Top Whatever of 2004

New:

Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake - Back Together Again (Thrill Jockey)
Björk - Medulla (Elektra)
Comets on Fire - Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop)
Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands (Young God)
Espers - s/t (Locust)
The Ex - Turn (Touch and Go)
Faust vs Dalek - Derbe Respect, Alder (Staubgold)
The Gris Gris - s/t (Birdman)
Joanna Newsom - Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
Noxagt - The Iron Point (Load)
Oneida - Secret Wars (Jagjaguwar)
David Thomas - 18 Monkeys on a Dead Man’s Chest (Smog Veil)
Dan Trueman - Machine Language (Bridge)
Various - DFA #2 (DFA)
Various - Katamari Damacy Soundtrack

Reissue:

Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost (Revenant)
DNA - DNA on DNA (No More)
The Flesh Eaters - No Questions Asked (Atavistic)
Galaxie 500 - Uncollected (Ryko)
Gizmos - Rock and Roll Don’t Come from New York (Gulcher)
Homosexuals - Astral Glamour (Hyped 2 Death)
Shrimp Boat - Something Grand (AUM Fidelity)
Mars - Complete Recordings (g3g/Spooky Sound)
Metal Urbain - Anarchy in Paris (Acute)
Zolar X - Timeless (Alternative Tentacles)
Various - Cambodian Rocks (Khmer Rock)
Various - Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label (Numero Group)
Various - Popular Electronics (Basta)
Various - The Third Unheard (Stones Throw)

Live:

Acid Mothers Temple/Psychic Paramount at the First Unitarian Church
Devendra Banhard/Joanna Newsom/Espers at the First Unitarian Church
The Ex at the First Unitarian Church
Hella at the First Unitarian Church
Kinski/The A Frames at the Crocodile (Seattle)
Metal Urbain in Philly
Sonic Youth/Bardo Pond/Fursaxa/Magic Markers at the Electric Factory
Sun City Girls/Bardo Pond at the Khyber

Things I didn’t hear enough of to say:

Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar
Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind

2004 was probably the best year for music since I started paying attention to underground music in 2001. There could have been a long list of honorable mentions tacked on to this, but that would start getting pedantic, and I'm happy with the list here. I'll refrain from offering more general comments until a later post, if I do any at all. I will, however, posit that 2004 was a year of geezer rock, in that so many groups/people that have been around for at least 20 years put out meaningful releases: Mission of Burma, Sonic Youth, The Ex, David Thomas and 2 Pale Boys, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Fall, Mekons, Faust, and Einsturzende Neubauten, to name a few. What this means, who knows. 
¶ 8:26 PM