The Best Albums of 2003:
Dirt Roads, Skunks, and Crayons
Introduction
Album of the Year:
Manitoba - Up in Flames
I'm really at a loss what to say about this year's album of the year. 2003 may have yielded many fantastic albums, some innovative, some just plain fun, but none resonated with yours truly on an emotional level more than Manitoba's second album, Up in Flames. When I got it in May, I was stunned by its raw beauty, the whole sloppy jumble of it all. The brainchild of Dan Snaith, a Dundas, Ontario native who happened to be studying math over in London, it's the kind of laptop techno music more commonly known as folktronica, which meshes electronic beats and musical cut & paste collages with warm, pastoral, acoustic sounds. The result is surprisingly accessible and human, an album I'd consider a psychedelic masterpiece.
Up in Flames is as euphoric an album as I've ever heard, as Snaith throws everything he can think of into his songs. You can hear Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips, The Byrds, The beach Boys, and especially the layered tones of My Bloody Valentine. Lyrics are indecipherable. Sweet melodies commingle with frenzied beats and samples. Lilting tones swirl on the periphery as backwards effects make you feel like you're soaring through clouds. "Hendrix With KO" and "Jacknuggeted" are two very good singles, but the real treasure of the album is the closing half of the record, featuring "Bijoux", "Twins", "Kid You'll Move Mountains", "Crayon", and "Every Time She Turns Round It's Her Birthday"; the album reaches incredible heights, as the songs propel skyward, climaxing with the epic closing track. On this album, Snaith establishes himself as a singular talent; he makes Radiohead's clumsy Hail to the Thief sound pretentious and emotionally empty, and equals the Flaming Lips' ability to combine electronic beats with blissed-out pop in a way that would make Wayne Coyne wish he had collaborated with Manitoba instead of the Chemical Brothers.
I wish I could write more about this record, but it's one of those where the best I can do is to just say, "You simply have to hear it for yourself." It's truly an indescribable album...in fact, what I've always thought of when listening to Up in Flames is Allen Ginsberg's 1967 poem "Wales Visitation", especially this passage, which best describes my feelings when listening to this wondrous music:
"--Heaven balanced on a grassblade
Roar of the mountain wind slow, sigh of the body,
One Being on the mountainside stirring gently
Exquisite scales trembling everywhere in balance,
one motion thru the cloudy sky-floor shifting on the million feet of
daisies,
one Majesty the motion that stirred wet grass quivering
to the farthest tendril of white fog poured down
through shivering flowers on the mountain's head..."
It might not be the most important album of 2003, but it is the most beautiful record I've heard this year. That's all the convincing I need.
2. The Strokes - Room on Fire
It's funny how many people reacted so indifferently toward the new Strokes album. After all the insane hype two years ago, despite selling a decent number of their debut album Is This It, The Strokes hardly saved rock music like many people had hoped. Anticipation for their new album was still high, but many of the pundits and hipsters out there were cautiously optimistic this time around. Including myself. After ranking Is This It #4 on my 2001 list, I grew a bit tired of the album, and I basically forgot just how good a band these guys really are. So when the album was leaked in September, I thought, 'meh, I'll wait until the cd comes out.' But then curiosity got the best of me, and I quickly downloaded it, and as I played the songs, I was immediately struck by one simple fact. This is one perfect album.
I should never have doubted The Strokes. After all, there are enough people doing that right now, as they fail to hear what makes this album so much better than the previous one, lazily reverting to lame excuses like, "It sounds just the same as the other one." Earlier this year, alarm bells sounded when the band decided not to work with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and instead opted for Gordon Raphael once again. However, it does not sound just like Is This It. Instead, it's like they went back into the studio, recorded the album in the same fashion as they did on the first one, but this time around, they did everything better. Better vocals by Julian Casablancas, better guitar playing by Albert Hammond, Jr. and Nick Valensi, better drumming by the underrated Fab Moretti, and most importantly, much better songs.
The difference is obvious as Room on Fire begins. Gone are the blatant Lou Reed/Velvet Underground rip-offs; in their place, the band combines Eighties new wave, reggae, dance, and even a little bit of metal, making for a musically deeper record. You hear it in the opening seconds of "What Ever Happened", as it kicks off with a funk-fueled intro, before Casablancas bursts in with his jaded, raspy-voiced line, "I want to be forgotten/And I don't want to be reminded." The surging "Reptilia" is the hardest-rocking song the band has ever done, while "Under Cntrol" is the direct opposite, a mellow, soulful ode to Sixties Motown. Three songs catapult the album towards greatness: The wonderful "The End Has No End" is the most deeply layered song in the band's young career, a real treat to listen to, while the ridiculously catchy "12:51" combines driving post punk with a fun Cars-inspired guitar synth melody that gets in your head and never leaves. The real winner is the terrific "I Can't Win", a buoyant song that has Casablancas singing self-deprecatingly, with a melody that sounds as simple and easygoing as a guy happily walking down the street. Yes, it sounds different than their first album. Yes, it's far better than their first album. And yes, it's one of the very best releases of 2003.
3. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
I didn't get into the Drive-By Truckers until early this year, but I had been wanting to hear them for a couple of years. Thing was, it was hard for me to find their cd's where I live, especially the much-lauded 2001 concept album Southern Rock Opera, which I had heard nothing but good things about. Then, one day, I stumbled across a used copy of that album at a local store. I immediately traded in some old cd's for that double album, and was completely awed by the music I heard. Here was a great, blue-collar rock band that alternately dabbled in Southern rock and country, with plenty of casual, unpretentious lyrics that sounded more perceptive than anything I had heard recently. It was indeed a great album, and had I heard it two years ago, it just might have been my album of the year.
So coincidentally, a couple months later, the band was set to release their new album, and when I got my hands on it, it didn't disappoint. Decoration Day is a very different album from Southern Rock Opera; in direct contrast to the celebration of rock & roll and Southern life on the previous record, the new one was much darker, angrier, and more focused. There never seems to be any in-between, the band is either rocking very hard, or playing in hushed, brooding tones. The songs touch on such subjects as suicide, incest, life on the road, domestic violence, and murder, but like I wrote in my original review, the recurring theme of the album is the choices every person makes in their lives, their ultimate after-effects, and the fact that we all have to live and deal with those choices, no matter how good or bad they might turn out to be.
The Drive-By Truckers' great strength is their three guitarists, who all write songs, giving the band a wealth of quality material to choose from. Leader Patterson Hood, with his raspy voice, is the primary songwriter, and his songs all possess a gritty, yet tender quality (much like his voice), best exemplified in songs like "The Deeper In", "My Sweet Annette", and "Heathens". However, it's songs like the hard rocking "Hell No, I Ain't Happy" and the venomous "Sink Hole" that really stand out the most. On the other hand, Mike Cooley's songs are thoughtful, country-tinged, and have a distinctive lyrical style, as he excels in letting off memorable quips like, "I might as well have slipped that ring on your finger from a window of a van as it drove away," and, "Rock 'n' roll means well, but it can't help telling young boys lies." It's the band's newest member, Jason Isbell, though, that provides the biggest surprises. "Outfit" is a brilliant song about fathers and sons, and "Decoration Day", a combination of Lynyrd Skynyrd (just listen to that incredible triple guitar harmony coda) and an old fashioned country murder ballad. Decoration Day doesn't quite top the previous album, but it comes awfully close. Emotional, profound, and ferocious, the Drive-By Truckers are, in my opinion, the best indie rock band in America right now.
4. Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner
It took longer for me to warm up to this album than any other in 2003. After Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) blew so many people (including yours truly) away a year ago with Original Pirate Material, his inspired, unique portait of a day in the life of British youth, everyone knew that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. UK garage is the most vital music that's coming out of Britain today, and Skinner merely paved the way for kids to approach the genre with punk-like abandon, turning it upside-down, creating homemade albums that depict the world that they live in, giving the urban youth a true voice, instead of having kids look to American urban music for inspiration. The London duo Audio Bullys put out a flawed, yet admirable album in early 2003, but it was an eighteen year-old named Dylan Mills who came along, and blew the British music scene apart.
Mills, known by millions as Dizzee Rascal, surprised many as his debut album Boy in da Corner won the Mercury Prize, upsetting the likes of Coldplay and Radiohead. The album, which came out in June, was a tough one to get into at first. Unlike The Streets, whose lyrical strengths make up for the weak, minimalist beats, Dizzee's beats are what get your attention first. Jarring, stuttering, moving in a stilted, herky-jerky way, the rhythms are one of a kind, as he utilizes undulating basslines and such influences as gamelan to make this far, far more interesting a listen than most American hip hop albums out there. Then there's the voice. The guy has a voice that's unlike any other in music today, as Mills spews rhymes in his thick East London accent, spewing so much slang and rapid-fire phrases, it takes a long time before you can figure out what the heck what he's saying. But when you do absorb his lyrics, you realise how special an artist he is, and everything clicks. After five months of gradually listening to this album more and more, it struck me that this was the most unique thing I've heard since Tricky's Maxinquaye in 1995.
Dizzee paints a much darker portrait of urban life than Skinner. In fact, it bears a close resemblance to the lyrical themes of the likes of late Seventies punk rockers, as he unflinchingly describes his world: deteriorating neighbourhoods, urban decay, broken familes, violence, and the futility of life in such a place. "It's the same old story/Ninja bikes, gunfights and scary nights/It's the same old story/Window tints and gloves for fingerprints," he broods in the opening track "Sittin' Here", as Mills surveys his neighbourhood, taking in every detail he sees. He depicts boy-girl relationships with humour on the incredible, memorable single "I Luv U", living empty lives ("Wot U On"), and the violence that always seems to be lurking just underneath the surface ("Stop Dat"). Not only that, but he employs a terrific Billy Squier sample (!) on the insanely catchy "Fix Up, Look Sharp". However, it's on "Jezebel", about a young teen mother, and "Do It", where Dizzee shows his real strengths, as he displays a real compassion for his subjects, and ultimately ending the album on a more positive, hopeful note: "Sleep tight everything will be alright/By the end of the will be the day, just pray dat you see it/Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it/Strecth your mind to the limit you can DO IT."
5. Constantines - Shine a Light
What an incredible year it was for Canadian indie rock. I always had a hard time getting into rock bands from my home country. The good ones were never played on the radio and were hard to find mp3's of, and the bad ones got all the attention. Canadian music just seemed so bland, but now, since the new Pornographers blew me away three years ago, I've seen the error of my ways, as tons of great bands have emerged, and at the very top of the 2003 Canadian indie rock are five guys from Guelph, Ontario, of all places.
I had missed out on the Constantines' excellent debut album two years ago, but a colleague turned me on to their EP The Modern Sinner, Nervous Man early this year. I was intrigued by the band's combination of Afghan Whigs punk-tinged soul and angular, Fugazi-style post punk, thinking it was pretty good, and when the opportunity came to review the album, I went for it, and was subsequently floored by the album. I was not expecting Shine a Light to be so good. Noisy, soulful, joyous, and above all else, passionate...it is by far the most passionate Canadian rock record I have heard inb a very long time. The Constantines are utterly shameless; in the mesmerizing single "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)", singer/guitarist Bryan Webb howls like a young Springsteen or Joe Strummer, spouting a fiery diatribe that dares snooty indie kids to stop standing there like idiots and enjoy themselves, singing, "It's hard not to surrender to the bold and comely words / What sway the bloody minded / What hang above the graceless herd / It's hard not to surrender, but I will dance down through the alleyways / With one foot in the gutter." Amen, brother.
The rest of the album is just as good. "National Hum" and "Tank Commander (Hung Up in a Warehouse Town)" rock as hard as anything else I've heard all year, "Goodbye Baby & Amen" broods darkly, and "Insectivora" boasts a wicked bassline and searing, slashing guitars. Webb continues to display his lyrical power on the anthemic "Young Lions" ("Make your love too wild for words"), but it's "On to You" that steals the show. Over a catchy backdrop provided by the band, Webb sings, in that gruff voice of his, about being young and in love with life, his tough guy romanticism equaling that of Springsteen or Tom Waits: "Come let me under your veil / They might say love is only trouble, we're both too drunk to steer it / We may never be angels, but we're lousy with the spirit." A few weeks after gushing about Shine a Light, I had a chance to see the bandlive, and man, did they ever deliver. One of the best shows I've seen in ages, and the best six bucks I've ever spent. You get the feeling this is merely the beginning, that there's a real classic album in the Constantines' future. One thing is certain, though: they're the best rock band in Canada right now.
6. Grandaddy - Sumday
When their previous album The Sophtware Slump came out, Grandaddy were quickly embraced by fans of adventurous rock bands (primarily Radiohead) and the UK music media. It was fitting, because, like Radiohead, Grandaddy combined straightforward alternative rock with electronic elements, not to mention plenty of witty, insightful lyrics. So expectations were very high by the time Grandaddy's new album leaked in the spring. And the result polarized fans...some thought it was their best album yet, and others thought it was nothing more than a middle-of-the-road sellout.
Consider yours truly among the former. Sumday is a fabulous album, near perfect. The boys from Modesto, California have made a breezy, dreamy pop rock record, one that's tinged with acoustic West Coast Seventies pop, new wave, classic rock, and psychedelic rock. The electronic sounds are still there, but on Sumday, they're much, much more understated, as the bleeps and blips don't overwhelm the music this time around. The wonderfully catchy "Now it's On" is one of the best singles of the year (check the list over on the left), a dead-on perfect imitation of the kind of upbeat, gentle rock & roll that The Flaming Lips have done in recent years. "El Caminos in the West" is just as catchy, not to mention the silly "Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake", made all the more memorable by a ridiculously contagious synthesizer hook and singer Jason Lytle's clever, surreal lyric writing. Then there sre the more languid, lugubriously paced songs like "I'm on Standby", "The Go in the Go For It", and "Lost on Yer Merry Way" are light, easygoing, and luminous.
The ballad "The Warming Sun" knocks you off your feet, a grand, sweeping piano ballad that echoes the more mainstream work by Pink Floyd (think Dark Side of the Moon) and the cheesy, yet wondrous production of Paul McCartney & Wings. It's a song that could very easily be played on classic rock radio alongside Floyd and Supertramp, but alas, only a few people know how great this song is. The lyrical high point of the album is "The Group Who Couldn't Say", which brilliantly illustrates the stifling, suffocating atmosphere of urban office life, as Lytle tells a tale of a group of office workers on a retreat in the forest. As the characters are exposed to nature for the first time in a long time, Lytle's combination of wordplay and simple, Zen-like wisdom is devastating: "Becky wondered why/She'd never noticed dragonflies/Her drag and click had never yielded anything as perfect...as a dragonfly." People keep praising bands for going all artsy, never realising that their music is getting worse the harder they try to be innovative; what is an even braver move these days is to try to incorporate that progressive quality with simple, catchy pop songs, something that Grandaddy has pulled of with astonishing ease.
7. The Notwist - Neon Golden
Here's yet another album that came out in 2002, but this time, with The Notwist's fifth album Neon Golden, I had a good reason to include it in my 2003 list, that being it hadn't even been released in North America until this past year. A good thing, too, that I got a second chance, because I really missed out on a good one a year ago. The Notwist was one of the biggest revelations for yours truly these past twelve months; over the course of the year, I was able to become familiar with not only the fine Neon Golden, but their four previous albums as well. I was able to hear the incredible transformation of a pretty ordinary alternative rock band into one of the world most creative artists. The band's marriage of rock music with laptop technology is their great achievement, and their 1998 album Shrink pre-dates Radiohead's Kid A, and is every bit as good. It's a shame it's taken me this long to notice.
Neon Golden continues where Shrink left off, but instead of the jazz-oriented sounds that the quartet used on the previous release, they use a more simple, pastoral palate, as the music borders on folktronica, as they incorporate acoustic guitar and banjo samples. This album is understated, and sometimes beautiful beyond words. "One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand" encapsulates perfectly what this humble album is all about, as singer Markus Acher sings plaintively over a minimal arrangement. "Trashing Days" and the title track have more folk-oriented melodies and arrangements, while "Pilot" and "One With the Freaks" are more upbeat and propulsive, as the latter song, especially, reaches pretty, New Order-style heights. The North American release comes with three bonus tracks, and none of them bog the album down; in fact, the instrumental "Scoop" is every bit as good as the other album tracks.
The album reaches a stirring climax on the emotional "Consequence". With an introduction that outdoes the likes of Coldplay and U2, it's such a simple song, a gorgeous blend of piano, guitar, and laptop clicks and pops, as the melody just drifts lazily, threatening to soar to bombastic heights, but it stays the course, gliding along majestically instead. This is the type of song U2 would kill to pull off one more time, and it's one that also has you yearning for Radiohead to quit being so pretentious, and just write a good song for once. Neon Golden, with all its electronic influences, has that human quality I love to hear in such music; it's the kind of stuff that takes my breath away every time. This is an album I'm very fond of, and I'm thankful to have had the chance to discover this band this year, who now rank among my very favourites.
8. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People
"'You Forgot it in People' is a pop record designed to remindus that music still has room to be recreated. It flows like a compilation of sounds for the wounded. The last record was constructed for lovers in bathrooms…this is for the ones who leave their homes looking for hope." So says the blurb on the back of Broken Social Scene's second album. A daring statement, indeed, but whaddya know, this Toronto collective delivers on their promise. This is one fine album, one that actually lives up to all the praise it's been getting.
So why am I, a Canadian, putting this album on my 2003 list when it came out in late 2002? Well, I admit, I'm cheating a little bit. I didn't hear anything from You Forgot it in People until late last year, when the album was hyped to death by the Toronto media, and I didn't hear enough of it to form any kind of informed opinion. After it started to surface on the net, I was still slow to gravitate towards what I'd downloaded. I kept thinking, good, not great. Then late this past spring, I finally got my hands on the actual CD, and it won me over. As the months went by, the silly thing just grew on me more, until I was finally compelled to place it in my top ten. It was a long, slow process, but this charming little album finally won me over in a big way.
You Forgot it in People is all over the place, but that's part of its appeal. The beautiful "Stars and Sons" has its melody built around the bassline, like any New Order song, while "Almost Crimes (Radio Kills Remix)" is flat-out garage rock (erm, with jazzy accents). "Pacific Theme" sounds like Brian Wilson collaborating with Burt Bacharach, and the disarming "Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl" is one of the sweetest evocations of teen love you'll ever come across. "Cause=Time" is a straightforward Dinosaur Jr. rip-off, but a good one at that, "Late Nineties Bedroom Rock For the Missionaries" (don't you love those ridiculously pretentious song titles?) evokes Yo La Tengo's mellower moments, while "Lover's Spit" reminds me a whole lot of Ron Sexsmith's work. It's not quite as groundbreaking as some critics have tried to make it out to be, but it's as lovely as all the critics make it out to be, and if I have to bend my rules to include it in my 2003 list, then so be it.
9. Richard Hawley - Lowedges
Give one listen to Richard Hawley's second solo album, Lowedges, and you'll immediately wonder to yourself, why has he waited so long to do this? After years of session work, and serving as a guitarist for Longpigs and a touring guitarist for his fellow Sheffield friends in Pulp, Hawley put together a solo debut back in 2001, called Late Night Final, which despite some great praise, eluded the ears of many, including yours truly. Being a longtime Pulp fan, I knew who Hawley was, but I hadn't heard his solo music before this year. In fact, I merely volunteered to review the album out of curiosity, certainly not expecting it to eventually place in my year-end top ten list.
So imagine my surprise, when I first heard the majestic, sweeping, orchestral strains of the first track, "Run For Me". I don't think I've so surprised all year…here's a guy who, after standing in the shadows for years, is suddenly handed the mike, and reveals to everyone a velvety smooth, husky voice that immediatly conjures images of The Righteous Brothers, Leonard Cohen, Scott Walker, and even Jarvis Cocker himself. The opening three songs are stunning, absolutely stunning. "Run For Me" has a grandiose, wall of sound feel, "Darlin'" is a sweet love song that sounds like it came from the ethereal world of David Lynch's Twin Peaks, and "Oh My Love" is a first-rate ballad, with layers of guitar effects serving as a substitute for a Phil Spector-arranged orchestra. Songs like these remind you just how rare it is that you hear a good love song, and these three are as good as it gets.
The rest of the album isn't too shabby, either. "The Only Road" is hushed, like an Angelo Badalamenti composition, and just ambles along for nearly six quiet minutes, in no hurry to leave, as you picture Hawley slowly fading in the distance. "On the Ledge" and "It's Over Love" both have a late Sixties Leonard Cohen feel, while "The Motorcycle Song" comes the closest to an upbeat song on the album. "I'm On Nights" and "The Nights Are Made For Us" have a bit of a doo wop sound, with plenty of sumptuous vibrato guitar. Lowedges is so simple, it's hard to write at great length about. It's dark. It envelops you like a warm blanket. Hawley's voice is soothing and hypnotic. It's perfect for late, quiet nights. Above all else, it's sublime, and that's the only description that really counts.
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Brooklyn's Yeah Yeah Yeahs took their own sweet time putting out a debut album. Heavily hyped in late 2001 in the wake of Strokesmania, this guitar-drums-no-bass trio, fronted by flamboyant, psychotic, wailer/fashion plate Karen O, garnered a lot of attention, thanks to their self-titled debut EP, featuring the mighty fine tune "Our Time". It was a likeable CD, but roughly recorded, and on the one-dimensional side, almost bordering on novelty. After their second EP Machine came out in 2002, many people soured quickly on the band. After all, it was pretty awful, not to mention pretentious. So when their official debut album Fever to Tell came out early this year, it was all the more shocking that it turned out to be really, really good.
Mixed by the great Alan Moulder, this album is explosive rock & roll at its rawest, but that's only half of the fun. The first six tracks are indeed intense, as the band proves they're far more adept at the no-bass gimmick than the hugely overrated White Stripes are. Moulder constructs a drum sound that is so full, so brutal, that you forget about the lack of bass guitar completely, as Brian Chase pounds away relentlessly, best exemplified on "Date With the Night", as he tears away on a hi-hat, bass drum, snare, and cymbal like a madman. Meanwhile, "Man", "Tick", and "Pin" have the inimitable Ms. O caterwauling away like a female Jon Spencer.
However, it's the album's second half, primarily the last three songs, that show how much depth and versatility this band has, as the songs display a startling amount of vulnerability. Here, it's guitarist Nick Zinner who emerges. A budding indie rock guitar god, Zinner shows he's capable of anything and everything; on "Y Control", he channels everyone from Kurt Cobain, to Neil Young, to Kevin Shields, a one-man wrecking crew. The trio is more subdued on "Modern Romance", as subtle layers of backwards guitars are employed as Karen sings tenderly. The true high point of the album, and the sign that this band is much more than a garage rock novelty, is the stunning "Maps". If there was ever a perfect punk ballad, this would be it, as the band contributes equally in a spectacular performance. Chase provides a steady, understated tom-tom driven beat, Zinner coaxes the most raggedly beautiful noises out of his guitar, and Karen O makes your jaw hit the floor with her emotional singing; when you hear her sing, "Wait, they don't love you like I love you,", it's enough to make your heart cave in. No question about it, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are for real.
11. The Darkness - Permission to Land:
I have defended no band more over the past six months than The Darkness. 2003 was a dismal one for British rock, and the fact that a bunch of silly spandex-wearing, retro-riffing, shrieking fops surprised everyone by leaping, David Lee Roth style, to the top of the UK rock heap was just a bit too much for some people to fathom, here, and even in Merry Ole as well. When I first saw them on Top of the Pops in early July, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears, and a couple weeks later, I got the album, just to see what the big fuss was about. No more than two listens later, I knew the reason why these guys are bigger than all the other maudlin music out there: they're fun. They smile when they perform, there's joy in their cheesy music, and they have a blast poking fun at their genre. However, their music is anything but a joke, as it's some well-written, brilliantly executed retro rock. Don't believe the Poison comparisons, their influences run much deeper. You can hear such Seventies acts such as UFO, Uriah Heep, Scorpions, Styx, Van Halen, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Foreigner, and even Peter Frampton; and the best thing is, these songs are absolutely contagious. The spectacular trifecta of singles "Get Your Hands Off My Woman", "Growing on Me", and "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", the startling ballad (because it's so good) "Love is Only a Feeling", the AC/DC meets Dio of "Black Shuck", and the simply beguiling "Friday Night" all show more ebullience and sincerity that many bands in the 80s and 90s never had. Permission to Land may not have made my top ten, but it's still as enjoyable as anything that came out this year.
12. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow:
I really had no expectations when I got my copy of the new Shins album. Their first album, Oh, Inverted World was a pleasant bit of twee pop, a good little retro folk-rock record, but not much more, and when I gave the new one a first listen, I thought it was nice enough. It took several days before it really got its hooks in me, and if there's one thing Chutes Too Narrow has no shortage of, it's hooks. A few weeks later, I was taken aback by how many publications echoed my sentiments (I tend to overpraise albums I really like), as the CD became somewhat of a critics' darling, but all the attention is more than deserved. Instead of duplicating the first album, The Shins decided to get considerably more adventurous, going country here, rock there, cranking up the guitars on several tracks. You hear such varying sounds, like Badly Drawn Boy's giddy folk music ("Young Pilgrims", "Pink Bullets"), the adventurous indie pop of The New Pornographers and Destroyer ("Saint Simon", "Fighting in a Sack"), and the heartfelt Americana sounds of Wilco (the utterly gorgeous "Gone For Good"). The band is all over the place, but they keep things under control, making this release one of the nicest surprises of the year.
13. Goldfrapp - Black Cherry:
Goldfrapp's 2000 album Felt Mountain absolutely cast me under a spell when I first heard it. A very unique blend of creative trip hop production by Will Gregory and kooky, flaky lyrics, it was the voice of one Alison Goldfrapp that made it so entrancing. Aloof, weird, and sultry all in one, it was a voice you either love or hate. I loved it. It was a long wait for the duo's second record, and when it leaked early this past spring, it was quite a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. It still possessed the same ethereal quality of Felt Mountain, but this time, there was a heavy electro influence, reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder dominating, adding avery cool dance element. It's all there in the three outstanding singles, "Train", "Strict Machine", and "Twist", as Gregory goes heavy on the synths and the funky beats. Meanwhile, Goldfrapp herself sounds great, much smoother and emotional, best exemplified on the gorgeous title track. As much as I am fond of this album, what prevented it from cracking my top ten was the presence of a couple of songs that are too similar to Felt Mountain, which stick out a bit too much. Still, the album redeems itself with the jaw-dropping "Slippage", an amazing, amazing "instrumental".
14. The New Pornographers - Electric Version:
The New Pornographers' 2000 album Mass Romantic has a special place in my heart, as it does for many other people. The memory of buying it in Vancouver right after it was released after months of anticipation, hearing the great "Letter From an Occupant" for the first time that night, submitting an ecstatic amazon.com customer review a few weeks later. Hey, I'm a sucker for quirky, catchy indie pop. Two and a half years later, the band released their second album, and I still feel that Electric Version is better than the debut. Unlike the slowly-assembled (yet charming) hodgepodge that the first CD was, this one is more of a band record, as constant touring has tightened their sound considerably. Neko Case's voice is as bewitching as ever, Dan Bejar's contributions eclipse those on the first album, and Carl Newman leads the way with his trademark pop hooks and enigmatic lyrics. The euphoric "The Laws Have Changed" and "All For Swinging You Around" are perfect singles, while "From Blown Speakers", "The End of Medicine", "The New Face of Zero and One", and "Ballad of a Comeback Kid" prolong the fun so much, listening to it is like a sugar rush. So why did this album only place 14th? That only shows just how great 2003 was.
15. Fischerspooner - #1:
Fischerspooner's debut album is undoubtedly the only CD to be mentioned on year-end lists for three years in a row. Here in North America, I first heard the weird, instantly memorable name of Fischerspooner in 2002, as the "Emerge" single made a bit of noise in the UK that summer, but the album wasn't released over here until this past February. By that time, the entire "electroclash" tag had worn thin, as people grew sick of the whole 80s synth pop, Casio retread schtick that the likes of Peaches, Chicks on Speed, and Adult. had done a couple years earler. It's admittedly a pretty dumb trend, this nu-electro movement, but there are some very good songs, and #1 is perhaps the defining album of the genre. Featuring singer Casey Spooner and keyboardist Warren Fischer, a host of extras, and a bizarre stage show that's equal parts Rocky Horror and a fashion show, Fischerspooner, underneath that flamboyant exterior, is capable of some terrific music. It's minimalist, but catchy and surprisingly layered, especially on songs like "Emerge", "Sweetness", "L.A. Song", "Tone Poem", and "Natural Disaster", and especially the very good cover of Wire's "The 15th". Oh, and the limited edition DVD is very cool.
16. Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self Destruction:
Early this year, I read how Jesse Malin, the former lead singer of NYC punks D Generation, got a tidy sum of money when his East Village apartment building fell victim to gentrification, and he proceeded to put all that money into recording a debut solo album. Talk about money well spent. The Fine Art of Self Destruction is New York, through and through, as Malin delivers plenty of raggedly beautiful, gritty depictions of life in in the city. His songs are similar to the tough guy with a heart of gold stuff we've heard from the likes of Bruce Springsteen for ages, but while Bruce takes it easy in his swanky home, Malin speaks from the gutter level, and you feel that desperate, down-and-out soul in such songs as "Queen of the Underworld" "High Lonesome", "Cigarettes and Violets", and the title track. "TKO", "Wendy", and "Downliner" are three fabulous rock & roll songs, but nothing comes close to "Brooklyn", especially the alternate "band" version, which slowly builds to a soaring climax. Expertly produced by buddy Ryan Adams (who plays all electric guitar), this is a fantastic debut album by a big-time talent, who, with only one CD, gives Adams a serious run for his money.
17. Neil Young - Greendale:
More than a few Neil Young fans raised an eyebrow when they learned that he was putting together a concept album, immersing himself completely in the Our Town style tale of a small West Coast town and its inhabitants. All year long, Young's live performances consisted of him performing his new album in its entirety, leaving only a little room for an encore of classic songs, which befuddled fans even more. Young's output as of late has been a bit inconsistent, but Greendale, quickly put together with his great backing band Crazy Horse in tow, was a really pleasant surprise, Young's best album since 1995's Mirror Ball. It's cool to see the detail Young puts into the record, with its map of the town of Greendale, the whimsical, conversational liner notes (basically word-for-word transcripts of his between-song chatter during his solo tour), and the storyline itself. But really, with songs like these, the plot takes a backseat. The Horse rocks hard (rhythm guitarist Poncho Sampedro is sadly left off the album), as Young lets loose with plenty of relaxed, barroom blues guitar licks. Tunes like "Falling From Above", "Carmichael", the tender "Bandit", and the impassioned "Be the Rain" show the man is still capable of great material.
18. Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power:
I was a huge, huge fan of Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World album two years ago, so it was with much excitement that I downloaded their newest album this past spring when it leaked several months before its release date. When I first heard Phantom Power, I was a bit disappointed. That madness that dominated the previous album didn't seem to be there, and the songs sounded merely ordinary, when compared to the inspired mess that Rings was. However, as the months went by, the new album slowly started to grow on me; I really started to like it after I bought the cd, and now, at the end of the year, I feel it ranks among the best albums of 2003. No, there are no moments of insanity, like people chewing celery, on this album; instead, the band is much more controlled. Yes, they still like to shift gears, being the lunatics they are, but everything is toned down a bit more. It's not as great as Rings, but it's still awfully good. Songs like "Hello Sunshine", "The Piccolo Snare", "The Undefeated", and the wonderful "Liberty Belle" and "Venus & Serena" make this album a very likeable one.
19. North Mississippi Allstars - Polaris:
I've been a big fan of the North Mississippi Allstars for several years now, and over the course of their three albums, they've showed remarkable growth on each one. Following their debut cd of blues covers, 2001's 51 Phantom featured mostly original compositions, as well as a harder, more distorted blues rock sound, and when their new album came out this past fall, it was quite a surprise to hear what the band was trying this time around. They went pop. Or at least, closer to mainstream rock than many of their fans expected, including myself. Though the shift in style is jarring at first, repeated listens to Polaris reveal that this was an excellent album, unquestionably the band's best. The traditional blues riffs and jam band qualities of their first two albums are toned down, as we're treated to thirteen easygoing, catchy, genre-leaping rock & roll songs that echo the likes of The Allman Brothers, The Replacements (whose albums their father produced in the 80s), country blues, and psychedelic rock. You've got the catchy opener "Eyes", the relaxed "Meet Me in the City", the joyous "Kids These Daze", and best of all, the warped genius of "Be So Glad". Guaranteed to have you smiling after listening to it.
20. Turbonegro - Scandinavian Leather:
While geeks like yours truly were salivating over the re-releases of Turbonegro's classic late Nineties albums Ass Cobra and Apocalypse Dudes this past spring (see below), the Norwegian deathpunk gods were busy putting the finishing touches on their new reunion album. After a tumultuous breakup in 1998, the band reunited for a series of shows in the summer of 2002, and they felt re-energized enough to give it another go in the studio. Now, much has been said about how Scandinavian Leather isn't quite as intense and outrageous as the previous two albums, but that's not to say it isn't worthy of praise. This album, flawed as it may be, is so much fun, it still outshines most of the albums that came out in 2003. The production is slicker, as a heavy metal sheen coats the band's sound, complete with layered guitars and string sections, even, but under all the gloss, the fire still burns on such gems as the disgustingly titled "Wipe it 'Til It Bleeds", the Ramonesesque "Turbonegro Must Be Destroyed", the terrific singles "Sell Your Body (To the Night)" and "F**k the World (F.T.W.)", and the deliriously goofy "Drenched in Blood (D.I.B.)". I love this band.
My Honourable Mentions of 2003:
(The best of the rest, in alphabetical order)
Gemma Hayes - Night on My Side
A very impressive debut that really grew on me as the months went by. Cool singer/songwriter fare, with some amazing touches of shoegazer guitars that complement Hayes' beguiling voice.
Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
The legends returned with their first studio album since early 2000, and it did not disappoint. Surprisingly strong; "Rainmaker" and "Paschendale" especially.
Lamb - Between Darkness and Wonder
When it comes to beautiful, dreamy chill-out music, nobody does it better, and this album is the duo's strongest yet.
The Libertines - Up the Bracket
A brash, sloppy debut album, these guys incorporate the best characteristics of The Clash and The Jam, and throw in heaps of their own unique wit. "What a Waster" is amazing.
Mountaineers - Messy Century
A fun, ambitious, confident debut from the Welsh band, they throw everything into the mix, hoping it works. And it does work, really well.
Muse - Absolution
Loud, bombastic, artsy, pretentious. With some excellent tunes, too. If only Radiohead would try something as over the top as this…
The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love
A huge improvement over their first release, the band goes totally early 60s, incorporating bubblegum hooks into their loud, Jesus & Mary Chain rock.
Lou Reed - The Raven (2 CD version)
Arrogant as all get-out, and a huge, pompous mess, but Reed's lengthy tribute to Edgar Allen Poe works remarkably well. Plus, it's great to see Reed fired up for once.
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
Shocking debut by the 16 year-old English girl, as she goes all 70s soul, with jaw-dropping results. Her cover of The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Boy" is inspired.
Xiu Xiu - A Promise
Easily one of the scariest, most twisted, disturbing albums I have ever heard. Listening to it is a harrowing experience, but under all the cacophony are some very good songs.
The Best Ineligible Albums of 2003:
(albums containing previously released material, like live albums, reissues, compilations, and music DVDs)
1. Turbonegro - Ass Cobra, Apocalypse Dudes
I wish there was a way I find some kind of loophole that would allow me to name these two CDs as my albums of the year, but alas, I can't. But that won't stop me from saying that this stuff is the best music I have heard all year. Nothing even comes close, not even my actual album of the year. Turbonegro have been around for a good decade, but their cult following grew even more in 2003 when Epitaph re-released their two classic albums this past March. The only thing I wish is that I heard these albums five, seven years ago.
Turbonegro is one nasty piece of work. Fronted by the portly, facepainted Hank von Helvete, the band delivers some of the most insane, over the top, vulgar, hilarious rock & roll we've heard since the Stormtroopers of Death. Oh, and they're flamingly gay, too. 1996's Ass Cobra is an earsplitting punk album, as Hank and his guys tear through 14 songs in half an hour. And they're catchy, too, boasting similar hooks as the Misfits' best songs, especially on songs as "Denim Demon", "I Got Erection", and the wickedly titled "The Midnight NAMBLA". 1998's Apocalypse Dudes is even better. Turbonegro changes their direction a bit; they remain loyal to the punk sound of the previous album ("Get it On" is an awesome rip-off of The Ramones' "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do"), but add more of a metal influence, incorporating an almost glam rock sound (think Hanoi Rocks) into the mix. The album just rocks, period. "The Age of Pomparius", "Self Destructo Bust", "Prince of the Rodeo", and "Back to Dungaree High" are some of the catchiest hard rock songs I've heard in a very long time.
I may highly recommend all the 2003 albums that appear on this year-end list, but in all honestly, don't go buy any of them until you own these two demented, filthy, disgusting, deathpunk masterpieces.
2. Simply Saucer - Cyborgs Revisited
It's funny, and also a testamient to just how ridiculously uncool I am, how it took an American cohort of mine to turn me on to one of the greatest Canadian rock albums of all time. Originally a rare, nine track vinyl compilation of the Hamilton, Ontario band's unreleased output from 1974-75, Hamilton's own Sonic Unyon repackaged it in a snazzy new edition, complete with nine additional bonus tracks. Part Velvet Underground, part punk, part Sixties garage, part progressive rock, the band tears through songs with reckless abandon. Simply Saucer's crowning moment is the ten minute jam "Illegal Bodies", an explosive blast of propulsive rock, a punk "Sister Ray" that grooves as hard as it rocks. Recorded, of all places, at an outdoor afternoon concert on top of a shopping mall.
3. Rush - Rush in Rio (DVD)
One of the best concert DVDs I have ever seen, this one re-ignited my love of Rush. This performance in Rio de Janeiro, the final date of their 2002 tour, is spectacular, as the trio whip the rabid Brasilian crowd into a frenzy. With a setlist spanning their entire career, covering 15 of their 17 studio albums, the band sounds energized after a lengthy break from performing. Highlights include "Tom Sawyer", "By-Tor and the Snowdog", the overlooked classics "The Pass" and "Bravado", and Neil Peart's eight minute drum solo, which is stunning to see, especially on the special multi-angle feature. And just listen to the crowd sing along to "YYZ". An instrumental! Incredible.
4. Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's gospel period, from 1978 to 1981, is the one part of his long career I could never get into. It's not because of the fundamentalist dogma of his lyrics, it's because the music is some of Bob's weakest ever, with lazy, glossy production that just wrecks everything. Aside from "I Believe in You", "Every Grain of Sand", and "Solid Rock", I could never get into the music. This tribute album, though, sheds new light on Bob's gospel songs, as every track (including a 2002 performance by Bob himself) completely destroys the original, most notably Dottie Peoples' "I Believe in You" and Shirley Caesar's great rendition of the title track.
5. Steve Earle - Just an American Boy: The Audio Documentary
The timing could not have been better for Steve Earle to put out a live album. In the months following the release of Earle's Jerusalem, America was embroiled in a futile, non U.N. sanctioned war that is still going on. Earle can't sit back and watch his country go down the toilet as the dunderheaded President digs a deeper and deeper hole for himself, and this album features Earle at his angriest (he delivers several excellent monologues), and his ace band The Dukes at their most potent. Earle and his boys rock very hard, tearing into the new material with abandon, and delivering a spectacular cover of "What's So Funny About Peace Love & Understanding".
6. Branches and Routes: A FatCat Records Compilation
If you're looking for an ideal introduction to the vast, twisted world of post rock, this is exactly what you need to hear. A compilation of the best moments from the ultracool FatCat Records, one of the most adventurous record labels on the planet, it's a collection of wide-ranging, ehtereal, enigmatic, and thoroughly fascinating music, with songs by artists most of us already know (Mum, Sigur Ros, Bjork, Kid 606), but mostly tracks by lesser-known acts. Every song is a standout, and this album is nothing short of enthralling. An unforgettable, two and a half hour musical adventure. Well worth seeking out.
7. Ladytron - Softcore Jukebox
Some people may be disappointed to learn that this album isn't Ladytron's follow-up to Light & Magic, but merely a mix cd. The thing is, it's a brilliantly asssembled mix album, a collection of the band's favourite songs at the moment, with emphasis on post punk, current techno, kitschy psychedelic pop, and pure, catchy dance music. It's a smooth blend of classic tracks by such bands as My Bloody Valentine, The Fall, and Wire, new songs by people like Fat Truckers and Dondolo, forgotten oldies by Shocking Blue and Lee Hazlewood, and a couple of Ladytron remixes as well. Eclectic, very cool, and highly enjoyable.
8. Sonic Youth - Dirty (Deluxe Edition)
Odd that the first Sonic Youth album to receive the Deluxe treatment is this one, and not the landmark Daydream Nation, but much to my surprise this past spring, this extensive, two disc set delivers, proving the fact that this album is an overlooked classic. In addition to getting the full 1992 album (the band's one commercial breakthrough), we're treated to eight B-sides (including the cool "Genetic" and their awesome cover of Alice Cooper's "Is it My Body?"), plus a pile of rehearsal recordings, which allow you to hear this great album gradually take shape.
9. Koop - Waltz For Koop: Alternative Takes
Following on the heels of their brilliant Waltz For Koop album (which placed #15 on last year's list), the Swedish jazz/techno duo returned with a remix album, an album so good, it often improves on the original album tracks. Some songs like "Summer Sun" and "Bright Nights" put more emphasis on the dance element, while remixes of "Tonight" and "In a Heartbeat" turn up the jazz even more. It's hard to find remix albums that offer new insight into the original records, but this one does it very well.
10. Iron Maiden - Visions of the Beast (DVD)
It was a long time coming, but this past summer, Maiden fans finally got the definitive collection of all of the band's videos, from 1981 to 2002. Iron Maiden's videos were never the most innovative clips ever made (usually consisting of them miming the song on their current stage set at the time), but the music is great, and it's fun to see the band evolve over 20 years or so. The six live performances are especially cool. We just need Live After Death to get a DVD release.
Introduction
Well, here we are again, this third year in a row I've done this crazy year-end dealy. So how was 2003? Pretty fine, if you ask me. I set a personal all-time record for albums heard in one year, thanks to my ongoing connection with PopMatters...I never really counted, but the tally for 2003 has to be somewhere around 150 albums, most of them new. A wide variety of stuff, too, so things were never dull, musically speaking.
So how was my year in music? First, Zwan came, Zwan mildly impressed, and Zwan went, a little blip of hype, and then, poof, nothing. Lou Reed and Neil Young showed that you can still create passionate music while pushing sixty. Radiohead and Blur both put out disappointing albums. Liz Phair, who I once adored, attempted to go pop, but ended up creating an unlistenable mess, while Gemma Hayes held me in rapture with her cool guitar pop. The New Pornographers and Goldfrapp returned in great form after close to three year absences. Super Furry Animals, Grandaddy, The Thrills, The Sleepy Jackson, and The Mountaineers took the breezy West Coast pop route, with sumptuous results. The Drive-By Truckers brought the rock, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs brought the hype; both brought the tunes. The Notwist took my breath away, while The Constantines chokeslammed me. The Darkness brought the fun back to metal, while Cradle of Filth brought the darkness, and haunted me for weeks. Iron Maiden and Voivod came back with great albums. Metallica did not. Dizzee Rascal shocked the UK music world with his debut. Joss Stone absolutely shocked me with her voice, and shocked me a second time when I saw her photo for the first time. Bob Dylan kept on rolling, and starred in the weirdest movie since Renaldo & Clara. I saw Steve Earle up close in a packed club, The New Pornographers make me happier than I'd felt in ages, Coldplay entrance an arena with an amazing show I witnessed from the floor, Elvis Costello serenade a packed theater without a microphone not ten feet away from me, and The Constantines prove beyond a shadow of a doubt they're the future of Canadian rock & roll. I listened to a lot of dance pop for some reason. I rediscovered my love of Rush. I stood in awe as album after terrific album came out of my home country of Canada in what was an unprecedented year for quality Canadian music (for me, anyway). And a group of obscene, fat, gay Norwegians rocked my world like nobody else.
There was a lot of excellent music that came out this past year, just loads of great records. So many, that paring my year-end list down to the thirty best albums was difficult enough. In fact, the best album I heard this year was a re-release, and was not eligible for my official list. Every album I mention on my list, no matter what the ranking, is one I wholeheartedly believe you, dear reader, should not be without. That said, it was also a bit of a funny year, in that there was no real, clear cut, epiphanic moment for yours truly; I didn't get absolutely blown away by one particular album, like I did a year ago. Instead, I heard a huge quantity of really, really good albums. Two stood out a bit above the rest, though, as you'll see in the days, weeks to follow. Oh, and watch for my top 20 songs countdown in the left margin, which will commence at the same time as my album countdown. So sit back (or sit up close to the monitor because of this tiny verdana font that I use), and enjoy the festivities. Thanks for reading.
First, as I always do when I begin these things, the albums from 2002 that I was stupid enough not to notice until this year:
The Coral - The Coral
A terrific debut from a bunch of teenaged smalltowners from a little place near Liverpool, this one blew me away when I heard in January. Their ambition goes overboard on this crazy album, as they bring in sounds like doo wop, garage rock, the warped blues of Captain Beefheart, and crazily enough, sea chanties. All that uproarious fun was dampened six months later, though, by their misfire of a sophomore release, Magic & Medicine.
24 Hour Party People: Original Soundtrack
A blast of nothing but memorable music from my favourite movie from 2002, which chronicled the rise, fall, and rise again of the Manchester music scene from the late Seventies to the early Nineties. Not only does it have the obvious stuff like New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, and The Buzzcocks, but it's also laced with classics from The Sex Pistols and The Clash, plus wonderful revelations like The Durutti Column.
Sugababes - Angels With Dirty Faces
"Freak Like Me" was my favourite song of 2002, but I didn't get to hear the rest of the pop trio's second album until this past January. Too bad, too, because this album is brilliant, a smart, sassy, and extremely catchy bit of dance pop that blows Britney and Christina out of the proverbial water. I only with their new album was nearly as good.
My top ten albums of 2002:
1. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
2. Doves - The Last Broadcast
3. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
4. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
5. Meshuggah - Nothing
6. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf
7. Steve Earle - Jerusalem
8. Blackalicious - Blazning Arrow
9. Neko Case - Blacklisted
10. Marianne Faithfull - Kissin' Time
Past albums of the year (uh, please bear in mind I was sixteen when I started this):
1986: Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
1987: Def Leppard - Hysteria
1988: Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
1989: Voivod - Nothingface
1990: Megadeth - Rust In Peace, Led Zeppelin Box Set (tie)
1991: Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
1992: R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
1993: Nirvana - In Utero
1994: Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
1995: Elastica - Elastica
1996: Pulp - Different Class
1997: Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind
1998: Monster Magnet - Powertrip
1999: Metallica - S & M
2000: Yo La Tengo - ...And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
2001: Bob Dylan - Love And Theft, The Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair (tie)
2002: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
