Posting this list now after ranting about how no one reads
my site would make my previous blog entry seem like a shameless
plea for sympathy. Was it really a pitiful cry for attention?
Like other great mysteries of our time - Atlantis, who killed
Kennedy, Ashlee Simpson's acid reflux - that's for me to know
and for you to never know. Besides, I've written so much for
it that it'd be a real waste not to put it up. This must've
been how Brian Wilson felt - when you've got something of
this much artistic importance, the only option is to share
it with the world. Right? Of course. My 15 readers will back
me up on that. So here goes.
20. Brian Wilson - Smile
Until I started reading about the publicity surrounding its
release, I had no idea about the story behind Smile
- how Wilson shelved the project in the 60's, how fans compiled
pieces from bootlegs to form their own versions of Smile
and the general myth surrounding one of the most (over?)hyped
albums in the history of modern music. Personally I don't
really care for The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds? Whatever
man.) and only listened to this album out of pure curiosity.
Fortunately for me it turned out to be quite pleasant but
it's absolutely not something that I'd dig out and play over
and over again.
19. Kanye West – College Dropout
I really liked the album when it came out, but it has since
cooled off a lot for me. While I'm not saying that College
Dropout is no longer as good as when it was first released,
it is not what I would personally associate with Kanye West.
He's got better beats on other people's albums ('You Don't
Know My Name' is one). And College Dropout has way
too many skits. Skits should've died after De La Soul
Is Dead anyway.
18. Interpol – Antics
Rehashing most of what made your previous album great may
be misconstrued as shtick or just being plain lazy. Then again,
not all bands or artists can achieve that same amount of success
even if they had the whole formula replicated down to the
last detail. If it ain't broke … you know how it goes.
17. Elliott Smith – From A Basement On The
Hill
While I've been listening to From A Basement On The Hill
for some time before that, it wasn't until I read the feature
on Elliott Smith in the December '04 issue of Spin
that I started seeing the album in a new light. I would like
to point you guys to the article but it's not anywhere online.
Basically it's an account of some of Smith's last days before
his tragic death, though it isn't the sensational smoking
gun that you're looking for if you're expecting to find out
how he really died. It's amazing how anyone who went through
as much as Smith did could still pick up a guitar and create
the music that he did. That's what From A Basement On
The Hill sounds to me – the ironically hopeful
story of a guy who desperately tried to turn his life over
but who ultimately failed in the end.
16. DJ Shadow – In Tune and On Time
Oh yeah. This DVD and accompanying mix CD is a piece of history
for me. Cos I WAS THERE AT THE
SHOW. Have you ever been to a show that ended
up on a DVD?
15. Bjork – Medulla
Another day, another Bjork self-reinvention. If the notion
of creating an album using just the human voice sounds impressive
enough already on paper – or if it isn't impressive
enough – try catching the 'Making Of Medulla' documentary
if you can. This woman is a genius.
14. Ghostface – The Pretty Toney Album
I knew this was going to be a banger the moment I heard 'Run'.
While the GZA sounds laid-back and smart and Ol' Dirty Bastard
(R.I.P.) is just plain crazy, Ghostface raps like there's
no tomorrow, spitting his rhymes as if he's only got a minute
before something or someone catches up with him and sounding
like he's constantly out of breath. I was right when I said
that Pitchfork was going to give it
at least an 8.0, and I will be right when I say that Ghostface
is the Wu-Tang member who will have the longest career outside
of his Staten Island crew. Watch this space.
13. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
I wish I was cool enough to know about songs like 'Meantime'
before everyone else. Then I can brag about it and say, "I
discovered them on my own!" Unfortunately I'm not cool,
so I will only ever find out about bands like The Futureheads
from websites like Pitchfork. But there's always hope that
you haven't heard of the Futureheads yet, which would then
make me cool. Cooler than you at least.
12. Death From Above 1979 – You're A Woman,
I'm A Machine
Yeah!! Rock!! Hard!! (Sorry, that's the best I can do.)
11. Various Artists – Eternal Sunshine Of
The Spotless Mind OST
The only reason I got this is for Jon Brion's little piano
ditties that were half of what made Eternal Sunshine Of
The Spotless Mind such a charming film. The rest of it
is just filler to me (I especially don't care for the Polyphonic
Spree), although the Beck tune is kinda nice.
10. Junior Boys – Last Exit
Key words to describe the Junior Boys: dance, Depeche Mode,
80's, electronic pop and synthesizers. Oh, and Canadian.
9. Various Artists – Golden Apples Of The
Sun
Yeah, so what about this freak-folk/anti-folk/post-post-millennium-Joni-Mitchell-type
stuff? Don't know where to start? Get this album and see if
it's worth delving into the scene yourself. If you're curious
about Joanna Newsom, you can sample her here. Highlights include
Iron & Wine's 'Fever Dream' and Little Wing's absolutely
gorgeous 'Look At What The Light Did Now'.
8. The Walkmen – Bows and Arrows
Fun fact: Bows and Arrows has the privilege of being
the only CD in this list that I bought from a local store
in 2004 (thank you Warner Music).
7. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Two members are named Panda Bear and Avey Tare. They sing
about rabbits, birds and not having to go to college. And
they look like
this. If you think they make fairly odd music then you're
not too far off. But it's happy weird music.
6. Dungen – Ta Det Lugnt
Nice tunes. But they sing in Swedish. 'Det Du Tänker
Idag Är Du Imorn' is my fave tune. I think it means 'The
Dew Tanker I Dug Is Due In The Morning'.
5. Sonic Youth – Sonic Nurse
I was reading about Thurston Moore in Spin and next
to it was this full-page picture of Moore with Kim Gordon
and their daughter, and I was like, "Man, Spin
make them look so old." Then I get to the part where
they mention that Kim's already 51 and I'm like, "No
shit." Just to put it in perspective I tried imagining
an aunt of mine who's about that age screaming into a microphone,
singing, "Hey hey little baby break down/Button-up baby
you come undone."
No shit.
4. Joanna Newsom – The Milk-Eyed Mender
Ms Newsom has a lot to thank her harp for. Ryan Schreiber's
comments on Pitchfork's
list of 2004's 50 best albums best describes what I feel
about Joanna Newsom. It's true – her high-pitched, childlike
vocals border on irritating at first listen (she sounds like
Fran Drescher on helium). But thanks to her brilliant musicianship
and quirky songwriting ("I killed my dinner with karate
kick") The Milk-Eyed Mender is one of the nicest,
Sunday-afternoon albums that I've heard in 2004.
3. Slowdive – Catch The Breeze
Like the Velvet Underground and the Smiths, Slowdive is another
one of those bands that I discovered only after they have
run past their expiry dates (save for the Pixies, who renewed
theirs thanks to an almost mystical re-emergence in 2004).
I've been playing 'Morningrise' (the part with the descending
guitars is absolutely gorgeous), 'When The Sun Hits' and 'Souvlaki
Space Station' on a near-daily basis for more than a month
now and I don't expect to delete it from my MP3 player anytime
soon. It's simply proof that there is just as much music from
the past to look forward to as there is in the future.
2. Diplo – DJ Shadow Megatroid Mix
I'm not entirely sure if the copy I have is the full version
– it would seem that there are a couple of them out
there, some longer, some shorter. Either way, pay no attention
to what people tell you about Piracy Funds Terrorism.
This is Diplo's best mix of the year. Hell, it's the best
mix I've heard all year round. Points of brilliance –
'Seven Days' mashed up with Terror Squad's 'Lean Back', the
organ intro to 'Midnight In A Perfect World' with The Young
Gunz 'Can't Stop Won't Stop' and Busta Rhymes over 'Napalm
Brain/Scatter Brain'. Thank you Diplo, for making the boring
piano intro on 'Blood On The Motorway' so much more bearable.
1. Madvillain - Madvillainy
HOW COULD I FORGET THIS?!?! Sorry, but I've been listening
to the Madvillain bootleg for so long that it kinda slipped
my mind that it only officially came out in 2004. There are
a couple of CDs that never leave my car. Radiohead's The
Bends is one of them. De La Soul Is Dead is
another. Madvillainy is the latest to join the hallowed
ranks of CDs I Never Get Bored Of. Every time I listen to
the album I keep stumbling upon something new – whether
it's a kick drum I never paid enough attention to or something
MF Doom says that I didn't catch the first time round or the
odd little jazz loop hidden all the way underneath everything
else. If the retail version had come out in 2003 it would
easily have taken the top spot. Anyone who can churn out a
top tune with only a setup like
this gets the Shtikman's unconditional stamp of approval.
There you have it. Thanks for reading!
23/1/2005
Alright, there won't be any Shitkman's Top 20 of 2004 after all. I
envisioned it to be a swanky year-end list where I rank and talk about
my favourite records of the past year. But I figured no one reads
it, so f' it. Here's the list anyway, in alphabetical order.
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs Bjork - Medulla Brian Wilson - Smile Death From Above 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm A
Machine Diplo - DJ Shadow Megatroid Mix DJ Shadow - In Tune and On Time Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt Elliott Smith - From A Basement On The Hill The Futureheads - The Futureheads Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album Interpol - Antics Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender Junior Boys - Last Exit Kanye West - The College Dropout Slowdive - Catch The Breeze Sonic Youth - Nurse
Various Artists - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind OST The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
I know that's only 18, but I can't remember what the other two were.
Just a couple of tracks to mark a slow start to a slow year. The tracklisting
and link to the MP3 are under Aural Prostitution.
12/1/2005
Anyone who uses 'vis-à-vis' in spoken conversation is a prick.
Anyone, who when asked to repeat themselves, chooses to STRESS the words 'vis-à-vis' instead of replacing it with something else is a double-prick.
Shtikman's Top 20 of 2004 is coming soon, I promise! If you care.
6/1/2005
Sorry, Happy New Year everyone. I was waiting for my Panda
Bear and Gary Wilson CDs to arrive. They
are here now so I can proceed with compiling my 2004 music best-of
list. I would like to work faster but you know how it is, work and
shit. My right arm hurts from working out and my left elbow aches
when it's cold. Is this what rheumatism is? Gawd, I'm getting old.
My blog has been around since March 2002. In almost three years my
average daily readership increased from none to 15 a day. 15.
In three years. Wow. Who are you anyway?
