Best of 2003
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:32 pm[Seattle rock critic Edward Wallace writes about his favorite music in 2003.]
Best of 2003
Written by Edward Wallace
Here's my annual list of top picks for 2003 in
alternative music.
I've tried to listen to every major act somehow, so
this list is from
nearly a hundred bands.
*************************************************************************
**************
Best EP: Taste Test by the Pin-Up Girls (http://www.knowitallrecords.com) is easilly the finest and most
important EP to come
out of 2003. You can take comfort that this time
around, the Pin Up
Girls have defeated the mighty Cold Play - who comes
in at third place
(after Peter Coyle) with the 'God Put a Smile' mega
single containing
their essential tunes: Crest of Waves, Murder and
Animals.
Best Album Cover Art: The Pin-Up Girls' Taste Test wins again! What guy
wouldn't want to
buy a CD with that cover? It's a classic that makes
you miss the big
packages of vinyl! Runner up is Coldplay's sly
Bunnymen tribute cover.
Best Music Video: Johnny Cash's Hurt: A powerful
tribute that just moved
my soul and dropped my jaw. Its an example of a video
that just completes
the song. Honerable mentions must be made to
Coldplay's stellar Scientist
video and the most fun video of the year: Queens of
the Stone age's Go
with the flow - a Bond movie opening if Mike Ness from
Social Distortion
was a secret agent. Varoom!
Song of the Year: Pin Up Girls- Caress! It's the song
that expanded the
Filipino music scene into America but also symbolized
the band's rising
talent and production. Caress is a true classic
because it addresses a
topic few songs address. This is the year Know-It-All Records got
into gear and I went
to the Phillipiines, and Caress also symbolizes those
milestones.
My #2 is Idlewilds 'You Held the World in Your
Arms'. Its a
magnificent , rousing U2 epic that also sums up my
year from meeting
artists from Japan to musicians from Manila. It's
cheerful and exciting
yet contains the bitter unforgettable line "how does
it feel to be three
years late and your watching your youth slip away,"
then cheers me up
with the assurance that I can hold the world in my
arms tonight.
My other contenders include Lippo's 'Will I recognize', Idlewild's
'American English', ColdPlay's 'Moses', Hot Hot Heat's
'Bandages', Love
Times Ten, Chemical Brother's: The Golden Path, Ian's
'Stake Your
Claim', Elbow's 'Otherside of the world', and The
Strokes '12:51'.
Best Cover song: Fisherspooner : The 15th (A Wire
cover). Where as I
already love the NIN version of Hurt, or the original
version of Lips
like Sugar - Fisherspooner has resurrected one of the
greatest new wave
songs I would have otherwise NEVER heard. This lost
classic about a
mysterious lifeform questioning its existance, travels
to the 21st
century with a cool synthesizer beat.
Best Live Album: Coldplay's live 2003.
A-HA also had a brillint live CD this year with a
stronger catalog of
songs, but for less money then I paid for A-Ha,
Coldplay included a bonus
full length concert DVD and unlike A-HA, it had two
NEW songs besides
their hits.
Best Resurrection CD: This special catatgory is for
past material only
just released on CD. Old recordings that weren't
counted during their
proper decade - like Let It Be-Naked version.
My pick for this year is Wild Swans - Incandescence !
I was prepared for
something merely "better then Spaceflower" but I got
bringing home more
ashes! This CD lasted my entire flight from Seattle to
Manila. This CD
captures the heart and spirit of England in the 80s.
My trip would not
have been the same without it. The singing sword lives
again! This is the
single best album I have heard of any kind in all of
2003. Paul Simpson's
legacy as a vocalist and songwriter cannot be denied,
nor can Kelly's
smoldering guitar.
************** Now for my Top 10 full length Albums
of 2003
********************
Note: this year, the list was very tough. Every album
listed here is
about equal. One may be above another on any given day
depending on my
mood. But these were definately my favorite 12 that
really stood out even
above artists like the Thrills, David Bowie, and
Stereophonics.
Runners Up:
Marty McFLy : Sure it's a homage to Wheezer, but its
better then the last
2 or 3 Wheezer albums! Luke Skywalker cuts off his
dad's hand and proves
he's the Jedi. I can't imagine my vacation without the
sounds of Make
Up, Love Terminator, and the rest.
Star Sailor - Silence is Easy : Among the best vocals
of the year. A
gorgeous, shining sweet album, though lyrically weaker
then their first
album. It sails on stars.
-------------------- Top 10 of 2003
-----------------------
#10 7' Jr - Prick Me: This ranking is given that I
only understand less
then half the lyrics. As I learn more, it could climb
even higher on my
list using cactus needles like a ladder. I love the
fresh combination of
energetic punk songs , with the warm Tagalog love
tunes that capture the
spirit of Manila.
#9 Longwave - The Strangest Things : "Bearing down
like an atom bomb," it
changes shimmering guitar hooks "like a Chameleon"
with the watery feel
of Toad the wet sproket. . A hipnotic dive into the
past and future of
music.
#8 Fra Lippo Lippi- In a Brilliant White : The title
says it all. Sure
the album has some pop music, but its the most
romantic album of the
year. Its a first: a european new wave artist writes
for the Philippines,
inspired by Filipino love! That passion shines through
in each number!
#7 Elbow - Thousand Voices: A hallucinatory journy to
the far side of the
world. It keeps the modern British flag up almost
singlehandly in 2003.
Elbow have stepped up to the plate with an improved
second album inspired
by Coldplay, Radiohead, Echo and the Doves. It lets
rap metal fans know,
to quote the second to the last song's chorus, "We
still believe in love
so FU "
#6 The Strokes-Room on Fire - The Strokes are better
then ever. Like punk
in 1979, they've grown new wave influence and more
emotional lyrics. The
punk to new wave transition of the late seventies
plays out once again,
saving the radio as it goes with ' I don't need that
bitch ex-girlfriend'
swagger.
#5 Hot Hot Heat -Make Up the Breakdown: Pure 80s fun.
The best upbeat
Curific record since The Cure's Wish. Makes me feel
that 'Madness' /
XTC happy mania all over again. Even the lyrics make
me think of foreign
adventures. One of the best Canadian CDs of the
decade.
#4 Postal Service - Give Up : Writing worthy of
Morrisey and Harvey
Danger with catchy effervescent keyboards galore!
Originality oozes in abundance: You have a guy
getting his ex to be in a
film about their past , an apolcypse turning people
into sillouettes, and
the Puget Sound as a prison camp! Seattle hippness is
ushered in again by
its best locally produced album since at least 1998.
#3 Rooney - Putting this album in my CD player, makes
sun come out until
I'm in Disneyland during the summer again. It's the
American Rialto:
Catchy Brian Wilson pop with bright new-new wave
effects, plus an
attitude that does to ex-girlfriends what Arnie does
to the Terminatrix.
Brittany Spears and NSYNC are shot down along the way.
"Nothing but a
bitch on strings". Time to go to the Blue Side! It's
such a cool place.
#2 Ian McCulloch - Slidling : Its scary that someone
can turn out
masterpieces so reliably over 20 years. Has any other
artist of ANY genre
(film, comic books, novels) mantained the consistant
quality of Ian
McCulloch? I can't think of one. Even all the B-sides
are brilliant! From
the uplifting horns of the first track, to the final
Know-It-All-Records
prophecy, we're taken on a reflective battle of light
against
hopelessness.
#1 Idlewild - The Remote Part: This is for me THE
definitive Scottish
punk album. The Highlander Joshua Tree. Idlewild
even ends this CD with
a beautiful team up with a Scottish poet.
The Remote Part grew on me from being "Almost as good
as 100 windows" to
overtaking it. We've got mighty anthems, aggressive
rock, and profound
but ironic dream lyrics all in one package. I've got
to mostly compare it
to REM's Document album but with a Scottish Claymore
sword.
My import CD contained a special link that let me
hear three free
gorgeous b-sides (including a Gang of Four cover). I
had to pay full
price for Ian's b-sides. (Ah, the little things that
break a tie).
Scotland has a new monarchy worthy of its southern
neighbors in the
Coldplay kingdom. (Pin Up Girls are the rulers of the
Phillipines.)
Best of 2003
Written by Edward Wallace
Here's my annual list of top picks for 2003 in
alternative music.
I've tried to listen to every major act somehow, so
this list is from
nearly a hundred bands.
*************************************************************************
**************
Best EP: Taste Test by the Pin-Up Girls (http://www.knowitallrecords.com) is easilly the finest and most
important EP to come
out of 2003. You can take comfort that this time
around, the Pin Up
Girls have defeated the mighty Cold Play - who comes
in at third place
(after Peter Coyle) with the 'God Put a Smile' mega
single containing
their essential tunes: Crest of Waves, Murder and
Animals.
Best Album Cover Art: The Pin-Up Girls' Taste Test wins again! What guy
wouldn't want to
buy a CD with that cover? It's a classic that makes
you miss the big
packages of vinyl! Runner up is Coldplay's sly
Bunnymen tribute cover.
Best Music Video: Johnny Cash's Hurt: A powerful
tribute that just moved
my soul and dropped my jaw. Its an example of a video
that just completes
the song. Honerable mentions must be made to
Coldplay's stellar Scientist
video and the most fun video of the year: Queens of
the Stone age's Go
with the flow - a Bond movie opening if Mike Ness from
Social Distortion
was a secret agent. Varoom!
Song of the Year: Pin Up Girls- Caress! It's the song
that expanded the
Filipino music scene into America but also symbolized
the band's rising
talent and production. Caress is a true classic
because it addresses a
topic few songs address. This is the year Know-It-All Records got
into gear and I went
to the Phillipiines, and Caress also symbolizes those
milestones.
My #2 is Idlewilds 'You Held the World in Your
Arms'. Its a
magnificent , rousing U2 epic that also sums up my
year from meeting
artists from Japan to musicians from Manila. It's
cheerful and exciting
yet contains the bitter unforgettable line "how does
it feel to be three
years late and your watching your youth slip away,"
then cheers me up
with the assurance that I can hold the world in my
arms tonight.
My other contenders include Lippo's 'Will I recognize', Idlewild's
'American English', ColdPlay's 'Moses', Hot Hot Heat's
'Bandages', Love
Times Ten, Chemical Brother's: The Golden Path, Ian's
'Stake Your
Claim', Elbow's 'Otherside of the world', and The
Strokes '12:51'.
Best Cover song: Fisherspooner : The 15th (A Wire
cover). Where as I
already love the NIN version of Hurt, or the original
version of Lips
like Sugar - Fisherspooner has resurrected one of the
greatest new wave
songs I would have otherwise NEVER heard. This lost
classic about a
mysterious lifeform questioning its existance, travels
to the 21st
century with a cool synthesizer beat.
Best Live Album: Coldplay's live 2003.
A-HA also had a brillint live CD this year with a
stronger catalog of
songs, but for less money then I paid for A-Ha,
Coldplay included a bonus
full length concert DVD and unlike A-HA, it had two
NEW songs besides
their hits.
Best Resurrection CD: This special catatgory is for
past material only
just released on CD. Old recordings that weren't
counted during their
proper decade - like Let It Be-Naked version.
My pick for this year is Wild Swans - Incandescence !
I was prepared for
something merely "better then Spaceflower" but I got
bringing home more
ashes! This CD lasted my entire flight from Seattle to
Manila. This CD
captures the heart and spirit of England in the 80s.
My trip would not
have been the same without it. The singing sword lives
again! This is the
single best album I have heard of any kind in all of
2003. Paul Simpson's
legacy as a vocalist and songwriter cannot be denied,
nor can Kelly's
smoldering guitar.
************** Now for my Top 10 full length Albums
of 2003
********************
Note: this year, the list was very tough. Every album
listed here is
about equal. One may be above another on any given day
depending on my
mood. But these were definately my favorite 12 that
really stood out even
above artists like the Thrills, David Bowie, and
Stereophonics.
Runners Up:
Marty McFLy : Sure it's a homage to Wheezer, but its
better then the last
2 or 3 Wheezer albums! Luke Skywalker cuts off his
dad's hand and proves
he's the Jedi. I can't imagine my vacation without the
sounds of Make
Up, Love Terminator, and the rest.
Star Sailor - Silence is Easy : Among the best vocals
of the year. A
gorgeous, shining sweet album, though lyrically weaker
then their first
album. It sails on stars.
-------------------- Top 10 of 2003
-----------------------
#10 7' Jr - Prick Me: This ranking is given that I
only understand less
then half the lyrics. As I learn more, it could climb
even higher on my
list using cactus needles like a ladder. I love the
fresh combination of
energetic punk songs , with the warm Tagalog love
tunes that capture the
spirit of Manila.
#9 Longwave - The Strangest Things : "Bearing down
like an atom bomb," it
changes shimmering guitar hooks "like a Chameleon"
with the watery feel
of Toad the wet sproket. . A hipnotic dive into the
past and future of
music.
#8 Fra Lippo Lippi- In a Brilliant White : The title
says it all. Sure
the album has some pop music, but its the most
romantic album of the
year. Its a first: a european new wave artist writes
for the Philippines,
inspired by Filipino love! That passion shines through
in each number!
#7 Elbow - Thousand Voices: A hallucinatory journy to
the far side of the
world. It keeps the modern British flag up almost
singlehandly in 2003.
Elbow have stepped up to the plate with an improved
second album inspired
by Coldplay, Radiohead, Echo and the Doves. It lets
rap metal fans know,
to quote the second to the last song's chorus, "We
still believe in love
so FU "
#6 The Strokes-Room on Fire - The Strokes are better
then ever. Like punk
in 1979, they've grown new wave influence and more
emotional lyrics. The
punk to new wave transition of the late seventies
plays out once again,
saving the radio as it goes with ' I don't need that
bitch ex-girlfriend'
swagger.
#5 Hot Hot Heat -Make Up the Breakdown: Pure 80s fun.
The best upbeat
Curific record since The Cure's Wish. Makes me feel
that 'Madness' /
XTC happy mania all over again. Even the lyrics make
me think of foreign
adventures. One of the best Canadian CDs of the
decade.
#4 Postal Service - Give Up : Writing worthy of
Morrisey and Harvey
Danger with catchy effervescent keyboards galore!
Originality oozes in abundance: You have a guy
getting his ex to be in a
film about their past , an apolcypse turning people
into sillouettes, and
the Puget Sound as a prison camp! Seattle hippness is
ushered in again by
its best locally produced album since at least 1998.
#3 Rooney - Putting this album in my CD player, makes
sun come out until
I'm in Disneyland during the summer again. It's the
American Rialto:
Catchy Brian Wilson pop with bright new-new wave
effects, plus an
attitude that does to ex-girlfriends what Arnie does
to the Terminatrix.
Brittany Spears and NSYNC are shot down along the way.
"Nothing but a
bitch on strings". Time to go to the Blue Side! It's
such a cool place.
#2 Ian McCulloch - Slidling : Its scary that someone
can turn out
masterpieces so reliably over 20 years. Has any other
artist of ANY genre
(film, comic books, novels) mantained the consistant
quality of Ian
McCulloch? I can't think of one. Even all the B-sides
are brilliant! From
the uplifting horns of the first track, to the final
Know-It-All-Records
prophecy, we're taken on a reflective battle of light
against
hopelessness.
#1 Idlewild - The Remote Part: This is for me THE
definitive Scottish
punk album. The Highlander Joshua Tree. Idlewild
even ends this CD with
a beautiful team up with a Scottish poet.
The Remote Part grew on me from being "Almost as good
as 100 windows" to
overtaking it. We've got mighty anthems, aggressive
rock, and profound
but ironic dream lyrics all in one package. I've got
to mostly compare it
to REM's Document album but with a Scottish Claymore
sword.
My import CD contained a special link that let me
hear three free
gorgeous b-sides (including a Gang of Four cover). I
had to pay full
price for Ian's b-sides. (Ah, the little things that
break a tie).
Scotland has a new monarchy worthy of its southern
neighbors in the
Coldplay kingdom. (Pin Up Girls are the rulers of the
Phillipines.)