2003-12-20 | SOUL POSITION

THE TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2003 (that i've heard so far)

25. The Raveonettes Chain Gang of Love (Columbia)

24. Troy's Bucket (Pork) -- Great band here in Tucson who brings back the true spirit of what ska used to be all about. True energy and layered melody. Unadulterated fun. Ska is not dead quite yet. Their singer is a rock star.

23. RZA a.k.a. Bobby Digital The Birth of a Prince (Sanctuary)

22. Warren Zevon The Wind (Artemis) -- A sometimes chilling end to a wonderful career.

21. Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium (Gold Standard)

20. Cafe Tacuba Cuatro Caminos (MCA)

19. Steely Dan Everything Must Go (Warner Bros.) -- Rock N' Roll does have an old-timers day.

18. Radiohead Hail to the Thief (Capitol)

17. Deftones (Maverick)

16. Ted Leo/Pharmacists Hearts of Oak (Lookout)

15. Hieroglyphics Full Circle (Hiero Imperium)

14. Me First & the Gimme Gimme's Take a Break (Fat Wreck Chords)

13. My Morning Jacket It Still Moves (Atlantic)

12. Lagwagon Blaze (Fat Wreck Chords) --A more advanced brand of pop-punk. Often overlooked, never disappointing.

11. Bubba Sparxxx Deliverance (Universal) --Southern Rockin' the Mic. Believe the hype.

10. Jack Johnson On and On (Universal) --Excellent in all it's splendid simplicity. Easy flowing. Not unlike Bradley Nowell's little, more innocent brother, in spirit, if not musically. Don't worry about it not being complex enough for you. Let it free your mind.

9. the Black Keys thickfreakness (Fat Possum) --the Black and Blue and Badass Stripes.

8. the Libertines Up the Bracket (Rough Trade)

7. Andre Benjamin the Love Below (Arista)

6. Aesop Rock Bazooka Tooth (Def Jux)

5. Big Boi Speakerboxxx (Arista)

4. White Stripes Elephant (V2) --Jack White is the most talented and captivating rock star since the mighty K.C. Meg White rock's the house. They may also be the coolest band of all time. As if they needed any more points in that category, they blew my mind by appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien earlier this year. 4 days in a row!!!!

3. Grandaddy Sumday (V2) --Begging the Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill to make their next albums as gratifyingly beautiful, and less selfish.

2. Atmosphere Seven's Travels (Rhymesayers/Fat Beats/Epitaph) --Amazing follow-up to the good, but lackluster God Loves Ugly. Success seems to have made him stronger, just as I thought that his underground sensibility and savvy had been left out in the sun too long. Very heartfelt as usual, but this time when he left his heart on his sleeve, he didn't forget to nurture it.

1. Sole Selling Live Water (Anticon.) --No M.C. can touch his combination of intelligence, humor, wordplay, depth, sophistication, cadence, vocabulary, humbleness, quiet confidence, etc. right now. This album is his death match challenge to El-Producto and all the other great underground rappers out there. Jel's beats are challenging El-P as a producer, and almost putting him to shame at certain moments. The most incredibly abstract masterpiece since Ghostface Killah's classic, Supreme Clientele. Don't miss out on it. It's out there for you to discover. I'm speaking to fans of music, and other mc's alike. In my book this album was the most intriguing, original and exciting thing to come out this year, and made me anticipate his next album even more than I anticipated this one, which is why I have named Sole's Selling Live Water the best album of 2003.

Thank's for reading, and I honestly welcome your disagreement. So feel free to give me some feedback. Have a merry christmas and a happy new year.

- premature ejaculation | tantra +