a nearly impossible Best of 2004

Herein lies my Top Albums of Naught-Four. I, per usual, have purchased on
average one CD per 1.3 days of the year (that's approx 280). To simplify
and distill to only 10-15 CDs is a tiresome but wonderful task I look
forward to every year. In fact, as soon as I purchase my first album
released in January, I think about it. This process takes literally all
year. To judge what is best, I go with my gut mostly, sometimes with my
ears, occasionally with mon Coeur or with my pelvis. Below is the Top 15 of
04 culled from the Top Ten from three general categories  Folk/Country;
Pop/Rock/R&B and Electronica/Dance. The list for those is below. Still
sadly hopefull to add a Siberry album for next year's list.

Discuss!

Top Fifteen 2004
15. Rufus Wainwright  Want Two: Rufus is pretentious and arrogant. Rufus
is a former crank-head. Rufus is a silly daffodilly. Regardless, I love his
music. This album is more operatic and fey and moodier than his last one,
Want One. It also has a sense of humor (Old Whores Diet) and sweet
melodies galore. Favorite Song: The Art Teacher.

14. Orbital  The Blue Album: This is supposedly their last album. Sad. I
have always enjoyed their minimalistic techno. This album certainly has a
mood that is bluish. Some of the songs are amazingly beautiful and others
are feet-moving tunes. Favorite Song: One Perfect Sunrise w/ Lisa Gerrard.

13. Matt Sharp  Matt Sharp: Formerly of Weezer. Formerly of The Rentals.
Currently, solo. He states in a press release that he wanted to record
music similar to his own listening tastes. So, he moved to TN and wrote
slow, melodic, dreamy folk tunes. In the vein of Daniel Lanios production
of The Wrecking Ball by ELH. Favorite Song: All Those Dreams.
 
12. Joanna Newsom  Milk-Eyed Mender: Her voice sounds like Lady Day after
too much Helium (not heroine). Seriously. Or Minnie Mouse with gravel. I do
a purdy good imitation of it. Besides her cracked voice, she plays a
glorious folk harp, writes wonderful lyrics and is not afraid of being odd.
Me likey. Favorite Song: Bridges and Balloons.

11. Barbara Morgenstern  Nicht Muss: Shes German and sings mostly in that
language. She does ploppin' minimalist techno with subtle melodies and
tones. This album was a beatch! to find but well worth the searching. I
like to use it for cocktail party music. Few understand it but everyone
hums along. Favorite Song: Ohne Abstand.

10. Bjork  Medulla: What would my year-end list be without a Bjork CD.
Dull. Lifeless. Unimaginative. Which are terms never used to describe her
music. This albums mostly acapella or with only subtle beats and booms
sometimes provided by humans and choirs and sometimes not. Bjork is never
been so extreme but, in some manner, more accessible. Beauty in the bare.
Favorite Song: Who Is It.

9. Cesaria Evora  Club Sodade: Cesaria is from the Cape Verde Islands and
sings morna. In Cape Verdean Portuguese. This album contains remixes of
her biggest hits. Some are dance club versions. Some are jazzed-up. Some
are simplified dubs. Crosses that narrow boundary between dance music and
Latin rhythms. Favorite Song: Bondade E Maldade (Yoruba Soul Mix by Osunlade).

8. Eddi Reader - Sings the Songs of Robert Burns: Eddi has one of the
sweetest voices. Her singing is of the purest tonal quality this side of
Alison Krauss. This album is the words of poet Robert Burns (a Scottish
National Hero) put to music in the Ol' Country folk style. I couldnt care
less. I just wanna hear her sing, sing, sing, sing! Anything. Anytime.
Anywhere. Favorite Song: My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.

7. Jem  Finally Woken: Beth Orton + Happy = Jem. Or something like that.
Jems voice is eerily similar to Beth Os but the music is electro-pop,
bouncy hip-hoppish, rollickin good time! I listened to this album
incessantly for about 6 weeks. And whenever I needed some pep-n-me-step
(and had listened to all the Kylie I had on the iPod), Id listen to Jem.
Cannot recommend this one enough. Favorite Song: Wish I.

6. Rilo Kiley  More Adventurous: Smart lyrics. Simple clear vocals by the
former child star of Troop Beverly Hills. Country-fied alternapop/rock
(not alt-country, ewww!). They got a whole lotta buzz this year for this
album and well deserved, although their first two are just as good. If ya
want catchy, intelligent pop tunes, check em out. Favorite Songs: More
Adventurous.

5. Keane  Hopes & Fears: Keane is a rock band with no geetars. No, you
say. Believe it, I say. Unlike in the Colonies, some people in the UK
believe guitars arent necessary for rock-n-roll. Gawd Bless em. I iTuned
this album at the suggestion of a fellow music lover and was quickly taken,
shakened and stirred. Keanes sound is similar to many other Brit-rock
bands except that the singer can actually sing! Gotta love that. Favorite
Song: Bend & Break.

4. Bent  Ariels: This albums only available stateside via import. Spent a
pretty penny for it but it was utterly worthwhile. Bent does electro with
quirky bouncy melodies and loverly femme vocals with the occasional country
sounds (like a pedal guitar or banjo) thrown in the mix for irony, mood or
sentiment. It was released last month which is probably why I am not as
attached to it as No. 1-3. Favorite Song: I Cant Believe Its Over.

3. Jolie Holland  Escondida: Jolie, Jolie, Jolie. How you have enchanted
me this year with your vocals  a gooey bucketful of aural molasses  and
your doing-it-old-school-n-the-new-millennia songwriting. This album makes
me happy as a tropical giant clam full of endosymbionts photosynthesizing
the sunlight like there is no tomorrow (hows that for a simile), which is
odd since the songs are generally not happy tunes. Second to Dolly, my
favorite live performance of the year. Favorite Song: Old Fashion Morphine.

2. Nellie McKay  Get Away From Me: Comparisons to Norah are inevitable but
unnecessary. Nellie has a sense of humor and style, a flair for the naughty
and provocative, and copious amounts of bravado, sarcasm and anger. Nothing
like dear Norah (not that theres anything wrong that). This two-CD album
is another example of that modern pastiche of sundry musical styles thrown
in a blender and recorded for incredible results. Favorite Song: I Wanna
Get Married.

1.Loretta Lynn  Van Lear Rose: When I first heard about this album, I
feared that it would be Loretta Lynn Sings the White Strips Songbook.
UGH! I dislike the White Strips. But, I love what Jack White has done with
one of the grand dames of country. The songs are quick-n-raw and
sassy-n-sad without being maudlin or sappy. The rough geetar edges and her
rough, yet ageless voice blend seamlessly. This is the Masterpiece of 2004.
My New Years Wish will be that Jack will do the same resurrection for
Wanda Jackson. Favorite Song: All of em! Duh, Dink! Thats why its No. 1!


Folk & Country Top Ten
1.	Loretta Lynn  Van Lear Rose
2.	Jolie Holland  Escondida
3.	Eddi Reader - Sings the Songs of Robert Burns
4.	Joanna Newsom  Milk-Eyed Mender
5.	Matt Sharp  Matt Sharp
6.	Jesse Sykes  Oh, My Girl!
7.	kd lang  Hymns of the 49th Parallel
8.	Laura Love  You Aint Got No Easter Clothes
9.	Tift Merritt  Tambourine
10.	Iron & Wine  Our Endless Numbered Days

Honorable Mentions: HEM, Kasey Chambers, Po Girl, AKUS, Innocence Mission

Pop, Rock & Soul Top Ten
1.	Nellie McKay  Get Away From Me
2.	Keane  Hopes & Fears
3.	Rilo Kiley  More Adventurous
4.	Jem  Finally Woken
5.	Rufus Wainwright  Want Two
6.	Camera Obscura  Underachievers, Please Try Harder
7.	Candi Staton  Candi Staton
8.	Agnetha Falkstog  My Colouring Book
9.	Hidden Cameras  Mississauga, Goddamn
10.	Jill Scott  Beautifully Human, Words & Sounds Vol. II

Honorable Mentions: Elbow, Snow Patrol, Magnetic Fields, Sarah Harmer,
Kings of Convenience

Electronica & Dance Top Ten
1.	Bent  Ariels
2.	Cesaria Evora  Club Sodade
3.	Bjork  Medulla
4.	Barbara Morgenstern  Nicht Muss
5.	Orbital  The Blue Album
6.	Mark Farina  Air Farina
7.	Felix da Housecat  Devin Dazzle & the Neon Fever
8.	Martina Topley-Bird  Anything
9.	Wagon Christ  Sorry, I Make You Lush
10.	RuPaul  RuPaul Red Hot

Honorable Mentions: Massive Attack, Lamb, The Faint, Miss Kittin, Erlend Oye