Top Ten Albums of 2004

It is with great pleasure that I present you with the tardiest Top Ten Albums of 2004 list in history. I realize the absurdity of posting this in April, but then again what's so interesting about being orthodox? If the thought of reading about my Top Ten records in the fourth month of the year thoroughly enrages you, feel free to skip this and come back tomorrow as I'm sure I'll have something more relevant to write about soon enough.

But I'd been meaning to post this for months, and I couldn't just let it fall by the wayside - the Top Ten has been a tradition of mine since my days as a columnist at The Brown and White.

For those interested, my disappointment of the year is Butch Walker's "Letters." It's always tough when someone you hold in such high regard releases a dud, but Butch has done something of a disservice to his fans by watering down his sound in an attempt to grab a younger, more mainstream demographic. I've been a huge fan since the glory days of Marvelous3, but I had a very difficult time liking "Letters," with the exception of arguably the catchiest song of the year, "#1 Summer Jam" (thank God he still knows how to pen a gem when absolutely necessary). This review from Amazon perfectly sums up where Butch went wrong.

10) Actionslacks - "Full Upright Position" - This one took a little while before I fully embraced it, but I'm glad I gave it the chance it deserves. I became a big fan of Actionslacks' brand of power-pop after 2001's excellent "The Scene's Outta Site," and had high hopes for this follow-up. The band seems to have made a conscious effort to make every track last at least five minutes, which, while a noble idea, doesn't always work when most good pop songs say what they need to say in under three. So while the album is quite long and a bit spotty here and there, lead singer Tim Scanlin still chocks this record full of hooks, making for an always pleasureable listening experience.

9) The Wrens - "The Meadowlands" - Yea, I know this came out in late '03, and it's a Pitchfork fave, but the beauty of this album cannot be understated. It's rare I find an Indie rock album so accessible, but the Wrens are outstanding songwriters, transcending many boring Indie cliches.



8) A.C. Newman - "The Slow Wonder" - In a year lacking a new release by power-popsters The New Pornographers, it's not hard to settle for the solo debut of said band's frontman. Carl Newman seems incapable of penning a bad song; the only real travesty here is that we get new albums from this genius on a yearly basis rather than monthly.


7) Phantom Planet - The California quintet's dark, muddier third record was a considerable departure from the sunny, hook-laden power pop fans of the band loved on their first two efforts. But after a couple of spins, this album revealed itself to be their most layered and varied yet, and ensured Phantom Planet was well on its way to a long and successful career.


6) The Killers - "Hot Fuss" - I arrived somewhat late to The Killers' bandwagon, having obtained the album over the summer but only recently giving it the listen it deserves, and man, is this an amazing fucking record. For once I have to agree with the Indie kids (though given The Killers' recent mainstream exposure, there's surely already a significant hipster backlash replete with the requisite copycat bands). The vocals and instrumentation all blend seamlessly together, and the band ain't afraid of a great hook.

5) Jimmy Eat World - "Futures" - I wrote a lengthy review of this terrific record on TIWWDN a few months ago, so instead of repeating myself, I'll just say that this CD surpassed all my expectations and made for one of the most enjoyable albums of the year.



4) The Rosenbergs - "Department Store Girl" - They just may be the masters of modern-day power-pop. Listen to "Gold Coast" and just try not to picture yourself spending a lazy Saturday afternoon at the beach on a gorgeous sunny day - any time music is evocative of such a powerful feeling or visual you know you're listening to something special. Simply an excellent album full of beautifully catchy pop songs.


3) The Rocket Summer - "Calendar Days" - A jaw-droppingly excellent debut from young singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bryce Avary, these are wonderful songs that will have you singing along before the album's over. Nothing I write will really do this justice, so be sure to check out All Music's review of the album, which is what sold me. It's absolutely staggering to think of the kind of career Avary has ahead of him.

2) Green Day - "American Idiot" - I'm a bit surprised that my favorite band of all time, having released the best record of their career, didn't make the top slot, but second will have to do. Once again, there's not much I can say about this flawless CD that you don't already know. Given that it's selling a shitload of copies, it's clear everyone already knows how fucking awesome this album is.

1) The Argument - "Recess Serenade" - The Argument? Who the hell are The Argument, you may be asking yourself. Take everything amazing about music and stir it in a blender, and you may have something close to this band. I don't know that I've ever been this blown away by a record on first, and of course, repeated listens - simply put, these are ten of the catchiest tunes ever. If I haven't made it abundantly clear already, I'm a huge power-pop geek, and these guys deliver ear candy by the truckload. Awesome vocals, with soaring harmonies throughout each track? Check. Insanely hooky melodies that will have you singing these songs endlessly? Check. Excellent live show in which you're amazed that the band inexplicably hasn't become the most popular group in the country? It's all there, and there's really only one word to sum up how I feel about this album: brilliant.