SNAVE'S 2004 MUSICAL THOUGHTS
I love listening to music, and when I do I tend to like things more modern. Here is a list of music I enjoyed during this past year.
Favorite CDs I heard in 2004:
Earlimart – Treble and Tremble: sweet, nicely arranged melancholic pop from California’s Central Valley.
Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand: Scottish jokester dandies resurrect New Wave
sensibilities.
Guided By Voices – Half Smiles Of The Decomposed: final album of indie pop/rock from one of the best bands you’ve never heard of.
Interpol – Antics: more of the same quality material from Paul Banks and Co.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues: ambitious double-CD has very few clinkers. Tough, gritty, melodic and emotional, with great arrangements.
Doug Gillard – Salamander: Guided By Voices’ lead guitarist goes solo. His vocals are good, the songwriting is decent… and the sound is great!
West Indian Girl – West Indian Girl: trippy California sounds, like modern psychedelic pop. Good use of synthesizers, too. Thanks J. Marquis for turning me on to this CD.
Dykehouse – Midrange: more psychedelic/new wave California stuff. Glows, sprawls, shimmers, swirls, and sparkles. Harkens back to about 1990. Terrible lyrics are more than made up for by the overall sound.
The Killers – Hot Fuss: worth fussing about. They have a little of bit of new wave, a bit of glam, and some songs that really cook! Thanks again, J. Marquis!
Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News: never thought I would include this band in a “best of” list. Vocalist Isaac Brock is an acquired taste. I find myself laughing as I listen to this CD due to the vocal histrionics and the vague, absurdist lyrical imagery. The band is growing up re. musical skills, too.
Musical disappointments of 2004:
Aerosmith – Honkin’ On Bobo: Was this CD really necessary?
Wilco – A Ghost Is Born: There is considerable talent in the band, but considerable aimlessness in its approach. Jeff Tweedy sounds as if he is either singing from an insane asylum or headed to one soon. I long for the days of “Summerteeth”.
U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: When Bono called this their “first rock and roll album” and when I heard Steve Lillywhite was producing it, I thought of the early U2 sound, from “Boy” until “Unforgettable Fire” and “Joshua Tree”… and salivated. This one just didn’t rock enough for me. It’s a very mature piece of work, and the band is as talented as ever… I just wasn’t moved.
Favorite CDs I heard in 2004:
Earlimart – Treble and Tremble: sweet, nicely arranged melancholic pop from California’s Central Valley.
Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand: Scottish jokester dandies resurrect New Wave
sensibilities.
Guided By Voices – Half Smiles Of The Decomposed: final album of indie pop/rock from one of the best bands you’ve never heard of.
Interpol – Antics: more of the same quality material from Paul Banks and Co.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues: ambitious double-CD has very few clinkers. Tough, gritty, melodic and emotional, with great arrangements.
Doug Gillard – Salamander: Guided By Voices’ lead guitarist goes solo. His vocals are good, the songwriting is decent… and the sound is great!
West Indian Girl – West Indian Girl: trippy California sounds, like modern psychedelic pop. Good use of synthesizers, too. Thanks J. Marquis for turning me on to this CD.
Dykehouse – Midrange: more psychedelic/new wave California stuff. Glows, sprawls, shimmers, swirls, and sparkles. Harkens back to about 1990. Terrible lyrics are more than made up for by the overall sound.
The Killers – Hot Fuss: worth fussing about. They have a little of bit of new wave, a bit of glam, and some songs that really cook! Thanks again, J. Marquis!
Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News: never thought I would include this band in a “best of” list. Vocalist Isaac Brock is an acquired taste. I find myself laughing as I listen to this CD due to the vocal histrionics and the vague, absurdist lyrical imagery. The band is growing up re. musical skills, too.
Musical disappointments of 2004:
Aerosmith – Honkin’ On Bobo: Was this CD really necessary?
Wilco – A Ghost Is Born: There is considerable talent in the band, but considerable aimlessness in its approach. Jeff Tweedy sounds as if he is either singing from an insane asylum or headed to one soon. I long for the days of “Summerteeth”.
U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: When Bono called this their “first rock and roll album” and when I heard Steve Lillywhite was producing it, I thought of the early U2 sound, from “Boy” until “Unforgettable Fire” and “Joshua Tree”… and salivated. This one just didn’t rock enough for me. It’s a very mature piece of work, and the band is as talented as ever… I just wasn’t moved.
2 Comments:
I don't understand why everybody says U2 rocks so much on the cd. I think they kick out the jams on "Vertigo" and the rest of the album is the same quasi-ballady stuff that filled up their previous effort.
Oops! One I definitely forgot to mention as a favorite is "The Revolution Starts Now" by Steve Earle. Great left-wing protest music, great guitars.
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