I'm baaack...did you miss me?

Yeah I didn't think so

End of the year and time for the lists. I will post mine soon but first a few others. This one from my good friend Dave:

Happy Festivus!
Once again we have my completely self-indulgent, always controversial, year end top ten list.

I should clarify that this is a rock list, thus leaving out some great albums from other genres (Kanye West, Loretta Lynn, Madvillain, ect.), However, I am including The Streets album which could easily be considered Rap/R&B

I am also including The Postal Service album on this list, even though it was a 03' release, because I only came across it this year.

10) The Walkmen-Bows + Arrows - "The Rat" may be the best single of the year

9) Arcade Fire-Funeral -Good, not as good as some would have you think, but good

8) Franz Ferdinand-Franz Ferdinand - The best of the disco-rock bands that also
include The Killers and Scissor Sisters

7) The Streets-A Grand Don't Come For Free - Mike Skinner makes the phrase "White
English Rapper" not as funny as it used to sound

6) The Postal Service-Give Up - It took me a while to catch up to this one but it is well worth the investment

5) Pearl Jam-Live At Benaroya Hall - Oct 22nd 2003 - At this point, Pearl Jam has literally hundreds of live albums to choose from, but this is a rare acoustic performance recorded in a symphony hall and possibly the best SOUNDING live record I have ever heard

4) Muse-Absolution - The first of two three piece bands to make my top 5, Lead singer Matthew Bellamy channels Jeff Buckley and the band ably backs him with epic anthems.

3) Snow Patrol-Final Straw - In all honesty, my final three can switch places on any given day. Imagine Coldplay and "The Bends" era Radiohead getting invited to a party, dropping some ecstacy and ending up with a music baby...

2) Wilco-A Ghost Is Born - As great as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was, it seems everyone was just waiting to knock AGIB. A closer look reveals that Tweedy eased off the electronic manipulation and played guitar more aggressively. If you take out the 15 minute wank fest of track 11, you have an a stripped down album that just may be better than YHF

1) The Secret Machines-Now Here Is Nowhere - As taken from their website: "Secret Machines play music that is spatial, ambient, organic, ecstatic, hypnotic and not a least bit psychedelic", and they do this with a drummer that can only be described as Bonham-esque


Happy New Year.

Thanks again Dave. Great list. If you have a list please pass it on. Now from Pitchfork and Popmatters. This is from a friend of a friend: I don't know him but if we were to sit down and have a few pints I am sure we could find common ground. Now Neil's Top of 2004.

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2004
1. John Vanderslice Cellar Door
2. The Arcade Fire Funeral
3. PJ Harvey Uh Huh Her
4. Danger Mouse The Grey Album
5. Modest Mouse
Good News for People
Who Love Bad News
6. Sparta Porcelain
7. The Walkmen Bows and Arrows
8. Interpol Antics
9. Air Talkie Walkie
10. Secret Machines Now Here Is Nowhere
11. Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose
12. Joanna Newsom Milk Eyed Mender
13. Sonic Youth Sonic Nurse
14. TV on the Radio
Desperate Youth,
Blood Thirsty Babes
15. U2
How to Dismantle an
Atomic Bomb
16. Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand
17. Green Day American Idiot
18. A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe
19. Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat
20. Twilight Singers She Loves You
21. The Black Keys Rubber Factory
22. Ted Leo & the
Pharmacists
Shake the Sheets
23. !!! Louden Up Now
24. Wilco A Ghost Is Born
25. Polyphonic Spree Together We're Heavy
Honorable Mention:
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs
William Shatner - Has Been
Badly Drawn Boy - One Plus One is One
Kanye West - The College Dropout
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free
Blanche - If We Can't Trust the Doctors...
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
The Cure – The Cure
Comets on Fire - Cathedral
Clinic - Winchester Cathedral
The Futureheads
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Pilot to Gunner - Get Saved
Cake – Pressure Chief
Probot - Probot
©Neil Walls 2004
nwalls2000@yahoo.com

a cool blog from a radio person who cares. fukkinwood.

More "iPods" like the U2 one.

Westerberg on tour...don't forget out East dude:

Paul Westerberg & His Only Friends (The Band Formerly Known As The Painkillers):
02/17/05 Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
02/18/05 Showbox Showroom - Seattle, WA
02/19/05 Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR
02/21/05 Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
02/22/05 & 02/23/05 Henry Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
02/25/05 Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
02/26/05 House of Blues - Anaheim - Anaheim, CA

if you go see him tell him hi.

OK--who loves the chocolate? Me. And I know I am not alone.

Photo iPod. With a little help from Playboy...iBod.

up coming releases: Yeah as soon as I pay off Christmas.
In Stores On January 4
JULIA FORDHAM That's Live (Vanguard)
SOUL COUGHING Live Rarities (Kufala)

In Stores On January 11
CORKY SIEGEL'S CHAMBER BLUES Corky Siegal's Traveling Blues Shows (Alligator)
DAVY RAY MOOR Telepathy (Lakeshore)
ROOMFUL OF BLUES Standing Room Only (Alligator)
SHIVAREE Who's Got Trouble (Rounder)

Good to be back. Thanks for reading. Hope all is well. I will be back again soon.
Now Peace Off
Bro