Best Album Of 2004

Here's the list for this year, we had joint winners in 2002 with the Libertines and Queens Of The Stone Age tieing at the top. The Other question was brought up yet again :rolleyes: so one last time, if you pick Other then make sure to post what you're picking or it doesn't get counted. I'll even be voting Other myself this time so there's an example and everything :)

Anyway there was loads to choose from this year, honestly this year seems to be the turning point for music in this decade as there was about 30 albums that kept cropping up on Best Of lists on the net (or in my CD collection if that's what you believe). Some of the acts that missed out include the Killers, U2, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Morrissey, Brian Wilson, the Go Team, Air, Green Day, Zero 7, Velvet Revolver, Elliott Smith (his last album :(), REM, the Futureheads, Joanna Newsom, The Cure, Rilo Kiley, Scissor Sisters, Keane, Razorlight and Kasabian.

VOTING OPENS ONCE THE VIDEOS ARE UP

Mylo - Drop The Pressure - Destroy Rock And Roll



Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) - Funeral



Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Kanye West - Through The Wire - College Dropout



Kings Of Leon - The Bucket - Aha Shake Heartbreak



The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl - Love Music Angel Baby



Nick Cave - Breathless - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus



The Streets - Fit But You Know It - A Grand Don't Come For Free

Other - Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender

This came down to a choice between The Streets, Nick Cave, Mylo, Arcade Fire and Joanna Newsom for me with Joanna Newsom taking it in the end. Her voice is probably the most distinctive in music today (some hate it though, I did initially but was told to keep listening and you grow to love it, which I did...eventually :)), but it's her lyrics that drew me in. The Streets would be my second pick, I don't think he's going to be able to top the genius of that album with either his new release or his forthcoming retirement album. Anyway here's a Joanna Newsom track

No contest. Arcade Fire all the way. It's a brilliant album.

Nothing else from 2004 comes close.

Abattoir Blues is a brilliant album. Haven't listened to Lyre as much as I should.

Any other year and I'd have Hot Fuss or Franz Ferdinand but theres no denying Funeral , lamentably on my part I only got into it 2 years later

Arcade Fire for me.

Arcade Fire is a shoo-in, no complaints with that, the Kings Of Leon album is great too, and The Streets, brilliant - but it's Mylo all the way for me. Best album of the decade is surely also going to be album of its year! :D

Also would be very remiss of me not to mention Evil Nine - You Can Be Special Too (here's Crooked from that album). Wonderful record also. Great year, this!
Interpol - Antics (Slow Hands),
The Futureheads - The Futureheads (Decent Days & Nights),
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike! (Huddle Formation),
Kasabian - Kasabian (L.S.F.),
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry (Irish Blood, English Heart),
Air - Talkie Walkie (Alpha Beta Gaga), all great albums.
Not to mention a stellar return to form for the Beastie Boys with To The Five Boroughs (Triple Trouble).
This is one of the best years yet.

Went Arcade Fire, a no-brainer, consistently brilliant. 2nd to Kasabian had a wonderful debut, a great year for debuts thinking about it. And 3rd to Interpol - Antics. Still think Hot Fuss is hugely over-rated.

2004 was a great year for albums!!!
KOL, Franz Ferdinand, Nick Cave, Arcade Fire......
but i had to go with Aha Shake Heartbreak with Antics a close second

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb for me. May not go down well with the musos but tops it for me with Arcade Fire a close second and Love is Hell in third.

Have to go with U2 - How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Other contenders:
Interpol - Antics
Green Day - American Idiot
The Cure - The Cure
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Kasabian - Kasabian
The Zutons - Who Killed....

have to say funeral left me cold. I liked Neon bible much more. there is about three amazing songs on funeral but I think it runs out of steam big time in the second half and its something I would never listen to nowadays. A lot of the stuff on it is just dull and the guys voice really begins to grate on that album.

I like Funeral, and it is going to run away with it, but with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' return to form on there, and two albums for the price of one, my vote goes to both Abattoir Blues and Lyre of Orpheus. Sad to see Blixa Bargeld leaving, but his influence had been less apparent on the previous few albums. Maybe it was the shake-up they needed, as this album breathes new life into them.

Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak gets my vote.

Quality album.

Most honourable mention to Interpol's excellent "Antics" also.

Ian Browns "Solarised" is an often overlooked album but possibly his best effort.

Swords' finest (I know, not a huge claim) Strangleberries 2004 album Lo-Fi Lullabies is the most singular achievement of any album I know in that year. Not well known, but glorious nonetheless. An example of their work.



Otherwise, Morrissey and Gwen Stefani lead the musical peloton of the year.

Voted for AAcade Fire but I do love Hot Fuss. Saturday night music as a friend described it to me.

Forgot about Antics , thats a class album too

Arcade Fire for me as well. Simply brilliant album. Although as said this was a great year for music so many other albums you could pick from.

Franz Ferdinand for me.

I'm a big fan of concept albums when they are done well, so the Streets A Grand Dont Come For Free get a big shout. Sonic Youths Sonic Nurse, is a decent album to, but I've selected Other and gone with The Polyphonic Spree's Together We,re Heavy.

Ellliot smith from a basement on a hill...what a loss he is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pauro 76

Went Arcade Fire, a no-brainer, consistently brilliant. 2nd to Kasabian had a wonderful debut, a great year for debuts thinking about it. And 3rd to Interpol - Antics.

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I'd go with those as my favourites for 2004, not sure which order so I'll give Funeral the benefit of the doubt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

have to say funeral left me cold. I liked Neon bible much more. there is about three amazing songs on funeral but I think it runs out of steam

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I absolutlely agree with that. Only really discovered Arcade Fire last year, and I prefer Neon Bible.

Anyway, my vote for this year goes (again) to the very wonderful Trash Can Sinatras and the immensely beautiful "Weightlifting". A work of staggering genius. I'd put up a youtube link if I knew how (luddite) but if you haven't heard it check out the title track there.

Can't reply to the 2003 thread, but a shock winner! No danger of it here though.

Another that deserves a mention from this year:

Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines

Some infectious tunes with great guitar.

Other has to be Morrissey - You Are The Quarry.