Best of 2004
After releasing albums covering show tunes, R&B and '60s bubblegum pop, the self-proclaimed "America's favorite punk rock cover band" are back with a live album recorded at an actual bar mitzvah. They range from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" which thankfully is cut down to just over two minutes, to Billy Joel's "The Longest Time" to Blondie's "Heart Of Glass." They also cover the traditional songs "Auld Lang Syne" and "Hava Nagila."
6. Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
All albums from Social Distortion are "much anticipated" because they release them so infrequently. This is only their sixth studio album in over 20 years of existence. Mature punk band might seem like an oxymoron, but that's exactly what Social Distortion is. They blend punk with blues, rock and even a hint of country.
5. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
I feel like a bit of a lemming for including this CD since every critic known to man has it on their best of 2004 list. But there is a reason. It's a damn good album. The Scottish group's first full-length is a post-punk classic. "Take Me Out" is a great single, but the entire album is filled with songs with killer hooks and lyrics.
4. Velvet Revolver - Contraband
Who needs Axl? The rest of the guys from Guns 'N Roses recruited troubled grunge singer Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots and the combination resulted in a great hard rock album. They managed to take the best parts of their previous bands and merge it into something greater than the sum of the two parts.
3. Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Since it doesn't appear the Smiths will ever reunite, we'll have to be happy with Morrissey's solo albums. It had been seven long years since his last release, and fans were hungry for new material. He didn't disappoint, writing an album of pop gems. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, just another album full of great songs.
2. The Killers - Hot Fuss
They're from Las Vegas, but they sound British. The Killers' sound melds '80s new wave with garage rock, a combination of Duran Duran, The Cure and The Strokes. They are able to pay homage to those influences while still sounding original. I don't have a lot of confidence for their long-term success,
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