Like champagne and paper party hats, what would the new year be without the obligitory [i]best of[/i] lists? In a year that seemed plagued by one disaster after another (natural and otherwise) it's kind of nice to reflect on some of the best things (musically anyway) that 2004 had to offer.
For those who are interested, the folks at [url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com...]Pitchfork,[/url] have put together a pretty decent list of what they consider to be the top 50 albums of 2004. Along those same lines [url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWB...]CNN [/url] has compiled a list that they are calling The Best Albums [of 2004] You Didn't Hear. (Interesting to note that their top pick is the same as Pitchfork's). Even [url=http://us.gq.com/culture/gene...]GQ[/url] and [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6...]MSNBC[/url] have weighed in with their [i]best of[/i] lists for 2004. (Be forewarned, though, the MSNBC list will appeal to those who lean more towards radio-ready mainstream music). Still can't get enough?? Well then be sure to check out the lists at [url=http://www.popmatters.com/mus...]PopMatters.com,[/url] and [url=http://www.prefixmag.com/best...]PrefixMag.com[/url] ~ both of which provide a smart and eclectic list of 2004's best offerings.
Of course, anyone who actually bothers to click any of the links above will likely take issue with at least one of the critic's choices. Although some of the albums that made these various lists would likely have found a spot on my own Best of 2004 list, had I made one, the ranking would invariably be different. And so that leads me to ask: [b]What is your pick for best album of 2004?? [/b] For those of you who just can't decide, you are welcome to pick as many as you like... but I'm interested in what you'll remember most, musically, from 2004.
And speaking of music from 2004, I'll leave you with a couple reviews that LT published this last week.
To say that the opening track on [u]A Demonstration [/u]is simplistic and innocent is like saying that the ocean is wet: true, but hardly an accurate description. In fact, the whole of ‘See You Happy’ consists solely of Alexander McGregor’s raw acoustic guitar accompanied by (his sister) Camille McGregor’s unpolished, frail vocals ~ all of which, when coupled skillfully, can result in a delicate and mesmerizing magic (see The Arrogants, The Softies, or The Innocence Mission). Unfortunately, Ponies in the Surf fall short of achieving this splendor on ‘See You Happy’ which very much sounds as though it was recorded as “Alex followed [Camille] around with the old Stella guitar all morning trying to capture the melody” as the liner notes of [u]A Demonstartion[/u] suggests. Fortunately, the tracks that follow ‘See You Happy’ hit the mark that their predecessor so obviously misses. The album’s second track ‘More to Living’ is a cover of the Linda Rich song (originally released in 1996), but is perfectly suited to the acoustic guitar with soft female vocal style that the McGregors are going for with Ponies in the Surf. Indeed, one of the strengths of this track is the fact that neither element is overpowered by the other, with Alexander’s guitar woven effortlessly within and through Camille’s breathy vocals. ‘Ventricle’, [u]A Demonstration’s[/u] third offering, is a sweet, slightly Spanish sounding duet on which Camille’s vocals, (which sound remarkably like Julie Martin’s of Bon Voyage), provide a sugary alternative to Alexander’s deeper, more tonal, voice. One of the particularly splendid elements of his track is the fact that while it does call to mind, (again as the liner notes suggest) “red dresses, velvet stage curtains… [and] dance step diagrams” it manages to do so without taking itself seriously, and practically drips of sunshine, right down to the last “cha, cha, cha.” The remaining tracks on the album, including the 8th hidden track, which we can only assume is titled “Ponies in the Surf” are, for better or for worse, fairly unremarkable, blending overly simple melodies with tentative vocals. However, despite this criticism, I think its safe to say that [u]A Demonstration[/u] accomplishes precisely what its creators set out to do. As Alexander explains in the liner notes: “This is a simple record…. We have tried to present our songs as clearly as possible, in blueprint form with the scaffolding showing.” And it does show, but in a way that is part of Ponies in the Surf’s charm. In the end, despite a few painfully ordinary tracks, there are also a few perfectly lovely moments as well, which makes [u]A Demonstration[/u] an album worth checking into, and Ponies in the Surf, a band worth watching.
I’ve always had a problem with remix albums. In my experience they tend to fall into one of two traps which ultimately result in final products that sound either like hollow interpretations of the original tracks, (in which the artist wasn’t content to leave well enough alone), or an equally uninspired regurgitation of once popular songs (that reflect the label’s desire to produce *something* by the artist within a given timeframe). Clearly, it takes an artist like Projekt Record’s Android Lust to break this mold, (along with so many others). While more unfamiliar listeners will likely expect [u]Stripped and Stitched[/u] to provide a collection of jagged and relentless electronic mixes of AL’s already razor sharp music, (and while there is some of that within the album’s 11 offerings), true fans of this highly innovative and passionate artist will understand from the onset that such expectations exist only to be shattered. Indeed, on [u]Stripped and Stitched,[/u] one woman music warrior Shikhee manages to reinvent several tracks from last year's [u]The Dividing[/u], while also including a few original compositions to wet the appetite, as well as acoustic versions of several Android Lust favorites including "Refuse" from [u]Resolution[/u]. The most satisfying of these tracks include the album’s third offering “Drown,” which provides a glimpse into the raw, relentless and industrial nature of one of her live performances as well as the later remix of “Stained” which was a featured track on 2003’s [u]The Dividing[/u] and this time around continues to showcase Shikhee’s considerable vocal talent by juxtaposing it against an intense electronic backdrop. On the other hand, [u]Stripped and Stitched [/u]also contains two acoustic contributions, the best of which is the album’s final track “Burn”, a dark and melancholy song that leaves its haunting and disturbing mark on the listener, like an unidentified fingerprint on your window ~ subtle, delicate and immensely powerful. All in all, like Shikhee herself, [u]Stripped and Stiched[/u] is an unexpected pleasure; a collection of tracks that will ultimately enchant both current fans as well as those who are finding Android Lust for the first time.
posted by: irishred (reply)
post date: 01.20.05 (5:06 am)
I must say that this blog was one of the very best of 2004.
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