Probably Great Albums of 2004 I still have not heard

For the past seven months I have not been paying very close attention to new music, for reasons passing understanding (i.e. my dial-up connection and lack of file-sharing programs). Accordingly, my first list will be the albums of 2004 I've partially heard, heard once, or have never heard, but have a strong feeling that I'd like. These are in no particular order. By the way, feel free to use this list as a holiday wish list. C'mon kid, don't be greedy...

Albums I Ain't Heard Yet 2004:


1 Pinback - Summer in Abadon : While waiting for the Wrens to grace the Knitting Factory stage this passed October, I watched a bearded awkward guy play some crazy songs on an acoustic guitar. One of the songs was Minor Threat. He didn't slow it down. That awkward fellow was Rob Crow, 1/2 of Pinback. I must be slipping in my old age for not owning this yet.


2 Saul Williams - s/t : 'To be honest, some freedom of speech makes me nervous." I must agree, Saul. The poet laureate of hip-hop returns with his second disc. Maybe teaching poetry and embaressing other slam poets got boring.


3 They Might Be Giants - The Spine : I don't care what anyone says, TMBG is the Isaih Thomas and Joe Dumars backcourt of rock and roll. You think you can pin them down, but shit, here comes John, blowing by you with some zydeco crossover, followed up with the other John's garage rock drum machine.


4 Will Johnson - Vultures Await : As I've previously mentioned on this here blog, this man gives me shivers. To be fair, I did try buying this album when it came out, but I typed my credit card number in wrong and the order never went through. Now that I think about it, what a stupid fucking reason.


5 Q And Not U - Power : They went disco? That's cool, like, I guess. I mean, disco can be punk ,right? Sure, er, just like Anthrax was hip-hop...wait... For real, these kids ain't no art hacks, I bet I'd shake my ass in an arhythmic manner if I got this disc.


6 Hot Snakes - Audit In Progress : Remember that scene in Wayne's World 2 with Alice Cooper? John Reis could totally kick his ass. Twice.


7 Ted Leo - Shake The Streets : It took months of listening to a 'Where have all the rude boys gone' mp3 before I finally bought the album. If I buy Shake The Streets now and it doesn't live up to Hearts of Oak, I'll feel let down, and bitter towards Ted for getting my hopes up. I just don't think I could take that kind of dissapointment.


8 Dizzee Rascal - Showtime : I am most certainly not the hip-hop aficionado around these parts or any other parts, but to my untrained ears, Dizzee is post-punk of hip-hop. I don't mind that his words are undecipherable, the gusto behind them is enough to keep me more than interested.


9 The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed : I hope you die. I hope we both die.


10 Mirah - C'mon Miracle : I first heard this album one awesome weekend this summer in Cape Cod. I failed to follow through on the promise of that visit and I also failed to buy the album when I got home. So I just listened to "You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This" over and over again, pinning over missed opportunities.