It’s the toughest annual assignment OffBeat proposes to its select cadre of ten regular contributors: a list of their ten favorite CDs from the past year (no fudging on the release dates!) and a brief analysis of the year in music. We make no demands concerning whom the artists are, where they come from or whether or not their albums are released on major labels or directly from the trunks of personal vehicles. Given that all the contributors are diehard music enthusiasts, the selections are noteworthy for their diversity, praising the works of musicians ranging from Louisiana favorites such as the Neville Brothers, Kevin Naquin and C.C. Adcock to culture-crossing Lila Downs to modern folkster Devendra Banhart to Norwegian songsmith Sondre Lerche to California icon Brian Wilson to the teenage divas Casey and Jessica Sanchez to the infectious melodies of Moniuszko’s four act opera The Haunted Manor. The music of 2004 offers proof that human creativity is an unstoppable force.
CHRISTOPHER BLAGG
Cee-Lo Green: …is the Soul Machine (Arista)
Kanye West: The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella)
Wilco: A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days (Matador)
C.C. Adcock: Lafayette Marquis (Yep Roc)
Jake Brennan & the Confidence Men: Love & Bombs (Yep Roc)
Black Keys: Rubber Factory (Epitaph)
Patty Griffin: Impossible Dream (ATO)
Ben Kweller: On My Way (ATO)
Sondre Lerche: Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks)
It could just be a freak thing, but when the two most creative and mind-blowing records of the year fall into the hip-hop category, it could be a sign of the winds of change. In 2004, all the “The” bands out of New York and the greasy garage rock coming out of Detroit took a backseat to Atlanta’s ridiculously talented Cee-Lo Green and Chicago’s über-producer turned mega star Kanye West. Hip-hop has been outselling rock now for years, but it hasn’t reached the critical heights of its revered older brother until recently. Cee-Lo’s record can only vaguely be considered a rap record, but his Al Green falsetto and hook-drenched songwriting combined with killer beats and rapid fire lyrical prowess made for an album that outdid even the hallowed duo of fellow Atlantans, OutKast. Kanye West’s debut easily outshone his mentor, Jay-Z, mixing intelligent and often hysterical rhymes with the catchiest beats of the year. Rock ‘n’ roll did not just lay down and surrender. The Black Keys’ newest offering added some songwriting depth and acoustic ballads to their already potent two man punky blues rock. Ben Kweller and Sondre Lerche both released records that have classic melodic pop sensibilities, putting most of what is being deemed “pop” music nowadays to shame. Wilco’s record may not have been as brilliant as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but their adventurous and boundary-pushing spirit created an album that is easily better than 99 percent of the competition. Local boy C.C. Adcock possibly managed to do the impossible, seamlessly combining the rich musical traditions of Southwest Louisiana and New Orleans, all under a gritty, electrified rock boogie. Boston’s rich rock tradition got a welcome injection of new blood with Jake Brennan’s Stones-ian mix of rock, country, and punk. Both Adcock and Brennan’s records came out on the fantastic and blessedly tasteful indie label, Yep Roc. When indie labels release records as strong and exciting as these two, the music industry seems to be heading in the right direction.
JEREMY DEIBEL
Green Day: American Idiot (Warner/Reprise)
The Polyphonic Spree: Together We’re Heavy (Hollywood/Good)
Rock City Morgue: These Are Dark Days EP (Antidote)
Incubus: A Crow Left of the Murder (Epic/Immortal)
Sahara Hotnights: Kiss & Tell (RCA)
N.E.R.D.: Fly or Die (Virgin)
Björk: Medulla (Elektra)
Wu-Tang Clan: Legend of the Wu-Tang Clan (BMG Heritage)
Brian Wilson: Smile (Nonesuch)
Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
It figures. Our country goes to war, and all of a sudden everyone has an outspoken political opinion, not just the radicals and intellectuals. What’s intriguing is that, given this year’s presidential election and the national division it reflected, rock stars who didn’t give a damn about politics a couple of years ago are suddenly taking sides and vehemently arguing their case in song. This isn’t always a bad thing, as my number-one pick proves. (Come on, did anyone expect Green Day to go from singing about masturbation to writing a politically-charged, mature rock opera?) A lot of the rest, though, is embarrassing and insincere. It’s really bad when Linda Ronstadt, of all people, is treated like some political Joan of Arc because her “radical” views got her kicked out of a casino. And I’ll be damned if I hear another one of Toby Keith’s über-patriotic “America gonna getcha” anthems. It has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative; it’s just suddenly cool to care. In about a year, we’ll certainly see pop music fall back into its old comfortable apathy. Besides, wasn’t it Ric Ocasek who once said that even political anthems become pop songs when they get old?
MICHAEL DOMINCI
Lila Downs: Una Sangre (Narada)
Rokia Traore: Bowmboi (Nonesuch)
Omara Portuondo: Flor de Amor (World Circuit)
Rosa Passos: Amoroso (Sony Classical)
Geri Allen: The Life of a Song (Telarc)
David Murray & the Gwo-Ka Masters featuring Pharoah Sanders: Gwotet (Justin Time)
Pyeng Threadgill: Sweet Home: Music of Robert Johnson (Random Chance)
Duke Ellington: Piano In The Background (Columbia/Legacy)
Del McCoury: High, Lonesome And Blue (Rounder)
Clark Terry & Chico O’Farrill: Spanish Rice (Impulse)
I am supposed to write something here that neatly summarizes the year 2004 in musical terms. Well, I don’t really have anything to say about the year in particular other than the simple fact that almost every concert that I attended this year found the bandleaders urging the audience to get out and vote for a change this year.
Lila Downs’ Una Sangre is a stunning recording that criss-crosses cultures and genres while remaining authentic. From the onset of her career, Lila Downs has been socially conscious—here she focuses on the universal struggle of women.
Hailing from Mali, Africa, one of the richest sources of music in the world, vocalist Rokia Traore continues to grow as an artist. While she strives to incorporate native instrumentation into her music, she has fresh ideas and writes music that is challenging and inspiring.
Portuondo is one of those rare singers equally effective performing ballads and up-tempo songs. Flor De Amor is a gorgeous recording that offers many happy returns.
Vocalist Rosa Passos should be recognized for her perfect pitch and her steady string of fantastic recordings.
Jazz pianist/composer Geri Allen is one of the great jazz visionaries of our time. Her compositions flow like dense, painterly poetry deftly balancing texture and intensity with space and calmness.
If you like your jazz spunky, then Gwotet is an essential recording that you will dig now and years into the future.
Sweet Home is the debut of the year form the daughter of jazz visionary Henry Threadgill and Christina Jones, founding member of the Urban Bush Women.
ROBERT FONTENOT
Badly Drawn Boy: One Plus One Is One (Astralwerks)
Black Eyed Peas: Elephunk (A&M)
Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Funeral For A Friend (Rope-A-Dope)
Green Day: American Idiot (Warner Brothers)
Modest Mouse: Good News For People Who Love Bad News (Sony)
TV On The Radio: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch & Go)
The Hives: Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope)
Neville Brothers: Walkin’ In The Shadow Of Life (Neville Nation/Back Porch)
Usher: Confessions (La Face)
Kanye West: The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella)
The return of soul? Maybe. Certainly the soulquarians did their part to revive R&B a few years back, but now, with hip-hop spinning itself into a deeper and deeper rut of gimmicky singles, soul may be primed for a comeback as the new/old voice of black America. And therefore, eventually, white and brown America. With punk essentially dead, the underground still coalescing, metal not quite ready to make itself heard again, several pop geniuses stuck in their collective sandboxes, alternative rock seemingly obsessed with a decade that hated it (the ’80s), and every white tweener within 2000 miles practicing extreeeeme melismatics on American Idol, soul may be the best bet to kickstart a still-flagging record industry. Now, as to how genuine the soul will be, that’s up to people like Joss Stone’s managers to decide.
JOSEPH IRRERA
C.C. Adcock: Lafayette Marquis (Yep Roc)
Marc Broussard: Carencro (Island)
Lila Downs: Una Sangre (Narada)
Bill Evans: The Best of Bill Evans (Riverside)
Sondre Lerche: Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks)
Moniuszko: The Haunted Manor: Polish National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk (EMI)
Neville Brothers: Walkin’ In The Shadow Of Life (Neville Nation/Back Porch)
Paul Thorn: Are You With Me? (Back Porch)
Ron Sexsmith: Retriever (Nettwerk Records)
Vivaldi: Vespri per l’Assunzione di Maria Vergine: Concerto Italiano, conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini (Opus 111)
When the record industry was flush with cash there seemed to be fewer releases. Today, I constantly hear moans and groans from the labels yet the number of releases has increased. Most of this increase is likely the result of the extraordinary number of independent releases and the major labels recycling old material into endless new compilations and box sets. Although some of these box sets contain “new” material, they represent a staleness in the industry. That said, the new Bill Evans compilation The Best of Bill Evans provides a focus on Bill Evans’ early sessions with producer Orrin Keepnews. Keepnews selected one or two tracks from each of the sessions. The highlight is Evans’ solo and original composition “Peace Piece,” which clearly draws from Erik Satie.
Two classical recordings this year—which incidentally are both vocal works—were truly outstanding. The Vivaldi Edition on Opus 111 continues to be the source of excellent recordings. The “Vespers For The Assumption Of The Virgin Mary” is the jewel in the crown of the Venetian priest’s sacred music.
Moniuszko’s four act opera “The Haunted Manor” is loaded with infectious melodies that sound fresh with each new hearing.
Lila Downs’ completely revamped covers of “La Bamba” and “La Cucaracha” may be all you need to purchase this CD. I must hand it to Michael Dominici whose relentless ravings actually proved to be right on the money. Una Sangre is ambitious and beautiful.
Locally, C.C. Adcock, Marc Broussard and the Neville Brothers all released superb albums. If you like well-crafted pop songs, explore Sondre Lerche, Ron Sexsmith and Paul Thorn.
BUNNY MATTHEWS
Casey & Jessica Sanchez (Independent)
PJ Harvey: Uh Huh Her (Island)
The Crimea: Lottery Winners On Acid (Warner Brothers)
Drowning Pool:Desensitized (Wind-Up)
Local H: Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles? (Studio E.)
Death From Above 1979: You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine (Vice)
The Polyphonic Spree: Together We’re Heavy (Hollywood)
Mosquitos: Sunshine Barato (Bar/None)
Joseph P. Larkin: Songs of Freedom & Joy (Also-Ran)
Various Artists: Sahara Lounge (Putumayo)
The Sanchez twins, teenage sisters from St. Tammany Parish, released a “homemade” CD with singing and production values to equal anyone in the world (hear for yourself at www.sancheztwins.com), including 13-year-old sensation JoJo, whose “Leave (Get Out)” I also loved. In my book, nothing is as sublime as the sound of teenage girls acting tough. Except PJ Harvey baring her guts.
The Crimea’s single, “White Russian Galaxy,” is the “Be My Baby” for a new generation with its wonderful chorus: “Who knows what goes in her pretty little head?” That’s a question I’ve been pondering since I reached puberty.
Drowning Pool, Local H and Death From Above 1979, all extremely intense, are what I’d play if I was commanding a tank and invading somebody else’s country. The Spree and Mosquitos are all about love. Joseph P. Larkin, direct from Slidell, presents the actual sounds of crack whores and lascivious lesbians. Sahara Lounge is the most erotic album of 2004, the audio equivalent of a Spanish fly.
JUDE MATTHEWS
Dykehouse: Midrange(Ghostly International)
Colder: Again(Output)
Animal Collective: Sung Tongs(Fat Cat)
Devendra Banhart: Rejoicing In The Hands (Young God)
Devendra Banhart: Niño Rojo (Young God)
Junior Boys: Last Exit(Domino)
Wolf Eyes: Burned Mind(Subpop)
The Faint: Wet From Birth(Saddle Creek)
Dizzee Rascal: Showtime (XL Recordings)
Brian Wilson: Smile(Nonesuch)
Michael Dykehouse’s debut delivered a mix of My Bloody Valentine wall of sound catharsis and ethereal electronica that penetrated deep inside my mind for at least three months. Colder sounds like what would have happened if Joy Division took a break for the past 20 years and came back with Ian Curtis still alive. Animal Collective combines Native American chants, dizzying transcendental grooves, acoustic punk and a whole new way of looking at acoustic guitar-based music. When I saw these guys last year I thought they were just improvising but after hearing the album, I realize they weren’t.
Devendra Banhart showed off by releasing not one but two amazing albums of whatever-you-want-to-call-it folk and making everyone realize how talented he truly is by making it seem so easy. Junior Boys are two guys who sound like what the Neptunes would sound like if they were two white guys from Canada who were more into techno than hip-hop. In lieu of melodies, Wolf Eyes offers jagged, distorted drums, scary keyboard noises and demonic vocals that sound as if a melting monster is about to stick its tongue down your throat and turn you into lava. The Faint’s latest is much improved from their last album because they sound like they now actually know how to play the machines instead of the machines playing them. Dizzee, incredibly only 20 (an age when most boys spend all their time chasing after girls), raps faster than ever on his sophomore effort.
Smile, an album 38 years in the making, will completely move most music fans. The legend has finally come to fruition in total glory: a combination of almost all musical trends from the beginning of the 20th-century to 1966. This album is the only reason that I could say I’m proud to be an American.
BLAKE THOMPSON
Rusty & Doug Kershaw: Louisiana Men (Ace)
Bobby Charles: Last Train to Memphis (Bogalusa)
Various Artists: Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues,1945-1970 (Lost Highway)
James Carr: My Soul Is Satisfied (Ace)
Nathaniel Mayer: I Just Want To Be Held (Fat Possum)
Hound Dog Taylor: Release The Hound (Alligator)
James Brown: Soul On Top (Verve)
The Palmetto Bug Stompers: The Palmetto Bug Stompers (Independent)
G La Beaud: On The G (Louisiana Red Hot)
Quintron: The Frog Tape (Skin Graft 72)
Not much has changed in the music industry in the past year. Popular music, for the most part, is still monopolized by mega-corporations looking to maximize their profits. In today’s culture we are constantly bombarded by the banal, the insipid and the salacious. Popular music aims at the lowest common denominator in our society and for most people this is just fine. You know that “other America?” The one that voted Bush back into office recently? They are perfectly happy to get their music from Clear Channel Radio, cable televison, AOL and Wal-Mart. In fact they NEED to. They are certainly not going to go to any effort to find it for themselves. But should real music fans be concerned? In my opinion, no. Real music may be a little harder to find, but real music fans should already know the drill. There is no reason for us to even think about or acknowledge the mainstream music sources. Independent labels have always been a great place to look for new and exciting music. Get involved in your local music scene and explore and support local bands. Comb the record bins in thrift stores and garage sales and buy records that look interesting (at $1.00 per record or less, how can you lose?). If you are really disgusted with the state of modern music, just forget about it. Look to the past. There are so many excellent reissue CDs coming out all the time, you could never buy them all. Don’t complain. DO something about it. Tune in, turn on and drop out of the whole contemporary music scene. There is an endless wealth of music to explore in this world. And if THAT’S not enough, you could always start your own band. The ultimate act of rebellion against the music mainstream? Create your own.
DAN WILLGING
Varise Conner: Louisiana Folk Masters: Varise Conner (Louisiana Crossroads Records)
North Mississippi Allstars: Hill Country Review: Live From Bonnaroo (ATO)
Magnolia Sisters: Après Faire Le Boogie Woogie (Rounder)
Feufollet: Tout Un Beau Soir (Feufollet Records)
Sean Ardoin -n- Zydekool: Strictly For The Dancers (Zydekool Records)
Jeff and Vida: Loaded (Binky Records)
Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys: Never Satisfied “Jamais Satistfait” (Flat Town)
Rockin’ Jake: Five P.M. Breakfast (Independent)
Various Artists: Creole Bred (Vanguard Records)
T-Salé: T-Salé (Swallow Records)
When it comes to today’s music industry, are artists better off than a decade ago? In some ways, maybe. Given how technology allows the small guy the economy to record, are small labels really necessary? Anymore, all it takes is a small budget, a strategy and bam!, your friendly neighborhood roots artist no longer languishes away for a record exec’s decision. But unless that artist has any promotional sensibility and performs regularly—and you catch the live gig—the music is unlikely to seep into the public consciousness. But it’s not just them who struggle. Talk to the labels and there’s a prevailing sense of pessimism. Sometimes you get the impression that releasing records is just an alternative Las Vegas fling without the Redeye.
Yet for the discriminating roots-music demographic, it’s this corner, the independent artist and small label segment, that yields the greatest returns. Conversely, most Americans buy their music from the big box stores and that’s virtually impossible for many labels to secure such national presence. Occasionally there’s a Robert Earl Keen or Flatlanders title but more often it’s the stuff your teenager craves that has the backing of serious marketing dough. And, of course, there’s Wal-Mart. If they had their way, every CD would sell for less than ten bucks, and that’s only to entice sales of large ticket items. To the pope of the cheesy discount outlets, music is like the 39-cent dozen of eggs supermarkets used as loss leaders to entice the herds through the door. And that’s why the average, obviously oblivious American rarely finds the good stuff.
GERALDINE WYCKOFF
Astral Project: The Legend of Cowboy Bill (Independent)
Bonerama: Live From New York (Mule Train Records)
Maurice Brown: Hip to Bop (Independent)
Dave Douglas: Strange Liberation (RCA/Bluebird)
Little Bob and the Lollipops: I Got Loaded (Louisianne)
David Murray & the Gwo-Ka Masters featuring Pharoah Sanders: Gwotet (Justin Time)
Neville Brothers: Walkin’ In The Shadow of Life (Neville Nation/Back Porch)
Saxophone Summit: Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman: Gathering of Spirits (Telarc)
Wayne Shorter: Footprints: The Life And Music Of Wayne Shorter (Columbia / Legacy)
McCoy Tyner: Illuminations (Telarc)
Several months ago, there was a letter to the OffBeat editor complaining that the live music scene in New Orleans had waned. I could only conclude that this person came to town on the absolute slowest week of the year or that they had extremely narrow tastes. I found that during any given period in 2004 there were plenty of strong shows to keep my voracious musical appetite satisfied. My beef would be that many folks aren’t getting out and taking advantage of the plethora of music. I chalk it up to economics, the abundance of home entertainment and crime. It’s just easier and cheaper to hang around the house.
Advantaged by its core membership, the Contemporary Arts Center met great success with its ambitious schedule including noted veteran pianist Ahmad Jamal and the extraordinary team of saxophonist/pianist Archie Sheep and trombonist Roswell Rudd. On the other hand, Sweet Lorraine’s found it difficult to fill its seats despite bringing in a giant like saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. Hats off to the producers who presented creative jazz at the TwiRoPa Mills, a show with drummer Hamid Drake and saxophonist Jameel Moondoc among others, that enjoyed a respectable turnout. With its sterling reputation and ideal location, as always Snug Harbor brought ’em in for the likes of trumpeter Randy Brecker and trombone vet Curtis Mitchell.
Jazz fans, especially those on limited budgets, sorely miss the now-defunct New Jazz Legends series previously offered for free by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. There remain, however, bastions of spots where the musically enthused can swing, rock steady, jump, sway, two-step and second line for little to no cost in a city that continues as an oasis in a world of ever increasing homogeneity.
