2004 was the year that I started to buy a plethora of CDs. There were so many albums that came out that year that I listened to non stop not only in 2004, but also for the years after. Here are some of the highlights for me:

 

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

I first heard about these guys by seeing their Brit Awards performance. Giant birds, eggs, singing barns, singing watermelon, flamboyant costumes, and catchy tunes.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIaU3GGnN9c]YouTube- [Live] Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama[/ame]

 

Interpol - Antics

My first experience with post-punk. Dark and haunting lyrics, clunky guitar riffs, and great atmosphere. So many songs on this album still blow me away and this album still gets regular listens from me.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaDw4CAcXVE]YouTube- Interpol - C'mere[/ame]

 

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

This album was huge. Everybody knew Take Me Out. Each song on this album is catchy as anything, and in a good way. Just one of the explosive debut albums of 2004.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haW_ruZ_Be8]YouTube- Franz Ferdinand - This Fire[/ame]

 

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

I don't even know what to say about this album. It is one of my favourites of all time. Every song on it is perfect. This band caused quite the stir and are still regarded as one of the best bands out there. The strings, the vocals of Win and Regine, the guitars, the sing along choruses, just an outstanding album.

And just to warn you, the following video may possibly be too awesome for the internet.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsRwjMO51xs]YouTube- The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) / Rebellion (Lies)[/ame]

 

Feist - Let it Die

A talented Canadian singer songwriter who is also part of Broken Social Scene. This album is full of sweet songs filled with lots of heart.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5zy4okvzE]YouTube- Feist - One Evening[/ame]

 

Stars - Set Yourself On Fire

The best Stars record by far in my opinion, and one of my favourite Canadian albums of all time. Songs of love, heartbreak, and human emotions sung back and forth between Amy Millan and Torq Campbell. An album many people can easily feel connected to.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v8FJhQ-teE]YouTube- Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead[/ame]

Apostle Of Hustle - Folkloric Feel

 

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

I was pretty obsessed with U2 when this album came out and I was very excited when this came out. Between this and In Rainbows by Radiohead I'm not sure which one had more personal anticipation. When it did come out I overlistened to it. I don't listen to it much anymore mostly because I overdid it and Vertigo was played approximately 184 456 345 899 000 000 000 000 times by your neighbour's boyfriend's sister in law's cat.

 

Keane - Hopes and Fears

My love for Coldplay at this time certainly helped. This guitarless band is full of pop songs with great piano work and lovely lyrics.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oextk-If8HQ]YouTube- Keane - Somewhere Only We Know[/ame]

 

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Another debut that got attention by virtually all of the virtual music world. They set the bar very high for themselves with these British influenced, synth drenched songs and a strong frontman in Brandon Flowers.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZTpLvsYYHw]YouTube- The Killers - All These Things That I've Done[/ame]

Good list of albums, though a good bunch I still haven't heard yet.

 

The only album that you didn't mention that I really like a lot is The Album Leaf-In a Safe Place

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^agreed.

great work briggins. my list will come soon.

2004 was a very good year: Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, The Killers, Keane... :awesome:

Muse had their U.S. release of "Absolution" in 2004. :wacky:

 

I know, I know, it doesn't count. I myself count it as a 2003 album. I just wanted to put that out there.

 

Other albums:

♦ "Confessions"-Usher [Hey, I actually like that album. Leave me alone. :P]

 

♦ "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge"-My Chemical Romance [...OK, so I wasn't going to bring them up for fear of people questioning my tastes, but I might as well. This was, at any rate, MUCH better than their debut, which I highly dislike.]

 

♦ "Siren Song of the Counter Culture"-Rise Against

 

♦ "Soviet Kitsch"-Regina Spektor

 

♦ "Eye to the Telescope"-KT Tunstall [i plan on going more in-depth on this in my 2006 review, as that's when her album made it to the US, which is where I reside. :P]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jpYwsfC3ZY

 

There's a lot more I could talk about in terms of songs that I know, but IDK if I want to do that. I've embarrassed myself enough with the MCR reference. :P

 

Nice work, Briggins! I like the albums you mentioned as well. :) Well, the ones I know...

1. Arcade Fire - Funeral

2. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

3. Modest Mouse - Good News For people Who Love bad News (how come it hasn't been mentioned yet? more "pop" than M&A and LCW. very catchy tunes)

4. Keane - Hopes & Fears

^ Oh yeah, GNFPWLBN was a great album.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhnOKmhbBw]YouTube- Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty[/ame]

Oh, I also forgot my favourite Wilco album:

A Ghost Is Born

Horn of Plenty!

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcMnnP6Bn94]YouTube- deep sea diver[/ame]

 

Of Montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsTckF5C30]YouTube- Of Montreal - Disconnect The Dots[/ame]

i haven't really listened to Horn of Plenty... except a song or two

I really like it, the first two tracks are lovely :nice:

GOOD YEAR :surprised:

best of aus

 

A Song Is A City - Eskimo Joe

Sound of White - Missy Higgins

Sunrise Over Sea - John Butler Trio

The Overture & The Underscore - Sarah Blasko

Wolfmother EP - Wolfmother

 

very decent year in aussie music.

I wouldn't say 2004 was the best year of the decade or anything, given that you pretty much nailed anything I would have mentioned, but the ones you did mention are real gems. I'm glad you mentioned Stars, as I personally would have probably forgotten about it, even though I love them too.

 

(FYI: 2004 was Let It Die, not The Reminder ;))

^my bad. The wrong thing came out of my fingers :P I picturing Let It Die's album cover in my head and everything while writing it haha

Two of my favourite albums ever (I'm talking top 10 here) were released in 2004: Funeral by Arcade Fire and s/t by Franz Ferdinand. :D

 

I think almost of my other 2004 favourites have already been mentioned in this thread:

GNFPWLBN by Modest Mouse

Hopes and Fears by Keane

So Jealous by Tegan and Sara

Interpol - Antics

Hot Fuss by The Killers

 

Stuff that hasn't been mentioned (I think)

Opion Somnium - Operae Sperae/Opus Somniferous

This is a pretty interesting instrumental record by the Alaska in Winter guy. There are no videos on youtube though, except this:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjHSmSxDS2E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjHSmSxDS2E[/ame]

If you like this (the music I mean :D), definitely go check out the album.

 

Half These Songs Are About You by Nizlopi is a lovely record. It features JCB Song which is their best known and stuff like this:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn4ElyUfDIg]Nizlopi - Girls[/ame]

 

 

And then some soundtracks:

Garden State

A really lovely collection of songs which work really well in the film but also are great to listen to without the film. Amongst others: The Shins, Nick Drake, Frou Frou, Remy Zero and Simon and Garfunkel. Still one of my favourite soundtracks ever, and definitely the one I've most listened to.

 

Addict

This is the first soundtrack for the anime series FLCL (there are several released, the 2005 version is actually better, but this has basically the same songs plus some more) by a Japanese rock band called the pillows (in lower case). If you haven't seen FLCL, definitely give it a try, it's a small series (only 6 episodes of 20 minutes iirc) full of lyperactive craziness and it's extremely funny. And it's one of my favourite anime series (that should actually say something because I watched a lot of them back then).

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwMT1SJ7D6U]the pillows - Carnival[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORQeOVOPv7c&feature=related]the pillows - Little Busters[/ame]

 

I'll probably mention this in the next thread again because the 2005 version of the OST is much more awesome. :D

 

 

 

Oh, and I totally forgot SMiLE by Brian Wilson. :D

I think this my favorite list so far. Franz Ferdinand, Hot Fuss, and Funeral(which I began to listen to recently), are all great. I have never really looked into Keane or Interpol with the excpetion of a couple of songs, but I think that I will.

 

The Bravery's Unconditional EP was one of my favorites of the year.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpxc3gAK578]YouTube- The Bravery "No Brakes"[/ame]

The Bravery are awesome. :)

I thought The Bravery sucked until actually seeing them live a few months ago, who weren't half-bad. Then again, I had only heard their hit songs up to that point. Maybe I should check out their early stuff.

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime won't let me goooooohooooooooooooooo :escaping:

 

 

I'm gonna check out that EP :D