.e. the Dead's space jams, or the free folk appeal of Oxomoxo... Workshop's only problem, much like the Dead, my be their lack of editing themselves down.
Stilluppsteypa - Stilluppsteypa
The funny thing about this selection, is that after seeing an amazing performance by Irr. App. (Ext), Stilluppsteypa followed, and I was so put off by his boom boom, seemingly rave-y train he was on, that I left shortly during his performance. Later, I read some AQ lists, "hmmm, what's this, Stilluppsteypa, sounds interesting," listen to audio clips "yeah, sounds fuggin great..." go to store, buy it, take it home, listen to it over and over again... give it to some one for their birthday, and a fellow birthday reveler says " ohhh, yaeh, Stilluppsteypa, he's great, I saw him at..." then I realized that this guy who I walked out on in disgust, was the same that I had been championing for weeks. shows to go yah, huh.... Anyway, it's a nice combination of field recordings of metropolitan sounds, treated at times, and some lovely, seemingly somewhat sarcastic, little electronic ditties, with a slight Delia Derbyshire quality, but with a definite Icelandic folksy quality to the melodies, and then culminating in some beautiful droney, reverby noise.
Electrelane - The Power Out
Some how it seems like these guys get no respect, on the other hand, they seem to have some backer/promoter behind them that won't quit. Well, I've seen them live three times in the past year or so, all pretty good (opening for Broadcast might have been the least successful), their all ages BotH show was truly an exciting ROCK night, something like Heart's Barracuda and Magic Man, but also that Neu! presence that post '75 brit bands cant seem to shake. This album has a lovely combination of driving motorik tunes, as well as some even lovelier still, sweet ballads and instrumentals. The perfect combination of stark, steady and cool professionalism with exuberant, emotional solo bursts from guitar, or keys, or even a great "free" sax. Yeah they might be trying things on, but theysound good in 'em. At times like a testosterone depleted Wire. Also, they do great covers live, in the Yo La Tengo tradition, Roxy's More Then This, Leonard Choen's The Partisan, and a rockin version of Springsteen's I'm On Fire.
songs:
For Kate I Wait - Ariel Pink - but for some reason I refuse to buy the cd
Wipe That Sound - Mouse On Mars - for sure, NOT the Mark E. Smith vers.
discovered me 2004:
Igor Wakhevitch
Takehisa Kosugi's Catch Wave
Jean Rolin's films
re-discovering the joys of Hawkwind
special mention goes to Boredoms Sea Drum/House of Sun... not THE best Boredoms ever, but a nice soft edge extreme for them
Live shows galore in 2004!
For example:
Mouse on Mars, 4th time for me, and a great "forget it all and just have fun show", likewise Comets on Fire.
Amazing Show Marathon: Within three days I saw; Psychic TV (opening band Spoonbender 1.1.1 was way more interesting), followed by Brian Wilson, with his Smile (and the PBS pledge drive week/Fleetwood Mac special like, non stop oldies, complete with gray beards with tie dye heiney packs doing the swim in the isle, cringe worthy at best. But it's Brian's show, aye?) then OOIOO, memorable most for seeing Crime in Choir on a Friday night after a few beers.... like listening to Close To The Edge w/Anderson removed, a prog hog's dream come true.
DVD released in 2004
Dennis Potters' "Pennies From Heaven" TV Drama
From: Robert j Kirkpatrick
Glad to see you guys wait till the last day of the year - some people seem to deny that anything comes out in Dec.
Recorded Music:
Keith Rowe / Burkhard Beins ErstLive 001 (erstwhile records)
Jonathan Coleclough Makruna/Minya (ICR/Siren)
The Necks Drive By (ReR)
Keith Rowe / Axel Dorner / Franz Hautzinger A View From the Window (erstwhile records)
Sachiko M / Toshimaru Nakamura / Otomo Yoshihide Good Morning, Good Night (erstwhile records)
I.S.O. s/t (Sound Tectonics/YCAM)
John Tilbury / Edwin Prevost Discrete Moments (Matchless)
Mimeo Lifitng Concret Lightly (Serpentine Gallery)
Filament BOX (F.N.M Sound Factory)
Martin Ng / Tetuzi Akiyama OIMACTA (IMJ)
Others
Otomo Yoshihide/Park Je Chun/Mi Yeon (w/ Gunter Muller/Tanaka/Sachiko M) Loose Community (IMJ)
Tim Hecker Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat)
Keith Rowe / Toshimaru Nakamura / Thomas Lehn / Marcus Schmickler ErstLive 002 (erstwhile records)
Broken Hearted Dragonflies: Insect Electronica From Southeast Asia (Sublime Frequencies)
Keith Fullerton Whitman schoner flussenge (Kranky)
Critters Buggin' Stampede (Ropeadope)
Radian Juxtaposition (Thrill Jockey)
Album I wished I'd discovered earlier:
Alan Lamb Night Passage & Demixed (Dorobo)
Reissues:
Brian Eno Reissues (Astralwerks) (Especially Another Green World and On Land)
Arthur Russell World of Echo (Audika)
Chariles Mingus The Great Concert of Charlie Mingus (Verve)
Live Music:
Cosmos
October 21, 2004 - Vancouver New Music Festival - Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Kaffe Matthews
May 14, 2004 - Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle WA
Wayne Horvitz's New Electric Quartet
January 23, 2004 - Triple Door, Seattle WA
Anonymous 4
February 7, 2004 - Town Hall, Seattle WA
Hesperion XXI
May 8th, 2004 - Town Hall, Seattle WA
SIL2K MetaGame and The Great Learning
September 8, 2004 - Cognitive Dissidents Bimonthly series - Coffee Messiah, Seattle WA
Wolfgang Fuchs, Anne LeBaron, Torsten Muller, Ronit Kirchman
May 15, 2004 - Polestar Music Gallery, Seattle WA
Seattle Symphony Mahler 5, Haydn 100
June 27, 2004 - Benaroya Hall, Seattle WA
Critters Buggin / Thruster
December 19, 2004 - The Tractor Tavern, Seattle WA
Sweeter Than the Day
December 9th, 2004 - The Jewel Box Theatre at The Rendezvous Theatre, Seattle WA
From: Bruno Bissonnette
Here's my top 10 for this year, CDs only:
1. To Live and Shave in L.A.: God and Country Rally! (The Smack Shire)
2. Wolf Eyes: Burned Mind (Sub Pop)
3. Secret Chiefs 3: Book of Horizons (Mimicry)
4. The Reverend Lester Knox of Tifton Georgia: Put Your Face in Gwod - the 366th revival (The Smack Shire)
5. Evil Moisture: Killer Nuts (Deco)
6. After that it's all Gravy: Band on the Run (The Smack Shire)
7. John Wiese: Magical Crystal Blah (Helicopter)
8. Sun City Girls: Carnival Folklore Resurrection Radio (Abduction)
9. Dave Phillips: IIIII (Groundfault)
10. Yasunao Tone/Hecker: Palimpsest (Mego)
Very honorable mention to all three live CDs released by the great group Ohne. And pretty much everything that Maja Ratkje touched.
I've also not included discs that I haven't heard (yet which I'll know will probably be tremendous), such as:
Brian Wilson: Smile (Nonesuch)
Prurient: Shipwrecker's Diary (Groundfault)
Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant: Sister Phantom Owl Fish (Ipecac)
other Sun City Girls stuff...
From: Jaak
Top Ten of 2004
1. Nick Castro: A Spy In The House Of God
1. Marissa Nadler: Ballads Of Living And Dying
3. Throbbing Gristle: TG NOW
4. Landfall: The Frogsession Tapes Vol. 2
5. White Lodge: White Lodge
6. Circle: Empire
7. Green Milk From The Planet Orange: He's Crying "Look"
8. Christus and the Cosmonaughts: The Four Whore's Men
9. Aufgehoben: Anno Fauve
10. L: L's Anti-War Vigil
Top 10 Reissues
- Simon Finn: Pass The Distance
- L: Holy Letters
- John Cale: New York in the 1960s (5LP wooden box)
- Virgin Prunes: If I Die, I Die
- Virgin Prunes: A New Form Of Beauty
- Virgin Prunes: Heresie
- The Cure: Three Imaginary Boys (2CD)
- The Homosexuals: Astral Glamour (3CD)
- The Clash: London Calling
- Residents: Commercial Album
From: DJ Heroin\(e\)
Brian Wilson - Smile
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album
Deerhoof - Milk Man
Liars - They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Bjork - Medula
Battles - EP C
Kiila - Silmat Sulkaset
Psapp - Tiger, My Friend
White Magic - Through the Sun Door
!!! - Louden Up Now
Other favorites: De La Soul - The Grind Date; MF Doom - MM Food...?; Fraustdots - Couture Couture Couture; Fiery Furnances - Blueberry Boat; The Futureheads - self-titled; Junior Boys - Last Exit; Joji Hirota & Taiko Drummers - Japanese Taiko; Iron & Wine - our endless numbered days; Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street; Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose; Latitude (Bobby Previte & Charlie Hunter) - Groundruther; Pit er Pat - Emergency; Wilco - A Ghost is Born; The Ex - Turn; Modernstate - Highwater Moonboot; and so, so many more!!!!!
From: Tommy Allen
Best of 2004
1. Enzo Avitabile & Bottari : Salvamm'o Munno (Wrasse)
2. Think Of One : Chuva Em Po (LC)
3. Triosk : Moment Returns (Leaf)
4. Scorch Trio : Luggmut (Rune Grammofon)
5. Susie Ibarra : Folkloriko (Tzadik)
6. Hala Strana : These Villages (Soft Abuse)
7. Bembeya Jazz National : Syliphone Years (Sterns)
8. Secret Chiefs 3 : Book Of Horizons (Mimicry)
9. Tinariwen : Amassakoul (World Village)
10. Phonophani : Oak Or Rock (Rune Grammofon)
11. Melvins & Lustmord : Pigs Of The Roman Empire (Ipecac)
12. Murcof : Utopia (Leaf)
13. Uri Caine : Live At The Village Vanguard (Winter & Winter)
14. Old Man Gloom : Christmas (Tortuga)
15. Meshuggah : I (Nuclear Blast)
16. Madvillain : Madvillainy (Stones Throw)
17. Ross Daly : Microkosmos (Pan)
18. Majid Bekkas : Mogador (Igloo)
19. Noxagt : The Iron Point (Load)
20. Migala : Increible Aventura (Nois)
21. Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant : Sister Phantom Owl Fish
22. Lhasa : The Living Road
23. Henry Flynt & The Insurrections : I Don't Wanna
24. Woven Hand : Consider The Birds
25. Flat Earth Society : Isms
From: Thomas Chen
Here are my favorites from this year in no particular order:
Fennesz - Venice
Tim Hecker - Mirages
Interpol - Antics
Wilco - A Ghost is Born
Cat Power - Song for Trees
V/A - The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979 - 1983
Tussle - Kling Klang
Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
Can - Ege Bamyasi (reissue)
Diplo - Florida
Growing - The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Philip Jeck & Janek Schaefer - Songs For Europe
Sunn 0))) - White2
Haul & Mason - Scion CD Sampler v.9 (yes, this is a promotional CD for those ugly Scion cars, but it is the best hip hop mix I've heard in like... a really long time)
From: Jack in Hoboken
Here's my top 10. Not all 2004 releases, rather a list of things I listened to/enjoyed the most this year (in no particular order):
Sonny Simmons -- Staying on the Watch
Grachan Moncur III -- Mosaic Select 3cd box
Fiery Furnaces -- Blueberry Boat
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 2
Supersilent 6
Death From Above 1979 -- You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
DFA comp #2
Klang -- No Sound is Heard
AC Newman -- The Slow Wonder
Jason Forrest -- The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash
From: Wayne at Twisted Village Records
new music
1. Metalux - Waiting For Armadillo (Load)
2. Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind (Sub Pop)
3. Embrooks - Yellow Glass Perspections (Munster)
4. Hair Police - Obedience Cuts (Gods Of Tundra/Freedom From)
5. Miminokoto - 3 (Siwa)
6. Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)
7. Pan Sonic - Kesto (Mute)
8. Snoop Dogg - Rhythm & Gangsta (Geffen)
9. Kaneko Jutok/Kikukawa Takahisa - Wedged Night (Siwa)
10. Stars - Will (Pedal)
archive releases/reissues
1. Gosdin Brothers - Sounds Of Goodbye (Ace/Big Beat)
2. Dave Waite & Marianne Segal - Paper Flowers (Lightning Tree)
3. Penny Arkade - Not The Freeze (Sundazed)
4. Dean Carter - Call Of The Wild (Ace/Big Beat)
5. Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils Vol. 2 (Dolores/EMI)
6. Midwest Funk (Jazzman)
7. Extradition - Hush (Vicious Sloth)
8. Birge/Gorge/Shiroc - Defense De (Mio)
9. Cream - Disraeli Gears deluxe edition (Universal)
10. Avengers - The American In Me (DBK)
From: andrew mister
My favorite albums of 2004:
Brian Wilson, "Smile"
Animal Collective, "Sung Tongs"
Elliott Smith, "From a Basement on the Hill"
Juana Molina, "Tres Costas"
Devendra Banhart "Rejoicing in the Hands"
Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
Dungen, "Ta Det Lungt"
Skygreen Leopards, "One Thousand Bird Ceremony"
Camera Obscura, "Underachievers Please Try Harder"
William Basinski, "Disintegration Loops"
Franz Ferdinand, "S/T"
Best TV show about high school ever?: Freaks and Geeks DVD
Reissues:
The Kinks, "Village Green Preservation - Delux Edition"
Can reissues
Brian Eno reissues
Simon Finn, "Pass the Distance"
Vashti Bunyan, "Just Another Diamond Day"
Pavement "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain"
Glen Branca, "Lesson No. 1"
The Cure, "Three Imaginary Boys"
Crime "San Francisco's Still Doomed"
The Homosexuals CD
DNA, "DNA on DNA"
Arthur Russell, "The World of Arthur Russell"
From: George Hakkila
Here're my top ten clump from the last year:
Mission Of Burma - "On Off On"
Ex-Girl - "Endangered Species"
Mummi Kutoo - s/t
Of Montreal - "Satanic Panic in the Attic"
Magnetic Fields - "i"
Ted Leo & Pharmacists - "Shake the Sheets"
Pavement - "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" reissue
Fuck - "Those Are Not My Bongos"
Ribboncandy - whatever that compilation of all their stuff was called
Bunny Brains - "Box the Bunny"
Yep, I'm stickin' with old faves and familiar names. I mean, change is fine, but who turns their back on a good hug? Keep up the good work.
From: dan sharber
1. the arcade fire - funeral
2. the thermals - fuckin a
3. the elected - me first
4. modest mouse - good news for people who love bad
news
5. dolorean - violence in the snowy fields
6. sodastream - a minor revival
7. dios - dios
8. Interpol - antics
9. the good life - album of the year
10. tegan and sara - so jealous
Top 10 songs of the year:
1. rebellion (lies) - the arcade fire
2. the rat - the walkmen
3. greetings in braille - the elected
4. every stitch - the thermals
5. one chance - modest mouse
6. as far as i'm concerned - plastic mastery
7. preston rules - ill lit
8. evil - interpol
9. fashion death trends - frausdots
10. portions for foxes - rilo kiley
From: James Adams
new albums
* max richter "the blue notebooks (fat cat)
* motohiro nakashima "and i went to sleep" (lo recordings)
* dat politics "go pets go" (chicks on speed)
* the dead texan "s/t" (thrill jockey)
* john duncan + edvard graham lewis "presence" (all questions)
* faust v dalek "derbe respect, alder" (staubgold)
* william basinski + richard chartier (spekk)
2004 reissues + unearthings + reconstructions
* the art bears "the art box" (recommended)
* the residents "the commercial dvd" (mute)
* wire "on the box:1979" (pink flag)
From: Richard Kamerman
15. Henrik Rylander - Traditional Arrangements of Feedback (Ideal Recordings)
14. Stian Carstensen - Backwards into the Backwoods (Winter & Winter)
13. Keith Rowe/Christian Fennesz - Live at the LU (Erstwhile)
12. Kill Me Tomorrow - The Garbageman and the Prostitute (GSL)
11. Nervous Cop - s/t (5RC)
10. Gogol Bordello vs. Tamir Muskat - J.U.F. (Stinky)
09. Tetsuo - Ranshuo (Shit Jam)
08. Corrupted - Se Hace Por los Suenos Asesinos (HG Fact)
07. Alec Empire vs. Merzbow - Live CBGB's NYC 1998 (Digital Hardcore)
06. The Flying Luttenbachers - The Void (Troubleman Unlimited)
05. BNSF - Object 6 (Locust Music)
04. Buried At Sea - Migration (Original Sound Recordings)
03. John Zorn - Locus Solus, 50th Birthday (Tzadik)
02. Tom Waits - Real Gone (Anti-)
01. The Melted Men - Smoke Alarm Limbo (Pink Sock)
From: Michael Howes
Top 33 1/3
The Ex - Turn (Touch and Go)
Nasum - Shift (Relapse)
Hewhocorrupts - Ten Steps to Success (625 Thrashcore)
Hewhocorrupts - The Discographer (625 Thrashcore)
KZSU's Short Song Marathon
The Ex and Han Bennink 9/20 at the CafŽ Du Nord
Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
Porest - Prude Juice for the Heritage Swinger (Seeland)
Kylesa - No Ending CD EP (Prank)
Circle Takes the Square - As the Roots Undo (Robotic Empire)
Ilhan Mimaroglu - Agitation (Locust)
Ludicra, Le Scrawl, I Love a Parade, and Funeral Shock 3/18 at Broadway Studios
Gadget - Remote (Relapse)
Chumbawamba - Un (Mutt Records)
Artimus Pyle - Fucked From Birth (Prank)
Jason Webley - Only Just Beginning (Springman)
People Like Us - Abridged Too Far (mp3 release)
Vulgar Pigeons - Imperialism (Willowtip)
Meshuggah - I (Fractured Transmitter)
Misery Index - Dissent (diy)
The Fiery Furnaces - The Blueberry Boat (Rough Trade)
V/A Short Fast + Loud #11 D.I.Y. comp (SF&L) bands: Metntal Disease, S.T.F.U., I Object, Behind Enemy Lines, Arsyke, Resolve, Voetsek, Sbitch, Conga Fury, Schifosi, Skarp, Rabid, Bread and Water, Cojoba, Straight Edge Kegger, Witch Hunt, Aphasia, and Fazed.
Three Days of Darkness - September 3, 4, & 5 at the Elbo Room & Studio Z
Walls of Jericho - All Hail the Dead (Trustkill)
Kylesa, Asunder, and Laudanum 10/26 at the Stork Club and Kylesa, Iron Lung, Brainoil, In the Wake of the Plague 2/7 at 924 Gilman
Mastodon - Leviathan (Relapse)
Voetsek - The Castrator Album (Six Weeks)
Le Scrawl - Eager to Please CD EP (Life Is Abuse)
Claque - Claque (Big Deal)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History (Web of Mimicry)
Kaki King - Legs to Make Us Longer (Epic)
Maja S.K. Ratkje and Lasse Marhaug - Music for Loving (Bottrop Boy)
Sabac - Sabacolypse "A Change Gon' Come" (Psycho Logical)
From: Miles Champion
ALBERT AYLER "Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962-70)" (Revenant)
JOHN BUTCHER/TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA "Cavern with Nightlife" (Weight of Wax)
ALVIN CURRAN "Canti Illuminati" (Fringes Archive)
DNA "DNA on DNA" (No More Records)
MORTON FELDMAN "Patterns in a Chromatic Field" (Tzadik)
THE HOMOSEXUALS "Astral Glamour" (Morphius)
MAX NEUHAUS "The New York School: Nine Realizations of Cage, Feldman, Brown" (Alga Marghen)
ANNETTE PEACOCK "The Aura Years 1978-1982" (Castle/Sanctuary)
THE RED KRAYOLA "Singles" (Drag City)
ARTHUR RUSSELL "World of Echo" (Audika)
SONIC YOUTH "Sonic Nurse" (Geffen)
YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS "Live at the Hurrah" (Cherry Red)
From: John Parkinson, Improvised Music Co., Dublin
The most rewarding releases of 2004 were:
* Boi Akih - Uwa i CD (Enja)
* Dielectric Minimalist Allstars 2CD (Dielectric)
* Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days LP (Sub Pop)
* Konono No. 1 - Congotronics CD (Crammed)
* Meshuggah - I CD (Fractured Transmitter)
* The Necks - The Boys OST CD; Mosquito/See Through 2CD (both ReR); & Chris Abrahams - Streaming 2CD (Vegetable)
* Jack Rose - Two Originals of... CD; Raag Manifestos CD (both VHF); & Glenn Jones - This Is The Wind That Blows It Out CD (Strange Attractors Audio House)
* Shrimp Boat - Something Grand 4CD Box (AUM Fidelity)
* John Vanderslice - Cellar Door LP (Barsuk/Post Parlo)
* Yeah/NO - Swell Henry CD (Squealer)
My favourite gigs were:
22.1 - Converge
13&14.2 - EST
11.4 - Paul Flaherty & Chris Corsano
11.7 - Oehlers, Guilfoyle, Sardjoe Trio
27.7 - Dirty Three
27.10 - Sufjan Stevens
23&24.11 - The Necks
From: Denis Kostromitin, Moscow
in no particular order
Old Man Gloom - Christmas;
Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer;
The big Ayler reissues box;
Merzbow vs Nordvargr - Partikel;
Merzbow - Merzbird;
Merzbow - Sha Mo 3000;
Satyricon - Volcano;
SunnO))) - White2;
Every Necroharmonic release of 2004;
Lair of the Minotaur - Carnage;
Napalm Death - Order of the Leech.
From: joel minor
this is a list of my favorite purchases from 2004, although there are a few that might have made the list had i heard them yet (e.g. TARANTEL, KINSKI) or had more time to let them sink in (ARCADE FIRE, MUNLY).
ten, in no particular order:
IRON & WINE: Our Endless Numbered Days
JOANNA NEWSOM: The Milk-Eyed Mender
JOLIE HOLLAND: Escondida
DEVENDRA BANHART: Rejoicing in the Hands / Nino Rojo
WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY: We Fight Til Death
PAN AMERICAN: Quiet City
THE HOTEL ALEXIS: The Shining Example is Lying on the Floor
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY: The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place
TOM WAITS: Real Gone
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE: Sung Tongs
2004 is most memorable to me though for the birth of my son, Elijah, 9/15/04. he curbs but focuses my music purchases now.
From: ry wharton
15 Albums (in no order)
Vee Dee- Furthur
Brocas Helm- Defender of the Crown
Aufgehoben- Anno Fauve
Hunches- Hobo Sunrise
V/A- Cambodian Cassette Archives Vol. 1
Reigning Sound- Too Much Guitar
Furze- Necromanzee Cogent
Final Solutions- Disco Eraser
Birchville Cat Motel- Beautiful Speck Triumph
Madvillian- Madvillainy
V/A- Naturalism cdr
Circle- Forest
Philip Jeck & Janek Schaefer- Songs for Europe
Unusable Signal- Universe In Terrors
Marissa Nadler- Ballads of Living and Dying
11 Singles/Eps
No Hope For the Kids- Das Reich
Blank Its- Johnny's Tongue
Final- Grow Strong/Empty
Fucked Up- Litany
Pissed Jeans- Throbbing Organ
Grabbies- Live 7"
Framtid/Disclose- split
Boris- The thing Which Solomon Overlooked 12"
Midnight- Endless Slut/White Hot Fire 7"
Kruw- Punx 7"
Bug/Warrior Queen- Aktion Pak 12"
15 Reissues/Collections
Lucifer Rising OST
The Silver- Do You Wanna Dance?
Necrophagist- Onset of Putrefaction
Blops 3lp Box Set
Vile- Solution LP
Albert Ayler- Holy Ghost Box
Siloah- s/t
Shinki Chen- Shink Chen & His Friends
Sarcafago- INRI
Terry Allen- Juarez
Comsat Angels- It's History 4cd
Siege 12"
Necronomicon- Tips Zum Selbstmord
Simon Finn- Pass the Distance
Hototogisu- Floating Gardens... 3LP
Honorable Mention: (Piranhas- Piscis Clangor, Black Lips, Dead Machines- everything, Peter Wright, Disclose 12", Monster Magnet- Monolithic Baby, Battlecruiser discs, Vibracathedral Orchestra- Pontiac Lady, Neil Campbell- Foment Maximum, Up-Tight, Minimokoto, Hive Mind- Sand Beasts, Tone Filth jams, Cambodian Rocks, Skitkids, Lugubrum, Xasthur, Spykes, etc, etc, etc)
From: A F Buczynski
TOP 30 SOUND RECORDINGS OF 2004
Since the world is on a delusional course, we must adopt a delusional standpoint to the world.
Hermann Nitsch Musik Der 80s Aktion (Hermann Nitsch Archive)
Jane Birkin - Rendez-vous
Soup - Live
Comets On Fire - Blue Cathedral
Ted Hughes/CIRT - Orghast
Gianfranco Reveberi & Romolo Forlai - Riti, Magie Nere e Segrete Orge Nel
Trecanto
Les Rallizes DeNudes & Yellow - Rallizes House Session at Fussa
Hiroshi Na - Where Do You Come From?
Stars - Will
Keiji Haino - Black Blues
Les Rallizes DeNudes - (Illegal Alien Box Sets)
Sublime Frequencies Releases
Phil Pearlman - Beat of the Earth, Relatively Clean Rivers, Electronic Hole
Master Musicians of Bukkake
Sun City Girls - Carnival Folklore Ressurection Radio (Vol. 13)
Frank Zappa - Quadudiophiliac
Charles Lloyd/Billy Higgins - Which Way Is East?
Acid Mothers Temple - Penultimate Galatic Bordello Also The World You Made
Wordsound 50 - The Video Album
Acanthus
Phillipe Bescombes - Cesi est Cela
Bescombes / Rizet - Pole
Air - Talkie Walkie
Mongezi Feza - Free Jam
Anaal Nathrakh - Domine Non Es Dignus
Daze of The Underground - A Tribute To Hawkwind
Auralux Dub Reissues
Greg Dark - Soundtrack Works
Jean Rollin - Bandes Original Integrale
Art School Sluts - Original Soundtrack & MP3s
Better to die from extremes than starting from the extremities.
From: Joseph Decruyenaere
Top 35
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Mantra Of Love
BANHART, DEVENDRA Rejoicing In The Hands
BIOSPHERE Autour De La Lune
BISHOP, SIR RICHARD Improvika
BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY Sings Greatest Palace Music
BOZULICH, CARLA Red Headed Stranger
CLIMAX GOLDEN TWINS Highly Bred and Sweetly Tempered
CLINE, NELS / DEVIN SARNO Buried On Bunker Hill
COLECLOUGH, JONATHAN Makruna
DIELECTRIC MINIMALIST ALL-STARS s/t
ENO, BRIAN Ambient 4: On Land
ESPERS s/t
FAHEY, JOHN The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick
GROWING The Soul Of The Rainbow And the Harmony Of Light
HAFLER TRIO Normally
HAFLER TRIO Kill The King
HAFLER TRIO, THE How To Slice A Loaf Of Bread
HAFLER TRIO, THE How To Slice A Loaf Of Bread (lengthwise)
HAFLER TRIO The Sea Org
HECKER, TIM Mirages
IRON & WINE Our Endless Numbered Days
LHASA The Living Road
LOOP ORCHESTRA Not Overtly Orchestral
LOW A Lifetime Of Temporary Relief
LSD-MARCH Suddenly, Like Flames
NURSE WITH WOUND / CYCLOBE / IRR. APP. (EXT.) / JIM O'ROURKE Angry Eelectric Finger (Spitch' Cock One)
NURSE WITH WOUND She And Me Fall Together In Free Death
ORGANUM Vacant Lights / Rara Avis
PAN AMERICAN Quiet City
ROSE, JACK Two Originals Of Jack: Red Horse, White Mule & Opium Musick
SAMARTZIS, PHILIP Soft And Loud
VIRGIN PRUNES If I Die, I Die...
WILCO A Ghost Is Born
WITCHCRAFT s/t
V/A I Remember Syria
From: Matthew Ward
Matthew Ward's Top Eight:
1. Tim Hecker "Mort Aux Vaches."
2. Meads of Asphodel "Exhuming the Grave of Yeshua."
3. Skygreen Leopards "1,000 bird ceremony."
4. Isis "Panopticon."
5. Xasthur "Telepathic with the Deceased."
6. Xasthur "Suicide in Dark Serenity."
7. Ivytree "Winged Leaves."
8. Troum "Tjukurrpa 3: Ryhthms and Pulsations."
From: Eric Heiman
My top ten:
1. Loretta Lynn, "Van Lear Rose"
2. Manitoba, "Up in Flames"
3. Calexico, "Convict Pool" EP/5o Foot Wave EP
4. Iron and Wine, "Our Endless Numbered Days"
5. The Futureheads
6. Nick Cave, "Abbatoir Blues" & "The Lyre of Orpheus"
7. The Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
8. Air, "Talkie Walkie"
Old timers number 9: American Music Club, "Love Songs for Patriots"/Tom Waits, "Real Gone"
10. Wilco, "A Ghost is Born"
Bonus Number 11/Comeback of the Year: Lloyd Cole, "Music in a Foreign Language" & "Etc."
The "Au Revoir Les Enfants" number 12: Luna, "Rendezvous"
12. Matt Pond PA, "Emblems"
13. The Secret Machines, "Now Here is Nowhere"
14. Sun Kil Moon, "Ghosts of the Great Highway"
15. A.C. Newman, "The Slow Wonder"
16. Elliott Smith, "From a Basement on a Hill"
17. Elvis Costello and the Imposters, "The Delivery Man"
18. Stereolab, "Margerine Eclipse"
19. The High Llamas, "Beets, Maize and Corn"
20. John Vanderslice, "Cellar Door"
Possible Best of 2005: Neko Case, "The Tigers Have Spoken"
Best Soundtrack: "Morvern Callar" (and check out the film, too!)
Best Reissue: Echo and the Bunnymen, "Ocean Rain" (this album hasn't aged one bit), and their first three records, "Crocodiles", "Heaven Up Here", and "Porcupine"; The Fall, "50,000 Fall Fans Can't be Wrong" compilation
Best Dance Party release: "Solid Steel presents the Herbaliser" & Chris Joss, "Spiked!"
Best Music film: (tie) "Ramones: End of the Century" and "Dig!"
Best Live Comeback: the Pixies
Best from 2003 that I bought in 2004: Postal Service; Hot Hot Heat; M83; Clearlake; The Decembrists ("Her Majesty"); Sufjan Stevens
Rediscoveries: Wire, Ramones, Unrest, Joy Division, Kinks, The Fall (Thank god I can still find a stylus for my old record player...)
Disappointments: (too many to count, but here are a few): The Cure, R.E.M., Camper van Beethoven, Clinic, Beastie Boys, Libertines, PJ Harvey, Polyphonic Spree, The Roots, Modest Mouse, Xiu-Xiu, Franz Ferdinand.
Suck-ass, overrated record of the year: U2, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (are all the critics on Bono's payroll?)
Most overrated pretentious piece of shit ever recorded: The Fiery Furnaces, "Blueberry Boat"
From: Matt Grace
01 Fursaxa-Madrigals In Duos (Time-Lag Records)
02 Comets on Fire-Blue Cathedral
03 Espers-Espers (Time-Lag Records)
04 Animal Collective-Sung Tongs
05 Zolar X-Timeless (Alternative Tentacles)
06 Born Heller-Born Heller (Locust Music)
07 Devendra Banhart-Rejoicing In the Hands
08 Tower Recordings-Futuristic Folk of the Tower Recordings (Time-Lag)
09 The Golden Apples of the Sun Comp (Bastet)
10 Black Forest/Black Sea-Forcefields & Constellations (Secret Eye)
From: Michael Manning
Thanks for another twelve months of great music, good advice, and friendly faces here in the 'hood. And of course, the AQ newsletter - always a pleasure to spend a Saturday morning with a cup 'o coffee perusing the latest.
My only regret as far as what's below is that I couldn't list all the great non-2004 releases (new + used) that I found at AQ this past year.
New Releases
AIR "Talkie Walkie" (Source/Virgin)
BOOM BIP "corymb" (Lex)
CASINO VERSUS JAPAN "Hitori + Kaiso 1998-2001" (Attack Nine/ Darla)
COMETS ON FIRE "Blue Cathedral" (Sub Pop)
COMETS ON FIRE untitled bonus disc of live jams that came with my copy of "BC" - thanks Jim!
FENNESZ "Venice" (Touch)
LANGUIS "The Four Walls" (Plug Research)
LIARS "They Were Wrong, So We Drowned" (Mute)
LUNCHBOX "Anyways" (the Agriculture)
ULRICH SCHNAUSS "A Strangely Isolated Place" (Domino)
TV ON THE RADIO "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes" + "New Health Rock" EP (Touch + Go)
Re-issues
THE CLASH "London Calling" (Epic)
MONOSHOCK "Runnin' Ape-like From The Backwards Superman: 1989-1995" (S-S Records)
POPUL VUH "Aguirre" original soundtrack (SPV)
RATHER INTERESTING CLASSICS: Flextone + Unreleased Material (RI)
RATHER INTERESTING CLASSICS: Dots + BGD (RI)
Live Shows
Annie Anxiety Bandez @ The Lucky Cat, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Comets On Fire / Flying Luttenbachers @ 12 Galaxies, San Francisco
Dead Meadow / Comets On Fire @ Cafe DuNord, San Francisco
Leopold / Saccharine Trust @ Mr.T's, Highland Park, Los Angeles
Melvins / Totimoshi @ Catalyst, Santa Cruz
Mia Doi Todd / Miss Ohio's / Dosh / DJ Odd Nostrum @ Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco
Mire @ The Luggage Store
Totimoshi + I Am The Arm @ The Eagle
TV On The Radio @ Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco
The Art of Michael Manning
From: Garry Davis
Garry Davis 2004 Tops
Beth Anderson--Peachy Keen-O CD (Pogus Productions) P21030-2
William Basinski--Disintegration Loops I CD (2062) 2062 0201
William Basinski--Disintegration Loops II CD (2062) 2062 0202
William Basinski--Disintegration Loops III CD (2062) 2062 0304
William Basinski--Disintegration Loops IV CD (2062) 2062 0305
BNSF--Object 6 CD (Locust) 58
Alvin Curran--Maritime Rites 2-CD (New World Records) 80625-2
Damenbart--Impressionen '71 CD (Psychedelic Pig) PIG CD 03
Dara LP (Ecstatic Peace!) E # 70 D
Chad Freidrichs + Paul Fehler--Jandek On Corwood DVD (Unicorn Stencil) JOC DVD
Fushitsusha--1978 CD (PSF) PSFD-8016
Tom Hamilton--London Fix CD (Muse Eek) MSK 118
Tim Hecker--Radio Amor CD (Mille Plateaux) MP 119 CD
Roland Kayn--Tektra 4-CD (Barooni) BAR 016
Phillip Sanderson--Reprint CD (Anomalous) NOM 23
Harry Partch--The Harry Partch Collection Volume 1 CD (New World Records) 80621-2
Harry Partch--The Harry Partch Collection Volume 2 CD (New World Records) 80622-2
Sun City Girls--Cloaven Theater (Abduction) Video 1
Sun City Girls--The Halcyon Days of Symmetry (Abduction) Video 2
Sun City Girls--It's Not Over 'Till the Skinny Arab Lights the Fuse (Abduction) Video 3
Sun City Girls--The Burning Nerve Ending Magic Trick (Abduction) Video 4
Sun City Girls--If It Blows Up-Park It! (Abduction) Video 5
Sun City Girls--Myths and Legends of the Blue West (Abduction) Video 6
Trad Gras Och Stenar--Djungelns Lag CD (1/2 Special Skivor & Trams) HALV 1-2
Trad Gras Och Stenar--Mors Mors CD (1/2 Special Skivor & Trams) HALV 2-2
Various Artists--Folk & Pop Sounds of Sumatra CD (Sublime Frequencies) SF001
Various Artists--Music From The Once Festival 1961-1966 5-CD (New World Records) 80567-2
Various Artists--Nat Pwe: Burma's Carnival of Spirit Soul DVD (Sublime Frequencies) SF004
Various Artists--The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations 4-CD (Irdial-Discs) 59ird tcp1
Xhol Caravan--Motherfuckers Live 2-CD (World Serpent) UDOR 5/6 CD
Ya Ho Wha 13--Penetration LP (Swordfish) YHVH 2
From: Luke Mosling
Wow, what great year in music!
New:
- BR. Danielson "Brother Is To Son"
- Devendra Banhart "Rejoicing In The Hands" / "Nino Rojo"
- Sufjan Stevens "Seven Swans"
- Animal Collective "Sung Tongs"
- Brian Wilson "Smile"
- Albert Ayler "Spirit Box"
- Squarepusher "Ultravisitor"
- Fuck "Those Aren't My Bongos"
- Japancakes "Walking Hours"
- The Double "Palm Fronds"
- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 2 "The Doldrums"
- Dungen "Ta Det Lugnt"
Reissues:
- Bobby Brown "The Enlightening Beam of Axonda"
- United States of America "S/T"
- Bobby Hutherson "Now"
- Polyphony "Without Introduction..."
From: Bob Roberts
my favorite recordings of 2004 in no particular order but sort of (includes reissues etc):
Korekyojinn : Arabesque
Pig Destroyer : Terrifyer
The Faces : Five Guys Walk Into A Bar (Box Set)
Mogollar : s/t
David Pritchard : Nocturnal Earthworm Stew
The Dillinger Escape Plan : Miss Machine
Old Man Gloom : Christmas
Pendro : Portals
David Cross : It's Not Funny
Zebulon Pike : And Blood Was Passion
Woven Hand : Consider The Birds
my favoritefucked upfilms of the year that weren't even made in 2004:
Cannibal Holocaust
Ken Park
Visitor Q
my favorite scared shitless moment of 2004-05:
being chased by 18 wheeler down narrow backroad in the middle of nowhere on new years day...it was just like the movie "Duel".
From: Marc Weidenbaum
2004 faves, in alphabetical order.
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops (2062)
Bjork - Medulla (Elektra)
Greg Davis - Curling Pond Woods (Carpark) and Somnia (Kranky)
Fennesz - Venice (Touch)
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)
J—hann J—hannsson - Virthulegu Forsetar (Touch)
Medeski Martin & Wood - End of the World Party: Just in Case (Dig) (Blue Note)
Savath & Savalas - Apropa't (Warp)
Secret Frequency Crew - Forest of the Echo Downs (Schematic)
Craig Taborn - Junk Magic (Thirsty Ear)
More rambling details at http://disquiet.com/new2004.html
From: jefferson petrey
HERE ARE MY TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2004 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
William Basinski "Variations : movements in chrome primitive" CD (die stadt)
Arve Henriksen "Chiaroscuro" CD (rune grammofon)
Deathprod "Morals & Dogma" CD (rune grammofon)
Tape "Operette" CD (cubic japan)
Tim Hecker "Mirages" CD (alien8)
Fennesz "Venice" (touch)
Morton Feldman "Triadic Memories" DVD-A (mode)
Panasonic "Kesto" CD (blast first/mute)
Murcof "Utopia" CD/12" (leaf)
Porn Sword Tobaco "Porn Sword Tobaco" CD/LP (city centre offices)
Coil "ANS" CD+DVD (thresholdhouse)
Ricardo Villalobos "The Au Harem D' Archimedes" CD/LP (perlon)
Shadow Huntaz "Corrupt Data" CD/LP (skam)
Frank Bretschnieder "Looping I-IV" CD (12k)
Hafler Trio "How To Slice A Loaf Of Bread" CD (phonometrography)
... hell, while I'm at it here's the list of films too!
Andrey Zvyagintsev "The Return" (russia)
Wong Kar-Wai "2046" (china)
Guy Maddin "Saddest Music in the World" (canada)
Michael Haneke "Time of the Wolf" (france)
Park Chan-Wook "Old Boy" (korea)
Lars Von Trier/Jorgen Leth "Five Obstructions" (denmark)
Wai Keung Lau "Infernal Affairs" (china)
Michel Gondry "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (usa) - I actually enjoyed it!
Kyoshi Kurosawa "Bright Future" (japan)
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang "Last Life in the Universe" (thailand)
Claire Denis "L' Intrus" (france)
didnt get to see the new Godard or Miyazaki, because of them still not being shown in the good 'ol usa. :(
From: Liv Statle
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OF PREFERENCE:
*Joanna Newsom: The Milk-eyed Mender [Drag City]
Young miss Newsom is your friendly yoghurt-weaving, harp-plucking SanFran folkie woman with a unique sound- At times her singing sounds like a pregnant seacow in a seastorm, trapped inside the planks of a sunken ship, watching the marelight sweetly shine through the swaying/bubbling seaweed, lowing its voice of telltale songs to woo the passing narwhales and mermaids. Elsewhere, she displays a tint of that playful, quirky, childlike and wide-eyed Bjorkish innocence...enough to charm your socks off...But in Newsom's case, there are no darker/more "adult" undertones, it's all storybook/fairytale-land and green summer meadows with gingerbread houses scattered around the dixon village, an achingly blue sky with clusters of colourful balloons ascending through the skies...A true auteur with her celebration of childlike wonder and positivism, you will cast your misanthropic scowl off for days, ending up with a big grin on your face as you hear her swoop and yelp and rant and whisper all while the lumpy harp gets some serious plucking action...Wonderful. -Music Barbarella would have dreamt to, if she was a young kitty living in a hippy commune with the surrounding birds and forest animals as her only companions...Drifting off into a parallel world with the Barbapapa cuddling her, with his great blob arms...It would have been just beautiful. öAnd just that is this record, too...:) Beautiful.
*V/A: Shockout! [Tigerbeat6]
...If you want to turn into a ragga machine, speak-and-spell style...Let's go, you ragga robot. Mash it up.
*Adem: Homesongs [Domino]
British folkie pal, a.k.a.Adem Ilhan of Fridge. Decent guitar-strumming
melancholia and an ear for pretty melodies. Check.
*the Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike! [Memphis Industries]
Retro playskool electro-guitar-poppy goodness. If the A-team had been releasing records with a Cornflakes price, this would be the coolest little prize to get. And in bright neon colours too!...Irresistable, sweet, and catchy.
*V/A: Cambodian Cassette Archives: Khmer Folk & Pop Music vol.1 [Sublime Frequencies]
The joy of 1970's thriftstore khmer-pop cassettes, now for a bigger audience. Spread the word!
*Tom Waits- Real Gone [Anti]
Our lovely old tramp returns with his whisky-gravelled voice to lull you into his world of secret circus heroes and men made out of tin cans. May he bang the drum of difference for ever and ever.
*V/A: Grime vol.2 [Rephlex]
-Grime is the new english sound.Fuck hiphop, this is where it's at!
*Butch Cassidy Sound System: Butches Brew [Fenetik]
-Scottish(?) one-man digital dub with a lovely, warm retro/reggae-ish sound, and i can hear some old analogue gear in there aswell! An unexpected favourite...
OTHERS: Dizzee Rascal, Ghost, Wiley, Vetiver, Tara Jane O'Neil, Shitmat, the Necks, Yes My Pretender, Deerhoof, Butch Cassidy Sound System, Boris, Mission Of Burma, Arthur Russell
REISSUES OF THE YEAR:
*Brian Eno: Here Come The Warm Jets [EMI]
*Brian Eno: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) [EMI]
*Can: Tago Mago
MUCH ANTICIPATED RE-RELEASES, HOPEFULLY APPEARING IN 2005:
*Comus- First Utterance
*A Guy Called Gerald- Black Secret Technology
From: Gary Simmons
***ALBUM OF THE YEAR***
Coelacanth - Mud Wall
Everything else in no particular order:
The Hafler Trio - Normally
The Hafler Trio - How To Slice A Loaf Of Bread
The Hafler Trio - How To Slice A Loaf Of Bread (Lengthwise)
The Hafler Trio - No More Twain Of One Flesh
The Hafler Trio - Scissors Cut Arrow
The Hafler Trio - Where Are You?
The Hafler Trio - I Never Knew That's Who You Thought You Were
Andrew Chalk - Fall In The Wake Of A Flawless Landscape
Andrew Chalk - Shadows From The Album Skies
Andrew Chalk / Brendan Walls - This Growing Clearing
Mirror - Under The Sun
Coilans - Coilans
Toop+Scanner+I/03 - A Picturesque View, Ignored
Akira Rabelais - Spellewauerynsherde
Deathprod - Deathprod
Thighpaulsandra - Rape Scene
William Basinski / Richard Chartier - William Basinski / Richard Chartier
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops II
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops III
William Basinski - The Disintegrations Loops IV
Fripp & Eno - The Equatorial Stars
Toshimaru Nakamura - Side Guitar
John Duncan / Edvard Graham Lewis - Presence
Paul Bradley / Colin Potter - Confluence
Einsturzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile
Bass Communion - Ghosts On Magnetic Tape
Bass Communion / Andrew Liles - Ghosts On Magnetic Tape Reconstruction
Rosy Parlane - Iris
Biosphere - Autour de la Lune
CM von Hausswolff - Three Overpopulated Cities...
Best Re-Issues:
A Certain Ratio, The Comsat Angels, The Hafler Trio, Virgin Prunes
From: grcutler
Here's my favorite music of 2004, in no particular order:
* Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt
* Madvillain- Madvillainy
* Bark Pscychosis- ///Codename::Dustsucker
* Devendra Banhart- Rejoicing in the Hands
* Devendra Banhart- Nino Rojo
* Prince Po- The Slickness
* Masada String Trio- 50th Birthday Celebration, Vol. 1
* Brian Wilson- Smile
* Tim Hecker- Mirages
* Nick Cave- Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus
* Animal Collective- Sung Tongs
* !!!- Louden Up Now
* Der Blutharsch- Time is Thee Enemy!
* Richard Crandell- Mbira Magic
* Tinariwen- Amassakoul
* Jack Rose- Raag Manifestos
* Slim Cessna's Auto Club- The Bloudy Tenant Truth Peace
* Birchville Cat Motel- Beautiful Speck Triumph & With Maples Ablaze
* DJ/Rupture- Special Gunpowder
Some amazing reissues:
* Keith Hudson- Flesh of my Skin, Blood of my Blood (fave of the year!)
* David Hemmings- Happens
* Bulent- Benimle Oynar Misin
* Mikey Dread- African Anthem
* Mogollar- self-titled
Some amazing compilations:
* VA- Cambodian Cassette Archives, Vol. 1
* VA- Eccentric Soul (the Capsoul Label)
* VA- Where Will You Be Christmas Day?
* VA- Ghana Soundz, Vol. 2
* VA- Afro Baby
From: Lynda Bowen
This may deviate from the 30 best releases of 2004. It's been one of those years. Love from Birmingham, England -- Lynda
items I had to buy on day of release:
Low: A Lifetime of Temporary Relief box set
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus double CD.
Twilight Singers: She Loves You
Mark Lanegan Band: Bubblegum
Stuff I finally bought:
White Stripes
The Libertines
Gigs/Events:
Steve Tromans Big Band: Allan Ginsberg's Howl
Twilight Singers, Nottingham Rescue Rooms, February
Esbjorn Svenson Trio: Warwick Arts Centre, February
Squarepusher, Jamie Lidell, London Sinfonietta: Warwick Arts Centre, March (London Sinfonietta playing Aphex Twin, Steve Reich, Phillip Glass)
Bill Bailey: Part Human, Part Troll tour, May.
Punish The Atom, The Grips, Copter: Cold Rice 1st birthday party, September
Mark Lanegan Band: Birmingham Academy November
Films:
Zatoichi
Lost in Translation
The Incredibles
Hero
The Tartan Video "Extreme Asia" season with, amongt other things Old Boy
TV:
Shameless
The Sopranos
Six Feet Under
Spooks
5 great CD's for auditioning new CD players (not once but twice in 2004...as the first choice gave up the ghost after 3 weeks...)
Com.A: we are the pervert?
Esbjorn Svenson Trio: Good Morning Susie Soho
Fourtet: Rounds
Johnny Cash: American IV, The Man Comes Around
Monster Magnet: Monolithic Baby!
From: Haroon in Singapore
TOP UNLUCKY 13
1. Circle - Forest (AARGHHH NOT ANOTHER CIRCLE RELEASE! THANKS FOR TURNING ME TO THEM!)
2. Growing - The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light (SHIT!!! It really grows!)
3. Goatsnake - Trampled Under Hoof EP (it was only an EP therefore the 3rd place, if only they came up with a new LP, it will most definitely be no. 1!)
4. Sunn O))) - White2
5. Circle - Empire (Live in Porvoo)
6. Sunn O))) - LiveWhite CD-Rs
7. Tangorodrim - Unholy and Unlimited
8. Mayhem - Chimera
9. Pentagram - Show 'Em How
10. Marzuraan - Solid State
11. Abruptum - Casus Luciferi
12. Enslaved - Isa
13. Witchcraft - s/t
I have not heard Circle - Mountain (live) yet!!!
Couple o good happenings:
Sunn O))) - Peel Session
Growing vs. Orthrelm - 01/12/04 Grog Shop, Cleveland Hgts. Ohio
From: Curtis Sommerlatte
Tortoise - It's All Around You
Wilco - A Ghost is Born
The Boats - Songs by the Sea (Discovered through Aquarius)
Oren Ambarchi - Grapes from the Estate (Discovered through Aquarius)
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Klimek - Milk and Honey (Discovered through Aquarius)
Hella - The Devil Isn't Red
Crime in Choir - The Hoop
Battles - B EP
Cheval de Frise - Fresques Sur Les Parois Secretes du Crane
Zdrastvootie - S/T (Discovered through Aquarius)
From: Bartosz Petryk - Stockholm, Sweden
2004 best absolutely best #1 records for me:
The Narrows - "Alligator" and "The Skull al Life Size"
My dream band of all times?!?! Distorted and boomy guitar trio band with anguished vocals and lyrics (a friend of my heard the record and expressed that the singer must be in a lot of pain)!! Thank god for this band, they make music if been making up in my head since i discovered distortion. Two great records!
More excellent records:
Animal Collective - "Sung Tongs"
Devandra Banhart - "rejoicing in the hands" and "Nino Rojo"
Birchville Cat Motel - "Beautiful Speck Triumph"
Blithe Sons - "Arm of the Starfish"
Coelacanth - "Mud Wall"
Draugar - " From Which Hatred Grows"
Espers - "s/t"
Fennesz - "Venice"
Isis - "Panopticon"
the Ivytree - "Winged Leaves"
Kiila - "Silmat Sulkaset"
Jason Molina - "Pyramid Electric Co."
Kayo Dot - "Choirs of the Eye"
Isaiah Owens - "You Without Sin Cast the First Stone"
Skygreen Leopards - "One Thousand Bird Ceremony"
SunnO)) - "White 2"
Sunroof! - "Clouds"
Wilco - "A Ghost Is Born"
Richard Youngs - "River Through Howling Sky"
Excellent Reissues:
Vashti Bunyan - "Just Another Diamond Day"
Turbonegro - "Apocalypse Dudes"
Comeback of the year:
... Has to be Morrisseys "Morrissey, You Are the Quarry"
If money wasn't an issue:
Lots more Eclipse, Fonal, Kranky, Last Visible Dog, Locust, Strange Attractors, Tumult, VHF records and even more!
Also, i would like to celebrate the Child Readers "Memory and Fantasy" (which i released, so I love it) and the continous stream of music from the Magical Jewelled Antler Spirits!
From: John Sassaman
Here's what was popular in my house this year.
Electric Masada
Where Will You Be for Christmas Day
Trad Gras och Stenar, Djungelns Lag (reissue)
Flower Travellin' Band (reissue)
Los Natas, Munchen Sessions
Circle, Forest
Dungen, Ta Det Lugnt
Pharaoh Overlord, Live
The Ex, Turn
The Flaming Stars, Named and Shamed
The Fall, Country on the Click
Guitar Wolf, Love Rock
Greenmachine, The Archives of Rotten Blues
Biafra/Melvins, Never Breathe What You Can't See
Comets on Fire, Blue Cathedral
Acid Mothers Temple, Does the Cosmic Shepard Dream of Electric Tapirs
The Embrooks, Yellow Glass Perspections
Brian Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets & Taking Tiger Mountain (reissues)
From: Scott McDowell
1. Oneida - Secret Wars
2. Hot Snakes - Audit in Progress
3. Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake - Back Together Again
4. De La Soul - The Grind Date
5. Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost
6. Oneida - Nice: Splittin' Peaches
7. LSD-March - Kanashimino Bishouen
8. The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
9. Wadada Leo Smith - Kabell Years 1971-1979
10. Electrelane - The Power Out
11. Mission of Burma - OnOffOn
12. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
13. Antena - Camino Del Sol
14. Up-Tight - Five Psychedelic Pieces
15. Tower Recordings - The Galaxies' Incredible Sensual Transmission Field of the...
16. Cooper-Moore - 5x7" box
17. Oren Ambarchi - Grapes from the Estate
18. Revolutionary Ensemble - And Now
19. Miles Davis - Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings, 1963-1964
20. The Prefects - Amateur Wankers
From: Dr Patrick White in Leicester, England
Patrick's Top 20 for 2004 (in no particular order)
Albums:
Johnny Cash - Unearthed 5CD (American Recordings)
Pharoah Overlord - #1 CD (Ekto)
Earth - Pentastar LP (Sub Pop) - new to me!!!
Rechenzentrum - The Director's Cut CD+DVD (Mille Plateaux)
Nouvelle Vaugue - s/t LP (Peacefrog)
Thomas Fehlmann - Low Flow 2LP (Plug Research)
La Funk Mob - The Bad Seeds 1993-97 2LP (La Funk Mob)
Neil Young - On the Beach CD
Claro Intellecto - Neurofibro 2Lp (A.I.)
Dalek - Negro, Necro, Nekros CD (Gern Blansten) - again, new to me!
Corrupted - Llenandose de Gusanos 2CD (HG Fact)
Various: Bully Lunch Money Singles Vol. 1 CD (Bully)
Singles:
Ice Cube feat. Mack 10 & Ms. Toi - You Can Do it CDS (All Around the World)
Wolf Eyes - Stabbed in the Face 12" (Sub Pop)
Scout Niblet - Uptown Top Ranking 7" (Too Pure)
Kode9 & Daddi Gee - Sign of the Dub 10" (Hyperdub)
Confutatis - Light Reflects Sound 12" (A.I.)
HP Stonji - Metic 12" (Spezial Material)
Diplo - Newsflash promo 12" (Big Dada)
Piano Overlord - Tease E.P. 12" (Money Studies)
From: Robin Furner
I love year-end music lists, here you go:
1. Arcade Fire - Funeral [their show at bottom of the hill was amazing!]
2. Mory Kante - Sabou
3. The Hotel Alexis- The Shining Example is Lying on the Floor [thanx AQ for exposing me to this!]
4. Papercuts- Mockingbird
5. Max Richter- The Blue Notebooks
6. Interpol - Antics [I sometimes roll my eyes in response to the lyrics, but I can't help loving this]
7. Fennesz - Venice [the one track with vocals should have been at the end]
8. The Roots - The Tipping Point [half the tracks on here are amazing and the other half are o.k.]
9. Savath and Savalas - Manana [way underated - get it on vinyl and listen to side B]
10. Woven Hand - Consider the Birds [not as brilliant as their s/t disc, but good]
Almost:
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Goodbye, Lenin! soundtrack
Tim Hecker - Mirages
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Possible list contenders to get when I have the $:
Albert Ayler- Holy Ghost box set
Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus
Brian Wilson - Smile
Espers - s/t
Vetiver - s/t
Great Tracks/Singles of '04:
Castanets - You Are the Blood
Black Strobe - Chemical Sweet Girl 12"
K-OS - Love Song
Mos Def - Sex, Love & Money 12"
Diplo - Summer's Gonna Hurt You
Orbital - Transient
Devotchka - How It Ends
From: Ron Johnson, Aitkin MN
V/A "Rural Psychogeography" {Nexsound}
V/A "Bats'i Son: The Music of the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico" {Latitdude}
MCGREGOR, DION "The Futher Somniloquies of..." {Torpo Vigil Industries}
DEATHPROD "Box Set" {Rune Grammofon}
ORGANUM & Z'EV "Tinnitus VU" {Touch}
NURSE WITH WOUND/CYCLOBE/IRR.APP.[EXT.]/JIM O'ROURKE "Angry Eelectric Finger [spitch'cock one]" {United Dairies}
FENNESZ "Vence" {Touch}
FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ "Random Harvest" {Narnack}
THE EX "Turn" {Touch & Go}
BASINSKI, WILLIAM "Disintegration Loop 1.1" {Vector} dvd
From: Todd Whiteman
Todd's Top Ten List 2004
Dorothy Ashby - Afro Harping (Verve)
Funky and soulful this 1968 Harp master creates a funky soul party that was lost in your parents living room years ago.
Hans Koller - Kunstkopfinjaner (Universal Jazz
Germany)
A classic free jazz experiment from 1973 in a great large ensemble: immense and overwhelming
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra -List of Lights and Buoys -(Rune Grammofon)
Haunting and distant in a silent way reminiscent of early Jane Siberry including a mystical cover of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'
Quiet Personal Electronics - Boolean Logic (the agriculture)
laid back beats hypnotic sometimes cinematic in scope
Tim Sweeney - Rvng Prsnts MX3 -(available at Igetrvng.com)
from this WNYU DJ downtempo joy in an 80's kraftwerk vibe mixing the likes of Radiohead , Can, Bauhaus, & Yoko Ono
Eumir Deodato - Percepcao - ( EMI International)
Sweeping strings and grandiose from 1972
The Golden Apples of the Sun - (Bastet)
Devendra Banhart compiles the best of the psych folk scene
How to Kill the DJ (part 2) - (Tigersushi)
80's electro clash/new wave funk whatever you want to call it from Soft cell, the Cramps, Gang of Four to Langley School Music Project an immense collection all mixed up
DJ Kicks -Erland Oye
Once again with the 80's vibe what can I say a product of the decade am I
DJ Spooky - Rhythm Science - (Sub Rosa)
although spookys beats can be somewhat predictable, the combination of voices from these great poets makes for a great ride
Kranky Kompilation -2004
2 Cd's of great sonic experiments
on the player now:
American Yodeling 1911 - 1946 (Trikont)
The Kevin Norton Ensemble -Knots (Music & Arts Programs)
Masaki Batoh- Collected Works 95 - 96 (Drag City)
Mos Def - The New Danger - (Geffen)
From: Robert Parkinson
First Five [no particular order]:
The Speakers- 'Bear & Soda' (Self-released CD- the SF Speakers, not the Mexican ones!)
Tin Hat Trio- 'Book of Silk' (Ropeadope CD)
Jolie Holland- 'Escondida' (Anti CD)
Richard Crandell- 'Mbira Magic' (Tzadik CD)
Iron & Wine- 'Our Endless Numbered Days' (Sub Pop CD)
Honourable Ten (ok- 11) [n.p.o.]:
Pachora- 'Astereotypical' (Winter & Winter CD)
The Speakers- 'Daisycutters' (Self-released CD)
The Necks- 'Drive By' (ReR CD)
Charming Hostess- 'Eat' (Vaccination Records CD)
R. Crumb- 'Hot Women- Women Singers from the Torrid Regions of the World' (Kein & Aber CD)
Slavic Soul Party- '...In Makedonija' (Knitting Factory CD)
Anouar Brahem- 'Le Pas du Chat Noir' (ECM CD)
V/A- 'Planet Squeezebox- Accordion Music from Around the World'
(Ellipsis Arts 3CD)
Tony Buck- 'Self_Contained_Underwater_Breathing_Apparatus' (TES CD)
Shrimp Boat- 'Something Grand' (AUM Fidelity 4CD Box)
Chris Abrahams- 'Streaming' (Vegetable Records 2CD)
And I started 'A la recherche du temps perdu' by Proust.
Great shows of last year (Dublin, unless otherwise noted):
Dave Binney Quartet, Whelan's.
Di Grine Kuzine, Civic Offices Amphitheatre.
Boubacar Traore, The Village.
Sainkho Namtchylak, The Boom Boom Room.
Tin Hat Trio, Whelan's.
Gianluigi Trovesi & Gianni Coscia, The Sugar Club.
The Necks, Bank of Ireland Arts Centre.
Tinariwen, Crawdaddy.
Jolie Holland, Bush Hall, London.
Jolie Holland, an apartment on Charlemont Street.
This list would look very different without aQ. Thanks.
From: Phil Kaffen
These are the top things I heard/saw/read this year
regardless of when they came out.
Jack Rose-Raag Manifestos.
Holy Shit! The first track on this is freakin' gorgeous and then they just keep coming.
Johan Johannsson-Virdulegu Forsetar. Ditto.
Really beautiful. I can't decide whether to be triumphant or somber when I listen.
Animal Collective-Sung Tongs.
While I'm not quite as enchanted with this as many, there is too much good stuff to ignore. Quite pretty and sometimes astonishing.
Dizzee Rascal-Showtime.
Damn if he hasn't made two amazing records in a row. I don't know which is better but Showtime is a little easier on the ears.
Art Ensemble of Chicago-Live in Paris.
Hooray! A crazy melange of sounds. Not quite as good as being there, but what can ya do.
The Ex-Turn.
I'm a latecomer here (I started with Ex Orkest) but found this album to be super varied, intelligent, creative, and rockin'. Its all about the pie.
VA-Shockout.
Difficult to get through in one listen because there is so much going on that I find it exhausting. But each track is like a mini-epic. The Eight Frozen Modules track zooms off like an enraged hydra. Why isn't this shit tearing up the airwaves?
Stars of the Lid-Tired Sounds of...
Yeah, I know its not new, but again, quit gorgeous. Good to listen to after Shockout.
William Parker & Hamid Drake-Piercing the Veil.
Listening to these guys listen to and play off one another is enthralling. The all-acoustic format is super warm, too.
Madvillain-Madvillainy.
Sampladelic madness that just keeps movin' forward. Perhaps a little lacking content wise, but totally fun with endless embellishments.
Murs-The End of the Beginning.
I doubt this is on many lists (came out in '02) but I like Murs a lot. It doesn't seem like a great album immediately, but I keep listening to it over and over.
A couple disappointments:
Dungen-Ta Det Lugnt.
Not bad and with some really great tracks, but hardly the second coming that all the hype calls for.
The One Ensemble of Daniel Padden.
Again, not bad, but a little too loose and free for my tastes.
L-Holy Letters.
I should probably be more reverent, but found this occasionally reaching near caricature levels of mopy psyche. I can see why some people would like it, but just not for me.
3 great films about film: Bill Morrison's Decasia, Thom Anderson's Los Angeles Plays Itself, and Godard's Histoire(s) du Cinema all made me rethink connections between cinema, history, art and so forth and while occasionally exhausting, were consistently mesmerizing. Great film experiences.
Kudos too to the Experimental Japanese Cinema retrospective programmed by Jonathan Hall and Michelle Puetz. This stuff is way too good to be so rare.
And a book: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed Along With Our Families. Philip Gourevitch's book on Rwanda should be required reading. Utterly devastating, humanist (in a good sense), and necessary. Published a couple years ago, it couldn't be more timely. Care for a war?
From: Jack Hankin
Tops of '04:
Arcade Fire: Funeral
Four Tet: Late Nite Tales
Bark Psychosis: Codename Dustsucker
Colleen: Everyone Alive Wants Answers
Martina Topley-Bird: Anything
Adem: Homesongs
Jet Black Crayon: Inaccuracies of the Mind Machine
Savath & Savalas: Apropat
TV on the Radio: Desperate Youth
Mum: Summer Make Good
Juana Molina: Tres Cosas
Califone: Heron King Blues
Andrew Pekler: Nocturnes
From: Buddah
(...there is no order to this list)
MY FAVORITES OF 2004:
*EAR:
MELVINS+LUSTMORD "Pigs of the roman Empire".
THE CLASH "London Calling" 25th.Anniversary/Legacy Edition.
JOHNNY CASH "My Mother's Hymn Book".
MESHUGGAH "I".
VENOMOUS CONCEPT "Retroactive Abortion".
PORN (MEN OF) "Wine,Women & Song"...
GREENMACHINE "The Archive of Rotten Blues".
FROM ASHES RISE "Nightmares".
DNA "DNA on DNA".
LAUDANUM "The Apotheker".
YOB "The Illusion of Motion".
HARVEY MILK "The Kelly Sessions".
CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE "As the Roots Undo".
MELT BANANA "Cell Scape".
COALESCE "Give Them Rope She Said v2.0".
AERIAL RUIN "133306668".
RICHARD PRYOR "...And It's Deep,Too! (9CD box set)".
CAESURA "Wallpaper the Witness".
MASTODON "Leviathan".
SKILLET LEROY & LAWANDA PAGE "Backdoor Daddy".
ISIS "Panopticon".
ENTOMBED "Inferno".
*EYE:
BORIS "Live at Shimokitazawa Shelter" DVD.
"MUSIC FOR ADULTS A Film About A Band called OXBOW" DVD.
"MR.SHOW" 3rd.& 4th.Seasons on DVD.
"THE VENTURE BROS." Adult Swim TV show.
*HEAD:
Touring with TOTIMOSHI,HIGH ON FIRE,HELMET,PSYCHIC TV 3,FANTOMAS,MELT BANANA,THE MELVINS & HELMET this year instead of having to have a "real job"...
From: John Lee
1. V/A - Goodbye, Babylon box set (Dust-to-Digital) (technically released in Oct. 2003, but I didn't hear about it until 2004...besides I've seen this on others' 2004 lists)
2. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (Fat Cat)
3. V/A - Ghana Soundz: Afro-beat, Funk and Fusion in 70's Ghana Vol. 2 (Soundway)
4. Amps for Christ - The People at Large (5 Rue Christine)
5. The Homosexuals - The Homosexuals CD (Recommended) and Astral Glamour (Messthetics)
6. Six Organ of Admittance - For Octovio Paz (Holy Mountain)
7. Arthur Russell - The World of Arthur Russell (Soul Jazz)
8. Madvillain - Madvillainy (Stone's Throw)
9. V/A - Bandwidth: Celebrating 10 Years of Internet Radio on WXYC-Chapel Hill (WXYC)
10. Kemialliset Ystavat - Alkuharka (Fonal)
11. Keith Hudson - Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood (Basic Replay)
12. Espers - S/T (Locust)
13. Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)
14. Black Dice - Miles of Smiles EP (DFA)
15. V/A - Thai Beat A Go-Go, Vol. 1 (Subliminal Sounds)
16. Mahjongg - Machinegong EP (Cold Crush)
17. Jason Forrest - The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash (Sonig)
18. Boban Markovic Orkestar - Boban I Marko (Piranha)
19. Metal Urbain - Anarachy in Paris! (Acute)
20. Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)
21. Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1 (Acute)
22. Konk - The Story of Konk (Soul Jazz)
23. Brian Wilson - Smile (Nonesuch)
24. Deerhoof - Milk Man (5 Rue Christine/Kill Rock Stars)
25. Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Soul Makossa (Hi & Fly)
Hon. Mention in alphabetical order:
Anything and everything from the Sublime Frequencies label
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - ...Sings Greatest Palace Music (Drag City)
Cold Sides - Perpetual Hypeness Machine EP (Freque NC)
Comets on Fire - Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
DNA - DNA on DNA (No More Records)
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (self-released)
Ex-Girl - Endangered Species (Alternative Tentacles)
Fennesz - Venice (Touch)
Les Georges Leningrad - Sur les Traces de Black Eskimo (Alien8)
Noxagt - The Iron Point (Load)
Serge Gainsbourg - Aux Armes et Caetera (Sunnyside)
Snoop Dogg ft. Pharell - "Drop It Like It's Hot" single (Geffen)
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
From: jerry teichmiller
TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs
The Fucking Am - Gold
The Faint - Wet from Birth
Interpol - Antics
Guided by Voices - Half Smiles of the Decomposed
Q & Not U - Power
it's been a great year for music, i think.
From: Justin from Let It Be Records in Minneapolis
1. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (Pawtracks)
2. Deathprod - Morals and Dogma (Runegramaphone)
3. Arcade Fire - Funeral (Merge)
4. Sunn0))) - White 2 (Southernlord)
5. Brian Wilson - Smile (Nonesuch)
6. Madvillian - Madvilliany (Stonesthrow)
7. Comets on Fire - Blue Cathedral (Subpop)
8. Wolf Eyes - Sun Burned Mind (Subpop)
9. Fennesz - Venice (Touch)
10. Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori - Phantom Orchard (Mego)
11. TV On the Radio - Desperate Youth Blood Thirsty (Touch and Go)
12. Bjork - Medulla (Elektra)
13. Mission of Burma - OnandOn (Matador)
14. Pan Sonic - Kesto (Mute)
15. Sun Burned Hand of the Man - Rarewood (Spirit of Orr)
16. Shitmat - Full English Breakfast (Planet μ)
17. Nurse With Wound - Angry Electric Finger Series (United Diaries)
18. Einsturzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile
19. Hafler Trio - How To Slice a Loaf of Bread Series (Phonometrography)
20. Richard Crandell - Mbira Magic (Tzadik)
Reissues/Comps/Box Sets
1. Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost (Revenant)
2. Various Artists - Conet Project (Irdial)
3. Nirvana - With the Lights Out (DGC)
4. Candi Staton - S/T (Honest Jons)
5. Clash - London Calling 25th Anniversary (Epic)
6. Low - Lifetime of Temporary Relief (Chairkickers)
7. O.S.T. - Lucifer Rising (Arcanum Entertainment)
8. United States of America - S/T (Sundazed)
9. Mikey Dread - African Anthem Dubwise (Auralux)
10. John Cale - New York in the 1960's (Table of the Elements)
Status: U
From: David Bradley
Old Man Gloom - Christmas
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Anaal Nathrakh - Domine Non Es Dignus
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Corrupted - Se Hace Por Los Suenos Asesinos
Destroyer - Your Blues
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Akira Rabelais - Spellwauerynsherde
Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind
The Decemberists - The Tain EP
Hot Snakes - Audit in Progress/Peel Session 7
Double Leopards - Urban Concussion
Cooper-Moore - 50 Miles of Elbow Room #4
Deathprod - box
MF Doom - Mm Food
From: Curt C. Schommer
1- Hot Snakes - Audit in Progress LP
2- Chin Up Chin Up - We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers CD
3- Interpol - Antics LP
4- The Sultans - Shipwrecked CD
5- Bloc Party - cdEP
6- The 101 - Green Street LP
7- Preston School of Industry - Monson LP
8- Th' Losing Streak - The Sounds of Violence LP
9- The Red Onions - cdEP
10- Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum CD
From: Ryan Detwiler
Ryan D's Top 10 Albums of 2004:
10. Excepter - KA
9. Axolotl - Axolotl
8. Frog Eyes - The Folded Palm
7. Green Milk From The Planet Orange - He's Crying 'Look'
6. Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender
5. Espers - EspersFennesz - Venice
4. Bjork - Medulla
3. Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
2. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
1. Skygreen Leopards - Thousand Bird Ceremony
Honorable Mention:
The Birdtree - Orchards and Caravans
The Ivytree - Winged Leaves
Deerhoof - Milkman
Avarus - Jattilaisrotta
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
Jason Forrest - The Unrelenting Songs Of The 1979 Post Disco Crash
Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld
Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
Panda Bear - Young Prayer
Of Montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic
Julie Doiron - Goodnight Nobody
Vibracathedral Orchestra - Pontiac Lady
Reissues:
Ffa Coffi Pawb Am Byth - s/t
Pylon - Not Cobras
MCMS - 1997-2003
Kousokuya - Live Gyakuryu Kokuu
L - Holy Letters
Bruce Langhorne - The Hired Hand
Best Shows I Saw:
Animal Collective @ The Empty Bottle
Frog Eyes @ The Empty Bottle
The Fiery Furnaces @ The Empty Bottle
Deerhoof @ The Empty Bottle
OOIOO @ The Empty Bottle
Xiu Xiu and Ghost @ The Empty Bottle
Bonny Prince Billy and Joanna Newsom @ Logan Square Auditorium
The Walkmen @ The YMCA
Of Montreal @ Schubas
Sufjan Stevens @ Schubas
Super Furry Animals @ The Metro
Most Disappointing Show of the Year:
M83 @ The Empty Bottle
Ps. If you consider Excepter's KA as a reissue, The Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat would become #10.
From: Sean Sleight
1. Secret Chiefs 3 - Book of Horizons (Web of Mimicry)
2. Jason Forrest - The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash (Sonig)
3. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Natural History (Web of Mimicry)
4. Magyar Posse - Kings of Time (Verdura)
5. Squarepusher - Ultravisitor (Warp)
6. Flat Earth Society - Isms (Ipecac)
7. Of Montreal - Satanic Panic In the Attic (Polyvinyl)
8. Crime In Choir - The Hoop (Frenetic)
9. Bogus Blimp - Rdtr (Jester)
10. Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed (4AD)
Runners Up: End - Sounds of Disaster (Ipecac) and Percussions (Tigerbeat 6)
From: Dylan deThomas
I Am a Customer, These are My Faves for 2004
"Me and Mia" - Ted Leo/Pharmacists
"Uraqt (Diplo Mix)" - M.I.A./Diplo
"A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" from the Pretty (Ugly Before) 7" - Elliott Smith
"The Body Breaks" - Devendra Banhart
"The Town Halo" - A.C. Newman
"Mushaboom" - Feist
"I've Been Thinking" - Handsome Boy Modeling School (w/ Cat Power)
"Toxic" - Britney Spears
"Nourishment Nation" - Rogue Wave
"Vincent O'Brien" - M Ward
The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Mirah - C'mon Miracle
A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
From: DJ B
Here's mine, with an admittedly local bias, since I buy a lot of my music at shows. -- DJ B, host of the Mixdown on WRVU Nashville, 91.1fm, http://mixdown911.com
10. 72 Unforced Errors - Jensen Sportag (self-released)
Creative local laptoppers Benji and Austin managed to release a record in between live dates that are not only not the same stuff twice, they're sometimes not even the same stuff once. This one finds them in a glitchy slice 'n' dice mode, but you're just a likely to hear them paying homage to Stevie Wonder or sending up Japanese pop. Snap this up if you can find it, they don't stand still for long!
9. Perversion: For Profit - 3kStatic (dPulse/Sony Germany )
Picked up for reviews by Communist newspapers in Germany due to its political content, this album of downtempo and danceable electronica managed to chart several singles and sell steadily on both sides of the Atlantic in spite of those cerebral overtones. One-man wunderkind Dean Capone is Tampa 's answer to Public Enemy. Now, what was the question again?
8. Young Criminals' Starvation League - From The End Of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
If there's such a thing as pedigreed Nashville rocker, Bobby Bare Jr has got to be a definite candidate for Best In Show. The range of style on this record alone makes it noteworthy.The execution what turns it into a killer release, a big ol' hound that gets better with every bite.
7. Starry Gazey Pie - The Bees (U.S.) (self-released)
Perhaps not technically a 2004 disc since a handmade version has been floating around for a while, but nonetheless about as good a pop record as has come out of Nashville in a while, so worth a mention. Good luck guys, third time's the charm!
6. Famous When Dead III - Various Artists (Playhouse)
Perhaps not as quite as good as the first two volumes in this series, this mix of Playhouse artists is still head & shoulders above most label comps and should find a warm reception with fans of the Kompakt, Warp and System labels.
5. Since We Last Spoke - RJD2 (Def Jux)
A front row view at a late night Bonnaroo session made the next RJ record a no-brainer purchase so this one sat in the pile for a while but when it finally hit the player a couple of weeks later, it was "what the hell did I wait so long for!" time. What it means to be a hip-hop DJ, RJ is.
4. We Are The Golden Sounds - The Golden Sounds (self-released)
There's a loose collective of musicians in Nashville quietly producing some world-class indie pop and this nearly eponymous debut long-player helmed by Todd Evnas is a nearly perfect example of their craft. Familiar and fresh at the same time, the album ably manages to navigate that finest of lines between eccentric experimentation and careful convention.
3. Collision - DJ Harry (Sci Fidelity)
Probably my nominee for "most pleasant surprise" of the year, Harry's publicist asked me to listen to this record and sweetheart that I am, (yawn) I said OK. My expectations of just another house or progressive mix were quickly smashed to bits by his deep, jazzy compositions. Having members of labelmates The String Cheese Incident guest on the record didn't hurt either. Harry's next project is going to incorporate hip-hop elements and Ye Olde Crystal Ball sez it will occupy a spot of the 2k5 version of this list.
2. Break Beats - Kenny Dope (Dope Records)
Since we play lot of breakbeat-centered electronica for the Mixdown show on WRVU, this sounded like a natural fit for my playlist. Wrong! Instead, it's possibly the funkiest mix record I own. It is, in fact, so tight that D-Funk featured it on his radio show for several weeks, and I know of no higher praise for funk than that. Guess what: They now stock it at Grimeys.
1. Our Endless Numbered Days - Iron & Wine (sub pop)
Number one on my list and I don't even like this kind of music. Except, well, when I do. This CD was an Aquarius Records (a record shop in San Francisco 's Mission district) favorite and since they don't like this kind of music either (heheheh) I thought I would give it a listen. If you haven't heard Sam Beam weave tales out of cinder and smoke, you should do the same. It can't just be me, Todd and Lizzie have had my copy for nearly two months now!
Singles of Distinction: "Worn Me Down" - Rachel Yamagata, "Somebody Told Me" - The Killers, "Hip-hop Tango" - The Nervous System, "Fighting for Love" - Venus Hum
From: rae donaldson
My top 50 albums of 2004 (listed in the order in which they came to hand)
Laura veirs "carbon Glacier"
Bergen White "For Women Only"
Nora O'Connor "til the dawn"
The Bruces "the shining path"
Oddfellows Casino "winter creatures"
Isis "panopticon"
Tara Jane O'Neill "you sound, reflect"
Wovenhand "consider the birds"
Magnetic Fields "I"
Sufjan Stevens "seven swans"
Aroah "the last laugh"
Dungen "ta det lugnt"
Iris Dement "lifeline"
Castanets "cathedral"
Tower Recordings "the galaxies' incredibly sensual.............."
One Ensemble Of Daniel Padden "the owl of fives"
Simon Finn "pass the distance"
Shearwater "winged life"
American Music Club "love songs for patriots"
John Vanderslice "life and death of an American fourtracker"
Mark Tranmer "scoop of ice-cream moon"
Vetiver "vetiver"
A.c. Newman "the slow wonder"
Oneida "secret wars"
Archer Prewitt "wilderness"
Charlie Parr "king earl"
Arthur Russell "calling out of context"
Cyann And Ben "spring"
Deerhoof "milk man"
Antietam "victory park"
P.G. Six "the well of memory"
The Shins "chutes too narrow"
Samara Lubelski "in the valley"
Sharron Kraus "songs of love and loss"
Iron and Wine "my endless numbered days"
Greg Brown "honey in the lions head"
Kelley Stoltz "antique glow"
Pentangle "the lost broadcasts 1968-72"
Jack Rose "raag manifestos"
Devendra Banhart "rejoicing in the hands"
Fotheringay "fotheringay"
Melvins/lustmord "pigs of the roman empire"
The Gun Club "las Vegas story"
Es "kaikkeuden...................."
Hot Snakes "audit in progress"
Glenn Jones "this is the wind that blows it out"
Kemialliset Ystavat "alkuharka"
Steven R Smith "antimony"
Espers "espers"
Plush "unfed"
Mazhar Shagan "ragas in the Punjab"
That's it. The list selected itself on the simple basis that I played these albums more than any others this year.