Alright, we've been polling the office, tallying the results, arguing amongst ourselves, arm-wrestling, and of course lots and lots of drinking, but Planetarium is finally ready to present, slightly overdue, it's BEST ALBUMS OF 2004. Now remember the rules: These are not simply albums that came out in 2004, they are anything that we heard for the 1st time this time. Also, you will note that some of the reasons are rather abstract. This does not take away from the fact that they are still right. We're particularly surprised by the fact that, for the time in years, our list is dominated by rock albums. It's been years since rock has even cracked our top three, let alone practically run the board. Feel free to drop us a comment about one of your favorite albums from the past year, we're always on the lookout for the next band to earn a permanent place in our CD changer. (Or, if your recommendation sucks, we're always on the lookout for a new album to make fun of on the site.)
1. Poster Children - TIE: "No More Songs About Sleep And Fire" / "On the Offensive" EP
Apparently, releasing their best album in years wasn't enough for the Champaign-based P-kids this year. They also had to put out an EP of six covers of classic underground fight songs, such as "The New World" by X, "Clampdown" by the Clash, and our favorite, "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thing" by Heaven 17. New-wave rock and roll hasn't sounded this fresh in quite some time. They're also still a perennial best live band list-topper around here. If you've never seen them, we're not sure what the hell you're waiting for.
2. Tyrades - st
Listening to this album is very much akin to hearing an old song on the radio that you've always loved. Only, the song sounds like a girl screaming over two ridiculously loud chords being played over and over. There's something so charming about the Tyrades' brand of old-school noisy-crazy-punk, as though the album was recorded in the 70's and spent dusty years in a dustbin before someone brushed it off and released it. It makes us feel warmly nostalgic- and, for possibly the first time ever, we mean that in a very good way.
3. The Butchies - Make Yr Life
The bubblegum on the front cover of the record is clearly no accident: this is the most pop-friendly thing they've ever done, and amazingly, it still kicks ass. Kaia Wilson has really amped up the hook-to-song ratio on this one, because it's actually possible to sing along to almost every song. By the time their gorgeous, slowed down cover of the annoying 80's song "Your Love" brings the album to a heartbreaking close, we felt guilty for wanting Kaia to have more relationships end, so that she can keep putting out albums like this. Melissa York is also still one of the best rock drummers around, for our money.
4. Bonnie Prince Billy - Master and Everyone
Man oh man, what can we say about this one.....your heart will simply melt upon hearing it. Just Will Oldham and his acoustic guitar, strumming along songs of loneliness and pain, and very occasionally hope. For all you people who usually hate this kind of crap (and believe us, we count ourselves among your numbers), please do yourself a favor and just download a song or two from Itunes so you can be convinced.
5. Desaparecidos - Read Music/Speak Spanish
Whooo. Emo-tacular? Certainly. Heart-on-sleeve political? You bet. Wildly unoriginal? Without a doubt. But Rumsfeld-isms aside, this somehow manages to be a damn good rock record. We know, we can't explain it either. Damn you Conor Oberst.
6. Metric - Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
Now this is the shit. New millenium Blondie, is really perhaps the best way to describe the sound of this fantastic NY 4-piece. Dance grooves, dark lyrics, basically the definition of "cool" music. You know that music that pretentious people listen to? This is like that, only without the pretension. Also, bonus points for naming a song "Succexy".
7. Menomena - I Am the Fun Blame Monster!
Yeah, these guys know their way around a studio. Their songs steal just the right amounts of Trans Am, Radiohead, and - dare we say it?- Elliot Smith, without being buried under the weight of all that ponderousness. Slow-cooked Spiritualized, for people who prefer a little less stupid drug use and "lush" orchestration. Also, they're about to be huge, so jump on the bandwagon now so you can claim you liked 'em back when.
8. PJ Harvey - Uh Huh her
Was anyone else pretty sure her follow-up to Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea was gonna be a rock album? If so, then you, too, are dumb. This album doesn't really rock at all (except for the delightfully silly/angry "Who the Fuck?") , but man, can this woman sing. Really sing. And in a sultry, come-hither-while-I-cut-you-up-with-this-big-ass-knife way. Possibly the album that best showcases her voice from her entire catalog. We're a little worried, tho: supposedly she announced in December that she's never playing live again. Booooooo.
9. De la Soul - The Grind Date
We're pretty sure you're sick of hearing us crow about how great this record is on the site, so we'll leave it at that. Wait, why haven't you bought it yet?
10. The Hold Steady - The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me
It's a bar band, man. Anyone can tell you that. A really rocking bar band, with really good lyrics. Our favorite: "My name is Corey/I'm really into hardcore/People call me HardCorey". Craig Finn been down so long, feels like up to him.
11. Ladytron - Light & Magic
Okay, so those British folks really anticipated the 2000s a lot better than we did. By taking old-school, Kraftwerk-inspireed beats and loops and throwing some pretty female pop hooks on top of it, these guys became the instant soundtrack for assholes in SoHo apartments having coke parties. Despite that, they still managed to make a good record.
12. Pearljam - Riot Act
This was brought into the Planetarium office by a true believer of the band, so, of course, no one gave it the time of day for months. Oops. Our bad. Turns out, these boys learned how to make really great classic rock. They should be touring with the Who, or possibly the Band. Seriously, close your eyes, hold your nose, and give it a chance.
13. Pretty Girls make graves - The New Romance
Pretty Girls Make Graves is almost singlehandedly responsible for re-awakening our appreciation for rock this past year. Filled with songs that strike the perfect balance between reinventing the wheel and knowing which tried-and-true formulas shouldn't be messed with, they went and did something that almost nobody does anymore: make a consistently interesting and original rock album. We'd call it progressive rock if that word wasn't still a little too loaded with connotations. If you've stopped listening to Fugazi, because, really, what's the point anymore?- then these guys (and gal) are for you.
14. Green Day - American Idiot
Again, who would've thunk it? The boys pull out literally every rock trick in the book. Anything good from the past thirty years, they threw it in. Clash? Check. The Who? Check. Dillinger 4? Double-check. Pink Floyd? Check. Plus, PLanetarium's C.E.O. got through the breakup of his multi-year relationship with this album. You can't fuck with that. All you suck-ass fools who talk about hating cheesy lyrics, have your life's love detonate in front of you, then we'll talk.
WHOO. We're exhausted. All righty, then, that's enough for now. Think it over, and we'll chat more tomorrow.