My Favorite 7 Albums of 2004

It didnt take me long to come up with 7 of my favorite albums of 2004. I have lots of singles that I love in addition to these and, in days to come, perhaps I’ll get the free time to share those with you as well. I’m not a big fan of 2004 for new music, I didn’t hear anything that jumped out of the walls and started kicking me really. Mostly, I saw glimpses and sketches, unfinished works, and starting points from which more could be done. Don’t call me lazy for posting a top 7, call me unenthused. I’m looking forward to 2005, and please keep your eyes and ears peeled here at Scenestars a glimpse of the new Chemical Brothers album right after the first of the year.

Brian Wilson - SMiLE

Surf’s Up

You can hear them still saying it if you listen — “Brian Wilson will never finish that album.” After his nervous breakdown in 1967, the pundits had a chance to be right. For years, pieces of it were everywhere but never congealed until he returned to work with Van Dyke Parks to fill in the blanks. The result is beyond anyone’s expectation. The painstaking warmth of this album, even where Wilson’s harmonies are askewed with age, is unmistakable. I hear complaints that it’s not the same without the original band. To those folks I simply say you obviously haven’t heard this CD.

Buy Brian Wilson’s “SMiLE”

Elliott Smith - From A Basement On The Hill

A Fond Farewell

I don’t really want to try and write something about why I love this record so much. Elliott was one of our great American songwriters and the tortures of his life, ones to which we can all relate in some way, were examined and executed thoroughly in his life’s work. This album was to be his masterwork, and though the posthumous release of it in a stripped-down form may not be what exactly what he intended, it is indeed an important glimpse into what was and, sadly, what had yet to be. Proceeds continue to benefit the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund for Abused Children, and with that I will leave you to ponder.

Buy Elliott Smith’s “From A Basement On The Hill”

Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum

Driving Death Valley Blues

Lanegan, as I’ve said in this very blog, pulls no punches with his love and holds back nothing. This record finds his balance between his lonesome cowboy drug-addled blues and his affinity for the bone-crunching rhythms of his masterful rock and roll. It signals a return to greatness for one of my favorite songwriters in the world.

Buy Mark Lanegan Band’s “Bubblegum”

Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose

Portland Oregon

Loretta Lynn’s glorious storytelling and bonafide country blessings would have been lost on a generation fascinated by the same brand of heartache and hopefulness she has always delivered. Thanks to Jack White’s simple and direct guidance, this album saw the light of day and the ears of that generation. At the tender age of 70, Loretta Lynn has proven she’s still the first lady of country music. She and Jack White have created a collaborative effort that is timeless and wonderful, as good or better than any record she has ever given us.

Buy Loretta Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose”

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

The Good Times Are Killing Me

This 10 year overnight success story has deep personal meaning to me. I have known Eric and Isaac since they were teenagers growing up in Maple Valley, WA. I watched them struggle with the Sunday afternoon matinees at the Velvet Elvis, the sudden regional fame, then the rigors of touring and endless late nights. Through it all this album proves they came out clean on the other side. With the help of Clay Jones and Dennis Herring, this album is a triumph of the will and a signpost to musicians struggling with their place in the world at every level. Every element of this album is a small victory with a big reward.

Buy Modest Mouse’s “Good News For People Who Love Bad News

!!! - Louden Up Now

Pardon My Freedom

The laconic disco of !!! (pronounced chik-chik-chik) is both clever and cataclysmic. Spawned from the genius of their first 12-inch single, “Me And Giuliani Down By The School Yard (A True Story)”, !!! take the new-found no-wave glory that time seemed to have forgotten and transform it into a minor modern miracle of downright funky, intelligent rhythms and forked-tongue words. It signals a death knoll to punk rock meant for herky-jerky motions and spiked hairdos. It gives credence to the argument for disco-punk and, well…it makes you shake that ass.

Buy !!!’s “Louden Up Now”

Air - Walkie Talkie

Cherry Blossom Girl (Hope Sandoval Version)

Welcome to the world of Walkie Talkie. It is an uber-ambient and groovy journey through the minds of Air and Nigel Godrich as they take us on a spacewalk through a galaxy of brightly tinted stars. It is a world where you float aimlessly without fear that you may run out of oxygen, enchanted by the planets that dance around you in crystalline glory. You may find yourself wandering through ice caves and tinted solar rays searching for a place to relax, but when you get to your table at the end of the universe, Air will be playing their symphonies just for you.

Buy Air’s “Walkie Talkie” [With BONUS DVD]

MY TOP 8 SINGLES OF 2004

Estelle - 1980

Kanye West - Jesus Walks

Annie - Hearbeat

Soulwax - NY Excuse

Phoenix - Everything is Everything

The Go! Team - The Power Is On

MIA - Sunshowers

Snow Patrol - Chocolate

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