.: Top 20 of 2002


This has been a very good year for music. There was the attack of the "The" named bands (i.e. The Strokes, The Hives, The White Stripes, The Vines, etc...), unexpected surprises (i.e. Interpol), and veterans in the music biz just kicking ass (i.e. The Flaming Lips, Peter Gabriel). I compiled the best 20 albums that I have enjoyed during this year. So here goes...


# 20 :: Ladytron - Light & Magic ::
This album is filled with Synth Pop that takes you back to the 80's. Memorable songs include "Seventeen," "Evil," and "Blue Jeans."

# 19 :: Neko Case - Blacklisted ::
It was quite a surprise to stumble upon Neko Case's album. Neko has a hell of a voice which is why I was so drawn to her latest endeavor. This album could be categorized as Country or Alt-Country. Either way Neko is a very good songwriter who crafted this excellent album with a much darker tone than her other albums.

# 18 :: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf ::
A relatively good hard rock album. And yes that is David Grohl drumming for the band.

# 17 :: The Apples in Stereo - Velocity of Sound ::
Sweet and cheerful indie pop is all you get from this Colorado band. It is a great ambitious album that even mom and dad will not be offended if played in the background while driving to your destination.

# 16 :: The Mooney Suzuki - Electric Sweat ::
Garage punk band that provokes uncontrollable energetic rowdiness.

# 15 :: Norah Jones - Come Away with Me ::
Released on the Blue Note label, Norah Jones sultry voice mesmerized fans from all over. She brings new light to Contemporary Jazz. Don't be a fool like I was and listen to her album whilst mending a broken heart. The songs tugs at the heart strings.

# 14 :: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ::
I was the first one in line to get Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I had to give a few listen to really enjoy it. Alt-Country has been making it's way in my music selection in the past year. I discovered Wilco after watching Girl, Interrupted with their featured song "How To Fight The Loneliness." Since then I have picked up all of Wilco's album except AM. Wilco is growing with every album. They are good at what they do and do it well.

# 13 :: Haven - Between The Senses ::
Haven's earnest debut could not escape from being on my list. Following British melancholy bands such as Coldplay, Travis, and Starsailor, Haven sings songs of sadness and love. Frontman Gary Briggs shines on "Out of Reach," and "Til the End."

# 12 :: Beth Orton - Daybreak ::
Singer/songwriter Beth Orton is reflective and bittersweet on her third LP. Emmylou Harris and Ryan Adams lend their voices and talents to Daybreaker. Although it did not reached it's heights for me as Central Reservation did, I still consider it as one of the good ones for 2002.

# 11 :: Sleater-Kinney - One Beat ::
Sleater-Kinney knows how to rock hard and steady. This album shows just how much.

# 10 :: Clinic - Walking With Thee ::
Surgical masks aside, this Liverpool foursome struck a chord with Walking With Thee. The album contains brooding, hypnotic and nocturnal songs such as "Come Into Our Room" and the title track "Walking With Thee". It's not a wonder that Radiohead took a liking to these lads.

Song Highlights - Come Into Our Room, The Vulture, Walking With Thee

# 9 :: Aimee Mann - Lost in Space ::
This is another personal journey for Aimee Mann on her latest release. On Lost in SpaceShe sings of alienation and addictions. It is the lyrics that pulled me in. "People are tricky / You can't afford to show anything risqué / Anything they don't know."

Song Highlights - Pavlov's Bell, Guys Like Me, It's Not

# 8 :: The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots ::
A few months ago, I striked up a conversation with Johan, my transportation buddy, and he started raving on and on about The Flaming Lips and their new album. He said that it was "the most amazing piece of work he has heard in a very long time." The only Flaming Lips song I could think of was "She Don't Use Jelly" but that was a few years ago. I hadn't heard anything from them since. A couple of weeks later, I got my hands on a few songs from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and now I am at ranks with Jonah. He was right to go on raving about The Flaming Lips. They are that good.

Song Highlights - Do you Realize?, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, All We Have is Now

# 7 :: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells ::
You can be sure that this album is on many top whatever list of 2002. This Detroit band took on the music scene rather quickly (the mainstream anyway). It surely didn't hurt performing on MTV's 2002 Movie Awards where Chris Rock commented on the "great show" they put on. The whole brother-sister, husband-wife thing has been cleared up and we can move on. This duo have all the elements of what rock should be like. They have found a fan in me.

Song Highlights - I Fell in Love With a Girl, Hotel Yorba, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

# 6 :: Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights ::
It is unreal how this NYC-based band blew up in a matter of months. Pick up Turn on the Bright Lights and know why. Songs such as "Say Hello to the Angels" is reminiscent of The Smiths "This Charming Man" and on "Obstacle 1" you think of Joy Division. Interpol is a hard band to describe. At a first listen, you are not sure if they are really from NYC or Britain. But Turn on the Bright Lights is an overall solid debut album.

Song Highlights - Stella Was a Driver and She Was Always Down, Say Hello to the Angels, Personal Use, Obstacle 1

# 5 :: The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone ::
It's a little amusing that I started listening to The Walkmen a little less than a month ago. It has found a permanent place in my cd player. "Wake Up" is easily one of the stronger tracks on the album. The Walkmen is a little hard to classify but after a listen you want to go back and hear it again. Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gonegrows on you eventually.

Song Highlights - Wake Up, We've Been Had, They're Winning

# 4 :: Beck - Sea Change ::
Beck's got a broken heart and then he made an album. His latest endeavor is arguably his most finest and focused work.

Song Highlights - Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lonesome Tears, Paper Tiger, Sunday Sun

# 3 :: Doves - The Last Broadcast ::
I didn't think Doves could produce another album as good as Lost Souls. These Manchester lads keep the momentum on this fantastic new release. Simply intelligent and innovating sounds. Would it be weird to say that the album was inspiring? "There Goes The Fear" is truly amazing.

Song Highlights - Pounding, , There Goes The Fear, Words, New York, Satellites

# 2 :: Spoon - Kill The Moonlight ::
As if Girls Can Tell wasn't ambitious enough, Spoon releases another compelling album. Kill The Moonlight is filled with beautifully meshed songs along with Britt Daniels lyrics and wry vocals. This is a step forward for Spoon.

Song Highlights - All the Pretty Girls Go to the City, Don't Let it Get You Down, Stay Don't Go

# 1 :: Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head ::
After Parachutes I was a little worried about Coldplay. Could they construct another album as earnestly as Parachutes? Answers all point to yes. Even the band had doubts about putting out another album altogether. They believed that producing another album as their first critically-acclaimed LP couldn't be done. All that was put aside as the band recorded and released their second effort last August. Chris Martin's warm and emotionally filled songs haunted Parachutes as well as this album. The band plays as tight as ever with songs such as "Politik", "Warning Sign", and "Clocks." Although "The Scientist" is often compared to "Yellow," I believe the lyrics are by far one of Coldplay's best. Questions of science, science and progress / Do not speak as loud as my heart / And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me / Oh and I rush to the start. Coldplay is without a doubt my favorite of 2002 and so on.

Song Highlights - The Scientist, Warning Sign, Politik, In My Place, Green Eyes, Clocks, Amsterdam, Daylight, A Whisper, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face -- Hell the whole damn album is noteworthy!


Other Favorite Albums in 2002

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Badly Drawn Boy - About A Boy
Idlewild - The Remote Part
Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
John Mayer - Room For Squares
Missy Elliot - Under Construction
Morcheeba - Charango
No Doubt - Rock Steady
Röyksopp - Melody A.M.
Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man in Babylon
Paul Westerberg - Stereo/Mono





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