EYEBALLKID'S BEST OF 2004.... |
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Hurrah, it's another Best of 2004 list for you to plow through. Because we've all not wasted enough of our lives reading them over the past month. Well never fear readers for this is the definitive poll around, the only one you'll ever need. Unless of course you count our Reader's Poll which you can enter here. But for now here's what Eyeballkid's Esteemed Writers consider to be the past year's finest moments. Best Album  1.
The Killers ‘Hot Fuss’ – Las Vegans take
the UK indie music template and add glitz, glamour and a bombastic
sense of showmanship to a bunch of songs more addictive than crack-flavoured
Pringles. 2. Franz Ferdinand ‘Franz Ferdinand’ – It was a close one but in the battle of the art rockers the Scottish quartet have to make do with second place. Still I imagine winning the Mercury Prize made up for it. 3. Tom Waits ‘Real Gone’ – Clang, Boom Steam. That’s one of the song titles and it also sums up the whole sound of the album with Waits beat-boxing, growling and yelping over blues-addled industrial noise on the freshest record of the year. 4. Kanye West ‘The College Dropout’ – The esteemed hip-hop producer steps in front of the mic to add his innovative and amusing rhymes to his eclectic production style.  5.
The Earlies ‘These Were the Earlies’ –
Dreamily evocative and downright beautiful. Like Mercury Rev working
on a cowboy ranch. 6. The Go! Team ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ – This year’s cut’n’paste champions piecing together an album of breakneck sampling and masterful song writing. 7. Scissor Sisters ‘Scissor Sisters’ – Elton John tribute act win over just about everybody with their infectious ditties.  8.
Kings of Leon ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ –
Last years winners follow up their brilliant debut with a brilliant
follow-up that just get better with every listen. If we’d had
another couple of weeks and it could have been no. 1.9. TV on the Radio ‘Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes’ – Impossible to describe adequately but let’s just say there’s pop, soul, dance, hip-hop and jazz in an ever interesting mix. 10. The Dears ‘No Cities Left’ – Late contender but these Canadians with a healthy liking for The Smiths have made one of the most emotionally intense records this year. Best Single  1.
Franz Ferdinand ‘Take Me Out’ – And to
think most of the radio stations never played the intro and it still
became a hit. The languid Strokes-esque opening suddenly slowing down
to that swaggering stomp is the finest musical moment of the year.
2. Kelis ‘Trick Me’ – A great year for the US singer. She got votes for ‘Milkshake’ and ‘Millionaire’ as well but in the end it was this cool electro bopper that takes second place. 3. Johnny Boy ‘You are the Generation that Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve’ – The title alone deserves immortality but the song that recreates ‘Be My Baby’ with fireworks and an anti-consumerist rant, ensures it. 4. The Killers ‘Somebody Told Me’ – One of those choruses that stays in your head like a tumour.  5.
Graham Coxon ‘Freakin Out’ – Nigh-on perfect
bubblegum guitar pop from the former Blur guitarist. 6. The Earlies ‘Morning Wonder’ – More spiritually uplifting from the entire Book of Psalms. 7. Kings of Leon ‘The Bucket’ – Raw hick rockers return with a blissfully great pop song. 8. The Duke Spirit ‘Dark is Light Enough’ – Goth can be great.  9.
The Beta Band ‘Assessment’ – One last musical
miracle from the now defunct one-time Messiahs of Rock.10. Morrissey ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’ – A timely reminder from the cantankerous one that he can still pen a mean tune. Best Live Act Best Film |
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1.
Pixies - The reformed Boston rock heroes play a sell-out,
in-it-for-the-money tour that shows everyone else how to do live
shows. Don’t say anything and play loud. 
What
else? “If you can dodge wrenches you can dodge balls”.
So true. 
on
title alone, Popworld plays rubbish music but the presenters are
hilarious. And University Challenge? Perhaps our writers need to
get out more. 
event
of a tie we’ve plumped for vapid TV presenter Kate
Thornton instead.