Matthew Fenton -- CityBeat
10 Disjointed Music-Related Thoughts and Memories from 2004

Lambchop ­ Aw C'mon and No You C'mon. One of my favorite bands starts the year off right with, not one, but two great releases. Not Country, not Alternative, not AltCountry ... just great songwriters and arrangers with their own peculiar vision.

Coachella Music Festival, Indio, Calif., May 1-2. Two days. Five stages. One hundred thousand of the best-natured music fans I'll ever meet. Mind-bending sets by Radiohead, the Black Keys and Q and Not U ... plus Pixies, Air, The Cure, Kraftwerk, The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, Atmosphere, Beck, the stranger-than-thou Kool Keith and dozens more. Yep, I'm going next year.

Former Creed singer Scott Stapp on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown. Just in case you didn't find him insufferable enough ...

Soul Jazz Records. This London-based label does an amazing job of picking a point in music history -- say, the Latin influence on music in New York in the '70s -- and going deep with definitive, rare and unreleased tracks. Their Dynamite (Jamaican music) and New Orleans Funk & Soul compilations are always in my heavy rotation, but everything they do is assembled with the care of a fan and the attention to detail of a purist.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Tipitina's, New Orleans, Sept. 11. Speaking of New Orleans Funk & Soul ... it was a rare treat to see the Dirty Dozen tear it up on their home turf. And in a N'Awlins musical landmark to boot.

Singing a karaoke version of "Superfreak" with my friend Bruce at a TGI Friday's in Niagara Falls. Giving Canadians one more reason to hate America.

R.E.M., Taft Theatre, Oct. 27. After a great opening set by up-and-comers Now It's Overhead, Michael Stipe proved why he's still one of the best frontmen in Rock. Too bad they were touring to support the underwhelming Around the Sun.

From a Basement on the Hill. Elliott Smith's posthumous release might be his best work, and it breaks my heart all to pieces. Why can't the guy from matchbox twenty kill himself instead?

Morr Music Festival, Southgate House, Nov. 20. Morr Music is one of the best labels going, purveying a tasty blend of bedroom Electronica and AltPop. This show brought three of their best acts -- Lali Puna, Styrofoam and The Go Find -- to our humble burg for the first time.

Over the Rhine, Taft Theatre, Dec. 11. Their annual holiday show has long been one of my favorite nights of the year, and this was no exception (though perhaps a little brief for my tastes). Re-casting their songs for stand-up bass, keys and drums allowed the group to show off their smoky Jazz chops.

Jason Gargano -- CityBeat
1. The Arcade Fire live at the Southgate House

Funeral is mighty fine, but the Arcade Fire live show is a wildly dynamic, wholly unique experience. Part Talking Heads art damage, part Pogues pub stomp, these passionate Canadians set the Southgate House ablaze.

2. Kanye West ­ The College Dropout

Mondo ego and education-dissing tendencies aside, West is funny, socially aware and surprisingly nuanced for an artist of his commercial standing. Sometimes the masses get it right.

3. Sonic Youth ­ Sonic Nurse

They just keep going. The lack of a typically fine Lee Ranaldo track is buffered by the return of Kim Gordon. "Pattern Recognition" and "I Love You Golden Blue" are classic Kim -- sexy and a little bit scary.

4. Loretta Lynn ­ Van Lear Rose

Sure, Mr. White's presence is invaluable. But even he can't overshadow Lynn's seasoned, singular voice and deceptively simple tales of a Country girl gone right ... and wrong.

5a. Interpol ­ Antics

Not as overtly pleasing or as consciously dark as its predecessor, yet just as hypnotic. Too bad their live show is a bore. Note to frontman Paul Banks: There's a world outside your head.

5b. The Walkmen ­ Bows + Arrows

Not as scruffy or as consciously dark as its predecessor, yet just as hypnotic. Too bad their recordings pale in comparison to their live show. Note to drummer Matt Barrick: You're a bad man.

6. Lali Puna ­ Faking the Books

Valerie Trebeljahr's melancholic voice belies its intent, as does her nuanced music. The best record Stereolab never made.

7. The National ­ Cherry Tree

Cincinnati's finest export follows the stellar Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers with a brief but potent batch of dark, whiskey-soaked tales and tones. Dulli's surely envious.

8. Madvillain ­ Madvillainy

Whacked-out, deeply medicated Jazz Hop of endless creativity courtesy of MF Doom and Madlib. Lyric of the year (visage-wise, anyway): something about "perforated Rod Lavers."

9. Sufjan Stevens ­ Seven Swans

Stevens' intimate, deeply emotive songs penetrate via delicate arrangements and a voice of supreme conviction. Elliott Smith is smiling.

10. Wilco ­ live at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre

This revelatory Halloween night gig trumped the groggy A Ghost is Born studio version so thoroughly I couldn't believe my ears. Of course, with ace avant-guitarist Nels Cline and a pair of multi-instrumentalist ringers on board, it was an entirely different animal. Oh yeah, and Tweedy left his meds at home.

Kevin Britton -- CityBeat
The Top 10 Best Things to Happen to Hip Hop in 2004

Foreign Exchange: Dutch producer Nicolay's "chill-hop" collabo with Little Brother's Phonte was the best thing to happen to Hip Hop music this year.

The National Hip Hop Political Convention: Thousands registered to vote. Perhaps in 2008, they'll actually make it to the polls.

H.O.V.A. named CEO of Def Jam: I know I've been a little hard on Jigga, but after that "lyrically I'd be Talib Kweli" bit, it'll be interesting to see what he does with Hip Hop's first true record label.

Kanye West: This guy has it all -- a keen taste for fashion, an ear for beats, conscious lyricism and an ego to match.

Speaking of fashion ... Retro Sneaks: Affordable remakes of our favorite Nikes, Adidas and Pumas from the '80s. Now I can save money and still be in style.

Dave Chappelle: A socially-conscious comedian features socially-conscious rappers on his weekly sketch comedy show. Who could ask for more?

The color pink was in ... then out: Emphasis on the word out.

Jean Grae: If you haven't heard her flow yet, you're missing one of the most talented lyricists this decade has seen.

Chops: I almost slept on this Philly-based producer's outstanding debut compilation, Virtuosity.

Wale Oyejide: I stumbled upon his August release One Day Everything Changed. With tracks like "There's a War Going On" and "Third World Anthem," I thought it was 1990 all over again. Peace till '05.

Brad Myers -- Ray's Music Exchange
Top 5 oddities encountered while working in a Music Instrument Retail during the holidays ...

In my down time from teaching, traveling and playing with various groups, I have taken a job at one of our city's finest musical instrument retail stores, home of a generous return policy and guaranteed low prices out the wazoo. During my stay there I have encountered a few choice situations that would send any musician, pro or hobbyist, for a loop ... in case you were thinking of joining the team. Enjoy.

5. "Can I borrow a guitar pick so I can test out this guitar over here?" asks one out of every five customers that come in the store. "Would you go out and try out a hat without bringing your head along with you?" I ask myself while I dig through my pockets to find the one pick that I have magically been able to hold on to through the ensuing holiday chaos. I guess I'm just different.

4. "Does this Peavly amplifier come with 'stortion on it? I heard that 'stortion will make my boy sound like that Zack Wylde," asks one toothless father after the next. "Yes, sir, that amp has plenty of 'stortion on it, but unfortunately for all of us, all of the 'stortion in the world won't make your boy sound like Zack Wylde," I quietly remark under my breath. "Might I suggest some guitar lessons for him or earplugs for your family."

3. While our in-store music does seem a bit better than some of the retail alternatives, there are only so many times that one can listen to "Santa Baby," "Hunka Hunka Burning Chanukah" or the "12 Redneck Days of Christmas" before going out and renting a reindeer to run over everyone wearing green and red.

2. "Do you carry the latest album transcription book from Good Charlotte or Hoobastank," asks a wide-eyed pierced preteen. "First of all, if we do have it I'm sure that it Hoobastinks and, second, you won't find much more than a lesson in power chords for drop D tuning and bad lyrics about how much life sucks when you're young, but let me check over in our "One Hit Wonders" section. I know we just sold out of our Jesus Jones Anthology so there should be some new stuff coming in soon. I'll give you a call if I see anything."

1. The millionaire recluse "marble collector" that comes in for an hour and buys one book for $9.95 on a credit card and pitches a fit when we try to take his name and address for our mailing list (required for all credit card purchases). This nutball, who has obviously left some of his marbles at home, then states that if he receives "one piece of mail from us" that he will "come in and blow (our) heads off." He then proceeds to rant on about how the world conspiracy to do away with the cash system has driven him to hunt down all of the people that send him junk mail and do away with them and their evil correspondence. It must be hard and lonely at the top of the marble collecting industry and even more difficult to stop off at an ATM for a 20 spot before stopping in the mall to see some lowly working folk. While we will be glad to make sure we never see you in our store again, we hope that you'll take the time to self-administer your "happy pill" before coming down into town next time.

Dale Johnson -- CityBeat
Top 10 Locals Bands, CDs, etc. (in no particular order)

The Defrost Star

A band that makes a Rock & Roll believer out of you with their near-perfect blasts of guitars and sheer power. Certainly a band, if not the band, to keep an eye on in 2005. (www.dstarband.com)

The 13's

Down-home, good-time music with a dangerous edge and an open heart. Sam Nation and his merry band of musical outlaws made for some of the best times in 2004. (www.thethirteens.com)

Pale Beneath The Blue ­ Hologram

Rhonda Everitt -- also of the band A Pretty War --released this solo Electronica/Dance CD in 2004 that made you think and move. An admirable, intelligent and successful artistic stretch. (www.palebeneaththeblue.com)

The Spectacular Fantastic ­ Vortex of Vacancy

The smart, deceptively simple '60s flavored songs of Mike Detmer are a sheer pleasure on many levels. Mixing basic yet clever lyrics and an ear for killer hooks and melodies is Detmer's stock-in-trade.(www.spectacularfantastic.net)

The Minor Leagues' Singles of the Month Club

Sort of like receiving a cool "mystery" toy in the mail every now and again, only more pleasing to the ear, The Minor Leagues' two-song CDs that came via snail mail in 2004 never failed to brighten the day with smart songwriting and a diverse array of musical stylings. (www.minorleaguesmusic.com)

Soul Casket

Fronted by the magnetic J-9, this Goth/Metal band makes every note count and J-9 keeps every note interesting. Like finding a new, dark, raw form of electricity. (www.soulcasket.com)

djdq

One of the turntabalists for the multi-man Animal Crackers, part of national Hip Hop act glue and all-around utility beatslinger for a number of acts, dq creates audio collages that are truly artistic as well as groovin'. (www.theanimalcrackers.com)

The Whitney Barricklow Band

Why Whitney Barricklow's music isn't in every household in America is beyond me. Backed by crack players possessing an incredibly charismatic stage presence and owner of one of the best voices -- hands down -- in the city, the WBB should be on lunchboxes around the globe. (www.whitneyb.com)

Emily Strand and The Town

Since I mentioned crack bands (not bands on crack), The Town is not only one of the tightest outfits going, but Emily is also one of the most gifted songwriters the area has to offer. Power and eloquence every time, guaranteed. Check out her 2004 release, Delay In the Connection, for more proof. (www.emilystrand.com)

Paperback

Playing everything from a tribute to '80s music to a backing gig with local Hip Hop/Spoken Word artist Abiyah on her Vans Warped Tour dates to releasing their own hellfire-and-brimstone CD, Let's Go Ride Bikes, earlier this month, Paperback takes the MVP award for 2004. Mature Metal with a melody. (www.paperbackmusic.net)

Brian Baker -- CityBeat
Top 10 Live Moments of 2004

I haven't heard half of the albums that are being touted as the best of the year, so this year I'm recusing myself from that musical horserace (although Hamell on Trial, A.C. Newman, Tegan & Sara, Neko Case, Elvis Costello, Gomez, the Hiss, Sam Phillips, Drive By Truckers and Silver Sunshine, along with a dozen others, would all have figured highly). Instead, I offer these highly-personal, life-altering moments from the audience (and related locations).

1. Guided by Voices farewell show at the Southgate House. From Tobin Sprout's energetic opening to Saint Robert's inebriated convocation (punctuated by CityBeat's own Dan McCabe's presentation of the Guided by Voices Day proclamation), a transcendent and indelible event.

2. Art Alexakis' solo acoustic set at The Vibe in Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest (SXSW). Everclear is a love-'em-or-hate-'em proposition and I fall in the former category. To hear Alexakis' vitriolic confessionals stripped down to their acoustic roots was a powerful and surreal experience. Even stranger was running into him on the sidewalk the next night and having a quick chat.

3. Meeting Dave Marsh at the Harp Magazine party at SXSW. I am a Rock music writer largely due to the Holy Creem Trinity of Marsh, Lester Bangs and Robert Christgau; to meet the Godfather of Rock Journalism was an opportunity to thank a pioneer for making it possible for me to write off my basement office as a tax deduction.

4. The Lilys at the Pecan St. Ale House at SXSW. Sensing a pattern yet? It's almost all Austin until the end now. If Neil Young's Crazy Horse had been shaped by Ray Davies and the Kinks, it would have sounded like The Lilys. And it would sound great.

5. The Sundresses' blistering set at the Blender Balcony at SXSW. The Sundresses' high-voltage, art-damaged Pop wound up being the unintentional soundtrack for the dance floor antics of a local transvestite with a spooky resemblance to Robert Duvall. Unforgettable.

6. Meeting Robyn Hitchcock at 1 a.m. in less-than-downtown Austin. I actually accosted him to make him stop once I recognized him on the street. When he realized I wasn't a stalker fan who wanted to talk about the B-side of "Queen Elvis," he visibly relaxed.

7. The Mekons at Antone's at SXSW. I only caught the last four songs, but what a riotous closing it was. John Langford has no idea how to modulate his energy frequency; with him it's either on or further on.

8. Division of Laura Lee and The Von Bondies at Stubb's at SXSW. It's Sweden vs. Detroit for the World Heavyweight Garage Rock crown. And we win. The night was also notable for meeting a guy who, as it turned out, had attended the same Tom Waits show in Michigan that I had seen 25 years earlier. The world doesn't get any smaller than that.

9. The rest of Cincinnati at SXSW. Pearlene was raucous good fun, the Greenhornes were subdued but on their game, Thee Shams tore shit up in fine skronk Blues fashion and Anonymous Bosch sparkled like a rare Pop jewel. Everyone was so amazing that Ripley wouldn't have believed it.

10. Gomez at Bogart's. I've loved their records for years, but seeing Gomez bring their gritty Soul/Blues catalog to the stage was simply awe-inspiring.

Chris Lee -- Sudsy Malone's/Peace or Die Records/Katana
(listed alphabetically)

Cradle Of Filth ­ Nymphetamine

Croatan ­ The Drunken Masters

Estuary ­ To Exist And Endure

Iced Earth ­ The Glorious Burden

Metal Church ­ The Weight Of The World

Mortician ­ Re-Animated Dead Flesh

Pentagram ­ Show 'Em How

Rhapsody ­ Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Ii-The Dark Secret

Suffocation ­ Souls To Deny

Therion ­ Sirius B/Lemuria

Ericka McIntyre -- CityBeat
Top 10 Live Shows You Should've Seen in 2004

10. Viva La Foxx at Cody's Café, Jan. 16, 2004: One of this city's top Punk Rock groups played one of the best and last shows ever at this sorely and dearly missed venue/bar/restaurant that surprised us all by closing for good just 15 days later.

9. The Gazelles! at the Northside Tavern, Jan. 28, 2004: Upon the departures of drummer Andy Jody and guitarist Max Bender for the respective touring vans of Pearlene and Thee Shams, the Gazelles! called it quits this fall. This show saw them in rare form, and makes it clear that we lost a great Punk band this year. But, oh, was it ever good while it lasted!

8. The Everyothers at the Comet, Feb. 11, 2004, and March 29, 2004: Locals weren't the only ones bringing great music to small clubs here this year -- one great Rock band out of New York City made going out on a "school night" worthwhile (twice!). Watch for them to come back; it likely won't be free next time, but it will be worth it.

7. Campfire Crush, et al. at Alchemize, Nov. 24, 2004: Locals wil-o-ee, Chalk, the Chocolate Horse, (In) Camera and Hilltop Distillery joined the Campfire kids for the best Thanksgiving Eve show I've been to in years. If you went somewhere else to party that night, you didn't have near as much fun as we did, and you weren't hearing near as good music while you were doing it.

6. The Bamboo Kids at the Comet, Nov. 2, 2004: These NYC punkers were the perfect edgy soundtrack for the tension of Election Night. I don't know which pain was greater the next day -- my hangover, or the prospect of "Four More Years" -- but the Kids made it all right, at least for a little while.

5. The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players at alchemize, Oct. 23, 2004: When this national cult favorite brought its eccentric, eclectic show to Cincinnati's newest club, we were treated to a taste of just how original and entertaining independent music can be. If you missed it, you missed out.

4. Culture Queer at the Southgate House, June 4, 2004: This summer these local Art Rock favorites released their latest effort, Super Size It Under Pontius Pilate, at a fantastically decorated and fantastically entertaining show, that was quite worthy of this year's Cincinnati Entertainment Award winner for Best Album of the Year.

3. Blonde Redhead at the Southgate House, Nov. 5, 2004: Thigmotrope Productions had a great year of shows -- the last area appearance of Guided By Voices, the Lite Brite Fest, the Secret Machines, Yo La Tengo and a whole lot more -- but this one was my personal favorite. This band's music is some of the most beautiful and haunting of our time. We're lucky someone got them to bring it here.

2. Heartless Bastards at Arlin's, Aug. 27th, 2004: A lot of us didn't know it yet, but one of Cincinnati's greatest Rock bands had just been signed (to Fat Possum), and was ready for take-off. This is one of those shows you'll claim you were at even if you weren't, once these Bastards become the huge stars we all know they'll be. (Tip for the fibbers: It was really, really hot that night).

1. Translove Airways at LAVA, June 26, 2004: Turns out monthly event "Girls & Boys" has more to offer than just girls and boys -- they bring in damn fine Rock bands, too. I fell in love with this New York City group (featuring former Cincinnatian Steve Lay) at first listen, and their's was the best show I saw this year -- my only hope for 2005 is that they come back!

Kevin Warwick, Death In Graceland
10. Comets on Fire: Blue Cathedral. This album sounds like drugs. It's chaotic and spastic at times, but in the next moment the mood shifts to a trance-like state with hypnotic rhythms and obscure guitar noise. Oh, how spectacular it is.

9. Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days. One man with an acoustic guitar, a slide and an ominous voice. "Naked As We Came" is an absolutely beautiful song. He's ditched the four-track for a more polished sound. This guy just knows how to write songs.

8. The Dillinger Escape Plan: Miss Machine. Hard to follow up Calculating Infinity you say? This album is just as good if not better. "Panasonic Youth" resembles a stick of dynamite. Technical hysteria. Destructive precision. Amazing live band as well.

7. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets. Ted Leo seems to put out a new album every three months. Who am I to say anything, though? Seamless Pop songs put a smile on my face. Sunny days and ice cream.

6. Panthers: Things Are Strange. Seven-minute long epic Rock songs? How can you go wrong? Give me some droning vocals and a nice repertoire of delicious guitar licks and I'll be content. Check out "We Are Louder." Thank you, boys.

5. Blood Brothers: Crimes. Tight jeans and haircuts. Yup, it's more sassy and the songs are getting even catchier. I'm put at ease with a band like this because I know it will always put out stellar albums. So far, so good.

4. Hot Snakes: Audit in Progress. John Reis is a genius with the guitar and when you bring in the voice of Rick Froberg from Drive Like Jehu, you are guaranteed to have excellent tunes. "Hi-Lites" and "Kreative Kontrol" are the standouts.

3. Radiodown. The venue located in Covington, Ky., came into its own this year and is establishing itself as a staple of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky music community. It's nice to see relatively young venues succeed.

2. Detachment Kit: Of This Blood. "Skyscrapers" might possibly be my favorite song of the year. This is a smart, quirky album that runs heavy on the flavor. Extremely dynamic. The D-Kit has a vision ... let's all take note.

1. Wilco: A Ghost is Born. Jeff Tweedy's a phenomenal songwriter. This is the perfect follow-up to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. "Company In My Back" is the cut. Wilco is and always will be fantastic. That's all.

Ezra Waller -- CityBeat
Top 10 Great Losses of 2004

1. In addition to serving the finest caffeinated drinkables and chocolate-covered coffee beans, Buzz Coffeehouse and CD-O-Rama was a great space for experimental artists and musicians and for anyone wishing to melt into a dirty couch. Another casualty of the decline of Short Vine. R.I.P. Jan. 18, 2004.

2. The Unlike Label was a labor of love for Sammy McKee, and one that brought joy to many. With painfully good compilations and an international roster of talent, McKee's efforts allowed many artists' music to reach new ears, forever transforming both. R.I.P Jan. 29, 2004.

3. Cody's Café was the hatchery for innumerable fine local acts despite frequent mismanagement. With amazingly diverse fare for your ears and your belly, this place was the crux of cross-pollination during its time hosting live music. R.I.P. Jan. 30, 2004.

4. For all intents and purposes, The Warehouse ceased to exist when it left its home at 1313 Vine St. The after-hours destination of choice for 11 years, this club brought the suits, freaks and hicks face-to-face to dance and gawk the night away. R.I.P. Feb. 2, 2004.

5. Northern Kentucky's Morals Galore produced some of the most beautiful, cathartic Indie Rock I've ever heard. Plus, they played a show in a strip club. In their own words, "Be happy we've got things that make us sad." R.I.P. Feb. 14, 2004.

6. WOXY. There must have been some magic in that weak little signal. Somehow, neither the internet-only version nor the reformatted 97.7 FM holds a candle to the experience of hearing new and exciting music swimming in a warm bath of static. R.I.P. May 13, 2004.

7. Unlike most Pop Rock acts that faded away quietly this year, the hyper-charged Rockets to Mars burned upon re-entry with a dazzling farewell show. Here's hoping the half-finished final album sees the light of day eventually. R.I.P. May 22, 2004.

8. Easy load-in, great bar staff and a super stage and sound system made The Cavern a favorite of bands that played there. The club managed to pull off some huge shows and host a number of national acts before closing their doors. R.I.P. July 1, 2004.

9. After an impressive pair of EPs, an add on 97X and many great Cincinnati Rock Machine shows, the Anonymous Bosch carnival left for Barcelona. OK, so maybe having been a member of the band makes it more poignant for me. Cut me some slack, they were the best times of my life. R.I.P June 18, 2004.

10. As melancholy as all of these losses seem, the death of a loved one is a tragedy of far greater magnitude. Simon P. Kinsella was a superbly talented musician and journalist with deep roots in this area. He touched the hearts of countless friends in the local music scene, and he will be sorely missed by many (see Spill It, page 47, for more info). R.I.P Aug. 18, 2004.

Mike Breen - CityBeat
2004 was the mind-fuck year of my life, thanks to the birth of my first child. Through the blur of Apocalypse Now-style, sleep-deprivation-driven insanity and I-can-feel-this-way-without-drugs? highs, here's what I remember most about music this year. Local music dominated my CD player; check CityBeat next week for our picks for the best Cincy-area releases of 2004.

· The Kerry Nation. As the presidential election grew closer, a multitude of big-name artists came forward to lend their talent and support to the non-dip-shit candidate. Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M. and Bright Eyes (among several hundred other big-namers) did their part on a national level, while locals like Over The Rhine, psychodots, The Ass Ponys, Acumen (and many others) did their thang locally. By October, my faith in humankind was restored, as I was sure Kerry would take the election easily. Then the universe's biggest Rock Star, Jesus (or at least some people's fucked up interpretation of him), entered the picture and my disgust with humankind came back in spades. "Moral values" decided the election? Don't get me started.

· TV on the Radio's "Staring at the Sun." Art School ElectroPop that made for the best single of the year.

· Band Showcases Created Just For Me. OK, so maybe the MidPoint Music Festival and the Brink new local music showcases weren't actually built with me in mind. But I relished in both of these events (as I have for the past couple of years) because it gave me a chance to see many local artists I haven't been able to check out yet. Love the surprise sleepers! Putting together the ultimate MidPoint guide for CityBeat this year was the hardest thing I've ever done professionally ... and also the most rewarding project I've been a part of.

· Artist of the Year: Janet Jackson's Right Tit. It's amusing (in a sick, unbelievable way) to me that Bush's rally-cry of "freedom!" brain-washed so many clueless Americans this year. When Ms. Jackson got nasty at the start of the year during the Super Bowl half-time show, it kick-started a new puritanical jihad against artistic expression, with the FCC cracking the whip against whatever it deems "objectionable." Couple that with the "Patriot Act" and you've got the kind of "freedom" that made the U.S.S.R. such a utopian society.

· Dangermouse's The Grey Album. Maybe the biggest "outlaw" album of all time, this combination of music from The Beatles' "White Album" and Jay-Z's The Black Album thrilled me to no end and made me realize that Mr. Z is no joke as an MC (sorry, I couldn't get past his blingy image beforehand). Somebody said it was the best Jay-Z album and worst Beatles album ever made, which I concur with. But the biggest joy I got from this hybrid was the dialog it opened about fair use of sound and copyright law in general.

· Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose. Wow. Jack White (and an awesome backing band, that included member of Cincy's Greenhornes) helped the best female Country singer/songwriter of all time make a rootsy, feisty album that echoed with back-woods beauty and take-no-shit realness. It's amazing that Lynn's voice still sounds this incredible.

· Brian Wilson's SMiLE. I decided this would be horrible when I first heard about the head Beach Boys' plan to restart work on this legendarily abandoned album. I mean, would he pull out the sandbox and start taking copious amounts of drugs again to get back to that moment in his head? I'm happy I was wrong. Wilson tries a bit too hard these days, but the songwriting (or, rather, composing) on this symphonic Pop masterpiece speaks for itself.

· Secret Machines's Now Here Is Nowhere. I don't get the Pink Floyd comparisons (I think they're more pre-orchestral Flaming Lips than anything), but this tripped out disc deserved the hype. Their live set at the Southgate House was equally enthralling, in a "where's-the-one-hitter" kinda way. Drug music needs a comeback.

· Mclusky

This Welsh trio charmed me to no end with their last disc, Mclusky Do Dallas, and on 2004's The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not On Fire, they didn't disappoint, keeping up the stoned-bullshit-session lyrical witticisms and glass-shard Post Punk slappiness in spades and adding an even more musical and dynamic dimension. I expected them to have a more menacing live show for some reason, but their goofy demeanor at their gigs at the Southgate House still made them some of my favorite concerts this year.

· Curiosa at Riverbend.

Lollapalooza was cancelled? If you saw the Curiosa festival, you forgot all about it. With headliners The Cure (still in great form, despite Robert Smith's growing resemblance to Heart's Ann Wilson) and Cure disciples like Muse, Interpol, Mogwai, The Rapture and several others, this was the best Lollapalooza since the fest's earliest shows.

· Shesus

I never know whether to consider them a "Cincinnati band" or not (seems Dayton lays a bigger claim to them, despite a few members calling Cincy home), but I absolutely love Shesus, no matter where they're "from." Their new EP, Ruined It For You, is amazing, leaving some of the more primitive Punk pounding behind for a more slanted, New Wave/Post Punk sound that recalls the first couple of Siouxsie and the Banshees albums. Singer Heather Newkirk's bubbly-to-clawing personality shines through unfiltered in her vocals, making her one of the best singers/frontpersons in the Midwest.

Kathy Y. Wilson -- CityBeat
Cuba in the spring

It's not a musical choice but traveling to the forbidden island via Toronto for a week made all the year's drama and disappointments -- the election, war, invisible WMDs, the unauthorized appearance of Mike Allen's penis, to name too many -- trivial by comparison. It changed me forever. Every American Negro should go.

Foreign Exchange ­ Connected

Phonte, half the mic talent from Little Brother, and Nicolay, some geeky kid from the Netherlands, exchanged beats and rhymes via the Internet to build this exquisite disc of bouncy, downtempo beats straight from the brown coffeeshops of Amsterdam with lyrical dexterity plucked from Hip Hop's heyday. Get high on sunshine.

Kanye West ­ The College Dropout

This album resonates and takes a while to wholly digest because it validates the bi-polar tendencies of hip black nerds, as eloquently laid down on "All Falls Down." And, hey, Jesus is cool, man.

Pete Rock ­ Soul Survivor II

"External blingers is all we can be 'cause on the inside we've been given nothing to shine on/And a record deal is harder to get than coke so my niggas get they grind on/'Cause the TV tells us: Aim high, nigga, make all goals lateral/But see that takes paper we don't have so niggas put they souls up as collateral." And that's only the beginning. Say "real Hip Hop."

Jill Scott ­ Golden

The Stevie Wonder sprightliness of this sunny manifesto didn't manifest through the rest of Beautifully Human. However, this glorious little song about self-love makes me sing along and believe.

Ming + FS, featuring Napoleon Maddox ­ Back to One

Honestly, I only listen to the six sick tracks featuring IsWhat?! MC Napoleon Maddox, whose spooky, electric rapping in his lower register is layered against syncopated blips and beats. Mini-soundtracks to the foreign indie flick in my head.

Rickie Lee Jones ­ The Evening Of My Best Day

"Ugly Man" is a Jazz-shuffled rendition of the hard-hearted legacy bequeathed your president by his daddy and "Little Mysteries" ties America's hands to worldwide tragedies in an X-Files kinda way. Ugly cool as only RLJ can do it.

Scissor Sisters

The group is that rare amalgamation of imagination, talent and hype. The lead singer used to be a male dancer in a New York club; he's a postmodern Ratso Rizzo without the infection.

M.I.A. ­ "Galang"

Only the single's available stateside; it's four mixes of throbbing, boinking, chirping international Hip Hop. Missy Elliot with a passport.

John Legend ­ "Ordinary People"

Of all Stevie's children, John Legend's the only one whose voice is deeply sincere and simultaneously thrilling. It's a kick to hear a widely-hyped piano ballad as a single from his long-awaited, oft-delayed debut CD. ©