ÿþ<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Cosmik Debris' Staff Picks The Top Five Releases Of 2004</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" BACKGROUND="pics/black_strip2.gif" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0A3990" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#FF0000"> <! ac493> <TABLE WIDTH=100% BORDER=0> <TR> <!--============ LEFT COLUMN STARTS HERE==============--> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" SRC="left.js"></SCRIPT> <!--============ COVER STARTS HERE==============--> </TD> <TD WIDTH=85% VALIGN=TOP> <!--========== TITLE IMAGE ===============--> <TABLE width=100% BORDER=0> <TR> <TD WIDTH=85% ALIGN=MIDDLE> <CENTER><IMG SRC="pics/top_fives_title.jpg" WIDTH="449" HEIGHT="73" BORDER="0"></CENTER> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <!--========== END TITLE IMAGE ===============--> <BLOCKQUOTE> <!--===========INSERT MAIN TEXT BETWEEN===========--> <! ------------ COLUMNS -------------------> It's time once again for Cosmik's writers to go through the mental torture of trying to narrow all their favorite music of the year down to five top recommendations. You may think this an easy task. It's anything but. This is why some people have so many albums listed in the Honorable Mentions. This is why some people defiantly turn in a top 21 and a half, including the six best wines of the California vineyards. Uniformity isn't exactly the star of this show, but the music is, and we have plenty of that to tell you about, so here we go. <BR><BR><HR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>DJ JOHNSON</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> As editor of the magazine, I've always had to split my time between the very different worlds of writing and the administrative side of the mag. This year the admin side took far more of my time than ever before, and as a result I personally reviewed very few CDs. One of the nice things about being the boss, however, is that you get first crack at the CDs that come through, so if I fell head over heels in love with a disc, I could easily snag it before anyone else even knew it existed. Pretty nasty trick, huh? Hey, it's my reward for the drudgery of all that administrative work. Here are the albums that really made a lasting impression on me in 2004. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.garageband.com/artist/thebeeps/album/beeps"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_68.jpg">THE BEEPS: Music For Awkward Situations (Ilegalia)</A></B> <BR> A truly international band operating out of New York City, with members from Australia, Argentina, England and America. The music is dreamy, intoxicating and clever, just as floaty when it's cruising as when it's downtempo. One of the big selling points, for me, is the fact that lyrics really matter to these people. Vocalist/songwriter Sue K loves to play with words, as well as dangerous topics. "The Jesus Song" will become a favorite among as many hardcore Christians as it infuriates. I missed the barb myself, until they put me straight (see the <A TARGET=PARENT HREF="beeps.html">interview</A> with Pablo Martin and Sue K in this issue of Cosmik). Music For Awkward Situations shares something in common with all four of my other picks. It's sitting within easy reach of the CD player at all times, and it's being played so much the disc is in danger of melting. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE RUMBLE BEES: Be Pretty, Be Naked, Be Quiet&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_69.jpg">THE RUMBLE BEES: Be Pretty, Be Naked, Be Quiet (Keane)</A></B> <BR> Okay, I have to confess, this one is a little bit embarrassing in that just selecting it is tantamount to admitting immaturity. At least intermittent immaturity. These songs are snicker-fests. Songs about your "Nice Ass Butt," murderers and bedwetters, people with hairy backs and flabby bellies, and the ever present need to get laid are the order of the day, and guitarist/vocalist Mike Himelstein delivers it all with such enthusiasm you can't help but get caught up in it. Truth be told, it'd all be for naught if the music sucked, because let's face it, there are dozens of cutesy, winking sex joke albums every month that get on your last nerve in a big hurry. What makes The Rumble Bees a winning outfit is talent. They wrap it all up in tasty, blues-based rock and roll with guitar, piano, sax, drums and bass, and they don't phone any of it in. Not recommended for your church sock-hop. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE HAPPINESS FACTOR: Avoid Danger&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_70.jpg">THE HAPPINESS FACTOR: Avoid Danger (Paisley Pop)</A></B> <BR> Salim Nourallah's a hell of a power pop songwriter. The Happiness Factor's Avoid Danger was one of the best power pop albums in a year with quite a few very good ones, and Nourallah's writing skills and winning voice were the factors that put it over the top. The feel and sound qualifies this album to reside alongside the works of artists like Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Matthew Sweet, The Beatles, The Replacements, Redd Kross and the Rubinoos. If you're imagining the pop middle ground among those artists (or... trying to), you've got some idea of what The Happiness Factor is about. Paisley Pop is a label with a vibe, and Salim Nourallah seems to be the standard bearer, both as a solo artist and with this outstanding unit. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BLACK SABBATH: Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=83 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_71.jpg">BLACK SABBATH: Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978 (Rhino/WEA)</A></B> <BR> I usually don't pick reissues or compilations in my top five, but this is a special occasion. I guess the real test is when you look at the stacks of CD boxes on your desk and see which ones have been sitting there for month after month because you can't stop listening to them. I've been a Black Sabbath freak since I was 12 (in 1742), so I admit this is a highly biased decision. The Black Box is a gathering of all eight albums by the original Sabbath lineup, remastered to explode on laser contact in your player. Folks, I did extensive A/B testing for you, using the Warner Bros CDs for comparison, and it was like running a Ford Falcon against a Ferrari. Rrrrrooooaaar! All eight albums sound brutally hot. In fact, the sound is so good it caused me to re-evaluate the Never Say Die album, which I once found dull and now am quite fond of. I'll probably go back to avoiding picking things like this next year, but this one I just couldn't pass up. <P CLEAR=ALL> My pick for the best album of 2004 is... <P> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.gethip.com/new/lp/gh1127.html"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_72.jpg">THE PRIESTS: Tall Tales (Get Hip)</A></B> <BR> Dark, spooky, deliciously primal NYC garage rock bursting with power. I fell in love with this sound. I mean I have to hear it every damned day. Something about the gut level vocal tantrums of Matt Allyn is downright cathartic, the way getting drunk and punching walls is cathartic, only this is less painful. They recently had the thrill of seeing one of their tunes, "More," named "Coolest Song In The World" by Little Steven on his radio show, Underground Garage. And did I mention the power? Hey, Tim Kerr produced it, and in case you don't know what that means, suffice to say Mr. Kerr could make Joni Mitchell sound like freakin' Metallica. Kerr and The Priests are a dynamite match. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>HONORABLE MENTION:</B><P> There were several compilations that I had a hard time putting on the CD shelves in the back room this year. One that never did get more than a foot away from my CD player is Gearhead Records' <B>Greaseball Melodrama</B>, a killer collection of in-your-face rockers compiled by Eric Davidson of New Bomb Turks, a guy who knows what good in-your-face rock sounds like. There were several excellent instrumental surf albums this year, keeping the flame flickering on a genre I'd hate to see the end of. <B>Susan & The Surf-Tones</B> and <B>Satan's Pilgrims</B> deserve mention for fine albums, but the blowaway of the year, which just missed my top five, was <B>Pollo Del Mar</B>'s <B>The Golden State</B>. Powerful, beautiful and different from the pack because they're influenced almost as much by Zappa as they are by Dick Dale or The Atlantics. Finally, a little cardboard promo I got sometime mid-year by a band called <B>Hieronymus Bosch</B> (<B>Havin' Fun, Soundin' Good</B>) is also still sitting here, probably permanently. My review was positive, but I didn't say anything that would have hinted it would be in this year-end article. But I just couldn't stop listening to the damned thing. Y'know how that can be, I'm sure. Fun album. That's it for my picks this year. Time to start exploring the music of 2005. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>RON SARANICH</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> In Alphabetical Order: <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JACKSON BROWNE: The Very Best Of Jackson Browne&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=134 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_1.jpg">JACKSON BROWNE: The Very Best Of Jackson Browne (Rhino)</A></B> <BR><BR>A two CD compilation that spans Browne's career from his debut in 1972 through 2002. The lyrics bewitch, the music soars, and the listener leaves inspired. From "Doctor My Eyes," "These Day," "Fountain Of Sorrow," and "Running On Empty, all Browne's great songs are included. There's something for everyone to love. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JERRY GARCIA: All Good Things&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=141 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_2.jpg">JERRY GARCIA: All Good Things (Rhino)</A></B> <BR><BR>Not just for Dead Heads. Garcia was one of the most eclectic and original musicians of the 20th Century. This 6 CD set covers Garcia's first five solo albums away from the Grateful Dead, plus another CD of outtakes and previously unreleased songs on the first 5 CDs. Not every song is brilliant, some are uneven and perfunctory. But when Garcia was on, there were precious few musicians in any genre that could surf the music muse's wave like Jerry. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=FREDDIE HUBBARD: Ready For Freddie&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=2 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_3.jpg">FREDDIE HUBBARD: Ready For Freddie (Blue Note)</A></B> <BR><BR>Wonderful jazz ensemble playing from the early 1960s with soloists Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, and McCoy Tyner in explosive form. This album crackles with the creative power of superb musicians at their creative peaks. "Arietis" by Hubbard and "Marie Antoinette" by Shorter are classics, evocative and absorbing songs that endure despite repeated listenings. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BILL MILLER: Spirit Songs, The Best Of Bill Miller&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_4.jpg">BILL MILLER: Spirit Songs, The Best Of Bill Miller (Vanguard Records)</A></B> <BR><BR>Some of the best folk in many a year. Spirit Songs combines eloquently written lyrics with concise and taut music to produce a haunting and searching CD. Miller's mix of spirituality with a dead on portrayal of the human condition reminds me of Bob Dylan. A genuinely moving performance. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SONNY STITT: Personal Appearance&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_5.jpg">SONNY STITT: Personal Appearance (Verve)</A></B> <BR><BR>A 1957 session from the great Sonny Stitt. Stitt was duly inspired for this recording, resulting in a raw and emotional performance that ranks among his best efforts. Though the music is mostly jazz standards, Stitt solos with breathtaking beauty and imagination. A fully realized session that deserves your attention. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>HONORABLE MENTIONS:</B><BR> <BR><B>Jackie Mclean: Right Now (Blue Note)</B>. Lyrical jazz bordering on free yet maintaining a beauty and passion that is truly awesome. <B>Jean-Luc Ponty: In Concert (John-Luc Ponty Productions)</B>. Thoughtfully eloquent jazz that flows with exuberance and passion. Deserves your ear. <B>Various Artists: Torch Songs (Capitol Records)</B>. A wonderful 2 CD compilation of female jazz vocalists. Each song is superbly crafted and shimmers with passion and emotion. This is the place to start if you want to learn more about the great women of jazz. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>JASON THORNBERRY</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> My picks of the best of 2004 are in no order whatsoever. In fact, I couldn't decide on five, so I threw in a bonus album. Okay, wait, if I absolutely <I>had</I> to pick my favorite of the year - the album I've been playing continually, it would have to be DJ Jazzy Jeff (of Fresh Prince fame). But I'm still stuck with five left over. What to do? <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DJ JAZZY JEFF: Hip Hop Forever&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_56.jpg">DJ JAZZY JEFF: Hip Hop Forever (BBE)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=NAPALM DEATH: Leaders Not Followers 2&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_57.jpg">NAPALM DEATH: Leaders Not Followers 2 (Century Media)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=MORGAN GEIST: Unclassics&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_58.jpg">MORGAN GEIST: Unclassics (Environ)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE KILLERS: Hot Fuss&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_59.jpg">THE KILLERS: Hot Fuss (Island)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=MF DOOM: MM Food&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_60.jpg">MF DOOM: MM Food (Rhymesayers)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SEX POSITIONS: Sex Positions&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_61.jpg">SEX POSITIONS: Sex Positions (Deathwish, Inc.)</A></B> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>Honorable Mentions:</B> <P> 2004 was such a good year for music, here's a short list of groups that almost made it onto this list: <B>DJ Danger Mouse</B>, <B>Interpol</B>, <B>Murder By Death</B>, <B>The Killers</B>, <B>Viktor Vaughn</B>, <B>Modest Mouse</B>, and <B>Satisfaction</B>. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>DARREN PALTROWITZ</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> Check out Darren's Top Picks in his monthly <A TARGET=_new HREF="darren112.html">MOVING IN STEREO</A> column. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>RUSTY PIPES</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> Sure I listen to a lot of music, but I write most all the movie reviews you see in Cosmik, so here's my take on the Best Five Movies of 2004. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=Fahrenheit 911&mode=DVD"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=90 HEIGHT=140 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_6.jpg">Fahrenheit 911</A></B> <BR> Who knew Michael Moore could top Bowling For Columbine? Love it or hate it, F911 definitely tossed a boulder in the old political pool and the waves still haven't dissipated. Sure he's making fun of Bush, and some of his methods were a bit unfair, but all that was just done for effect. It was Moore's way of creating an entertaining veneer so that America would pay attention long enough to see the dirty bedrock truth about this dismal excuse for a President. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=Big Fish&mode=DVD"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=96 HEIGHT=140 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_7.jpg">Big Fish</A></B> <BR> Screw the fact that it came out really late in 2003, I didn't see it until last January. I think it may be Tim Burton's best fantasy ever and that's saying a lot. Ewan MacGregor and Albert Finney are both terrific. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind&mode=DVD"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=93 HEIGHT=140 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_8.jpg">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</A></B> <BR> With Jim Carrey doing an almost straight acting job trying to erase the memory of Kate Winslet's over the top Clementine, Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine is a delightfully bent and surreal love story. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=The Ladykillers&mode=DVD"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=96 HEIGHT=137 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_9.jpg">The Ladykillers</A></B> <BR> Forget the star-vehicle caper films like Oceans 12. The Coen Brothers strike again with this southern-fried heist comedy that features Tom Hanks as a poetry quoting, but ultimately inept, criminal mastermind. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=Saved&mode=DVD"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=95 HEIGHT=129 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_10.jpg">Saved</A></B> <BR> Much more than a project for Mandy Moore and MaCauley Culkin, this is an exceptionally pleasing coming of age comedy set in a Christian High school that's got a lot of heart. Plus you'll get to see several of tomorrow's stars here first. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>HONORABLE MENTIONS:</B><BR> <BR> <B>Hero and Ray</B> were good too, but most all my other favorites were documentaries: <B>What The Bleep Do We Know</B>, <B>Supersize Me</B>, <B>Fog Of War</B>, <B>Uncovered</B>, <B>Outfoxed</B>. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:</B><BR> <BR> <B>Alien Versus Predator</B>, <B>Anchorman</B>, <B>Along Came Polly</B>, <B>Alexander</B> and that's just the A's! At least <B>The Aviator</B> isn't on this list, actually it's up with the HM's. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR> And as for music: <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=ROY ZIMMERMAN&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=134 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_11.jpg">ROY ZIMMERMAN: Homeland-Security (Metaphor)</A></B> <BR> I'll say it again, Roy Zimmerman is the best rhyming lyricist since the legendary Tom Lehrer. In a very political year Roy's music kept reminding me that I was doing the the right thing by poking fun at all the Right targets. My kids loved it too. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=ANGELIQUE KIDJO: Oyaya&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_12.jpg">ANGELIQUE KIDJO: Oyaya (Sony)</A></B> <BR> A delightful trip around the Caribbean and back to Africa with a true queen of World beat. The song "Congoleo" alone would have been enough to earn a place on this list, but every track just shimmers. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=STEVE EARLE: The Revolution Starts Now&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_13.jpg">STEVE EARLE: The Revolution Starts Now (Artemis)</A></B> <BR> Another great album for a very political year but with a much rockier feel. In a world without Warren Zevon, at least we have Steve. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=AIR: Talkie Walkie&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_14.jpg">AIR: Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)</A></B> <BR> This French electronic Art Rock duo puts out such nice material that I've long ago forgiven them for selling out "Surfing on a Rocket" to a car commercial. The deluxe package with the DVD of live performances helped with the forgiveness. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JEAN MICHEL JARRE: Metamorphoses&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_15.jpg">JEAN MICHEL JARRE: Metamorphoses (Dreyfus)</A></B> <BR> Another French electronic CD that was actually recorded five years ago and only released in America that I enjoyed it immensely. A very melodic bit of electronica with just a hint of his classic work, Oxygene. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR> <B>Honorable mentions</B> include <B>Outkast</B> for the Can't-Miss Dance tune this year, "The Way You Move." Nearly as strong was "Hey Ya" from the same album but <B>Usher</B> got em out on the dance floor just as well with "Confession Part II" and "Burn." <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>DAN FORTE</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> As the song says, "It was a very good year." In fact, there were so many new releases that caught my attention in 2004, I'm breaking with my tradition of picking five each under the headings "New Stuff" and "Old Stuff," and just concentrating on the cream of new releases (with some reissues crammed into the bulging Honorable Mentions). A couple of names that have made my list in years past resurface here, but that's as reflective of their artistic growth as much or more than of my personal bias. So stick these in your five-disc changer and shuffle at your own discretion. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE: Sanctuary&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_51.jpg">CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE: Sanctuary (Real World)</A></B> <BR> Not just the <I>Blues</I> Album Of The Year, but the <I>Album</I> Of The Year, period. In fact, the harmonica master may be a blues legend, but this isn't necessarily a blues album; it's the culmination of a creative roll Charlie has been on since 1997's Rough News -- dipping into world music, Americana, and even country. Musselwhite describes Sanctuary as "a dark album for dark times," and with material from Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman, and Eddie Harris (and support from guitarist Charlie Sexton, drummer Michael Jerome, and the Blind Boys Of Alabama), he hits every note just so. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=J.J. CALE: To Tulsa And Back&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_52.jpg">J.J. CALE: To Tulsa And Back (Sanctuary)</A></B> <BR> It's hard to not like J.J. Cale -- which perhaps explains his enormous success as a songwriter. After a baker's dozen of solid albums spread over 33 years, you don't necessarily expect surprises from him, but that, too, is part of the attraction. Yet, To Tulsa And Back is his strongest, most consistent album since his auspicious 1971 debut, Naturally. This is like a greatest hits album, of material you've never heard, from one of your favorite artists. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.davidlindley.com/orders/order_form.html"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=146 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_53.jpg">DAVID LINDLEY & WALLY INGRAM: Live In Europe (davidlindley.com)</A></B> <BR> Like Musselwhite, Lindley hit the big Six-0 in '04, while Cale qualified for Medicare! But, like the others, this multi-instrumentalist is at the top of his game and still moving onwards and upwards. At the level Lindley now occupies, he seems capable of doing virtually anything he puts his mind to -- blending and juxtaposing genres; playing "novelty" songs with a degree of skill and imagination that's no joke; on guitar, oud, bouzouki, slide and most anything made of wood and strings. Percussionist Ingram's bang is the perfect counterpart to Mr. Dave's twang on this pristine live recording. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=WILL ACKERMAN: Returning&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_54.jpg">WILL ACKERMAN: Returning: Pieces For Guitar 1970-2004 (Mary's Tree)</A></B> <BR> The perfect title, not only because the steel-string fingerpicker is revisiting songs from his Windham Hill catalog, but because, after several outings in which he was as much collaborator as leader (not to mention label executive), he has come full circle to the simplicity of the solo acoustic guitar. Rerecording classics like "The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter" and "Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit" could have been a no-win proposition, but the growth and maturity in Ackerman's interpretive skills prove otherwise. His expressiveness is deeper here, his tone richer, bringing out nuances previously unexplored in these beautiful melodies. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JANET KLEIN and HER PARLOR BOYS: Living In Sin&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_55.jpg">JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS: Living In Sin (Couer De Jeanette Productions)</A></B> <BR> I was unacquainted with Ms. Klein until her presence in the 2003 documentary <I>Rock That Uke</I> intrigued, captivated and mesmerized me. I soon discovered she had recorded three CDs, and I bought them all simultaneously. Each gives the consumer plenty of bang for his or her buck, from the ultra-obscure tunes from the teens and '20s to the A-class musicianship and meticulous artwork. But her fourth and latest, subtitled Scandals, may be this French Postcard Come To Life's best to date. Kitsch? Sure. But Janet and her Parlor Boys transcend mere novelty while having fun along the way. So is this in a league with, say, Sony's lavish excavation of Miles Davis' <I>Seven Steps To Heaven</I> quintet? No. But it's nice to stumble onto a new gem, and I listened to Janet more than I listened to Miles in '04. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>HONORABLE MENTIONS</B><P> <B>New:</B> Slide master <B>Sonny Landreth's Grant Street (Sugar Hill)</B>; <B>Los Lobos</B>' star-studded <B>The Ride (Hollywood)</B>; jazz pianist <B>Hiromi's Brain (Telarc)</B>; the unclassifiable <B>Gram Rabbit's Music To Start a Cult To (Stinky Records)</B>; and steel/Dobro ace <B>Cindy Cashdollar's Slide Show (Silver Shot)</B>. <B>John Jorgenson's Franco-American Swing (FGM Records)</B>; <B>Skip Heller</B>'s tastefully eclectic funk on <B>Fake Book (Hyena)</B>; the catchy crunch of <B>The Donnas' Gold Medal (Atlantic)</B>; <B>Pete Anderson</B>'s instrumental vignettes on <B>Daredevil (Little Dog)</B>; the envelope-pushing swamp rock of <B>C.C. Adcock's Lafayette Marquis (Yep Roc)</B>; and <B>Percy Sledge</B> taking on everything from Steve Earle to the Hollies, in fine voice, on <B>Shining Through The Rain (Varese Sarabande)</B>.<BR><BR> <B>Old:</B> The aforementioned, classy <B>Miles Davis</B> seven-disc <B>7 Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings, 1963-1964 (Legacy)</B>; Rhino's continuation of <B>Elvis Costello</B>'s expanded catalog, with more illuminating versions of two albums of covers, <B>Almost Blue</B> and <B>Kojak Variety</B>; 30-year-old <B>Tony Bennett</B>'s first full-fledged album, from 1955, <B>Cloud 7</B>, featuring guitarist Chuck Wayne (Legacy); and <B>John Fahey, The Best Of, Vol. 2 (Takoma)</B>. <B>Johnny Winter's Second Winter</B>, expanded with a companion live disc (Legacy); <B>King of Fuzz</B>, <B>Davie Allan</B>'s prolific B-movie '60s time capsules on Sundazed's <B>Devil's Rumble</B>; four CDs of essential bluegrass history on <B>Can't You Hear Me Callin' (Legacy)</B>; and despite its chinsoid packaging and bass-scrimping EQ, <B>The Beatles Capitol LPs, Vol. I</B>'s <I>mono</I> versions.<BR><BR> <B>Previously unreleased:</B> <B>Hound Dog Taylor, Release The Hound (Alligator)</B>. <BR><BR> <B>Best DVDs:</B> The fascinating documentary, <B>Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music (Palm)</B>; the exciting and moving 1971 pilgrimage to Africa by Wilson Pickett, Ike & Tina Turner, Santana and others in <B>Soul To Soul (Reelin' In The Years)</B>; and 10 hours (with no veejays!) of one of rock's finest moments, <B>Live Aid (WSM)</B>.<BR><BR> <B>Best live gigs (in chronological order):</B> solo jazz guitarist <B>Martin Taylor</B>, Little Fox (Redwood City, CA) and Yoshi's (Oakland, CA) on consecutive nights in February; Austin's two-night <B>Tribute To Ronnie Dawson</B> (also in February), with artists like Doyle Bramhall and the LeRoi Brothers paying their respects, then the Ronnie Dawson Band performing RD's songs and backing Jimmie Vaughan, Marti Brom, Ray Sharpe and others, at the Continental Club; the reunited <B>Zombies</B> at Antone's, Feb. 22; and <B>Charlie Musselwhite</B> demonstrating that the blues can be so much more than your typical bar-band fare, at the Continental Club during SXSW, March 19. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>ERIC STEINER</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> In no particular order, here are my four favorite non-Blues albums of 2004. For my 5th pick, I'm privileged to shout about my Top Five blues releases over in my <A TARGET=PARENT HREF="eric112.html">Cosmik Debris column</A>. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BILL MALLONEE: Dear Life&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_16.jpg">BILL MALLONEE: Dear Life (Fundamental Records)</A></B> <BR> I first heard Bill Mallonee when he was the lead singer in the Athens, Georgia outfit Vigilantes of Love. His 1994 song, "Welcome to Struggleville" was a welcome addition then, and ten years on as a solo artist, he's helped me look at life and love differently as well. When I listen to "Chameleon Me (Pin My Hope)" or "After All This Dust Settles Down," I think you'll likely compare him to other troubadours like Bob Dylan or another one of my top five musicians from 2004, Alan Rhody. What sets Bill Mallonee's work apart for me is his fresh songwriting and clear, competent guitar playing. I've heard he's got at least 10 other full-length records out there as a solo artist or as a member of the Vigilantes of Love. That can only mean one thing: I've got a lot of listening to do to catch up with Mr. Mallonee in 2005. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rhody"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_17.jpg">ALAN RHODY: Journey (Ashwood Recordings)</A></B> <BR> I know that technically this CD was released in late 2003, but I didn't get it until 2004. Regular readers of Cosmik Debris know that I'm often fond of singer-songwriters who can help me learn something new, particularly those who can write as well as they can play. I'm thinking of singer-songwriters like James McMurtry, Bill Mallonee, Greg Brown, Kathleen Edwards, or Bonnie Koloc. Well, with Journey, I'm adding Alan Rhody to that list. "The Wind In Her Hair" chokes me up each time I hear it, because it's the first song I'll play for my wife on our 20th wedding anniversary this month when we celebrate staying together through a little thick and a lot of thin as I run a half-marathon in Marrakech in North Africa on our anniversary trip. In addition to releasing six solo CDs, Alan has penned top-20 and hit songs covered by a constellation of Music City artists, including Suzy Bogguss, T.G. Shephard, Tanya Tucker, Hoyt Axton, Lorrie Morgan, and Billy "Crash" Craddock. Take Alan Rhody's Journey - he's a true American troubadour, and he's put his experience as a 25-year career as a minstrel to work on this CD. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE DAMNWELLS: Bastards of the Beat&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_18.jpg">THE DAMNWELLS: Bastards of the Beat (Red Ink)</A></B> <BR> I saw the Damnwells last year with my Cosmik compatriot Shaun Dale at Seattle's Tractor Tavern, and I was rocketed back to an era where three minute guitar-fueled songs ruled the airwaves. For me, that's the late 70's, courtesy of The Clash, Richard Hell, and the early Heartbreakers. Lead singer/songwriter Alex Dezen could use a few lessons in songwriting, but when he plays lead guitar, I flash back to the late, great Olympian runner Steve Prefontaine from the University of Oregon. Steve gave more than his best at every track meet, he often said that to give anything less than your best was an insult to the gifts that you've been given. When Alex played at the Tractor Tavern, the Damnwells left everything on the small stage in an incredible tour-de-force that showed me that classic power pop and punk are very much alive and well with the Damnwells. In 2004, few songs rock me like "Kiss Catastrophe" did. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE SUBDUDES: Miracle Mule&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_19.jpg">THE SUBDUDES: Miracle Mule (Backporch/Virgin)</A></B> <BR> Miracle Mule is the reunion record that brings Tommy Malone, John Magnie, Steve Amedee, Tim Cook and Jimmy Messa together again. They began their musical careers in 1987 at an acoustic jam at New Orleans' live music proving ground, Tipitina's, and in the interim, released five CDs over 10 years of touring. After side projects aplenty, The Subdudes are back, and have released my favorite roots-rock record of 2004. They remind me of the Delgado Brothers, a great band out on the West Coast, but what the Subdudes do for me, I hope they do it for you: there's a world music groove that doesn't quit, supported by literate songwriting. Fair warning: Backporch/Virgin is also home to some of my favorite artists, so I'm biased. Check out the Subdudes, but label mates John Hammond and Over the Rhine also deliver on the Americana promise of this Milwaukee-based imprint. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>SHERMAN WICKS</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> My Top 5 list is as follows (and in no particular order): <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=WOLF EYES: Burned Mind&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_62.jpg">WOLF EYES: Burned Mind (Sub Pop)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE BAD PLUS: Give&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_63.jpg">THE BAD PLUS: Give (Columbia)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BEBEL GILBERTO: Bebel Gilberto&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_64.jpg">BEBEL GILBERTO: Bebel Gilberto (Six Degrees Records)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=RICHARD BUCKNER: Dents and Shells&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_65.jpg">RICHARD BUCKNER: Dents and Shells (Merge)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=AZITA: Life on the Fly&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_66.jpg">AZITA: Life on the Fly (Drag City)</A></B> <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>SKIP HELLER</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> My favorite records of the year in no real order: <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DAVE ALVIN: Ashgrove&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_45.jpg">DAVE ALVIN: Ashgrove (YepRoc)</A></B> <BR> Dave hadn't made a studio album of original material for a really long time, and he was due for a grand slam. "The Man In The Bed" alone would be enough for any songwriter, but "Everett Reuss" and the title cut rank with the best of Dave Alvin, which means the best of American songwriting. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BRIAN WILSON: Smile&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=152 HEIGHT=133 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_46.jpg">BRIAN WILSON: Smile (Nonesuch)</A></B> <BR> As much Darien Sahanaja's achievement as Brian's, it's a relief to know this major pop music work has been rescued from "what if" and wrestled to a beautiful and whimsical conclusion. The band is killing all over it, and the songs are all that. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=STAN RIDGWAY: Snakebite&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_47.jpg">STAN RIDGWAY: Snakebite (Red Fly)</A></B> <BR> Stan's best in a really long time. Plus I'm on it. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DAVE DOUGLAS: Strange Liberation&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_48.jpg">DAVE DOUGLAS: Strange Liberation (BMG)</A></B> <BR> Dave's "new quintet" is a very good group. And Bill Frisell hasn't been this assertive on a record since Joey Baron left his band. The compositions seem to have lit a fire under his ass like there hasn't been in a really long time. Kudos Dave. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=TOM WAITS: Real Gone &mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_49.jpg">TOM WAITS: Real Gone (Epitaph)</A></B> <BR> Total return to form. The songs are great, the sound of the record totally unique, and -- for the first time since his classic 1980s band with Carney and Cohen and all -- the other players on the record -- including Marc Ribot and Les Claypool -- have as much personality as he does. "Metropolitan Glide" is the "Madison Time" of this new terrible era of America. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>Books:</B> <P> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=MICHAEL COGSWELL: Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story Of Satchmo&mode=books"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_50.jpg">MICHAEL COGSWELL: Louis Armstrong: The Offstage Story Of Satchmo (Collectors Press)</A></B> <BR> Louis Armstrong was -- in addition to being the greatest musician of the last century -- a full-on globetrotting packrat who lived in the same house for three decades. Tens of thousands of pages of diaries, handmade collages, photos, awards and more, all anthologized here. This book is like a catalog of his home and mind, and does a lot to rectify misconceptions of this genius and his personal world. <P CLEAR=ALL><BR> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=BILL HICKS: Love All The People: Letters, Lyrics, Routines&mode=books"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=100 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_68.gif">BILL HICKS: Love All The People: Letters, Lyrics, Routines (Soft Skull Press)</A></B> <BR> Scary that a comic who died in 1994 could be and is the most on-target comedian of 2004. Hicks wasn't a soothsayer. He just used his brain. More people need to discover Hicks. Badly. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>Movies:</B><BR> I didn't really go to the movies much this year. I think the only new flick I saw in a theater -- for $14.00 -- was Fahrenheit 9/11. I enjoyed it. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>Other cultural ephemera I liked:</B><BR> The Night Train To Nashville exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. A full-on history of rhythm'n'blues in Nashville, it had more film footage than any similar exhibit of pre-1967 non-jazz black music I've ever seen. There's a book and a double CD set based around the exhibit. I'm hoping for a DVD of those clips. <P> The Beatlemania exhibit at the Experience Music Project in Seattle. Beatle gear galore, plus stuff the fans sent in. A really true picture of the Beatles' effect on their fans. <P> Chappelle's Show. Duh. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>SHAUN DALE</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> The process of boiling down all the great music I hear over the course of a year always seems daunting until I sit down to do it, but this year, as in the past, there are a few discs that just never stray far from my player because I just never get tired of hearing them, and these are the few at the top of that short stack. It's all new music this time, since I decided to take reissues and box sets out of the running, but I'm not sure it matters because these are single discs as good as most any box and they're all classics in their own way. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=MAJOR: The Bliss Domestic&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_20.jpg">MAJOR: The Bliss Domestic (Laughing Outlaw Records)</A></B> <BR> The one I'd pick if I were only picking one. This Australian quartet cranked out the best damn pop album of the year, hands down, no doubt. From the pure pop goodness of the title track or the rumbling rock out of "Mr. Whistle," every track is first rate and 'radio ready.' <P> If, in fact, you haven't heard this on your radio, it says nothing at all about the music and everything about the sad state of pop radio in the 21st century. So snag a copy and roll your own radio station, already! <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE DAMNWELLS: Bastards Of The Beat&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_18.jpg">THE DAMNWELLS: Bastards Of The Beat (Sixthman)</A></B> <BR> The Damnwells serve up solid, guitar driven rock with hard edged pop hooks and a steady drive (provided by the former Whiskeytown rhythm section, drummer Steven Terry and bassist Ted Hudson). Alex Dezen writes and sings the songs over that formidable backbeat, while guitarist Dave Chernis fills every space with whatever's needed - every bit of whatever's needed and never a bit more. <P> On first listen, I thought this was a terrific summer record. Guess what? It was just as good in December. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SAM BUSH: King Of My World&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_21.jpg">SAM BUSH: King Of My World (Sugar Hill)</A></B> <BR> This album, the first studio release as a leader in five years for the 'newgrass' pioneer, features a fine band, adding guests as needed to a core outfit that includes John Randall Stewart on guitar, Byron House on bass and drummer Chris Brown, built and borrowed some terrific tunes and just laid down the magic from start to finish. <P> If the title seems a tad bit pretentious, any such notion is quickly punctured by Bush's formidable sense of humor, expressed everywhere from the cover photo to the smile-inducing title of "The Mahavishnu Mountain Boys" (and the performance will only make your grin grow). In fact, every track is proof positive that in Sam Bush's musical world, he is indeed The King. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JOHN TRAIN: The Sugar Ditch&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_22.jpg">JOHN TRAIN: The Sugar Ditch (Record Cellar)</A></B> <BR> John Train creates wonderful accompaniment to the terrific songs of vocalist/guitarist/composer Jon Houlon. This time out it's a song cycle devoted to an imaginary tale that Houlon has constructed around a painting he acquired on a road trip to the Mississippi delta, a somewhat gothic tale of tangled love and murder. Taken apart, the album is a collection of songs which stand admirably on their own. Taken together, the album is nearly cinematic in effect. In indeed, in just a few musical sketches, Houlon creates a tale that could make a movie as gripping as any novel might. <P> It's an amazing song cycle, and that's a form that's harder to work in than many imagine, and near the top of the 'most played' list around my place. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.genepoolentertainment.com/new_releases.html"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_23.jpg">EUGENE McDANIELS: Screams And Whispers (Genepool)</A></B> <BR> Eugene McDaniels first jumped in to the Top Ten with his 1961 hit "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" and followed it up with a string of hits. In the seventies, the "Outlaw" era, his music provided a powerful voice for social consciousness. He followed his early performing career with a move into the studio where he penned and produced hits for artists like Roberta Flack and Merry Clayton. <P> While he's never really been gone in one sense, his public profile has been relatively low in recent years. He steps back into the spotlight with a disc which proves that every ounce of talent he's ever presented is still there and then some. While he draws heavily on his roots for inspiration, this is no revival act. The music is crisp, fresh and adventurous. In some cases, as with the vocalese flavored "Too Rare," which also features the vocal talents of co-producer Carri Coltrane, it's simply astonishing. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>ERICK MERTZ</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=IRON and WINE: Our Endless Numbered Days&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_24.jpg">IRON & WINE: Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)</A></B> <BR> The unwritten, underlying theme of Iron and Wine's music is sleepiness and dreaming; just look at the cover. On the front is a rendering of Sam Beam, eyes peacefully closed while he sleeps in the grass and the back is same grass with the impression of his newly risen head. The music doesn't belie that preoccupation: Iron and Wine is that perfect-wind-down-the-night, talk out the tough topics album like a compilation of the softest Neil Young songs. Beam isn't himself of a soft constitution however. His dreaming ventures from tender moments achieved, and tender moments lost; of burning barns and estranging fathers. <P> "Our Endless Numbered Days" can be described by a teeming list of adjectives, the most apt being timeless. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DAEDELUS: Of Snowdonia&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_25.jpg">DAEDELUS: Of Snowdonia (Plug Research)</A></B> <BR> If this isn't somewhere on your rack (OK, forgive me: somewhere on your freaking Ipod) then you've got a serious problem. It is something like an unbelievable fusion of hip-hop and be bop with an orchestral turn. <P> This isn't just a bucket full of fun; this is as interesting as popular electronic music gets. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=CAMERA OBSCURA: Biggest, Bluest, Hi-Fi&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_26.jpg">CAMERA OBSCURA: Biggest, Bluest, Hi-Fi (Phantom)</A></B> <BR> Listen to "The Sun On His Back" or "Happy New Year" and tell me with conviction that bedroom pop doesn't have stones. Sure, it's well read and tends to blush like a drama kid in the pale light of a cafe, and none of this is going to rearrange the black leather crowd, but there is a silly, undeniable energy at play. These are larks of a most uncommon voice, storming across the pond in flocks with broader than normal wingspans. <P> They ask the question "Do you wash your hair with honeydew?" Who else can vouch same? <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.cdbaby.com/dearestcrown2"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_27.jpg">DEAREST CROWN: The Path To Going Down (Lather Records)</A></B> <BR> Maybe these guys are "my little secret" or a band that I have a "Portland Indie Guy crush" on. Every time I think that, I let someone hear these guys and I realize how lucky I am to know about them. Listening to this recording brings the pub stage into your living room without the smoke and inane background conversation. Unless you smoke and live with roommates, in which case, it is a perfect replication of the experience. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JOAN OF ARC: Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_28.jpg">JOAN OF ARC: Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain (Polyvinyl Records)</A></B> <BR> <P CLEAR=ALL>in a tie with <BR><BR> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SIGUR ROS: Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do ()&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_29.jpg">SIGUR ROS: Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do ()</A></B> <BR> You can get sour on the dogma that no one is experimenting with form anymore, but if you've listened to either of these releases, you know that just isn't true. The former is a perennial underground punk favorite and the latter, an erudite post rock outfit from Iceland, and while these latest releases aren't exactly earthshaking, they do constitute creative departures. Joan of Arc has taken a post-modern revisionist tack to their grinding drive, while Sigur Ros lends its eerily optimistic aura to avant garde film. These are unexpectedly delightful turns for sure. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>JOHN SEKERKA</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SIGMATROPIC: Sixteen Haiku And Other Stories&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_30.jpg">SIGMATROPIC: Sixteen Haiku And Other Stories (Thirsty Ear)</A></B> <BR> A record so good they released it thrice. No kidding. Originally a Greek language disc, then a European release, and finally our very own North American version. A highly infectious music virus, Sixteen Haiku sets the words of late poet George Seferis to dreamy pop soundscapes, while an elite list of performers (Howe Gelb, Robert Wyatt, Lee Renaldo, Cat Power) take turns at the mike. There must be something in the Mediterranean waters cuz the results are quite mesmerizing.<BR> - The contemplative album of the year. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS: Rocket Redux&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_31.jpg">ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS: Rocket Redux (Smog Veil)</A></B> <BR> So here it is, Cleveland, 1974, the birth of punk. No really. Rocket From the Tombs invented punk. And good punk too. Not just the sloppy, we can't play but here we are punk. "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," "Ain't It Fun," "Sonic Reducer," "Final Solution" - classic thinking man's punk rock, before they were etched in stone by post RFTT spin off bands Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Ferocious backstage/onstage fisticuffs made for a very short band history. So here it is, thirty years later, and inexplicably RFTT reunite (with Television guitarists Richard Lloyd subbing), and folks, it is a sonic miracle. The missing link between Captain Beefheart (intelligent abstract rock) and Iggy Pop (garage punk cacophony). Absolutely essential.<BR> - The kick out the jams album of the year. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DEXTER ROMWEBER: Blues That Defy My Soul&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_32.jpg">DEXTER ROMWEBER: Blues That Defy My Soul (Yep Roc)</A></B> <BR> Crazed, primal rock that borrows from Link Wray, The Cramps and Gene Vincent, is always a welcome listen, but when dished out with just the perfect blend of skill, chutzpah and madness, it becomes darn near indispensable. Dexter Romweber picks and howls like he's got the fever, the car is running, and her daddy's pointing the shotgun. This is desperate, greasy, sweaty, speaker smoking stuff - kinda what rock and roll was all about when money wasn't plastic, and neither were the dolls. <BR> - The barbecue and beer album of the year. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE FALL: The Real New Fall LP&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=134 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_33.jpg">THE FALL: The Real New Fall LP (Narnack)</A></B> <BR> The Fall's subversive, thinking bloke's punk with a gyrating beat spun in a uniquely hypnotizing manner still does the trick. Mark E. Smith is in fine straitjacketted form, barking up a storm whilst the band (of the ever revolving door variety yet somehow always consistently punchy) play as if their lives are at stake - this may not be such a stretch with Smith at the helm. Amid the rousing rock there's even a beautiful ballad reminiscent of The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" ("Janet and Johnny"), and a nice cover of Lee Hazelwood's "Houston" for the old farts. Thanks. <BR> - The British album of the year. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=JONATHAN RICHMAN: Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=132 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_34.jpg">JONATHAN RICHMAN: Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love (Vapor/Sanctuary)</A></B> <BR> Is there anything warmer and fuzzier than a Jonathan Richman record? Heart way out on the sleeve love songs (title track), painter odes ("Salvador Dali"), fanciful French tunes ("Les Etoiles"), bouncy Italian songs ("Cosi Veloce") and every now and then, a serious political ditty ("Abu Jamal") - that's a Jonathan record. And as is his unique custom, Richman revisits one of his older tunes, delivering a swell version of "Vincent Van Gogh". Brimming with a brash boyish charm, Richman shows he can still create magic with an unpolished voice and guitar, as long as the tunes are delivered with gusto, you bet!<BR> - The summer album of the year. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=THE BLACK KEYS: Rubber Factory&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_35.jpg">THE BLACK KEYS: Rubber Factory (Fat Possum)</A></B> <BR> After a couple of straight ahead sloppy white boys cranking delta blues outta the garage platters, The Black Keys have delivered their opus: an unabashed classic rock blues album that is as beautifully musical as it is excitingly sparse. Surfacing from the amp buzz of days past, the duo deliver clarity with their bomp, and a staggering song-writing maturity. Ass shakers and tear jerkers and hair raisers are all over this slab. Indeed The Black Keys are the Canned Heat of our generation.<BR> - The American album of the year <P CLEAR=ALL> ...oh crap, look I already went over my limit of top five. Sorry about that. <P> <B>then there were:</B><BR> Thee Shams, Pink Mountaintops, Luna, Eleni Mandell, Slim Cessna, Meat Purveyors, Miss Kittin, Denise James, Bobby Bare Jr., Langhorne Slim, Br. Danielson, Another Blue Door, Beta Band, Antibalas, Grandpaboy, Jon Rauhouse, Bonnie Prince Billy, Firewater, William Shatner, Gibby Haynes, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Jim White ... <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>GARY "PIG" GOLD</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> Check out Gary's Top Picks in his monthly <A TARGET=_new HREF="gary112.html">PIGSHIT</A> column. <BR CLEAR=ALL><BR><BR> <FONT SIZE=5><CENTER><B>BILL HOLMES</B></CENTER></FONT><BR> Every year the public pablum enema (reality television, diva pop, TV/film sequels) does its best to convince me that everything has finally hit the shitter in a glorious thud. Then I go through that lovely process of assembling the year-end list and find that I'm overflowing with worthy contenders, even with a list of a dozen or so "still need to hear" candidates. Mind you, nothing here is an Exile On Main Street, but it's encouraging that some are actually finding an audience outside my perfect little universe... <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=GREEN DAY: American Idiot&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_36.jpg">GREEN DAY: American Idiot (Reprise)</A></B> <BR> Many had given them up for dead - or irrelevant, anyway - especially the dozens of bands less successful at the art of blending punk power and pop hooks. And even their fans cringed when the acoustic guitar ballad hit the charts, fearing they'd sell out faster than a Goo Goo Doll. But I never expected this - a punk concept album that is sonically adventurous, cryptic and clever and sprinkled with tips-of-the-cap to the bands that influenced them to begin with. And it's a popular hit! Blink 182 can now pull their pants back on and Good Charlotte can wear something that isn't black. Why pose when you've been dogpiled? <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=SQUAD FIVE-O: Late News Breaking&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_37.jpg">SQUAD FIVE-O: Late News Breaking (Capitol)</A></B> <BR> After years of grassroots punk touring, the Squad takes their shot with a major label to see if they can outrun the Rancid/Clash tag they've been stuck with. Truth is they're all over the map on this new release, from the Urge Overkill nod in "Always Talkin', Never On The Run" to the country-via-Del Lords "Train Of Shame." Naturally there's the requisite ska-punk dalliances and the throaty vocals of yelper Jeff Fortsun, but it's drummer Dave Petersen who really sells every song (and what do you expect from a guy who played in a Ramones tribute band - lethargy?). <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=FINN BROTHERS: Everyone Is Here&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_38.jpg">FINN BROTHERS: Everyone Is Here (Nettwerk)</A></B> <BR> Maybe it's the Southern Hemisphere. How else to explain why Neil and Tim Finn look around at the chaos that passes for popular music, shrug their collective shoulders and continue to make beautiful, poetic albums? It's not where Spilt Enz would have wound up, nor is it where Crowded House was headed, but the two enigmatic solo artists have learned from their past collaborations and finally figured out how to combine their vision into an unselfish musical partnership. Now if only those Davies boys would do that... <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.ericambel.com/EricAmbel-Music.htm"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=146 HEIGHT=130 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_39.jpg">ERIC AMBEL: Knucklehead (Lakeside Lounge)</A></B> <BR> I regret leaving Dan Baird's album off my list last year because it was a collection of outtakes and covers. I will not punish Eric Ambel the same way, because I'd be slighting a record that is a primer for American roots rock, from the interpretive cover songs to the gutbucket originals. If naming Terry Anderson, Warner Hodges, and the aforementioned Dan Baird doesn't spark your engine, the rehearsing Del Lords doing a Stones impression on "Shake Some Action" is worth the price of the album and then some. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=MARAH: 20,000 Streets Under The Sky&mode=music"><IMG BORDER=0 HSPACE=5 VSPACE=0 WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=150 ALIGN=LEFT SRC="pics/top5_2004_40.jpg">MARAH: 20,000 Streets Under The Sky (PHIdelity)</A></B> <BR> This is probably the record everyone hoped for after Kids In Philly, instead of the shiny gloss of Float Away With The Friday Night Gods. So once again, without the buzz and star associations (Steve Earle and The Boss dove off this bandwagon faster than they jumped on), the Bielanko brothers do what they do best - earthy, soulful rock and roll with a pop heart. It's not wall-to-wall great; a couple of the tracks play far better in concert than they do here. But when it clicks ("East," "Sure Thing," "Freedom Park," etc.) I have no hesitation dropping the words "classic" and "genius." The fact that they are among the best live bands I've ever seen is but icing in the cake. <P CLEAR=ALL> <B>Best Comedy CD...</B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&keyword=DAVID CROSS: It's Not Funny&mode=music">DAVID CROSS: It's Not Funny (Sub Pop)</A>. Oh yes it is! I liked this so much I almost broke form and put it on the music list. Cross is an acquired taste, but so was Bill Hicks, and once you tune in to what he's doing, he'll floor you. Rather than pander to attempt to attract everyone with a pulse, he's comfortable with cult status and lets it fly. Make sure to pick up the documentary DVD about his tour as well. <P> <B>Best Comeback/Best DVD...</B><A TARGET="PARENT" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=cosmikdebrism-20&key