Archive 2002

 THE BEST AND WORST OF 2001 (January)

RAVES: 

Best Albums: 
-R.E.M.- Reveal (see my review in June 2001) 
-Howlin Maggie- Hyde 
-Love Tractor- The Sky at Night (see my review in April 2001) 
-Better Than Ezra- Closer (see my review in September 2001) 
-The Go-Go's- God Bless the Go-Go's 

Radio Singles that Didn't Suck: 
-Poe- Hey Pretty 
-Fuel- Innocent and Bad Day 
-Vertical Horizon- The Best I Ever Had 
-Eve 6- Here's to the Night 
-Better Than Ezra- Extraordinary 
-Nickelback- How You Remind Me 
-R.E.M.- Imitation of Life and All the Way to Reno 
-Joydrop- Sometimes I Want to Die 
-Weezer- Island in the Sun 
-Ben Folds- Rockin the Suburbs 
-Live- Overcome 
-Ryan Adams- New York, New York
 -Pete Yorn- For Nancy 

Most Welcomed Comebacks:
 -Love Tractor 
-The Go-Go's 
-The Psychedelic Furs 

Best Cover Songs 
-Everclear- Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" 
-Jeffrey Gaines- Peter Gabriels's "In Your Eyes" 

Best Discovery: 
-Nickelback I have heard a lot of criticism of Nickelback, in particular, that they are a rip off of Staind and Creed (two bands I hate). Nickelback actually had two albums out before their "hit", "How You Remind". Their 1999 album, The State, includes several straight out rockers including "Breathe" and "Leader of Men". While "How You Remind Me" is a radio friendly rocker, their album,Silver Side Up, includes lyrically deeper songs such as "Never Again" about domestic abuse. Nickelback's songs are a far cry from the tired cliched songs of Creed and Staind. If you've heard one of these bands' songs, you've pretty much heard all of them.

Best Videos: 
As with prior years, I didn't see a lot of videos in 2001. However, I was amazed by R.E.M.'s "Imitation of Life". It baffled my mind how a few seconds of footage was repeated over and over from different angles for the entire length of song. The video looked like there was actually 3-4 minutes of footage. I also laughed at the video for Ben Folds' "Rockin the Suburbs". Any video that Weird Al worked on is going to be funny. It is hard being male, middle class, and white. 

Best Tributes to September 11: 
After the tragedies on September 11, it seemed like every radio station wanted to have their own tribute, usually consisting of a previously released song incorporating September 11 news footage. The best tributes, however, were more subtle. When Live released their song, "Overcome" early, I can't think of a song that better expressed the sense of loss and confusion over the events on September 11. When Ryan Adams dedicated his video for "New York, New York" to those who lost their lives on the 11th, it was a subtle tribute to a city recovering from tragedy, "hell I still love you, New York". 

THINGS THAT SUCKED 

-I am tired of listening to songs on the radio that start out with a white guy singing and then have to throw rap into the middle of the song. In 2001, I hated the overplayed, suedo rap songs, Crazy Town's "Butterfly", Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood", Linkin Parks' "The End", and Rehab's "It Don't Matter" for this reason. These guys are not rappers and they need to quite acting like they are. 

-Songs with Stupid Lyrics: 
Stroke 9- "Kick Some Ass"- I thought this band couldn't write a song dumber than "Little Black Backpack", but I was wrong. "Who wants to kick some ass, I do, I do!". Umm, absolutely brilliant. Maybe I should take up song writing. 
Puddle of Mudd- "Control"- No one actually remembers this song by its title but as the "Smack My Ass song". A chorus of "I like the way you smack my ass" repeated over and over again. Again, absolutely brilliant. 
Cake- "Short Skirt, Long Jacket"- "I like a girl with a short skirt and a LOONNGG jacket". Umm this doesn't speak to me at any level. 
Nelly Furtado- "Turn the Lights Off"- Trite dance beats and Nelly's annoying voice singing "Down, down, down", this song just irritated me.

 -The return of Creed and Kid Rock Why are these guys so prolific? Why am I subjected to "new" shit from them every year. Why? 

-Staind and any of the numerous bands that sound like them OK, guys you're not grunge or Eddie Vedor. Get over it and quite wining. In the case of Staind, I 'm leery of any band discovered by Fred Durst of Limp Biskit. "I'm in a coma, I have no talent" (sing it to the tune of "Outside"). 

Worst Cover Song 
-Marilyn Manson- Soft Cell's "Tainted Love Please quit ruining cheesy 80's songs by trying to make them sound creepy. Wasn't ruining "Sweet Dreams" enough for you? 

Most Disappointing Album 
Tori Amos- Strange Little Girls (see my review in October 2001) 

Rest in Peace: 
The Afghan Whigs 
Candy Says 
George Harrison

PARTY OUT OF BOUNDS: 25 YEARS OF THE B-52'S (February)

Valentine's Day 1977, Athens, GA. After a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant, the B-52's decided to be a band and make their debut at a friend's Valentine's Day party. They named themselves after a slang term for a bouffant hairdo that vocalists, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, wore. The name came to then drummer, Keith Strickland, in a dream where he saw a band called the B-52's, which featured a female singer with a bouffant hairdo. Kate and Cindy made their bouffant wigs out of old, furry purses and performed. A friend during the middle of the set and screamed, "I can't believe this is happening in Athens, GA!" . Little did anyone at that party know that a look and sound were born that night that changed New Wave music and put Athens, GA on the musical map, paving the way for bands, such as R.E.M. 

Twenty five years later, the B-52's have released a new box set,Nude on the Moon, to celebrate their musical career. In addition, to helping define new wave music and jump starting the Athens, GA music scene when I look back at the B-52's career, these are the things I respect most about them as individuals and as a band. 

They gave a voice to the outsider. 
I started listening to the B-52's when I was a freshman in high school. I have never been one of the popular people or in the "in crowd". In junior high, I was harassed by the "cool" people for not fitting into their group. When I saw the B-52's on TV, I saw a group that dressed the way they wanted to, acted silly when they wanted to, didn't care that they weren't mainstream and had so much fun not being a part of the mainstream. On the song, "Junebug" from Cosmic Thing, vocalist, Fred Schneider, boasted "well don't you listen to what they say, because we're a little different anyway". In the song, "Topaz", a utopia is created where men, women, and nature live in harmony despite differences. The B-52's preached tolerance and acceptance of all people. On "Bad Influence" from Good Stuff, they blasted, "the wide mouths with narrow minds, can't accept your difference, they call it bad influence". For anyone who felt like an outsider in any way, the B-52's celebrated the differences and encouraged the differences. 

They took tragedy and used it for a good purpose. 
In 1985, founding member, guitarist, and brother of vocalist Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson passed away from an AIDS related cancer. The band left the music scene for three years to grieve. However, when they returned to music in 1989, they used the tragedy of Ricky's death for a good purpose. The band took the opportunity to educate fans about AIDS and raise funds for AIDS related charities. They also released the best work of their career. Instead of letting death break their spirit as a band, they honored Ricky's memory through their music and their dedication to the community. 

They always had fun in whatever they did. 
Whether they were singing about mystical planets or lobsters or green poodles or volcanoes or the love shack or were paying tribute to Debbie Harry, the B-52's made everything they sang about fun. They never took themselves too seriously and have left us with 25 years of music that made us laugh, sometimes educated us, but always made us smile. Happy 25th Anniversary! You have given us 25 years of great music and I know that you have many more years in you.

REVIEW: HOWLIN MAGGIE- HYDE (March)

It's been six years since Howlin Maggie's last album, Honeysuckle Strange, was released. That's not to say that Howlin Maggie leader, Harold "Happy" Chichester, has not been busy. Since the release of Honeysuckle Strange, Howlin Maggie has toured with the Afghan Whigs, left Columbia Records, changed their line up, wrote new songs, and Happy wrote, recorded, and toured with the Twilight Singers. Hyde is the result of the new songs, line up, and declaration of independence from the majors. 

Hyde is an eclectic mix of songs. There are the infectious sing along pop songs like "Lookin Out My Window" and "Love is All Around x4". There's a little funk with songs like "Friday Night" and "Where My Funky People". I guarantee that you will be singing along to "Funky People's" chorus, "Where my funky people? You're not around, I hit the ground". There's the insightful ballads, "Nobody Calls Her Baby" and "Is It Really Right?". Lastly, there's the weird with the chaotic, "Elephant Run Amok" and the creepy, "If I Could Murder the Right Man". 

One striking element on Hyde is that the lyrics are more insightful than on Honeysuckle Strange (which is a great album). On the ballads, Howlin Maggie dives more into relationship songs. "Nobody Calls Her Baby" is a tearjerker ballad about a relationship gone stale. The lyric "she told him goodbye, and as he walked away, a tear came to her eye, the way he saw her was not at all what she had in mind" gets me every time. "Is It Really Right?" is a great unrequited love song where the narrator ponders "I see your face here before me, but we both know you will never hold me, is it really right to turn me on?" . The album is not a completely dark commentary on relationships, there is some whit to the lyrics. "Where My Funky People" makes the humorous the observation "how many people does it take to fix a heart when it breaks? Let's say the answer is two, one to cry and one to screw." 

What makes Hyde a great album is that the album experiments with different styles of music but the album is still cohesive. The new line up of Lance Ellison on guitar, Christian Hurd on bass, and Carlton Smith on drums compliment Happy's style. Hyde is a welcomed return for Howlin Maggie.

REVIEW: ALANIS MORISSETTE- UNDER RUG SWEPT (April)

Alanis Morissette has come a long way. She has gone from being a teenage pop princess to a feminist role model on her megahit album, Jagged Little Pill, and survived a weaker sophomore album. On her new album, Under Rug Swept, Alanis has declared independence from her producer and songwriting partner, Glen Ballard. The result is proof of Alanis' maturity as a songwriter and to be cliched, girl power. 

The album opens with the rocker "21 Things I Want in a Lover". Alanis gives a laundry list of qualities her perfect man would have ranging from "politically aware" to "masculine AND feminine" to "uninhibited in bed" to "curious and communicative". She admits that this is a tall order ("not necessarily needs but qualities I prefer" ) but that she won't settle on Mr. Wrong either ("I'm in no rush cuz I like being solo"). The following track, "Narcissus", the flip side of "21 Things" instead addresses the annoying types of man from "momma's boy" to "me-show boy" to "egotist boy". Alanis wonders "why do I try to love you when you really don't want me to". These two song have the edginess that the songs from Jagged Little Pill did. 

However, as the album progresses, Alanis shows a lot of maturity in her songwriting and moves past the "angry woman" stereotype she received on Jagged Little Pill. On the first single, "Hands Clean", Alanis discusses a secret affair with an older, powerful man. She states that she "has honored your request for silence and you've washed your hands clean of this". On my favorite track from the album, "That Particular Time", Alanis has the 'should I stay or should I go" debate over a relationship that is beginning to sour. The song really demonstrates Alanis' talent for insightful lyrics and contains my favorite line on the album, "that particular month we needed time to marinate in what 'us' meant". On "Precious Illusions", Alanis calls for inner strength proclaiming that "I still don't know who I am but I know I won't keep on playing the victim" and that "parting with (precious illusions) is like parting with invisible best friends". The album closes with "Utopia", where Alanis dreams of a world where everyone openly communicates without judgment. 

Alanis has the gift of openly discussing things women have felt at some time in their relationships with men. She does not sugarcoat ugliness like a lot of women songwriters do. However, I hate the "angry woman" stereotype Alanis Morissette has received because her songs call for being a strong woman and not just standing around bitching. On Under Rug Swept, Alanis shows that she can write quality songs without Glen Ballard. Her songs show a lot of feminist strength while being witty too. I'm happy see that Alanis is not just a studio one hit album wonder, but a promising voice of young women.

REVIEW: WISHING CHAIR- CROW (May)

For this month, I am going to do something different and review a local artist from my hometown of Lexington, KY. Wishing Chair is a folk partnership between singer songwriters, Kiya Heartwood and Mariam Davidson. What stands out about Wishing Chair is their gift for lyrics ranging from personal narratives to calls for social responsibility. 

Crow, their fourth album, opens with "Ordinary Day", a sweet song about old friendships. On "Breathe", the narrator tells a story about the simple acts of kindness of a group of strangers at a truck stop late at night. The songs, "Goody Hallett" and "Copernicus", tell stories with underlying feminist messages. "Goody Hallett" tells the tragic story of a puritan woman who has an affair with a sailor and is imprisoned when she has his child out of wedlock. "Copernicus" attacks the patriarchal family where everything resolves around the "son". Heartwood lays out a very heartfelt personal song where she discusses her father's focus on her brother while she was "out of focus, out of sight" in his eyes. 

While Crow offers personal commentary, the album still offers social commentary, the most striking example being "September" about the tragedy of September 11. In the wake of September 11, "3 Doors" is a beautiful song paying tribute to all who came to America through the "three doors" of Ellis Island. 

Crow and Wishing Chair's other albums are worthy listens just for the pure quality of the songwriting. The songs are very personal lyrically and the music experiments with different sounds and even different instruments such as accordions and banjos. Wishing Chair is one of the only bands I've heard that can make the accordion sound cool. Check out Wishing Chair at their website, www.terrakin.com.

REVIEW: DEVIL MAY CARE- DELICATE (July)

Devil May Care is the musical merger of Aleah Angstrom, formerly of the Lexington band, Candy Says, and her husband, Dave Angstrom of the band Supafuzz. Devil May Care's music is a blend of the pop melodies of Candy Says' music and Supafuzz's hard rock riffs. 

Motherhood, both the positive and negative aspects, is a common theme on Delicate. On the hard rocker, "Disappearing", a mother tells her daughter that she is "disappearing" with age and that "you don't want to be young forever, you don't want to fade away like me". On the pissed off, "Your Mistake", Aleah Angstrom snarls "what were you thinking, leaving me in the arms of a stranger when I baby?…God gave me to you but you weren't ready for me" over a wall of feedback. Not all images of motherhood are angry. On the sweet, "Cloud Chaser", a song which Aleah Angstrom wrote for her son and daughter, she hopes to be her children's "cloud chaser" and "memory maker" and that her children know "that you are loved" . 

Searching for feminine identity, in addition to motherhood, is a theme throughout Delicate. On the rocking opener, "Wide Open", Aleah Angstrom proclaims that she is "getting tired of waiting for my life to begin". On the awesome, "Speeding By", she discusses the feeling that "life is speeding by" and the fear that "all you desire will leave you behind". On the haunting, "Why Would I", Aleah Angstrom handles the good girl/bad girl identity split. Over a creeping guitar, she purrs "why would I live in heaven and flirt with hell…I don't mean to be bad". The album closes with the quirky pop song, "That Girl", with the sing along chorus "that girl has everything but she ain't me". 

On the album, Dave Angstrom's hard rock roots compliment Aleah's anger on certain tracks. Aleah Angstrom's lyrics are impressive throughout the album. As a fan of Candy Says, it took getting use to hearing Aleah's angelic voice used in harder rock songs. However, the music fits the moods of the songs. Delicateworks as an album because it takes Aleah Angstrom's talent as a lyricist and merges it with her husband's talent for writing rockin music. 

Delicate is available at CD Baby.

REVIEW: PAUL WESTERBERG- STEREO (July)

 Paul Westerberg's latest release is a return to basics . A double album, the first disc, Stereo, is a stripped down, mostly acoustic album while the second disc, Mono, performed by Westerberg's alter ego band, Grandpa Boy, is a straight out rocker. What the two discs have in common is they were recorded in very simple and basic ways. 

Most of the songs on Stereo were recorded at Westerberg's home with him playing solo and acoustic. The best moments on Stereo are the ones where Westerberg's shows his cynical whit lyrically. On "The Only Lie Worth Telling", Westerberg proclaims that "the only lie worth telling is that I'm in love with you". On "Let the Bad Times Roll", he states the he would "rather not waste his life on hope" and he's going "to let the bad times roll". Though cynical, Westerberg stills has moments of hope. On "We May Be the Ones", he states that "we may be the ones to set the world on its ear, … if not than why are we here". The only problem I have with Stereo is that the songs were not cleaned up so there are little flubs on the album. The most obvious flub is on "Don't Want Never" where the song is cut due a tape running out during recording. On the liner note Westerberg asks regarding his style of recording Stereo "Unprofessional? Perhaps. Real? Unquestionably." I couldn't agree more. 

On Mono, the songs are straight out rockers and probably closer to Westerberg's work with the Replacements than any of his other solo work. On the liner notes, Westerberg states that Mono was "played in a hurry with sweaty hands and unsure reason". Like with Stereo, Mono's best moments are Westerberg's lyrical nuggets of wisdom. On "Let's Not Belong", he advises "we don't belong to different worlds. There's nothing wrong with us whatsoever. Let's not belong together". My favorite Westerberg proverb on the album comes on "Silent Film Star", when he says "You ought to be a silent film star. Keep that pretty little trap shut ". I know several who could use this advise. I also like on "Between Love & Like", he tells a partner that their relationship is "between love and like", which is a very perceptive observation on many relationships.
 

Paul Westerberg as a solo artist is a very different artist than he was in the Replacements. He has matured a lot as a songwriter. However, he still has a simple, back to basics, view of songwriting that is very evident on Stereo. In a world of overproduced, musical garbage, Westerberg's view of making music is refreshing. He closes Mono with "AAA", where he states "I ain't got anything for anyone anymore". I really hope he is wrong because I believe Paul Westerberg has more wisdom to give us.

REVIEW: TOMMY KEENE- THE MERRY GO ROUND BROKE DOWN (August)

Tommy Keene's persistence is admirable. Tommy Keene has been a singer songwriter since the early 1980's but has never had a "hit". Keene's gift for melody has made him a favorite for admirer's of power pop. His latest release, The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, is a good blend of pop melodies but rocks a little harder than some of his earlier releases. 

The album opens with "Begin Where We End". The song showcases Keene's signature pop melody but the guitars are harder, fuzzier, and even featured in a solo. "Circumstance" is reminiscent of Keene's earlier work with a catchy pop melody sugarcoating the tearjerker lyrics, "call it a circumstance, maybe we missed our chance". 

In addition to the harder guitars, Keene experiments with instrumentation more than he ever has before. "The Man Without a Soul" features a full horn section. "The World Where I Still Live" features a kick ass saxophone solo. 

Tommy Keene has been an underground influence on several pop artists, one being the Gin Blossoms. On the album, Jesse Valenzuela and Robin Wilson from the Gin Blossoms pay their respects by contributing vocals, Valenzuela on "Hanging Over My Head" and Wilson on "Time Will Take You Today". 

One of Keene's weaknesses as a songwriter is that many of his songs sound similar, the songs on The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down being no exception. Another weakness on the album is the almost seventeen minute long song, "The Final Hour". Many find this song artistic, but I find it to be too long and not cohesive. This song would have worked better as about three or four separate songs. Still, Keene's melodies are certainly a worthy listen. If you like the Gin Blossoms or Matthew Sweet, you'll like Keene's catchy pop songs. He is one of the best singers you're not listening to.

REVIEW: HERMANO- ONLY A SUGGESTION (September)

I'll admit it. The line up of Hermano alone sparked my interest in this band. A band featuring former Afghan Whigs (and best) drummer, Steve Earle, and Dave Angstrom, front man for my hometown's darlings Supafuzz is a powerful musical merger. After months of hearing rumors about Hermano, Only A Suggestionbecame a reality. 

Only a Suggestion is a solid rock album from start to finish. The album opens with "The Bottle". Steve Earle's drums intro is stellar on this track and the vocals and guitars are tight. Another highlight on the album is "Senor Moreno's Introduction/Plan". On the "Introduction", the instruments quietly creep up over faint spoken words and then on "Plan" the instruments burst into a full rock force. Oh and did I mention that Steve Earle's drumming is awesome again on this track. On "Landetta (Motherload)", the guitar work, especially the solo, is amazing. 

One weakness with the album is that the lyrics are not clear so it was hard for me to find deep meaning in the songs. The album is also only eight tracks long so it feels like it is over before it really starts. However, the instrumentation on this album is so amazing that it makes up for these weaknesses. This is some of the best drumming I've heard from Steve Earle and I am so happy to hear him playing again. As a Supafuzz fan, I would have liked to have heard some vocals from Dave Angstrom but John Garcia has a solid voice for the songs. These are all "only suggestions" though.

And for a short album, I am signing off on my short review.

REVIEW: NORAH JONES- COME AWAY WITH ME (October)

Believe the hype over Norah Jones. I am not a jazz fan, but Norah Jones's sultry voice, reminiscent of Billie Holiday, makes her debut album both smart and sexy. Norah Jones pulls a lot from the classics but her originals hold their own. 

The album opens with its first single, "Don't Know Why" . In addition to Jones's amazing voice, this song really showcases her talent as a pianist as well. The album's title track is probably the album's highlight being as I like to say "a love song that doesn't suck". As Norah Jones purrs "I want to walk with you on a cloudy day, in fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high", you feel her genuine romance. "Shoot the Moon" is smart commentary on the change of seasons not just on the calendar but in relationships. "Seven Years" is a bittersweet tale of loss of innocence where Jones observes "a little girl with nothing wrong is all alone". Come Away With Me also features covers of classic jazz and country songs including Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart". The album's sexiest moment comes in a cover of JD's Loundermilk's "Turn Me On". With full vocal force, Norah Jones belts out "I'm just waiting here for you to come home and turn me on". 

Norah Jones' album can not be praised without giving props to her band members, Jesse Harris and Lee Alexander. They did a lot of the songwriting on the album along with Jones and provide guitar and bass on many of the tracks. 

While Come Away With Me can be classified as a "make out record of epic proportions", it is sexy with out being trashy or overtly sexual. The album is an impressive debut and I hope Norah Jones continues to use her superb voice and perfect her songwriting.

REVIEW: BEN FOLDS LIVE  (November)

I recently saw Ben Folds live. Ben Folds' new live album is a good representation of the wonderful live experience I had with Ben Folds. 

Ben Folds is notorious for having the audience sing background vocals on songs. The humorous, "Army" and "Not the Same" recreate the audience sing a longs. The album's most humorous moment comes in "One Down", a witty commentary about Folds trying to be released from a record contract. He states that he "was never all right with turning in a bunch of shit" but realizes, "I could be busing tables, I could be pumping gas but I get paid much finer for playing piano and kissing ass". Folds also throws in a funny, obscure cover with Elton John's "Tiny Dancer". 

While it seems funny at first, the song actually pays tribute to one of the first, great piano men. While Folds' wit comes through many of his songs, his ballads are beautiful as well. On the tearjerker, "Brick", Folds' emotional story of an old girlfriend's abortion remains beautiful without being a political commentary on abortion. A highlight of the album is the ballad, "The Luckiest". Folds' piano playing is absolutely lovely with the simple love story in the lyrics. This song rates as a "love song that doesn't suck". 

The first 100,000 copies of the album include an eight song DVD. The highlight of the DVD is a slowed down version of "Song For the Dumped". Folds jokingly states that he learned late in his songwriting career that major keys are "happy" songs and minor keys are "sad" songs. Therefore, "Song For the Dumped" has been transposed to a minor key since it is a "sad" song. The transposition gives an interesting twist to a familiar song. 

Ben Folds Live is an excellent representation of Ben Folds' wit and showmanship. The tracks are a good representation of his solo work as well as his work with the Ben Folds Five. My only gripe with the album is the glaring omission of the Ben Folds' classic, "Rockin the Suburbs". I strongly recommend if you have the chance to see Ben Folds live, going. If this is not an option, Ben Folds Live is the next best thing.

THE BEST, THE WORST, AND THE DOWNRIGHT WEIRD OF 2002 (December)

THE BEST 

My Favorite Albums of 2002 
-Devil May Care- Delicate (see review) 
-Gloria Bills- Hi-Fi Education 
-Norah Jones- Come Away With Me (see review) 
-Paul Westerberg- Stereo/Mono (see review) 
-Girls Against Boys- You Can't Fight What You Can't See 

Songs I Heard on the Radio This Year that Were Cool 
-Wherever You May Go- The Calling 
-Hands Clean- Alanis Morrisette 
- Don't Know Why- Norah Jones 
-Channel Nine- Go-Go Market 
-A Sorta Fairytale- Tori Amos 
-We're All Made of Stars- Moby 
-The Last DJ- Tom Petty 
-Sweetness- Jimmy Eat World 

Best Cover 
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this but I thought the Corrs & Bono's cover of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue" was great. I normally don't like the Corrs but their collaboration with Bono breathed new life in to Adams' song. 

Best Discoveries
 Jimmy Eat World- While "The Middle" brought these guys to the mainstream, the true discovery was finding their 1999 release Clarity. On Clarity, Jimmy Eat World shows range going from pop ("Lucky Denver Mint" and "Ten") to straight rockers ("Your Aesthetic") to "pretty" songs ("For Me This is Heaven" and "Table for Glasses"). 

The Travoltas- These boys from the Netherlands are a little punk but a little pop. Their songs are catchy, melodic, and just downright fun. Move over Weezer. 

Best Collaborations 
Hermano- This band had been rumored for a long time but became a reality this year with the release of their album, Only a Suggestion. For me, a band that brought together members of Supafuzz and former Afghan Whigs drummer, Steve Earle, was heaven. 

Greg Dulli lending vocals to the Lo Fidelity Allstars' "Somebody Wants You"- Greg Dulli was back sexing up this song for the Lo Fidelity Allstars. Further proof, that the Dulli touch makes anything sexier. 

Best Live Experience 
Ben Folds- I saw him in October in Lexington and was blown away by his wit, talent, and showmanship. Luckily, Ben Folds also released a live album this year that forever captured the Ben Folds experience. 

Best Trend Local Music
- This was a hard year for Lexington music with the closing of several nightclubs and radio station, Z103, dumping local programming and support. Despite the hardships there were several great CDs from Lexington with the release of Gloria Bills'Hi-Fi Education, Devil May Care's Delicate, and Wishing Chair'sCrow. It was also wonderful seeing members of Groovezilla return to original music with their new band, Channel Z-Row. Lastly, radio personality, Sticky, taking his local music show, the Starlight Lounge, to television was a solid effort in reviving interest in the scene. 

Best Music Television 
Homer Simpson's Trip to Rock Camp- After fourteen seasons, the Simpsons proved they were still hip when in the season opener Homer visited rock camp. The camp was run by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, and Brian Setzer and was every rocker's fantasy. 

THE WORST 
Eminem- I still really hate this loser. This year, in addition, to another album of his crap, he had to make a movie too, which strangely critics are raving over. I don't need a biopic about this loser's life. Eminem proved further that he is an idiot by verbally attacking and sending his "posse" after singer, Moby, just because Moby stated the obvious fact that Eminem's "music" is misogynist/homophobic garbage. I guess his posse will be after me next… 

No Doubt/Pink and John Mayer/Jack Johnson- I really think that Gwen Stefani and Pink are in fact the same person. I also think that John Mayer and Jack Johnson are the same person. Where in the creative process does someone think that "Hella Good" would be a good name for a song? "Hella" is not even a real word. The only time I've heard this word used before the No Doubt song was on South Park from Eric Cartman. Who told John Mayer that "Your Body is a Wonderland" would be a good song title? But what do I know, these are both hit songs. 

The 2002 "Women in Music"- There are some very talented, innovative women in music. This group of women that have been played to death this year possess neither of these traits. I'm talking about Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, and worst yet the tramp duo Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. These women are flashes in the pan and fads. I'm tired of the press putting them in the league with our foremothers in music just because they are women. It was also very strange seeing Christina Aguilera nude on the cover of Rolling Stone covered only by a guitar. Christina Aguilera plays guitar like I do i.e. not at all. Oh but she's just comfortable with her body and sexuality. Whatever. 

Z103- A big boo to local radio station, Z103. This lame station changed their format to a "fresh new" program format that is a copy of their stronger, competitor's format. In the process, all of their most popular DJs were fired because they were a part of the "old format" It is never cool to fire all of your most popular DJs , the last redeeming quality of this station. But what can you expect from radio stations owned by a large corporation. Corporate rock still sucks! 

THE WEIRD 

The Ryan Adams Tantrum- The minute Ryan Adams hit the scene, it was very obvious that his name was one letter off from 80's singer, Bryan Adams. When a fan at a show yelled for Ryan Adams to play the Bryan Adams' hit, "Summer of 69", Ryan Adams threw a tantrum and demanded that the fan be thrown out. I really hate musicians that feel a need to treat their fans like garbage. It was an innocent joke, get over it, Ryan, you primadonna baby! 

Johnny Cash Goes Alternative- I know Johnny Cash is a country legend. However, on his new album he does, I'm not lying, covers of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" and Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt". Who advised Johnny that this would be a good idea? I was just scared when I hearded Johnny Cash droning "Your own personal..Jesus…". 

The Sheryl Crow/Kid Rock Duet- Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow have tearjerker ballad out about cheating called "Picture". Kid Rock proved that even white trash has a sensitive side but how Sheryl Crow agreed to be involved in this, is beyond me. 

And as always, Michael Jackson became a little bit crazier…