The 2002 David Music Poll Results

The 2002 David Music Poll Results!

1. Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head (14)
2. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me (10)
3. Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses (9)
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space (8)
5. The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (8)
6. Beth Orton, Daybreaker (7)
Beck, Sea Change (7)
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising (7)
9. Sneaker Pimps, Bloodsport (6)
Dixie Chicks, Home (6)
Tori Amos, Scarlet’s Walk (6)


Honorable Mention:

5 votes: Alanis Morrisette, Under Rug Swept; Wilco, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel; Sheryl Crow, C’mon C’mon; Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy soundtrack

4 votes: Sigur Ros, ( ); Drive-by Truckers, Southern Rock Opera; The Streets, Original Pirate Material; Soundtrack, I am Sam


My Picks

Most Essential Album of the Year:
Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses

Essential Albums of the Year:
Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
Alanis Morissette, Under Rug Swept
Ani DiFranco, So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter
Rhett Miller, The Instigator

Almost Essential:
Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy Soundtrack; Duncan Sheik, Daylight; Tori Amos, Scarlet’s Walk; Sigur Ros, ( ); Elvis Costello, When I Was Cruel

Will Probably Grow to Be Essential:
Philip Glass, The Hours

Should’ve Been On Last Year’s List:
The Strokes, Is This It

Because I’m Embarrassed by the Lack of New Artists On My Essentials List, I Feel I Should Mention Bands and Singers New to Me This Year That I Really Like:
Leaves, Frou Frou, Idlewild, Andy Stochansky, Lamb, Hooverphonic

Songs of the Year:
Coldplay, “The Scientist”; Bright Eyes, “Lover I Don’t Have to Love”; Patty Griffin, “Rain” and “Be Careful”; Duncan Sheik, “On a High”; Vanessa Carlton, “A Thousand Miles”



Beth, Hot to Foxtrot

most essential:
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

most essential soundtrack:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling

other good stuff:
Beck, Sea Change
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Sheryl Crow, Come On Come On


Chris, He’s a Heavy Metal God

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM: Murderdolls, "Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls"ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002:Darkane, "Expanding Senses"The Crown, "Crowned In Terror"Soilwork, "Natural Born Chaos"Nekromantix, "Return of the Loving Dead"Shadows Fall, "The Art of Balance"Flogging Molly, "Drunken Lullabies"Down, "II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow..."Nile, "In Their Darkened Shrines"David Bowie, "Heathen"RUNNERS UP: The Residents, "Petting Zoo"; Voltaire, "Boo Hoo"; Cannibal Corpes, "Gore Obsessed"; The Berzerker, "Dissimulate"ALBUMS I SHOULD'VE OWNED BEFORE THIS YEAR 'CAUSE THEY ROCK SO DAMNED HARD: Strapping Young Lad, "City"; Children Of Bodom, "Follow The Reaper"; Johnny Cash, "Live In Folsom Prison"BEST DAVID-GOT-ME-INTO-IT SONGS: The Tams, "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"; Muse, "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"BESTEST ARTIST EVER EVER: Slayer


Kristen, Feliz with Felicity

Absolutely most essential:

Various Artists, Felicity: Senior Year (do I lose all credibility/coolness—if I had any to begin with—for even suggesting that?)

Next:
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising (and I have never before been able to tolerate a BS album)



Joan, Who Has the World in Her Arms and Her I to the Sky

MOST ESSENTIAL: JJ72, I To Sky

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002:
Idlewild, The Remote Part Easyworld, This is Where I Stand Thursday, Full Collapse The Faint, Danse MacabreSigur Ros, ( ) Interpol, Turn on the Bright LightsMcLusky, McLusky Do DallasSoviet, We are Eyes, We are BuildersLadytron, Light and Magic

VERY CLOSE TO ESSENTIAL:
Supergrass, Life on Other Planets; Halo, Lunatic Ride; Aqualung, Strange & Beautiful; Lemon Jelly, Lost Horizons; The Libertines, Up the Bracket; Ikara Colt, Chat and Business; Hot Hot Heat, Make Up The Breakdown; Doves, The Last Broadcast; Elf Power, Nothing's Going to Happen; The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Feeder, Comfort in Sound

TWO ALBUMS FROM LAST YEAR (2001) THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LIST:
Dashboard Confessional, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most; The White Stripes, White Blood Cells.
SONGS OF THE YEAR (Singles, Non-Album)
My Vitriol, "Moodswings"; Ash, "Envy"; JJ72, "Wicked Game" (Chris Issac cover); Electric Six featuring Jack White, Danger! High Voltage!; Kinesis, "And They Obey"

Nico, To Whom Music’s Just a Bloodsport

My essential albums of 2002:
Tori Amos, Scarlet’s Walk
Sneaker Pimps, Bloodsport (released in the US in 2002)
I’m sorry, but I can’t think of ANY other essentials from 2002. It was a dry year compared to 2001 (Garbage, Placebo, Kosheen, No Doubt, etc..all of which I find essential!)

Sean, Back to His Roots

The Roots, Phrenology

Jim, And His Operatic Choices

Most Essential Album
Drive-by Truckers, Southern Rock Opera

Other Essential Albums
(I want to underscore the distance between the most essential album and
the rest of these.)
Steve Earle, Jerusalem
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Bob Dylan, Live 1977

Biggest Disappointment:
Billy Bragg, England, Half English

Strokes-like over-hyped super-sucker's album of the year:
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Live Show of the Year:
Steve Earle, Georgia Theater, Athens, Georgia, November.

Most Unfortunate Band Break-up of the Year:
Star Room Boys

Book of the Year:
Kevin Waltman, Nowhere Fast.


Fiona, Stepping Into Lyle’s House

Kind of an odd list I realized . . . but here you go:

MOST ESSENTIAL: Bruce Springsteen, The Rising

ESSENTIAL (in no particular order):
Bon Jovi, Crossroad
Dixie Chicks, Home
Lyle Lovett, Step into this House (been out for a few years, but must listen)
Soundtrack, I am Sam

NOT ESSENTIAL BUT ONES I REACH FOR:
Sheryl Crow, C'mon C'mon
U2, Best of 1990-2000

WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD ESSENTIAL:
Steve Earle, Jerusalem


Mark, Who Shockingly Did Not Include the Episode II Soundtrack

Not in any order:

Joseph Arthur - Redemption's son
Remy Zero - The Golden Hum (maybe came out late 2001)
Midnight Oil - Capricornia - their finest album in a decade.
(Unfortunately, they just broke up.)
Elvis - when I was cruel
Neil Finn- One Nil

Things I've heard recently with potential:
Hooverphonic - Jackie Cane
Beth Gibbons and Rusta man (The lady from Portishead)
Aimee Mann - Lost in Space
The new Chantal Kreviazuk - kinda cheesey and overproduced - I just got it.
We'll see.
Kenna

Crap. Remy Zero is 2001 - doesn't count, does it?

I am very picky, maybe very set in my ways of what music I like. But
mostly, I don't like anything that's popular - rap metal, rap, metal, etc.
I think part of the problem with the music industry is that a lot of the
music out there is BAD, and we don't want to admit it.


Kevin, In For His Sugarfix

Most Essential Album of 2002: The Paybacks -- Knock Loud. This album is
enough to give you a habit or break you of one. Goddamn. These vocals make
Chrissie Hynde sound like bubble gum.

Almost essential albums from 2002:
Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head
Beth Orton -- Daybreaker (I've only listened to this album twice, so it's
placement on any list could fluctuate. However, like the captain behind the
counter said, "It's Beth)

2002 albums I bet would be essential if I weren't on a fixed income:
Blackalicious -- Blazing Arrow
Steve Earle -- Jerusalem

Album from 2001 I've learned is essential: The Drive-By Truckers -- Southern
Rock Opera (the band that's more than just a parlor game!)

Album from 2000 I've learned is essential: Dead Prez -- Let's Get Free (who
knew socialism could bounce like this ... besides Giesen)


Older albums that would be essential in any year:
Sam Cooke -- Live at the Harlem Square Club (One Night Stand). This is one of
the best albums in my entire collection. The first time I heard this version
of "Bring it On Home To Me" I had to pull my car off the highway. Seriously
... this is a whole different world of Sam.

Duke Ellington w/ Mahalia Jackson -- Black, Brown and Beige.

The Mighty Diamonds -- Right Time

Band to watch out for in 2003: Sugarfix. Word is, they've worked up some
timely covers of "The Kids are All Right" and "Peace, Love and
Understanding." No joke.


Annie Has Room for Squares

I can't believe my list is so long but I guess it was a good year for music. It was hard to pick the most essential, but I'll go with ...

Most Essential:
John Mayer, Room for Squares

Essential or close to it (in no particular order):
Soundtrack, I Am Sam
Norah Jones, Come Away with Me
Beck, Sea Change
the Eels, Souljacker
Duncan Sheik, Daylight
Sheryl Crow, C'mon, C'mon
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Moby, 18
Kim Richey, Rise
Alanis Morissette, Under Rug Swept
Kasey Chambers, Barricades & Brickwalls
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
Eva Cassidy, Imagine
Cast Album, Hairspray

From years past that became essential:
Ben Folds, Rockin' the Suburbs
Leona Naess, Comatized
Pink, Mizunderstood
And even though the Internet-pirated version of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Once More with Feeling" episode topped my list last year, I have to give a shout-out to the official soundtrack since the bonus tracks are great and it hasn't left the immediate vicinity of my CD player since it came out!


Brian, Still Awaiting Chinese Democracy

It has been a strange year for music, for me. I bought less (around 250 cds rather than the norm 500+) but I don't think I bought any I didn't like. I've become focused.

MOST ESSENTIAL (and MOST SURPRISING for me to put on a list)

Red Hot Chili Peppers, By the Way (got it for free, wasn't expecting anything, couldn't stop listening to it)


ALMOST MOST ESSENTIAL (and equally surprising)
Oasis, Heathen Chemistry
Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf


OTHER ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002

Spoon, Kill the Moonlight
Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights (YAY! Paul!)
Cooper Temple Clause, See This Through and Leave
Norah Jones, (sorry don't know the name)
graham coxon, Kiss of the Morning
the Datsuns, the Datsuns
Dan Sullivan, Artic Night (Nad Navillus is what it's filed under in unknowing record stores)
Madragada, Grit (every time I go to Swissland, my favorite Norweigian band comes through with a new album!)
Haven, Between the Senses (who were the Stone Roses again?)
Von Bondies, Lack of Communication


MOST LIKELY TO BECOME ESSENTIAL

the Coral (only heard one song, and it rules. Will be buying the album shortly)
the Beatings (same)

MOST ESSENTIAL RETURN OF HARDCORE
Against Me, Reinventing Axl Rose (and not just because of the name, but it don't hurt)

MOST ESSENTIAL FROM PREVIOUS YEARS THAT I JUST DISCOVERED
AC/DC, High Voltage
Gun Club, Fire of Love
Iggy & the Stooges, Year of the Iquana (part of the Iquana Chronicles on BOMP)

MOST ESSENTIAL RE-ISSUE
Earth, Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars (song 4 sung by Kurt)

MOST ESSENTIAL SONG
Nirvana, You Know You're Right (WOW, 17 bootlegs, and still a song I haven't heard! treats)

PREDICTIONS for MOST ESSENTIAL OF 2003 (it's gonna be a great year!)

White Stripes, Elephant
Whirlwind Heat
Nirvan Box Set
the Project (Izzy, Slash, Duff and Matt with singer tk)
Guns N Roses, Chinese Democracy (2003??? or did I, in a bizarre twist of irony, witness the death of my favorite band? only time will tell)

for the record....Ryan Adams is wimp! No one has the right to bash Jack White like that. Jack White is the 2nd coming of Elvis! Viva La White Strips!!


Scott, Sneaker Pimpin’


Most Essential Album of 2003

Sneaker Pimps, Bloodsport - Still improving with every new release

Other Essential Albums of 2003

Moby, 18 - I'm very stingy with the "essential" status. "Play" was a
no-brainer in 1999 but this album is so similar, would someone really need
to have both? In the end I decided Moby's album is as culturally relevant
as his forefather's tome "Moby Dick". It is virtually ubiquitous and for
good reason. People should own it.

Dirty Vegas, Dirty Vegas - In many ways, this album is artistically
underwhelming. But it stayed in my CD player nearly all year. Kudos for
morphing one song into a Pink Floyd cover.

Other Essential Albums discovered in 2003 (as my CD purchasing habits
change, this is where all the albums turn up. Years after their release)

Avalanches, Since I Left You - My favorite album of the current millenium.
(2000)

Bongos, Numbers With Wings - The best 80s album you never heard. (1983)

Broadcast, The Music Made By People (2000)

Daft Punk, Discovery - Groovy through and through (2001)

Fantastic Plastic Machine, Fantastic Plastic Machine - Frenetic and catchy
(1998)

Ladytron, 604 - Good, clean synth fun from a band with modern sensibilities
and 80s equipment (2001)



Laura, Blood Rushing to Her Head

Ii don't often buy albums in the year they come out, but this year I'd have to say that Coldplay's Rush of Blood to the Head was a must-have. I think the only other new one I got was Ani's So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter and that should be on there too.


Pete, Sucker For a Good List

I'm a sucker for a good list (or writing a bad one) so here ya go...

Most Essential Album or 2002 - 1. Spoon "Kill the Moonlight"

OTHER ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002 (in order of my preference on Monday morning):

2. Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
3. Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
4. Paul Westerberg "Stereo"
5. Badly Drawn Boy "About a Boy soundtrack"
6. Neko Case "Blacklisted"
7. White Stripes "White Blood Cells"
8. Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man "Out of Season"
9. Queens of the Stone Age "Songs for the Deaf"
10. Kasey Chambers "Barricades and Brick Walls"


SEMI-HONORABLE MENTIONS/GUILTY PLEASURES - Elvis Costello "When I Was Cruel," Coldplay "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Ani DiFranco "So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter," Aimee Mann "Lost in Space," Ryan Adams "Demolition"

BEST SONGS - White Stripes "Fell in Love with a Girl," Spoon "The Way We Get By" and Badly Drawn Boy "Something to Talk About."

ALBUM THAT SHOULD'VE CHANGED MY LIFE TWO YEARS AGO - Flaming Lips "The Soft Bulletin"

BEST ALBUM THAT PROBABLY WOULD'VE MADE MY LIST IF I GOT AROUND TO BUYING IT - Sleater Kinney "One Beat"

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS - Belle and Sebastian "Storytelling soundtrack", Norah Jones "Come Away with Me" (pales in comparison to everything else she's done...blame the record industry spit shine for this tepid reflection of a great new artist), Wilco's various live performances and side projects, New York's downtown jazz scene selling out to the hip-hop clones and the "comeback of rock and roll" turning into a Gap ad.

WORST TREND IN MUSIC - Skinny girls with exposed navels singing about how much they hate skinny girls with exposed navels (Inda Arie, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, etc.).


Nancy H, Not a Teen, But Still Imperial

I seem to have acquired only a couple of albums last year that came out last year (Imperial
Teen, On and Soundtrack, Monsoon Wedding (note correct formatting), both ofwhich I would consider essential. Song of the Year: Imperial Teen, "Baby"). Instead, 2002 appears to be the year that I went backwards and picked up mostly older stuff: Harry Belafonte, Elvis Costello, the Delfonics, Artie Shaw, Ella, Blondie, essential Bruce that I didn't own, etc. Which makes me
feel slightly less-than-musically-inclined--I'll have to work through that on my own.


Nancy M, Red Hot and Riotous

gosh, i hardly listen to current stuff.
but here's what i listened to a hell of a lot last year.

satie. popular piano works: ok, so i live in a cave. i had never hear of
this french composer until this year. his stuff
soothes my soul.

india arie. voyage to india: sounds the same as her last album...but dammit
i liked the last album.

mana. revolucion de amor: i'm a sucker for music in spanish and for bands
that infuse their politics in their music. viva la revolucion!

red hot and riot. tribute album to fela kuti: i'm just starting to learn
what an amazing person fela kuti was.

norah jones. come away with me: i listen to this at work all day on repeat.
nothing makes me feel as good.

moreno veloso. music typewriter: this probably came out two years ago. he's
the son of the famous brazilian singer caetano veloso. he steps away from
the father and creates his own beautiful thang.


Dan, Can’t Get Enough of Kisses

Most Essential:
Patti Griffin, 1000 Kisses
Other Essential:
Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
Ryan Adams, Demolition
Tori Amos, Scarlet’s Walk
Beck, Sea Change
Frou Frou, The Details
Sigur Ros, ( )
Michele Branch, The Spirit Room
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
The Streets, Original Pirate Material

Andrew, Whose Family Welcomed Twins This Year

Sadly, sadly, sadly, I only managed to buy two albums this year that had nothing to do with the Wiggles, so I will have to go with those:
Aimee Mann- Lost in Space Dixie Chicks- Home


Elizabeth, Nothin’ Cold ‘bout Her Play

MOST ESSENTIAL: Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS (and no, I’m not on the Grammy committee for Best New Artist...)
Sheryl Crow, C’mon, C’mon
Norah Jones, Come Away with Me
John Mayer, Room for Squares
Avril Lavigne, Let Go (I’m not 14, its just a fun album!)
No Doubt, Rock Steady
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

And a special HONORABLE MENTION to David’s Pop 2002 CD, just for keeping such good company with me while I’m at the gym!


Marty’s friend Howard, and His Famous Top Ten

Coldplay -- A Rush of Blood to the Head
Bruce Springsteen -- The Rising
Wilco -- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Damien Rice -- O and Adrian Crowley -- When You are Here You are Family
Songs: Ohia -- Didn't it Rain and Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter -- Reckless Burning
Elvis Costello -- When I Was Cruel and Aimee Mann -- Lost in Space
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- By the Way
Beck - Sea Change

Additions
Audioslave - Audioslave.
Robin Holcomb - The Big Time.
Sleater Kinney - One Beat. The Coral - The Coral. Bright Eyes - Lifted.
Brendan Benson - Lapalco.
Quixotic - Mortal Mirror.

Lindsay, Who Battles the Pink Robots Daily

MOST ESSENTIAL: The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
>
> ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2001:
>
> Tom Waits, Alice
> Eminem, The Eminem Show
> Andrew W.K., I Get Wet
> Joey Ramone, Don't Worry About Me
> The White Stripes, White Blood Cells
> Peaches, The Teaches of Peaches
> Sigur Ros, ( )
> Black Heart Procession - Amore Del Tropico
The Shins, Oh, Inverted World!

Ø SONGS OF THE YEAR: "Miles Away" - Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, "Out on the Tracks"- The Rapture, "So Sexual"-The Faint, "Without Me" - Eminem, "Personal Jesus" - Johnny Cash


Matt Cohen, Original Pirate Material

Essential record of the year:
The Streets, Original Pirate Material

Other pretty essential records:
Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy, Have You Fed the Fish? (in that order)
Alison Moyet, Hometime
Sondre Lerche, Faces Down
Bjork, Family Tree
Missy Elliott, Under Construction
The Polyphonic Spree, The Beginning Stages of?
No Doubt, Rock Steady
The Hives, Veni, Vidi, Vicious (which shows that apparently a record is released when Americans hear it)

Songs of the year:
Eminem – “Lose Yourself”
The Streets – “It’s Too Late”
Badly Drawn Boy – “Silent Sigh,” “All Possibilities” (in that order)
Josh Rouse - "Nothing Gives Me Pleasure"
Tori Amos – “Taxi Ride"
Missy Elliott – “Work It””
Alison Moyet – “If You Don’t Come Back to Me”

Overrated records of the year:
Sigur Ros, ( )
Beck, Sea Change
Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head

Underrated record of the year:
No Doubt, Rock Steady

Non-rated record of the year:
Alison Moyet, Hometime

Most essentially inconsequential record by an out-of-touch madman:
Peter Gabriel, Up

Most essentially inconsequential record by an out-of-touch madwoman:
Shania Twain, Up! (I don?t really know if that?s true ?it just worked)


Joe, Who Is Not Sam, But Likes Jack

Most essential: Jack Johnson, Brushfire Fairytales

Others (in no order):
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Scarlett's Walk, Tori Amos
Silk Road Journeys, Yo Yo Ma
I Am Sam Soundtrack, Various ( A close second to Essential Album)


Ronnie, Soundtrack Queen

My essential movie soundtracks from 2002 in alphabetical order:

Mychael Danna, Ararat
Krishna Levy and the cast of 8 Women, 8 Women
Elmer Bernstein, Far From Heaven
Brian Tyler, Frailty
Elliot Goldenthal, Frida
Various Artists, Man Without a Past
Alberto Iglesias, Talk to Her
Jocelyn Pook, Time Out
Terence Blanchard, 25th Hour
Michelle DiBucci, Wendigo

My most essential movie soundtrack from 2002: The score from the 1992 movie Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights by Ryuichi Sakamoto, never released in this country, but purchased just this year through the fabulousness of ebay

Also, a soundtrack from last year that became most essential this year: Michael Andrews/Gary Jules, Donnie Darko

And finally, from the soundtrack of Punch-Drunk Love, a nod to Paul Thomas Anderson for bringing attention to the underappreciated Harry Nilsson and his song "He Needs Me," originally from Robert Altman's Popeye and sung by actress Shelley Duvall


Dawn, Who May Have Been the One Who Beat Up Moby


MOST ESSENTIAL: Eminem, The Eminem Show

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002:
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
Alanis Morrissette, Under Rug Swept
Tori Amos, Scarlett's Walk
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses

VERY CLOSE TO ESSENTIAL:
Ani Difranco, the live album (can't remember the name right now)
Nelly, Nellyville
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 2


Brant, Who Put A Lot of Thought Into This, So PAY ATTENTION

The only essential album of 2002:
---------------------------------

Drive-by Truckers, Southern Rock Opera -- technically released
independently, via the web, in 2001, but re-released by Lost Highway in
2002. Buy this album. You'll learn some things. It's about growing up in
Alabama. And, yes, I grew up in Alabama. And, no, this wasn't my
experience. But, yes, it's precisely like I don't remember it. One of the
things that you'll learn is how to interpret whatever the hell it is I just
said. That's the duality of the Southern thang.


Albums of 2002 that may one day make my essential list if they don't fuck it
up for themselves:

Ryan Adams, Demolition -- He's not the second coming of Gram Parsons, but he might be that of John "Cougar" Mellancamp, and that's a good thing, whether you
like it or not.

Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy AND Have You Fed the Fish? -- combine the best
tracks of these two 2002 albums and you have an album for the ages, and
thanks to today's technology, that's is easy to do.

The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots -- I like this album for
approximately the same reason I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and
Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs.

The Reindeer Section, Son of Evil Reindeer -- if you can't have a proper
Belle & Sebastian album, then you might as well take a great one from a
Scottish supergroup that includes members of Belle & Sebastian. Know what
I'm sayin'?


Other solid albums of 2002:
---------------------------
Beck, Sea Change
Neil Finn, One All
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
Weezer, Maladroit
Paul Westerberg, Stereo/Mono


Eh, decent -- good, maybe even:
-------------------------------
Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
Phantom Planet, The Guest
Ted Barnes, Short Scenes


Albums of 2002 that sound good, but I haven't really absorbed yet:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mali Music, Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Oiabite, and Friends
Steve Earle, Jerusalem
Sigur Ros, ( )
Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
The Streets, Original Pirate Material


Best non-album of 2002, the promotion of which provided me with my best
concert experience of 2002, except, of course, for how I got screwed out of
getting paid back for one of the tickets I bought, which I was spiritually
paid back for when Stevie Jackson took the high vocals on their cover of
"Stayin' Alive":
---------------------------------------------------------------
Belle & Sebastian, Storytelling


Best Album of 2002 that isn't really a regular album, and that I don't
really think of as being of 2002:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Dylan, Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue


Disappointing, yes, but remember what Jesse said:
-------------------------------------------------
Billy Bragg, English, Half English
The Breeders, Title tk
Oasis, Heathen Chemistry

Album from a previous year (2001) that became essential to me in 2002:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Japancakes, The Sleepy Strange -- First, Matt Simpson (friend) urges me to
download one of the songs (track 5, "Soft n Ez"). I dig it, but don't act
on it. Then Jim Giesen (another friend) urges John Strange (brother-in-law
and friend) to purchase the album based on its title, The Sleepy Strange,
because, of course, Strange's last name is Strange, and therefore he ought
to have The Sleepy Strange. That's grade-A Jim Giesen logic. And, it works
in practice. Strange and my sister (Meredith) come to visit, and Strange
urges me (Brant) to buy the album. I purchase it online directly from the
Athens-based record company (Kindercore). The price is very reasonable, but
they take forever to ship AND they charge me twice. After a series of
emails, a customer service representative (Jason) kindly uncharges the
second charge. Since then, I've enjoyed the disc quite a bit. As with The
Velvet Underground's "Ride into the Sun" or The Smiths' "Oscillating
Wildly," logic would dictate that this is great music awaiting great lyrics.
That, if Lou Reed, Morrissey, or the dude from Japancakes with the best
voice, respectively, started singing about love and loss, this music would
ascend. But, the more you listen, the more you realize that, no, these
recordings are the way they ought to be, which places Japancakes in the fine
company of Sterling Morrison and Johnny Marr. (Amen.)


And, finally, here's to all the albums of 2002 that I didn't get a chance to
know....


Tanuja, Not Confused Here

essential albums of 2002:sheryl crow's latestpaul oakenfeldcoldplaybecklunapinksleater kinneynorah jonesstevie nicksalanismost essential: sheryl crow


Joy, Conor Makes Her Eyes Shine Bright

MOST ESSENTIAL: Bright Eyes, Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2002:
Joseph Arthur, Redemption’s Son
Aimee Mann, Lost In Space
Indigo Girls, Become You
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
The White Stripes, White Blood Cells (this was released in January, 02)
Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
Patty Griffin, 1,000 Ghosts
Y Tu Mama Tambien Soundtrack

THE ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LIST BECAUSE IT’S BECOME QUITE ESSENTIAL: The Strokes, Is This It

SONG OF THE YEAR: Bright Eyes “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” (hands down, no contest)


Jason G, Sounding Like a Man Listening Gracefully
1. Kazaa - The Mix cd of the year!
2. Johnny Cash / American IV: The Man Comes Around - The sound of a man dying gracefully. This album will be remembered as a legends eulogy.
3. The Flaming Lips / Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - If only bowie was still this inventive.
4. Yanqui U.X.O / Godspeed You Black Emperor - If Beethoven was a black panther...
5. The Walkmen / Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone - They make miss Jonathan Fire*Eater so much, but aren't they still so great.
6. the Rapture / House of Jealous Lovers (single) - One song that could have been on an album twelve times and still wouldn't be overplayed.
7. Beck / Sea Changes - An album about those couple of days right after a relationship ends with someone you really cared about and your not angry with them or mad at them or sad about it, but just.....and of course its released two days after you break up with someone....
8. Weezer / Maladroit - inside, I'm a always going to be dork rock weezer fanatic and I'm not afraid to admit.
9. Oasis / Heathen Chemistry - I can't stand derivative rip off music (see ryan adams) but somehow I still love these blokes. Maybe I just haven't gotten over the brilliance of Definitely Maybe.
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs / self titled ep - Any album that makes you hard has to be good.
11. Queens of the Stone Age / Songs for the deaf - I don't have enough synonyms for heavy.
12. Coldplay / A Rush of Blood To The Head - We all wanted it to be the Bends, it isn't, but its still a beautiful record.
13. Andrew W.K. / I Get Wet - What was probably playing on John Benders headphones as he left saturday detention and threw his fist into the air triumphantly

Alistair, A Chick Living in Dixie
Caveat: I bought almost no new music this year. In fact, I bought very little music at all this year. Lots of mixes from friends, lots of revisiting old favorites. So this is a limited sampling.
MOST ESSENTIAL: Dixie Chicks, Home
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 2001:
Hot Rize, So Long of a JourneyAlison Krauss & Union Station, LiveVarious Artists, Sunday Morning Mix (compiled by my friend, Avery, for me)David Grier & Chris Thile, 3-disc bootleg from a house concert played at some very lucky person's home
VERY CLOSE TO ESSENTIAL:
Nickel Creek, This Side
THE TWO ALBUMS FROM (MANY YEARS AGO)THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LIST BECAUSE THEY'VE BECOME QUITE ESSENTIAL:
Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott, Real Timeanything by Doc Watson
SONGS OF THE YEAR:
Dixie Chicks, "Long Time Gone" (Darrell Scott, songwriter)

Kristin, In Stereo AND Mono

No most essential, but many essentially appealing albums (a few from staple
artists who offer up exceptionally strong songs even if the album does not
rank as their best):

The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Ryan Adams, Demolition
Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy
Beck, Sea Change
Neil Finn, One All
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
Weezer, Maladroit
Paul Westerberg, Stereo/Mono
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
The Reindeer Section, Son of Evil Reindeer

In the Sunday morning slot:
Sigur Ros, ()
Ted Barnes, Short Scenes

Departures from my usual listening genres:
Drive-by Truckers, Southern Rock Opera
Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Oiabite, and Friends, Mali Music

In the name of neo-nostalgia:
Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights

For the sake of its singles:
Phantom Planet, The Guest



Jason B, Who Was In Fact Fashionably Late Answering This Poll (But His Answers Make Up for It)

1) Linda Thompson – fashionably late // Royksopp – Melody A.M. (essential-ist tie)
3) The Kills – Black Rooster ep
4) Dixie Chicks – home
5) Badly Drawn Boy – About a Boy sdtk
“Me Too” Records of the Year (sincerely): Coldplay, Norah Jones, White Stripes, Flaming Lips, Wilco (“Being into Coldplay is like banging that fat chick next door, or having an uncle that doesn't like minorities... it's just not something you go out of your way to publicize.” – buddyhead.com)
“I shouldn’t like this record but I do”-ist record of the year: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
Elizabeth Taylor-ist looking punk chick: Kelly Osbourne
Bat Mitzvah girl-ist sounding name: Avril Levigne
Makes me wanna say “Ah-shit-y”: Ashanti
If I was a better person I would have found more enjoyment in 2002 releases by: Beck, Aimee Mann, Queens of the Stone Age
Next year I think I’ll say “My find from 2002 was”: Soundtrack of Our Lives – Behind the Music
Crackhead-ist record: The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages Of The Polyphonic Spree
Singles: “lose yourself,” “(oops) Oh my,” “the rising,” “just like a pill”
And thievery corporation at irving plaza fucking ruled, btw.

Terra and Simon, The Punk and Her Musically-Savvy Boyfriend

Here we go! I’m going to be a punk and piggyback on my more usically-savvy boyfriend, because my faves of 2002 were mostly old albums that I got or was listening to with more fervor (for example David Gray’s FIRST album, not his new one . . .), but I definitely enthusiastically second “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones (star, star, star, star), Tom Waits’ “Alice” (multiple stars) and the Mum album. Will also throw in another couple:

Mr. Deeds Soundtrack (for most surprising soundtrack)

Verve/Unmixed (the unmixed version of the popular “mixed) – Simon would have added this one too I think as we listen to it all the time and find it a royal treat.


-----Original Message-----


Here’s my list. I resist making “best of the year” lists because I so
rarely discover a favorite album the very year it was released. There
were albums released this year by artists I really like (Low, etc.) but
that aren’t really my favorites. The temptation is to put them on the
list to honor my past love for them. So, my point is that the past and
future conspire to make my list at best a benign embarrassment and at
worst a pigeon hole that I’m forever jammed into.
But in the spirit of friendship I begrudgingly present:

Simon’s Favorite Albums of 2002

Mum, Finally We Are No One
Tom Waits, Alice
Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Nurse With Wound, Man With Woman Face
The Streets, Original Pirate Material
Badly Drawn Boy, Have You Fed the Fish?
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Sigur Ros, ()
The Doves, The Last Broadcast
DJ Shadow, Private Press


Steve, Deserving a Little Respect

Tied for most Essential:
Coldplay / A Rush of Blood to the Head
Alison Moyet / Hometime

Other Essentials:
Badly Drawn Boy / Have You Fed the Fish?
Sophie Ellis Bextor / Read My Lips
Pet Shop Boys / Release
Kylie Minogue / Fever
Ladytron / Light & Magic
The Flaming Lips / Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Best ofs:
Pulp / Hits
Lighthouse Family / Greatest Hits
Steps / The Last Dance (how gay am I?)
Madness / Our House, the Original Songs

Dusted Offs:
Dexy’s Midnight Runners / Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
The Blue Nile / Walk Across the Rooftops
Talk Talk / Spirit of Eden

Songs:
Pet Shop Boys / Sexy Northerner
Coldplay / The Scientist
Finally / Kings of Tomorrow
Moony / Dove (I'll be Loving You)
Starsailor / Poor Misguided Fool
Pink / Just Like a Pill + Don’t Let Me Get Me


Matthew, Driftless

MOST ESSENTIAL:
Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses
Various Artists, Going Driftless--An Artists' Tribute to Greg Brown

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS:
The Flatlanders, Now Again
Beth Orton, Daybreaker
Nanci Griffith, Winter Marquee
Kim Richey, Rise
Indigo Girls, Become You

BEST SONGS:
Dayna Kurtz, Love Gets in the Way
Patty Griffin, Long Ride Home
Beth Orton, Concrete Sky
Linda Thompson, Dear Old Man of Mine

ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT HAS JUST ENTERED MY OWN PRIVATE LIST:
Lynn Miles, Unravel


Billy, Yearbreaker

sneakerpimps -- bloodsport
tori amos -- scarlett's walk
beth orton -- daybreaker
patty griffin -- 1000 kisses
aimee mann -- lost in space
ed harcourt -- here be monsters
philip glass -- The Hours
i am sam (soundtrack)
ani difranco -- so much shouting, so much laughter
alanis morissette -- under rug swept
coldplay -- a rush of blood to the head