Your Top Ten of 2004

Joanna Newsom The Milk Eyed Mender
Lullatone Little Songs About Raindrops
Adem Homesongs
The Memory Band
Madvillain Madvillainy
International Airport Reunion Of Island Goose
Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans
Stereoloab Margerine Eclipse
The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

I also loved lots of stuff on Rev-Ola, Geographic, The Rough Trade Indie Pop Comp and a bunch of K records (Microphones, Mirah, Jason Anderson, etc) that I missed in 2003.

10. The Blue Ribbons - "Fin-de-Siecle Capitalist" (Old Timey)

9. Mildred Moonshine - "Dreaming in Ragtime" (New Dixie Jazz)

8. Guglielmo Marconi - "CQD = Wireless In Distress" (Edison-Bell Earwaves/Kill Your Phonograph)

7. Voltairine de Cleyre - "In Defence of Emma Goldman (10th Anniversary Edit)" (Anarchism Without Adjectives)

6. The Socialist Worker Presents: The Morgantown (WV) Coal Miners Union - "Strike Song #37 (Give Me An Eight-Hour Day or Give Me Death)" (This Time It's Parenthetical)

5. Teddy Rossevelt - "Theme from A Man with A Plan to Build a Canal in the Third World and Establish Banana Republics in a Fit of Western Imperialism" (Manufactured in Suriname)

4. Ivan Pavlov - "Conditioned Reflexes" (It's a Dog Eat Dog Food to the Tone of Bell World)

3. The Boston Americans of the American League - "World Series Shuffle" (Chicago Bears Will Rip Us Off?)

2. John T. Brush - "I'm Not Playing Against Inferior American Leaguers!" (And I'm Especially Not Playing Against Negro League Teams)

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and France - "Entente Cordiale (For Morocco and Egypt)" (Struck Accord)

Oh wait...I thought it said 1904!

1. The Futureheads by the Futureheads
2. Now Here is Nowhere by the Secret Machines
3. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4. Are you Ready to Testify? The Live Bootleg Anthology by the MC5
5. You're a Woman, I'm a Machine by Death from Above 1979
6. Live Japan `91 by Julian Cope
7. Chaos for Breakfast by Killing Joke
8. Live in Central Park by Devo
9. "Black Betty" by Spiderbait
10. Songs We Should Have Written by Firewater

One Week Left for 2004 Albums & Songs Voting

10. The Bush Administration - "Osama Drama" - 2 Legit to Quit the Presidency: The Search for Weapons of Mass Distraction - (Galactic Empire)

9. The Swiftboat Veterans for Truth - "Flip-Flop Hip-Hop" - non-LP single - (No Credentials/Ain't Justified)

8. The Abu Ghraib Singers - "Grime and Punishment" - Songs Inspired by the Parallels Between Dostoevsky's Works and Incarceration Overseen by American Infidels - (Minister of Information)

7. Bennifer - "Stars and Buttwipes Forever" - Live from New York, it's the Republican National Convention! - (Songs to Make Housewives Teary-Eyed)

6. Mr. E.N. Formant - "Maxi Priest Molested Me" - Songs to Make Erik and Lyle Menendez's Father Squirm - (Livin' La Vida Loca)

5. Basement Jaxx feat. Beyonce Knowles - "Tour of Booty" - Live in Fallujah - (Abu's Grave)

4. (Mission of) Burma Plate vs. The (Olivia) Tremor Control - "Prologue for Tsunami" - When Earthquakes Strike - (Toonami on Cartoon Network)

3. Mike Watt - "Puked to High Heaven" - The Secondman's Middle Stand - (Columbia)*

2. A Colony of Music Reviewers - "The Argument For and Against Rockism" - Produced by Steve Albino? Or is it Albany? - (Blisscent)

1. The Staff at Pitchfork Media - "A Dissertation on the Fundamentals of Old School Hip-Hop by Fanatics of The Arcade Fire's Funeral and Radiohead Even Though We've Never Listened to Any Hip-Hop Save for Outkast and Anticon" - Essays Written Without Pretense, Vol. 1 - (Laugh? I Nearly Died From That One!)

I filed the 2004 list under the wrong folder! Music this year sure sucked, though, especially when compared to 1904...hence the lack of creativity in this list and how it's almost as contrived as Pitchfork Media's Top Fifty.

* The only actual song on this entire list, but all of these can be probably found with ease if you look hard enough.

The Blue Nile "High"
Mark Knopfler "Shangri-La"
Luka Bloom "Before Sleep Comes"
Duran Duran "Astronaut"
Windham Hill Artists "America"
Chris Botti "When I Fall In Love"
Jonatha Brooke "Back In The Circus"
Massive Attack "Danny The Dog"
Morissey "You Are The Quarry"

*bonus*
vashti bunyan -just another diamond day

I think these are the only 2004 releases I bought last year. There are a handful of releases that I will pickup once I find them in the used bin, especially indie rock and electronic music which I just haven't been in the mood for in a while. Most of my 'new' music in 2004 was old 60s-70s rock, blues and jazz back catalog items.

I didn't know about that MC5 collection, so I will have to look that one up.

Madvillain - Madvillainy
Dizzee Rascal - Showtime
Wiley - Treadin' On Thin Ice
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Tom Waits - Real Gone
Cee-Lo Green - ...Is The Soul Machine
Mark Sandman - Sandbox
Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me
Critters Buggin - Stampede
Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender

honorary mentions:
Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind
Medeski Martin and Wood - End of the World Party
MF Doom - MM Food
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs

Special mention: Sufjan Stevens, Sahara Hotnights, Tilly and the Wall, Great Lake Swimmers, Mountain Goats

Although, I'm inclined to knock REM out of there and bump For Jumpers Only!
or Gretchen Wilson into number 10.

singles:
(i know "Crown of Love" technically wasn't a single... but, it got plenty of attention and i love it)
20. "Matinee" - Franz Ferdinand
19. "Drop It Like It's Hot" - Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Williams
18. "The Rat" - The Walkmen
17. "iGeneration" - MC Lars
16. "This Love" - Maroon 5
15. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
14. "Breathe" - Fabolous
13. "Heartbeat" - Annie
12. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z
11. "Move Ya Body" - Nina Sky f. Jabba
10. "Burn" - Usher
9. "Crown of Love" - The Arcade Fire
8. "Me & Mia" - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
7. "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West
6. "Dry Your Eyes" - The Streets
5. "Somebody Told Me" - The Killers
4. "Float On" - Modest Mouse
3. "Toxic" - Britney Spears
2. "The Show" - Girls Aloud
1. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand

albums:
20. Green Day - American Idiot
19. TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
18. Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands/Nino Rojo
17. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
16. The Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
15. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
14. Iron & Wine - Our Endless, Numbered Days
13. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
12. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
11. Dizzee Rascal - Showtime
10. Interpol - Antics
9. Madvillain - Madvillainy
8. The Ponys - Laced With Romance
7. The Futureheads - S/T
6. Brian Wilson - Smile
5. Junior Boys - Last Exit
4. Kanye West - The College Dropout
3. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Franz Ferdinand - S/T
1. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News

still, what warranted repeated listening this year:

devendra banhart - "rejoicing in the hands"
franz schubert - "winterreise" (perf. ian bostridge & leif ove andsnes)
ricardo villalobos - "thé au harem d'archimède"
ives / barber - "concord sonata / piano sonata" (perf. marc-andré hamelin)
ludwig van beethoven - "the complete piano sonatas" (perf. stephen kovacevich)
lhasa - "the living road"
iron & wine - "our endless numbered days"
charalambides - "joy shapes"
pan sonic - "kesto (234.48:4)"
fennesz - "venice"

1. Junior Boys, "Last Exit"
2. Sonic Youth, "Sonic Nurse"
3. Phoenix, "Alphabetical"
4. Bark Psychosis, "Codename: Dustsucker"
5. Joanna Newsom, "The Milk-Eyed Mender"
6. Luomo, "The Present Lover" ('04 U.S. release)
7. Erlend Oye, "DJ Kicks"
8. Kanye West, "The College Dropout"
9. Animal Collective, "Sung Tongs"
10. United State of Electronica, "United State of Electronica"

1. Madvillain - Madvillainy - Stones Throw (25 points)
2. Hold Steady - The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me - Frenchkiss (20 points)
3. Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free - Vice (10 points)
4. P.O.S. - Ipecac Neat - Doomtree/Rhymesayers (10 points)
5. Big & Rich - Horse of a Different Color - Warner Bros. Nashville (10 points)
6. Ol' Yeller - Sounder - SMA (5 points)
7. Owls - Our Hopes and Dreams - Magic Marker Records (5 points)
8. Youssou N'Dour - Egypt - Nonesuch (5 points)
9. Devin the Dude - To Tha X-Treme - Rap-a-Lot (5 points)
10. Trouble Funk - Live/Early Singles - 2 13 61/District Line (5 points)

Your Pazz & Jop singles ballot has been recorded as follows:

1. Mason Jennings - "Ballad of Paul and Sheila" - Bar None/Architect
2. Kanye West - "Jesus Walks" - Roc-a-Fella
3. P.O.S. - "Music For Shoplifting" - Doomtree/Rhymesayers
4. Paul Westerberg - "My Dad" - Vagrant
5. Jill Scott - "Golden" - Hidden Beach/Epic
6. Big & Rich - "Holy Water" - Warner Bros.
7. Owls - "Air" - Magic Marker Records
8. Robert Wilkinson - "One True Thing" - Art Records/Sursumcorda.com
9. X Plastaz - "Msimu Kwa Msimu" - World Music Network
10. R.E.M. - "Leaving New York" - Warner Bros.

1. M.I.A. “Galang”
2. Eminem “Mosh”
3. Britney Spears “Toxic”
4. Big & Rich “Wild West Show”
5. Jay Z “99 Problems”
6. The Mekons “Work All Week”
7. The Streets “Fit and You Know It”
8. Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludicrious “Yeah”
9. Nellie McKay “The Dog Song”
10. Big & Rich “Rollin’ (The Ballad of Big & Rich)”

tracks:
1. animal collective - who could win a rabbit
2. outkast - hey ya!
3. ac newman - on the table
4. annie - me plus one
5. m.i.a. - galang
6. mclusky - she will only bring you happiness
7. annie - chewing gum
8. snoop dogg - drop it like it's hot
9. crime mob - knuck if you buck
10. nina sky - move ya body

1. Oneida - Secret Wars
2. Hot Snakes - Audit in Progress
3. Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake - Back Together Again
4. De La Soul - The Grind Date
5. Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost
6. Oneida - Nice: Splittin' Peaches
7. LSD-March - Kanashimino Bishouen
8. The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
9. Wadada Leo Smith - Kabell Years 1971-1979
10. Electrelane - The Power Out

11. Mission of Burma - OnOffOn
12. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
13. Antena - Camino Del Sol
14. Up-Tight - Five Psychedelic Pieces
15. Tower Recordings - The Galaxies' Incredible Sensual Transmission
Field of the...
16. Cooper-Moore - 5x7" box
17. Oren Ambarchi - Grapes from the Estate
18. Revolutionary Ensemble - And Now
19. Miles Davis - Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings, 1963-1964
20. The Prefects - Amateur Wankers

That's about it for new stuff that really floated my boat (and I remain pretty ambivalent about Wilco; I thought I would be over it in a month). There's lots I haven't gotten around to yet. Also, lots of decent-but-not-great stuff from people I like -- The Roots, PJ Harvey, Old 97s, Juana Molina . . .