LEFT OFF THE DIAL - Danny Rowe's Best Albums of 2004

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DANNY ROWE'S BEST OF 2004

Best New Releases:
1		The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free [Vice] I never would have guessed that an album even slightly influenced by hip-hop would ever be a number one for me, but so it is. Finally somebody has made a concept album without getting all metaphorically pretentious. Grand is a collection of clichs that any young lad could relate to, but theyre delivered in the most entertaining way imaginable. You get the trip-out Blinded by the Lights, which practically updates The Velvets Heroin for Generation Ecstasy. It sparks memories of clubbing in England, which is where I first heard the robotic beats of Fit but You Know It anyway. Reckon youre about an 8 or a 9maybe a 9 and a 1/2 in 3 beers time. Add the guilty pleasures of Dry Your Eyes and the hilarious closing banter of Wouldnt Have It Any Other Way, and no album comes close this year. This album might not have an infinite shelf life, but by the time youve memorized it all, youve had quite a vocabulary lesson. Besides, what better way is there to have fun than breaking all the rules of dance, rap, reggae, and rock n roll at the same time? Buy This Album
2		Alcian Blue - Translucent EP [self-released] With all the shiny pro-tools produced pop on my Best of 2004 list, you can imagine how grateful I was when the Washington D.C. band Alcian Blue released this 4-track E.P. full of drifting noises and warm distortion. In my continuing quest to keep Creation Records artists out of my CD player for fear of overindulgence, the Translucent E.P. has been an invaluable ally. Fortunately, an over-indulgence in Alcian Blues two proper releases does not currently seem to be a problem. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
3		The Killers - Hot Fuss [Island] Yeah, I know they werent exactly Left Off The Dial this year, but you have to give credit where credit is due. Considering how much attention The Raptures crappy debut got last year, you might as well try and explain to the indie kids how to identify a good synth album. Basically, just listen to Jenny Was a Friend of Mine. Lesson one: Every classic Duran Duran song has a kickass bassline from John Taylor steal that. Lesson Two: If youre going to whine and scream and throw a tantrum, try adding a bit of humor. Why not open your album with a song desperately claiming your innocence regarding the violent murder of an ex-lover? Then name your band The Killers. Lesson Three: Take your synth-hook and turn it completely inside out for the finale with a staggered backbeat that could potentially make Andre 3000 jealous. Now you may proceed to take over the world. Buy This Album
4		Carte Blanche - Summer's End EP [Shmat] Its not ideal when your favorite releases from a year are E.P.s, but this ones at least got seven songs on it. What Carte Blanche achieves here is a heartfelt sincerity with their gentle acoustic tales of love and loss. Today Im Crying demands to be listened to, and I feel it stands up to New Slang by The Shins even though it is a bit darker in mood. I heard that Peter Murphy released a new album this year, but it probably would have been better if this Californian duo produced it for him. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
5		Morrissey - You Are the Quarry [Attack] Surprise! If you ignore the sensational battle cry of Irish blood, English Heart, Quarry does not rock as hard as some of Morrisseys best releases, but it still offers some of the best lyrics of 2004 without a doubt. And honestly, what about 2004 wasnt miserable anyway? You may as well wallow in the misery a bit with songs like America Is Not the World. Let Me Kiss You is fabulous with or without Nancy Sinatra; tragedy wrapped up in the most superficially romantic packaging imaginable. When the final song delivers lines such as The teenagers who like you, they will wake up, yawn, and kill you it makes you wonder if someone should stuff Quarry into Ashlee Simpsons stocking this Christmas. Buy This Album
6		Forest Giants - In Sequence [Invisible Hands] The nine songs here might not be changing musical history, but of all the gritty guitar rock albums Ive heard this year, In Sequence remains the most appealing. Its sort of like listening to Sonic Nurse, another decent 2004 album, but Forest Giants deliver an edge of freshness and a dose of pop to their noisy rock, which helps them out in my eyes. Plus the single Postcards has been on heavy rotation all year for me without losing any of its immediate appeal. I didnt buy any Wedding Present albums in 2004, and this release certainly made up for that. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
7		Bark Psychosis - Codename: Dustsucker [Fire] Its funny, but the more I listen to this album, the more it reminds me of Royksopps incredible Melody A.M. album. The difference is that work on this album began before Royksopp even existed, and to my ears Bark Psychosis relies on instruments far more than electronics to create many of their moods. The hypnotic percussion on the album provides a lot of the atmosphere, and the glorious peaks of Shapeshifting alone can justify the placement of this album on my top ten list. The darker mood here kind of resists my silly Royksopp comparison, but I still think Melody P.M. would be an appropriate title here. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
8		PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her [Island] Its a mystery to me how a song as musically simple as The Life & Death of Badmouth can send a chill up my spine. Then she turns around to hit you with lyrics like shame is the shadow of love, and you wonder why your psychology professor spent a full month explaining Sigmund Freud to you when PJ Harvey could have done it in about three seconds. Ending the album with The Darker Days of Me & Him gives my spine a whole new reason to shiver. Is this album really that good? Maybe if the landlord had turned up the heat in my apartment like I had asked, youd be reading about The Libertines right now, but the way things are, PJ Harvey snags number eight. Buy This Album
9		Astropop 3 - Allies and Stepping Stones [Planting Seeds] These rockers from Norfolk, Virginia came up with a very satisfying album in 2004. What amazes me about this release is the way the band drifts in and out of so many different hooks and tempo changes almost effortlessly. If you went to Kings Dominion on a sunny summer day, this album would be just like riding the Scooby Doo Roller Coaster with 8 friends who are all buzzed on cotton candy and snow cones. Theres a new twist and turn at every corner, and once its all over, dont be surprised if youre waiting in line for another ride. Buy This Album Read LOTD's Review
10		Felix da Housecat - Devin Dazzle & the Neon Fever [Emperor Norton] We started with a concept album, so why not end with one? The difference between #1 and #10 is that Felixs concept album is typically flawed and incomplete both musically and lyrically. BUT (and it might be the biggest BUT youve ever seen), Ready 2 Wear is possibly the best electronic song of 2004. Perfect subtle Vocoder and Felixs magical trance electro backbeats transport you to another galaxy, potentially another dimension if intoxicated. Rocket Ride and Short Skirts get the job done, but the only tracks approaching the brief ecstasy of Ready 2 Wear are Let Your Mind Be Your Bed and the guitar fueled Everyone is Someone in LA. Maybe Felix should invite Chris Swaze Kelly to play his geetar more often. Buy This Album
Best "Best Of" of 2004:
	The Pet Shop Boys - Pop Art [Parlophone] 33 Top 20 UK hit singles and a bonus disc of 10 remixes featuring an awful Moby contribution and a kickass mix by Peter Rauhoffer. All of these were previously available of course, but there are still two good reasons to replace your copy of Discography with Pop Art. Those reasons are the two new singles Miracles and Flamboyant. Miracles is a rare gem in that it actually succeeds when mixing a sweet love song into a modern techno anthem with a little help from Adam F. Flamboyant glides along in a thick soup of synthesizers, and the lyrics seem to ridicule attention seekers in the world of entertainment. A day without fame is a waste, and a question of need is a question of taste. Did Paris Hilton steal Neil Tennants boyfriend?
Biggest Surprises of 2004:
	Two massive U.S. rock hits imported from the city of Glasgow. Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand somehow manages to be as good as all the pre-release hype claimed, and months later it was number one on Billboards US alternative chart for weeks. Lets just say I was pleasantly surprised. But not as surprised as when I walked into Target and saw a new Snow Patrol album on sale. Gary Lightbody signed to a US major label are you kidding me? After hearing the perfection of Run, everything started to make sense, but if you asked me last year, Id bet on Modest Mouse going 10 times platinum before Id predict that Snow Patrol would go gold in 2004.

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