...would be one named "Think Tank" by Blur. I can't stop listening to it. A different type of Blur; not necessarily better, but equal.

in no particular order....
The Hidden Cameras - The Smell Of Our Own
Eels - Shootenanny
Grandaddy - Sumday
The White Stripes - Elephant
Mull Historical Society - Us
My Morning Jacket - At Dawn
Nick Cave - Nocturama
Bright Eyes - Lifted

most looking forward to
Elbow - Cast Of Thousands

and er....whats his face? morri....oh i forget now, he's back i here, should be interesting!

regards,
Kes x

Beautifully orchestrated, ambitious indiepop from Scotland. Best of the year by far.

We Were Born In A Flame by Sam Roberts. Yummy. Imagine if The End of the Family Line rocked and you'd have Dead End.

Radiohead - Hail to the Theif
Sigur ros - ( )
Stephen Malkmus - Pig Lib
Devin Townsend - Terria

It's The White Stripes - Elephant

If you don't like it straight away, give it time, it's a grower.

There's been tons of great music but without a doubt, i'd say the best of the last year (if not few years)...

Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

Sigur Ros - ()
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Beth Orton - Daybreaker
Beth Gibbons - Rustin Man
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People

In no particular order:

Blur - Think Tank
The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages Of...
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Deftones - Self Titled (Roses Album)
The Roots - Phrenology
Nick Cave - Nocturama
The Sheila Devine - Secret Society
Siouxsie & The Banshees - 7 Year Itch

A lack luster year for the post modern fan unfortunately. I guess my favorites would be Interpol or The Polyphonic Spree's releases.

All of the following were released between April 2002 and May 2003. Most should qualify for relesaes made in the past year or so.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Mooney Suzuki - Electric Sweat
Doves - The Last Broadcast
Oasis - Heathen Chemistry
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Soundtrack of Our Lives - Behind the Music
Laura Cantrell - When the Roses Bloom Again
Paul Weller - Illumination
Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self Destruction
Supergrass - Life On Other Planets
Idlewild - The Remote Part
Longwave - Strangest Things
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine & Ours

1. Blur Think Tank
2. Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights

Was there anything else worth mentioning?

by Supreme Beings of Leisure

Radiohead-"Hail To The Theif"
Blur-"Think Tank
Placebo-"Sleeping With Ghosts"
Soundtrack Of Our LIves-"B.T.M."
White Stripes-"Elephant"
Set Fire To Flames-"The Telegram"
Supergrass-"Life On Other Planets"
Cat Power-"You Are Free"
The Music-"The Music"

For the last year:

1. The Sounds - Living in America
2. Bright Eyes - Lifted
3. Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea
4. Mum - Now We are No One
5. Mars Volta

Yes! - Finn

Athlete - Vehicles and Animals
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
Michelle Shocked - Deep Natural
Junior Senior - DDD Don't stop the beat

2003
Hail To The Thief - Radiohead
Elephant - White Stripes
Think Tank - Blur

2002
A Rush Of Blood To The Head - Coldplay
Riot Act - Pearl Jam
By The Way - Chili Peppers
Heathen Chemistry - Oasis
One By One - Foo Fighters
Up The Bracket - Libertines
The Rising - Bruce Springsteen
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - Flaming Lips

Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Laura Cantrell - When the Roses Bloom Again
Richard Buckner - Impasse

In order:

Beth Orton - Daybreaker
Sarah Harmer - You Were Here
Sarah Slean - Nightbugs
Johnny Marr and the Healers - Boomslang
Saint Etienne - Finisterre
Sarah Shannon - Sarah Shannon
Moodswings - Horizontal
Haven - Between the Senses
Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man in Babylon
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

Honorable mentions:
Melanie Chisholm - Reason
various - Morrissey: Under the Influence
Suede - A New Morning
PSB - Release

Momus - Oskar Tennis Champion

nada surf - let go
the raveonettes - whip it on
royksopp - melody a.m.
beth gibbons and rustin man - out of season
dj shadow - private press

1) 50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin'

2) Kelly Clarkson, Thankful

3) Soundtrack, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

4) Cher, The Best of Cher

5) R. Kelly, Chocolate Factory

6) Christina Aguilera, Stripped

7) Lil' Kim, La Bella Mafia

but they were all terrible. Suede's and Radiohead's CDs were the only ones I didn't vomit at upon hearing.

1.The Thermals - More parts per million
2.The Libertines - Up the bracket
3.The Thrills - So much for the city
4.Suede - A new morning

Suede - A New Morning
Tindersticks - Waiting For The Moon
Soul Whirling Somewhere - Pyewackit
Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham - L'Avventura
Echoboy - Giraffe
Jeff Tweedy - Chelsea Walls soundtrack
Luna - Romantica
Baptiste - Nothing Shines Like A Broken Heart
Leaves - Breathe
Cousteau - Sirena
JJ72 - I To Sky
The Clientele - The Violet Hour
Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Gray
Delgados - Hate
Rialto - Night On Earth
Czars - The Ugly People vs The Beautiful People
Lambchop - Tools In The Dryer
Horse Stories - Travelling Mercies (For Troubled Paths)
Martin L Gore - Counterfeit
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Ivy - Guestroom

is "100th window" from massive attack

Starflyer 59- Old
Radiohead- Hail To The Thief
Hot Hot Heat- Make Up The Breakdown

Not much else to list.

The Bellfuries "Just Plain Lonesome"- This album by Austin, TX native rockabilly/roots trio is one of the best albums OF ALL TIME, and surely one of the best of the year. No drums, but excellent rhythmic excursions by the slap bassist, mighty fine guitar/steel playing, and UNCHARACTERISTICALLY strong lyrics and great vocals bring out the fine talent of this band. I was at VZD's in Oklahoma City awhile back, and the band was taking requests. They did "Ask", "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" when we yelled out "Play SMIIIITHS!" They even did a partial Billy Bragg tune. If you get a chance, get their album and support them on the road. Not a lot of rockabilly acts will openly admit the Smiths as an influence, anyway!!! I'm pretty sure they're about to hit the west coast on tour soon.

Ladytron - Light & Magic

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Surprised no one's gone for Sparks' L'il Beethoven yet. An astonishing piece of work - and I'm nominating this for that reason, not because Morrissey likes them!!

Blur: Think Tank,
Beth Gibbons/Rustin Man: Out Of Season
Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
Athlete: Vehicals and Animals
White Stripes: Elephant

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Beth Gibbons -
The new jj72 album
Coldplay- A rush of blood...
The Vines - highly evolved
and something i must have missed and ill remember later....

ah! also Pulp "hits"... its not really "new" but i like it
no, i didnt like the new blur album much :/

the hidden cameras - the smell of our own
hot hot heat - make up the breakdown
yeah yeah yeahs - fever to tell
80's matchbox b-line disaster - horse of the dog
beck - sea change
interpol - turn on the bright lights
the coral - the coral (not sure if eligible)
raveonettes - whip it on
the flaming lips - yoshimi battles the pink robots

p.s was anyone else incredibly dissapointed with the thrills album??

1. Interpol-Turn On The Bright Lights
2. Goldfrapp-Black Cherry
3. Turbonegro-Scandinavian Leather

The past year has been rather disappointing. Nothing really stellar to speak of. These are the only ones I bought that haven't been shelved yet:

in no particular order...

1) radiohead - hail to the thief
2) Interpol - turn on the bright lights
3) beck - sea change
4) blur - think tank
5) rooney - rooney
6) lamb - what sound
7) peter murphy - dust
8) queens of the stone age - songs for the deaf
9) ian mcculloch - slideling

The best (and it wasn't hard to take first this year)
The Trashcan Sinatras - Zebra of the Family
The Get Up Kids - On a Wire
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Black Box Recorder - Passionia(though looking forward,much more,to the latest Auteurs release later this month)
That's it...there's nothing else...SAME TO YOU!

She may have been responsible for some shambolic live appearances lately but Cat Power's 'You Are Free' album has been my personal favourite, certainly worth the waste of 10 quid going to see her a few weeks ago!
  It's a fantastic record,'Good Woman' is just magic. She's a genius and like all others she's a tad insane I think.

Off the top o' the noggin. I've been on a bit of a budget, but I bought these:

Nick Cave- Nocturama
Fleetwood Mac- Say You Will
Soft Cell- Cruelty without Beauty
Johnny Cash- 4:Man comes around
Steroid Maximus- Ectopia
Gogol Bordello- Multi Kontra Culti Vs. Irony
Steve Earle- Jerusalem
Non-Children of the Black Sun
Badly Drawn Boy-Have you fed the fish
Chumbawamba- ReadyMades
Red Hot Chili Peppers- By the Way

I need to buy new music. I'm depressed now.

stephen malkmus - pig lib
m. ward - transfiguration of vincent
spoon = kill the moonlight
future bible heroes - eternal youth
luna - romantica
momus - oskar tennis champion
the aislers set - how i learned to write backwards
the libertines - up the bracket
starlight mints - built on squares
tobin sprout - lost planet & phantom voices

We're in the money
We're in the money
We've got a lot of what it takes to get along.
-----------------------------------

Besides that new AFI LP, I haven't listened to one other new song[s] in that shallow rat-faced year known as the 2003. So fer my list, in order, goes as follows:

1. The Beatles Anthology DVD Boxed Set
2. Morrissey - Still Seasick... (homemade cd-r)
3. Under My Shoe - Various Artists (homemade cd-r)
4. West Side Story DVD Boxed Set
5. AFI - Sing The Sorrow

---------------------------
Yes, 1933 is a great year for music!

Blur's Think Tank is probably the best and most original album of 2003 thus far. Graham Coxon isn't missed at all here. Most of the "pop" bands out there could learn a thing or two from this album--with the exception of "Crazy Beat." That song just seems highly unnecessary.

not since my teen years have i bought so few albums in one year.

only two that i can recall.

Nickel Creek, which wasn't released in this year, but i gave it a few spins and didn't see any point in it so it was shelved and not missed.

Jason Mraz.

nobody ever says anything about this guy, but i really like him. some of the songs are throwaway, but he sounds a bit like Don MacClean and has a very broad range in what he can pull off. i really enjoy it.

other than that, i'm confused by the shelves of new releases out there. everything seems the exact same to me so i really don't know what to buy.

Arab Strap - Monday at the Hug and Pint
The Cardigans - Long gone before daylight
Gemma Hayes - Night on my side
Chantal Kreviazuk - What if it all means something?
Marilyn Manson - The golden age of grotesque

Ron House: "Obsessed" (wasnt too nice when i met him... but, he's so great -- former Great Plains frontman)

Andy Partridge: "Fuzzy Warbles 1-4" (plus, they're signed)

My Version of It: "The Ball" (very good CD from mp3.com artists, plus they're last year record was great too, "Unknown Members" -- a play on Joy Division, Although I've heard they've broken up..)

The Resident's: "Icky Flix 2" (a CD of the songs left off the 1st soundtrack -- 'Just For You' is outstanding... i wrecked my car yesterday listening to it... really)

Jared Morris: "The Best of 1998-2002" (very creative but lacks cohesion --is that a word?-- from this mp3.com artist)

My Dad is Dead: "The Engine of Commerce" (first new album in 10,000,000 years, good stuff.. people wrote it off as trying too hard, but it's great)

XTC: "Coat of Many Cupboards" (box set came out last year but,. i just got it.)

1. Kristen Hersh - Grotto
2. The Durutti Column - Someone Else's Party
3. Smoking Popes - The Party's Over
4. Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun
5. Tender Trap - Film Molecules
6. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
7. The Stills - Rememberese e.p.
8. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - The Secret of Elena's Tomb
9. Pet Shop Boys - Disco 3
10. Future Bible Heroes - The Lonely Robot e.p.

up the bracket - the Libertines

Okay, I read all your comments. Then, I did a very simple statistical analysis (very uncharacteristic of me) of the top 10 picks. I listened to those albums in their entirety. The local record shop is cool like that. So, while I don't think it was a great year in music, and while I was not paying acute attention, what I really enjoyed the most was:

Badly Drawn Boy - About A Boy (soundtrack)

1. Elvis On Stage at the International Hotel, Las Vegas 1970

2. Elvis as Recorded At Madison Square Garden, 1972

As far as anything newer, I don't know about modern music because when I hear it accidentally on the radio I want to throw up, then shoot myself.

Interpol - turn on the bright lights
Peter Murphy - dust
Niko Case - blacklisted
Stephen Jones - almost cured of sadness
Babybird - lofi box (sometimes boring)
Camper v Beethoven - santa cruz years
Frank Black + Catholics - show me your tears
Lloyd Cole - music in a foreign language (sometimes really boring)
TATU - 200km in the wrong lane
Punjabi MC - the album
Wolfsheim - casting shadows
Tear Garden - eye spy...
Skinny Puppy - brap 6 + puppy gristle (extremely boring, but that's ok)
The Miss - no radio

I want to hear that My Dad Is Dead record but haven't found it. That guy sings like the guy from Interpol a little, like he has to pinch one. I can't recommend TATU enough. I heard it before I knew the whole russian teenage lesbian thing, and when I found out, wow, what a bonus.

hmmmm....

Badly Drawn Boy

About a boy Soundtrack