Jim's Top 20 Albums of 2003
Well here it is: my top 20 Albums for 2003

1. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
Ted never fails to impress with his beautiful and honest songwriting. This is the best he has produced yet !!

2. The Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Lawrence Arms keep impressing me more, especially with this very intelligently written album. Dueling vocals, fun pop punk with a historic, literary, and introspective twist; nothing short of spectacular.

3. Motion City Soundtrack - I am the Movie
This is the catchiest album I've heard this year. Once you hear this it's very difficult to get out of your head, which isn't a bad thing. Great high energy pop rock with moog sounds mmm good.

4. Alkaline Trio - Good Morning
Not Alkaline Trio's best album, a little overproduced but they stuck with the same song writing style they've always used. Another good batch of songs.

5. Rise Against - Revolutions per Minute
Fast skate punk rock with personal/political balladry! Best album to rock out to!! Yeah, Yeah !!

6. The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
This may be the best written album this year, because the more I listen, the better it gets. This is a slower kind of rock/folk album.

7. Lungfish - Love is Love
Lungfish, Lungfish, Lungfish - Kings of repetition. No one has ever done it as well as Lungfish. Problem with this album is that it only has 10 songs! I had to pull my old Lungfish albums out of the vault to get enough. I hate doing household chores, but it seems so much easier with lungfish playing in the background!

8. Hey Mercedes - Loses Control
At first listen I thought this album was a little overproduced and a little too straight foward rock'n'roll. I grew to like this album, not really better than the first, but different.

9. Spitalfield - Remember Right Now
I'm not a huge fan of cheesy lyrics and choruses, but these guys do it so well! I think this was the summer fun time album of the year !

10. Yage - Anders Leben?!
This album sent me on a sonic journey back to the early 90's hardcore scene. This band is a hardcore band from Germany, sing in English and German and sound a little like Native Nod or Current. This was a breath of fresh air for me.

11. Against Me - as the eternal Cowboy
This band is just great. Punk/Folk/Rock. Great lyrics, passionate, honest!

12. Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore
This album stands as a very good album. Beautiful, honest songs! A Great reminder of what Joe has done throughout his life.

13. Rancid - Indestructable
This is a good Rancid release, nothing really new here. Like em or you don't. Rancid has drawn from all their different song styles they've used on all their albums for this one.

14. Erase Errata - At Crystal Palace
Abrasive, fast, groovy !! I love this stuff. These girls rock !

15. Cat Power - You are Free
A little slow for me, but this album is all from the heart. Her best release yet!

16. Just a Fire - Light Up
"There's a Snake in the bush" yeah, great debut!

17. None More Black - File under Black
Yes I liked Kid Dinamite and I like these guys too. Not as fast and crazy but great vocals.

18. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance
I was very disappointed with this album. It sounds like the guys sat around in a room and masturbated with their instruments while Andrea was put in a closet to sing through all the noise. In other words, they tried too hard with effects and noise and left the vocals way too low in the mix !!! Nothing near the sheer energy of "Good health", but some good lyrics and if I had never heard the first album, this would be a better! Still made the list, barely.

19. The Gossip - Movement
Move me, yeah! Being a person that plays music, I don't really get into bands with just a 1 guitar and a drums or just a bass and drums, because I enjoy listening to all the instruments and their individual parts, etc., etc. The Gossip however bridge that gap because the singing is just amazing and fits with the minimalist bluesy music. She belts out the words like no other (except maybe the girls of Sleater Kinney).

20. Somehow Hollow - Busted Wings and Rusted Roots
Yes, some, maybe all of these guys played in Grade at one time or another. This album takes many of the poppier elements from the grade sound book, and they make some good songs. Besides the singer sounding like he has a cold, I really enjoy this album.

Oh, last year 2002 my top 5 was:
1) Pretty Girls Make Graves - Good Health
2) Sleater Kinney - One Beat
3) The Reputation - S/T
4) The Lawrence Arms - Apathy and Exhaustion
5) Sonic Youth - Murray Street

bichodomatojim