I know the year isn't over just yet, but this album has got to be a leading contender. If you haven't heard it yet, do yourselves a favour and give it a listen. Of those who have heard it, whos with me???

so far for me, it's either out hud's album or beck's 'guero'.

I’m probably going to pick up the Teenage Fanclub album. It’s kind of odd – I’d sort of written them off as also-rans years ago, a good but not great band, the pop music equivalent of a solid short-stop who bats .280 every season. But they’ve kept on going, and though they’re still basically making the same album over and over again, they keep getting better at it.

For this year, I’ve been reasonably keen on the Decemberists album – really sharp songs, though the twee-ness of it kind of gets under my skin after repeated exposure. I also really like the Archer Prewitt and Books albums, and the LCD Soundsystem album is as good as everyone said it would be. I’ve had that Out Hud album on my pickup list for a while, haven’t found it at a reasonable price yet.

But the album I really like is the new Go-Betweens record. I’m not an unbiased observer, cuz I’ve loved this band for years, but I think it’s a total injustice that they’re so completely unsuccessful commercially. Not an injustice on the scale of Union-Carbide or anything, but an injustice nonetheless. They’ve crafted memorable song after memorable song for 25 years, whether as a band or solo, and they’ve never had anything close to a hit. This might be byperbole on my part, but I think you could make a very rational case for Robert Forster and Grant McLennan being the finest post-Beatles songwriting team in pop music. Oceans Apart is a classic record – for the first nine songs, it’s effortlessly tuneful and mature in the best meaning of the word. Not in the sense it’s dry or boring, but in that it’s adult, confident and thoughtful. It does falter slightly on the last track, which ends the album on a slightly unsatisfying note, but that doesn’t undermine what’s come before.



[Edited 6/13/05 17:57pm]

Oh Yes.




The Man-Made is easily my album of the year so far also! it is perfect album from one of the most important bands for me. and i also saw the live couple of weeks ago, amazing.

and damosuzuki, your 'review' of Go-Betweens really made me want to have it. i've been thinking about getting it for a while now.

Actually, i have always thought about them exactly the same way you think of Teenage Fanclub. funny. i think you should fall in love with Teenage Fanclub, it is quite easy actually. just get Man-Made, Grand Prix (recently voted as the best scottish album ever by scottish Is This Music? magazine readers, which by the way is named after Teenage Fanclub song...), Songs From Northern Britain (my favourite), and Bandwagonesque.

(add image edit)
[Edited 6/14/05 7:19am]

Common - Go

so far

I won tickets to see Teenage Fanclub at The Ritz (NYC) back in 1992(?). It was the tour in support of the Bandwagonesque CD which coincidentally, I had also won from the same radio station. I didn't think they were all that back then although I really liked the single "Star Sign".

Best album I've heard this year is either LCD Soundsystem or Shakira's 'Fijacion Oral Vol. 1'. It's neck and neck.

Jamiroquai - Dynamite

Why, IRM's new one of course. What'd you expect?

Novabreaker said:

I expected you to say Coldplay.

Josh Rouse -Nashville
Coldplay - X&Y
Beck - Guero
NIN- With Teeth

those are mine so far

sextonseven said:

So basically you're trying to imply I'm gay?

Novabreaker said:

I was thinking about this the other day. So far I'd have to say (in no particular order):

Common - Be

Mint Condition- Livin the Luxury Brown

Bloc Party- Silent Alarm

The Mars Volta- Frances the Mute

System of a Down- Mezmerize

Mint Condition - Livin The Luxury Brown

Kate Bush-?

sextonseven said:

i really like the LCD Soundsystem album too, but i keep considering "technically" a 2004 release cuz i was listening to the singles mixes over the holidays when i got the DFA compilation for christmas. my understanding is the main disc is all new 2005 stuff though, right? the record's really good, but "yeah" is The Deal.

The best album hasn't come yet.

Still waiting for the third quarter releases before I begin hollering that out.

Guero, fairly easily, IMHO.

JANFAN4L said:

Last year my best album of the year was released in February. You never know.

Anxiety said:

Yeah, I've read more than one review that said the second disc is better than the first.

sextonseven said:

Mine came a month after yours that year.

Quasimoto - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas

pkidwell said:

Still not completely feelin' it. It hasn't come together for me yet.

Coldplay - X&Y


Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi


Common - Be


Beck - Guerro


Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

Beck and Coldplay lick eachother's balls!!

damosuzuki said:

This ablum had to grow on me a bit, but now, I gotta agree with you. "Here Comes a City" is my current favorite.

Beck & Coldplay.

garnis said:

ok