Best Albums of 2004 (Part 1)

1. Green Day - American Idiot
Here's the deal. I know you hate Green Day. No matter what I say, you are convinced that they are the worst thing since sliced bread on fire. So I'll get to the point: from the 9 minute/5 part punk-folk-rock-sea shanty-piano ballad 'Jesus of Suburbia', the dark 'Holiday', theatrical 'Are We The Waiting', hawaiian punk 'Give Me Novocaine', to 'St. Jimmy', which recreates their entire back catalogue in 2.5 minutes but still has time still left for beach boy harmonies, it has the best 1st half ever. Given that by their 7th album, most bands are churning out earpoison, this punk-opera is easily my favourite album of the year.
Best Tracks: Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, St. Jimmy.

2. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
Mum brought me this from England because she liked the cover, so I approached with caution. But what I found was 36 minutes of the most insanely brilliant four-part harmonies ever to be infused with new wave. Each track is so good, that by the time you reach the final, and best, four songs, you're almost too tired of good music to go on. The album is completely symmetrical, with the best tracks at the beginning and end, all leading towards the ridiculously good acapella drowning tale centrepiece of 'Danger of the Water'. And with their insights into the robothood ("I don't mind, I have no mind!"), you get the feeling that the danger that water poses to the Futureheads is more severe then to humankind.
Best Tracks: Stupid and Shallow, The Meantime, Danger of the Water.

3. Modest Mouse - Good News for People who Love Bad News
Forget death metal, I'm pretty sure that if the devil ever intended to put out an album, this is what it would sound like. In fact, I'm pretty sure he can be heard on backing vocals on 'Bukowski', singing about god "who'd want to be such a control freak". And there's no doubt that's him singing about leaving a bag of puppies out to freeze on 'This Devil's Workday'. As for the songs, they are all awesomely produced, played and written songs about death. As an indicator of just how great this album is, you should know that I love it even though 'Milo' commits the most heinous music crime: having a baby provide guest vocals.
Best Tracks: Ocean Breathes Salty, The View, Bury Me With It.

4. Phantom Planet - Phantom Planet
What happens when the actor filled pop group behind the much-loved OC theme 'California' and the feel good 'Lonely Day' want to earn underground cred? They enlist drums-happy Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridman and make a ridiculously distorted, loud and altogether awesome album. Of course, it was a commercial flop, and 'I Heart Huckabees' star/insane drummer Jason Schwartzman left during recording, indicating that they probably won't be seeing California for a while, but they wanted underground, and they got it. Awesome cover art too.
Best Tracks: 1st Things 1st, The Happy Ending, The Meantime.

5. Interpol - Antics
Upon casual inspection, you might think that Interpol are generally glum bunch. Paul Banks' whining voice sounds like a robot's thousand year search for the ability to feel emotion ended successfully with the discovery of depression. But under that you'll find an album about boats, which is full of danceable beats and hip hopisms (eg: "make money like Fred Astaire"). As an indicator of some of the songs' themes, 'C'mere' sounds like a love song, 'Slow Hands' sounds like a love song, and 'Length of Love' sounds like the sort of celebratory song you would sing to a fashionable New York heroin junkie who has survived their 3rd OD for the night.... heart warming.
Best Tracks: Not Even Jail, Take You on a Cruise, Length of Love.

The Worst Album of 2004:
28 Days - Extremist Makeover:
In the song 'Use It', singer 'Jimmy' screams "In the end it's all about the music". But a sticker on the front of the album claims proudly that it comes with a free demo of PC game 'Medal of Honour'. WTF? Man this is such a bad album. Nothing is worse than hearing the balding, fat 'rapper' claim that he's "stone cold ready to fuck you in an alley". For the love of my fish.
Runners Up:
Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life and Death: What's with Pop Punk acts trying to gain musical credibility? It opens with a three minute choir piece. No no no no no!
Sum 41 - Chuck: NO! Not you too, Sum41! They used to be fun, talented and without a care in the world. They even had trash metal alter egos. But I guess they cracked due to the general hate against pop punk, because this uninspired, unironic, boring, over serious heavy metal shit is pure crap. And what's worse, they blatantly rip songs from themselves, the offspring, linkin park, metallica and... the cranberries! Argh!
Eskimo Joe - A Song is a City: Eskimo Joe burn all their bridges on this, refusing to even play their old songs live. It's a pity these new ones are so shit.
Machine Gun Fellatio - On Ice: It's underproduced, overlong, uninspired crap. How disappointing.

Also, that is, if anyone can be bothered, I'd be very interested to know other people's top 5 albums of the year.

Oh and in other news, I found this in the telegraph:

All I'll say is that nobody will ever doubt the ferocity of the seemingly family oriented station wagon again.