rone | perfunctory year-in-music review

By definition, any music on which i or a loved one plunked down money so that i may own it is good. Here's music from 2004:

50 Foot Wave, Bug: the debut EP from Kristin Hersh's new band. Hard, fast, loud; Kristin's like the Barry Bonds of rock, getting not just better but great as she gets older. Except without questionable substances.
A Perfect Circle, eMOTIVe: reviewed recently. My opinion hasn't changed, although i can live with the "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" cover.
Craving Change, Tenacity: emotional without being emo. The vocals aren't very polished, but the guitar and bass are solid.
Fripp & Eno, The Equatorial Stars: "Altair" has some of the most un-Frippish guitar i've heard from Fripp. The songs are calm and persistent.
Helmet, Size Matters: i reviewed this recently. I think i like it a little bit more now. "See You Dead" is fun.
Mutual Admiration Society, [untitled]: bluegrassy and quiet. They were a lot better live.
The Polyphonic Spree, Together We're Heavy: i shouldn't like this CD, with its hippy-dippy attitude and silly feel-good lyrics and bright, perky music. That i do like it, and a lot, speaks to... i dunno, how well done it is, or maybe how Tim DeLaughter is some sort of genius.
Rockets Over Sweden, Penny Coliseum: their debut EP. My partner in crime from USC Dave Z. demanded i purchase it for a mere $2 plus shipping, so i did. Pixies-ish guitars married to poptacular vocals equals something very promising and enjoyable.
U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: i'm still not sure how i feel about this one. I mean, it's good... but i feel like i'm missing something. "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" is really good, but there aren't songs that really grab me and make me want to listen to them over and over again, like on Achtung Baby. Maybe it'll grow on me some more.
Vernon Reid & Masque, Known Unknown: there's no excuse for not owning this. Vernon Reid is a master, and this avant-fusion disc is excellent.

There's also music from 2003 that i only managed to purchase this year.

Jean Michel Jarre, Geometry of Love: good. Jarre hasn't stagnated.
TU, [untitled]: TU is Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto. This is a studio album that's more than their long-ass Rhythm Buddies jam. At times noisy, at times dark and quiet, occasionally cryptic.
Los Prisioneros, Los Prisioneros: they got back together again! Then they kicked Claudio Narea out again! This disc is uneven but good in the end. Their new disc, Manzana, which should be arriving sometime this week, sounds a lot better, going by the previews on their site. They are the premier rock group from Chile over the last 20 years.
Geary Street Quartet, [untitled]: their debut EP. I used to play Crafty-style guitar with the guys in the group, and work with one of them. Four acoustic guitars spinning charming and haunting tunes.
Quitter, sender.receiver: these guys opened for the Pixies at Davis. They did a good job, kind of The Church-ish at times. This is a promising disc; naturally, they broke up a few months ago.