Sweet 17: mattLandia's 2004 Sampler
Attention readers, visitors, lurkers, and friends. I'm back to posting after a much needed rest over the holidays. I return bearing gifts!
I'm presenting you with "Sweet 17: mattLandia's 2004 Sampler". This year, as in past years, I spent hours scouring my music collection, and hand-picked the jewels that stood out for 2004. This year's sampler is decidedly rock oriented. That's not to say that I didn't add some good hip hop, electronic, and off beat to my collection. I just seem to be particularly excited if I can use words like "diesel", "octane", "boot stompin'" or "hell raisin'" to describe something I've been turned on to. Don't get me wrong, there are some more relaxed tunes in this list, but for the most part, this is Tabasco for your ears.
For a limited time, you'll find that each song title is a link to an mp3 track. You can listen to each track or download the tracks as you like. If you have a crap internet connection, just shoot me an email and I'll burn you a copy! Happy listening!
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Artist |
Track Name |
Album |
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Wet From Birth |
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I've been preaching the Faint for years now, and 'Wet From Birth' reaffirms my belief in the healing power of synth-rock. Hailing from Nebraska, one wonders if Simon LeBon did a little 'extra' fan appreciation on a tour stop in the 80's... |
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Tyrannosaurus Hives |
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Sweden Rules. There, I said it. It's a sad state of affairs when a SWEDISH band has to re-educate american teens on the very principles that gave birth to rock: sweat, swagger, sex, steam, boot stompin' and pounding sound. |
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Fever to Tell |
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This track made my list for two reasons. One, it was a Friday-Night-at-Lenny's favorite, making it de-facto mattLandia material. Second, Karen O cries in the 'Maps' video. That's commitment. |
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Franz Ferdinand |
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I started 2004 in a London club called the Bunker dancing to Franz Ferdinand till 5 in the morning. This Scottish foursome got a final stamp of approval when they packed the Cotton Club in the late spring, and slammed their way through their pop-electric-stacatto-dance set. Best pop foursome since Blur. |
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Black Mustache |
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Black Mustache is undoubtedly my "One Hit Wonder" of my 2004 list. "Hot Monkey, Hot Ass!" was the soundtrack for my trip to NYC in May of this year. Electroclash-ish, it nails the art house hipster a**holes who strut their black-eyelinered, heroin chic selves up and down Williamsburg. |
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| Rubber Factory | ||
A bluesy-trash-rock tour de force, these guys ooze fuzz. Read my earlier review on this archived page. I've also noticed that lots of critics are including the Keys in their favorites lists as well. Jump on the band wagon before it leaves town... |
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Peace Love Death Metal |
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Winners of my "Best Named Rock Band" award, I can't help but replay this album over and over. Makes me believe that anyone with a four track, a smelly practice space, and a propensity for well crafted melodies can provide us with a work of rock-art. For any 'Resevoir Dogs' fans out there, they also do a wicked cover of "Stuck in The Middle With You", aptly renamed "Stuck in the Metal"... |
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Mouthful of Love |
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I've seen YHA twice this year. Once opening for Peaches in NYC. The second time at a seedy bar in Melbourne, Australia. Texas sized rock lined with searing ACDC-esques vocals from both a guy and girl. Go to you nearest jukebox owning bar, and demand a 'Mouthful of Love' immediately. Pure Diesel. |
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High Life High Volume |
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Local boys. Local Legend. Easily the best old school rock n roll show in town. If you can ever catch them at the StarBar -- do. That is when they aren't recording an album in Spain. Can you say "tax write off"? |
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Origin Vol. 1 |
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Sweden Rules. Ok, I said it -- again. This follow up album to the massively successful "Behind the Music" does not dissapoint. I've seen them 3 or 4 times in concert and have my fingers crossed I'll see them again. Favorite TSOOL moment: In Minneapolis at The Bar, watching TSOOL perform for about 100 people. I go to the bar for a drink, and while my back is the stage, Ebbot Lundberg (the very large front man) sneaks up behind me while walking and singing through the audience, and then screams his way into a chorus. Lesson learned: large singing swedes are frightening. |
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Now Here Is Nowhere |
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"Nowhere Again" and "Primitive (The Way I Treat You)" are similar in that they are both have slinky, wrap around your spine, stick in your craw melodies. Both tracks have been used as the soundtrack for my little episodes where I feel the need to dance sans clothes (...sorry for that image mom...) in the window of my hotel, looking down a city below. It's an oddly empowering ritual I entertain when staying in a large hotel in a city near you. |
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LP |
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The 'LP' album is arguably the best full album to come out of NYC. Each track is intoxicating in it's own right. I have to thank a college radio station in Duluth, MN for turning me on to them. I was driving from Minneapolis to Duluth late at night, and "Primitive" came on. I was awestruck and bought the album the next day at a cleverly named record store called The Electric Fetus. I was not dissapointed. |
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Final Straw |
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I begrudgingly put Snow Patrol on my list. I had sooo many people ooze adoration over this band during the late summer, that I purposely decided I wound't like them. Ok, I know, a childish reaction -- but sometimes I have to make sure that I keep my music snob credentials alive and kicking. Anway, once I finally got around to listening to their whole album, I.... well,... I had a change of heart. Enjoy. |
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Lovers |
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Killer band from down under. Met their drummer in a Melbourne bar called Cherry bar. Bought the album. Wish all bars had drummers from bands as cool as the Sleepy Jackson lounging in them. |
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My Name Is Deke |
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I spent a lot of time this year getting in touch with my honky-tonk. I even went to Nashville for a night of Tennessee twang at Roberts and The Blue Grass Inn, where honky tonk lives all day - everyday. I could have just as easily listed Big Sandy and the Fly Right Boys, Benny and Fly By Nighters, The Reverend Horton Heat, The String Busters, or others, but Deke Dickerson's set at the Drive-Invasion at the Starlight Drive-In this summer was smokin'. |
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Candi Staton |
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Candi Stanton isn't a new artist by a long shot. But she's new to me, thanks to the Music Library o' Shay. She reminded of what good r&b should sound like. That, and Natasha and I listened to this record the first night we hung out. Seems she took this song to heart. |
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SMiLE |
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Closing out the set list is a Brian Wilson masterpiece. Listen. If you don't get it, go see your nearest music counselor and beg for illumination. Once you do 'get it', the SMiLE album will be reverently placed in your top ten albums of all time. I kid you not. |
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Comments
I would rather be nothing else than this "old man's sweetheart". Can anyone blame me, can I get an amen?!
Posted by: Natasha | December 29, 2004 09:18 AM
Great list! My favorite from the list is The Hives-Antidote. That Album will be mine!
Posted by: Jordanopolis | December 30, 2004 11:22 PM
I returned the favor, by the way. Go check my journal.
How was New Years!?
Posted by: Kevin | January 3, 2005 08:53 AM