2000-2004: via // chicago's top 50 albums
(part three // 30-21)
still going...


30. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner Brothers, 2002)
Many were wondering just where Wayne Coyne would lead the Lips after the back-to-back excellence of Clouds Taste Metallic and The Soft Bulletin. What tricks would he pull out of the bag this time? A return to the psych-rock roots? More of the lush atmospherics of Bulletin? With the Lips you can never be quite sure, which is what made this album such a joy to listen to. Two perfect pop gems (“Fight Test” and “Do You Realize?”) anchored this sci-fi concept album about giant robots, Japanese girls with ninja skills, and death. Excellent production by the always on Dave Fridmann elevated this to a thing of pure beauty, pop-psych experiments and all.


29. Sonic Youth – Murray Street (Geffen, 2002)
This wasn’t so much a return to form for Sonic Youth as it was a rediscovery. The band managed to rediscover the jam, as evidenced by the many epics on this seven track album. All five members, including recent join Jim O’Rourke, were on fire with this album. It may or may not have been due to the proximity of the band’s practice space to Ground Zero, but there was definitely something that instilled such beauty and power into the music. This album proved that a band can age gracefully without losing an ounce of talent or inspiration. If only every band could put out music this breathtaking 20 plus years into their career.


28. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts (Groom Disques, 2003)
This is a truly impossible album to pin down when trying to describe the sound, I’ve seen every influence from My Bloody Valentine to Air to Mogwai thrown at this band. But I don’t feel that any of that does them justice, as they’ve managed to incorporate everything wonderful about the above listed bands and create a listening experience that is at once intoxicating and soothing. From the majestic beauty of “On A White Lake, Near A Green Mountain” to the wall of synths in “Run Into Flowers”, M83 created a modern masterpiece that proves you still don’t need guitars to create music of true power and beauty.


27. Franz Ferdinand – S/T (Domino, 2004)
It’s been a long, long time since I can remember a guitar-oriented band packing the dance floor within the first twenty seconds of it’s single getting started. But I’ll be damned if “Take Me Out” doesn’t do the trick every single time the needle is dropped, which I think says a lot about these four Scottish lads. It’s one thing to put out an album that critics drool in anticipation over, but it’s another thing entirely to surpass those expectations and slam into the mainstream. Nobody saw this band getting as huge as it did, but with an entire album full of songs just as good as “Take Me Out”, if not better, how could it not? Let’s not forget the fact that these songs work just as well as an album full of intelligent pop, ones that you can enjoy even when not in a position to shake your ass.


26. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump (V2, 2000)
One reason that I had traditionally stayed away from much synth pop over the years was that a lot of it sounded cold and distant to me, I couldn’t really connect with it. While I wouldn’t classify Grandaddy as a synth pop band at all, this album does feature heavy use of keyboards. It stands out, however, through the incorporation of them into dazzling tunes that are very warm and inviting. And if the music isn’t enough to suck you in, Jason Lytle’s often witty and engrossing lyrics will do the trick. Whether on the sprawling epic of “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot” or the poppy “The Crystal Lake”, Grandaddy combines the best of ‘70s power pop, ‘80s synth pop, and ‘90s indie rock to create an original style.


25. Boards of Canada – Geogaddi (Warp, 2002)
I’m no expert when it comes to electronic music, nor any of its subgenres and offshoots. I’ve checked out all kinds of hyped IDM and electronica from Aphex Twin to Squarepusher to Autechre, but none of it really clicked for me. So I was expecting more of the same when I sat down to listen to this album. I figured that as with most albums like this, that I would grow bored within 10 minutes and relegate this to background music, if I even avoided shutting it off outright. Neither of those were a choice though, since this album kept me engrossed all the way to the end. BoC put together the perfect mix of sampled sounds, processed beats, and synth lines to captivate me with its radiance and intelligence.


24. The Strokes – Room On Fire (RCA, 2003)
There was a whole hell of a lot riding on this sophomore album, it being one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2003. The Strokes had to know that they weren’t going to come anywhere near pleasing every fan and critic out there, so why bother? Instead they went back to the reliable formula that made Is This It so fantastic and tweaked it just enough to captivate all over again. Snaky guitar lines and mechanical drumbeats lay down a toe-tapping foundation for Julian Casablanca’s urban decadence lyrics. Not to mention the fact that these are all highlighted by some catchy as fuck riffs.


23. Sigur Ros – ( ) (MCA, 2002)
Seriously, Iceland has got to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’ve never been there and I have nothing to base this assumption on except the music of this particular band. There must be some breathtaking views that can instill this kind of magic in mere mortals, allowing them to crank out music of this caliber. Nobody expected them to keep this pace up for a second album, but they did. By taking a step back and stripping down the sound, the band was able to slowly reveal the ethereal beauty within. It’s a longer build-up than you might be prepared for, but when this album hits – it does so in both the heart and the soul.


22. El-P – Fantastic Damage (Def Jux, 2002)
This is a sprawling epic of anger and dysfunction, but not in that Staind and Korn kind of way. Instead El-P wraps his spitfire lyrics around head-warping beats that attack from all angles, knocking out one of the most mind-blowing hip-hop albums in years. This isn’t music for riding in your whip, this is more like music for crawling through the seedy underbelly of the grimy streets – watching your back for the silent assassin sneaking up on you. This album was like a guillotine – guaranteed to leave your head hanging after blowing your mind.


21. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop, 2003)
This album is pure joy, simple as that. Surreal lyrics, insane hooks, catchy melodies – this is the stuff that indie-pop dreams are made of. The Shins know when to pile on all the lush instrumentation to create a pop nugget, but they also know when to scale things back and let a simple guitar line do all the work. I can only describe this as one of the bounciest albums I’ve ever heard, one that never fails to bring a smile to my face. More pop music should aspire to be this insanely enjoyable.

2000-2004: via //chicago's top 50 albums
(part two // 40-31)
and the countdown continues...


40. Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein (Def Jux, 2001)
While Timbaland and Just Blaze were busy blowing up the charts, one of hip-hop’s most consistent producers was working with emcees Vast Aire and Vordul Megilah to create one of the first true masterpieces of the new millennium. Def Jux man El-P created some of the most dark and dense sonic beds since the Wu-Tang debut almost a decade prior. Meanwhile Vast and Vordul drop some fierce rhymes that may come across as utter nonsense on first listen, but over time they reveal intricacies and turns of phrase that will drop your jaw. Few albums in rap history have been able to combine this type of lyrical and production innovation on a full-length of this caliber, this shit was real.


39. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (Capitol, 2003)
This was supposed to be the return to straightforward rock after the detours of Kid A and Amnesiac, but that wasn’t what we got. Nor was it simply another extension of the paths explored on those albums either. Instead, this album was sort of a conglomeration of everything Radiohead had been up that point while still staking out some new territory. From the slow lethargy of “Sail to the Moon” to the relative rave-up of “Myxomatosis”, this album proved that Radiohead was never going to give you what you were hoping for but at the same time never leaving you wanting for solid songs.


38. Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank the Cradle (Sub Pop, 2002)
Sam Beam floated into my life completely unannounced one lazy Saturday afternoon, as I laid on the couch with a soft breeze blowing in the patio door and a streaming internet station playing. I don’t remember which track it was now, but immediately I was struck with how quickly his voice pulled me in and grabbed my attention. Some may question the validity of Beam’s take on folk, but authenticity doesn’t matter when you can create simple yet elegant melodies like these.


37. Bright Eyes – Fevers and Mirrors (Saddle Creek, 2000)
Conor Oberst has yet to create the start-to-finish masterpiece that I know he’s very capable of, but this album comes damn close. I could live without the album opening and ending skits that threaten to create a conceptual mess of it, but hauntingly beautiful songs like “The Calendar Hung Itself” and “When the Curious Girl Realizes She is Under Glass” more than earn this album a spot on my list. Few songwriters today are able to spin a tale into a captivating song the way Conor can, and until that masterpiece drops this album will get many repeated spins.


36. Eminem – The Eminem Show (Interscope, 2002)
Em had nothing left to prove to the world when it came time for this album to drop, as The Marshall Mathers LP had already exceeded expectations and created a monster. Maybe that’s what enabled him to take off in as many directions as he did on this one and succeed nicely in almost every one. He dropped his best political jam to date (“White America”), his best club jam ever (“Without Me”), and more of his touching yet heartbreaking family dramas (“Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, “Hallie’s Song”). But Em didn’t stop there, he managed to come up with one of the best misunderstood youth anthems of the hip-hop generation by sampling Aerosmith for “Sing For the Moment”.


35. White Stripes – White Blood Cells (Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2001)
This is the album that initially broke the exes White to the mainstream, and with very good reason – it’s an amazingly solid rock and roll album that revels in its simplicity. There was nothing pretentious about this album, nothing manufactured – just a talented duo cranking out timeless rock and roll that drifted all over the map. Whether slowly strumming about walking to school or rocking out an epic like “The Union Forever”, the Stripes tamed an elusive beast – the blues based rock album that sounded both refreshing and inspiring in a time when rock had been declared dead for almost a decade.


34. Liars – They Threw Us All in a Trench and Put a Monument on Top (Mute, 2002)
Now this band had major fucking balls, man. I mean, just being a pluralized band from New York in 2002 was a bold enough move, what with the press heaping unwarranted praise and expectations on every group from the five boroughs. Next thing you know these fuckers are releasing a single, “Mr, Your On Fire Mr”, that managed to throttle necks while shaking asses up and down both coasts. That shit was red hot, yo. To top all that, they finish off this album with a 30 minute looped epic that was sure to test the patience on anyone who had been shimmying along up to that point. This one quickly proved that the Liars couldn’t be simply dismissed as “just another garage rock” band, hell no – this was a band with attitude, beats, intensity, and huge fucking balls.


33. Jets to Brazil – Perfecting Loneliness (Jade Tree, 2002)
This album really had absolutely no chance of winning many hearts, did it? I mean, anyone who was outside of the emo/punk scene in 2002 couldn’t care less about what that dude from Jawbreaker was up to. And the band’s slow maturation away from the emo by numbers of the first two albums wasn’t going to keep the punk kids happy either. Well, sorry to be harsh here, but fuck ‘em – it’s their loss and my gain. Blake Schwarzenbach created an album full of rickety piano-driven epics that constantly teeter on the edge of complete collapse, but are held together by delicate melodies and charming lyrics. Maybe the kids didn’t like this album because Blake offered optimism and bold resolve in between his heartbreaking ballads, creating an album that rebuilds your soul as it tears your heart apart.


32. Spoon – Kill the Moonlight (Merge, 2002)
So, yeah, I completely was clueless about Spoon when I first heard this album. I didn’t know anything about the failed major label relationship or the string of beautiful pop nuggets they had previously created. All of which just served to make this one of the most pleasant musical surprises I’ve had in years. Everyone needs an album like this, one that they can crank up with the windows down as they flee from the city and into nature for a long weekend. It’s chock full of pop gem after pop gem with just enough sonic experimentation and crisp production to keep it fresh and invigorating.


31. Death Cab for Cutie – We Have the Facts (Barsuk, 2000)
After finishing grad school and moving into an apartment by myself for the first time ever, I found myself spending more time than I had ever expected on my own. A combination of things led to this, being in an unfamiliar city and a recent breakup being two of the main contributing factors. The post-college fund shortage also led to me purchasing a record low number of albums that year, but this was one of the few I managed to pick up during that period. And let me just say that because of all the above, Death Cab rapidly became a constant companion for me. Ben Gibbard’s heartfelt and honest lyrics struck many chords within me, but it was the excellent production and lush instrumentation that made me fall head over heels. Loneliness and isolation never sounded this damn good.

2000-2004: via // chicago's top 50 albums
(part one // 50-41)
with the first decade of the 21st century having reached its halfway point, we have a wonderful chance to go back and take a look at the music that moved us over the past five years. sit back, think about your own choices, and have a look at what excited me aurally since last millennium.


50. Junior Senior – D-D-Don’t Stop the Beat (Atlantic / Crunchy Frog, 2003)
When I picked up this album I could just picture it sitting on the shelf gathering dust for years until I felt in a silly mood and wanted to hear “Move Your Feet”. Everything about this just screamed “one listen wonder” to me – from the gaudy cover art on down, but this thing ended up in my car stereo for a solid week before it finally came out. It sat on a shelf for a couple months, but got pulled back out after hearing “Shake Your Coconuts” at a club. This thing is just far too infectious to ignore.


49. The Microphones – The Glow, Pt. 2 (K, 2002)
This was one of the first (and only) albums that I bought solely on the recommendation of Pitchfork. Hardly a good way to go about your record shopping, but I had just read the glowing review and was feeling adventurous that day. After the first two listens I felt like I had been ripped off, a feeling which didn’t exactly go away the more I replayed the disc. But the thing was, I kept replaying it again and again because something was drawing me back to it. I’m still not sure what that “it” was or is, but I have a feeling it’s the little things that crawl out of the woodwork and into my ear every time I spin it.


48. Outkast – Stankonia (LaFace / Arista, 2000)
Outkast is a band that I can honestly claim to have been in on since day one. Back in my days of reading The Source on a regular basis I picked up the debut and really dug the southern drawl vibe of Big Boi and Dre. So it was with no hesitation whatsoever that I followed them on each and every release as they explored new twists and turns. But nothing prepared me for the full-on assault of Stankonia and lead single “B.O.B.”, my head was absolutely blown. Top this off with two of the most head-nodding singles of all time (“Ms. Jackson” and “So Fresh So Clean”), and you have a hip-hop album not to be fucked with.


47. Prefuse 73 – One Word Extinguisher (Warp, 2003)
This is one of those really difficult to describe albums for me, it feels like nothing I say about it does nearly half the amount of justice it should. To put it as simply as possible, this album is a fantastic mix of phat beats and sound collages that I’ve come nowhere near growing tired of. Proof that hip-hop really can be enthralling with next to no vocals.


46. Sleater-Kinney – One Beat (Kill Rock Stars, 2002)
Forget Bruce Springsteen, the women of Sleater-Kinney are the real musicians that America needed after 9/11. While Springsteen pandered with schmaltz and patriotism, S-K provided us with the most sincere and honest reflection of the whole bunch. Anger, sadness, confusion, and loss all rolled up into a sonically enticing mix. These three have always had a way with words, but it hits even harder when they’ve got a good reason to talk. You best listen.


45. The Rapture – Echoes (Strummer / Universal, 2003)
We all know by now that this wasn’t the second coming, that dance-punk was not the next big thing to sweep the mainstream, and that The Rapture was certainly not fucking Nirvana. None of that can take away from the fact that they made a fantastic fucking album, one that seems both out of place and timeless all at once. Yeah, they pretty much bite on every era of musical history through the course of the disc, but that doesn’t stop my from dancing and singing my heart out whenever I listen to it.


44. Jay-Z – The Black Album (Roc-A-Fella, 2003)
It certainly wasn’t another Reasonable Doubt, but it was also far from being another Blueprint 2.0. Jigga’s farewell disc was an ambitious affair and a rather brave one in today’s hip-hop climate, especially his choice to forego all guest stars. It turns out, however, that the best choice he made was to spread the love to a multitude of producers – several of which churn out their hottest beats in years (come back Rick, the game needs you). This album would almost deserve a spot on this list for the remixing mania around it alone, but the hot singles clinch it.


43. The Decemberists – Her Majesty (Kill Rock Stars, 2003)
I was so not expecting this one to hit me like it did. There was no way that this pretentious as shit band was going to pull me into their foul clutches. I’d read the interviews and heard about the lyrics, there was no way I was going to enjoy this sort of thing. It was either way too cute, or too smart, for its own good. There’s just not going to be an enjoyable album in all of that. Boy was I fucking wrong, and damn glad to be so. This is exactly how intelligent pop music is done right. You can keep your Magnetic Fields, leave me here with my Decemberists.


42. Kanye West – The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
Yeah, I’ve witnessed the backlash hit hard for this poor guy. “Overrated”, “tired beats”, “weak rhymes” – fuck that noise. This is still one of the most refreshing rap albums in years, one that entertains consistently over its entire running time without resorting to clichés or tired formulas (but yeah, we didn’t need all of those “School Spirit” skits, we get it dawg). The thing that makes this record special is exactly the fact that Kanye can’t flow like Jigga or create a hot beat quite like Timbaland. Instead he excels in all areas of the game, creating a great album that will still be entertaining as hell in five years when the other monthly flavas have come and gone.


41. Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow (Load, 2003)
I suppose I should mention here that I’m not exactly what you would call a connoisseur of noise music in the least, what I’ve heard of it in the past did little for me. But when I heard this in a local record store while shopping, I was struck immediately about how embracing the album was. Yeah it was mostly loud and abrasive noise, but for some reason I was drawn in rather than repulsed. I still don’t know why this works so well for me, but for a guy who’s really not into much noise music this has gotten a fucking lot of playing time.

Slop From The Pops: UK Pop Chart 01.16.05
bit of a big countdown this week, as we get to find out just what will be the 1000th UK Number One of all time. aren't you just quivering with excitement? me neither, but let's get on with it anyway...

40. "i'll stand by you" - girls aloud (last week's position: 22)
39. "evil" - interpol (18)
38. "confessions pt. ii/my boo" - usher (26)
37. "pow! forward" - lethal bizzle (23)

36. "strip" - pink grease (new entry)
this really makes me hopeful for this week, assuming that every new entry is as exciting as this one. i'm sure that won't be the case though, so i'll just enjoy this while i can. this fits right in with the retro-wave thing going on right now ala The Killers and such, but this is better than i'd expect it to be. i really like the dirty synth line that does nothing but accentuate the sexual lyrics. nice start to the week's chart.

35. "call on me" - eric prydz (24)
34. "unwritten" - natasha bedingfield (21)

33. "searching" - jamie scott (new entry)
and my excitement about the new entrys is killed just as quickly as it came. no need to send out for Scotland Yard, however, as the culprit is right here at number 33. this is a simple (read: boring) little ballad driven by a piano and repetitive guitar line about a guy playing "a six string for a livin" and "searchin' for that vibe". which i would totally buy if i could even be convinced that this dude has ever even played three consecutive chords on a guitar. i could be wrong and he could be some virtuoso, but it's all about the cred maaaaan. and here, i just ain't feelin' it.

32. "coming down/when you sleep" - longview (new entry)
this first stikes me as an even more British-sounding Coldplay (is that possible?) with a much more daring guitar player. and when i say more daring than Coldplay that still isn't saying much, its a lot like saying that green beans are the more exciting vegetable when compared with lima beans. greens aside, there is really nothing amazingly special about this song. several times there are some new sonic twists and it sounds like the song is about to take off into more interesting territory, but it ends up quickly returning to the same lethargy found in too many British bands in this post-"Yellow" landscape.

31. "do they know its Christmas?" - band aid 20 (6)
30. "father and son" - ronan keating f. yusuf islam (13)
29. "tilt ya head back" - nelly & christina aguilera (19)

28. "when the dawn breaks" - narcotic thrust (new entry)
another standard dance track, but at least its not ripping off some '80s AOR tune so it at least gets point for that. no points, however, for the sublimely average beat and craptacular lyrics. if this is supposed to pass for "meaningful" in dance music, then its no wonder i don't get much of it. sure, its all about "having fun" and i'm all for having fun... but for me, "fun" music has interesting beats and lyrics that don't make me want to bleed profusely from the ears.

27. "cutt off" - kasabian (8)

26. "no more" - roni size f. beverley knight (new entry)
alright, now here is some dance-oriented music that i can actually enjoy, although i could certainly do without the vocalist. the beat is somewhat standard for drum-and-bass circa 1997, but it still excites me twenty times more than any other dance track i've heard on the charts this year. i've always been a fan of Roni Size, particularly that "Brown Paper Bag" track with the really kick-ass video. anyway, as this goes on i am definitely wishing this were an instrumental. the rap about 2/3rds of the way through threatens to make me like the vocals, but i'll be damned if Ms. Knight isn't there in the background to remind me how much she's bringing this track down.

25. "drop it like its hot" - snoop dogg f. pharrell williams (20)

24. "four kicks" - kings of leon (new entry)
i like this a lot, but then i'm a sucker for pretty much any variety of southern rock with a groove. and there certainly is a good groove on this one, much more so than on the singles from the previous KoL album as those all came out a little more muddled than i would like. this new found confidence really seems to help the band out, as does this kick-ass guitar solo right here. lyrically, this sounds like we're talking about a rumble with the boys singing about a "switchblade posse" and gettin' the guns. this makes me excited for the domestic release of Aha Shake Heartbreak.

23. "i believe in you" - kylie minogue (11)

22. "pornography" - client (new entry)
this is a pretty cool electro tune right here, which is the first i'm hearing of Client. "you and me / monogamy / just you and me / pornography", pretty great lyrics if you ask me. seriously, dumb lyrics like this work when a track isn't trying to take itself so seriously. my favorite part if the interplay between the male and female vocals, which ratchets up the level of sexiness on this song. i'm liking a lot.

21. "if there's any justice" - lemar (14)

20. "breakin" - the music (new entry)
ok, let me just say that i'm liking the amount of rock music on this week's chart. does this portend good things to come for 2005? not that this song is something really special, but its much better than another dance track from someone we won't remember next month. i can't put my finger on just what it is that annoys me about this song, but i'm leaning towards those "oh-Oh-oh-Oh-oh-Oh"s running around in the background. there is a decent little drum breakdown towards the finish, but it just gets ruined by some vocal gymnastics by a monkey on helium. in the end this is just more of the same from one of the most pretentiously named bands of all time.

19. "you can do it" - ice cube f. mack 10 & ms. toi (15)

18. "through the glass" - thirteen senses (new entry)
more rock action here, although that may be overstating the case as there certainly isn't much rock going on with this song. it's somewhat like Keane trying harder to sound like an actual band, with a real guitar solo and all! overall its just another barely passable attempt at radio ready rock version 2005. i'm not sure whether i like this or the Longview track better, i'm leaning towards the latter although i think i should be thinking of it as which one i dislike the least. still i shouldn't complain, as it could have been "My Beat My Heart DJ 2005" by the Urban Dance Hunger Squad Hooligans or some shit.

17. "numb/encore" - jay-z/linkin park (16)

16. "serious" - pop (new entry)
can't get much more blatant with your musical goals than by naming your group Pop can you? it's a bit like naming your rock band The Music, eh? this is really generic co-ed dance pop straight out of florida 1998 here, trying to make someting interesting out of funk-lite guitar and chimes but failing miserably. the vocals are much less than inspiring, come on guys... at least natasha bedingfield TRIES. i just find it hard to believe that there is still a market for this kind of thing in 2005. next.

15. "what you waiting for?" - gwen stefani (12)
14. "breathe" - erasure (4)
13. "boulevard of broken dreams" - green day (9)
12. "filthy/gorgeous" - scissor sisters (5)
11. "object of my desire" - dana rayne (7)
10. "jailhouse rock" - elvis presley (1)
9. "out of touch" - uniting nations (10)
8. "the number of the beast" - iron maiden (3)

7. "live twice" - darius (new entry)
this Pop Idol winner shits out a ballad by numbers here, nothing really even worth commenting on. i'll just say that if you are the type of person that thinks Clay Aiken is a wonderful artist, then you just might like this. next.

6. "strings of life" - soul central f. kathy brown (new entry)
i'm really starting to run out of things to say when these bland dance tunes come on, but really they do next to nothing for me. i'm not a rockist or pop-hater by any means, i just don't get the love for these songs. there must be some sort of dance chart hit cookbook over in the UK:

(1) generic bassline
(2) alternating synth lines
(1) combination of: chimes/bells/bleeps/blips/blops
(1) high-pitched vocalist
add water, stir, voila! you now have a top 40 dance hit!

5. "staring at the sun" - rooster (new entry)
remember when U2 had a single about staring at the sun? remember how it was pretty good? well this is nothing like that, instead it's pure crap. i'd not heard of Rooster before now, so i held hopes of them being a decent rock band. little did i know that this is Busted after having spent the '90s listening to the Black Crowes rather than Green Day. they shout out the chorus over a string section trying to sound IMPORTANT, but instead end up sounding IMPOTENT. trust me fellas, there is a difference. a huge one.

4. "against all odds" - steve brookstein (2)

3. "somebody told me" - the killers (new entry)
this is, of course, a fucking wonderful song. i fail to understand how anybody could NOT enjoy this track, this failure would be followed quickly by me checking for signs of a pulse. sure, this is nothing groundbreaking, but come on - that riff! those synths!! that chorus!!! this is fun times twelve point three right here and a pop song that i've not tired of even after hundreds of listens, always a very good sign.

2. "empty souls" - manic street preachers (new entry)
i've not listened to anything by the manics since college, so i'm not at all sure what to expect with this one. it's not really striking me as anything special musically, but the manics were always all about the words, right? except i'm not really feeling those this time either. "falling like the twin towers / falling like april showers", that just sounds like they're trying too hard to reach epic status with this one. and its just plain too short to build up that kind of dramatic tension, unless of course this version is seriously edited down for length. if this was the first i had ever heard of the band, i'd really be scratching my head over what all the fuss was.

1. "one night" - elvis presley (new entry)
here we go with the second consecutive Elvis number one, and this one isn't so bad. we're still close to the early, more rockin' King back when he could even add a hint of excitement to his ballads. this sounds like one of those songs you'd want to hear while staring into the bottom of a beer glass at 3 a.m. as you watch everyone else head off with someone as you sit at the bar alone. which pretty much means that i like it, as there's really quite nothing like a good crying-in-the-beer song. does this mean we get to blame Elvis for emo? like it or not folks, this is your 1000th UK number one hit of all time.

np: "wattershed" - foo fighters
so with the recent talk about a new Foo album coming later this year along with the realization that the self-titled album is now 10 years old, i decided it was high time to take a look back on the career of Dave Grohl's most long-lived band. after spending some time crawling through the albums and various compilation tracks, i've thrown together a quick mix that i would provide someone looking to get into the band with. yeah, i know i'm missing quite a few radio singles - but that's on purpose. the highlights of the more recent albums aren't what you heard 100 times.

For All The Cows: A Foo Fighters Primer
1. All My Life (4:23) [taken from One By One LP]
2. Weenie Beenie (2:45) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
3. The One (2:44) [taken from Orange County OST LP]
4. Big Me (2:12) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
5. Aurora (5:51) [taken from There Is Nothing Left To Lose LP]
6. Hey, Johnny Park (4:08) [taken from The Colour And The Shape LP]
7. Generator (3:49) [taken from There Is Nothing Left To Lose LP]
8. Disenchanted Lullaby (4:33) [taken from One By One LP]
9. Dear Lover (4:33) [taken from Scream 2 OST LP]
10. My Hero (4:20) [taken from The Colour And The Shape LP]
11. Wattershed (2:15) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
12. X-Static (4:13) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
13. A320 (5:45) [taken from Godzilla OST LP]
14. Everlong (4:10) [taken from The Colour And The Shape LP]
15. I'll Stick Around (3:52) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
16. Headwires (4:37) [taken from There Is Nothing Left To Lose LP]
17. Floaty (4:30) [taken from Foo Fighters LP]
18. Burn Away (4:58) [taken from One By One LP]
19. Walking After You (5:03) [taken from The Colour And The Shape LP]

total running time: 78:41

Slop From The Pops: UK Pop Chart 01.09.05
here we are with the second top 40 chart of the year, a few more new singles to review this week. i'll skip the commentary for tracks i've already commented on before, as will be the case as the year progresses. without further ado...

40. "my prerogative" - britney spears (last week's position: 35)
39. "just can't wait (saturday)" - 100% f. jennifer john (31)
38. "irish son" - brian mcfadden (28)
37. "just lose it" - eminem (19)
36. "ride it" - geri (25)
35. "dj/stop" - jamelia (23)
34. "misunderstood" - robbie williams (24)
33. "obsession (si es amor)" - 3rd wish (22)
32. "lose my breath" - destiny's child (16)

31. "the key the secret 2005" - urban cookie collective (new entry)
so this is a remix of a track that originally charted in 1993. hmmm, can't say i heard the original version, but this sounds about like what i would have expected back then. anyway, i wouldn't have liked it then and i certainly don't like it now. definitely leading the "stupidest name on the charts" shortlist for 2005 thus far.

30. "vertigo" - u2 (27)
29. "the weekend" - michael gray (26)

28. "curtain falls" - blue (30)
this isn't a new entry, but i didn't get to review it last week as we only got a short sample of it. after hearing the whole thing i'm wishing it had stayed that way. really crap. the Stevie Wonder sample actually made me pine for Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise" though.

27. "i got you babe" - bo selecta! (15)
26. "confessions pt. ii/my boo" - usher (21)
25. "car wash" - christina aguilera f. missy elliott (18)
24. "call on me" - eric prydz (20)
23. "pow! forward" - lethal bizzle (14)
22. "i'll stand by you" - girls aloud (12)
21. "unwritten" - natasha bedingfield (10)
20. "drop it like it's hot" - snoop dogg f. pharrell williams (13)
19. "tilt ya head back" - nelly & christina aguilera (9)

18. "evil" - interpol (new entry)
this single is anchored by yet another excellent bassline by Carlos D, quite possibly the most consistent instrumentalist in the band. i don't think this song grabs me as much on its own as "Slow Hands" did, but they could have made a worse choice for a second single. it seems a lot of Interpol haters like to bash the lyrics, but this song contains probably some of my favorite ones off the new album: "you've come to love me nightly / yeah, you've come to hold me tight / is this motion everlasting / or do shutters pass in the night?". in the end i'm just excited to see a band i love this much reaching the top 20.

17. "tom hark (we want falmer)" - seagulls ska (new entry)
apparently this is a charity single to try and raise money for a new football (read: soccer) stadium in Brighton or something, which certainly explains the craptacularness of it. it's like a third-rate ska revival beat with some horrible soccer related lyrics. but as far as novelty hits go, i've definitely heard worse. nothing i'd be inclined to buy, mind you, but miles more enjoyable than that Bo Selecta single.

16. "numb/encore" - jay-z/linkin park (17)
15. "you can do it" - ice cube f. mack 10 & ms. toi (5)
14. "if there's any justice" - lemar (8)
13. "father and son" - ronan keating & yusuf islam (4)
12. "what you waiting for" - gwen stefani (11)
11. "i believe in you" - kylie minogue (3)
10. "out of touch" - uniting nations (7)
9. "boulevard of broken dreams" - green day (6)

8. "cutt off" - kasabian (new entry)
this, the band's fourth single, this one reminds me a little of Kula Shaker although this is much better than anything that band put out (excluding the wonderful "Tattva"). i think the lyrics drag this song down a little bit, "John was a scientist / hooked on LSD" not exactly being the deepest ever, but i'm still enjoying it. i'm definitely looking forward to this album getting a stateside domestic release this year.

7. "object of my desire" - dana rayne (new entry)
this is a pretty average house track by a half-Italian New Yorker, and is only interesting in that it sounds like Ms. Rayne took a healthy hit of helium before she stepped in the vocal booth. as i stated last week this type of thing doesn't do much at all for me, but its not as awful as some of the dance songs on the chart so far this year. still, i'd much rather hear Kylie again or even that Geri track.

6. "do they know it's christmas?" - band aid 20 (2)

5. "filthy/gorgeous" - scissor sisters (new entry)
now this is what more of these pop singles need to be - sexy, decadent, danceable, and a whole hell of a lot of fun. this is the Sisters in full-on flamboyant mode, pure campiness to the max. if this song doesn't make you want to get up and shake your groove thang, then you just may be clinically dead. i'm loving the Roget Troutman synth vocals over the heavy breathing at the end of the track, as Paris would say - that's hot.

4. "breathe" - erasure (new entry)
i'm liking this a lot more than i would have expected too, given i've never really been a huge fan of Erasure and when i was it was for the more upbeat stuff. this is more downtempo, but nice enough. a pretty little pop tune, which is what Erasure is known for.

3. "the number of the beast" - iron maiden (new entry)
so this is quite a change of pace after that new Erasure single, but enjoyable nonetheless. i mean, how often in this day and age do you get to hear full-on 80's metal like this on the radio? especially one as full-on as this, complete with moster guitar solos (as in, plural) and satanic references to boot? i'm sure i'm not the first to think of this, but i really would love to hear this back-to-back with a Darkness single.

2. "against all odds" - steve brookstein (1)

1. "jailhouse rock" - elvis presley (new entry)
i guess we should prepare for this to be the year of Elvis, as someone has decided to release an Elvis #1 every week for the first couple months of 2005. since we'll be hearing a lot more of the King in weeks to come, i'm glad we started it off with one of his best. fresh from 1958, this has quite possibly one of the best intros in all of recorded rock music history. this is young Elvis at his best right here, when he still put more emphasis on the rock in rock n' roll. i'm happy with this one as number one.

np: "she will only bring you happiness" - mclusky
rumor has it that this band will be the first to break up in the new year, quite disappointing to be honest. i'd only heard the most recent album, The Difference Between Me and You is That I'm Not On Fire, but i thought it was pretty solid. a great live band as well from what i'd been told, and pretty damn great at coming up with song and album titles.

2004: When the Ocean Met the Sky
So what will I remember most about the music I listened to in 2004? That's a great question, and one I've been pondering myself as I've prepared my year-end lists and this recap. It seems like everyone else is talking about how '04 will be remembered as the year "indie went mainstream", and to that I give a hearty eye-roll and a what-the-fuck-ever. I've been sick of hearing that one since I first heard it back in 1991/2 after Nirvana broke through. It just happened that last year the public discovered several bands that deserved every ounce of the attention they got, whether or not they had been initially embraced by the self-proclaimed watchdogs of indie culture. Anyway, I'm starting to get off topic, my point is that I don't want to waste this space talking about the same thing every other rock rag/critic/cultural pundit is spouting off about - namely the breakout performances of bands like Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, and The Arcade Fire. Not to say that I wasn't enamored by these bands at one point or another last year, because I was, but you can read about them pretty much anywhere else you look. However, I do have to mention one of the best musical moments I experienced in 2004 and that just happens to involve Modest Mouse. See, back in the middle of December I had attended a holiday party with my (at the time very new) girlfriend, whom I was in the process of madly falling in love with. Anyway, we were in the car on the way home from the party and my girlfriend popped in Good News For People Who Love Bad News, cranked it up to eleven, and headed south on Lake Shore Drive. As we sped towards the city and came into full view of the Chicago skyline the transition from "The World At Large" into "Float On" hit and I was suddenly struck with a feeling that the world was really a pretty fucking fantastic place once you slowed down and took a look around. To have Isaac Brock completely reaffirm this thought as he sang about us all floating on anyway was just icing on the cake. It may have been the wine I had at the party, it may have been the excitement of falling in love, or it may have been the breathtaking view of the city I love - but whatever it was, Modest Mouse provided me with the perfect soundtrack to a moment I will never forget. It was a moment that not only made me fall even harder in love with the driver of the car but also with an album that I already liked, hence its place atop my top albums of the year. With that obligatory Modest Mouse reference out of the way, here's a few things about my musical experiences with 2004 that you aren't likely to read about in many other 2004 recaps.

The Ponys- Laced With Romance (In the Red)
The Hiss - Panic Movement (Sanctuary)
The Ponys and the Hiss are two bands that received a little press at the beginning of 2004, but seemed to slip everyone's minds once it came time to review the best of the year. I think I'll attribute this to the garage rock backlash that has been steadily gaining steam over the past 18 months, but I think it's a crime to lazily dismiss these two albums like that. At the very least, they both represent time well spent when compared with the overrated Von Bondies album.
Laced With Romace is simply one of the most exciting straight-ahead rock albums that I heard over the course of the year. The lineage of The Ponys can be traced all the way back to Nuggets-era garage rock, but they can't be easily dismissed as serving reheated rock from that era. If you listen a little more closely, you can also hear a distinct link to the angular post-punk sound and the shoegazer wall of sound. Because of this mixture of influences, the band comes across as not just musicians - but huge music fans at the same time. See the band doesn't just take the cut-and-paste approach to their influences, instead they combine these into a spectacular original sound. But all of this talk of influences and genres would be for naught if the album didn't accomplish what it should and that is, well, to fucking rock. That is definitely not a problem, though, as the twin guitar attack of Jared Gummere and Ian Adams will grab your head as your ass struggles to contain itself once the rhythm section of Melissa Elias and Nathan Jerde start to lay down a beat. This isn't a band that's afraid to lock onto a groove and ride it for all its worth, check out the final few minutes of "I'll Make You A Star" if you need proof of that. What it all comes down to, however, is that this Chicago band put out an album that rocks from start to finish. I see great things ahead for this band, especially now that they've teamed up with uber-producer Steve Albini to record the follow-up.
The Hiss, meanwhile, seem to pull their influences more from the British side of the pond - with Led Zeppelin and Oasis being two of the most obvious. Now many might try to convince you that that would be a bad thing, but don't let them fill your head with such foolishness. Combining the stomp and swagger of the Zep and the pop sensibilities and blind (over)confidence of Oasis can only lead to good things. Because it takes a band with big riffs and even bigger balls to let loose with an album like Panic Movement in this day an age. It's loud, dense, and full of testosterone without the nod and the wink of a band like The Darkness. "Listen to Me" and "Riverbed" are spectacular examples of what this band can bring, chock full of the chunky riffs and searing solos that scream nothing but motherfuckin' rock music, maaaan. To be sure, this is cocky young man's rock and roll with nary an apology to be made. If you haven't forgotten how hard rock made you feel alive, then this album should be right up your alley.

Getting In Touch With My Inner Goth
2004 was also the year that I finally took the plunge headfirst into the world of Robert Smith and The Cure. I'd always been quick to dismiss the band in the past, expecting little more than whiny pop hits and overblown melodramatics. I know that sounds a little odd coming from a man who worships at the altar of Billy Corgan, in fact most fellow Pumpkinheads were usually shocked when I said I wasn't into the Cure, but it was where I stood. As I started hearing the hype for the (at the time) soon to be released self-titled album, I began to think that maybe I should at least give them a chance. My friend Patty was quick to give me a hand, burning me a three-disc compilation of singles, album tracks, live songs, and some rarities. It was a lot to digest, but I took some time with each disc and discovered that there were a few more layers to the band than I ever imagined there would be. I did find myself enjoying the melodramatic gloom and doom tracks (again, must be the Pumpkin thing), but I also found myself really digging Bob's way with a pop hook. His pop tunes didn't bang you over the head and demand your attention, instead they slowly wormed their way into your subconscious and just waited. Because they knew you would come around sooner or later. After exploring these discs, The Cure hit stores and I readily snatched it up. I was immediately into the album, as it seemed to be a culmination of all the aspects of the band I had discovered on Patty's discs. I found myself even going as far as searching out the import singles so I could hear the new B-sides, because sometimes I just go all out when into a new band. This tendency was really revealed when I found myself with a Border's giftcard near the end of the summer and decided to splurge on Join the Dots, the band's collection of B-sides. Probably not the best way to dig further into a band's back catalog as we all know how hit-or-miss a band's flipside stuff can be. It turned out that much like Radiohead or Oasis, The Cure was one of those band's that didn't just churn out crap for the rarities - there were some real gems on this box. I found myself attracted to the first disc especially, really digging the early stuff that reminded me of other post-punk bands that I've slowly been getting into over the past several years. So imagine my excitement when I learned of the plan to reissue the band's back catalog, seemed I had found the perfect time to get into them. My girlfriend gave me the Three Imaginary Boys reissue set for Christmas and I've been unable to pry it loose from my disc changer since. So, if nothing else, 2004 was the year I discovered a band with a ton of older material for me to get acquainted with. I also learned to never judge a goth by his make-up, you never know what you might be missing out on.

Letter from Memphis
A big event for me during 2004, one that is somewhat loosely connected to music, was a road trip taken in August down to Memphis. I had originally planned to head out to North Carolina with an ex, but when that went down the tubes I decided to use my time off for a solo trip down to visit a cousin. It was an enjoyable trip and the more I think back on it, the more I see that it was more closely related to music than I though. The first night there I joined the cousin and her boyfriend at a wonderful BBQ joint that I am kicking myself now for not remembering the name of. After dinner we hit downtown and B.B. King's joint to catch a performance by Ruby Wilson, the Queen of Beale Street. Now, I've never been really huge into the blues, but I found myself completely blown away that night. Watching the life and feeling she brought to the music made me realize that the key to enjoying the blues is watching a master at work live and in person. Since that trip I've tried to check out some more blues albums, but nothing can bring me back to the feeling of excitement I had that night. The next day I took a sidetrip down south to Graceland, because what's the point of a trip to Memphis if you don't stop in and visit the King? I was shocked by the level of devotion that the man still inspires in people to this day and I came away from the visit with a newfound respect for his music. Not enough to truly call myself a "fan" or anything, but enough for me to pick up a disc with some of his early recordings for the Sun label. Which leads me directly to the absolute highlight of my trip, a tour of the legendary Sun label recording studio. Notice I use the singular there, as I was shocked to discover that there is actually only one tiny studio in the building with the rest filled up with a more recent museum and cafe. Just to be standing in the very spot where rock and roll history was made by the likes of Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash among others was breahtaking. It also helped that our tour guide was an extremely knowledgeable musician who had spent some time with his own band recording there, so he really had a personal connection which showed in a big way. It was quite strange, however, to imagine a mega-huge band like U2 crammed into the tiny space to record something (some portions of Rattle and Hum were put to tape there). After the tour I went to the gift shop and spent the most I've ever spent for one piece of vinyl, picking up an original Johnny Cash sun label 45 ("I Just Thought You'd Like To Know" b/w "It's Just About Time"). It may not be a really valuable slab of wax, but it will always remind me of the short time I spent in the presence of the ghosts of rock and roll history. My only regret is not making it to the Stax museum while I was in town, but then that just gives me good excuse to head back again soon.

The Disappointments of 2004
As with anything else you can't have the ups without the downs, so the following details some of the things I was left cold by over the course of the year.

The Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs: So this wasn't an awful album by any means, problem is that it wasn't a fucking spectacular album that I couldn't get enough of. Maybe I'm too used to being spoiled by the Beasties, but that excitement is something I've come to expect from them. Licensed to Ill, Paul's Boutique, and Check Your Head all spent months and months on constant rotation in my Walkman and high school ride, while Ill Communication and Hello Nasty were the soundtracks to countless college parties and late nights in design studio. I'm used to spending so much time with a Beasties album that it almost feels like cheating when I listen to something else, but I don't think I even made it through four listens of this before I filed it away.
R.E.M. - Around the Sun: Little needs to be said about this, other than I should have my head examined for still expecting greatness out of this band.

Northern State - All City: It just wasn't the year for white rap trios at all, was it? I'm not sure why I even bothered to pick this one up in the first place. Oh yeah, it was because I saw the names Pete Rock, High and Mighty, Questlove, Har Mar Superstar and expected to hear something good. My bad.
Sahara Hotnights - Kiss and Tell: I figured these girls could do no wrong after all the excitement I got out of Jennie Bomb, and I was even more excited after I heard that Pelle of The Hives was going behind the board to help produce this one. But listening to this album after Jennie Bomb was like trying to eat reheated McDonald's the next day - it sure as hell doesn't taste the same and frankly it kinda stinks.

Random 7"ers
* I wasn't looking to any metal albums to perk my ears up, but I'll be damned if both Mastodon and Lamb of God make me unexpectedly band my head.

* The Reputation is a criminally under-rated band, and Elizabeth Elmore deserves at least half the love that Jenny Lewis getting.

* I'm hardly the first person to say this, but kindly ask your favorite deity to bless all of the talented writers in the internet who brought more good music to me this year than ever before. (Look to your left for several of them)

* Am I the only one who doesn't think the Fiery Furnaces are the bee's knees? I can't be.

* I'm more excited to hear The Game's debut than 50 Cent's new one, and for those that know me - thats saying something. It's about time the LBC brought back it's A, um, game.

* Two Bright Eyes' albums and, if we're lucky, something new from the Desaperacidos. 2005 could shape up to be a very Conorrific year. Yeah, whatevs, I still got mad love for the kid.

* All Saints can get a hit over here, but we can't even get Girls Aloud on the charts? I mean, come on... what the fuck America?

I Got Next
And with that I close the book on the year that was 2004 and boldly turn my head in the direction of another exciting year of music. I have no idea what I will be talking about in this space a year from now, and that excites me more than any rumored release of the next 12 months can. But that's why I'm an obsessive music dork. Hopefully you enjoyed reading my wrap-up here, hit me up with some comments or e-mail. I'll gladly respond. Now, time to go take a listen to LCD Soundsystem and Superwolf to get 2005 rolling....

np: "processed beats" - kasabian

i finally got a chance last night to take a little longer listen to these guys thanks to the magic of the interweb, since i haven't been able to find out anything about a U.S. release date (not that i've searched all THAT hard mind you). i'd heard the name bandied about in the NME over the past couple of months, but never really followed up on the band until my girlfriend came back from Italy excited about a cut she had heard. soon after that i managed to hear "Club Foot" and found it pretty decent. and after a full listen to the album, i have to say that i found it quite enjoyable. so its not exactly anything new, this whole Britrock/electronica thing was pioneered by bands like Primal Scream years ago, but i found it a pretty solid debut. "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" was a particular standout for me, combining the almost raplike delivery over '60s garage sounding claps and organ. something about the energy of the track creeps inside me and makes me want to dance. i think a big part of the reason i like this so much is the fact that this sounds like what i was really hoping The Music's debut was going to sound like (i.e. a little more textured with the beats). the album tends to drag a little towards the end as the beats start to become a little flat and uninspiring, but on the whole its an energetic debut by a band working with a sound that i feel could use a little more exploring. then again i enjoyed the Razorlight album and the Babyshambles single, so maybe i just don't know my Britrock.

Slop From The Pops: UK Pop Chart 01.02.05
i promised a new feature in which i will be delving in to the British pop scene a little more deeply and this is it. i've decided the best way for me to explore this area of music is to jump right in and listen to the weekly chart show thanks to BBC Radio 1 and its' online streaming content. this first week i will provide a rundown of the entire Top 40, along with comments and thoughts that pop up while listening. in the future, however, i'll simplify this to just running down the Top 10 along with general comments and individual comments on only the newcomers to that week's chart. i'm aware of people who already do these sorts of chart rundowns each week, but i thought that i would learn more by jumping into the game myself. readers might also find interest in what an American rather detached from daily British pop culture has to say about the pop charts. so i hope you will take some time and dig through the pop slop with me.

40. "sunday morning" - maroon 5 (last week's position: 36)
this is not at all horrible, but neither is it "This Love" though. decent, snappy little tune although it's not quite as jazzy and "funky" as i'm sure the band likes to think they are. this is far more decent than a John Mayer single, but nothing that i would expose myself to in great amounts.

39. "kilamangiro" - babyshambles (38)
the "shambles" in the band name is quite appropriate, as it seems like this song is constantly on the verge of breaking down completely. i like this song just fine though, as that sloppy sort of sound that the Libertines perfected is something i have always dug. its certainly more than i expected from Mr. Doherty at this point, but it leaves me to wonder just how much longer he and his former band can milk the tabloid exposure for lyrical inspiration.

38. "sad and lonely" - secret machines (new entry)
this is good stuff right here, as i'm loving the fuzzed out guitars that form the foundation of this song. lyrically this is nothing special, but this band is terrific at creating an intimidating sonic bed on which they can layer some sweet hooks and melodies. this is a much more accessible form of the scuzzy rock created by bands like Dead Meadow. and i mean that as a compliment.

37. "get me outta here" - jet (new entry)
this is, what, the nineteenth single from this 2003 album? right, it just seems that way. milk it boys, milk it. this is another hard-rocker from the boys down under, but not quite as obvious of an AC/DC rip-off as "Cold Hard Bitch". still, as far as classic rock homages go, i rather like this song as i did much of the album. they're sick of the man, because the man is a thief. and its not like Jet would know anything about theft, would they? nudge nudge wink wink.

36. "i have forgiven jesus" - morrissey (28)
just a snippet of this song from Wes this week, but that's alright as this is my least favorite of the Quarry singles thus far. it just strikes me a little too much as Moz by the numbers, if you know what i mean. "First of the Gang to Die" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" were both exciting to me because they weren't at all what i was expecting at this point, but this just seems like Moz on autopilot.

35. "my prerogative" - britney spears (re-entry)
this is, eh, alright i suppose. if she really wanted to go the cover route, i wish she could have picked something a little more surprising - this choice just seems to be a tad too obvious. the production is decent, but it doesn't really seem to be pushing the envelope at all. it certainly is no "Toxic", but really... what is?

34. "radio gaga" - electric six (34)
very disappointed not to hear all of this track, as i remember quite liking it when i heard it the first time. i don't know that i would have thought of it before, but it this is a completely perfect choice of covers for the Six. i'd much rather hear them cover all of Queen's hits than hear whatever this rumored reunited Queen has to put forth. i did love this original as a kid, so maybe that's why a straightforward cover doesn't offend me much.

33. "baby it's you" - jojo f. bow-wow (39)
this one is an interesting single, and by "interesting" i mean "crap". her first single wasn't bad, but i'm not finding anything redeeming about this one. your basic overdone teen pop semi-ballad, minus many points for forcing us to hear Bow Wow rap about groupies. shudder.

32. "you knows i love you" - goldie lookin' chain (25)
hmm, this is my first exposure to the GLC and i can't say that i am very impressed. it is a mildly funny take on all the love-rap singles put forth by Ja Rule and the like, but i don't see this being worth any repeated listenings. that voice on the chorus is quite annoying, almost as grating as the Pee Wee laugh in "Just Lose It".

31. "just can't wait (saturday)" - 100 percent f. jennifer john (35)
let me just get this out of the way now, i'm really not at all a fan of this type of what i call Eurodance stuff and i'm going to be just a little bit biased against it. but, hell, thats what this blog is all about - putting forth my bias towards the music i interact with. anyway, this song just emphasizes what i dislike most about this genre - the overly generic and bland vocal hooks that do absolutely nothing for me. i might have liked this quite well as an instrumental, as that little Stardust sample has kept me from throwing my computer in annoyance, but as it is i just can't get into this track.

30. "curtain falls" - blue (37)
we just get a small snippet of this one as well, and it sounds like i am missing nothing. i thought Blue was a joke band after i saw the reference in Love Actually, so imagine my surprise when i found out they actually existed. but from this sample, i can't imagine them sounding much different from what i imagined a fictional British boy band to sound like.

29. "room on the 3rd floor" - mcfly (29)
so this is what it sounds like when a British pop-punkster does his best impression of an American pop-punkster imitating the original punk sneer. egads, this is pretty crap. i think i'd much prefer listening to another Simple Plan single. see "Adam's Song" by Blink or that one song about suicide by Good Charlotte for a pop-punk "meaningful" ballad done right. that Beatles' "na-na-na-na" singalong near the end almost saves it. wait, no.... no it doesn't. next.

28. "irish son" - brian mcfadden (23)
this really isn't too bad of a song here, not for the white boy rediscovering his roots via pop song variety anyway. i actually like is voice and it seems like he can carry a tune, this makes it much more enjoyable than a Clay Aiken tune for example. this whole song, though, sort of reminds me of what U2 might have sounded like had they forgone the "indie rock band" route at the beginning and aimed for the top of the pops.

27. "vertigo" - u2 (24)
speaking of the devils, er, saviors if we were to ask Bono. anyway, this song needs nothing more to be said about it. in fact it doesn't need to be heard again either, and thankfully Wes spares us by playing just a snippet. thank Bono for small favors.

26. "the weekend" - michael gray (26)
hmmm, yeah... didn't we just hear a crap dance tune about looking forward to the weekend? they say repetition is a good learning tool, that is if you are four years old. well, i'm certainly not four and i didn't like this theme the first time around either. (pause for, you know, actually LISTENING to the song) nope, still didn't like it. next.

25. "ride it" - geri (29)
now this dance tune isn't much better, but it is a slight improvement on what we've heard on this week's chart. this one actually has a chorus that makes me want to continue listening, but the beat strikes me as rather generic. still, i don't see this one scaring me off the dancefloor... so, points for that.

24. "misunderstood" - robbie williams (22)
so Robbie goes all roots-rock on us here or something. this just doesn't sit right with me, i think it's the whole mixing of Robbie's upper crust vocals and the blues harmonica. he just can't pull off this country-soul thing, sorry. whatever happened to the wink and a nod suave Robbie? i miss him.

23. "dj/stop" - jamelia (30)
apparently jamelia is like the UK's answer to Beyonce, although she sounds a lot more like J-Lo on this one. yet ANOTHER song dedicated to the club DJ. what about a song for all the hardworking barbacks or bus boys out there? anyway, this isn't completely awful once you get past the subject matter. nothing special either though.

22. "obsession (si es amor)" - 3rd wish (26)
we get nothing more than a tiny snippet of this one, so not too sure what i think of it.

21. "my boo/confessions part ii" - usher (27)
so this time we get "My Boo", featuring the lovely Ms. Alicia Keys. this is probably my second favorite Usher single of 2004, right there behind "Burn". and yes, i am including the over-rated "Yeah" in this consideration. this one is very pretty and i think their voices work really well together. the part of the song that kills me everytime is when Usher jumps into the breakdown with his "oh my.... oh MY oh..." followed up with the falsetto "boo"s. love it.

20. "call on me" - eric prydz (21)
so another in the string of dance hits based on adult contemporary hits of the 1980s, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. i certainly don't, so i'm not finding this one special at all. if we are going to continue to mine the '80s for dance mix fodder, let's make with the Hall and Oates covers with a quickness. i think i could get behind that.

19. "just lose it" - eminem (17)
another song that i really don't have all that much to say about anymore, except that it's nowhere near as bad as everyone wants to make it out to be. and that it is probably one of Marshall's weakest singles yet, along with a very poor choice for lead single.

18. "car wash" - christina aguilera f. missy elliott (19)
this is a fun little ditty from a kids' movie so i can't knock on it too badly can i? sure i can. this really is a weak single considering the level of talent involved. Aggie partakes of her usual vocal gymnastics over a weak approximation of "funk", with a barely passable Missy verse tacked on at the end. i do, however, love the part where Missy calls this out as a Shark Tale exclusive. thats so necessary.

17. "numb/encore" - jay-z/linkin park (18)
now this isn't my favorite of the Jigga/LP mash-ups, but it really is a pretty good track. a lot of haters are knocking on this collab, but you can't go comparing this to Dangermouse's excellent work. i was prepared to hate this myself, given my feelings for LP, but i actually found myself enjoying the ride. you should too.

16. "lose my breath" - destiny's child (12)
now this, this is a single i can really get excited about. i love the marching drum beat and the well-placed horn hits. the drill sergeant cadence of Beyonce's vocals are wonderful as well, turning this into one of those rare pop songs that does exactly what the title implies - mainly leaving one feeling short of breath by the time its over. quite a strong return for the DC3.

15. "i got you babe" - bo selecta (8)
i really don't understand the frequency with which these novelty hits appear on the British charts, especially around Christmas. maybe if i was more in tune with British culture i would find this funny, but as things stand i find it utterly worthless. next.

14. "pow! (forward)" - lethal bizzle (11)
is this supposed to be British crunk? i'd imagine this could be an excellent example of the grime movement if it were given a little more time to develop. maybe this works as a TV theme song or in some other context for people with no attention spans, but as a pop single i don't think it works.

13. "drop it like it's hot" - snoop dogg f. pharrell williams (16)
ahh, now this right here is another great single. see? i don't hate everything. prior to this song i was fearful that the spectacularness that was Neptunes-produced rap singles was over, but this one single alone proves that the well has not run dry yet. this is laid-back, confident, pimptastic Snoop at his strongest. there are just so many things right with this track that it should prove to the kiddies just what made Snoop so damn fascinating in the first place.

12. "i'll stand by you" - girls aloud (9)
i absolutely adore Girls Aloud, and this single just give me more reason to do just that. it's really not much more than a standard ballad cover, but the way the harmonized chorus kicks in after the traded verses gets me every time i hear it. every now and then i find myself a sucker for a sappy love balled, and this one fits me perfectly. bravo ladies.

11. "what you waiting for" - gwen stefani (14)
i quite like this one as well, although its taken some time to grow on me. nothing quenches quite like a meta pop single about the struggle to write a pop single. this could have been a miserable failure, but the pounding beat goes miles and miles towards making this a hot track. it also helps that Gwen's vocals are sounding more fresh and enticing than they have in years. i never thought that lyrics like "take a chance you stupid ho" would be ones that worm into my head, but they certainly have.

10. "unwritten" - natasha bedingfield (10)
i'm finding myself going back and forth on this one, which i guess makes it a completely average single in the end. the lyrics are uplifting, perhaps just a little but too Hallmark, but its nice to hear a single about something other than dancing or sex. i can't help but feel, though, that this could have been much better with just a little extra effort put into the production. as it is, i'm feeling left a little cold. the beat itself is a little underwhelming, as is the addition of the choir halfway in. i suppose you don't want to overshadow your star vocalist though.

9. "tilt ya head back" - nelly f. christina aguilera (15)
this is much better than the Aggie Shark Tale single, but miles away from being a compelling pop track. a great beat is pretty much wasted with Nelly's half-assed rapping over the top. it worked for "Over and Over Again" because that was a ballad, but this is a club banger for Christ sakes... bring out the excitement.

8. "if there's any justice" - lemar (5)
what's this, Seal? this really is a mediocre R&B track, that's for sure. which is a pity, because it sounds like Lemar has one hell of a set of pipes on him. i wonder what he could pull off with a motivated production team and a hot beat. i'm picturing something pretty spectacular featuring Twista and a Red Spyda beat. seriously. i'll keep my ear out for more from Lemar, but i certainly hope it grabs me more than this one did.

7. "out of touch" - uniting nations (13)
remember what i said about these horrid 80's dance covers? yeah, and that still stands. next.

6. "boulevard of broken dreams" - green day (7)
nice to see a rock track this high on up the chart, especially when its as deserving of the position as this song is. Green Day has come back strong with this new album, and i think the choice of singles thus far has been superb. i know this track's similarity to "Wonderwall" has been pointed out all over the place, but i think its no longer a valid concern once the full density of the chorus kicks in. its great to see the band get some public love after the last album was criminally overlooked.

5. "you can do it" - ice cube f. mack 10 & ms. toi (6)
i'm not sure exactly why this is making such a big splash on the UK chart at this point, because its been floundering here in the States for some time now. it honestly is a better track than i would have expected from Cube at this point, but he's still a long way from hanging his club bangers in the hall of quality with Luda and Fiddy.

4. "father and son" - ronan keating & yusuf islam (3)
really this is exactly the kind of song that threatens to turn me off of pop music altogether. i'm really struggling to make it through even one listen of this crap. don't me wrong, Yusuf had some decent tunes back when he went by Cat, but this is well past its expiration date. sometimes people just try way too hard.

3. "i believe in you" - kylie minogue (4)
this is by far my favorite song on the chart right now, another excellent slice of pop perfection from Ms. Minogue. the production help from the Scissor Sisters really shows here, adding just enough to style to really help the melody float through. it would be wonderful if Madonna could come up with something even half this great in 2005, but i'm not going to hold my breath. for now, though, i will happily accept this.

2. "do they know its christmas?" - band aid 20 (1)
at least the end of the Christmas season means this one will be slowly sliding off the charts. we all know this was both crap and completely unnecessary, so i will leave it at that. next.

1. "against all odds" - steve brookstein (2)
so we have a new number one this week, and its nothing at all to get worked up over. at least its not a horrid dance cover, but after last year's far superior Postal Service version i really can't take this too seriously. apparently this guy was some reality show winner, but that really means nothing. i mean, all American Idol has produced so far is one good Kelly Clarkson single and a whole lot of crap.

so, thats it for this week. i promise next weeks coverage to be much shorter as i spend most of my time on the new entries. thanks for joining me.

np: "i believe in you" - kylie minogue

so a new year and with that, a new look here at viachicago. i'm planning to spend a little more time updating this site in the double-0 five, with a few additions that i'm really excited about. the first of these will be posted very soon - a feature in which i will be exploring the UK pop scene in a little greater detail. i'm still also working on my 2004 year-end warp up, but its been taking me a little longer than planned to get that put together. it will be here though, so stay tuned. i'll also be spending some time making minor tweaks to the site, so please bear with me through those.

np: "old red eyes is back" - the beautiful south

still working on a rather large end-of-year 2004 recap, but just wanted to pop in and throw a couple thoughts at the proverbial wall here. it was a huge music-related Christmas for me, with the iPod finally making its way into my life. the verdict after having it for a week? fantastic. i've found myself creating excuses just to listen to it... for example - i would usually crank up the old stereo system with the big Pioneers for cleaning around the apartment, but last night i was bopping around to Basement Jaxx pumping through the earphones. yeah yeah, i know - but its the best i can do until i go out and pick up some of the accessories i need. since i'm about 2 years too late for jumping on the iPod revolution, i'll save you all more pointless gushing about its magnificence. in addition, the greatest mom in the world hooked me up with the Nirvana box set. after working my way through it for the first time, here's a couple comments:

- it's much better than i expected it to be, especially after hearing most of the Outcesticide series back in college. it's wonderful to have this stuff all in one easy place (and what a package - props to the designers) and the sound quality is much improved on much of the stuff.

- the DVD is little more than a curio, i would have liked to see some more live footage or even some of the band's videos. hopefully a DVD release of Live! Tonight! Sold Out! will happen soon.

- the Leadbelly sessions are fucking phenomenal.

- kinda disappointed that the final studio versions of compilation songs like "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" or "Sappy" weren't included. i was hoping this box set might eliminate the need to track down worthless shit like the Beavis and Butthead disc.

- i think it's criminal that the studio version of "You Know You're Right" wasn't included on here. which means i'll still have to shell out for the Greatest Hits disc from two years ago. damn.

other music related gifts included the Jay-Z/Linkin Park mash-up disc from the little bro (verdict: meh, but it is Jigga...) and the 3 Imaginary Boys reissue (v: fantabulous, i can't wait for the rest of the reissues) from the girlfriend.

np: "heartbeats" - the knife

ok, so keen observers might notice that my Top 50 Singles list from last night changed slightly. this was because somehow i unintentionally misplaced two of the singles that were destined for the list from the start. so, just to keep things honest, "17 Years" by Ratata and "Mary" by the Scissor Sisters were bumped off the list and "Lean Back" and "I Miss You" were added higher up. i apologize for the error, but at least i caught it before too much time had passed.

and the part i'm sure you have all be waiting for with baited breath... (or at least since you've exhausted P-Fork's list)... here's my favorite albums of the year

Top 50 Albums of 2004
50. !!! - Louden Up Now
49. Comets on Fire - Blue Cathedral
48. Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld
47. Liars - They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
46. The Datsuns - Outta Sight/Outta Mind
45. Jason Molina - Pyramid Electric Co.
44. Morrissey - You Are the Quarry
43. The Cure - S/T
42. The Reputation - To Force A Fate
41. Mission of Burma - ONoffON
40. U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
39. Guided by Voices - Half Smiles of the Decomposed
38. Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
37. Ambulance LTD - S/T
36. Seachange - Lay of the Land
35. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
34. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
33. Elliott Smith - From A Basement On A Hill
32. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
31. Mastodon - Leviathan
30. Wilco - A Ghost is Born
29. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Shake the Sheets
28. The Killers - Hot Fuss
27. Scissor Sisters - S/T
26. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts
25. The Hiss - Panic Movement
24. The Libertines - S/T
23. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
22. Secret Machines - Now Here is Nowhere
21. The Icarus Line - Penance Soiree
20. Green Day - American Idiot
19. TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
18. Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands/Nino Rojo
17. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
16. The Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
15. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
14. Iron & Wine - Our Endless, Numbered Days
13. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
12. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
11. Dizzee Rascal - Showtime
10. Interpol - Antics
9. Madvillain - Madvillainy
8. The Ponys - Laced With Romance
7. The Futureheads - S/T
6. Brian Wilson - Smile
5. Junior Boys - Last Exit
4. Kanye West - The College Dropout
3. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Franz Ferdinand - S/T
1. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News

np: "this boy is exhausted" - wrens

pretty accurate song title for how i'm feeling tonight, although completely unintentional. so i'm sure anyone who had ever read this blog with any regularity had begun to wonder what happened to it. well, the answer isn't very simple... in fact, a combination of factors led to the lack of any updates at all for over four months. the main one being a massive computer problem that resulted in the loss of my internet connection at home for over a month and a half. needless to say, that month and a half broke me of the desire to update this site on a regular basis so i didn't exactly dive right back in. throw in an overload at work and a lot going on in my personal life, and this blog just got delegated to last on my list of things to do. but have no fear loyal readers, i'm back and ready to tackle this thing again with gusto. and what better time to jump back in then right at year-end list time? yep, its that time of year and like any other semi-serious music geek i've compiled my own lists of what i thought was worthy of hearing in the year 2004. tonight i'll start with my list of Top 50 singles, to be followed tomorrow by my list of Top 50 albums and sometime before the new year and narrative wrap-up of the year that was 2004.

and so, without further ado....

Top 50 Singles of 2004
(please note that i use the term "single" a little loosely here, as not all of these may have been officially released as singles but i feel that they made a significant enough impact on 2004 to be included in my list)

50. "Bridging the Gap" - Nas f. Olu Dara
49. "I Luv the Valley OH" - Xiu Xiu
48. "Game Over (Flip)" - Lil Flip
47. "Over and Over" - Nelly f. Tim McGraw
46. "Goodies" - Ciara f. Petey Pablo
45. "Chewing Gum" - Annie
44. "Mosh" - Eminem
43. "Tipsy" - J-Kwon
42. "Michael" - Franz Ferdinand
41. "Yeah" - Usher f. Lil Jon & Ludacris
40. "1980" - Estelle
39. "High Come Down" - Junior Boys
38. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - Green Day
37. "Stand Up Tall" - Dizzee Rascal
36. "Lean Back" - Fat Joe & Terror Squad
35. "Portland, Oregon" - Loretta Lynn & Jack White
34. "Irish Blood, English Heart" - Morrissey
33. "Lose My Breath" - Destiny's Child
32. "Take Your Mama Out" - Scissor Sisters
31. "Yeah (Pretentious Mix)" - LCD Soundsystem
30. "I Believe in You" - Kylie Minogue
29. "Can't Stand Me Now" - The Libertines
28. "American Idiot" - Green Day
27. "Galang" - M.I.A./Diplo
26. "Slow Hands" - Interpol
25. "Run" - Ghostface f. Jadakiss
24. "I Miss You" - Blink 182
23. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" - The Arcade Fire
22. "Lua" - Bright Eyes
21. "I'm A Cuckoo" - Belle & Sebastian
20. "Matinee" - Franz Ferdinand
19. "Drop It Like It's Hot" - Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Williams
18. "The Rat" - The Walkmen
17. "iGeneration" - MC Lars
16. "This Love" - Maroon 5
15. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
14. "Breathe" - Fabolous
13. "Heartbeat" - Annie
12. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z
11. "Move Ya Body" - Nina Sky f. Jabba
10. "Burn" - Usher
9. "Crown of Love" - The Arcade Fire
8. "Me & Mia" - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
7. "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West
6. "Dry Your Eyes" - The Streets
5. "Somebody Told Me" - The Killers
4. "Float On" - Modest Mouse
3. "Toxic" - Britney Spears
2. "The Show" - Girls Aloud
1. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand

np: "kicking the heart out" - rogue wave

well i've finally reached the point in the year where i feel completely behind on new music for 2004. this happens every year at some point, i just realize that i'm not getting close to hearing everything that i would like to hear. but, hey, i do have a job and a life (somewhat), so it was bound to happen sooner or later. and since i'm not one of those lucky critics getting sent free shit all the time, i gotta settle for what i can realistically get my hands on. regardless, over the past week or so i've been completely overwhelmed with reviews, articles, and talks about all these cool records i've not heard yet. i'm sure even as far back as February i was only hearing about 1/50th of the music out there, but at least i felt like i was on top of everything i wanted to check out. so this Rogue Wave album is one of those ones that i felt i needed to check out. not too bad, but nothing is really jumping out at me on the first listen. nice enough for background listening i think. for now, though, i think i'll once again resign myself to the fact that i'm simply never going to hear all the music i want to hear... and that's ok. not like i don't have plenty to fall back on as it is.

np: "scream" - del cielo

show review: del cielo, crap engine, starlike collision @ big horse lounge, wicker park

sometimes you just dread going to watch a friend's band play. not that you don't want to see them, but knowing that you are going to have to sit through a couple other shitty local bands first. last night was one of those nights... i was tired, it was a tuesday night and i had to get up early for work the next morning. but out of dedication i journeyed down to the hipster haven of Wicker Park to watch them play. the Big Horse Lounge is a cool little bar, hidden behind a take-out Mexican place on Milwaukee Ave. definitely one of those places you have to be looking for in order to find. but hell, two dollar PBRs can make any bar just that much cooler, so i was satisfied. yeah, i suppose drinking PBR is a symptom of a hipster or something, but fuck it.. i just like cheap beer. anyway, the bar slowly gets a little more crowded as people start to file in, attracting a pretty decent crowd for a Tuesday night... including none other than Elizabeth Elmore of The Reputation (and formerly of Sarge). and with that, the rock began.

first up was Washington D.C.'s very own Del Cielo, a trio of very talented ladies. imagine a slightly tamer Dischord sort of sound fronted by a very charismatic lead singer. unfortunately the sound was a little shitty for the first part of the show, so the lyrics were hard to make out. but she more than made up for it with facial expressions that really connected her to the audience. meanwhile, the drummer bashed her kit with a vengeance - throwing every ounce of energy she had into each hit while the bass played stood there looking cool and collected, smoothly fingering some powerful basslines. it was a short, sweet, killer set... i wish i had been a little more familiar with the songs before seeing them, but it really left me wanting to hear more.

next up was the ill-named Crap Engine, a surprise addition to the bill but a very worthwhile one nonetheless. this Chicago quartet brought some funky new-wave garage rock that really got the crowd moving. a solid rhythm section laid down some tight grooves while the two guitarists brought out the "punk" in post-punk as the lead singer sang about love and lost love. the lyrics were nothing to write home about, but Crap Engine was more about the groove than getting a point across. they kept the crowd moving with songs like "Love is Making Babies" and a funkdafied cover of "Surf City". they were a very pleasant surprise for a band that i knew absolutely nothing about beforehand, and one i will check out again if i ever get the chance.

i won't get too much into the Starlike Collision part of the show, since they are the friends that i went to see and i am terribly biased - but i'll just have to say it was the tightest set i've seen from them in a long time. the high number of shows they've been playing lately has really resulted in a confidence that comes across throughout the whole set. guitarist John threw himself into his solos, drummer Peter looked like he was punishing his kit, and lead singer Justine wowed the crowd as usual, turning a lot of converts onto the band - especially during her solo acoustic tune. not to ignore the always solid basswork of Sarah, its almost impossible to believe she's only been playing for a couple years. i guess thats what practice and dedication can do for you. anyway, despite my bias.. the crowd really seemed to get into Starlike and hopefully a few more were converted to the rock. check them out if you get a chance.

so it turned out to be a very fun night, with the two bands i'd never heard before really blowing my preconceptions of "shitty opening bands" out of the water. keep an eye and ear out for any of these three bands, well worth the time and money to check them out. Del Cielo are currently on a short tour around the country, check out the dates on the website i linked to above. Starlike Collision is always playing around Chicago and the burbs, keep an eye on their site as well to see when they will be bringing you the rock. as for Crap Engine, i don't know... i wasn't able to find much info on them on the net... but if any of you know anything about the band, let me know.