ILM Top 100 2000-2004: ALBUMS

Points: 210
No. of votes: 9
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: THE WRENS
Title: THE MEADOWLANDS
Label: Absolutely Kosher
Year: 2003

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/albums/themeadowlands.jpg

Comments: Because it's intensely passionate indie rock that makes a strong case for why Pitchfork is still worth reading after all.

Because as soon as I heard "Happy" the first time I made ten comp cdrs for my friends specifically so they could hear it, too.

Because after a week of non-stop listening, "Hopeless" suddenly clicked and may have become my favorite track of the year. I particularly love the piano climax at the end.

Because the synth strings on "Thirteen Grand" remind of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me-era Cure without making the song sound kitsch at all. turkey

Recommended tracks: Happy, Hopeless, Thirteen Grand

Points: 214
No. of votes: 12
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: MICHAEL MAYER PRESENTS...
Title: IMMER
Label: Kompakt
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/albums/immer.jpg

It's not an album as such but it's a mix compilation that introduces you to a range of artists and tracks you won't have encountered before unless you've been keeping score on the post-millennial contemplative form of dance music dubbed 'microhouse' for it's minimal yet intricate production ethos - squaring tech-house's pulsating parameters (with Terry Francis 'Architectures' as a reference point), stripping the original, deeper American sound of it's more obtuse personalised characteristics (the older vocal-led tracks from Deep Dish and Mood II Swing e.g. 'Stay Gold', 'I See You Dancing') and moving the filter-obsessions of Glasgow's DJ Q and the French crew off centre-stage, replacing them with shuffling beats and tiny clicks, sometimes escaping 4/4 formulas altogether, and wandering into extra spaces not quite explored or dwelled on.

Recommended tracks: Thomas Fehlmann 'Gratis', Akufen 'Psychometry (vol 3)', Frank Martiniq 'Adriano (Michael Mayer mix)'

-- ())(())()()()(()(LASER)()()()LA(Z)E(R)()()()((L)()()(A)(S(E)R()()()) (j.dubz@RoffleStationZero), August 18th, 2004. (later)

You're right. I really wished someone would have followed up my "Things Will Never Be The Same" track nomination with a "Beaches and Canyons" album nomination but it never happened.

Points: 214
No. of votes: 12
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
Title: ELECTRIC VERSION
Label: Matador
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/albums/electricversion.jpg

Comments: On their second album, Vancouver?s the New Pornographers take a shot at redemption for the bad artists and their sickly moons. By exalting the shabby (?From Blown Speakers?), making the trivial awesome (?Miss Teen Wordpower?) and generally coming off like an underdog despite having put out one of the greatest debut albums (2000?s Mass Romantic) in Canadian history, they pull off a terrifically nerdy pop album in the tradition of the Cars? Candy-O.
Where their debut instantly made you a fan, with automatic-new-favourite-songs like ?Letter From An Occupant? and ?Wild Homes?, Electric Version isn?t so aggressively addictive. All the same elements are there, even reclusive Dan Bejar (who very rarely appears live the group), but they?re not presented as bombastically as they were before. The softer touch actually bodes well for the long-term enjoyment potential of Electric Version, because while the highs aren?t as exhilarating, the comedown afterwards isn?t as harsh.
Horace Mann

COMING UP ON I LOVE MUSIC'S TOP 100 ALBUMS 2000-2004...

More 90s altrock sell-outsheroes!

Mad Mancs, Beyond Quintegenaridome!

And...HIS favourites...

KEEP IT LOCKED!!!

I am glad that Jonny G takes his place among the electroacoustic greats!

You really are an infantile little brat, aren't you? Maybe you can find someone to buy you a life.

buuuuuuurn.

Radiohead, Belle and Sebastian, the Cure, the list goes on, really.

The countdown will resume tomorrow.

I think it likely that FITEs will arise from this list but it would be nice if they weren't bitter.

Do The New Pornographers still sound like The Wonderstuff?

btw, you must have put an awe-inspiring amount of work into researching the archives for intelligent comments and recommended tracks. Great work!

More like the dBs, I think, but I haven't heard a lot of the Wonderstuff.

Plus Junior Senior's album was total ephemeral pop thrill = people will remember it but only vaguelly = liek Tom said, low votes and lots.