2004

so how was it for you (musically or non)?

I bought about 20-25 CDs - Overall I didn't think it was a great year for new music (but maybe I'm not listening to the right stuff). My top ten would look something like this

Nick Cave
Ted Leo
Mark Lanegan
Old 97s
Hives
Magnetic Fields
Burning Brides
50 foot wave
The Charlatans
PJ Harvey
Mclusky/Arcade Fire

Least favorite CD by a mile, The Fiery Furnaces

Gig-wise I went to 19 that I can recall (incl the Pixies tomorrow). Favorites were The Hives, The Undertones, PJ Harvey, Mclusky in June, Delgados in March, Sleater Kinney at the Recher, Old 97s in January, The Shins, and seeing Ted Leo outdoors at Ft Reno w/ my daughter

Worst gig by a mile, 50 Foot Wave at Iota

Before this gets out of hand, posts like this are better served when they are broken up into seperate Best Albums of 2004 and Best Shows of 2004 posts.

Having both in one post will surely make for one or the other forgotten and and will always be a debate about who was good live and who wasn't.

Favorite 2004 releases:

The Robot Ate Me - On Vacation (exuberant bedroom lofi pop)
Freedy Johnston - The Way I Were (early demos)
Greg Brown - Live from the Kate Wolf Music Festival
The Microphones - Live in Japan
The Legends - Up Against the Legends
Dan Bern - My Country II/Anthems
Sodastream - A Minor Revival

Honorable Mentions:

For Stars- …It Falls Apart
David Dondero- Live from the Hemlock
Various Bright Eyes EPs
Mirah - C'mon Miracle
Camera Obscura - Underachievers Please Try Harder
Damien Jurado - Just in Time for Something

I've bought about 150-200 cd's and gone to well over 30 shows…..So I can't remember all those to be able to create lists.

not going to think about cds, but as far as shows, i've been to 22 and it will be 24 by the end of the year (pixies tonight and then nye)

best shows of the year:
kraftwerk
the hives
explosions in the sky (columbus/toronto)
interpol (toronto)
mogwai (pittsburgh)
some of the sets i saw at coachella/acl were very good, but the overall experiences i wouldn't put up with the others.

you don't have to remember all of them - just the good ones :p

out of curiosity, how many of the 150-200 CDs you bought have you listened to more than 5 times? not being snarky, just thats a ton of cds to be listening to on top of the ones you already own

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
I've bought about 150-200 cd's and gone to well over 30 shows…..So I can't remember all those to be able to create lists.

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
I've bought about 150-200 cd's and gone to well over 30 shows…..So I can't remember all those to be able to create lists.

then dont.

I've been more actively buying new stuff this year than usual… But, have no idea how many total cds were released this year. I know what you mean by not looking in the right place, even based on a good review I'm not willing to plunk down $13+ dollars for a CD with getting a chance to audition it. There are several CDs I resisted buying because of this.

I know what you mean by not looking in the right place, even based on a good review I'm not willing to plunk down $13+ dollars for a CD with getting a chance to audition it.

thats why I was floored by Robs 150-200 estimate - every CD purchase for me is a tortured excercise in case I 'waste' $15

which is why this board is so good coz there are lots of beta listeners out there

I might have turned curmudgeon. A number of bands released albums I was eagerly anticipating only for them to turn out to be mild disappointments.

These would include :

The fiery furnaces
Delgados
McLusky
Lambchop
Rilo Kiley

There are a number of others which I have not bought because the reviews have been poor or what I heard sounded bad:

Ash
Sparta
badly drawn boy (although this has grown on me)

I cant say any new recorded music has particularly dazzled me all year. Nor have I discovered any great new bands for myself.

All in all a pretty poor year for music for me.


I do like Matt Pond PA and Graham Coxon though. My favourite album that I can think of from this year is Malcolm Middleton.

Originally posted by brennser:
thats why I was floored by Robs 150-200 estimate -

rob gets a big fat paycheck every week, dont you know that by now?

Originally posted by sonickteam2:

rob gets a big fat paycheck every week, dont you know that by now? [/QB]

What startles me is, how come he does not own every album released in the 80's by now?

I agree that 2004 was not as great as 2003 for new CD releases, but a few were great.

Obviously, Muse, although its hardly 2004, since it came out in like August of 2003 in Europe

so I'll go with….

Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
Lali Puna - Faking The Books
Electric Soft Parade - American Adventure (2003 maybe)
The Killers - Hot Fuss

and that new Mos Def CD is amazing too.

thats what i can think of right now…

Originally posted by sonickteam2:

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
I've bought about 150-200 cd's and gone to well over 30 shows…..So I can't remember all those to be able to create lists.

then dont.

Are we in a bad mood today? Or just an anti Rob Gee mood? And just to think over the weekend I told Crystal we should meet up at Sonar with the two of you soon. :confused:

Originally posted by brennser:

out of curiosity, how many of the 150-200 CDs you bought have you listened to more than 5 times? not being snarky, just thats a ton of cds to be listening to on top of the ones you already own

[/QB]

Honestly, I've probably listened to about 10% of them more than five times. Some of them not at all. I just like collecting cd's and am starting to download them onto the computer so I can make mixed tapes. I havent quite figured out the whole ITUNES thing yet, so for now I'll just keep buying cd's.

Originally posted by Deepak Chopra:
What startles me is, how come he does not own every album released in the 80's by now? [/QB]

That's part of the plan.

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
Are we in a bad mood today? Or just an anti Rob Gee mood? And just to think over the weekend I told Crystal we should meet up at Sonar with the two of you soon. :confused:

no. i have been very sick over the weekend

maybe i am just cranky. i sorry.

I don't care if noone else likes this thread, I do :p

The Onions Best of 2004

and lily, there must be some Frames fans at The Onion - last line of article (talking about 05 releases)

Best of all, The Frames' Burn The Maps (out Feb. 8, though it's available as an import) offers an epic, moody, bruising collection of songs about disillusionment, dissolution, and disappointmentâ??all prime fodder for what may well prove to be 2005's best, and certainly most heart-rending, album.

Originally posted by Rob_Gee:
I just like collecting cd's and am starting to download them onto the computer so I can make mixed tapes.

tapes? seriously?

I made a tape for a long drive a few weeks back because my ipod is broken and I felt so weird. It was fun, though. But I'm not cutting edge, technologically, so I figured nobody made tapes anymore.