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05. Cursive / Eastern Youth "Both of these bands provide a breath of fresh air in otherwise
stagnant times, one by adding a cello to their off-kilter post-punk
guitar noise and the other just by being Japanese and kicking fucking
ass despite singing in a foreign language. Cursive's "Excepts From Various
Notes Strewn Around the Bedroom of April Connolly, Feb 24, 1997" might
be one of the most original and compelling songs of the year, as well
as having the longest title this side of a Fiona Apple album. Let's
just hope this isn't a one-shot and someone state-side starts putting
out more of the Eastern Youth catalogue." "The second time I listened to this, I got goose bumps, so that
says something to me."
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04. The Flaming Lips "Flaws aside, Yoshimi was a good pop album that doesn't
really sound like much else. A miniature song-cycle about Japanese girls
battling evil robots isn't the most refined idea for an album but the
Lips pulled it off with class. They also amazingly managed to avoid
the pitfalls relying heavily on emotionless synthesizers and cold electronics;
Yoshimi is thoroughly injected with a quirky little heart in
the midst of all the gadgetry. It's got evil robots, and really what
more do you want from music than that?" "This album was the most pleasant surprise out of the year. I
picked it up on a leap of faith and couldnt put it down for a couple
weeks. Repeatedly getting lost in its dreamy futuristic sound while
riding in my car or wearing my headphones. I actually preferred Yoshimi
in headphones to catch every audible detail because the production on
this baby is amazing. I mean, who would have doubted a concept album
about a small girl using karate to defeat large, pink, futuristic robots?
Not I..."
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03. Q and Not U "How do you recover from losing a band member while radically
altering your sound? Well, if you're smart you release Different
Damage and sling Gang of Four's updated dance-punk legacy back into
the spotlight. Arty, nonsensical, beat-driven, interpretive, experimental,
catchy and caustic all in one beautiful package." "What the fuck was that all about? That’s pretty much the feeling
you get after listening to this album.." "Q and Not U's creativity amazes me. Seeing them live just supported
my conceptions of that creativity. The loss of their bassist after their
debut album just made them stronger. They had to find different ways
to create a bottom end to the music. They are a self-proclaimed dance
band, but I don't think they give themselves enough credit. This isn't
new-wave, Faint-style dance. Combining a completely original sound with
their DC influences, they've created their very own wave dance band." "With so much experimentation and contorted sound you leave this
album a bit confused, only knowing that what you heard was different
and oh so fucking good."
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02. Spoon "Spoon produced a masterpiece in 2002, the kind of pop album you
listen to obsessively from beginning to end just because the whole thing
makes you feel good. With wonderfully subtle hooks that don't even sink
in until the third or fourth listen, it's the kind of album that doesn't
make a big impression at first but continues to grow every time you
listen to it. Simultaneously a vast improvement and a simplification
and pairing down of 2001's enjoyable but uneven Girls Can Tell.
Spoon showed that you don't need gimmicks, advanced technique, or studio
trickery. You can wrap your songs in all kinds of noise and textures
and unusual structures, none of it really matters because in the end,
it's the songwriting that's most important." "Every time I listen to this album, I like it more than I did
the last time. At first, I didn’t even remember that each song was great;
I would get excited when a track started because my memory would be
jogged. That has turned into anticipation for each song now that I know
the album well. It’s always a pleasure." "Caution: This album is addictive. At one point I talked about
and listened to this album so much I thought I was going to tire of
its catchy simplistic goodness. But in fact, I just fell more in love
and became convinced that all my friends should hear this album... what,
you know you needed it!"
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01. Wilco "This was less an album and more like a cultural experience. It
started out streaming on the Internet, followed by rumors and tails
of woe regarding Wilco's record label, then a bidding war and a proper
release for the album, a massive tour, critical acclaim and opinions
from almost every corner of society and finally, a fucking movie! Yes
indeed, an album that relied on familiar pop sounds while ceaselessly
experimenting with them: where songs might rely on traditional structures
but cut off suddenly. It's the sounds of the past becoming the future.
Who didn't see this as number one?" "To tell you the truth, I never really listen to this album, BUT
it is damn good, and I realize that, I’m just not always in the mood.
Nonetheless, this album is fucking great." "This album deserves all the praise it has received this year.
From start to finish, it just blows me away. Despite their experimentation,
it's still easy to listen to. That's what I think is so amazing about
it: it's accesible, yet brilliant. It's perfect background music, yet
you could spend hours analyzing every line and every note. You won't
stop hearing about this album anytime soon." "With all the bullshit that surrounded this album the past year
it makes me wonder if YHF was over-hyped and blown out of proportion?
If I were to say yes I would be a damn fool because this record is nothing
short of a true classic." |
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The Black Sea "An EP that lasts only long enough to assure us that big things
are coming from these guys. The Black Sea embraces Frodus' legacy of
bleak desolation while shifting things in a new direction, especially
with "Wingless Fire" which impossibly sounds both ancient and futuristic."
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Engine Down "Demure is a tease. You think that the songs will break
out into huge guitar riffs and a crazy drum beat. But it leaves you
waiting. There is this energy in the songs that seem to build up throughout
each, but never actually break free. Never lose control. And it keeps
you, as the listener, so attentive, ready for all the control to break.
This album is amazing because Engine Down never loses control. It's
almost frustrating because you expect a huge, crazy breakdown, but never
get it. But that's also what makes the album so good."
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Bright Eyes
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Blackalicious "The track “Make You Feel That Way” defined my summer. I hadn’t
seen my best friend in a while, and I had the whole summer to chill
and even work with the kid. This song reminded me of everything I loved
about home and life in general. The whole album reminded me what I like
in hip hop. The lyrics are smooth and fast and the beats are tight.
I never really get sick of the Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel."
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El Guapo "Nearly a year later and I still don't know whether I like this
or not. Bizarre postmodern experimentalism in music that hits somewhere
between unfinished Devo songs and Gang of Four's "Not Great Men." Computer
programming, strange beats, free jazz horn squeals, accordions, oboes
all add up to one weird package. Worth checking out just for its sheer
weirdness alone."
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Sonic Youth "I only wish I had spent more time with you, my dearest apologies."
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The Cassettes "Get up. Dance around your room. Sing along. That's what the album
is all about. Nothing overly original. Nothing that's going to blow
your mind. Just a fun album that is reminiscient of 60's pop. You like
the Beatles and you'll like this."
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Good Charlotte "Seriously, what the fuck is this shit?"
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Avril Lavigne "A close tie between Avril and Good Charolotte for this award
because you couldn't turn on a TV without seeing either of them, but
Avril wins because she doesn’t even write her own shitty lyrics."
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Kelly Osbourne "'I have a funny sitcom, give me an album for some reason!' TV
is the devil."
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Dashboard Confessional "This man is the bane of music. He wears designer jeans, shows
up in stylish magazines and has a stupid haircut. The only way this
album could get any more flaming is if somebody set it on fire, which
is something we've already done to his last releases. The Worst Album
of the Year based on its sheer irrelevance. There is no reason in the
entire world for this to exist."
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