Yes, I realise that end of the year top 5 and 10 lists are about as rare as a Paris Hilton nipple slip, but damn it all, I feel I need to post something to let my adoring readers (all four of you) know that I am alive and well, and because being awake at 4 A.M. does wierd things to me. So, therefore, you get this post. As for what I’ve been up to, well… think school finals and new site, and you should get a vague picture.
Anyway, 2004 has been, for the most part, a real kick in the teeth. I’m hoping to encapsulate the good bits here. Well, sort of.
Top Ten Albums of 2004
- Ghosts Don’t Have Bones — Tolchock Trio*
- From A Basement on The Hill — Elliott Smith
- Dancing Echoes / Dead Sounds — Codeseven
- Love And Distance — The Helio Sequence
- Hotel Lights — Hotel Lights
- Hopes and Fears — Keane
- Crossies Count — Quant*
- Riot on An Empty Street — Kings of Convenience
- Cattle Punching On A Jackrabbit — Before Braille
- Twentysomething — Jamie Cullum
The two albums marked with an asterisk are bands from SLC. I don’t include them because they were the best albums released this year from local artists (I’ll get to that), but because they hold up against the best of the best this year in music. Tolchock Trio’s Ghosts Don’t Have Bones is an amazing accomplishment. The sounds, the creativity, and yet, the ability to knock you flat on your ass, then make you want to shake it. An amazing album. Quant’s Crossie’s Count is simply powerful, and something you won’t hear coming from a major label, which is a sad statement of the music industry today. Honourable Mentions: Winning Days — The Vines; Phantom Limbs: Select B-Sides — Something For Kate.
Top Five Local Albums
- Ghosts Don’t Have Bones — Tolchock Trio
- Crossies Count — Quant
- Sour Apple Tree — Iberis
- ReadyToGoUnder — TaughtMe
- Smile Through Anything — On Vibrato
This one is a bit skewed, as I haven’t been able to get my hands on some of the acclaimed local releases this year (Electoral College’s “Eat The Key” comes to mind). I’ve already talked about T3 and Quant, but it is worth mentioning that the man behind Quant is also the man behind TaughtMe. Quite a year for Blake. Honourable mention: James Egan’s debut, When It’s Hard To Do Things For The Future. Give him a few more years (he’s only 19) and he’ll be blowing us away.
The Five movies I saw at the cinema this year
As you can tell, I’m more of a DVD guy. Garden State was amazing, though. Thank you, Ashley, for dragging me out to see it. đŸ˜‰
My best DVD purchases this year
Nope… nothing new. Just great movies I finally bought (or discovered) this year. I don’t care what anyone says… Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone is absolutely one of my favourite characters ever.
Bright Spots of 2004
- Creed breaks up.
- Apple Store coming to SLC
- I met Ashley. Whales will never be the same.
- Found out I’m going to be an uncle.
Bands/Artists I discovered this year, which I should have known about years ago
- Wilco
- Calexico
- Modest Mouse (i’d known them, but this year I grew to enjoy them)
- Yo La Tengo
- Mindy Smith
- Ted Leo
I’d add a few others, like The Shins, and The Flaming Lips, but those were last year’s “Holy Crap, why didn’t I listen to this before?!” bands.
I’m sure I’ve left a lot out, but hey, I’m just filling in the gaps of other lists like this…
WHALE
these types of lists reminded me of the movie, High Fidelty
you should add, “top 5 local shows”
give the brobecks credit somewhere. sheesh.
i considered top local shows, but i have a hard time remembering what shows i went to (especially the one’s early on in the year.