David Walters, the model of Southern gentility and future music editor of Recess, reflected upon 12 months of music, and this is the best he could come up with:
- Tenacious D--Tenacious D
These guys wrote the self-proclaimed best song in the world and offered it up to the Angel of Darkness himself. If it was good enough for him, then you know the whole album is good enough for us. Kage and Jables have forever muddled the boundary between musical comic duo and legitimate rock band. McVicker and I actually fought for this review, and I was pummeled very, very badly. With karate she kicked my ass--talk about tenacious.
- Ben Folds--Rockin' the Suburbs
Who knew a big geek with a baby grand could be this awesome? I caught Ben Folds at the Ritz back in November, and I was not disappointed. Forget the Five--parked behind his piano, this man can do no wrong. People turned off by the satirical title track missed out on some surprisingly moving songs like "Fred Jones Part 2" and "The Luckiest." An excellent album to own.
- Bob Dylan--Love and Theft
There's just nothing left to say. The man is 60 years old. He's cranked out over 45 albums. Your parents listened to him. For one man to survive the music business this long, all the while remaining innovative and relevant, is an accomplishment that may never be realized again. Love and Theft is everything we've always liked about him. Hell, he's even cooler than his son, Jakob. I bet Christmas dinner in the Dylan household is a little tense.
- The Strokes--Is This It?
This album was an instant classic, and The Strokes are dangerously close to that "truly essential band" status. This disc makes the cut begrudgingly because mentioning The Strokes doesn't make you hip and indie anymore. But the worst part of all the hoopla is they probably deserve it, much like another band that will not be mentioned, whose albums, Amnesiac and I Might Be Wrong, did not make my list. Yep--stickin' to The Strokes. Not gonna mention Radiohead this year... crap. Don't you hate groups that live up to the hype?
- Jump, Little Children--Vertigo (and all live shows in the area)
If you don't have it, you're only hurting yourself. Vertigo, an independent release following the loss of their label, is definitely picking up steam, at least partly because of quality concerts. J,LC's cult-like following always makes for a packed show, and the band always answers with enthusiasm and energy. With such a diverse sound, this is stuff you can listen to constantly and not burn out on.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.