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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Hersh Forman <hiforman@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Re: Like I Never Left: My Top 20 Of 2003 |
| Date | Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:59:51 -0800 (PST) |
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After your comment on Josh Rouse (my #1) below, maybe
we shouldn't have you back!
More proof the YMMV.
--- Steve Clay <sbc@pobox.com> wrote:
> [I'm sorry, Audities. I just went to the store for
> milk in mid- 2002, and
> never came back. It was easier that way. You
> understand. But now that I
> think I can handle 60-odd messages a day again, I'm
> back. Hopefully, you'll
> still have me. -s]
>
> An odd year for me musically. We did major house
> construction over the last
> half of the year, and I was even -- gasp! --
> separated from my CD collection
> during some of that time. You often hear talk about
> "the CDs that stayed in
> the changer the most" as being a prime criterion for
> 'best-of-year' status
> -- well, I went long stretches without swapping any
> out. Adult life finally
> intruding? Or just lucky enough to have a bunch of
> good CDs in there? I
> dunno.
>
> 1 Pernice Brothers Yours, Mine And Ours Ashmont
> Finally for Joe et. al., the perfect combination of
> songs,
> musicianship and immaculate production. This record
> was my summer.
>
> 2 Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism Barsuk
> Whenever I hear cries of 'sellout' towards an indie
> fave, I know
> they've become just accessible enough for me to get
> into. Worked again.
>
> 3 The Jayhawks Rainy Day Music American
> Would have been higher if it didn't start taking on
> water halfway
> through; the first six songs are easily my favorite
> stretch of any album
> this year.
>
> 4 Fountains Of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers
> Virgin
> Adam, Chris: I'm sorry. I'm judging you unfairly --
> if this had been
> somebody's debut, it could have easily been
> #1. "Hackensack", "Valley Winter Song", and "Hey
> Julie" are all brilliant. I
> just wish the uptempo stuff had the joyous sugar
> rush that I got from "Leave
> The Biker", "Red Dragon Tattoo" or even "I Want An
> alien For Christmas". But
> it didn't. And I still hope you win the Grammy.
>
> 5 Guster Keep It Together Warner
> In which my fellow Jumbos put it all together.
>
> 6 Decembrists Her Majesty Kill Rock Stars
> This was one of the aforementioned 'changer' CDs,
> and so it grew on
> me, even though I don't like it quite as much
> _Castaways..._, and even if I
> still try and figure out what the hell Colin Meloy
> is talking about half the
> time.
>
> 7 Ballboy A Guide For The Waking Hours Manifesto
> THIS is what I hoped Belle & Sebastian would
> eventually turn into.
> Brilliant, bombastic, insidious Scottish pop with
> superb titles like "You
> Can't Spend Your Whole Life Hanging Around With
> Arseholes". And the cellos
> kick in, indeed.
>
> 8 The Thrills So Much For The City Virgin
> And this is what I hoped the Thorns album would be.
> Thankfully, I
> stumbled upon this instead. Sweet, lightweight
> harmonies with catchy tunes that didn't put me to
> sleep after 10 minutes.
>
> 9 Joe Jackson Band Volume 4 Rykodisc
> Okay, so it's not fricken _I'm The Man_. It's just
> a bunch of damn
> good songs played with energy and joy by a bunch of
> talented musicians.
>
> 10 The Strokes Room On Fire RCA
> Too much distortion on the vocals for me, and I
> like it a little
> better as background music, but damn, some of those
> songs are catchy.
>
> 11 Fleetwood Mac Say You Will Warner
> Assuming, of course, that it's MY version -- you
> know, the one with
> almost all of Stevie's songs left out. (I don't
> think I'm the only one on
> this list that was happy to hear about a new Mac
> album, but saddened when to
> realize it meant no Lindsey solo album.)
>
> 12 The Long Winters When I Pretend To Fall Barsuk
> This is a late entry, but climbing fast. Another
> week, and it's
> probably in the top ten for the year. A little
> inconsistent in the middle,
> but "Shapes", "Cinnamon", "Stupid" and "New Girl"
> are all fantastic.
>
> 13 The Shins Chutes Too Narrow Sub Pop
> Always a sleeper album for me -- I rarely think to
> put it on, but
> when I do, I'm always pleasantly surprised.
>
> 14 Kathleen Edwards Failer Socan / Factor
> I miss Americana already.
>
> 15 The Postal Service Give Up Sub Pop
> Emo-y (sorry) vocals with electronica music? Why
> does this work so
> well?
>
> 16 Bangles Doll Revolution Koch
> Welcome back, ladies.
>
> 17 Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros Streetcore
> Hellcat
> And farewell, Joe. Thanks for "Coma Girl", one of
> favorites tunes of
> the year.
>
> 18 Caitlin Cary I'm Staying Out Yep Roc
> Strangely enough, I don't see any Ryan Adams albums
> on this list. So
> who's having the last laugh now? A beautiful,
> delicate album. "Sleeping In
> On Sunday" was one of my midtempo faves this year.
>
> 19 The New Pornographers Electric Version Mint /
> Matador
> I didn't spend enough time with this -- not enough
> for it to stop
> confusing me -- but there's definitely some fun in
> there. I still think
> having Neko Case as your backup singer is like
> asking Neal Peart to play
> triangle, but...
>
> 20 Warren Zevon The Wind Artemis
> There were a bunch of 50-ish white guys that could
> have gone here
> (Cockburn, Crenshaw, RT, Hiatt), but my
> sentimentality gets the better of me
> again.
>
> Wish I had a spot for: Grand Drive, Mull Historical
> Society ("Live Like The
> Automatics" another of my faves of the year), Blue
> Man Group, The Bad Plus
> (my jazz album of the year), Gemma Hayes, the Let's
> Active tribute,
> All-American Rejects, Ed Harcourt, Clem Snide,
> Lilys, Eaves.
>
> Didn't listen to enough: Broken Social Scene,
> Grandaddy, Guided By Voices,
> Radiohead, Super Furry Animals.
>
> Dropped like a hot potato in shock over Trevor
> Horn's production, and
> haven't the time nor the inclination to pick back up
> again: Belle &
> Sebastian.
>
> No need to listen to much more: Kings Of Leon (file
> with Damien Rice under
> 'Don't Get'), Liz Phair, Josh Rouse (when I was
> five, I was forced to listen
> to Seals & Crofts. I don't intend to willingly
> suffer the same fate again),
> Thorns (really wanted to like this, but it's just so
> bland after the first
> few songs), Pete Yorn.
>
> That's it. Glad to be back.
>
> -s
>
>
>
>
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