Top 25 of 2004, A First Draft: #10-6
10. Franz Ferdinand – s/t
An exciting band that actually lives up to its Strokes-like hype. The catchiest record in my Top Ten, and one of the party records of the year.
9. Comets on Fire – Blue Cathedral
Dead Meadow’s PCP-smoking kid brother is stoned to the gills, punk as fuck, and noisy as all get out. The band’s third outing, and by far the best Sub Pop joint in recent memory. The Comets’ enchanting brand of heaviness calls for equal parts Stooges, Floyd, MC5, and Hawkwind. Oftentimes this record comes on as a more relentless Fun House. And the addition of six-slinger Ben Chasny, aka Six Organs of Admittance, sure hasn’t hurt.
8. The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me
If record geeks drew up best-of lists at the half-year, this likely would have topped mine at the end of June. I just might have spent more time listening to the Hold Steady this year than any other band on this list. What great music to start a workday! Yet I haven’t been quite as successful in converting my friends to the godlike wordsmanship and hilarious tall tales of former Lifter Puller mainman Craig Finn. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all. But I’ll be listening.
7. THIS SPACE RESERVED
I’m an idiot. When I sketched this list out, I thought I had thoroughly vetted all records for basic eligibility (ie, was said album issued in calendar year ‘04?). Yet I somehow overlooked this process in giving up a precious slot in the Top Ten to the Terminal Lovers’ awesome, but sadly ineligible, Drama Pit and Loan. According to Cope, "these songs were released in various guises and under different names, with different songs and different running orders, in 2001 and again in 2003." Doh! Had I not already published the rest of the list, in reverse order, I would have adjusted it accordingly, thereby giving Robyn Hitchcock membership in the exclusive Top Ten club for which I once considered him a shoe-in, but for now, I guess I’ll just leave this slot open for future use. Hey, this is a first draft, after all.
6. Witchcraft – s/t
In 2004, defying all logic, the Swedish band Witchcraft proved that, in fact, the world really DID need another band cut from the black cloth of Sabbath. But there’s so much more to these cats than some lame tribute to or imitation of Black Sabbath. Rather, they operate as if that band never existed; theirs is an intriguing parallel universe in which Witchcraft plays the role of doom metal demigods in their place. An astonishing full-length debut, this is highly recommended for anyone who rocks—-not just the stoner rock choir. Start here. You need this.
N/P: Relatively Clean Rivers - s/t (Radioactive)
An exciting band that actually lives up to its Strokes-like hype. The catchiest record in my Top Ten, and one of the party records of the year.
9. Comets on Fire – Blue Cathedral
Dead Meadow’s PCP-smoking kid brother is stoned to the gills, punk as fuck, and noisy as all get out. The band’s third outing, and by far the best Sub Pop joint in recent memory. The Comets’ enchanting brand of heaviness calls for equal parts Stooges, Floyd, MC5, and Hawkwind. Oftentimes this record comes on as a more relentless Fun House. And the addition of six-slinger Ben Chasny, aka Six Organs of Admittance, sure hasn’t hurt.
8. The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me
If record geeks drew up best-of lists at the half-year, this likely would have topped mine at the end of June. I just might have spent more time listening to the Hold Steady this year than any other band on this list. What great music to start a workday! Yet I haven’t been quite as successful in converting my friends to the godlike wordsmanship and hilarious tall tales of former Lifter Puller mainman Craig Finn. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all. But I’ll be listening.
7. THIS SPACE RESERVED
I’m an idiot. When I sketched this list out, I thought I had thoroughly vetted all records for basic eligibility (ie, was said album issued in calendar year ‘04?). Yet I somehow overlooked this process in giving up a precious slot in the Top Ten to the Terminal Lovers’ awesome, but sadly ineligible, Drama Pit and Loan. According to Cope, "these songs were released in various guises and under different names, with different songs and different running orders, in 2001 and again in 2003." Doh! Had I not already published the rest of the list, in reverse order, I would have adjusted it accordingly, thereby giving Robyn Hitchcock membership in the exclusive Top Ten club for which I once considered him a shoe-in, but for now, I guess I’ll just leave this slot open for future use. Hey, this is a first draft, after all.
6. Witchcraft – s/t
In 2004, defying all logic, the Swedish band Witchcraft proved that, in fact, the world really DID need another band cut from the black cloth of Sabbath. But there’s so much more to these cats than some lame tribute to or imitation of Black Sabbath. Rather, they operate as if that band never existed; theirs is an intriguing parallel universe in which Witchcraft plays the role of doom metal demigods in their place. An astonishing full-length debut, this is highly recommended for anyone who rocks—-not just the stoner rock choir. Start here. You need this.
N/P: Relatively Clean Rivers - s/t (Radioactive)
posted by Jonathan Wright at 1:16 AM EMAIL POST
