2004’S TOP FIFTY ALBUMS

1. The Go! Team ‘Thunder, Lightening, Strike’ (Memphis Industries)
‘Thunder, Lightening, Strike’ is a fantastic album . It jumps genres, skips from sampled electronic tunes into what sounds like sixties soul. The Go! Team’s experimentation works wonderfully - it’s a joy to hear free-spirited music like this.
www.thegoteam.co.uk

2. The Prodigy ‘Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned’(XL)
After a six-year gap, this album had to be good. ‘Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned’ is more ‘Music From The Jilted Generation’ than ‘The Fat Of The Land’. Tracks like ‘Hot Ride’, ‘The Way It Is’, and ‘Girls’ make this an essential album.
www.theprodigy.com

3. U2 ‘How Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ (Island)
It’s the biggest album of the year by far. You get the impression that ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ will grow into another classic U2 album. It’s great to hear a band sound so hungry at this stage of their career. The new material will no doubt sound blistering live.
www.u2.com

4. Trans AM ‘Liberation’ (Thrill Jockey)
The electro-rock three-piece have created a monster of a record in ‘Liberation’. To say that their music has attitude is an understatement! The abrasive sound from this record will leave your ears and brain ringing - if that doesn’t get you their irreverence will.
www.thrilljockey.com

5. Handsome Boy Modeling School ‘White People’ (Atlantic)
With guests like Cat Power, De La Soul, and ex-Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton, this was always going to be good. Along with the tracks, there are some hilarious monologues. This is the best Hip Hop record since Outkast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’.
www.handsomeboymodellingschool.com

6. PJ Harvey ‘Uh Huh Her’ (Island)
Some people try, most fail miserably, but PJ Harvey is credibility and cool embroidered into her every breath and motion. In comparison to its predecessor, ‘Uh Huh Her’ sounds more like Harvey’s early 90s material. She screams, she roars, and then purrs sweetly - it all sounds great.
www.pjharvey.net

7. The Radio ‘Kindness’ (Reekus)
The coming together of former Rollerskate Skinny, Chicks, and Johnny Pyro personnel has brought exciting results. ‘Kindness’ is one of the strongest debut albums you’ll hear. ‘Hang On’, ‘Empire’ and the single ‘Remember Me Remember You’ are some of the highlights.
www.theradio.ie

8. Lali Puna ‘Faking The Books’ (Morr)
You can’t help but think of bands like The Sundays, Cocteau Twins, or Plague Monkeys when listening to ‘Faking The Books’. The haunting, ethereal tones of this record make it a perfect soundtrack to the twilight hours.
www.lalipuna.de

9. The Frames ‘Burn The Maps’(Plateau)
The Frames’ fifth album still has fans and foes divided. This album’s strengths don’t reveal themselves immediately, but give it three or four rotations, and you might just hear The Frames’ best album.
www.theframes.ie

10. Orbital ‘Blue Album’ (Orbital)
What a wonderful way to sign off on a glittering career. The ‘Blue Album’ is not the big fanfare album that many acts would have delivered. This is simply the final piece in the history of an important duo.
www.loopz.co.uk

NUMBERS 11 TO 50

11. The Crystal Method ‘Legion Of Boom’ (V2)
12. Rob Sonic ‘Telicatessen’ (Definitve Juxx)
13. Jape ‘The Monkeys In The Zoo Have More Fun Than Me’ (Trust Me I’m A Thief)
14. Magnus ‘The Body Gave You Everything’ (Anti)
15. Morrissey ‘I Am The Quarry’ (Sanctuary)
16. Jeff Martin ‘Spoons’ (Note)
17. (The Real) Tuesday Weld ‘I, Lucifer’ (Pias)
18. The Redneck Manifesto ‘I Am Brazil’ (Trust Me I’m A Thief)
19. Eagles Of Death Metal ‘Peace Love & Death metal’ (AntAcidAudio)
20. Jimmy Behan ‘Days Are What We Live In’ (Elusive)
21. Beastie Boys ‘To The 5 Boroughs’ (Parlophone)
22. Sonic Youth ‘Sonic Nurse’ (Geffen)
23. BJ Cole ‘Trouble In Paradise’ (Cooking Vinyl)
24. Giveamanakick ‘Is It Ok To Be Loud Jesus?’ (Out On A Limb)
25. Fatboy Slim ‘Palookaville’ (Skint)
26. Scala On The Rocks & The Kolacny Brothers ‘Dream On’ (Pias)
27. The Shades ‘Explosive’ (Grade)
28. Ash ‘Meltdown’ (Infectious)
29. Pete Pamf ‘Prone To Abuse’ (PA)
30. Green Day ‘American Idiot’ (Reprise)
31. Fingathing ‘The Big Bad Nebula Band’ (Grand Central)
32. Mark Lanegan Band ‘Bubblegum’ (Beggars Banquet)
33. Jimi Tenor ‘Beyond The Stars’ (Kitty-Yo)
34. The Cure ‘The Cure’ (Geffen)
35. Stanley Super 800 ‘Stanley Super 800’ (Bingo)
36. Wagon Christ ‘Sorry I Make You Lush’ (Ninja Tune)
37. Rollers/Sparkers ‘Second Level Crossing’ (Lazybird)
38. William Shatner ‘Has Been’ (Shout)
39. Two Lone Swordsmen ‘From The Double Gone Chapel’ (Warp)
40. Blink ‘Deep Inside The Sound Of Sadness’ (Serene)
41. Elliott Smith ‘From A Basement On A Hill’ (Domino)
42. Slipknot ‘Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses’ (Roadrunner)
43. Auf der Maur ‘Auf der Maur’ (Capitol)
44. Interpol ‘Interlude’ (Rough Trade)
45. Loretta Lynn ‘Van Lear Rose’ (Interscope)
46. Deasy ‘Shut Up & Make’ (The Fear)
47. Mcenroe ‘5 Years In The Factory’ (Vertical Form)
48. The Knife ‘Deep Cuts’ (Rabid)
49. Chromeo ‘She’s In Control’ (V2)
50. Alphastates ‘Made From Sand’ (Magic)

Hindsight, Highlights & Heroes

If someone had told you this time last year that The Pixies were going to reform and play a live date in Ireland, you probably would have laughed at them. While the rumours had started in mid 2003, the chances of an Irish Pixies show seemed as likely as a Napalm Death and Celine Dion duet!

The unlikely event did happen, and it was to many a religious experience! Loads of bands lose their edge as they get on in years, or they manage to turn beautiful noise into middle-of-the-road nightmares. The Pixies’ set in Phoenix Park was everything that any fan could have hoped for– loud, irreverent, and most importantly every bit of spite and anger in each song remained (and in some cases intensified).

It wasn’t all joy and delight though, Orbital’s grand finale was both a joyous and sombre occasion. Their ‘Blue Album’ was a gem, but trying to get a glimpse of them at the Oxegen festival proved very difficult.

There was much cause for excitement from new Irish acts. Waterford’s Siam Collective created some of the year’s most engaging music. Others like Dry County, The Leeches, The Shades made strong accounts for themselves.

Many people view U2’s return the biggest single event of 2004. ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ is without doubt a giant record in every sense, but its real strengths are going to surface when the band play live– the prospect makes your mouth water!

Nirvana’s box set ‘With The Lights Out’ is something that fans have been waiting for for a decade. Between a number of patchy recordings and rehearsals, the band’s true spirit and genius comes through, to the extent that your jaw will drop. If this really is the last of the unheard material from the Nirvana vault– this is an historical document.

As for next year, there’s so much already waiting to unleash itself– reunion gigs (Kerbdog, The Hitchers, and possibly more), the new Queens Of The Stone Age album, and the Oxegen festivalis shaping up to be something special (see below for more). It all makes your head spin!

News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News • News •

Six years after they bowed out, Kerbdog (pictured) have announced that they are to play a live date at Dublin’s Temple Bar Music Centre on February 5 next year. The news comes just months after the band’s former record label ceased producing copies of their popular album ‘On The Turn’.

“We miss playing Rock ‘N’ Roll!” vocalist Cormac Battle commented recently. “I guess we want to show some of these young punks how it’s done by us elder statesmen!”

Rumours have already started to circulate that a full tour and studio work will follow, but Battle is remaining tight-lipped about anything beyond the live date.

“At the moment it’s going to be a one-off gig, but you never know we could get our arms twisted to do some more. That’s as far as we’re looking at the moment.”

‘Lullabies To Paralyze’ is the title of the forthcoming album from Queens Of The Stone Age. Due for release on March 21 2005, the band’s line-up will be Josh Homme, Van Leeuwen, Joey Castillo, Dave Catching, Alain Johannes. It’s unclear whether Mark Lanegan will feature on the record, but reports suggest that Garbage’s Shirley Manson contributes, as does Homme’s girlfriend (and Distillers vocalist) Brody Dalle.

Recording of the third series of the Other Voices TV series concluded earlier this month. ‘Other Voices - Songs from A Room 3’ will be broadcast on RTE 2 in the New Year. The broadcast will include performances by Sack, American Music Club, Future Kings Of Spain, Gavin Friday & Maurice Seezer, Ocean Colour Scene, and many others.

God Is An Astronaut will unleash a new album early next year. ‘All Is Violent, All Is Bright’ will be released nationwide on February 12th. The album features their current single ‘Fragile’, which is currently available to download from www.godisanastronaut.com.
www.godisanastronaut.com.

Finally, Foo Fighters have been confirmed as the headline act for next Summer’s Oxegen festival. Weekend tickets are on sale at a discounted price froml December 3rd to 24th. Dave Grohl and band will headline the Sunday night – as yet, no other acts have been officially announced.

Upcoming Live Dates:

Velvet Revolver – Point Theatre – January 12th
Cathy Davey – Temple Bar Music Centre – January 15th
The Dears – Whelan’s – January 19th
Low – The Village – January 28th
Cake - Vicar Street – January 31st
Henry Rollins – Vicar Street – January 30th
Megadeth – Ambassador – February 1st
The Wedding Present – The Village – February 19th
Lemon Jelly – Ambassador – February 26th