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Rock Lists 1965 to 2007

Click on any linked title to see the review, or visit the REVIEWS 'N' RANTS section to browse. To search for a particular artist or album, simply press [CTRL-F].

For unreleased albums sorted by date, go to UPCOMING RELEASES.

2007

    10-

  1. Burial - Untrue (Hyperdub)

    9+

  2. Radiohead - In Rainbows (ATO)
  3. Apparat - Walls (Bpitch Control)
  4. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (We Are Free)
  5. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (Universal/Polydor)
  6. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed (Ghostly International)
  7. Jesu - Conquerer (Hydra Head)
  8. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (Graveface)
  9. Maxďmo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures (Warp)
  10. Tinariwen - Aman Iman (World Village)
  11. White Rabbits - Fort Nightly (Say Hey)
  12. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark)
  13. Moon Wiring Club - An Audience of Art Deco Eyes (Geophonic Audio Systems)
  14. Momo - A Estetica Do Rebisco (Umvd) - Brazil
  15. Nação Zumbí - Fome De Tudo (Deck Disk Brazil) - Brazil
  16. Good Shoes - Think Before You Speak (Brille/EMI UK)
  17. Mothers and the Addicts - Science Fiction Illustrated (Chemikal Underground)
  18. Islaja - Ulual Yyy (Fonal)
  19. Field Music - Tones Of Town (Memphis Industries)
  20. Parts & Labor - Mapmaker (Jagjaguwar/Brah)
  21. Tunng - Good Arrows (Thrill Jockey)
  22. Witchcraft - The Alchemist (Rise Above)
  23. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Anti)
  24. Dax Riggs - We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love (Fat Possum)
  25. Dälek - Abandoned Language (Ipecac)
  26. Studio - West Coast (Information)
  27. James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing (Tompkins Square)
  28. Laub - Deinetwegen (Agf Producktion)
  29. Sally Shapiro - Disco Romance (Paperbag)
  30. A Place To Bury Strangers (Killer Pimp)
  31. Kemialliset Ystävät (Fonal)
  32. The Rakes - Ten New Messages (V2)
  33. The National - Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
  34. Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! (Bpitch Control)
  35. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead (Definitive Jux)
  36. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)
  37. The Tough Alliance - A New Chance (Sincerely Yours)
  38. The White Sripes - Icky Thump (V2)
  39. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris (Interscope)
  40. The Maccabees - Colour It In (Polydor)
  41. Strategy - Future Rock (Kranky)
  42. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (DFA)
  43. Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land (V2)
  44. Gudrun Gut - I Put A Record On (Monika)
  45. PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
  46. Pinch - Underwater Dancehall (Tectonic)
  47. Maps - We Can Create (Mute)
  48. Editors - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware UK)
  49. Menomena! - Friend And Foe (Barsuk)
  50. Caribou - Andorra (Merge)
  51. Balkan Beat Box - Nu Med (JDub)
  52. The Focus Group - We Are All Pan's People (Ghost Box)
  53. White Denim - Let's Talk About It EP (White Denim)
  54. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera (Domino)

    9

  55. Boris & Michio Kurihara - Rainbow (Drag City) - Japan
  56. Vladislav Delay - Whistleblower (Humme) - Finland
  57. Grinderman (Anti-)
  58. Wooden Shjips (Holy Mountain)
  59. Muscles - Guns Babes Lemonade (Modular)
  60. Pale Young Gentlemen (PYG)
  61. HUMANWINE - Fighting Naked (Nervous Relative)
  62. !!! - Myth Takes (Warp)
  63. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City (Vice)
  64. Shape of Broad Minds - Craft of the Lost Art (Lex)
  65. Pharoahe Monch - Desire (SRC/Universal/Motown)
  66. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)
  67. Chloe - The Waiting Room (Kill the DJ)
  68. Holy Fuck - LP (Young Turks)
  69. Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
  70. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino)
  71. Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
  72. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde (Profound Lore)
  73. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (Atlantic)
  74. Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks (Hydra Head)
  75. Eluvium - Copia (Temporary Residence)
  76. Echospace - The Coldest Season (Modern Love)
  77. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
  78. Pram - The Moving Frontier (Domino)
  79. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City (Thrill Jockey)
  80. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
  81. Noisettes - What's The Time Mr. Wolf? (Vertigo)
  82. New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom (Universal/Island)
  83. Oh No - Dr. No's Oxperiment (Stones Throw)
  84. Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian (Absolutely Kosher)
  85. Om - Pilgrimage (Southern Lord)
  86. Mammatus - The Coast Explodes (Holy Mountain)
  87. St. Vincent - Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)
  88. The Dirty Projectors - Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
  89. Celebration - The Modern Tribe (4AD)
  90. Dragons of Zynth - Coronation of Thieves (GTC)
  91. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Wea/Relapse)
  92. Tokyo Jihen - Variety (EMI)
  93. Gallon Drunk - The Rotten Mile (Fred)
  94. Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today (CND)
  95. The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (V2)
  96. Busdriver - RoadKillOvercoat (Epitaph)
  97. Cassius - 15 Again (Astralwerks)
  98. Deerhunter - Flourescent Grey EP (Kranky)
  99. M83 - Digital Shades Vol. 1 (Mute)
  100. Caspian - The Four Trees (Dopamine)
  101. Grails - Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence)
  102. The Good, The Bad And The Queen (Virgin)
  103. Shannon Wright - Let In The Light (Quarterstick)
  104. Eleni Mandell - Miracle of Five (Zedtone)
  105. Café Tacuba - Sino (Universal Latino)
  106. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days 100 Nights (Daptone)
  107. M.I.A. - Kala (Interscope)
  108. 65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas (Monotreme)
  109. White Williams - Smoke (Tigerbeat6)
  110. The Frames - The Cost (Anti)
  111. Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge (Mute)
  112. Morgan Packard - Airships Fill the Sky/Unsimulatable (Anticipate)
  113. Neurosis - Given to the Rising (Neurot)
  114. Porn Sword Tobacco - New Exclusive Olympic Heights (City Centre Offices)
  115. Avarus - Rasvaaja (Secret Eye)
  116. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is EP (Interscope)
  117. Pumice - Pebbles (Soft Abuse)
  118. Radical Face - Ghost (Morr)
  119. Battles - Mirrored (Warp)
  120. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer (Polyvinyl)
  121. Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth (Rhymesayers)
  122. Black Milk - Popular Demand (Fat Beats)
  123. Richard Youngs - Autumn Response (Jagjaguwar)
  124. Flying Lotus - Reset EP (Warp)
  125. Seabear - The Ghost That Carried Us Away (Morr)
  126. Efterklang - Parade (Leaf)
  127. 1990s - Cookies (Rough Trade)
  128. Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
  129. Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills (Merge)
  130. Korpiklaani - Tervaskanto (Napalm)
  131. Future of the Left - Curses (Too Pure)
  132. Fennesz & Sakamoto - Cendre (Touch)
  133. Health (Lovepump United)
  134. Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma (A-Zap)
  135. Mouthus - Saw a Halo (Loa)
  136. Charalambides - Likeness (Kranky)
  137. Rosetta - Wake/Lift (Translation Lost)
  138. Nadja - Radiance of Shadows (Alien8)
  139. Magik Markers - Boss (Ecstatic Peace)
  140. Ra Ra Riot EP (Rebel Group)
  141. Gui Boratto - Chromophobia (Kompakt)
  142. Pantha Du Prince - This Bliss (Dial)
  143. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
  144. King Khan & his Shrines - What Is?! (Hazelwood)
  145. Coco Rosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn (Touch and Go)
  146. Distance - My Demons (Planet Mu)
  147. Gravenhurst - The Western Lands (Warp)
  148. Future Clouds & Radar (Star Apple Kingdom)
  149. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum)
  150. Pitch Black - Rude Mechanicals (Remote/Rhythmethod)
  151. Oceansize - Frames (SPV)
  152. Boris & Michio Kurihara - Rainbow (Drag City)
  153. High On Fire - Death Is This Communion (Relapse)
  154. Candie Payne - I Wish I Could Have Loved You (Deltasonic)
  155. Dethklok - The Dethalbum (Williams Street)
  156. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends (French Kiss)
  157. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara (Nettwerk)
  158. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses (Rough Trade)
  159. No Age - Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat)
  160. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover (Jagjaguwar)
  161. The Rosebuds - Night of the Furies (Merge)
  162. Chow Chow - Colours And Lines (Fantastic Plastic)
  163. MV & EE with the Golden Road - Gettin' Gone (Ecstatic Peace)
  164. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars)
  165. Pelican - City of Echoes (Hydra Head)
  166. Grizzly Bear - Friend EP (Warp)
  167. John Vanderslice - The Emerald City (Barsuk)
  168. Jesu - Lifeline EP (Hydrahead)
  169. Studio - Yearbook 1 (Information)
  170. The Tough Alliance - New Waves EP (Sincerely Yours)
  171. Deerhunter - Cryptograms (Kranky)
  172. Wire - Read & Burn 3 EP (Pink Flag)
  173. Earthless - Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky (Tee Pee)
  174. Middian - Age Eternal (Metal Blade)
  175. Baroness - Red Album (3D)
  176. Yakuza - Transmutations (Prosthetic/Red)
  177. Giuseppe Ielasi - August (12k) - Italy
  178. Black Dice - Load Blown (Paw Tracks)
  179. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge/Universal)
  180. Pole - Steingarten (~scape)
  181. Mark Templeton - Standing on a Hummingbird (TBC)
  182. Melchior Productions - No Disco Future (Perlon)
  183. Chromatics - Night Drive (Italians Do It Better)
  184. Björk - Volta (Elektra)
  185. José González - In Our Nature (Mute)
  186. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away (Sub Pop)
  187. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian)
  188. Circle - Katapult (No Quarter)
  189. New Pornographers - Challengers (Matador)
  190. To Kill A Petty Bourgoise - The Patron (Kranky)
  191. Blue States - First Steps Into (Memphis Industries)
  192. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline (Kranky)
  193. Boxcutter - Oneiric (Planet Mu)
  194. Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)
  195. Cyrus - From The Shadows (Tectonic)
  196. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)
  197. Prinzhorn Dance School (DFA)
  198. Talib Kweli - Eardrum (WB)
  199. Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated (Downtown)
  200. Justice - † (Ed Banger)
  201. Little Brother - Get Back (ABB)
  202. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
  203. Ween - La Cucaracha (Schnitzel)
  204. Antibalas - Security (Anti)
  205. Vampire Hands - Virgin Dust American Lips (Kevchino)
  206. Dogs - Tall Stories From Under The Table (Weekender)
  207. Film School - Hideout (Beggars Banquet)
  208. Jamie T - Panic Prevention (Virgin)
  209. Junior Senior - Hey Hey, My My, Yo Yo (Rykodisc)
  210. Extra Golden - Hera Ma Nono (Thrill Jockey)
  211. Wolfpack Unleashed - Anthems of Resistance (Napalm)
  212. The Kissaway Trail (Bella Union)
  213. Hard Fi - Once Upon A Time In The West (Atlantic)
  214. Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times (RCA)
  215. The Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future (Universal)
  216. The 1900s - Cold and Kind (Parasol)
  217. Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Interscope)
  218. Throbbing Gristle - Part Two: The Endless Not (Mute)
  219. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound (Touch & Go)
  220. Watchers - Vampire Driver (Gern Blandsten)
  221. Pharoah Overlord - The Battle of the Axehammer (Riot Season)
  222. Tigers and Monkeys - Loose Mouth (Little Lamb)
  223. Handsome Furs - Plague Park (Sub Pop)
  224. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (Relapse)
  225. 3 Inches of Blood - Fire Up The Blades (Roadrunner)
  226. O'Death - Head Home (Ernest Jenning)
  227. Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I (Noble) - Japan
  228. Opitope - Hau (Spekk) - Japan
  229. Signal Hill (Tidemark)
  230. Caďna - Mourner (Profound Lore)
  231. Taken By Trees - The Open Field (Rough Trade)
  232. Nina Nastasia & Jim White - You Follow Me (Fat Cat)
  233. Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)
  234. Supagroup - Fire For Hire (Foodchain)
  235. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
  236. The Eternals - Heavy International (Aesthetics)
  237. Shock Cinema - Our Way Is Revenge (Kanine)
  238. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová - Once OST (Columbia)
  239. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing!)
  240. Yellow Swans - At All Ends (Load)
  241. Tokyo Police Club * A Lesson In Crime EP (Memphis Industries)
  242. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond (Fat Possum)
  243. Von Südenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions (Domino)
  244. Turisas - The Varangian Way (EMI)
  245. Marnie Stern - In Advance Of The Broken Arm (Kill Rock Stars)
  246. Bobby Conn - King For A Day (Thrill Jockey)
  247. Deer Tick - War Elephant (Feow!)
  248. Watain - Sworn to the Dark (Season of the Mist)
  249. Low - Drums And Guns (Sub Pop)
  250. Amerie - Because I Love It (Sony BMG)
  251. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust (Constellation)
  252. Bottomless Pit - Hammer of the Gods (Comedy Minus One)
  253. Blonde Redhead - 23 (4AD)
  254. Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse (Burlytime)
  255. Supersilent - 8 (Rune Grammofon)
  256. Lazarus - The Onslaught (CD Baby)
  257. Bodies Of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Secretly Canadian)
  258. Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus! (Rough Trade)
  259. Mystery Jets - Zootime (Dim Mak)
  260. Jakobinarina - The First Crusade (Regal/Parlophone)
  261. Durrty Goodz - Axiom EP (Awkward)
  262. The Clientele * God Save The Clientele (Merge)
  263. Sir Richard Bishop - Polytheistic Fragments (Drag City)
  264. Coral - Roots N Echoes (Deltasonic)
  265. Travis Morrison Hellfighters - All Y'all (Barsuk)
  266. Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Animal Tracks)
  267. A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Scribble Mural Comic Journal (Notenuf)
  268. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour (Epitaph/Anti)
  269. Voice of the Seven Woods (Twisted Nerve)
  270. Cloud Cult - The Meaning Of 8 (Rebel Group)
  271. The Go! Team - Proof Of Youth (Sub Pop)
  272. Iron & Wine - The Shephard's Dog (Sub Pop)
  273. Grave In the Sky - Cutlery Hits China: English for the Hearing Impared (Heart & Crossbone)
  274. Vieux Farka Toure (World Village)
  275. The Hives - The Black And White Album (Interscope)
  276. Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36 (Fabric 36)
  277. Sigur Rós - Hvarf/Heim (XL)
  278. Six Parts Seven - Casually Smashed to Pieces (Suicide Squeeze)
  279. Entombed - Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments (Candlelight)
  280. Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust (Musicane)
  281. Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy (Nonesuch)
  282. Tocotronic - Kapitulation (Vertigo)
  283. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Jukebox Explosion (In The Red)
  284. Disrupt - Foundation Bit (Werk)
  285. Various - After Dark (Italians Do It Better/Troubleman)
  286. Shackleton/Appleblim - Soundboy Punishments (Skull Disco)
  287. Johnossi (V2)

    9-

  288. Einstürzende Neubauten - Alles Wieder Offen (Potomak)
  289. Amiina - Kurr (Ever)
  290. Earth - Hibernaculum (Southern Lord)
  291. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
  292. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday (XL)
  293. The Violets - The Lost Pages (Angular)
  294. Public Enemy - How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? (Slam Jamz)
  295. Fanfare Ciocarlia - Queens and Kings (Asphalt & Tango)
  296. Akio Suzuki - K7 Box (ALM)
  297. Balmorhea (Balmorhea)
  298. The World On Higher Downs - Land Patterns (Plop)
  299. Tulsa Drone - Songs From a Mean Season (Perpetual Motion Machine)
  300. Lucinda Williams - West (Lost Highway)
  301. Pandit Pran Nath - Raga Cycle (SRI Moonshine)
  302. Imperial Teen - The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band (Merge)
  303. Glenn Mercer - Wheels In Motion (Pravda)
  304. Maserati - Inventions For The New Season (Modern)
  305. The Terminals - Last Days Of The Sun (Last Visible Dog)
  306. Circa Survive - On Letting Go (Equal Vision)
  307. Lichens - Omns (Kranky)
  308. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses (Rough Trade)
  309. Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence)
  310. Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (Geffen)
  311. Me'Shell NdegéOcello - The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams (Emarcy/Umgd)
  312. The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge)
  313. Plastic Little - She's Mature (Traffic)
  314. Carbon-Silicon - The Last Post (C499)
  315. Slough Feg - Hardworlder (Cruz Del Sur)
  316. Ghost - In Stormy Nights (Drag City)
  317. Phosphorescent - Pride (Dead Oceans)
  318. Phonograph (Arclight)
  319. Monster Magnet - 4-Way Diablo (SPV/Steamhammer)
  320. Benjamin Biolay - Trash Yéyé (EMI)
  321. The Earlies - The Enemy Chorus (Secretly Canadian)
  322. Manu Chao - La Radiolina (Because)
  323. Ozomotli - Don't Mess With The Dragon (Concord)
  324. The Ark - Prayer For the Weekend (Roxy)
  325. Picastro - Whore Luck (Polyvinyl)
  326. Anna Järvinen - Jag Fick Feeling (Hapna)
  327. CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (Touch and Go)
  328. The Royal We (Domino)
  329. Edwyn Collins - Home Again (EMI/Heavenly)
  330. Common - Finding Forever (Geffen)
  331. Liars (Mute)
  332. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living with the Living (Touch and Go)
  333. Moonsorrow - Viides Luku-Hävitetty (Unroly Sounds/Spikefarm)
  334. Bettye LaVette - The Scene Of The Crime (Anti)
  335. Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back (Anti)
  336. Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch and Go)
  337. Gruff Rhys - Candylion (Team Love)
  338. Robert Plant And Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (Rounder)
  339. Puscifer - V Is For Vagina (Puscifer Entertainment)
  340. Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm A Witch (Astralwerks)
  341. Marissa Nadler - Song III: Bird on the Water (Peacefrog)
  342. Feist - The Reminder (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
  343. Datarock (Etcetc)
  344. Through The Sparks - Lazarus Beach (Skybucket)
  345. Georgie James - Places (Saddle Creek)
  346. Bad Brains - Build A Nation (Megaforce)
  347. Common - Finding Forever (Geffen)
  348. Monkey Swallows the Universe - The Casket Letters (Loose)
  349. Calle 13 - Residente O Visitante (Sony)
  350. Ministry - The Last Sucker (13th Planet/Megaforce)
  351. Colleen - Les Ondes Silencieuses (The Leaf Label)
  352. Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces (Beggars Banquet)
  353. Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch (New West)
  354. Eugene McGuinness - The Early Learnings Of (Double 6/Domino)
  355. Siouxsie - Mantaray (Decca)
  356. Adult. - Why Bother? (Thrill Jockey)
  357. Dizee Rascal - Maths And English (XL)
  358. Babyshambles - Shotters Nation (Astralwerks)
  359. Blanche - Little Amber Bottles (Loose)
  360. Minus Story - My Ion Truss (Jagjaguwar)
  361. Múm - Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy (Fat Cat)
  362. Bunny Rabbit - Lovers And Crypts (Voodoo-Eros)
  363. Die! Die! Die! (Strapped 4 Life)
  364. Glass Candy - Beatbox (Italians Do It Better)
  365. Times New Viking - Present the Paisley Reich (Siltbreeze)
  366. Somnambulants - Paper Trail (Clairaudience)
  367. Shadows Fall - Threads Of Life (Roadrunner)
  368. Soho Dolls - Ribbed Music For The Numb Generation (A&G)
  369. Bruce Springsteen - Magic (Sony)
  370. Tiny Vipers - Hands Across The Void (Sub Pop)
  371. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Sony Nashville)
  372. The Ponys - Turn The Lights Out (Matador)
  373. Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face (Interscope)
  374. Nick Lowe - At My Age (Yep Roc)
  375. Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad (Def Jam)
  376. Lavender Diamond - Imagine Our Love (Rough Trade)
  377. Clutch - From Beale Street To Oblivion (DRT)
  378. Calla - Strength In Numbers (Beggars Banquet)
  379. Sadies - New Seasons (Yep Roc)
  380. Amon Tobin - Foley Room (Ninja Tune)
  381. Shocking Pinks (Caroline)
  382. The Zincs - Black Pompadeur (Thrill Jockey)
  383. Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
  384. The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder (Yep Roc/Simian)
  385. Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers (Nonesuch)
  386. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)
  387. The End - Elementary (Relapse)
  388. Surrounded - The Nautilus Years (Make My Day)
  389. Kevin Drew - Spirit If... (Arts & Crafts)
  390. The View - Hats Off To The Buskers (1965)
  391. Donnas - Bitchin' (Purple Feather)
  392. Air - Pocket Symphony (EMI/Virgin)
  393. Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond To You (Groove Attack)
  394. The Hidden Hand - The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote (Southern Lord)
  395. Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul (Barsuk)
  396. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Sony)
  397. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through (ATO)
  398. Wiley - Playtime Is Over (Ninja Tune)
  399. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell (Sony)
  400. Gowns - Red State (Cardboard)
  401. Pink Reason - Cleaning The Mirror (Siltbreeze)
  402. Rumble Strips - Girls and Weather (Universal/Island)
  403. Dean & Britta - Back Numbers (Rounder)
  404. Meat Puppets - Rise To Your Knees (Anodyne)
  405. Poppy & the Jezebels - Follow Me Down (Reveal)
  406. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace)
  407. UGK - Underground Kingz (Jive)
  408. Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight (WB)
  409. The Cinematics - A Strange Education (TVT)
  410. The Autumn Defense (Broadmoor)
  411. Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch (Astralwerks)
  412. Akron/Family - Love Is Simple (Young God)
  413. UNKLE - War Stories (surrender all)
  414. Scouting For Girls (Epic)
  415. The Enemy - We'll Live and Die in These Towns (WEA/Warner)
  416. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts & Crafts)
  417. The Cult - Born Into This (Roadrunner)
  418. White Stars - White Magic EP (Drag City)
  419. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (EMI)
  420. Mathew Sawyer & The Ghosts - Blue Birds Blood (Catbird)
  421. My Sister Klaus - Chateau Rouge (Tigersushi)
  422. Ulver - Shadows of the Sun (The End)
  423. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (CYHSY)
  424. Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd (WEA/Warner)
  425. Jill Scott - The Real Thing (Hidden Beach)

    In 2003 I started listing more albums that rate an 8+ to 9-. As explained elsewhere, while an 8, B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several thousand albums out this year that are much better. I don't have the time, energy, nor desire to hear all the albums that might merit an 8+. I still receive unsolicited promo copies, and while I feel sorry I don't have time to review them (but not guilty, I only guarantee a review if I specifically ask for a copy, and I don't get paid for this), the least I can do is rate the few that might merit over an 8. In my world, 9-, even 9 often means I wouldn't buy it, but there are parts that are quite good. 8 to 8+ is an honorable mention, certainly not horrible, given you're still in the top 30% of the heap of 25,000+ yearly releases. So don't give up and sell your instruments. Except for maybe you, Britney. Sell one of your houses and go back to school.

    8+

  426. Devin The Dude - Waiting To Inhale (Rap-A-Lot)
  427. Kanye West - Graduation (Roc-A-Fella)
  428. Patti Smith - Twelve (Columbia)
  429. The Confession - Requiem (Science)
  430. Tiny Masters of Today - Bang Bang Boom Cake (Mute Irregulars)
  431. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams (Street/Universal Motwown)
  432. Untitled Musical Project (Tigertrap)
  433. Arboretum - Rites Of Uncovering (Thrill Jockey)
  434. Qui - Love's Miracle (Ipecac)
  435. R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive/Zomba)
  436. Soulja Boy Tell Em - Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope)
  437. Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High (Island)
  438. Against Me! - New Wave (Sire/London)
  439. Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars (Geffen)
  440. Darkest Hour - Deliver Us (Victory)
  441. Shit And Shine - Cunts With Roses (Noisestar Music)
  442. Pissed Jeans - Hope For Men (Sub Pop)
  443. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (Nothing)
  444. Nine Black Alps - Love/Hate (Island)
  445. Jay-Z - American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella)
  446. Intelligence - Deuteronomy (In The Red)
  447. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Reprise)
  448. The Stooges - The Weirdness (Virgin)
  449. Jesse Malin - Glitter In The Gutter (Adeline)
  450. Trans Am - Sex Change (Thrill Jockey)
  451. Tranzmitors (Deranged)
  452. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 (Sony)
  453. Bon Jovi - Lost Highway (Island)
  454. VHS Or Beta - Bring On The Comets (Astralwerks)
  455. The Aliens - Astronomy For Dogs (EMI)
  456. Bearsuit - Oh:Io (Fantastic Plastic)
  457. Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads (Yep Roc)
  458. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace (RCA)
  459. Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted (Ruffa Lane)
  460. Gallhammer - The Dawn Of (Peaceville)
  461. Little Man Tate - About What You Know (V2)
  462. Velvet Revolver - Libertad (RCA)
  463. Chinese Stars - Listen To Your Left Brain (Three One G)
  464. Shitdisco - Kingdom Of Fear (Fierce Panda)
  465. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger (Lost Highway)
  466. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (Nuclear Blast)
  467. Fair to Midland - Fables From A Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True (Universal)
  468. Pop Levi - The Return To Form Black Majick Party (Counter)
  469. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam)
  470. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)
  471. The Teeth - You're My Lover Now (Park The Van)
  472. The Horrors - Strange House (Loog)
  473. Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob (B-Unique)
  474. Alicia Keys - As I Am (RCA)
  475. Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion (Casablanca/Island)
  476. Britney Spears - Blackout (Jive)

Back To The Top

2006

    10-

  1. TV On The Radio * Return To Cookie Mountain (4AD/Interscope)
  2. Mastodon * Blood Mountain (Reprise)
  3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs * Show Your Bones (Interscope)

    9+

  4. Kassin +2 * Futurismo (Video Arts Japan)
  5. The Hold Steady * Boys And Girls In America (Vagrant)
  6. The Knife * Silent Shout (Rabid/Mute)
  7. Fujiya & Miyagi * Transparent Things (Tirk)
  8. Neko Case * Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti)
  9. Joanna Newsom * Ys (Drag City)
  10. Hot Chip * The Warning (DFA/Astralwerks)
  11. Benoît Pioulard * Précis (Kranky)
  12. Tony Allen * Lagos No Shaking (Honest Jon1s)
  13. Junior Boys * So This Is Goodbye (Domino)
  14. Cappablack * Facades and Skeletons (Scape Germany)
  15. Naçăo Zumbí * Futura (Trama)
  16. Lansing-Dreiden * The Dividing Island (Kemado)
  17. Various Productions * The World Is Gone (XL)
  18. Milanese * Extend (Planet Mu)
  19. Espers * Espers II (Drag City)
  20. The Horror The Horror (Tapete Records)
  21. The Flaming Stars * Born Under A Bad Neon Sign (Big Beat)
  22. Tokyo Jihen * Adult (EMI Japan)
  23. Asa * Terveisiä Kaaoksesta (Julkaisuvuosi)
  24. Ellen Allien & Apparat * Orchestra of Bubbles (Bpitch Control)
  25. Nathan Fake * Drowning in a Sea of Love (Border Community)
  26. Barbara Morgenstern * The Grass Is Always Greener (Monika)
  27. Tom Waits * Orphans: Bawlers, Brawlers & Bastards (Anti)
  28. OOIOO * Taiga (Thrill Jockey)
  29. Britta Persson * Top Quality Bones and a Little Terrorist (Bonnier Amigo)
  30. The Futureheads * News And Tributes (679)
  31. The Dirty Pretty Things * Waterloo To Anywhere (Universal)
  32. White Flight (Range Life)
  33. Ali Farka Touré * Savane (Nonesuch)
  34. Thomas Mapfumo * Rise Up (Realworld)
  35. Herbert * Scale (!K7)
  36. Yo La Tengo * I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador)
  37. The Roots * Game Theory (Def Jam Left)
  38. Toumani Diabaté Orchestra * Boulevard de l'Independance (Nonesuch)
  39. Shack * The Corner Of Miles And Gil (Sourmash)
  40. Built To Spill * You In Reverse (WB)
  41. Thom Yorke * The Eraser (Capitol)
  42. CSS * Cansei De Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)
  43. Mission of Burma * The Obliterati (Matador)
  44. The Mars Volta * Amputechture (Umvd)
  45. Caetano Veloso * Cę (Universal)
  46. Miho Hatori * Ecdysis (Rykodisc)
  47. Ornette Coleman * Sound Grammar (Sound Grammar)
  48. Mordant Music * Dead Air (Mordant)
  49. J. Dilla * Donuts (Stones Throw)
  50. Matmos * The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth of A Beast (Matador)
  51. Enslaved * Ruun (Candlelight)
  52. Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid * The Exchange Session (Domino)
  53. The Rapture * Pieces Of The People We Love (Universal)
  54. Spank Rock * Yoyoyoyoyo (Big Dada)
  55. Subtle * for hero: for fool (Astralwerks)

    9

  56. The Radio Dept. * Pet Grief (Labrador)
  57. Kode9 & The Spaceape * Memories of the Future (Hyperdub)
  58. Burial (Hyperdub)
  59. Sahg * Sahg I (Candlelight)
  60. Colour Haze * Tempel (Elektrohasch GER)
  61. Isis * In The Absence of Truth (Ipecac)
  62. The Strokes * First Impressions Of Earth (RCA/BMG)
  63. Hot Club de Paris * Drop It Til It Pops (Moshi Moshi)
  64. Belbury Poly * The Owl's Map (Ghost Box)
  65. Radio Citizen * Berlin Serengeti (Ubiquity)
  66. Acoustic Ladyland * Skinny Grin (V2)
  67. Cold War Kids * Robbers & Cowards (Downtown/V2)
  68. The Fratellis * Costello Music (Umvd UK)
  69. Clark * Body Riddle (Warp Records)
  70. Longcut * A Call & Response (Deltasonic)
  71. Horse Feathers * Words Are Dead (Lucky Madison)
  72. Ad Astra Per Aspera * Catapult Calypso (Sonic Unyon)
  73. Phoenix * It's Never Been Like That (Astralwerks/Source)
  74. The Melvins * A Senile Animal (Ipecac)
  75. Ojos de Brujo * Techarí (Six Degrees)
  76. The Ark * State Of The Ark (EMI)
  77. Squarepusher * Hello Everything (Warp)
  78. Final Fantasy * He Poos Clouds (Tomlab)
  79. Sonic Youth * Rather Ripped (Geffen)
  80. Joan As Police Woman * Real Life (Reveal)
  81. Amp Fiddler * Afro Strut (Genuine UK)
  82. Cornelius * Sensuous (WEA)
  83. Man Man * Six Demon Bag (Ace Fu)
  84. Om * Conference Of The Birds (Holy Mountain)
  85. Ekkehard Ehlers * A Life Without Fear (Staubgold)
  86. Annuals * Be He Me (Ace Fu)
  87. Asobi Seksu * Citrus (Friendly Fire)
  88. Love Is All * Nine Times That Same Song (What's Your Rupture?)
  89. Mew * And The Glass-Handed Kites (Sony)
  90. Ladyfuzz * Kerfuffle (Transgressive/WEA International)
  91. Lilly Allen * Alright, Still (Regal)
  92. Sunn 0))) & Boris * Altar (Southern Lord)
  93. The Sword * Age Of Winters (Kemado)
  94. Jesu * Silver EP (Hydra Head)
  95. Booka Shade * Movements (Get Physical)
  96. Hawksley Workman * Treeful of Starling (Universal)
  97. Rhymefest * Blue Collar (Allido/J)
  98. The Coup * Pick a Bigger Weapon (Epitaph)
  99. National Trust * Kings And Queens (Thrill Jockey)
  100. The Ranconteurs * Broken Boy Soldiers (XL)
  101. Wolfmother (Modular/Interscope)
  102. The Ludes * The Dark Art Of Happiness (Double Dragon UK)
  103. LCD Soundsystem * 45:33 (Nike/iTunes)
  104. The Thermals * The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)
  105. Scritti Politti * White Bread Black Beer (Rough Trade)
  106. Rachid Taha * Diwan 2 (Wrasse)
  107. Scott Walker * The Drift (4AD)
  108. James Holden * The Idiots Are Winning (Border Community)
  109. Amit * Never Ending (Commercial Suicide)
  110. Gnarls Barkley * St Elsewhere (Downtown)
  111. Ms John Soda * Notes And The Like (Morr Music)
  112. Under Byen * Samme Stof Som Stof (Morningside)
  113. Sparklehorse * Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain (Astralwerks)
  114. Ty * Closer (Big Dada)
  115. Ampop * My Delusions (Recall Fr)
  116. Pit Er Pat * Pyramids (Thrill Jockey)
  117. Tapes 'N Tapes * The Loon (Ibid)
  118. Ratatat * Classics (XL)
  119. Carla Bozulich * Evangelista (Constellation)
  120. 120 Days (Vice)
  121. Liars * Drums Not Dead (Mute)
  122. Lindstrřm * It's A Feedelity Affair (Feedelity)
  123. Basement Jaxx * Crazy Itch Radio (XL)
  124. Comets On Fire * Avatar (Sub Pop)
  125. Marit Larsen * Under the Surface (EMI Norway)
  126. Svalastog * Woodwork (Rune Grammofon)
  127. The Blow * Paper Television (K)
  128. Amy Winehouse * Back To Black (Universal/Island)
  129. Nachtmystium * Instinct: Decay (Southern Lord)
  130. Ghostigital * In Cod We Trust (Ipecac)
  131. James Hunter * People Gonna Talk (Go Records/Rounder)
  132. Mountains * Sewn (Apestaartje)
  133. Rub 'n' Tug * Better Than A Spoonful Of Leather (aNything)
  134. Cortney Tidwell * Don’t Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ever)
  135. Coldcut * Sound Mirrors (Ninja Tune)
  136. Gigi * Gold And Wax (Palm Pictures)
  137. Tanya Stephens * Rebelution (VP)
  138. Jarvis Cocker * Jarvis (Rough Trade UK)
  139. Skream * Skream! (Tempa)
  140. Black Disco Devil Club * 28 After (Lo Recordings)
  141. The Brakes * Beatific Visions (Rough Trade UK)
  142. Iron Maiden * A Matter of Life and Death (Sanctuary)
  143. Tim Hecker * Harmony In Ultraviolet (Kranky)
  144. Candi Stanton * His Hands (Astralwerks)
  145. Swan Lake * Beast Moans (Jagjaguwar)
  146. Cibelle * The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves (Six Degrees/Crammed)
  147. My My * Songs for the Gentle (Playhouse)
  148. Beirut * Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing!)
  149. Paul Simon * Surprise (WB)
  150. Los Lobos * The Town And The City (Hollywood)
  151. The Dears * Gang Of Losers (V2)
  152. Ed Harcourt * The Beautiful Lie (Heavenly)
  153. Grizzly Bear * Yellow House (Warp)
  154. Joseph Arthur * Nuclear Daydream (Mega Force)
  155. Jóhann Jóhannsson * IBM 1401, A User's Manual (4AD)
  156. Sloan * Never Hear The End Of It (Vik)
  157. Graham Coxon * Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (Parlophone)
  158. Clinic * Visitations (Domino UK)
  159. Current 93 * Black Ships Ate the Sky (Durtro/Jnana)
  160. Howlin' Rain (Birdman)
  161. Mr. Lif * Mo' Mega (Def Jux)
  162. Juana Molina * Son (Domino)
  163. The Walkmen * A Hundred Miles Off (Record Collection)
  164. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead * So Divided (Interscope)
  165. Gotan Project * Lunático (XL)
  166. Bonnie "Prince" Billy * The Letting Go (Drag City)
  167. Rock Plaza Central * Are We Not Horses? (RPC)
  168. Johnny Cash * American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway/American)
  169. Cat Power * The Greatest (Matador)
  170. Gianluca Petrella * Indigo4 (Blue Note)
  171. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan * Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)
  172. Radio Birdman * Zeno Beach (Yep Rock)
  173. Akala * It's Not A Rumour (Illastate)
  174. The Heart Attacks * Hellbound And Heartless (Hellcat)
  175. Absentee * Schmotime (Memphis Industries)
  176. Gwen Stefani * The Sweet Escape (Interscope)
  177. Madeleine Peyroux * Half the Perfect World (Rounder)
  178. Gjallarhorn * Rimfaxe (Vindauga/Westpark)
  179. Nas * Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam/Columbia)
  180. Charlotte Gainsbourg * 5:55 (Atlantic)
  181. Colleen & Les Boites A Musiques (The Leaf Label)
  182. The Broken Family Band * Balls (Track & Field)
  183. Huntsville * For The Middle Class (Rune Grammofon)
  184. Natacha Atlas * Mish Maoul (Beggars UK)
  185. Indian Jewelry * Invasion Exotics (Monitor)
  186. Vetiver * To Find Me Gone (Fatcat)
  187. Blind Guardian * A Twist In The Myth (Nuclear Blast)
  188. Mouse On Mars * Varcharz (Ipecac)
  189. Fields * 7 From The Village (Vice)
  190. Priestess * Hello Master (Ace Fu)
  191. Sunshine Underground * Raise The Alarm (City Rockers)
  192. Wolf & Cub * Vessels (Dot Dash/4AD)
  193. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas (Dangerbird)

    9-

  194. Nebula * Apollo (Liquor and Poker)
  195. Turn Me On Dead Man * Technicolour Mother (Virus)
  196. Seemless * What Have We Become (Equal Vision)
  197. Oakley Hall * Second Guessing (Amish)
  198. Converge * No Heroes (Epitaph)
  199. The Gates Of Slumber * The Awakening (Final Chapter)
  200. Harvey Milk * Special Wishes (Troubleman Unlimited)
  201. Kalas (Tee Pee)
  202. Lamb Of God * Sacrament (Epic)
  203. Midnight Juggernauts * Secrets Of the Universe EP (Siberia)
  204. Dissection * Reinkaos (The End)
  205. Marisa Monte * Infinito Particular (Metro Blue)
  206. Malajube * Trompe-L'oeil (Dare to Care)
  207. Claude Vonstroke * Beware of the Bird (Dirtybird)
  208. Bat For Lashes * Fur And Gold (Echo)
  209. White Hats - Niobe (Tomlab)
  210. Thomas Strřnen * Pohlitz (Rune Grammofon)
  211. Vakill * Worst Fears Confirmed (Molemen)
  212. Lady Sovereign * Public Warning (Def Jam)
  213. Primal Scream * Riot City Blues (Sony)
  214. Tap Tap * Lanzafame (Catbird)
  215. Excepter * Alternation (5 Rue Christine)
  216. Oxford Collapse * Remember the Night Parties (Sub Pop)
  217. Cursive * Happy Hollow (Saddle Creek)
  218. The Flaming Lips * At War With The Mystics (WB)
  219. Solomon Burke * Nashville (Shout! Factory)
  220. Peaches * Impeach My Bush (XL)
  221. Amy Diamond * Still Me Still Now (Bonnier Amigo Music Group)
  222. Peter Bjorn and John * Writer's Block (Wichita/V2)
  223. Taylor Deupree * Northern (12K)
  224. Belong * October Language (Carpark)
  225. Phill Niblock * Touch Three (Touch)
  226. The Howling Bells (Bellaire)
  227. Califone * Roots & Crowns (Thrill Jockey)
  228. Viva Voce * Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk)
  229. Brightblack Morning Light (Matador)
  230. Svarte Greiner * Knive (Type)
  231. Little Annie * Songs From The Coalmine Canary (Durtro Jnana)
  232. Bert Jansch * The Black Swan (Drag City)
  233. I'm From Barcelona * Let Me Introduce My Friends (Dolores)
  234. Figurines * Skeleton (Control Group)
  235. Kelley Stoltz * Below The Branches (Sub Pop)
  236. Archie Bronson Outfit * Derdang Derdang (Domino)
  237. Shogun Kunitoki * Tasankokaiku (Fonal)
  238. Flying Canyon (Soft Abuse)
  239. Adem * Love And Other Planets (Domino)
  240. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. * The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager (WEA)
  241. Guillemots * Through The Windowpane (Polydor)
  242. Motörhead * Kiss Of Death (Sanctuary)
  243. Nico Muhly * Speaks Volume (Bedroom Community)
  244. Jeremy Enigk * World Waits (Reincarnate)
  245. Belle & Sebastian * The Life Pursuit (Rough Trade)
  246. Dani Siciliano * Slappers (!K7)
  247. Isobell Campbell * Milk White Sheets (V2)
  248. The Sunshine Underground * Raise The Alarm (City Rockers)
  249. The Hidden Cameras * Awoo (Arts & Crafts)
  250. Camera Obscura * Let's Get Out Of This Country (Merge)
  251. The Pipettes * We Are the Pipettes (Memphis Industries)
  252. Tool * 10,000 Days (Tool JV)
  253. Eagles Of Death Metal * Death By Sexy (Downtown)
  254. Eleventh Dream Day * Zeroes And Ones (Thrill Jockey)
  255. Oneida * Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar)
  256. Katatonia * The Great Cold Distance (Peaceville)
  257. The Long Winters * Putting The Days To Bed (Barsuk)
  258. Amel Larrieux * Morning (Bliss Life)
  259. Scissor Sisters * Ta-Dah (Universal)
  260. Psapp * The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino)
  261. The Long Blondes * Someone To Drive You Home (Rough Trade)
  262. Lupe Fiasco * Food & Liquor (1st and 15th/Atlantic)
  263. Street Dogs * Fading American Dream (DRT)
  264. Bruce Springsteen * We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (Columbia)
  265. Razorlight (Universal)
  266. Cult Of Luna * Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)
  267. Bromheads Jacket * Dits From The Commuter Belt (Marquis Cha Cha)
  268. The Feeling * Twelve Stops And Home (Island)
  269. Albert Hammond Jr * Yours To Keep (Rough Trade)
  270. Radio 4 * Enemies Like This (Astralwerks)
  271. Forward, Russia! * Give Me A Wall (Dance to the Radio UK)
  272. Erase Errata * Nightlife (Kill Rock Stars)
  273. The Young Knives * Voices of Animals And Men (Transgressive)
  274. Nina Nastasia * On Leaving (Fat Cat)
  275. Black Keys * Magic Potion (Nonesuch)
  276. White Rose Movement * Kick (Independiente UK)
  277. Wolf Eyes * Human Animal (Sub Pop)
  278. Slayer * Christ Illusion (American)
  279. Islands * Return To The Sea (Equator)
  280. Loose Fur * Born Again in the USA (Drag City)
  281. Adrian Belew * Side Three (Sanctuary)
  282. Beach House (Carpark)
  283. Xiu Xiu * The Air Force (5 Rue Christine)
  284. Sol Seppy * The Bells of 1 2 (Gronland)
  285. DAT Politics * Wow Twist (Chicks On Speed)
  286. Quantic * An Announcement To Answer (Ubiquity)
  287. Twilight Singers * Powder Burns (One Little Indian)
  288. Schneider TM * Skoda Mluvit (City Slang UK)
  289. Akron Family * Meek Warrior (Young God)
  290. Mugison * Little Trip (Ipecac)
  291. The Decemberists * The Crane Wife (Capitol)
  292. Calexico * Garden Ruin (Quarterstick)
  293. The Streets * The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living (Vice)
  294. Prurient * Pleasure Ground (Load)
  295. Destroyer * Destroyer's Rubies (Merge)
  296. Magnolia Electric Co. * Fading Trails (Secretly Canadian)
  297. Mondo Generator * Dead Planet (Sonicslowmotiontrails) (Tornado)
  298. Wilderness * Vessel States (Jagjaguwar)
  299. Lambchop * Damaged (Merge)
  300. Adrian Sherwood – Becoming A Cliché (EMI)
  301. Celtic Frost * Monotheist (Century Media)
  302. Howe Gelb * 'Sno Angel Like You (Thrill Jockey)
  303. Midlake * The Trials of Van Occupanther (Bella Union)
  304. Frida Hyvönen * Until Death Comes (Secretly Canadian)
  305. The Handsome Family * Last Days of Wonder (Carrot Top)
  306. Vanden Plas * Christ O (Inside Out)
  307. Bal-Sagath * The Cthonic Chronicles (Candlelight)
  308. The Sleepy Jackson * Personality (Astralwerks)
  309. Grandaddy * Just Like The Fambly Cat (V2)
  310. Quasi * When The Going Gets Dark (Touch & Go)
  311. Horse Stories * Everyone's A Photographer (Japanese Import)
  312. People In Planes * As Far As The Eye Can See (Wind-Up)
  313. Tom Verlaine * Songs And Other Things (Thrill Jockey)
  314. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins * Rabbit Fur Coat (Rough Trade)
  315. DJ Shadow * The Outsider (Ujvd)
  316. Max Richter * Songs From Before (Fat-Cat Records)
  317. Brazilian Girls * Talk To La Bomb (Verve Forecast)
  318. The French Kicks * Two Thousand (Vagrant)
  319. Nouvelle Vague * Bande A Part (Peacefrog)
  320. Don Caballero * World Class Listening Problem (Relapse)
  321. Deftones * Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
  322. Battle Of Mice * A Day Of Nights (Neurot)
  323. Muse * Black Holes & Revelations (WB)
  324. Band Of Horses * Everything All The Time (Sub Pop)
  325. Black Heart Procession * The Spell (Touch & Go)
  326. Ludicra * Fex Urbis Lex Orbis (Alternative Tentacles)
  327. The Automatic * Not Accepted Anywhere (Unviersal)
  328. Black Keys * Chulahoma EP (Fast Possum)
  329. The Zutons * Tired Of Hangin Around (BMG UK)
  330. The Tyde * Three's Company (Rough Trade)
  331. Blood Meridian * Kick Up The Dust (V2)
  332. M. Ward * Post-War (Merge)
  333. The Gossip * Standing in the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
  334. The Black Angels * Passover (Light in the Attic)
  335. Gomez * How We Operate (ATO)
  336. Mojave 3 * Puzzles Like You (4AD)
  337. Red Hot Chili Peppers * Stadium Arcadium (WB)
  338. The Stills * Without Feathers (Vice)
  339. Dresdon Dolls * Yes Virginia (Roadrunner)
  340. Ghostface Killah * Fishscale (Def Jam)
  341. Clearlake * Amber (Domino)
  342. Hope of the States * Left (Columbia)
  343. Sunset Rubdown * Shut Up I Am Dreaming (Absolutely Kosher)
  344. Karsh Kale * Broken English (Six Degrees)
  345. The Killers * Sam's Town (Island)
  346. Drive-By Truckers * A Blessing And A Curse (New West)
  347. Secret Machines * Ten Silver Drops (Reprise)
  348. Whirlwind Heat * Types of Wood (Brille)
  349. Seconds * Kratitude (5 Rue Christine)
  350. Fionn Regan * The End Of History (Bella Union)
  351. Stereolab * Fab Four Suture (Too Pure/Beggars Banquet)
  352. Prefuse 73 * Security Screenings (Warp)
  353. Pretty Girls Make Graves * Elan Vital (Matador)
  354. Be Your Own Pet (XL)
  355. Hikaru Utada * Ultra Blue (Island Jpn)
  356. Dilated Peoples * 20-20 (Capitol)
  357. Chihei Hatakeyama * Minima Moralia (Kranky)
  358. Soledad Brothers * The Hardest Walk (Alive)
  359. Morrissey * Ringleader of the Tormentors (Sanctuary/Attack)
  360. Gregor Tresher * Neon: Works In The Mix (Datapunk)
  361. Danielson * Ships (Secretly Canadian)
  362. My Morning Jacket * Okonnokos (Ato/RCA)
  363. Gallows * Orchestra Of Wolves (In At the Deep End)
  364. Sufjan Stevens * The Avalanche (Asthmatic Kitty)
  365. Mogwai * Mr. Beast (Matador)
  366. De Rosa * Mend (Chemikal Underground)
  367. The Caretaker * Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia (v/VM)
  368. Jacob Borshard * The Last Brontosaurus
  369. Bible Of The Devil * Diabolic Procession (Raw Deth)
  370. Northwinds * Chimeres (Black Widow)
  371. Thor * Devastation Of Musculation (Smog Veil)
  372. East-West Ensemble * Kabbalah Music: The Hidden Spirituals (Magda)
  373. Adrian Klumpes * Be Still (The Leaf Label)
  374. Mothboy * Deviance (Ad Noiseam)
  375. Casiotone For the Painfully Alone * Etiquette (Tomlab)
  376. Hanne Hukkelberg * Rykestraße68 (Leaf)
  377. K'Naan * The Dusty Foot Philosopher (BMG)
  378. Bellowhead * Burlesque (West Park)
  379. Anthony Braxton & Wolf Eyes * Black Vomit (Victo)
  380. Black Pus * III: MeamorPus

    8+

  381. Outkast * Idlewild (La Face/Zomba)
  382. The Kooks * Inside In/Inside Out (Astralwerks/Virgin)
  383. Lil' Wayne & DJ Drama * Dedication 2 (Gangsta Grillz)
  384. Helmet * Monochrome (Warcon)
  385. Bob Dylan * Modern Times (Columbia)
  386. Rogers Sisters * The Invisible Deck (Too Pure/Beggars)
  387. Shoplifting * Body Stories (Kill Rock Stars)
  388. El Perro del Mar (Memphis Industries)
  389. Def Leppard * Yeah! (Bludgeon Riffola/Island)
  390. Cheap Trick * Rockford (Cheap Trick Unlimited)
  391. Plan B * Who Needs Action When You Got Words (679)
  392. New York Dolls * One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This (Roadrunner)
  393. Morning Runner * Wilderness Is Paradise Now (EMI UK)
  394. Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice * Gipsy Freedom (5RC)
  395. Willie Nelson * Songbird (Lost Highway)
  396. South * Adventures In The Underground Journey to the Stars (Young American)
  397. Sparks * Hello Young Lovers (In The Red/Gut)
  398. Beck * The Information (Interscope)
  399. Damien Rice * 9 (WB)
  400. My Chemical Romance * The Black Parade (Reprise)
  401. In Flagranti * Wronger Than Anyone Else (Codek)
  402. Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI)
  403. Kasabian * Empire (RCA)
  404. Slepcy * We Are The Newest Battle Models (Cock Rock Disco)
  405. The Lemonheads (Vagrant)
  406. The Adored * A New Language (V2/Ada)
  407. Pearl Jam (J Records)
  408. Beth Orton * Comfort Of Strangers (Astralwerks)
  409. David Kitt * Not Fade Away (Rough Trade)
  410. Concretes * In Colour (Astralwerks)
  411. Pink * I'm Not Dead (La Face)
  412. Elefant * The Black Magic Show (Kemado)

    8-

  413. Neil Young * Living With War (Reprise)
  414. Tom Petty * Highway Companion (American Recordings)
  415. The Open * Statues (Universal UK)
  416. Justin Timberlake * FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive)
  417. Clipse * Hell Hath No Fury (Star Trak)
  418. Pharrell Williams * In My Mind (Star Trak/Interscope)
  419. Orson * Bright Idea (Mercury)
  420. T.I. * The King (Grand Hustle/Atlantic)
  421. The Game * The Doctor's Advocate (Geffen)
  422. Duke Special * Songs From the Deep Forest (V2)
  423. Brand New * The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me (Interscope/Tiny Evil)
  424. Beyonce * B'Day (Sony)
  425. Simple Kid * 2 (Country Gentleman)
  426. The Vines * Vision Valley (Capitol)
  427. Arctic Monkeys * Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)
  428. The Fags * Light 'Em Up (Idol)
  429. Snow Patrol * Eyes Open (A&M/Polydor)
  430. Ciara * The Evolution (LaFace/Zomba)
  431. Matisyahu * Youth (Sony)
  432. She Wants Revenge (Geffen)
  433. Jet * Shine On (Atlantic)
  434. Akira The Don * When We Were Young (Something In Construction)
  435. Evanescence * The Open Door (Wind-Up)
  436. Nelly Furtado * Loose (Geffen)

Back To The Top

2005

    9+

  1. Opeth * Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner)
  2. Sleater-Kinney * The Woods (Sub Pop)
  3. Patrick Wolf * Wind In The Wires (Tomlab)
  4. My Computer * No CV (Tesla UK)
  5. Franz Ferdinand * You Could Have It So Much Better (Domino)
  6. Editors * The Back Room (Kitchenware UK)
  7. The Rakes * Capture/Release (V2 UK)
  8. Robyn (Konichiwa Records)
  9. Field Music (Memphis Industries UK)
  10. Bloc Party * Silent Alarm (Wichita/V2)
  11. Todosantos * Aeropuerto (La Superagencia)
  12. LCD Soundsystem (Capitol/DFA)
  13. Paavoharju * Yhä Hämärää (Fonal)
  14. Akron/Family (Young God)
  15. Broadcast * Tender Buttons (Warp)
  16. Sigur Ros * Takk... (Geffen)
  17. Enslaved * Isa (Candlelight)
  18. Nine Horses * Snow Borne Sorrow (Samadhisound)
  19. Amadou & Mariam * Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)
  20. Go-Betweens * Oceans Apart (Yep Roc)
  21. Gorillaz * Demon Days (Virgin)
  22. Edan * Beauty and the Beat (Lewis)
  23. Maximo Park * A Certain Trigger (Warp)
  24. Spoon * Gimme Fiction (Merge)
  25. Eluvium * Talk Amongst The Trees (Temporary Residence)
  26. The Shortwave Set * The Debt Collection (Independiente UK)
  27. Nôze * Craft Sounds and Voices (Circus Company)
  28. Dogs * Turn Against This Land (Island UK)
  29. Russian Futurists * Our Thickness (Upper Class)
  30. Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs (Righteous Babe)
  31. Rhythm & Sound * See Mi Yah (Burial Mix)
  32. Konono No. 1 * Congotronics (Fat Cat)
  33. Clientele * Strange Geometry (Merge)
  34. Out Hud * Let Us Never Speak Of It Again (Kranky)
  35. Gogol Bordello * Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike (USA Side 1 Dummy)
  36. Richard Youngs * The Naive Shaman (Jajjaguwar)
  37. The Books * Lost and Safe (Tomlab)
  38. 65 Days Of Static * One Time For All Time (Monotreme)
  39. Jamie Lidell * Multiply (Warp)
  40. Seu Jorge * Cru (Wrasse)
  41. Max De Castro (Trama)
  42. DangerDoom * The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph/ADA)
  43. Stephen Malkmus * Face The Truth (Matador)
  44. Colder * Heat (Output)
  45. Boris * Pink (Southern Lord)
  46. Kelley Polar * Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens (Environ)
  47. Various * Love's A Real Thing: The Funky Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa (Luaka Bop)

    9

  48. Witchcraft * Firewood (Candlelight)
  49. The White Stripes * Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
  50. Blut Aus Nord * Thematic Emanation of Archetypal Multiplicity (Candlelight)
  51. Hello Saferide * Introducing... (Razzia)
  52. Anthony Hamilton * Ain't Nobody Worryin' (So So Def/Zomba)
  53. The Spinto Band * Nice And Nicely Done (Bar/None)
  54. Volcano * Beautiful Seizure (Leaf)
  55. Mariem Hassan * Deseos OK (Nubenegra)
  56. Tom Vek * We Have Sound (Startime International)
  57. Art Brut * Bang Bang Rock and Roll (Rough Trade)
  58. Mountains (Apestaartje)
  59. Yat-Kha * Re-Covers (World Village)
  60. 50 Foot Wave * Golden Ocean (Throwing Music)
  61. Thione Seck * Orientation (Stern's Africa)
  62. Aoki Takamasa & Tujiko Noriko * 28 (Fat Cat)
  63. The Epoxies * Stop The Future (Fat Wreck)
  64. Celebration (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
  65. Brazilian Girls (Verve)
  66. Ellen Allien * Thrills (Bpitch Control)
  67. Birchville Cat Motel * Chi Vampires (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon)
  68. Animal Collective * Feels (Fat Cat)
  69. Devin Davis * Lonely People of the World, Unite! (Mousse)
  70. The Evens (Dischord)
  71. Camille * Le Fil (Virgin)
  72. Matias Aguayo * Are You Really Lost (Kompakt)
  73. Roisin Murphy * Ruby Blue (Echo)
  74. Ladytron * Witching Hour (Rykodisc)
  75. M83 * Before The Dawn Heals Us (Goom/Mute)
  76. Tom Zé * Estudando O Pagode (Trama)
  77. Four Tet * Everything Ecstatic (Domino)
  78. Elbow * Leaders Of The Free World (V2 UK)
  79. The Mars Volta * Frances The Mute (Universal)
  80. Jason Forrest * Shamelessly Exciting (Sonig)
  81. Vitalic * OK Cowboy (Pias)
  82. Lightning Bolt * Hypermagic Mountain (Load)
  83. Isolee * We Are Monster (Playhouse)
  84. Serena Maneesh (Honeymilk)
  85. Lady Sovereign * Vertically Challenged EP (Chocolate Industries)
  86. Polar Bear * Held On The Tips Of Fingers (Babel)
  87. Common * Be (Geffen)
  88. Roots Manuva * Awfully Deep (Big Dada/Ninja Tune UK)
  89. Engineers (Echo)
  90. Antony and the Johnsons * I Am A Bird Now (Secretly Canadian)
  91. Go-Kart Mozart * Tearing Up The Album Chart (West Midlands UK)
  92. Kano * Home Sweet Home (679)
  93. A-Frames * Black Forest (Sub Pop)
  94. Half Man Half Biscuit * Achtung Bono (Probe Plus)
  95. M.I.A. * Arular (XL)
  96. Oneida * The Wedding (Jagjaguwar)
  97. Bettye LaVette * I've Got My Own Hell To Raise (Anti)
  98. Gang Gang Dance * God's Money (Social Registry)
  99. The Brakes * Give Blood (Rough Trade)
  100. Ulver * Blood Inside (The End)
  101. Sam Prekop * Who's Your New Professor (Thrill Jockey)
  102. High on Fire * Blessed Black Wings (Relapse)
  103. Dalek * Absence (Ipecac)
  104. The Living Things * Ahead Of The Lions (Jive/Zomba)
  105. Rammstein * Rosenrot (Universal)
  106. Early Man * Closing In (Matador)
  107. The Perceptionists * Black Dialogue (Definitive Jux)
  108. Chemical Brothers * Push The Button (Virgin)
  109. Wilderness (Jagjaguwar)
  110. Booka Shade * Memento (Get Physical)
  111. Richard Hawley * Cole's Corner (Mute)
  112. The Juan MaClean * Less Than Human (DFA/Astralwerks)
  113. The Lappetites * Before the Libretto (Quecksilber Germany)
  114. Kate Bush * Aerial (Columbia)
  115. Sway * This Is My Promo (Dcypha Productions)
  116. Triola * Im Funftonraum (Kompakt)
  117. Deerhoof * The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
  118. Sunn O))) * Black One (Southern Lord)
  119. Imogen Heap * Speak For Yourself (Megaphonic)
  120. Goldfrapp * Supernature (Mute UK)
  121. Jesu (Hydra Head)
  122. Duke Spirit * Cuts Across the Land (Universal UK)
  123. Meshuggah * Catch Thirty-Three (Nuclear Blast)
  124. System of a Down * Mesmerize (Epic)
  125. Architecture In Helsinki * In Case We Die (Bar/None)
  126. Crooked Fingers * Dignity And Shame (Merge)
  127. Electrelane * Axes (Too Pure/Beggars)
  128. Low * The Great Destroyer (Sub Pop)
  129. The Boards Of Canada * Campfire Headcase (Warp)
  130. The Mountain Goats * The Sunset Tree (4AD)
  131. Okkervil River * Black Sheep Boy (Jagjaguwar)
  132. Tujiko Noriko * Blurred In My Mirror (Room40)
  133. Caribou [Manitoba] * The Milk Of Human Kindness (Domino)
  134. The Dirty Three * Cinder (Touch & Go)
  135. Jackson & His Computer Band * Smash (Warp)
  136. Greg Dulli * Amber Headlights (One Little Indian)
  137. Fantomas * Suspended Animation (Ipecac)
  138. Mugison * Mugimama, Is This Monkey Music? (Accidental)
  139. Capitol K * Nomad Junk (Faith & Industry)
  140. Queens of the Stone Age * Lullabies To Paralyze (Interscope)
  141. Cage * Hell's Winter (Definitive Jux)
  142. Coco Rosie * Noah's Ark (Touch & Go)
  143. Eels * Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Vagrant)
  144. Mary Timony * Ex Hex (Lookout!)
  145. Creme de Menthe * The Impossibility of Eroticism in the Suburbs (Disko B)
  146. Girls Aloud * Chemistry (Polydor UK)
  147. New Pornographers * Twin Cinema (Matador)
  148. Super Furry Animals * Love Kraft (XL)
  149. Love As Laughter * Laughter's Fifth (Sub Pop)
  150. Freakwater * Thinking Of You (Thrill Jockey)
  151. Blackalicious * The Craft (Anti-)
  152. Calla * Collisions (Beggars Banquet)
  153. Constantines * Tournament Of Hearts (Sub Pop)
  154. Pernice Brothers * Discover A Lovelier You (Sub Pop)
  155. Prefuse 73 * Surrounded By Silence (Warp)
  156. Asamov * And Now... (6 Hole)
  157. Hood * Outside Closer (Domino UK)
  158. Sufjan Stevens * Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
  159. Modey Lemon * The Curious City (Birdman)
  160. Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
  161. Metric * Live It Out (Last Gang)
  162. John Cale * Black Acetate (Astralwerks)
  163. The Tears * Here Come The Tears (Independiente UK)
  164. Cave In * Perfect Pitch Black (Hydra Head)
  165. The Drones * Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By (ATP)
  166. The Gospel * The Moon Is A Dead World (Level Plane)
  167. Sinead O'Connor * Throw Down Your Arms (Rocket Science)
  168. The Fall Of Troy * Doppelganger (Equal Vision)
  169. Wolf Parade * Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop)
  170. The Hold Steady * Separation Sunday (French Kiss)
  171. Six Organs of Admittance * School of the Flower (Drag City)
  172. Kingsbury Manx * The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South (Yep Roc)
  173. David Pajo * Pajo (Drag City)
  174. Nada Surf * The Weight Is A Gift (Barsuk)
  175. Troubled Hubble * Making Beds In A Burning House (Lookout)
  176. Populous * Queue For Love (Morr)
  177. The Double * Loose In The Air (Matador)
  178. Fursaxa * Ecstatic Peace (13)
  179. Ry Cooder * Chavez Ravine (Nonesuch)
  180. British Sea Power * Open Season (Rough Trade)
  181. Oceansize * Everyone Into Position (Beggars Banquet)
  182. Pelican * The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw (Hydra Head)
  183. Sons And Daughters * The Repulsion Box (Domino)
  184. Black Mountain (Jagjaguwar)
  185. Jackie-O Motherfucker * Flags of the Sacred Harp (ATP)
  186. My Morning Jacket * Z (ATO)
  187. Lichens * The Psychic Nature Of Being (Kranky)
  188. Damian Marley * Welcome To Jamrock (Universal)
  189. Saint Etienne * Tales From Turnpike House (Sanctuary)
  190. Angels Of Light * Sings Other People (Young God)
  191. Thievery Corporation * Cosmic Game (ESL)
  192. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (CYHSY)
  193. Petra Haden * Sings The Who Sell Out (Bar/None)
  194. Alan Braxe * The Upper Cuts (Electronica)
  195. Mercury Rev * The Secret Migration (V2 UK)
  196. System of a Down * Hypnotize (Epic)
  197. Dead Meadow * Feathers (Matador)
  198. The Kills * No Wow (Rough Trade/RCA)
  199. Missy Elliott * The Cookbook (Atlantic)
  200. Tod Dockstader * Aerial #1 (Sub Rosa)
  201. The Frames * Burn The Maps (Anti)
  202. Sugababes * Taller In More Ways (Universal)
  203. David Banner * Certified (SRC/Universal)
  204. Teenage Fanclub * Man-Made (Merge)
  205. Cursed * Two (Goodfellow)
  206. Kylesa * To Walk A Middle Course (Prosthetic)
  207. Archer Prewitt * Wilderness (Thrill Jockey)
  208. Lake Trout * Not Them, You (Palm Pictures)
  209. Mahjongg * Raydoncong (Cold Crush)
  210. Royksopp * The Understanding (Astralwerks)
  211. Asian Dub Foundation * Tank (Virgin UK)
  212. Of Monteral * The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
  213. Immolation * Harnessing Ruin (Olympic)
  214. Withered * Memento Mori (Lifeforce)
  215. Supergrass * Road To Rouen (UK)
  216. Jaga Jazzist * What We Must (Ninja Tunes)
  217. Amon Tobin * Chaos Theory: Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack (Ninja Tune)
  218. Om * Variations on a Theme (Holy Mountain)
  219. Black Dice * Broken Ear Record (DFA/Astralwerks)
  220. Explosions In The Sky * How Strange, Innocence (Temporary Residence)
  221. Beck * Guero (WB)
  222. Keith Fullerton Whitman * Multiples (Kranky)
  223. Traveling Bell * Scatter Ways (Secret Eye)

    9-

  224. Khold * Krek (Candlelight)
  225. Metal Inquisitor * Doomsday For The Heretic (Hellion)
  226. Electric Six * Senor Smoke (Warner)
  227. Hal (Rough Trade)
  228. Vashti Bunyan * Lookaftering (DiCristina/Fat Cat)
  229. Deana Carter * The Story of My Life (Vanguard)
  230. John Parish * Once Upon A Little Time (Thrill Jockey)
  231. Devendra Banhart * Cripple Crow (XL)
  232. Buck 65 * Secret House Against the World (WEA)
  233. Brian Eno * Another Day On Earth (Hannibal)
  234. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead * Worlds Apart (Interscope)
  235. Emiliana Torrini * Fisherman's Wife (Rough Trade)
  236. The Magic Numbers (Heavenly)
  237. Absentee * Donkey Stock EP (Memphis Industries)
  238. Chad Vangaalen * Infiniheart (Sub Pop)
  239. Autechre * Untilted (Warp)
  240. Nedelle * From The Lion's Mouth (Kill Rock Stars)
  241. Kanye West * Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella)
  242. Slim Thug * Already Platinum (Geffen)
  243. Envelopes * Demon (Rex UK)
  244. Smog * A River Ain't Too Much To Love (Drag City)
  245. Darkest Hour * Undoing Ruin (Victory)
  246. Tangiers * Family Myth (French Kiss)
  247. Superpitcher * Today (Kompakt)
  248. Longwave * There's A Fire (RCA)
  249. Boy Least Likely To * The Best Party Ever (Rough Trade)
  250. Khanate * Capture & Release (Hydra Head)
  251. Trivium * Ascendancy (Roadrunner)
  252. Maria McKee * Peddlin Dreams (Eleven Thirty)
  253. Bloodbath * Nightmares Made Flesh (Century Media)
  254. Gris Gris * For The Season (Birdman)
  255. stellastarr* * Harmonies For The Haunted (RCA)
  256. Tenement Halls * Knitting Needles & Bicycle Bells (Merge)
  257. Anneli Drecker * Frolic (EMI UK)
  258. Coheed and Cambria * Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV (Sony)
  259. Rachel Stevens * Come And Get It (Universal)
  260. Richard Davis * Details (Kitty Yo)
  261. Young Jeezy * Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (Def Jam)
  262. The 22-20s (Interscope)
  263. Rogue Wave * Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop)
  264. Big Business * Head For The Shallow (Hydra Head)
  265. Coral * The Invisible Invasion (Sony)
  266. The Cribs * The New Fellas (Wichita UK)
  267. Idlewild * Warnings/Promises (EMI UK)
  268. OK Go * Oh No (Capitol)
  269. Hot Hot Heat * Elevator (Sire)
  270. Clor (EMI UK)
  271. Orenda Fink * Invisible Ones (Saddle Creek)
  272. Head of Femur * Hysterical Stars (Spin Art)
  273. Babyshambles * Down In Albion (Rough Trade)
  274. The Darkness * One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back (Atlantic)
  275. Test-Icicles * For Screening Purposes Only (Domino)
  276. The Warlocks * Surgery (Mute)
  277. Hard-Fi * Stars Of CCTV (Necessary/Atlantic)
  278. Nitin Sahwney * Philtre (V2)
  279. Horrorpops * Bring It On! (Hellcat)
  280. M. Ward * Transistor Radio (Merge)
  281. Wedding Present * Take Fountain (Scopitones)
  282. The National * Alligator (Beggars Banquet)
  283. Lungfish * Feral Hymns (Dischord)
  284. The Departure * Dirty Words (Parlophone)
  285. Weird War * Illuminated By The Light (Drag City)
  286. Napalm Death * The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code (Century Media)
  287. Primordial * The Gathering Wilderness (Metal Blade)
  288. The Soviettes * III (Fat Wreck)
  289. Fannypack * See You Next Tuesday (Tommy Boy)
  290. Fischerspooner * Odyssey (Capitol)
  291. Doves * Some Cities (Heavenly UK)
  292. Caesars * Paper Tigers (Astralwerks)
  293. Madonna * Confessions On A Dancefloor (WB) Mu * Out Of Breach (Manchester's Revenge) (Output)
  294. Shelby Lynne * Suit Yourself (Capitol)
  295. Josh Rouse * Nashville (Slow River/Rykodisc)
  296. Fiona Apple * Extraordinary Machine (Sony)
  297. Nagisa Ni Te * Dream Sounds (Jagjaguwar)
  298. Pit Er Pat * Shakey (Thrill Jockey)
  299. Nine Inch Nails * With Teeth (Nothing)
  300. Louis XIV * The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (Pineapple/Atlantic)
  301. Daft Punk * Human After All (Virgin)
  302. The Subways * Young For Eternity (Infectious UK)
  303. Make Believe * Shock of Being (Flameshovel)

    8+

  304. Fast 'n' Bulbous * Pork Chop Blue Around The Rind (Cuneiform)
  305. Will Young * Keep On (BMG UK)
  306. James Blunt * Back To Bedlam (Atlantic/Custard)
  307. Ordinary Boys * Brassbound (B Unique)
  308. Coldplay * X&Y (Capitol)
  309. The Paddingtons * First Comes First (Universal)
  310. Ladybug Mecca * Trip the Light Fantastic (Nu Paradigm)
  311. Korn * See You on the Other Side (Virgin)
  312. Dandy Warhols * Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars ()
  313. Kaiser Chiefs * Employment (Universal)
  314. The Bravery (Island)
  315. Athlete * Tourist (Parolophone UK)
  316. The Dead 60s (Sony)
  317. Crazy Frog * Crazy Hits (Universal)
  318. Nine Black Alps * Everything Is (Island)
  319. The Others (Mercury UK)
  320. Panic! At The Disco * A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (Fueled By Ramen)
  321. Damon & Naomi * The Earth Is Blue (20/20/20/Revolver)
  322. Nicolai Dunger * This Cloud Is Learning (Overcoat Recordings)
  323. Matt Elliott * Drinking Songs (Lci'Dailleurs)
  324. Sage Francis * A Healthy Distrust (Epitaph)
  325. Laurent Garnier * The Cloud Making Machine (F-comm)
  326. Guy Called Gerald * To All Things What They Need (k7 UK)
  327. House of Love * Days Run Away (Art & Industry)
  328. Ida * Heart Like a River (Polyvinyl)
  329. Moby * Hotel (V2)
  330. Marco Passarani * Sullen Look (Peacefrog)
  331. Gruff Rhys * Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (Placid Casual UK)

Back To The Top

2004

    9+

  1. TV On The Radio * Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch & Go)
  2. Björk * Medulla (Elektra)
  3. Ghost * Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City)
  4. Mastodon * Leviathan (Relapse)
  5. Razorlight * Up All Night (Vertigo UK)
  6. Junior Boys * Last Exit (Kin UK)
  7. The Walkmen * Bows And Arrows (Record Collection)
  8. Arto Lindsay * Salt (Righteous Babe)
  9. Annie * Anniemal (679)
  10. The Mark Lanegan Band * Bubblegum (Beggars)
  11. Sketch Show * Loophole (Third Ear)
  12. The Black Keys * Rubber Factory (Fat Possum)
  13. Utada * Exodus (Island)
  14. Stars * Set Yourself On Fire (Arts & Crafts)
  15. Patrick Wolf * Lycanthropy (Tomlab)
  16. Tom Waits * Real Gone (Anti/Epitaph)
  17. Sonic Youth * Sonic Nurse (Geffen)
  18. Ed Harcourt * Strangers (Heavenly UK)
  19. Orphaned Land * Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven (Century Media)
  20. Dungen * Ta Det Lugnt (Subliminal Sounds)
  21. The Earlies * These Were The Earlies (WEA UK)
  22. Devendra Banhart * Rejoicing In The Hands Of (Young God)
  23. The Go! Team * Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Memphis Industries)
  24. The Czars * Goodbye (Bellaire)
  25. Bark Psychosis * ///Codename: Dustsucker (Fire)
  26. Federico Aubelle * Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (Eighteenth Street Lo)
  27. Franz Ferdinand (Domino)
  28. PJ Harvey * Uh Hu Her (Island)
  29. Syd Matters * A Whisper And A Sigh (3rd Side/V2)
  30. Ada * Blondie (Areal)
  31. Mission Of Burma * ONoffOn (Matador)
  32. Nick Cave * Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (Anti/Epitaph)
  33. Cut Copy * Bright Like Neon Love (Modular)
  34. Anathema * A Natural Disaster (Koch)
  35. Skinnyman * Council Estate Of Mind (Lowlife)
  36. Wilco * A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
  37. Ricardo Villalobos * The au Harem d'Archimede (Perlon)
  38. Lali Puna * Faking The Books (Morr)
  39. Blue States * The Soundings (Memphis Industries UK)
  40. Fennesz * Venice (Touch)
  41. 65 Days Of Static * The Fall Of Math (Monotreme)
  42. Rachid Taha * Tekitoi (Wrasse)
  43. Tinariwen * Amassakoul (World Village)
  44. Wiley * Treddin' On Thin Ice (XL)
  45. Joseph Arthur * Our Shadows Will Remain (Vector)
  46. Elliott Smith * From A Basement On The Hill (Epitaph)
  47. Various * DFA Compilation #2 (DFA)
  48. Lucien-N-Luciano * Blind Behaviour (Peacefrog)
  49. Interpol * Antics (Matador)
  50. Max Richter * The Blue Notebooks (Fat Cat)
  51. The Eternals * Rawar Style (Aesthetics)
  52. Blanche * If We Can't Trust The Doctors (Loose Music/Vinyl Junkie)
  53. The Flaming Stars * Named And Shamed (Vinyl Japan UK/Alternative Tentacles)
  54. Beta Band * Heroes To Zeros (Astralwerks)
  55. The Legends * Up Against The Legends (Lakeshore 5)
  56. Beastie Boys * To The 5 Boroughs (Capitol)
  57. John Vanderslice * Cellar Door (Barsuk)
  58. On! Air! Library! (Arena Rock)
  59. The Crimea * Tragedy Rocks (Double Dragon)
  60. Feist * Let It Die (Arts & Crafts)
  61. Comets On Fire * Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
  62. Califone * Heron King Blues (Thrill Jockey)
  63. Entrance * Wandering Stranger (Fat Possum)
  64. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter * Oh, My Girl (Barsuk)
  65. M.I.A. & Diplo * Piracy Funds Terrorism, Vol. 1 (Hollertronix)
  66. Jason Forrest * The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash (Sonig)
  67. Andrew Morgan * Misadventures In Radiology (Broken Horse UK)
  68. Devin The Dude * To Tha X-Treme (Rap-A-Lot)
  69. Stereolab * Margarine Eclipse (Elektra)
  70. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra * Who Is This America (Ropeadope)
  71. Spektrum * Enter ... The Spektrum (Playhouse UK)

    9

  72. Polysics * Polysics Or Die!!! (Surla/Sony)
  73. The Eternals * Out Of Proportion EP (Antifaz)
  74. Psapp * Tiger, My Friend (Leaf)
  75. Graham Coxon * Happiness In Magazines (Trans Copic)
  76. Diplo * Florida (Big Dada)
  77. Hercules * In The Alleyway (March)
  78. The Abyssinians & Friends * Tree Of Satta (Blood & Fire)
  79. Ray LaMontagne * Trouble (RCA)
  80. The Thermals * Fuckin A (Sub Pop)
  81. The Futureheads (Fantastic UK)
  82. Animal Collective * Sung Tongs (Fatcat)
  83. The Blue Nile * High (Sanctuary)
  84. Telefon Tel Aviv * Map of What Is Effortless (Hefty)
  85. The Sultans * Shipwrecked (Swami)
  86. The Arcade Fire * Funeral (Merge)
  87. Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel Of Progress (Sketchbook)
  88. To Rococo Rot * Hotel Morgen (Domino)
  89. Ben Christophers * The Spaces In Between (Cooking Vinyl UK)
  90. Tom Russell * Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs (Hightone)
  91. Secret Machines * Now Here Is Nowhere (Reprise)
  92. Mosquitos * Sunshine Barato (Bar/None)
  93. Sufjan Stevens * Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
  94. Comas * Conductor (Yep Roc)
  95. The Soft Pink Truth * Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth? (Tigerbeat6)
  96. Nouvelle Vague (Peacefrog)
  97. Devendra Banhart * Nino Rojos (Young God)
  98. The Delgados * Universal Audio (Mantra UK)
  99. Social Distortion * Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll (Time Bomb)
  100. Ambulance LTD * LP (TVT)
  101. !!! * Louden Up Now (Touch and Go/Warp)
  102. Scissor Sistors (Polydor UK)
  103. Joanna Newsom * The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
  104. The Organ * Grab That Gun (Mint)
  105. Dionysos * Whatever The Weather (Trema Fr)
  106. Isis * Panopticon (Ipecac)
  107. The Blues Explosion * damage! (Sanctuary)
  108. Faun Fables * Family Album (Drag City)
  109. Behemoth * Demigod (Regain)
  110. Savath & Savalas * Apropa't (Warp)
  111. Marianne Faithfull * Before the Poison (Naive UK)
  112. Etienne Daho * Pap Satori (Virgin)
  113. Crispy Ambulance * Powder Blind Dream (Darla)
  114. Frank Black Francis (Spin Art)
  115. Jim White * Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See (Luaka Bop)
  116. The Roots * The Tipping Point (Geffen)
  117. Beans * Shock City Maverick (Warp)
  118. Xiu Xiu * Fabulous Muscles (5 Rue Christine)
  119. Panda Bear * Young Prayer (Paw Tracks)
  120. Radian * Juxtaposition (Thrill Jockey)
  121. Tortoise * It's All Around You (Thrill Jockey)
  122. Born Heller (Locust)
  123. Efterklang * Tripper (Leaf)
  124. Bebel Gilberto (Six Degrees)
  125. Ellen Allien * My Parade (Bpitch Control)
  126. DJ /rupture * Special Gunpowder (Tigerbeat 6)
  127. Youssou N'Dour * Egypt (Nonesuch)
  128. Gwen Stefani * Love.Angel.Music.Baby (Interscope)
  129. Girls Aloud * What Will The Neighbours Say? (Polydor)
  130. Nellie McKay * Get Away From Me (Columbia)
  131. P.G. Six * The Well of Memory (Amish)
  132. Jens Lekman * When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian)
  133. Giant Sand * Is All Over The Map (Thrill Jockey)
  134. Eleni Mandell * Afternoon (Zedtone)
  135. Moonbabies * The Orange Billboard (Hidden Agenda)
  136. Polly Paulusma * Scissors In My Pocket (One Little Indian)
  137. Adem * Homesongs (Domino)
  138. The Libertines (Rough Trade/Sanctuary)
  139. N*E*R*D * Fly Or Die (Virgin)
  140. Ozomatli * Street Signs (Real World)
  141. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives * Origin Vol. 1 (WEA UK)
  142. Tangiers * Never Bring You Pleasure (Sonic Unyon)
  143. Hot Snakes * Audit In Progress (Swami)
  144. Mouse On Mars * Radical Connector (Thrill Jockey)
  145. Neko Case * The Tigers Have Spoken (Anti)
  146. Blonde Redhead * Misery is a Butterfly (4AD)
  147. Einsturzende Neubauten * Perpetuum Mobile (Mute)
  148. Embrace * Out Of Nothing (Independiente UK)
  149. Frog Eyes * The Folded Palm (Absolutely Kosher)
  150. Black Dice * Creature Comforts (DFA/Fat Cat)
  151. Madvillain * Madvillainy (Stones Throw)
  152. The Fiery Furnaces * Blueberry Boat (Rough Trade)
  153. Dizzee Rascal * Showtime (XL)
  154. Michael Mayer * Touch (Kompact)
  155. Sondre Lerche * Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks)
  156. Lhasa * The Living Road (Les Disques Audiogramme)
  157. The Hold Steady * Almost Killed Me (French Kiss)
  158. Pinback * Summer In Abaddon (Touch and Go)
  159. Sleep Station * After The War (Eyeball/Bardic)
  160. Ikara Colt * Modern Apprentice (Fantastic Plastic UK)
  161. Akira Rabelais * Spellewauerynsherde (Samadhi Sound)
  162. Kevin Tihista's Red Terror * Wake Up Captain (Parasol)
  163. 90 Day Men * Panda Park (Southern)
  164. Les Savy Fav * Inches (French Kiss)
  165. Regina Spektor * Soviet Kitsch (Sire)
  166. Solex * The Laughing Stock Of Indie Rock (Arena Rock)
  167. Heiruspecs * A Tiger Dancing (Razor & Tie)
  168. The Bees * Free The Bees (Virgin UK)
  169. Peter Murphy * Unshattered (Viastar)
  170. The Radio Dept. * Lesser Matters (XL/Labrador)
  171. Clinic * Winchester Cathedral (Domino/Universal)
  172. Stina Nordenstam * The World Is Saved (V2)
  173. American Music Club * Love Songs for Patriots (Cooking Vinyl)
  174. Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez * A Manual Dexterity V.1 (GSL)
  175. Flogging Molly * Within A Mile Of Home (SideOneDummy)
  176. The (International) Noise Conspiracy * Armed Love (Burning Heart)
  177. Rachel Goswell * Waves Are Universal (4AD)
  178. Cee-Lo * Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine (Arista)
  179. We Ragazzi * Wolves With Pretty Lips (Suicide Squeeze)
  180. The Wildhearts * Riff After Riff (Gearhead)
  181. De La Soul * The Grind Date (Sanctuary)
  182. Amon Tobin * Recorded Live (Ninja Tune)
  183. A.C. Newman * The Slow Wonder (Matador)
  184. The Ordinary Boys * Over The Counter Culture (B-Unique UK)
  185. Wagon Christ * Sorry I Made You Lush (Ninja Tune)
  186. Ulrich Schnauss * A Strangely Isolated Place (Domino)
  187. The Fever * Red Bedroom (Kemado)
  188. Drive-By Truckers * The Dirty South (New West)
  189. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists * Shake the Sheets (Lookout)
  190. Laura Veirs * Carbon Glacier (Bella Union UK)
  191. Lamb Of God * Ashes of the Wake (Epic)
  192. Shalabi Effect * Pink Abyss (Alien 8)
  193. Pig Destoyer * Terrifyer (Relapse)
  194. Savath & Savalas * Manana (Warp)
  195. Cult Of Luna * Salvation (Earache)
  196. The Faint * Wet From Birth (Saddle Creek)
  197. Thalia Zedek * Trust Not Those In Whom Without Some Touch of Madness (Thrill Jockey)
  198. CocoRosie * La Maison De Mon Reve (Touch and Go)
  199. Nicolai Dunger * Here's My Song You Can Have It (Universal)
  200. Earlimart * Treble & Tremble (Palm Pictures)
  201. Sunn 0))) * White 2 (Southern Lord)
  202. Mono * Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined (Temporary Residence)
  203. Black OX Orkestar * Ver Tanzt? (Constellation)
  204. The Cribs (Wichita UK)
  205. Shannon Wright * Over the Sun (Quarterstick)
  206. Old Time Relijun * Lost Light (K)
  207. Mirah * C'mon Miracle (K)
  208. Mum * Summer Make Good (Fat Cat)
  209. The Ponys * Laced With Romance (In The Red)
  210. Richmond Fontaine * Post To Wire (El Cortez)
  211. Ken Stringfellow * Soft Commands (Yep Roc)
  212. Tift Merritt * Tambourine (Lost Highway)
  213. Gomez * Split The Difference (Virgin)
  214. Prince Po * The Slickness (Lex)
  215. Elizabeth Anka Vagacic * Stand With the Stillness of the Day (Constellation)
  216. Valley of the Giants (Arts & Crafts)
  217. U2 * How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (Interscope)
  218. Dillinger Escape Plan * Miss Machine (Relapse)
  219. cLOUDDEAD * Ten (Mush)
  220. Converge * You Fail Me (Epitaph)
  221. Rilo Kiley * More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute)
  222. Jonathan Richman * Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love (Sanctuary/Vapor)
  223. Autolux * Future Perfect (DMZ)
  224. Lovedrug * Pretend You're alive (Militia Group)
  225. Coastal * Halfway To You (Words On Music)

    9-

  226. The Hidden Cameras * Mississauga Goddam (Rough Trade)
  227. The French Kicks * The Trial Of The Century (Star Time)
  228. Dead Texas * Dead Texan (Kranky)
  229. Anaal Nathrakh * Domine Non Es Dignus (Season Mist America)
  230. McLusky * Difference Between Me And You Is That I'm Not On Fire (Beggars/Too Pure)
  231. Loretta Lynn * Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
  232. Brian Wilson * SMiLE (Nonesuch)
  233. Brave Captain * All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace (Wichita UK)
  234. Dani Siciliano * Likes... (K7)
  235. Luna * Rendezvous (Jetset)
  236. Helio Sequence * Love And Distance (Sub Pop)
  237. Green Day * American Idiot (Reprise)
  238. The Blam * Caveat Emptor (Mootron)
  239. The Standard * Wire Post to Wire (Yep Roc)
  240. The Icarus Line * Penance Soiree (V2)
  241. Grant Lee Phillips * Virgina Creeper (Cooking Vinyl)
  242. Bobby Bare, Jr. * From The End Of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
  243. Wolf Eyes * Burned Mind (Sub Pop)
  244. The Boredoms * Seadrum/House Of Sun (Warners Japan)
  245. Camper Van Beethoven * New Roman Times (Vanguard)
  246. Dogs Die In Hot Cars * Please Describe Yourself (V2)
  247. Twilight Singers * She Loves You (One Little Indian)
  248. Amen * Death Before Musick (Eat URmusic/Columbia)
  249. Esoteric * Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum (Season of Mist)
  250. Helmet * Size Matters (Interscope)
  251. The Mattoid * Hello (Cleft)
  252. Frausdots * Couture Couture Couture (Sub Pop)
  253. Orbital * The Blue Album (London)
  254. Jean Grae * This Week (Babygrande)
  255. The Dwarves * The Dwarves Must Die (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  256. Nancy Sinatra (Attack/Sanctuary)
  257. Bonnie Prince Billy * Sings Greatest Palace Music (Drag City)
  258. Radio 4 * Stealing Of A Nation (Astralwerks)
  259. Ella Guru * The First Album (Banana UK)
  260. The Zutons * Who Killed The Zutons? (Deltasonic UK)
  261. Kerrier District (Rephlex)
  262. Silkworm * It'll Be Cool (Touch and Go)
  263. Bikini Atoll * Moratoria (Bellaire)
  264. Probot (Southern Lord)
  265. Rjd2 * Since We Last Spoke (Def Jux)
  266. Le Tigre * This Island (Universal)
  267. theStart * Initiation (Nitro)
  268. Travis Morrison * Travistan (Barsuk)
  269. For Stars * It Falls Apart (Future Farmer)
  270. Mos Def * The New Danger (Geffen)
  271. The Prodigy * Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned (XL UK)
  272. Ghostface * The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)
  273. Clorox Girls (Smart Guy)
  274. Help She Can't Swim * Fashionista Super Dance Troupe (Fantastic Plastic UK)
  275. Bad Religion * The Empire Strikes First (Epitaph)
  276. Deerhoof * Milk Man (Kill Rock Stars)
  277. Rogue Wave * Out Of The Shadow (Sub Pop)
  278. Nas * Street's Disciple (Columbia)
  279. Air * Talkie Walkie (Source/Astralwerks)
  280. Mellow * Perfect Colors (Atmospheriques)
  281. Talib Kweli * The Beautiful Struggle (MCA)
  282. Squarepusher * Ultravisitor (Warp)
  283. Bobby Conn & The Glass Gypsies * The Homeland (Thrill Jockey)
  284. Juana Molina * Tres Cosas (Domino)
  285. Beauty Pill * The Unsustainable Lifestyle (Dischord)
  286. Golden Virgins * Songs Of Praise (XL UK)
  287. Handsome Boy Modeling School * White People (Atlantic/Elektra)
  288. Seafood * As The Cry Flows (Cooking Vinyl)
  289. The Streets * A Grand Don't Come For Free (Vice)
  290. Oneiros * Outputmessage (Echelon)
  291. The Killers * Hot Fuss (Lizard King/Island)
  292. The Cure (Geffen)
  293. Division Of Laura Lee * Das Not Compute (Epitaph/Burning Heart)
  294. Sparta * Porcelain (Geffen)
  295. Sluts Of Trust * We Are All Sluts Of Trust (Chemikal)
  296. Sahara Hotnights * Kiss & Tell (RCA)
  297. Hope Of The States * Lost Riots (Sony)
  298. Young Heart Attack * Mouthful Of Love (Beggars XL)
  299. Pink Grease * This is for Real (Mute)
  300. MF Doom * Mm..Food? (Rhymesayers)
  301. Monster Magnet * Monolithic Baby! (SPV)
  302. Amp Fiddler * Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly (Genuine)
  303. Oneida * Secret Wars (Jagjaguwar)
  304. The Stranglers * Norfolk Coast (EMI)
  305. Modest Mouse * Good News For People Who Love Bad News (Epic)
  306. Firewater * Songs We Should Have Written (Jetset)
  307. A Perfect Circle * Emotive (Virgin/EMI)
  308. Lambchop * Aw Cmon (Merge)
  309. The Magnetic Fields * i (Nonesuch)
  310. The Blueskins * Word Of Mouth (Domino UK)
  311. Brandon Wiard * Painting A Buring Building (Cerberus)
  312. Subtle * A New White (Lex)
  313. Sixtoo * Chewing on Glass and Other Miracle Cures (Ninja Tune)
  314. Seachange * Lay Of The Land (Matador)
  315. The Statistics * Leave Your Name (Jade Tree)
  316. Electrelane * The Power Out (Too Pure/Beggars)
  317. The Blow * The Concussive Caress (K)
  318. The Polyphonic Spree * Together We're Heavy (Hollywood)
  319. Lesser Birds Of Paradise * String Of Bees (Contraphonic)
  320. Jukeboxer * In The Food Chain (Absolutely Kosher)
  321. Kanye West * College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella)
  322. Iron & Wine * Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)
  323. The Divine Comedy * Absent Friends (Parlophone)
  324. Macha * Forget Tomorrow (Jetset)
  325. Phoenix * Alphabetical (Astralwerks)
  326. The Veils * The Runaway Found (Rough Trade UK)

    This year I'm listing more albums that rate an 8 to 9-. As explained elsewhere, while an 8, B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several hundred albums out this year that are much better. I've listened to plenty of of albums that would merit an 8+ that I don't list. I received unsolicited promo copies of these albums, and while I feel sorry I don't have time to review them (but not guilty, I only guarantee a review if I specifically ask for a copy, and I don't get paid for this), the least I can do is rate them. In my world, 9- means I wouldn't buy it, but there are parts that are quite good. 8 to 8+ is an honorable mention, certainly not bad, given you're still in the top 10 to 25% of the heap of 25,000+ releases. So don't give up and sell your instruments.

    8+

  327. Morrissey * You Are The Quarry (Attack/Sanctuary)
  328. Thee Silver Mountain Reveries * Pretty Little Lightning Paw (Constellation)
  329. The Reigning Sound * Too Much Guitar! (In The Red)
  330. Hella * The Devil Isn't Red (5 Rue Christine)
  331. Slow Jets * Remain In Ether (Morphius)
  332. Starving Artists Crew * Up Pops The SAC (Fat Beats)
  333. Skalpel (Ninja Tune)
  334. Swayzak * Loops From The Bergerie (K7)
  335. The Album Leaf * In A Safe Place (Sub Pop)
  336. Pleasurecraft * Lost Patterns (Pleasurcraft)
  337. Old Ghost * Light Returns (Morphius)
  338. The Cucumbers * All Things To You (Fictitious Records)
  339. Action Action * Don't Cut Your Fabric to This Year's Fashion Action Action (Victory)
  340. Coastal Drag * Caught On The Wrist (Doubling Cube)
  341. Sweetback * Stage [2] (Epic)
  342. Death in Vegas * Satan's Circle (Drone UK)
  343. The Thrills * Let's Bottle Bohemia (Virgin)
  344. Chromeo * She's In Control (Vice)
  345. Icehouse * Heroes

    8

  346. Miss Kittin * I Com (EMI)
  347. Patti Smith * Trampin' (Columbia)
  348. The Graze * Iowa Anvil (J-Shirt)
  349. Ministry * Houses Of The Mol? (Sanctuary)
  350. The Open * The Silent Hours (Polydor UK)
  351. The Coral * Nightfreak & The Sons Of Becker (Deltasonic UK)
  352. Delays * Faded Seaside Glamour (Rough Trade UK)
  353. Zero 7 * When It Falls (Ultimate Dilema UK)
  354. Auf der Maur (Capitol)
  355. The Von Bondies * Pawn Shoppe Heart (Sire)
  356. West Indian Girl (Astralwerks)
  357. U.S.E. * United State Of Electronica (Mannheim)
  358. Weird War * If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bit 'Em (Drag City)
  359. Lambchop * No You Cmon (Merge)
  360. The Church * Forget Yourself (spinART)
  361. The Stands * All Years Leaving (Echo Recs UK)
  362. Rochester Fosgate (Smooth Excavator)
  363. Keane * Hopes And Fears (Interscope)
  364. Liars * They Were Wrong So We Drowned (Mute)
  365. Ash * Meltdown (Infectious)
  366. Courtney Love * America's Sweetheart (Virgin)

    These are alphabetical because I have not yet heard them

  367. Astrid (Incarnation UK)
  368. Atombombpocketknife * Lack & Pattern (File-13)
  369. Jello Biafra with the Melvins * Never Breathe What You Canxt See (Alternative Tentacles)
  370. Jane Birkin * Rendez-Vous (EMI)
  371. Blevin Blectum * Magic Maple (Deluxe)
  372. Blockhead * Music By Cavelight (Ninja Tune)
  373. Broken Social Scene * Beehives (Arts & Crafts)
  374. The Bronx (Wichita)
  375. Bruno E * Lovely Arthur (Trama)
  376. Burning Brides * Leave No Ashes (V2)
  377. Calexico * Convict Pool EP (Touch & Go)
  378. Calliope * Sounds Like Circles Feel (Thick)
  379. Elvis Costello * Il Sogno (Deutsche Grammaphon)
  380. Elvis Costello * The Delivery Man (Lost Highway)
  381. Converge * You Fail Me (Epitaph)
  382. Cranes * Particles And Waves (Dadaphonic)
  383. Daisy Cutters * Awake Among the Sleepers (Collision Aus)
  384. Greg Davis * Somnia (Kranky)
  385. Daydream Nation * Bella Vendetta (Elephant Stone/Parasol)
  386. Destroyer * Your Blues (Merge)
  387. Julie Doiron * Goodnight Nobody (Jagjaguwar)
  388. Tonya Donnelly * Whiskey Tango Ghosts (4AD/Beggars)
  389. DJ Krush * Jaku (Red Ink)
  390. El-P * High Water: Mark (Thirsty Ear)
  391. The Ex * Turn (Dekonkurent)
  392. The Fall * The New Fall LP, Formerly Known as Country on the Click (Narnack)
  393. Fly Pan Am * Necoutez Pas (Constellation)
  394. Front Line Assembly * Civilization (Metropolis)
  395. Fu Manchu * Start The Machine (DRT)
  396. Gift Of Gab * Fourth Dimensional Rocketships (Quannum)
  397. Growing * The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light (Kranky)
  398. David Grubbs * A Guess at the Riddle (Drag City)
  399. Guided By Voices * Half Smiles Of The Decomposed The Eternals (Aesthetics)
  400. The Haunted * rEVOLVEr (Century Media)
  401. Haymarket Riot * Mog (Thick)
  402. The High Water Marks * Songs About The Ocean (Eenie Meanie)
  403. Hoodoo Gurus * Mach Shau (EMI)
  404. I Am the World Trade Center * Cover Up (Gammon)
  405. Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria * Fireworks on TV (Q Division)
  406. Angelique Kidjo * Oyaya! (Columbia)
  407. Knife & Fork * Miserycord (Eric Drew Feldman) (Diesel Motor)
  408. Last Burning Embers * Lessons in Redemption (Pink Frost/Big Takeover)
  409. The Last Emperor * Palace Of The Pretender (Raptivism/Rykodisc)
  410. Los Lobos * The Ride (Mammoth)
  411. Jesse Malin * The Heat (Artemis)
  412. The Mendoza Line * Fortune (Bar/None)
  413. Tift Merritt * Tambourine (Universal)
  414. Pedro the Lion: Achilles Heel (Jade Tree)
  415. Pharoah Monch * Innver Vision
  416. The Mountain Goats * We Shall All Be Healed (4AD)
  417. Dan "The Automator" Nakamura * Omakase
  418. Numbers * In My Mind All The Time (Tigerbeat6)
  419. Of Montreal * Satanic Panic in the Attic (Polyvinyl)
  420. Jair Oliveira * 3.1 (Trama)
  421. OOIOO * Kila Kila Kila (Thrill Jockey)
  422. Rodney P * The Future (Riddim Killa)
  423. Pan-American * Quiet City (Kranky)
  424. Pedro the Lion * Achilles Heel (Jade Tree)
  425. Josh Ritter * Hellow Starling (Setanta)
  426. Rob K * The End of the Earth (Orange)
  427. Todd Rundgren * Liars (Sanctuary)
  428. The Sad Riders * Lay Your Head On The Soft Rock (Stick Sister)
  429. Saturday Looks Good To Me * Every Night (Polyvinyl)
  430. Shivaree * Breach (Rounder)
  431. Silver Ray * New Love (Broken Horse)
  432. State Of Bengal vs Paban Das Baul * Tana Tani (Real World)
  433. Huong Thanh * Mangustao (Act)
  434. David Thomas and Two Pale Boys * 18 Monkeys on a Dead Manxs Chest (Thirsty Ear)
  435. Glenn Tilbrook * Transatlantic Ping Pong (Compass/Quixotic London)
  436. Trans Am * Liberation (Thrill Jockey)
  437. Tweaker * 2 a.m. Wakeup Call (Waxploitation/iMusic)
  438. Vandermark 5 * Elements of Style...Exercises in Surprise (Atavistic)
  439. Vanishing * Still Lives in Progress (GSL)
  440. Velvet Crush * Stereo Blues (Action Musik)
  441. VHS or Beta * Night On Fire (Astralwerks)
  442. Waxwings * Let's Make our Descent (Yep Roc)
  443. Whirlwind Heat * Flamingo Honey (Dim Mak)
  444. Saul Williams (Fader)
  445. X-ecutioners * Revolutions (Columbia)
  446. Richard Youngs * River Through Howling Sky (Jagjaguwar)

Back To The Top

2003

    10-

  1. Radiohead * Hail To The Thief (Capitol)
  2. Four Tet * Rounds (Domino)
  3. Café Tacvba * Quatro Caminos (MCA)
  4. The Mars Volta * De-Loused In The Comatorium (GSL/Universal)

    9+

  5. The Concretes (Licking Fingers Sweden)
  6. Lomax * A Symbol Of Modern Living (93 Records)
  7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs * Fever To Tell (Interscope)
  8. Sufjan Stevens * Greetings from Michigan (Asthmatic Kitty)
  9. Prefuse 73 * One Word Extinguisher (Warp)
  10. Otto * Sem Gravidade (Trama)
  11. Super Furry Animals * Phantom Power (XL/Beggars)
  12. Broadcast * Hahasound (Warp)
  13. Ed Harcourt * From Every Sphere (Astralwerks/Heaven)
  14. Stars * Heart (Arts & Crafts)
  15. Josh Rouse * 1972 (Rykodisc)
  16. Shack * Here's Tom With The Weather (North Country UK)
  17. Do Make Say Think * Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (Constellation)
  18. Tujiko Noriko * From Tokyo to Naiagara (Tomlab)
  19. Menomena * I Am The Fun Blame Monster (Muuuhahaha!)
  20. The White Stripes * Elephant (V2)
  21. Daude * Neguinha Te Amo (Realworld)
  22. Juana Molina * Segundo (Domino)
  23. M83 * Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (EMI FR)
  24. Frog Eyes * The Golden River (Animal World)
  25. Rokia Traore * Bowmboi (Tama)
  26. Colder * Again (Output UK)
  27. Lucas Santtana * Parada De Lucas (Diginois Brazil)
  28. Hawksley Workman * Lover/Fighter (Universal)
  29. Tom Zé * Imprensa Cantada (Trama)
  30. Mogwai * Happy Songs For Happy People (Matador)
  31. Nina Nastasia * Run To Ruin (Touch And Go)
  32. Joe Henry * Tiny Voices (Anti)
  33. Elbow * Cast Of Thousands (V2)
  34. Manitoba * Up In Flames (Domino)
  35. TV On The Radio * Young Liars EP (Touch And Go)
  36. A Frames * A Frames 2 (S-S Records)
  37. Belle & Sebastian * Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Sanctuary)
  38. Zoot Woman (Wall Of Sound)
  39. Pelican * Australasia (Hydra Head)
  40. The Darkness * Permission To Land (Must Destroy)
  41. Longwave * The Strangest Things (RCA)
  42. The Stills * Logic Will Break Your Heart (Vice)
  43. The Twilight Singers * Blackberry Belle (One Little Indian)
  44. Snow Patrol * Final Straw (Universal UK)
  45. The Rapture * Echoes (DFA/Universal)
  46. Bonobo * Dial "M" For Monkey (Ninja Tune)
  47. Benjamin Biolay * Negatif (EMI)
  48. Outkast * Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (LaFace)
  49. The Strokes * Room On Fire (BMG)
  50. Calexico * Feast of Wire (Quarterstick)
  51. Calla * Televise (Arena Rock Recording Co)
  52. HiM * Many In High Places Are Not Well (Bubble Core)
  53. The Books * Lemon Of Pink (TomLab)
  54. The Constantines * Shine A Light (Sub Pop)
  55. Kahimi Karie * Trapeziste (Victor)
  56. Enslaved * Below The Lights (The End)
  57. B. Fleischmann * Welcome Tourist (Morr)
  58. Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham * L' Avventura (Jetset)
  59. Haco & Sakamoto Hiromichi * Ash in the Rainbow (Detector/ReR Megacorp)
  60. Bang Gang * Something Wrong (Recall Iceland)
  61. The Black Keys * Thickfreakness (Fat Possum)
  62. Etienne Daho * Reevolution (Virgin)
  63. Robert Wyatt * Cuckooland (Hannibal)
  64. The Wrens * Meadowlands (Absolutely Kosher)
  65. Asian Dub Foundation * Enemy of the Enemy (Virgin)
  66. Mark Lanegan Band * Here Comes The Weird Chill EP (Beggars)

    9

  67. The Lord Weird Slough Feg * Traveller (Dragon Heart)
  68. The Meads Of Asphodel * Exhuming The Grave Of Yeshua (Supernal)
  69. Beulah * Yoko (Velocette)
  70. Ty * Upwards (Big Dada UK)
  71. Johnny Cash * Unearthed (American)
  72. Head Of Femur * Ringodom Or Proctor (Greyday)
  73. The Coral * Magic And Medicine (Deltasonic)
  74. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness EP (Emperor Jones)
  75. Architecture in Helsinki * Fingers Crossed (Trifekta)
  76. Terry Hall & Mushtaq * The Hour Of Two Lights (Astralwerks)
  77. Firewater * The Man On The Burning Tightrope (Jetset)
  78. The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa * Slowthinking (Labels Czech Rep)
  79. Pascals * Abiento (Les Disques Du Sol FR)
  80. The Silver Mt. Zion * This Is Our Punk-Rock (Constellation)
  81. Metric * Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Everloving)
  82. Sons And Daughters * Love The Cup (Ba Da Bing/Domino)
  83. Kazumi Nikaidoh * Mata Otosimasitayo (You Dropped Something Again, Didn't You) (Poet Portraits Jpn)
  84. John Cale * Hobosapiens (EMI)
  85. The Bug * Pressure (Meow)
  86. The Fiery Furnaces * Gallowsbird's Bark (Sanctuary)
  87. Diamanda Galas * La Serpenta Canta (Mute)
  88. Hexstatic * Listen & Learn (Ninja Tune)
  89. Cass McCombs * A (Monitor)
  90. Souad Massi * Deb (Wrasse)
  91. Alias * Muted (Anticon)
  92. The Autumn Defense * Circles (Arena Rock)
  93. stellastarr* (RCA)
  94. Magnet * On Your Side (Ultimate Dilemma UK)
  95. Amon Tobin * Collaborations EP (Ninja Tune)
  96. Supersilent * 6 (Rune Grammafon)
  97. M. Ward * Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge)
  98. The Cuts * 2 Over Ten (Birdman)
  99. Camera Obscura * Underachievers Please Try Harder (Elefant/Merge)
  100. Milky * Travels With A Donkey (Siesta Spain)
  101. Sun Kil Moon * Ghosts Of The Great Highway (Jetset)
  102. Diamanda Galas * Defixiones: Will and Testament, Orders from the Dead (Mute)
  103. Lamb Of God * As The Palaces Burn (Prosthetic)
  104. Dead Meadow * Shivering King and Others (Matador)
  105. The Kingsbury Manx * Aztec Discipline (Overcoat)
  106. The Shins * Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
  107. Excepter * Ka (Fusetron)
  108. The Wildhearts * Must Be Destroyed (Sanctuary)
  109. The Rosebuds * The Rosebuds Make Out (Merge)
  110. The Russian Futurists * Let's Get Ready To Crumble (Upper Class)
  111. The Unicorns * Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien8)
  112. Diverse * One A.M. (Chocolate Industries)
  113. Alaska! * Emotions (B-Girl)
  114. Jean Grae * The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP (Babygrande)
  115. Viktor Vaughn (aka MF Doom) * Vaudeville Villain (Sound-Ink)
  116. Basement Jaxx * Kish Kash (Astralwerks)
  117. Modey Lemon * Thunder + Lightning (Birdman)
  118. Dean Roberts * Be Mine Tonight (Kranky)
  119. Fernanda Porto (Trama)
  120. The Ladybug Transistor (Merge)
  121. The Weakerthans * Reconstruction Site (Epitaph)
  122. Laika * Wherever I Am I Am What Is Missing (Too Pure/Beggars)
  123. David Sylvian * Blemish (Samadhisound)
  124. U.N.K.L.E. * Never, Never Land (Mo' Wax/Island)
  125. One Mile North * Minor Shadows (Ba Da Bing!)
  126. Animal Collective * Here Comes The Indian (Paw Tracks)
  127. Mu * Afro Finger and Gel (Tigersushi/Output)
  128. Explosions In The Sky * Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (Temporary)
  129. Madlib * Shades Of Blue (Blue Note)
  130. Fannypack * So Stylistic (Tommy Boy)
  131. U.N.P.O.C. * Fifth Column (Domino UK)
  132. Pleasure Forever * Alter (Sub Pop)
  133. Tribalistas (Marisa Monte, Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown) (EMI)
  134. Virginia Rodrigues * Mares Profundos (Edge Music)
  135. Shelby Lynne * Identity Crisis (Capitol)
  136. Oceansize * Effloresce (Beggars Banquet UK)
  137. Kid Koala * Some Of My Best Friends Are DJs (Ninja Tune)
  138. Poison The Well * You Come Before You (Trustkill)
  139. Steve Burns * Songs For Dustmites (Pias America)
  140. Lightning Bolt * Wonderful Rainbow (Load)
  141. Dimmu Borgir * Death Cult Armageddon (Nuclear Blast)
  142. Exhumed * Anatomy Is Destiny (Relapse)
  143. Children Of Bodom * Hate Crew Deathroll (Century Media)
  144. Naglfar * Sheol (Century Media)
  145. Hamell On Trial * Tough Love (Righteous Babe)
  146. Rufus Wainwright * Want One (DreamWorks)
  147. Chris Clark * Empty the Bones of You (Warp)
  148. 7 Hurtz * Electroleum (Output)
  149. Ellen Allien * Berlinette (Bpitch Control UK)
  150. The Hidden Cameras * The Smell Of Our Own (Evil Evil/Rough Trade)
  151. Yo La Tengo * Summer Sun (Matador)
  152. The Dirty Three * She Has No Strings, Apollo (Touch And Go)
  153. The Natural History * Beat Beat Heartbeat (Startime)
  154. The Handsome Family * Singing Bones (Carrot Top)
  155. Tricky * Vulnerable (Hollywood)
  156. Cibelle (Six Degrees)
  157. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros * Streetcore (Hellcat/Epitaph)
  158. Cheer Accident * Gumballhead The Cat (Skin Graft)
  159. Set Fire to Flames * Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static (Alien8)
  160. Ricardo Villalobos * Alcachofa (Playhouse)
  161. Polmo Polpo * Like Hearts Swelling (Constellation)
  162. Angels of Light * Everything Is Good Here/Please Come (Young God)
  163. Tied & Tickled Trio * Observing Systems (Morr Music)
  164. Tim Hecker * Radio Amor (Mille Plateaux)
  165. Envy * Dead Sinking Story (Level Plane)
  166. Trio Mocote * Beleza! Beleza! Beleza! (Six Degrees)
  167. Growing * Sky's Run into the Sea (Kranky)
  168. +/- * You Are Here (Teenbeat)
  169. David Byrne * Lead Us Not Into Temptation (Thrill Jockey)
  170. Clientele * Violet Hour (Merge)
  171. Marshmallow (Lo-Max Aus.)
  172. Luke Haines & The Auteurs * Das Capital (Hut)
  173. Nitin Sawhney * Human (V2)
  174. The Undertones * Get What You Need (Sanctuary)
  175. Richard Youngs * Airs Of The Ear (Jagjaguwar)
  176. Ed Motta * Poptical (Trama)
  177. The Exploding Hearts * Guitar Romantic (Dirtnap)
  178. The Distillers * Coral Fang (Sire)
  179. Soft Pink Truth * Do You Party? (Soundslike)
  180. Luomo * The Present Lover (Force Inc)
  181. Mates Of State * Team Boo (Polyvinyl)
  182. Lamb * Between Darkness And Wonder (Mercury)
  183. Rhythm & Sound * The Artists (Asphodel)
  184. Elefant * Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid (Kernado)
  185. Willard Grant Conspiracy * Regard The End (Glitterhouse)
  186. Kevin Blechdom * Bitches Without Britches (EFA)
  187. The Fire Theft (Rykodisc)
  188. Isobel Campbell * Amorino (Instinct)
  189. Pernice Brothers * Yours, Mine & Ours (Ashmont)
  190. Eleni Mandell * Country For True Lovers (Zedtone)
  191. Emmylou Harris * Stumble Into Grace (Nonesuch)
  192. Janet Bean and the Concertina Wire * Dragging Wonder Lake (Thrill Jockey)
  193. Rancid * Indestructible (Epitaph)
  194. Alasdair Roberts * Farewell Sorrow (Rough Trade)
  195. Martina Topley-Bird * Quixotic (Independente)
  196. Wheat * Per Second Per Second . . . Every Second (Sony)
  197. Matmos * The Civil War (Matador)
  198. Quasi * Hot Shit! (Sub Pop)
  199. Pram * Dark Island (Merge)
  200. Ui * Answers (Southern)
  201. Cat Power * You Are Free (Matador)
  202. British Sea Power * The Decline Of British Sea Power (Rough Trade)
  203. Wire * Send (Pink Flag)
  204. Songs: Ohia * The Magnolia Electric Co. (Secretly Canadian)
  205. The Creatures * Hai! (Sioux)
  206. Opeth * Damnation (Koch)
  207. The Tyde * Twice (Rough Trade)
  208. Joy Zipper * American Whip (13 Amp)
  209. Murder By Death * Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them (Eyeball)
  210. Tindersticks * Waiting For The Moon (Beggars Banquet)
  211. DJ Cheb I Sabbha * As Far As (Six Degrees)
  212. Eels * Shootenanny! (DreamWorks)
  213. Bent * The Everlasting Blink (Sport)
  214. Tangiers * Hot New Spirits (Sonic Unyon)
  215. Bardo Pond * On The Eclipse (ATP)
  216. Non-Prophets * Hope (Lex)
  217. Death Cab For Cutie * Transalanticism (Barsuk)

    9-

  218. Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower * Dissertation, Honey (Happy Couples Never)
  219. Califone * Quicksand/Cradlesnakes (Thrill Jockey)
  220. Portastatic * The Summer of the Shark (Merge)
  221. Portastatic * Autumn Was A Lark (Merge)
  222. So (Thrill Jockey)
  223. The Go Betweens * Bright Yellow, Bright Orange (Circus)
  224. The Sea And Cake * One Bedroom (Thrill Jockey)
  225. Arab Strap * Monday at the Hug and Pint (Matador)
  226. Beans * Tomorrow Right Now (Warp)
  227. Aesop Rock * Bazooka Tooth (Def Jux)
  228. King Geedorah * Take Me to Your Leader (Big Dada)
  229. Old Man's Child * In Defiance Of Existence (Century Media)
  230. Grimfist * Ghouls Of Grandeur (Candlelight)
  231. Arch Enemy * Anthems Of Rebellion (Century Media)
  232. Damien Jurado * Where Shall You Take Me? (Secretly Canadian)
  233. Entombed * Inferno (Koch)
  234. Occult * Rage To Revenge (Pavement)
  235. The Deadly Snakes * Ode To Joy (In The Red)
  236. The Sleepy Jackson * Lovers (EMI)
  237. Aereogramme * Sleep and Release (Chemikal Underground)
  238. Need New Body * UFO (File 13)
  239. Kelis * Tasty (Star Trak/Arista)
  240. Missy Elliott * This Is Not A Test (Goldmind/Elektra)
  241. The Postal Service * Give Up (Sub Pop)
  242. Lucinda Williams * World Without Tears (Lost Highway)
  243. Meshell Ndegeocello * Comfort Woman (Maverick)
  244. Psychonauts * Songs For Creatures (International Deejay Gigalo)
  245. The Watchers * To The Rooftops (Gern Blandsten)
  246. LFO * Sheath (Warp)
  247. Autechre * Draft 7.30 (Warp)
  248. Zinc * Faster (Polydor)
  249. Outrageous Cherry * Supernatural Equinox (Rainbow Quartz)
  250. The Thrills * So Much For The City (Virgin)
  251. The BellRays * Red, White And Black (Poptones)
  252. Daniel Lanois * Shine (Anti)
  253. James Kirk * You Can Make It If You Boogie (Marina)
  254. New Pornographers * Electric Version (Matador)
  255. 31 Knots * It Was High Time To Escape (54-40 or Fight)
  256. Ry Cooder/Manuel Galban * Mambo Sinuendo (Nonesuch/Perro Verde)
  257. Movietone * The Sand And The Stars (Domino/Geographic)
  258. Massive Attack * 100th Window (Virgin)
  259. The Tyrades (Broken Rekids)
  260. Gorky's Zygotic Mycni * Sleep/Holiday (Mantra/Beggars Banquet)
  261. Chicks On Speed * 99 Cents (Chicks On Speed)
  262. Los Amigos Invisibles * The Venezuelan Zinga Son Vol 1 (Long Lost Brother)
  263. Guided By Voices * Earthquake Glue (Matador)
  264. Adult. * Anxiety Always (Ersatz Audio)
  265. Jay Farrar * Terroir Blues (Artemis)
  266. Erin McKeown * Grand (Nettwerk)
  267. Nebula * Atomic Ritual (Sub Pop)
  268. Damien Rice * O (Vector)
  269. Pretty Girls Make Graves * The New Romance (Matador)
  270. The National * Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (Brassland)
  271. Crooked Fingers * Red Devil Dawn (Merge)
  272. Paper Airplane Pilots * The History Of Flying (Spade Kitty)
  273. The Dears * No Cities Left (Grenadine)
  274. A Perfect Circle * Thirteenth Step (Virgin)
  275. Neil Michael Hagerty * The Hex (Drag City)
  276. Erase Errata * At Crystal Palace (Blast First)
  277. Goldfrapp * Black Cherry (Mute)
  278. Ex Models * Zoo Psychology (Frenchkiss)
  279. Natacha Atlas * Something Dangerous (Mantra)
  280. Amy Rigby * Til The Wheels Fall Off (Signature)
  281. Prince Paul * Politics of the Business (Razor & Tie)
  282. Cardia (Silverthree)
  283. The Kills * Keep On Your Mean Side (Rough Trade)
  284. Atmosphere * Seven's Travels (Epitaph)
  285. Clearlake * Cedars (Domino)
  286. Chris Lee * Cool Rock (Misra)
  287. The Gossip * Movement (Kill Rock Stars)
  288. Entombed * Inferno (Koch)
  289. The Webb Brothers (WEA)
  290. Blondie * The Curse Of Blondie (Epic)
  291. Susheela Raman * Love Trap (Narada)]
  292. Subarachnoid Space * Also Rising (Strange Attractors)
  293. Karsh Kale * Liberation (Six Degrees)
  294. Deerhoof * Apple O' (Kill Rock Stars)
  295. Mariza * Fado Curvo (Times Square)
  296. Killing Joke (Pilot)
  297. Tomahawk * Mit Gas (Ipecac)
  298. Dinky * Black Cabaret (Carpark)
  299. Richard Hawley * Lowedges (Setanta)
  300. Mr. Quintron * Are You Ready For An Organ Solo (Three-One-G)
  301. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds * Nocturama (Mute)
  302. Mojave 3 * Spoon And Rafter (4AD)
  303. Iggy Pop * Skull Ring (Virgin)
  304. Whirlwind Heat * Do Rabbits Wonder (V2)
  305. Turnerjoy * Transplant (Mohofusu)
  306. Black Box Recorder * Passionoia (One Little Indian)
  307. Iron Maiden * Dance Of Death (Columbia)
  308. The Brian Jonestown Massacre * And This Is Our Music (Tee Pee)
  309. Ricki Lee Jones * The Evening Of My Best Day (V2)
  310. Spiritualized * Amazing Grace (Sanctuary Records)
  311. The Party Of Helicopters * Please Believe It (Velocette)
  312. Saturday Looks Good To Me * All Your Summer Songs (Polyvinyl)
  313. Tokyo Sex Destruction * Le Red Soul Comunnitte (10 Points Program) (Dim Mak)
  314. Nataraj XT * Ocean Birds (Nu Tone)
  315. Fruit Bats * Mouthfuls (Sub Pop)
  316. Minus 5 * Down with Wilco (Yep Roc)
  317. Grandaddy * Sumday (V2)
  318. The Decemberists * Her Majesty, The Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars)
  319. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks * Pig Lib (Matador)
  320. Andrew Bird * Weather Systems EP (Grimsey)
  321. Azita * Enantiodromia (Drag City)
  322. Gang Starr * Ownerz (Virgin)
  323. Buzzcocks (Merge)
  324. A.R.E. Weapons (Rough Trade)
  325. Scout Niblett * I Am (Secretly Canadian)
  326. Smog * Dinner (Drag City)
  327. Fantomas * Delerium Cordia (Ipecac)
  328. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club * Take Them On, On Your Own (Virgin)
  329. Matt Eliott * The Mess We Made (Merge)
  330. Momus * Oskar Tennis Champion (American Patchwork)
  331. The Beautiful South * Gaze (Mercury)
  332. Katatonia * Viva Emptiness (Peaceville)
  333. Throwing Muses (4AD)
  334. Rainer Maria * Long Knives Drawn (Polyvinyl)
  335. Bonnie Prince Billie * Master And Everyone (Palace)
  336. Gillian Welch * Soul Journey (Acony/WEA)
  337. Black Eyes (Dischord)
  338. Cul de Sac * Death To The Sun (Strange Attractors Audio House)
  339. Loose Fur (Drag City)
  340. Audio Bullys * Ego War (Astralwerks)
  341. The Blood Brothers * Burn, Piano Island, Burn (ArtistDirect)
  342. The American Analog Set * Promise of Love (Tiger Style)
  343. Plaid * Spoke (Warp)
  344. Pole * 45/45 (Mute)
  345. The Aislers Set * How I Learned To Write Backwards (Suicide)
  346. Cave In * Antenna (RCA)
  347. Kinski * Airs Above Your Station (Strange Attractors Audio House/Sub Pop)
  348. Muse * Absolution (A&M/ EastWest)
  349. Jane's Addiction * Strays (Capitol)
  350. DJ Tiga * DJ Kicks (!K7)
  351. Shipping News * Three-Four (Touch & Go)
  352. Maria McKee * High Dive (Viewfinder)
  353. Blur * Think Tank (Virgin)
  354. Jetplane Landing * Once Like A Spark ()
  355. Vue * Down For Whatever (RCA)
  356. Sloan * Action Pact (Vik)
  357. Frankie Sparo * Welcome Crummy Mystics (Constellation)
  358. Kristin Hersh * The Grotto (4ad)
  359. Caitlin Cary * I'm Staying Out (Yep Roc)
  360. Junior Senior * D-Don't Stop The Music (Universal/Crunchy Frog)
  361. Thea Gilmore * Avalanche (Compass)
  362. The Lonesome Organist * Forms & Follies (Thrill Jockey)
  363. Deftones (Maverick)
  364. South * With The Tides (Kinetic)
  365. Jayhawks * Rainy Day Music (Lost Highway)
  366. Lungfish * Love Is Love (Dischord)
  367. Placebo * Sleeping With Ghosts (Astralwerks)
  368. Ween * Quebec (Sanctuary)
  369. The People Involved (People Involved)
  370. The Cramps * Fiends Of Dope Island (Vengeance)
  371. Adam Masterson * One Tale Too Many (Gravity)
  372. Drive-By Truckers * Decoration Day (Lost Highway)
  373. A.F.I. * Sing The Sorrow (DreamWorks)

    I only list a few 8's to make a point that I heard the albums, but don't think they're that great. While a B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several hundred albums out this year that are much better. Which is why I usually don't bother with 8+ at all. Unless they're friends of yours, who cares about the also-rans? For a more accurate ranking, then, add about 300 to the numbers below. I'm not saying they're horrible. Just imagine the rankings of artists like Creed or Britney, who I'd give (perhaps over-generously) about a 4. With about 28,000 albums released, that puts them somewhere around 10,000.

    8

  374. Athlete * Vehicles & Animals (EMI)
  375. Kings Of Leon * Youth And Young Manhood (RCA)
  376. Electric Soft Parade * American Adventure (BMG)
  377. Starsailor * Silence Is Easy (EMI)
  378. Coheed & Cambria * In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (Equal Vision)
  379. My Morning Jacket * It Still Moves (ATO/RCA)
  380. Peaches * Fatherfucker (Beggars XL)
  381. Bic Runga * Beautiful Collision (Columbia)
  382. Tom McRae * Just Like Blood (DB)
  383. Travis * 12 Memories (Epic)
  384. Bubba Sparxxx * Deliverance (Interscope)
  385. Lou Reed * The Raven (WB)
  386. Ocean Colour Scene * North Atlantic Drift (Sanctuary)
  387. Mink Lungs * I'll Take It (Arena Rock)
  388. Kill Hannah * For Never & Ever (Atlantic)
  389. Mondo Generator * Drug Problem That Never Existed (Ipecac)
  390. Fountains Of Wayne * Welcome Interstate Managers (Virgin)
  391. Sightings * Michigan Haters (Load)
  392. The Caridgans * Long Gone Before Daylight (Stockholm)
  393. Evan Dando * Baby I'm Bored (Bar None)
  394. The Microphones * Mount Eerie (k)
  395. Zwan * Mary Star of the Sea (Reprise)
  396. Sophie Ellis Bextor * Shoot From The Hip (Polydor UK)
  397. Dizzee Rascal * Boy In Da Corner (XL)

    These are alphabetical because I have not yet heard them (but they come recommended by reasonably reputable sources)

  398. Amadou & Mariam * Wati (Universal)
  399. Antipop Consortium vs Matthew Shipp * (Thirsty Ear)
  400. Bed * Spacebox (Ici D'Alleurs)
  401. Bottom Of The Hudson * The Omaha Record (Absolutely Kosher)
  402. Breathless * Behind The Light (Tenor Vossa)
  403. Brokeback * Looks at Birds (Thrill Jockey)
  404. Broken Family Band * Cold Water Songs (Snowstorm)
  405. Buck 65 * Talkin' Honky Tonk Blues (WEA)
  406. Joe Budden (Def Jam)
  407. The Buffseeds * The Picture Show (Fantastic)
  408. Paul Burch * Fool For Love (Spit & Polish)
  409. Cex * Being Ridden (Temporary Residence)
  410. Consonant * Love And Affliction (Fenway)
  411. Julian Cope * Rome Wasn't Buried In A Day (Head Heritage)
  412. Cyann & Ben * Spring (Locust)
  413. De La Soul * SFS: Spit Flows & Safety (It Ain't Safe in the Water) (Sequence)
  414. Julie Doiron * Broken Girl (Jagjaguwar)
  415. Dub Syndicate * Murder Tone (On-U Sound)
  416. East River Pipe * Garbageheads on Endless Stun (Merge)
  417. Echoboy * Giraffe (Mute)
  418. The 88 * Kind Of Light (BMK)
  419. Electric Six * Fire (XL/Beggars)
  420. El-P * El-P Presents Sunrise In Brooklyn (Def Jux)
  421. Evil Beaver * Pleased to Eat You (Johann's Face)
  422. Exo * The Safety Primer Justice (i4)
  423. Fallacy * Blackmarket Boy (Virgin)
  424. Freescha * What's Come Inside You (Attack 9)
  425. Bill Frisell/Marc Ribot/Tim Sparks * Masada Guitars (Tzadik)
  426. Further Seems Forever * How To Start A Fire (Tooth And Nail)
  427. Future Bible Heroes * The Lonely Robot (Instinct)
  428. Howe Gelb * The Listener (Thrill Jockey)
  429. The Haunted * One Kill Wonder (Earache)
  430. I Am Kloot (Echo)
  431. Ima Robot (Virgin)
  432. The Jealous Sound * Kill Them With Kindness (Better Looking)
  433. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists * Hearts of Oak (Lookout!)
  434. The Long Winters * When I Pretend T oFall (Munich)
  435. Loop Guru * Bathtime With Loop Guru (Elsewhen)
  436. The Magic Band * Back To The Front (All Tomorrow's Parties)
  437. The Magic Magicians (Suicide Squeeze)
  438. April March * Triggers (Tricagel)
  439. Melt Banana * Cell-Scape (A-zap)
  440. More Fire Crew * More Fire Crew C.V. (Go Beat)
  441. Mull Historical Society * Society Us (Beggars)
  442. Nephlim Modulation Systems * Woe to Thee O Land When Thy King Is a Child (Big Dada)
  443. New Wet Kojak * The Glamorous (Beggars)
  444. Nurse With Wound * Salt Marie Celeste (United Dairies)
  445. Oh Susanna (Hot Records)
  446. Einar Orn * Ghostigital (Honest Jons)
  447. Piano Magic * The Troubled Sleep Of Piano Magic (Green UFOs)
  448. The Proclaimers * Born Innocent (Persevere)
  449. Radio Dept. * Lesser Matters (Shelflife)
  450. Radio Tarifa * Fiebre (World Circuit)
  451. Sarafin * No Push Collide (Taste)
  452. Adrian Sherwood * Never Trust A Hippy (Real World)
  453. Sole * Selling Live Water (Anticon)
  454. South San Gabriel * Welcome, Convalescence (Undertow)
  455. Spearmint * My Missing Days (Hitback)
  456. Joss Stone * The Soul Sessions (Relentless)
  457. Summer Hymns * Clemency (Misra)
  458. Nobukazu Takemura * 10th (Thrill Jockey)
  459. Themselves * The No Music Of Aiffs (Anticon)
  460. Trailer Bride * Hope Is a Thing With Feathers (Bloodshot)
  461. Trouble Hubble * Penturbia (Latest Flame)
  462. TRS-80 * Shake Hands with Danger (File 13)
  463. Venetian Snares * Chocolate Wheelchair Album (Planet Mu)
  464. Vibracathedral Orchestra * Queen Of Guess (VHF)
  465. The Waterboys * Universal Hall (Puck)
  466. Keith Fullerton Whitman * Dartmouth Street Underpass (Locust)
  467. Worm Is Green *