50 Greatest CDs of 2004 (25-50)
Posted Tuesday 11/23/2004 1:00 AM in
Guide
by
Nick Catucci, Clark Collis, Josh Eells, Andy Pemberton, Rob Tannenbaum and Jonah Weiner
Filed Under:
greatest cds, janet, ashlee simpson, pj harvey, prince, hives, courtney love, wilco, nellie mckay, streets, usher, rilo kiley, franz ferdinand
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50 Janet Jackson
Damita Jo Virgin
From 2004’s most notorious flasher, mature, sexy R&B that is hotter than a Super Bowl halftime show.
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49 The Thermals
Fuckin A Sub Pop
The numbers are in on this Portland punk trio’s sophomore set: 12 songs, 28 minutes, 93 blown amps.
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Wayward Angel Reprise
Oz’s hottest cowgirl gets bittersweet on her third U.S. release.
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The Slow Wonder Matador
The Canadian power-pop whiz, sans his New Pornographer buds.
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The Unrelenting Songs… Sonig
Disco-drag icon Sylvester hustles with the Who on a raucous hipster mixtape.
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Autobiography Geffen
Jessica’s li’l sis dyes her hair black, coos and snarls through a defiant debut.
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Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
Touch and Go
Arty skronk and soulfulness from Yeah Yeah Yeahs-affiliated Brooklyn hipsters.
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Soviet Kitsch Sire
Strokes’ comrade and Russian-born pianist’s kooky anti-folk is hilarious and sad.
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The Tipping Point Geffen
Rap’s finest band suck in their experimental gut for throwbacks and futurism.
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Because I Can V2
Imagine Ashlee Simpson with a worse attitude and lots of skipped therapy sessions.
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The Hunger for More Interscope
50 Cent’s wingman is even colder-blooded than his boss on this ruffneck set.
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Sonic Nurse Geffen
NYC noise doctors find room for melody — and a Mariah Carey dis track.
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Uh Huh Her Island
On her seventh album, it’s back to stark, lo-fi gloom for the mistress of mope.
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Sweat Universal
On this party disc, Nelly coins a stripper dance and taps the NBA On NBC theme for maximum crunkosity.
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I Nonesuch
Introspective, inventive indie-pop, brought to you by a droll lyricist and the letter, well, you know.
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Medulla Elektra
Iceland’s favorite weirdo gets weirder with an a cappellaset — instruments are sooo 2003.
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Smile Nonesuch
Brian Wilson shakes off the meds and finishes an album that’s been 38 years in the making.
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From a Basement on a Hill Anti-/Epitaph
Poignant, painfully hushed laments from the Portland suicide.
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Nancy Sinatra Sanctuary
Pop’s sexiest sexagenarian returns, with U2 and Morrissey polishing her boots.
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Final Straw A&M
On their major-label debut, Irish softies make like an indie-rock Coldplay.
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In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 Columbia
Prog-metal about spaceships, girls who aren’t interested.
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The Grey Album
The band bigger than Jesus backs up the God MC in a Mouse-costumed beat-masher’s bedroom.
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Album of the Year Saddle Creek
Cursive frontman Tim Kasher launches the year’s wittiest diary of heartbreak.
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Good News for People Who Love Bad News Epic
Seattle depressives turn their frowns upside down and get poppy.
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Musicology NPG/Columbia
Meditations on loving God, hating politics and, er, exploring monogamy.
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America’s Sweetheart Virgin
Tears, insults and a whole lotta Love on this bubble-grunge screed
She hasn’t gotten any less kwaaaazy — drugs rarely cement people in reality. But somehow, between the many break-ups and break-ins, court appearances and cover shoots, she regained her inspiration. The album feels coughed up: come-ons and put-downs, kamikaze guitar riffs and battered drums, rage and threats smeared like lipstick on a takeout diner napkin. Still the queen bee of personality disorders.
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