Kathleen Edwards

Since everybody seems to be coming up with their best of lists, I just thought I’d add my two cents worth about some of the best music from last year that i enjoyed. Maybe this will foster discussion, debate, and/or world peace.
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever to Tell, this whole post-punk garage rock resurgence thing is really hit or miss and sometimes i wish it would go away like ashton kutcher and the trucker hat, but i’m a sucker for dirty chicks that rock (see below) and karen o rocks.
9. The Kills: Keep on Your Mean Side (see above) VV, dirty chick that rocks.
8. The White Stripes: Elephant, this album gets better with every listen. at first i thought it was too derivative, sounded more like copy than homage, but really they’re just plain awesome and the cover photo to the album is enough to put it in the top ten.
7. The Strokes: Room on Fire, say what you want about this sophomore effort but sounding like the next 11 songs off “is this it” is not a bad thing at all. bravo.
6. Youth and Young Manhood: Kings of Leon, this is just good, drinking, hanging out in the yard, grilling meat, driving around in trucks, smoking cigarettes, and gettin’ toad up music. we’ll see how long they stick around.
5. Damien Jurado: Where Shall You Take Me, just plain awesome, saw him at schubas singing his songs about murder and matinee movies, fantastic! “first came the screams then the blood on the floor,” “matinee, why go late? cause the movies are better during the day.”
4. Gillian Welch: Soul Journey, saw her at the vic theater with her cohort david rawlings. held everybody captive with her floral dress, shiny boots, and mesmerizing voice, great performance for a great album.
3. My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves, indescribable mystical 8 minute songs packed with enchanting reverb and just enough twang to make you think, “hey, are they from kentucky?”
2. Radiohead: Hail to the Thief, combines the best of post “ok computer” work with the rock of “the bends.” saw them out at some amphitheater in wisconsin this past summer, hands down one of the best rock shows i’ve ever seen, won’t hesitate to see them again, please go when they tour again.
1. Failer: Kathleen Edwards, got this at the beginning of last year and i thought it probably wouldn’t stay at the top spot for 12 months but it’s no doubt the best album i heard all year, top to bottom, lyrically, musically, emotionally, spiritually, mathematically. all there, real deal. best thing to come from canada since brian adams.
So there you go, hopefully you have you’re own favorites. There are obviously some things missing but it’s cause i just couldn’t hear everything. Other notables that other reliable sources liked but i haven’t heard yet: silver lake: vic chesnutt, o, damien rice, you are free, cat power, stumble into grace, emylou, speakerboxxx/the love below, outkast
Here’s to a musically enriched ’04!
Look to the right (if you are reading this on the homepage) to find links for purchasing each of the fine albums mentioned above.