LEFT OFF THE DIAL - Catherine Nicholas' Best Albums of 2003

BANDS:

Punk & Ska
80's New Wave/
Post-Punk/
College Bands
90's & Beyond
Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

INTERESTS:

Venues
Publications
Record Stores
Radio
Record Labels
Album Reviews
Live Gig Reviews
Past Features
Links

ETC...

About LOTD
Contact/Staff
Submit Music
Advertise
Home

CATHERINE NICHOLAS' BEST OF 2003

Best New Releases:
1		The Long Winters - When I Pretend to Fall [Barsuk] There was no clear-cut #1 album for me this year, but this Seattle pop outfit was as close as it got. In addition to their already talented lineup, there was a list of guest musicians a mile long, including members of the Posies, R.E.M., Death Cab for Cutie, American Analog Set, and Carissa's Wierd. The end result is an album of intensely memorable and heartfelt pop songs full of organ, piano, cello, mandolin, french horn, viola, saxophone, and any other instrument you could possibly dream up. Each song is its own little production, resulting in a near-perfect pop album. Buy This Album
2		Guided By Voices - Earthquake Glue [Matador] Another unassuming little masterpiece from Mr. Pollard and his crew. This time, the album has slightly discernable messages hidden in its songs: statements on things such as war and society's aversion to growing older (something GBV is likely to be observing themselves at this point). These themes are laced in both instantly accessible and challenging pop songs throughout the album, a practice that has become a GBV trademark. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
3		Paper Airplane Pilots - History of Flying [Spade Kitty] WOW. This debut album from a virtually unknown Chicago band showed up out of nowhere in LOTD's mailbox, just four days before I sat down to make this list. Their press kit bears no shame for the band's pop and power-pop influences (Teenage Fanclub, GBV, Cheap Trick, Big Star), and I can actually say that this band seems at least capable of equaling if not surpassing some of its influences in song-writing ability, given that this is only their debut release. A very bright future is ahead for this this band. Buy This Album
4		My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves [ATO/RCA] Shoegaze? Dream Pop? Southern Rock? Psychedelic? Jam Band? All I know is I'm grateful that signing themselves up with a major label didn't lead this band astray from the unique sound that makes them great. The best things about this album are its perfect mixing and hazy production, supplying the hypnotic effects that don't overpower the serene vocals and nostalgic lyrics. Buy This Album
5		The Stratford 4 - Love & Distortion [Jet Set] Not as good as their stellar debut EP (The Revolt Against Tired Noises), but absolutely worthy of mention. The Stratford 4 is from San Francisco, and you can tell. Their swirling, psychedelic pop manages to tell stories not just with the lyrics but with the mood of the music on this aptly titled album - earning them a place one spot higher on this list than another San Francisco band who is quite likely one of their big influences. Buy This Album
6		The Brian Jonestown Massacre - ...And This Is Our Music [Tee Pee/The Committee to Keep Music Evil] Once again, Anton Newcombe has assembled a talented cast of musicians to play the soul-soothing, 60-s influenced, psychedlic music that he wrote. This time, the music has slight spiritual overtones, as Newcombe tries to subliminally plant in his listeners' heads that he is the son of God. The album's songs all go together like peas and carrots. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
7		The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow [Sub Pop] Not as good as their stellar debut (Oh, Inverted World), but absolutely worthy of mention. I find myself shocked that a heart-on-sleeve, jangle-pop album could rise to #1 on the LOTD staff's Best of 2003 list. This is the kind of simple and sincere pop music that I constantly try to convince indie music fans to appreciate; but they can't justify this type of music's relevance next to bands like Mogwai or Radiohead. I always say, it doesn't have to be complicated or experimental to be good, and the Shins are the proof in the pudding. Buy This Album
8		The Rosebuds - The Rosebuds Make Out [Merge] "I believe in ROCK 'N ROLLLLL!!!!" sing the Rosebuds on this, their debut album. After listening to this album, I'm a believer too. This is a pop-rock "concept" album that emphasizes the power of a mere kiss, as suggested by the album's title. The music is cute and fun and still manages to rock. Buy This Album
9		Various Artists: Compulation Vol. I: Songs from North Carolina [Pox World Empire] Contrary to popular belief, the "Chapel Hill scene" of North Carolina's Triangle did not die in the 80's. Nor did it die in the mid-90's. It is alive and well, and this fabulous, eclectic compilation of songs by up and coming artists from Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, NC proves it. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
10		The Thermals - More Parts Per Million [Sub Pop] Yet another band from the Pacific Northwest finds its way onto my list. The Thermals, an indie-rock supergroup of sorts, play quick and dirty, lo-fi, punk-infused rock songs that will have you jumping up and down relentlessly. And then it's all over in something like 25 minutes. Buy This Album
Honorable Mentions:
11		Swell - Whenever You're Ready [Beggars Banquet] Why haven't I been listening to this band for years now? This is Swell's eighth release since 1990, and their maturity shines through in the sound of the album, which is laid-back but structured dream pop with a good amount of experimentation thrown in the mix. The album takes awhile to win you over, but when it does, it's hard to stop listening to. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
12		The Snow Fairies - Feel You Up [Red Square] The very definition of twee pop, Philadelphia's Snow Fairies, deliver an album of songs with pretty melodies, cute and innocent stories, jangly guitars, and sweet, female vocals. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
13		Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress [Rough Trade/Sanctuary] Belle and Sebastian goes retro on this release. Nearly every song takes you back to the 70's in some way, shape or form - reminding me of everyone from Elvis Costello to Fleetwood Mac. Missing (for the most part) are the moving, sad-core songs that have riddled previous releases, but different isn't necessarily a bad thing for B&S on this album. Buy This Album
14		Cabrini - Show Offs Get Hurt [Red Square] Everyone says they sound like a jazzier Death Cab for Cutie, but Kory Ross's brit-pop falsetto takes me back to Ian Broudie's of The Lightning Seeds. This is an album full of pretty, swirling pop songs with bouts of experimentation. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
15		The Oranges Band - All Around [Lookout!] Similar to the Strokes, but without (most of) the pretension and with even more incomprehensible vocals. This album earns a spot on this list for its handful of memorable tunes and for the energy the band performed these songs with when I saw them play live. Buy This Album
Best Reissues, Box Sets, & Greatest Hits Albums:
		Guadalcanal Diary - Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man / Jamboree [Collectables] The most mysterious piece in the 80s Southern, College-Rock, Jangle-Pop Puzzle along side bands like R.E.M., Let's Active, and the Connells. Unless you owned them back in the 80s, Guadalcanal Diary's albums have been next to impossible to find (even on KaZaA) until this year's reissue of the band's first two albums. I really hope that reissues of the rest of their albums are to follow. Buy This Album
		The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Spacegirl and Other Favorites [The Committee to Keep Music Evil/Bomp!] Only 500 vinyl copies were originally released in 1993 of this noisy, psychedelic masterpiece that never lets up. It has now become my favorite album in the BJM catalog (even though Anton Newcombe calls it his "studio trash of [his] early years" and his "collection of could be's, what if's and should have been's" in the liner notes. This CD reissue contains six extra tracks. Buy This Album
		Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere [Matador] Guided By Voices does very few things in moderation. They drink too much, smoke too much, put an excessive number of songs on every album, release a new album just about every other week, and in this case, put a ridiculous amount of stuff in every box set they put out. This one has a DVD with videos and documentaries, a best-of disc, live tracks, unreleased recordings, b-sides, and more. For the GBV fan, it's Disneyland. Buy This Album
		Various Artists - Complex Radio: Charlotte Area Music Compilation [Andrew Webster] The mere fact that a project like this could be accomplished is a feat in and of itself. Eight CDs full of local music from one city. You'd think there'd be tons of filler on here, seeing as how the only requirement to be included was to be from Charlotte, NC, but there is surprisingly little on any of the eight discs. It's good to see people who care enough about their local scene to embark on such a project. Buy This Album
		The Essential Clash [Sony] The only band that matters puts out a two-CD set of the only songs that matter, right around the time they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All the favorites are here for both the diehard Clash fan and for the fan in passing. Buy This Album
Best Live Shows:
	Built to Spill with The Solace Bros. and The Delusions at Starr Hill in Charlottesville, VA 10/5/03 Read LOTD's Review
	R.E.M. at Altell Pavillion in Raleigh, NC 10/10/03 This was the first time I'd seen them since their Monster tour in 1994, and this was a much more impressive live performance. The crowd was even gifted with Bill Berry's return to the drums for a few songs.
	Pyramid and The Dynamite Brothers at Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, NC - 8/23/03 Read LOTD's Review
	Guided By Voices with The Oranges Band at Recher Theatre in Towson, MD 11/10/03 I saw them in Chapel Hill a few days before, and I think I probably liked the Towson show better - only because the crowd seemed more into it. The setlists between the two shows weren't varied much, but GBV always puts on a show, and Bob Pollard's drunk comedy act is always a sideshow. The Oranges Band rocked too, playing to their hometown crowd after a long tour with GBV.
	The Thermals, El Guapo, and Matt Pond PA at MACRoCk 2003 in Harrisonburg, VA 4/4-5/03 Read LOTD's Feature
	The Waxing Poetics at the Boathouse in Norfolk, VA 5/31/03 Read LOTD's Feature
	Boyracer with Kanda. and Astropop 3 at Cruzers in Norfolk, VA 2/28/03 Read LOTD's Review
Most Disappointing Albums:
		The Minus Five - Down With Wilco [Yep Roc] It's not that this album is really all that bad, but with the list of its contributors, there was the potential for it to be a lot better. Buy This Album
		Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored [Bar None] It's a shame about Evan. All the drugs and alcohol must've finally done him in. As his first solo effort, he delivers a vanilla pop album without a memorable song in the bunch. Buy This Album
		Dandy Warhols - Welcome to the Monkey House [Capitol] What is this? I saw them on Conan playing music from this album, and I didn't even recognize them. I promise to forget about this album and give you another chance, Dandys. Buy This Album

Return to LOTD's Best of 2003

About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home