without any further ado or undo over-hyping…here’s my top ten albums list for 2004 for all those of you who dig that sorta thing…i’ve rated them by how long they lasted in my cd player so you have a feel of how much it was enjoyed by me…also make sure to read my closing comments before you openly lynch me for some of my picks…so here it is, for what it’s worth…enjoy…

my top ten favorite albums of 2004:

• letter kills [the bridge] - absolutely incredible are the only words i can muster to describe this fine debut album...not one song stands out more than the rest...the whole album fits together as one awe-inducing, concisive package...if you're looking for a truly great, anthematic, flat-out rockin', scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs album you're probably aready into these guys...if not check out this album asap [cd player life: all last summer]
• jimmy eat world [futures] - probably the most-anticipated disc by me this year...and it sure didn't disappoint...jimmy and the boys are back again and have moved in a slightly new direction from their big self-titled hit album but haven't lost grip of the killer melodies and powerful lyrics that have endeared indie and pop fans alike to their music [cd player life: nearly all last fall]
• garden state [soundtrack] - after seeing the movie i was gripped equally as much by the soundtrack so i just had to purchase it...my favorite track by far was of course frou frou's "let go" (the song played over the closing sequence)...it was so good in fact that i actually went out and bought frou frou's entire album (see it listed below)...so while the movie was great on it's own merits...it wouldn't have had near the impact it had without such a remarkable compilation paired up with it... [cd player life: at least 2 months...]
• lovedrug [pretend you're alive] - well to be honest...this one's been in and out of my cd player for the past 2 years or so...seeing as these guys are a local band i got myself a copy of this their debut disc a good year or so before it was released this past summer...but what a great album it is...lovedrug cannot be explained; they can only be experienced...they're on milita group now which means they've gone nationwide...if you haven't been turned on to the 'drug yet...i suggest you get turned on...and that right soon [cd player life: in and out for about 2 years]
• relient k [mmhmm] - the canton boys are back...and this time packing much more of an emotive punch...gone are nearly all the goofy tunes that were funny on the first listen but got very old on any listen past that...i for one couldn't be happier about it...however, thiessen definitely hasn't lost his keen wit or great sense of melody...this time around it's a relient k cd that's relatable...it's fun but goes deeper than they've ever dared before..."mmhmm" is taking the guys in a new direction...straight up [cd player life: about 2 months]</li>
• cool hand luke [the fires of life] - stunning in it's musical brilliance and haunting in it's lyrical imagery...this, cool hand luke's 2nd major label debut, is both dark and inspiring...you can't help but worship along with such amazing tracks as "cinematic" and "rest for the weary"...what i love most about these guys is that they're so well respected in the "indie" community but they have such a passion to reach the youth in that subculture for Christ...and they're not ashamed of it either...this is an outstanding cd from a truly remarkable band [cd player life: about a month and a half or so]
• bebo norman [try] - you can always count on the ol' southern boy from georgia for one heck of a solid album...and his last few have definitely been that much (and sometimes more)...with "try" though i think he's far exceeded any of his previous works...everything just seems to come together on this one like nothing he's done...it's both lyrically and musically up to par with his past three albums...but this time the whole album just seems to fit together into one concisive whole from beginning to end...he also throws in a few apparently unintentional worship songs as well [cd player life: a month and a half]
• brandtson [send us a signal] - i've definitely been a fan of these guys since i first heard them so many years ago at purple door fest (remember that trip dave? good times)...but i don't think i've ever thoroughly enjoyed one of their albums from start to finish...they've just never really overly impressed me with their songwriting (although the wes anderson movie references riddling their albums were pretty fantastic i must say)...but for some reason i found myself really liking this latest effort...from start to finish it's just a flat-out good album...maybe it's because of their recent label change to the militia group...i don't know...but hopefully they'll get more play this time around then just on dawson's creek episodes [cd player life: a month]
• jeremy camp [carried me/restored] - to be honest i wasn't much of a jeremy camp fan until i saw him live last winter and heard "carried me" (released in february 2004) for the first time...it's a worship cd which he could have made very cliched given the fact that everyone's doing them these days...but he wrote a decent bit of the tunes on it and redid alot of lesser known worship songs and he did them in his own style...it just felt like another camp release and that's what made it work...it was true to his form...his 2nd release "restored" (which wasn't "worshippy" in nature) in november of 2004 was a pretty solid release as well...pair them up and you have a fantastic double album [cd player life: combined about two months i'd say]
• underoath [they're only chasing safety] - this was probably my 2nd favorite screamo/melodic-hard rock/whatever-you-wanna-call-it album this year...followed closely by dead poetic's latest (read below)...while not nearly as remarkable as letter kills' cd...i do have to say the underoath guys put together a fine disc here...from raucous, screaming anthems to slow-building ballads, these guys can do it all...and they've tamed down their sound just enough so that normal, non-hardcore folks like you and me can get in on the enjoyment too...and for that i am truly grateful [cd player life: ohhh i don't know...maybe a month...but probably less]
</ul>   notable mention (top ten near misses):
• blindside [about a burning fire] - i love blindside but this their latest album pales in comparison with 2002's "silence"...there's still quite a few worthy tracks on this new one however...
• dead poetic [new medicines] - there are three or four really great tracks on this album...most of them are crazy screamo madness on the verses and then they pull it together on the choruses for some fine harmonic melodies...good stuff...
• frou frou [details] - pretty entrancing album from start to finish...but it's the lead-off track, "let go", that get's me everytime...it was featured on the garden state soundtrack and was played in my cd player many times...
• ryan adams [love is hell] - don't remember ever being a fan of this guy before but this album really struck a chord with me...the song "shadowlands" is quite good...now, i don't claim to be a hip, alt-country fan or what have you...but i have been drifting in that direction much more recently...i won't lie...
• the used [in love & death] - although they've "popped" up a little bit since their last album...i have to give these guys credit...they put together another fine album...and they're really cooky to boot...what's with him screaming "smile" on that one song? it's like the most chaotic, all-out screamo song i've heard in a long time and i was laughing through the whole thing...now that's good stuff...
• modest mouse [good news for people who love bad news] - "float on" was my anthem for most of the summer...the rest of the album wasn't half bad either...
• snow patrol [final straw] - in like fashion, "run" was undoubtedly my anthem for the fall, i bought the whole album and was kind of let down as the rest of it didn't quite match up...but it was still decent enough to get a couple spins in my car outside of hitting repeat alot for "run"...
• rascal flatts [feels like today] - i'm an unabashed, mild fan of country music...many of you know that...and i can't resist a good rascal flatts song...and this was just a flat-out good album folks...love it or not...this is just good music...
• something like silas [divine invitation] - i'm always looking for the next thing in worship music...being a worship leader 'n all...and these guys definitely stray from the norm...writing all of their own songs but one, i was a little wary of their style at first...but it quickly grew on me...and next to hillsong's united i'd say these guys are really forging some new avenues in worship...and i'm definitely up for that...
• in the name of love [artists united for africa] - good music and for a good cause too...it's a bunch of christian artists redoing u2 songs...and many of them pull it off quite well surprisingly...the biggest surprises for me had to be pillar's hard-hitting rendition of "sunday, bloody sunday" and newcomer starfield's version of the worshipful "40"...definitely worth a listen...
  not released in 2004, but first appreciated by me in 2004:
• aqualung [self-titled/still life] - can't say enough about this piano-fused outfit from the uk...there's a tinge of coldplay and radiohead in the mix but enough uniqueness to seperate 'em from the crowd...i was hooked by the first song i heard by them, "strange and beautiful", and just had to get both of this guy's cd's...unfortunately they're both imports...so i had to pay a fortune (like $15/cd off half.com...not thaaaat bad i guess) to get them sent over to me...i do feel alot hipper now that i can say i own some british import albums...so that's a plus...
• nick drake [treasury] - hard to believe this guy released all his albums back in the 60's and 70's...because his music basically sounds like alot of the current trends today...soft-acoustic singer-songwriter with vague lyrics...which i guess shows that really none of those current guys are really all that original...take that bright eyes...ha!
• pink floyd [dark side of the moon] - do i really have to say anything about this album? you haven't lived til you've listened to this album paired up with "the wizard of oz"...crazy stuff right there folks...and besides that...it's just a flat out good album...i need to get "the wall" next...i remember a guy back in high school that used to listen to it to get hyped up before basketball games...haha...remember that too dave? ahh the memories...
  sure to be included on my 2005 favorite's list:
• coldplay [untitled] - uhh...yea...it's coldplay...this cd is gonna kick arse...i shall be first in line to get it when it releases this spring...
• ben folds [untitled] - definitely second on my list of most anticipated cd's this upcoming year...while his subsequent three ep's after "rockin' the suburbs" weren't that impressive i heard they were just b-sides for this new album...and that gives me hope my friends...
• switchfoot [untitled] - ok so everyone knows who these guys are now...but i've been lovin' their stuff since the "legend of chin" days...so no matter what...i'm gonna be liking what they come out with next...expect their latest this summer...
• anberlin [never take friendship personal] - yea i definitely already had this cd before it released...and it's so good i'm actually going to buy it...i wasn't a big fan of their first one...but they've outdone themselves on this latest effort...it's in stores now...
• doves [some cities] - i've heard this one already too...and to be honest it hasn't grown on me yet...it definitely doesn't top their previous album "last broadcast" which i seemed to be alone in enjoying...but for the first time...i didn't care...cuz they're just darn good...and they're british...
• acceptance [phantoms] - i'm an unremitting fan of the emo/punk/whatever genre...and these guys nail it perfectly...i got this release last year...but i don't think it's even close to coming out yet...should be sometime this spring/summer...do yourself a favor and check it out when it hits stores...
--- ok so i apologize first for the incredible length both on my last entry and this one...these things are way too long...i don't blame any of you for not reading them...my hat's off to you if you can endure through 'em...i will seriously work on cutting my entries down to a more edible size for next time...and for those freaking out at this one's length...it took me well over a week to compile this list and write out all my comments...lest you think i typed it all in one sitting...yea i definitely don't have that much time on my hands... but secondly i'm not gonna apologize for any of my picks...this year was not only a dismal year at the movies but it was a decently lame one for me with new albums i do have to say...i found myself reaching back in the bins for alot of my old favorites much more than listening to the new stuff coming out...but i guess that's just because of my tastes...i talked to a whole lot of other people who thought 2004 was a good year for musical releases...so it's all dependant on your favorite genres or styles i guess...for me 2004 was a decently good year i guess...because it definitely expanded my tastes quite a bit to both extremes of the spectrum...from alt-country-types to near-hardcore-esqe bands...so in those respects i guess this year has been a mild success because it opened me up to new musical experiences... here's to hoping 2005 is an even better musical release year... --- ######*Note: This post is from a very old Xanga blog of mine. A very, very old blog. In fact, it's practically a museum. Be sure not to touch any old references or links. You won't break them, they are most certainly already broken.*