ILM TOP ALBUMS OF 2004

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Madvillain - Madillainy

There's little left to say about the chemistry between producer Madlib's dense lo-fi collage of jazz club beats, forgotten movie dialogue, soul hooks, and comic book KA-POW when coupled with the hilarious, fantastic, vaguely psychedelic ramblings and raspy, cyclic delivery of chief rhymesayer MF Doom. It's all in a constant state of juxtaposition: Doom's knack for clever, comedic twists and his equal aptitude for flooring realism; Madlib's arrangements of jumpy horns and melting organs are combined with speaker panning detritus and daring mixing in a way that makes his tracks sound simultaneously familiar and alien. It's blunted hip hop that rewards the careful listener, cartoonish enough that we can keep our distance and human enough in its curiosity to pull us in and keep us there. -DOPESMOKER

Other ILXors Say:

"this is the weakest thing i have ever heard." -tOph

"I think it works in a totally different way than say Vik Vaughn or Doomsday. This is sort of like late night doom--it IS more mellow, less hyper, but the rhymes work surprising well in that conext, and some of the tracks are just brilliant, especially ALLCAPS and Raid." -Scott

"He is ridiculously clever, has a very unique personality, and sounds like no one else in hip-hop. Plus I just think he sounds good." -DJDee2005

Your flippant comment notwithstanding, I am surprised, considering how much love it's been getting on ILM threads.

I don't know if the people on those threads voted here, though. Perhaps not.

10. Dungen
9. Squarepusher
8. Mastodon
7. Tv on the Radio
6. Stina Nordenstam
5. Diplo
4. Beta Band
3. Isis
2. Annie
1. Junior Boys

1. Junior Boys, Last Exit
2. Kanye West, The College Dropout
3. Annie, Anniemal
4. The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free
5. M.I.A./Diplo, Piracy Funds Terrorism, Vol. 1
6. Dizzee Rascal, Showtime
7. Brian Wilson, Smile
8. Arcade Fire, Funeral
9. Joanna Newsom, The Milk-Eyed Mender
10. Ghostface, The Pretty Toney Album

For a multitude of reasons, that sentence is perhaps my favorite thing that I've ever read.

http://rateyourmusic.com/

I don't expect there to be the exact same references, however it is a useful comparative link for reference.

Will do, thanks.

Thanks.

On ILM? Are you joking?

Martian you are insane. If you seriously believe Squarepusher, Dungen and Isis will be in the Top 10 and not Dizzee, The Streets and Kanye then you clearly have not been reading ILM properly.

I'm going with A Grand Don't Come For Free at #1 though.

any more predictions?

SOMB TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2004, Official List
http://www.soundopinions.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=5900

87 Lists Submitted
421 Albums Voted For
189 Albums Receiving More than One Vote

Wilco = dull, bland and boring - i never understood the appeal of this band
Interpol 2nd album = more trad songs approach that lacked substance

"Funeral is definitely best of the year. Not boring at all. It's energetic and emotional as hell. " -DrJimmy

"Arcade Fire's Funeral is the album of the year" -TJENZ

"It is a very easy album to sit through the whole way. That is what makes it so addictive. It is absinthe to Broken Social Scene's whiskey." -Mutant Disco

"when you come back to "Funeral"...by hearing those sounds, by feeling that great indie rock rush of awesomeness, you will be reminded that indie rock owns you. It's a part of your soul. " -
Pavement Ist Rad

Tee hee!

treating Arcade Fire as the second coming, when in reality they are just another epic rock with strings by numbers band. I agree with what Matos said about AF on his blog.

Isis and Neurosis were superior in 2004 !

and If they want epic rock direct them to ...The Chameleons !

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The Arcade Fire - Funeral

Perhaps it’s beneficial to look past the vocals. It helps if your skin has been thickened from listening to the intentionally off-key wailing on all those A Silver Mt. Zion albums (Arcade Fire have certainly heard them). Then, you can enjoy the tunes, taking in one mini-epic after another, shifting between pleading power ballad and motorik disco as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Meanwhile, the lyrics present recurring motifs
of snow and ice blanketing ye olde neighbourhood, while our protagonists sneak around behind their parents' backs in the name of love and lust. Funeral keeps up the fine tradition of Pulp's His N Hers and West Side Story in that it magnifies the seemingly trivial toils of young love to a point near myth. -MindInRewind

Other ILXors Say:

"I hardly ever post over here because you music pedants scare me but...I like these guys. I REALLY like them. " -Mouse

"I've listened to a couple times, and it just sounds average and normal to me. Maybe that's the appeal of it, I don't know." -Matthew Perpetua

"I love FUNERAL. It's my album of the year no question. " -poortheatre

Sorry.