Kanye West - The College Dropout
Green Day - American Idiot
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Incubus - A Crow Left of the Murder
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin
Brian Wilson - Smile
The Killers - Hot Fuss
K-os - Joyful Rebellion
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
N*E*R*D - Fly or Die
Franz Ferdinand - Self Titled
Lostprophets - Start Something (was this last year? might have been)
Seether - Disclaimer II
Thornley - Come Again

MATT

No, it came out in Feb in the states...though it may have been 2003 in the UK.

1. William Shatner "Has Been"
2. Drive-By Truckers "The Dirty South"
3. Social Distortion "Sex, Love and Rock'n'Roll
4. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers " iAmericano!
5. Flogging Molly "Within A Mile of Home"
6. They Might Be Giants "The Spine"
7. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
8. Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria "Fireworks on TV"
9. Kasey Chambers "Wayward Angel"
10. Green Day "American Idiot"
11. Arcade Fire "Funeral"
12. Elvis Costello & The Imposters "The Delivery Man"
13. Descendents "Cool To Be You"
14. Gaelic Storm "How Are We Getting Home"
15. Carbon Leaf "Indian Summer"
16. Brian Wilson "Smile"
17. Robyn Hitchcock "Spooked"
18. Mark Lanegan Band "Bubblegum"
19. Tsunami Bomb "The Definitive Act"
20. Cross-Canadian Ragweed "Soul Gravy"
21. Guided By Voices "Half Smiles of the Decomposed"
22. Allison Moorer "The Duel"
23. Bad Religion "The Empire Strikes First"
24. Rilo Kiley "More Adventurous"
25. R.E.M. "Around the Sun"
26. Lori McKenna "Bittertown"
27. Sonic Youth "Sonic Nurse"
28. The Legendary Shack-Shakers "Believe"
29. Tift Merritt "Tambourine"
30. Trans-Siberian Orchestra "The Lost Christmas Eve"

My Top 15 Albums of 2004: Watcha Think?

1. Arcade Fire: Funeral
2. Kings of Convenience: Riot on an Empty Street
3. Modest Mouse: Good News For People Who Love Bad News
4. Danger Mouse: The Grey Album
5. Pinback: Summer In Abaddon
6. Les Savy Fav: Inches
7. Brian Wilson: Smile
8. The Ponys: Laced With Romance
9. Rogue Wave: Out of the Shadow
10. A.C. Newman: The Slow Wonder
11. The Futureheads: The Futureheads
12. Citizens of Here and Abroad: Ghosts of Tables and Chairs
13. The Walkmen: Bows + Arrows
14. Broken Social Scene: Bee Hives
15. Interpol: Antics

My faves of the year:

1. Fear Factory - Archetype
2. Slipknot - vol 3
3. Killswitch Engage - End of Heartache
4. Damageplan
5. Megadeth - System Has Failed

I didn't buy too much music that was released in 2004, but my three favorites are:
Tommy Stinson - Village Gorilla Head
Friday Night Lights Soundtrack
Ministry - Houses of the Mole

Antics by Interpol
Ashes of the Wake by Lamb of God
Culture For Pigeon by Tracy and The Plastics
Now Here Is Nowhere by Secret Machines
So Jealous by Tegan and Sara
Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
Alive & Amplified by The Mooney Suzuki

BEST
-converge - you fail me
-strung out - exile in oblivion
-snfu - in the meantime and in between time
-the dillinger escape plan - miss machine
-zombie apocalypse - this is a spark of life

COMPLETE WASTES OF TIME AND FORMER TALENT

-blood brothers - crimes
-rise against - siren song of the counter culture (one of my favorite bands turns into a piece of shit over-produced radio rock band)

1.Biffy Clyro - Infinity Land
2.Usher - Confessions
3.Interpol - Antics
4.John Legend - Get Lifted
5.Garden State - Soundtrack
6.Eminem - Encore
7.Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs
8.Green Day - American Idiot
9.Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle
10.Nas - Street's Disciple

Finally picked up Real Gone and have to put it on the list, along with

Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
U2 - Dismantle
The Cure - Follow The Dots
Elvis Costello - The Delivery Man
Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves A Happy Ending

In no particular (ranking) order, my favorites of 2004:

Astropop 3 - Allies and Stepping Stones
Call & Response - Winds Take No Shape
!!! - Louden Up Now
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself
Franz Ferdinand
Interpol - Antics
Jem - Finally Woken
Kasabian
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Libertines
The Magnetic Fields - I
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Like Bad News
Morrissey - You Are the Quarry
The Muffs - Really Really Happy
Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy
Saturday Looks Good to Me - Every Night
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans

And I too am quite bummed that Beulah broke up.

01. Elliott Smith - "From A Basement On A Hill"



02. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Shake the Sheets"



03. Tilly and the Wall - "Wild Like Children"



04. Wilco - "A Ghost is Born"



05. Modest Mouse - "Good News For People Who Like Bad News"



Honorable: Devendra Banhart - "Rejoicing in the Hands", Annie - "Anniemal", Keane - "Hopes and Fears", Butch Walker - "Letters", Interpol - "Lantics"

Joanna Newsom "The Milk-Eyed Mender"



Ted Leo "Shake the Sheets"

The Killers "Hot Fuss"

Keane "Hopes & Fears"

Jadakiss "Kiss of Death"

Green Day "American Idiot"

Courtney Love "America's Sweetheart" {suprisingly good}

Morrissey "You Are the Quarry"

Modest Mouse "Good News..."

I'll chime in, albeit a bit late.

These are albums which I can wholeheartedly recommend as a "blind buy" and would pay five times the price for. They may very well become part of my desert island list. Buy these albums. If you really don't like them, I will buy them back from you. That is how convinced I am.

Electrelane - Power Out. Some of the most refreshing music I have heard in a long time. I can't describe it, only say that this album is some heavenly blend of experimental rock, art punk, indie pop, electronica, and gospel. Buy this album.

K-OS - Joyful Rebellion. Really well-written poignant organic rap that is actually enjoyable to listen to. Look-out for the "rock" track - a duet with fellow Canadian Sam Roberts.

Here's the other albums. Ones I really liked are bolded.

Arcade Fire - Funeral
Chromeo - She's In Control
David Cross - It's Not Funny (yes, it's Baby redux but still hilarious)
Death From Above 1979 - You're a Man, I'm a Machine
DJ Krush - Jaku (great track with Mr. Lif on it)
El-P - High Water
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (despite their music being used for Monday Night Football)
Greyboy - Soul Mosaic
Interpol - Antics
Kanye West - College Dropout (nice to see a hip-hop album that doesn't disappoint)
Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Secret Machines - Now Here is Nowhere
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Shake the Sheets
The Faint - Wet From Birth
The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
The Foreign Exchange - Connected
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Tortoise - It's All Around You
TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
VA - DJ Kicks: Erlend Øye

And here are the disappointments:

The Mooney Suzuki - Alive & Amplified (easily one of the WORST albums I have heard in the past five years by a good band)
The Music - Welcome to the North
Velvet Revolver - Contraband
Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue (couldn't get into it)
Los Amigos Invisibles - The Venezuelan Zinga Son Vol. 1 (a bit too hyped IMO)

Here are ones I am only starting to listen to now:

Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself
Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People
Junior Boys - Last Exit
Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street
Le Tigre - This Island
Phoenix - Alphabetical
Sergent Garcia - La Semilla Escondida
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Amos Lee - Amos Lee

Comments:

OK, I liked Tiger Army's III: Ghost Tigers Rise, but I don't see what's so awesome about it. Good, but not great.

Also, I disagree with someone saying the Hives's Tyrannosaurus Hives was disappointing --- the album is close to flawless and has some of their best songs. It's not as raw as Veni Vidi Vici but they are never going back to that.

And who said Electrelane copies off other bands? I'd love to know what bands those are so I can buy every damn album they put out.

* Limited to first two people.

[Where have I been ]

1. 2PAC: Loyal To The Game
2. SLIPKNOT: Vol.3 [The Subliminal Verses]
3. U2: How To Dimantle An Atomic Bomb
4. MEGADETH: The System Has Failed
5. VELVET REVOLVER: Contraband
6. LAMB OF GOD: Ashes of The Wake
7. EMINEM: Encore


[early, best so far 2005] 2 B Continued...
GAME: The Documentary