2004 - jeez, what a shít year for music

RE*AC*TOR

Wow, not a lot of great music this year. What there was, was a big load of samey stuff (Franz F, Keane, Snow Patrol, Zutons etc etc). i can think of about 3 albums this year that I think were particularily good (one of which is by William Shatner).

Good:
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
William Shatner - Has Been

Honourable Mention:
Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather
Green Day - American Idiot
Gomez - Split The Difference

Mediocre:
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Keane - Hope And Dreams
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons
The Frames - Burn The Maps

Doctor J

Bah, stop reading NME


There were some decent albums put out this year but nothing really astonishing in indie/alternative whatever you call it. Overall there wasn't a soundtrack to your life album anywhere to be seen this year.

John

in case I haven't mentioned them enough recently, the latest Neubauten cd was a stormer

OfflerCrocGod

What the Naughty Girls didn't release a new album?

Jim

Final Straw came out middle 2003, as did Franz Ferdinand afaik.

Also no mention of Interpol?
Granted Antics is nowhere near as good as TOTBL, but its still an excellent album. I also think Burn The Maps is quite excellent. American Idiot is quite good aswell.

Kali

err:
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
Interpol - Antics
Walkmen - Bows & Arrows
Mission Of Burma - OnOffOn

all of which are bloody excellent.

RE*AC*TOR

I'd put Interpol in with the honourable mention crowd.
Haven't listened to / heard of the others (will check them out).

RE*AC*TOR

Jimeatsmenu wrote:

Final Straw came out middle 2003, as did Franz Ferdinand afaik.

Also no mention of Interpol?
Granted Antics is nowhere near as good as TOTBL, but its still an excellent album. I also think Burn The Maps is quite excellent. American Idiot is quite good aswell.

From Amazon:-

Franz Ferdinand
~ Franz Ferdinand
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Release Date: April 20, 2004

Final Straw
~ Snow Patrol
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Release Date: March 30, 2004

mayordenis

i'd have to agree overall 2004 was quite an awful year a few that broke away and made something decent but thats all.

Jim

The original version of Final Straw was released 4th August 2003.
It was reissued after it became popular.

RE*AC*TOR

Jimeatsmenu wrote:

The original version of Final Straw was released 4th August 2003.
It was reissued after it became popular.

Ok so, we can take Final Straw out of the mediocre pile, there are about 20 other albums that can easilty hop in there.

Jim

I'm not contesting that Final Straw is mediocre, I'm just saying it wasn't a 2004 album.
It is very mediocre, espically compared to their other albums.

zAbbo

Out of the Shadow - Rogue Wave
The Futureheads - The Futureheads


Been a good year for music imo, very good

treefingers

yeah it hasn't been great. still some decent releases though.

interpol - antics, wilco - a ghost is born, sonic youth - sonic nurse, arcade fire - funeral, modest mouse - good news...., manics - lifeblood, hope of the states - lost riots, brian wilson - smile, franz ferdinand, killers, libertines, go team, etc etc.

treefingers

Doctor J wrote:

There were some decent albums put out this year but nothing really astonishing in indie/alternative whatever you call it. Overall there wasn't a soundtrack to your life album anywhere to be seen this year.

this sums it up well for me.

RE*AC*TOR

damn, smile - meant to be in honourable mention as well.

thebionn

Still have not heard the new albums by Nick Cave, Tom Waits & Blue Nile. The Modest Mouse album was a bit of a grower. Joy Zipper was one for the mediocre section. Did not buy many 2004 albums.

RuggieBear

How about the Killers.....hot fuss. Tis the only thing i've been listening to recently

Dr. Loon

Prince - Musicology = Excellent album!

U2's new album is out or should I say "leaked"?

RE*AC*TOR

Dr. Loon wrote:

U2's new album is out or should I say "leaked"?

thanks for that, hadn't noticed
*me grabs*

RuggieBear

Dr. Loon wrote:

U2's new album is out or should I say "leaked"?

someone gave it to me the other day.....i thought it had been released. I found it pretty boring tbh....perhaps it will grow on me when it's played nonstop on the radio... :eek:

leuler

What about
The Libertines - The Libertines
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

I have been mostly listening to these 2 recently as well as William Shatner which makes me both laugh out load and cry, something that I hoped Cohen would do. Dear Heather should be called 'Another few songs', I can't see where Ten Songs left off and Heather begins, a real disappointment.

RE*AC*TOR

leuler wrote:

I can't see where Ten Songs left off and Heather begins, a real disappointment.

in the absence of a new Neil Young/Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen album this year, Cohen is 2004's Elder Statesman.

leuler

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Cohen is 2004's Elder Statesman.

Exactly,
maybe I just expected or wanted a bit more from him, like when he brought out 'This years man' from nowhere, it just blew me away.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Leonard Cohen - dear Heather was released this year?

oh, I didn't know that.. cool

RE*AC*TOR

Mordeth wrote:

Leonard Cohen - dear Heather was released this year?

oh, I didn't know that.. cool

Yeah, about 2 weeks ago...

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

umm..
I downloaded it in september but never actually gave it a listen until now..

I haven't listened to cohen much in the past few months, generally because when I start listening to one album I start listening to them all.. over.. and over.. and over and i listen to nothing else.

honru

Aye, 2004 hasn't been great. There have been a few great albums released this year, but overall, there really isn't anything that is set to put the world on fire. The alternative scene in particular is stuck in a rut; most of the bands that NME have been fledging over the past year are just plain mediocre.

radiospan

What about the new Mylo and Interpol albums?

80's Matchbox, too.

But yeah I agree, there haven't been enough.

Any long awaited albums due in 2005?

Dr. Loon

RuggieBear wrote:

someone gave it to me the other day.....i thought it had been released. I found it pretty boring tbh....perhaps it will grow on me when it's played nonstop on the radio... :eek:

Aye after 2 listens nothing leaped out at me as special. I'm gonna give it another chance and lash it on the mp3 player.

Tusky

I thought the Franz Ferdinand was great. As for Greenday ? :rolleyes: I find them trying to be political with american idiot laughable.

projectmayhem

i'm still waiting for the NIN 10th anniversary release of the downward spiral on the SACD format. this year though has been a bit of a boring one...

eggshapedfred

new Neil Young album

the new greatest hits doesnt count, then....

there was a couple of great albums this year:
Mansun - Kleptomania (the fourth album.... finally)
Cathy Davey - Something Ilk

also some reissues (with extra stuff)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition)
The Clash - London Calling

goo

In my opinion, if you think a year is bad for music, you're just not looking hard enough. You practically proved this by putting the most famous, obvious bands in your list...

2004:

the Blood Brothers - Crimes
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Interpol - Antics
Devendra Banhart - Nino Roja

I wish there were somewhere online, other than people's own websites, that you could find out definitively when the CDs were released. Regardless, there've been lots of brilliant albums released this year. And even if there hadn't, last year was fantastic. Xiu Xiu, The Decemberists, The Bronx...

DerekD Goldfish

Best albums of the year include
Mission of Burma- OnOffOn
Manic's - Lifeblood
Sluts of trust- we are the sluts of trust
Nick Cave- Abattoir blues/the lyre of orpheus
Morrissey- You are the Quary
Interpol- Antics

But it hasnt been a particularly great year for music

kida

Not been a great year

Ones I enjoyed were (in no particular order)

Kasabian - Self Titled
Chikinki - lick your ticket
Dogs Die in hot Cars - please describe yourself
Sophia - People are like seasons
Nick Cave as above
Ed Harcourt - Strangers
Floatation Toy Warning - Guide to the flight deck
Interpol - as above
U2 - really grew on me
Gisli - How about that - Icelandic guy - bit like the eels
Hermano - Dare I say
Le Tigre - this island
Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration - Next Years but I have it now
Elliott Smith - From a Basement
The Charlatans up at the lake
80s matchbook b-line disaster
Golden Virgins - songs of praise
Thirteen Senses - The Invitation
Unbunny - Snow Tires
!!! - Louden up now

Bungalow Bill

THe Killers- Hot fuss is bloody brilliant
Kasabian is very good
U2's new one is a grower
Elliot Smith's new one is good
Jimmy eat world Futures is a cool album
The Black album is excellent
American Idiot is as good as Green Day are gonna get, limited but good in its own way.

I thought it was a pretty damn goood year for music.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

The Black album is excellent

wasn't that released in 91?

PiE

Menomena - I Am The Fun Blame Monster

(Dunno when it was released, but it's far and away the best album I've heard this year).

Bungalow Bill

Mordeth wrote:

wasn't that released in 91?

No, it's Jay-Z's last ever album, released just a while ago, 'tis very good. Check out threat especially.