Into The River We'd Dive

The year 2004 was a tough year for new releases in the music industry. There certainly were some good ones, even a few great ones, but let's face it, what I'll be listing as this year's 10 best albums are the cream of the crap as well as the cream of the crop.

Certain artists fell victim to their album's release dates. For example, Cooper Temple Clause's "Kick Up The Fire and Let The Flames Break Loose" was easily one of the 10 best records released in the United States in 2004, but it was released in Europe well before that, and since some people have these things called computers with this thing called the Internet, it hit American ears in 2003.

A similar fate befell Ryan Adams's "Love Is Hell," which was released as two separate EPs in late 2003. The EPs were so well received that he added a track and "re-released" them as one single LP. This LP was and is the one of the greatest albums in the history of the world ever plus a trillion points. Yet, no Top 10.

It was a tremendous year for hip-hop, with De La Soul's "Grind Date," Kanye West's "College Dropout," Beastie Boys' "To The 5 Boroughs," Nas's "Street's Disciple" and Mos Def's "The New Danger." You may recall a lot of the rap that littered the airwaves and ask why I think it was a tremendous year for hip-hop. And I'd answer that I'm not talking about rap, I'm talking about hip-hop.

Here we go:

10. The Dollar Canon- "Good Morning, Detective"

"Good Morning, Detective," deserves a nod in any Top 10 solely because the Buffalo band had played live exactly one time in the 18 months previous to its release and, without any fanfare, snuck an entire new concept LP onto their Web site, right under everyone's noses. It also deserves credit for being downright brilliant.

9. The Get Up Kids- "Guilt Show"

After a few years of being maligned by their "die-hard" fans for actually breaking away from their emo-punk sound to indulge their love of alt-country with "On A Wire," the band returned with not only a nod to the records their fans loved, but branched out in directions entirely new to the band. "Is There A Way Out?" recalled The Postal Service and "Conversation" meddled with comparisons to a Radiohead album, "Kid A."

8. With Honor- "Heart Means Everything"

Putting any hardcore album on a year's best list is usually bogus, particularly in the posi genre, where bands make a habit of paying homage to their forefathers. With Honor, however, mixes posi with a dash of metal in a way that is honestly inspiring. Not to mention, "Heart Means Everything" has enough fist-pumping, stage-charging gang vocals to make any early '90s edge-breaker reach for the black marker.

7. R.E.M.- "Around The Sun"

Here is a formula: Michael Stipe plus political grievances equals amazing. Some of the band's best songwriting since "Automatic For The People," and some of the best melodies since "Nightswimming" and "I Don't Sleep I Dream."

6. The River Bends- "...And Flows Into The Sea"

Philadelphia-lover Denison Witmer rounded up a crew of his favorite co-writers to record under the name The River Bends. Nothing could please those listeners still mourning the suspicious death of Elliott Smith any more than "...And Flows Into The Sea." Witmer's melodies sound so similar to Smith's, you'll definitely wonder where the depressed drug references are. The answer is simple if you know Witmer's belief system.

5a. Talib Kweli- "The Beautiful Struggle"

5b. The Roots- "The Tipping Point"

For all the time I spent compiling my top 10, I spent the most time deciding which of these two records I liked better. Then, I realized that it was my list, and made them equal.

Talib's record is so slick, President Bush is trying to sell it. The beats, for the most part, sit in the background, which allows Kweli's lyrics to really drive the songs. And his words tell the type of stories Bob Dylan would tell.

"The Tipping Point" is astounding because The Roots held onto their incredible socio-conscious lyrical style while providing enough dance hall beats and crowd moving tracks to make a record like none other they've released.

I'm also extremely partial to any artist that samples and/or covers Sly and the Family Stone.

4. Bjork- "Medulla"

For years, the hype surrounding Icelandic songstress Bjork was so thick that I choked every time I tried to listen to anything she's done. So, it was with great relief that "Medulla" was released without the slightest sign of gushing press-types pretending that they sure did love weird music.

Bjork, for her part, enlisted a host of guest musicians including the cult-followed Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) to make "Medulla," amazingly making most of the album's "instrument" noises with her voice. "Where Is The Line?" and 'Who Is It" are not only unique tracks, nothing like them has ever been done before.

3. Old Crow Medicine Show- "O.C.M.S."

I am extremely pleased that I came across Old Crow Medicine Show on a sampler CD as opposed to a suggestion from someone else. Why? Read on and imagine;

"Hey Nick, want to hear these smoke-hot bluegrass jams? The band sings about Vietnam and wagons and cover Bob Dylan!"

On second thought, I would've checked that out in a heartbeat.

2. Richard Buckner- "Dents and Shells"

I've been waiting for a record like this from Buckner since I first fell in love with his voice about, well, seven years ago. His alt-country croon and heartbreaking vocal wavering are slightly tamed in favor of the accompanying instruments, giving "Dents and Shells" the sound of a Wilco record if Jeff Tweedy, Tom Waits and Ryan Adams had the ugliest lovechild ever. Um, maybe we should rethink that whole stem cell research idea.

1. mewithoutYou- "Catch For Us The Foxes"

mewithoutYou's last release, "[A->B]=Life," was a chaotic testament of both faith and ferocity, the type of music that allows a band to share a stage with both Everytime I Die or Copeland on any given night, although admittedly more the former than the latter. For me personally, it was a record that made me look at making and listening to music in an entirely new light, with riveting lyrics and captivating songwriting. The best part is, they have the main ingredients necessary to avoid a follow-up slump.

mewithoutYou vocalist Aaron Weiss has the storytelling of Fyodor Dostoevsky, the poetic prowess of St. Francis of Assisi and "the voice of one crying out in the desert." The Christian band has earned respect from believers and non-believers alike, and the formula for it is apparently being very, very good at everything you do.

With guitars that can be both angular and gentle, a rhythm section that can pound and lull and Weiss's aforementioned brutally honest voice and vocals, mewithoutYou has proven itself one of the top bands in indie rock music. It is only fitting that "Catch For Us The Foxes" is the best record of 2004.