alright. 50 to 1 of 2003 in my opinion

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tchlowlife

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yep too many but if this helps anyone please scope it out.. if interested. sorry also if this post doesnt belong.

50. Electric Six - Fire - This Detriot fiery force came on with "Gay
Bar"
and "Dance Commander" but it wasn't until I found a mutual appreciation
of
"Danger, High Voltage" with my favorite Co-host that I was hooked!

49. A.R.E. Weapons- A.R.E. Weapons - Dirty Dirty Grit, the intro track
"Don't Be Scared" became the Revel house' theme song right before our
tour.?
anyone who sings about Bad News Bears gets props in my book.

48. Mars Volta - De-Loused in Comatorium- ART ROCK!? thats all I have to

say, takes me back to the good 'ole days of Yes, and King Crimson, but
still
ahhh... I think it is on the list simply because of the grit they had to

release it!

47. Deerhoof- Apple O- The singing is so adorable, but she is a wolf in
lambs clothing the music is epileptic and bizarre! same vein as June of
'44,
Hella, and Oxes

46. Animal Collective - Here Comes the Indian- another venture into
noiseyness, but this time more fantasy like, they know noise like like
My
Bloody Valentine and Velvet Underground, this is the direction the next
Liars was made.

45. Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow - Something so BIG from little
Rhode
Island!? these guys are a train wreck into your brain!? and they will
just
keep kicking and kicking and gnashing and thrashing and smashing and
destroying....

44. White Stripes - Elephant-? this was an early bloomer, I really
didn't
know what to expect from them coming out of their "big release" (White
Blood
Cells) but Elephant turned out to be a treat. But since than I rarely go

back to it.

43. Pretty Girls Make Graves- New Romance - This album was really great,
and
one that came in later as opposed to Elephant, I was surprised by "All
Medicated Genuises", the guitar lines remind me of later ATDI, great
album!

42. Tricky - Vulnerable - at first I felt this was a? let down but after
a
couple more listens I have found many more moments of wonderful hope.
Once
again he delivers, and again with painful soul, still not as strong as
his
first 3 but in that direction.

41. South- With the Tides- Exsquisite, Soundscapes, and very evolved.
This
album is huge in a very delicate way (unlike occasional Muse). But
overall
great song writing and a joy to listen to. The New Brit-Pop?

40. Four Tet- Rounds- a nice rendition of organic instrumentation
revamped
with some quirps and beeps of the new Electronic age. A good release but
not
as strong as Pause.? I enjoyed his live set though, very humbling.

39. Denali - Instinct - the cross between Pretty Girls Make Graves and
Portishead, a delicate rocking album that puts new assurance in
simplicity.

38. Explosions in the Sky - Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place - Powerful
instrumentation from this Post-rock, Space-rock ensemble Texas born.
This
is the Godspeed for people without the patience, but beg your pardon if
their not Godspeed at all.

37. + -??? Your are Here - I enjoyed this "crossover" of glitch meets
pop.?
Much more Bjork like atmosophere and glitch than Postal Service but
still a
bit in touch with pop mannerisms.

36. Victor Vaughn MF DOOM - Vaudeville Villian- a great Hip hop that
brings
Comic book concepts to an all new venue in music.? A great time, and the

music as well as MCing is top notch.

35. Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - The Boys are Back again,
Outkast
can always stand and deliver in their own self-pronounced world of Hip
Hop
mayham.? A nice release but a bit too long, and surprisingly Big Boi's
disc
is better!? SONG OF THE YEAR; "Hey Ya!"

34. Wrens - Meadowlands - great gritty pop at times almost...
alt-country
rock.? a great album with some wondeful tracks. Not familiar with their
past
works so this came as a interesting beginning.

33. Califone - Quicksand: Cradlesnakes - the dustbowl has a major
twister
going on.? This is a wonderful noisy organic alt-countryish album that
embelishes like Tindersticks.

32. Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat - these boys from
Denmark
know how to dance and rock!? a great album where every song just gets
better
and better and better."White Trash"!

31. Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner - LONDON Hip Hop noise, last year
The
Streets had it, this year it goes to Dizzee, this boy is crazy... and he
is
a young boy only at 18!

30. Unicorns- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? - crazy crazy
crazy, a
good time but not for everyone, the catchy popness of it all is hidden
deep
in each song but dont let it scare ya. a very rewarding album in the
end.

29. Bonnie Prince Billy - Master and Everyone - Wolf among Wolves was
one of
my closet favorite songs of the year. This album is intimate, but not as

much as I See a Darkness, maybe that is why it is in the 20s.

28. Elbow - A Cast of Thousands - my Manchester boys deliver strongly
again,
maybe this time not in the top 10 but a still strong album in the year
of
really good albums. This time a totally different beast comes out.

27. M83 - Dead Cities Red Seas & Lost Ghosts - Mum meets My bloody
Valentine, Soundscape is the key here, and a strong album. Elevator
music
for a post apocolyptic wasteland.

26. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief - and this is the end of the first half
of
my list, the other 25 maybe coming up soon.? Many may scoof at this;
Radiohead! in the mid-20s! well yeah, I really didn't enjoy this album
too
much. and after seeing it live, the original is very hard to go back to.

25. Blood Brothers- Burn Piano Island, Burn - Sophisticated, through the

muck of the noise, the screams and the extremes, this album still
follows
through with a grandure sometimes unseen these days.? The lyrics wet my
intrigued cureasity. This is the neo-Birthday Party!? the dialogue and
drama!

24. Books- The Lemon of Pink -? The strongest contender of the first
album
was great can we match it!? This is a great world of samples abound,
from
here to eternity, and it is still so mellow and easy going. Unlike the
Hip
Hop induced samples of The Avalanches, Books create a likeable mellow
groove
world.

23. Spiritualized- Amazing Grace - A long time fan, and the first time I

listened to this new release I was let down, but once I got past the
first 3
tracks the rest is just more reasons for me to understand my adoration
of
Spiritualized work!

22. Mu - Afro Finger Gel - This is what Xiu Xiu's Knife Play was last
year.?
Afro Finger Gel is a force to be reckoned with, this album is like
slipping
at the top of a spiraling staircase and crashing down all of the steps.

ohhh

21. Strokes- Room on Fire- each song is great and strong, yet their was
a
feeling of something missing.? The Strokes found their sound from the
hipsters of the late 60s early 70s and this release only helps define
who
they really are.? A good listen but at times....boring.

20. Cyann and Ben- Spring- I kept describing this as "How To Disappear
Completely" with my embeleshments and a keen ear for when to build to
larger
soundscapes. Beautiful!

19. Angels of Light - Everything is Good Here/Please Come Home - this
album
is suposed to be at the 29th slot, but I fell behind.? This album is
intimate like the Bonnie Prince billy, but the attention to
instrumentation
is more thru. This is the 3rd release from the mastermind of the early
80s
band SWANS. you can just imagine the pain!

18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell- Well I adored their Debut EP
release, it
was just the right amount of songs, and this debut full length is very
strong but I have learned to take the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in minor doses.
But if
you looking for some Sioxsie and the Banshees meets X Noise Rock Dance
this
is it!.

17. Broken Social Scene- You forgot It in People- Wah! this album is
kick
it! just the right balance of atmosophered noise, and rock and roll pop
bliss. Each song is a mark of genius as well as a stroke of Pop
Savvyness.?
Did for me what the Soft Bulletin did years ago. A grand album, now that
I
think of it I should place this in the top 10!

16. Cat Power- You Are Free- Every song seems so familiar, they had the
right formula for this one! catchy, and thoughtprovoking the perfect
mix.?
If you like mellower female vocals this is for you.
thanks to Rob, I would have never checked this one out!

15. The Rapture- Echoes- Is it a dance album, or a Nico Velvet
Underground
wannebee?? They couldve rearranged some of these songs, but still a fun
listen, it is hard when you already had all of the songs in a demo,
live, or
Ep formate, and than are expected to reassess them as a single entity.

14. Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band with Choir- "This
is
Our Punk Rock," thee Rusted Satelites Gather+Sing- "This sounds tribal",
a
statement said often during any first listen, but still a grand
statement of
their intellect and ambition. This album is a whirlpool of voices and
sounds
wonderful wonderful stuff!

13. Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts- I have never defined them by their
style, or look, but by their music, and their music makes me cry!? This
album is one more example of Brian's knack for writing a great pop song.

Produced by the U.N.K.L.E. guys, gives the album high replay points.

12. Mogwai - Happy Music for Happy People-? Ohh, I feel in love with
this
the very moment I bought it and put it into my CD Player. The strongest
of
the Post-Rock Space Rock releases of the year. Because their were no
legitimate full length releases by Godspeed or Sigur Ros, I am sure it
aided
Mogwai, but a strong album regardless.

11. Calla- Televise- still dark but now more cohesive, Calla remark with

their 3rd release a new New York, they turn the sky scrapers of the city

into enourmous trees and make the sewers and basements their homes.

10. Massive Attack- 100th Window-? Another dark ambient induced album,
Trip
Hop is alive and well, in the hands of Massive Attack.? This release
just
keeps giving, and attention to detail is the best way to describe
Massive
Attack's style. A great 5 year follow-up too one of the best albums
ever~Mezzanine

09. Dresden Dolls- The Dresden Dolls- the cabaret is alive and well with

this duet. A good time, wonderful quirky writing, with a driving piano
drum
force!

08. Aesop Rock- Bazooka Tooth-? Brilliantly Angry, def Jux's Crew
released
this abstract space view of hip hop whoredom to overwhelming acclaim;
maybe
too much. Aesop comes out of nowhere as a huge star? I dont understand,
not
that he doesnt deserve it, but all of a sudden? anyways a great album,
the
epitomy of "let it grow on 'ya".

07. Menomena- I am the Fun Blame Monster- sometimes an album just comes
out
of left field and takes the world by storm, or a small drizzle. But
still!
this is a great album, and "The Late Great Libido" is in competition as
one
of the best songs of the year!

06. Muse- Absolution- In all its over the top majestic beauty this (now
their 4th) release from Muse is unlike all of their past attempts at the

bigger is better idea. But this time they churn out some extremely
wonderful
delicate mellow tracks, that leaves you wondering "why never before?"
the
problem: song arrangements, the album goes hard, soft, hard, soft all
the
way through! no no no.

05. Postal Service- Give Up-? A match made in heaven DNTEL's Jimmy and
Death
Cab's Ben get together to create a album chock full of hot pop singles!

Jimmy creates the music that is arguably brilliant and Ben brings the
cute
lyrics and tounge in cheek emo attitude, oh yeah and the cute!

04. Tiindersticks- Waiting for the Moon-? When you feel like you need to

grow up a little after the Postal Service than Tindersticks have the
right
dose of maturity. I have been waiting for this album for years.
Tindersticks
put atmosophere and eerie emotions back on their agenda, but dont lose
their
groove.

03. Cursive- Ugly Organ- This album has been a kick since the first time
I
scoped it out. Intrigued by their ear for setting and atmosphere comes
in
strong as they create their own little Bauhaus, Tom Wait'ish valley of
deception and more than skin deep pain. And I am still listening to it
frequently now.

02. Xiu Xiu- A Promise- Not for everyone. Xiu Xiu come through once
again,
in a deeper darker more introspective look at insanity. "Sad Pony
Guerrilla
Girl" became the house anthem for a number of weeks and we all slowly
feel
into a insatiable Nihilistic rut.? The songs beauty is unattainable to
nearly everyone else in music.

01. Prefuse73- One Word Extinguisher- I love this album! simply put! it
is
not for everyone, and many may even hate the stop go stop go glitch hip
hop
trances that it creates but it is groundbreaking and addicting once you
find
your own comfortable groove with the music. this comes from one of the
most
time consumed busy bodies of indie music with jamie of Xiu Xiu.

00- ALBUM OF THE YEAR-
????? Basement Jaxx- Kish Kash- a narrative, a cohesively strong dive
into
the world of chaos and dance, this album is bursting at the seems with
funk
and punk and hip hop as well as electronica. I was surprised, because I
never enjoyed Basement Jaxx's first 2 releases. Dizzee Rascal, Sioxsie,
and
MeShell Ndegeocello get on board this non-stop trip to the pedastal of
my
favorite album of the year!
 
what do you mean? is that a sarcastic question?
I think I have quite a bit of "alternative" music on this list. But if you mean "alternative" by radio "alternative" and nu-metal (Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Godsmack crap than no)
I barely listen to U2 much any more. anything of theirs from Pop and than before. but I really feel their last album was boring.
I like to listen to everything that i feel is worthwhile and somewhat on a conscious route to being original
 
hmm, I see a darkness is my least fav album Will Oldham released as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy


nice list though :up:
 
oh yeah,
do you prefer Waiting for the moon to older Tindersticks albums?

great album by any means though!
 
just saw this! great list

I can tell you have a similar taste as mine...thus I shall have to go get the ones I don't have.

My biggest area of disagreement is Muse. Largely derivative band who likes to showcase their singer (and a greater singer at that)
besides Origins of Symmetry was much much better
 
oh yeah...I like experimental music as much as the next guy but Xiu Xiu - A Promise can tend to be pretty damned annoying.

Apistat Commander is the only song I actually enjoy
 
BassTrap- Xiu XIu's album A Promise is not easy for everyone yet, songs like 20,000 deaths for Gonzeles... and Sad Pony Guerrilla Girl are wonderful Beautiful gems. But Apistat Commander is a very strong song as well.

again: the Muse thing.
I loved Origin of Symnetry (Check out my "cream of the crop albums of 2002 list) but I adore Muse's mellowier Bsides of that era, and when they released a cohesive album such as Absolution I felt it was a more mature step, but again the arrangemen fo the song order was only par or less.

I am personally addicted and attracted to depression, as well as depressive moments of art and music. and I see a Darkness by Bonnie Prince Billy is a avenue of pain and atmosophere that I have a soft spot for.

Tindersticks had a sort of "going back to the past" IMO on their newest release. I have always been a fan of their earlier works more, and than they went on this sort of raw R&B motown thing, which was still good but not as engaging. So with the Waiting for the Moon release I felt they went back to that style of the past.
And I feel like Waiting for the moon is in my top 3 of all of their albums.

Thanks for writing in, and please; lets keep a dialogue concerning music.. Do you ever wish U2 could hear some of these albums or if they have? (imagine U2 listening to Xiu Xiu!)
 
I think U2 have heard more than we give them credit for.

But all the same...I wouldn't want them to start trying to be something they're not. All I want are some more strong U2 pop/rock albums.

on another note, have you heard Ms. John Soda - no p. or d.? it's a great sounding album...a refreshing sound
 
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