By far, the best pop album release of the year is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco. IMHO, everything else pales in comparison. Here’s a list of 10 runners-up, in no particular order:[ul][li]Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips.[/li][li]() by Sigur Ros.[/li][li]Lost in Space by Aimee Mann.[/li][li]Blood Money by Tom Waits.[/li][li]Alice by Tom Waits (again).[/li][li]Belly of the Sun by Cassandra Wilson.[/li][li]Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age.[/li][li]Sea Change by Beck.[/li][li]Pennies from Heaven by the Susie Arioli Swing Band.[/li][li]Yanqui U.X.O. by Godspeed You Black Emperor![/li][/ul]
Sigur Ros- () VnV Nation- Futureperfect Interpol-Turn on Bright Lights NIN- And All that could of Been NON- Children of the Black Sun Mesh- Who Watches over me Dryft- the mytotyc exyt And you will Know us by the trail of the dead- Source Tags and Codes Sparta- Wirtetap Scars Pretty Girls Make Graves- Good Health
i didnt buy many new albums this year, but there are the ones that should make it.
the strokes: is this it?
rhcp: by the way
coldplay: rush of blood to the head
wilco: yankee hotel foxtrot
beck: sea change
the hives: veni vidi vicious
queens of the stone age:songs for the deaf
jimi hendrix: live from the isle of wright
eminem: the eminem show [not a fan of rap, but give him credit…hes skilled]
jimi hendrix: the baggy’s rehersal session
I haven’t made a list yet this year, and I haven’t listened to as much as I usually do.
I’d have to be original and put Wilco in the top spot, I think. I’d also agree with Beck and the Flaming Lips (whose double-bill show is the concert I wish had made it within a few hundred miles of me).
I’d have to put three Phish-related items on my list–their new “Round Room”, Trey Anastasio’s eponymous album, and Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke’s “Clone”. (Vida Blue was OK but not Top 10 material, and I haven’t heard Pork Tornado. I won’t count any of the Live Phish releases.)
A few other albums I liked:
Apples in Stereo, “Velocity of Sound”
Asylum Street Spankers, “My Favorite Record”
Ryan Adams, “Demolition”
Josh Rouse, “Under Cold Blue Stars”
Elf Power, “Creatures”
I think most of mine have been mentioned already. In no particular order:
OK Go - OK Go
Beck - Sea Change
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Ben Kweller - Sha Sha
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter
Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
Willy Porter - Willy Porter
David Gray - New Day at Midnight
Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
I know there are others that would take the place of these ones, but I haven’t scraped up the money to buy them yet.
I don’t listen to much new music, certainly nothing considered “popular” by anyone, and since Tenacious D’s album was released last year, I only have two I really liked.
Aimee Mann Lost in Space
Guided by Voices Universal Truths and Cycles
I would nominate And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead as certainly having the coolest bandname of the year.
Ben Folds Live. It was excellently mixed (completely putting Billy Joel’s live double CD to shame), contained a great mix of songs, and came with a DVD (always a plus). It’s the only CD I’ve bought since Rockin’ The Suburbs came out last September.