Disclaimer: I have not heard anywhere near all of the releases of this year. However, of what I have heard, this is what I most appriciated. There may be more talented or more creative albums that I heard, but these are the ones which I connected with.
15) Denali: The Instinct... Maura Davis' voice is out of this world. She takes some above par indie rock and makes it gold.
14) Extol: Synergy... This is hands down the best metal release I heard this year. The guitars are intricate and the songwriting slays everything they've released previously.
13) Andrew WK: The Wolf... This album takes "I Get Wet", puts it in a strainer, and removes everything that was cheesy about the previous album, replacing it with smart songs that sound good.
12) Warren Zevon: The Wind... While I don't know how "The Wind" compares to past Zevon efforts, the starkness of this album, contrasted with his passing away, make this an awe-inspiring piece of art.
11) Starflyer 59: Old... The best Starflyer album to date. The first track is one of the most satisfying songs of the year. The few filler tracks keep this from being the top album.
10) New Pornographers: Electric Version... Mix one part Neko Case and two parts strong songwriting with a few bottles of beer and what do you get? This fine album that tops everything else of the genre.
09) Serart: Serart... Serart is Serj Tankian from System of a Down and Arto Tung Boyaciyan, an "avant-grade folk artist". They do an experimental avant-grade project which is really pretty cool. No, it doesn't sound like System of a Down.
08) Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below... This should be a better release than it is. But there is too much filler. The majority of "The Love Below" is subpar, including "Hey Ya". "Speakerboxxx" is a lot stronger, however, there are still too many skits. Too many filler tracks clogging the works. Hence the reason this is farther back than it should be.
07) Bubba Sparxxx: Deliverance... This is a really fun rap record. Bubba Sparxxx utilizes a southern sound and thanks to Timbaland's production it really mixes well. There are harmonicas, fiddles, and so on and so forth. A couple of the songs have that irish/country sound that The Chieftians use on their "Down The Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions" album.
06) The Violet Burning: This Is The Moment... A nice alternative rock album in the vein of U2. It's been a really constant player for the past number of months. The songs are solid and executed well. And there isn't a single filler track on the cd. Find it at www.thevioletburning.com or www.northernrecords.com
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Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Theory, I think the differences in our views of the Mars Volta is fascinating. Check it out on my list. You couldn't get two more opposite reviews.
2 - The Theory
Nice nice. Just remember that I'm right. ;-)
3 - Mark Saleski
i still don't see how "Hey Ya" is a weak song.
let's see, me & tom like it...you don't.
that means you're wrong!
;-)
4 - Dew
We would have agree to disagree on Outkast. I think the Love Below was over and beyond the call of duty. Not to mention it is opening the doors for Outkast to enlightened a whole new audience. Although I despise Hey Ya! as well. ;-)
Beth Hart's Leave the Light On is an excellent CD also and currently I am loving Jet and The Darkness.
5 - The Theory
Dew: Most likely my main problem is my inability to appriciate that whole "R&B" genre. "The Love Below" is the only album from that genre that I can even remotely listen to without going into convultions. However, there is still too much filler on it, regardless.
My main problem with "Hey Ya" is that it reminds me too much of something The Flaming Lips might do, sound wise. And I'm not too fond of the Flaming Lips. Of course, Andre is double the vocalist that TFL's vocalist will ever be.
6 - BrownBoognish
I'll take a Flaming lips song over Hey Ya anyday.
I've listened to the Outkast release, and I can only find five or six actual songs worth noting. The amount of filler makes the album impossible to listen one's finger firmly fixed on the skip button.
De-Loused in the Comatorium is extremely pretentious, but in the best way possible. They took some of the biggest risks of the year, and it is a highly memorable album.
7 - Dew
The Love Below is not an R&B album.
8 - Tom Johnson
Comparing the Flaming Lips and "Hey Ya"? Don't see it at all. I love the later period Lips, but there are no traits shared between anything the Lips have done and that song.
And no, "Hey Ya" is definitely not r&b. It's more retro-pop, resurrecting the mid 60s era with a modern hip-hop slant to the music. And it's a pure joy to hear, too. It's easily the most inventive and exciting piece of music to come out of the industry this year. I can't think of another song that has so been able to cross nearly every musical boundary. I'm not saying you nay-sayers have to like it, but I think you need to give it more credit than you are. It's a powerful piece of music.
9 - Dew
Tom was walking around in my head and found the words I was looking for.
10 - The Theory
if you cut out Andre's voice from "Hey Ya", the backing music would fit very snuggly on "Yoshomi Battles the Pink Robots".
11 - Tom Johnson
Sorry, Theory, don't hear it. "Hey Ya"'s way too upbeat and boppy to sound anything like the spacey desperation of the Flaming Lips.
12 - Sabo
For how much Theory and I agree on music generally, I have to take Tom's view on "Hey Ya". It was my favorite song of the year.
13 - Mark Brandt
"Hey Ya" is a great song. Though The Theory doesn't like it I definitly see the Flaming Lips reference. It's the song that brought hip-hop to the indie rock kids and indie rock to the hip-hop kids. Priceless (minus the repetition of the word 'Alright')