- 16.WILCO – Kicking Television – Live in Chicago
Proving that regardless of how experimental the group can be in the studio, at it’s heart is a hell of a rock band. - 17.SLEATER-KINNEY – The Woods
In which they find a grunge pedal and turn the volume up to 11. - 18.SON VOLT – Okemah and the Melody of Riot
A tougher sound than in the past. Is Crazy Horse moonlighting while Neil works out some issues? - 19.TEENAGE FANCLUB – Man-Made
Despite having a much higher profile in the 90’s, Teenage Fanclub has continued to make great guitar pop albums fully grounded in the Byrds and Big Star. - 20.KATE BUSH – Aerial
It’s like listening to a time capsule from the 80’s. Her world does not extend beyond sunsets and the most current reference is to Elvis P. Totally unique. - 21.JOHN TAMS – The Reckoning
Third album in five years after more than a decade away from the studio. There’s a bit more reliance on traditional material this time around but the performances are still strong. - 22.THE REAL McKENZIES – 10,000 Shots
Real men wear kilts and play electric guitar. - 23.THE DARKNESS – One Way Ticket to Hell
This year’s winner of the “Dazed and Confused” award. Incredibly stupid fun as you spot the AC/DC, Boston, Queen and even Big Country influences. - 24.THE DANDY WARHOLS – Odditorium
The anti-heroes from Dig! return to their roots with guitar driven trance music. - 25.PURPLE WIZARD – Purple Wizard
The old guy is kind of creepy but for the most part this consists of well chosen garage-girl group- r&b- brit invasion covers.
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1.RYAN ADAMS – Cold Roses
Hyperactivity is not necessarily a bad thing. Channel-ing the Dead’s American Beauty gave him his strongest album in a short but very busy career. 29 and Jacksonville City Nights were almost as good.
Buy new or used through Amazon2.THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – Twin Cinema
More hooks per song than some bands manage in an entire career.
Buy new or used through Amazon 3.YOUNG DUBLINERS – Real World
They have come of age in the last two albums. Like other Irish bands of note, now living in California.
Buy new or used through Amazon4.THE WHITE STRIPES – Get Behind Me Satan
It took a real long time for me to get beyond my initial expectations and finally listen to the songs.
Buy new or used through Amazon 5.BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – Howl
This came out of nowhere. Retro-rockers reference Ginsburg and turn to acoustic blues.
Buy from CDBaby.com6.THE CHARMS – Pussycat
Best album from the garage last year.
Buy new or used through Amazon7.THE MAGIC NUMBERS – The Magic Numbers
I didn’t buy the comparisons to the Mamas and Papas except for the fact that this is a very good pop band.
Buy new or used through Amazon 8.LUCINDA WILLIAMS – Live at the Filmore
Buy new or used through AmazonLOS LOBOS – Live at the Fillmore
Last year was an exceptional year for live albums. There haven’t been this many albums recorded at the Fillmore since Bill Graham closed the place more than 30 years ago. These are good sets from two of the best live acts that I’ve seen in the last 15 years.
Buy new or used through Amazon9.FRANZ FERDINAND – You Could Have It So Much Better
No sophomore slump.
Buy new or used through Amazon10.THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO – Sunrise Over Sea
I think there’s more here than just an outback Dave Matthews.
Buy new or used through Amazon11. OASIS – Don’t Belive the Truth
Their best since Wonderwall. Ofcourse they lessen the achievement by throwing in a live bonus cd from 11 years ago just to remind you exactly how much promise this band once had.
Buy new or used through Amazon12.RY COODER – Chavez Ravine
In his other world music travels to India and Cuba, he occasionally sounded like a tourist. He is much more at home here in the LA of the 1940’s and 50’s.
Buy new or used through Amazon13.THE RAVEONETTES – Pretty In Black
This sounds like a soundtrack to a David Lynch rock and roll movie.
Buy new or used through Amazon14.THE DUHKS – The Duhks
Eclectic Canadian folk group that seems smarter than the rest.
Buy new or used through Amazon 15.THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA – Atom Bomb
They are beginning to drop like flies. Nice mixture of straight gospel and covers of more recent material as they’ve been doing on the last couple of albums.
REISSUES
- 1.ARETHA FRANKLIN & KING CURTIS – Live at the Fillmore West
Don’t Fight the Feeling - 2.GRATEFUL DEAD – Fillmore West 1969 – The Complete Recordings See #8 above. Combined, they represent one hell of a week at the Fillmore. If you’re looking for peaks in the history of soul music, one of the candidates has to be Aretha, King Curtis and Brother Ray on “Spirit in the Dark”. As for the Dead, their best work was a couple of years down the line but the album culled from these shows defined the band in concert for the rest of their career.
- 3.VARIOUS ARTISTS – One Kiss can Lead to Another : Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found
Chick mcnuggets. - 4.THE BAND – A Musical History
I swear this will be the absolute last anthology or box set from the Band that I’m ever going to get. Thankfully, I think it’s difficult to get any more definitive than this. - 5.SPIRIT – Model Shop
One of those bands that I didn’t really appreciate until 20 years later. Randy California was a very underrated guitarist. - 6.MC 5 – Purity Accuracy
Speaking of definitive, this 6 cd box set of rehearsals, outtakes and concerts should close the book on what was one of the hardest hitting groups ever. - 7.BOB DYLAN – No Direction Home
I prefer the more focused volumes of the Bootleg series to this hodgepodge but the video was exceptional. - 8.VARIOUS ARTISTS – Children of Nuggets
Neither as comprehensive nor riveting as it’s forefathers but it’s a good collection of music on the fringe that kept me sane while commercial music sank into mediocrity. - 9.JANIS JOPLIN – Pearl Deluxe
Simply for the live Festival Express disc. - 10.ROKY ERICKSON – I Have Always Been Here Before