in addition to a few older releases, i have purchased 23 albums that were released this year. with apologies to (in no order) john vanderslice, magnetic fields, robert pollard (solo), the polyphonic spree, aberfeldy, the mountain goats, the secret machines, and elbow (all purchased this year, not up to snuff), i present the redhothalos top 15 or 2004.

1) modest mouse - good news for people who love bad news
2) the walkmen - bows + arrows
3) the streets - a grand don't come for free
4) franz ferdinand - franz ferdinand
5) the fiery furnaces - blueberry boat
6) dizzee rascal - showtime
7) ac newman - the slow wonder
8) elliott smith - from a basement on a hill
9) the killers - hot fuss
10) mission of burma - onoffon
11) guided by voices - half smiles of the decomposed
12) sonic youth - sonic nurse
13) wilco - a ghost is born
14) interpol - antics
15) rogue wave - out of the shadow

now, i have not given interpol enough of a chance, and i have probably overrated the killers. but i can't get enough of their two singles, 'mr. brightside' and 'somebody told me.' ac newman has been surging of late, which could indicate that it's about to move back down. it'll be tough to crack the top four however, as i think those are pretty tremendous.

i think that tops among the 'others receiving votes' category is the polyphonic spree's together we're heavy.

it should be noted that my best musical purchase of the year was love's classic forever changes, which is simply tremendous.

we'll also retread the 2003 list, with edits...the number in parenthesis is where it ranked last year:
1) the postal service - give up (N/R)
2) the new pornographers - electric version (8)
3) guided by voices - earthquake glue (1)
4) the decemberists - castaways and cutouts (4)
5) the strokes - room on fire (2)
6) the shins - chutes too narrow (9)
7) the decemberists - her majesty the decemberists (5)
8) death cab for cutie - transantlanticism (3)
9) the pernice brothers - yours, mine and ours (14)
10) the white stripes - elephant

falling out of the top ten were the wrens (7 - and stolen) and ted leo and the pharmacists (10).

and now, 2002 redux (first number is my 2002 rating, second is my 2003 rating)
1) interpol - turn on the bright lights (1, 1)
2) the walkmen - everyone who pretended to like me is gone (4, N/R)
3) blackalicious - blazing arrow (N/R, 7)
4) guided by voices - universal truths and cycles (6, 5)
5) wilco - yankee hotel foxtrot (10, N/R)
6) the streets - original pirate material (N/R, 4)
7) spoon - kill the moonlight (3, 3)
8) the flaming lips - yoshimi battles the pink robots (9, N/R)
9) ...and you will know us by the trail of dead - source tags and codes (2, 8)
10) the mountain goats - tallahassee (N/R, 6)

tough loss for the cats last night, although it was the closest 35-point loss i've ever seen.