Statesman > XL Blogs > Archives > 2005 > January > 14 > Entry
What you missed in 2004
We may be though with the past, but the past is not through with us.
2004 may be over and done with, but music from that year is only a couple of months old, and frankly, about 30,000 albums came out last year, I’m pretty sure neither you nor I have heard even 1/10th of them, and as some TV network once said while running summer reruns, “it’s new to you.”
With all of this in mind, here are five great albums that didn’t make my top 10 for 2004, but nonetheless baked my cookies, glazed my ham, or otherwise made me hit repeat over and over again.
M.I.A./Diplo- “Piracy Funds Terrorism” (Fader) - M.I.A. is also pronounced “Maya,” and refers to Sri Lankan/British M.C. Maya Arulpragasam. Her upcoming album “Arular” is already poised to be one of the most critically acclaimed pop music acts in the Western world (and possibly the East, what with the Sri Lankan connection). It really is that good. While “Arular” straps her voice to the chunky, jerky, very British beat-clang some critics have taken to calling “grime,” this mixtape blended her vocals over more traditional (read: American) hip-hop breaks. It’s just fantastic.
Coachwhips - “Bangers vs. [Expletive]” (Naranck): Garage rock that actually sounds like a garage: drums like backfires and guitars like screeching tires, keyboards like dashboard fires.
No Doctors - “Hunting Season” (Go Johnny Go) - Nasty noise rock, totally lo-fi, and not unlike the sound of a bunch of 8-year-olds jacked up on Fruity Pebbles covering AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” in their parents’ wood-paneled rec room.
Hound Dog Taylor - ”Release the Hound” (Alligator) - Still more live music from this seminal 70’s Chicago blues/boogie man that would be excessive if his fanbase wasn’t always primed for whatever Alligator will give us. Two fuzzy guitars, maybe one is tuned, no bass, drums to dance to, everyone’s amplifiers pushed way past their tiny limits. Taylor clearly had more fun doing this than anyone should ever have.
The Ex - Turn (Touch and Go): A double CD from these Dutch lefto punk/avant-garde lifers. Scraping, sputtering, filled with rage, covers of African tunes, and a recipe for sweet potato pie designed to make the pie higher. The band turned 25 in ‘04, and sound more blissfully alive than ever.
Permalink | | Categories: By Joe Gross
