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Thursday 23 December 2004
The Best Songs Ever of this year ever
Everybody's doing it. And who ever said I had original ideas?
 | The Bees - Free the BeesTwas' the Horseman that came riding to cheer me up in the Summer. This is another record company's "Kings Of Leon", but ever so fractionally more polished. And I do like my bands to be polished, although less so recently. Anyway, if you do nothing else, check out "Horsemen", which is bloody marvellous. The album is no one-trick pony, either.
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 | Graham Coxon - Happiness in MagazinesI have to admit that I didn't see this one coming. He did the rounds of the festivals, but I didn't make it to Glasto this year (grumble grumble) so didn't pick up on it until it was passé. It's good bouncy stuff with an undeniable London accent, and I have forgone what seems to be everyone's favourite ("Freakin' Out") in favour of "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" as the best track on the album.
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 | Ian Broudie - Tales ToldI heard Lord Crowley of Plop interviewing the venerable ex-controller of the Lightning Seeds Mr Broudie (who also appears later in this list as a producer of an equally fine album). It's unexpected; Broudie growls through some laid back eulogies to life and love, and it's utterly listenable. Occasionally, you get flashes of the past - but they're brief, yet no less magical.
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 | The Killers - Hot FussEveryone but everyone loved "Mr Brightside", but I would balance that with "Smile Like You Mean It", not just because I'm insanely optimistic, but because it's a bloody good song. Plus it reminds me of the dance teacher in the Simpsons who says "lets turn those frowns upside down" and then snaps at Lisa "That's a smile, not an upside down frown!". I don't know where I was going with this now. Oh yes. The Killers. Very good. Next!
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 | Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad NewsThe good thing about the title of this album is that you can change all the words around and it still means the same thing. Probably. I thought this band were Canadian, which meant that I automatically didn't like them without hearing any of their stuff. Then I heard "Float On" and changed my mind. Then I heard that they weren't actually Canadian, but from Seattle, and thought that I'd better not like them again. But I can't help it. It's a fine jangly album. Apparently they've been around for 20,000 years, but this is the first decent thing they've done. Just so you don't go and waste money on their earlier stuff.
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 | Ordinary Boys - Over The Counter CultureIf someone put a knife to my throat on Green Lanes and forced me to pick my favourite CD of the year it would be this one. Or the Zutons. No, this one. Definitely this one. It's good honest punk-pop-rock with a benignly subversive message. Plus they're from Brighton. What more could you ask for?
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 | The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons?"I haven't quite got to the bottom of why they rereleased this album. Anyway. It accompanied me while I was driving a convertible through the cornfields of Wisconsin in early July, and although they're from Liverpool, it all worked for some reason. Ian Broudie takes the production credit, and so he should, because it's polished and perfect and lovely. But not quite as good as the Ordinary Boys. I don't think.
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Comments
hey, you're back! and still purple!
whoever the hell wrote that bit slamming modest mouse and Canadians is such a moron I can hardly believe it. First, modest mouse's earlier material is way better than anything on the new record. Secondly, if you havent yet discovered the incredible music coming out of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Victoria, I feel sorry for you....but I don't feel that sorry for you cause you're ignorant and you listen to crappy music. enjoy your lame-ass Killers
