Here's my entry:

 

1.       Rick Springfield - Venus In Overdrive - no close second for me.
The surprise of the year.  Springfield not only has some gas left in the
tank, he rips out his best album of his entire career.  Every song strong
and the passion is everywhere.  Brilliant power pop/rock album.

2.       Sparks - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep - I'll never get tired of
Sparks because the Mael brothers never sit still.  Eminently memorable and
catchy.  But very different than your standard rock fare.  Be forewarned.

3.       Kelly Jones - SheBANG! - an almost perfect 60's girl group
throwback, but brilliantly updated for the 2000's.  This is the kind of
discovery that makes Audities a must-read for me about twelve years now.

4.       Shane Nicholson - Familiar Ghosts - my second-favorite Aussie
import after the Finn Brothers (I know, technically, they're from NZ.)

5.       Pugwash - 11 Modern Antiquities - channeling Jeff Lynne never
sounded so original.

6.       Glen Campbell - Meet Glen Campbell - who knew?  Throw in Andy
Sturmer and others and Glen Campbell is reborn, but not re-made.  Still
Glen's voice and style, beautiful songs and musicianship.

7.       Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - Rattlin' Bones 

8.       Relient K - The Birds And The Bee Sides

9.       IKE - Where to Begin

10.   New Odds - Cheerleader - a great return to form.

11.   Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - Catnip Dynamite - excellent, meticulous,
catchy.  Just hard to dismiss Jellyfish when you listen; therefore it comes
up a bit short in the quality of songs.  If we had never heard Jellyfish,
this record would receive even more kudos.

12.   Liam Finn - I'll  Be Lightning

13.   The Fireman - Electric Arguments

14.   Cliff Hillis - Long Now

15.   Tim Christensen - Superior 

16.   Nada Surf - Lucky

17.   Elvis Costello - Momofuku

18.   Three Hour Tour - B Side Oblivion

19.   Panic at the Disco - Pretty Odd

20.   Attic Lights - Friday Night Lights

21.   Explorer's Club - Freedom Wind

22.   Aimee Mann - @#%&! Smilers

23.   Mike Viola - Lurch

24.   Josh Fix - Free At Last

25.   The Major Labels - Aquaviva

26.   Chris Townsend - Copenhagen

 

 

 

 

 

Hall of Shame - 

 

Weezer - Red Album - these guys put it on cruise control, smoked a bunch of
something and choked out this.  Two listenable tracks, none memorable.  The
underachievement of the year by a band that can and has done SO much better.

Sheryl Crow - Detours - I can usually find at least a couple of tracks on
any Sheryl Crow album that sparkle and dig into my mind.  Not here.  I
thought maybe Love Is Free, the single, but it just sounds obnoxious now.  I
hope Sheryl still has some creative juices left in there.  Politics
obviously doesn't do it for her.

 

Best,

Rick