t seems that every year, music critics jump the gun more and more. Film critics are usually pretty good about waiting until the last week of the year before putting out their year-end lists. But us music fans (yes—I consider myself one of you!) have grown accustomed to year-end album lists seeing press as early as December 3. So I suppose it’s only inevitable that I present my list, here in the heart of April, while we are still feeling the cold from last year’s winter.

(Also, the school year is ending and RED is officially, ahem, cough, graduating, spit blood, keel over.)

Ah, 2004—where to begin? Unless the passage of time proves me wrong, the first half of 2004 will be remembered as the half-year when we all looked to the past and remembered how much we liked being in our bands back in the day, and decided to get back together even though we fought all the time (The Pixies) or got terrible, permanent hearing damage as a result (Mission of Burma) or were outright dismissed as communists (the New York Dolls).

(And that's to say nothing of the countless charity work VH-1 has done this year for everyone from Romeo Void to The Alarm to Frankie Goes to Hollywood.)

It was the half-year that we remembered the totally groundbreaking albums that we recorded 37 years ago (The Beach Boys) or just a few years ago (Bark Psychosis, Sufjan Stevens) but had accidentally forgotten to release.

It was the half-year that we decided to throw all our fans a friggin’ bone and just come out already with all our hard-to-find EPs and 7-inches (My Bloody Valentine, Les Savy Fav).

Yes, friends, I’d say we’ve fit about five years worth of happenings into the year already, only halfway through. And with new releases in the coming months from such promising acts as Morrissey, PJ Harvey, Beastie Boys, The Roots, The Polyphonic Spree and Clinic, I'd venture to say that the second half of 2004 may very well rival the first. Though to all the bands I just mentioned, I must say: Maybe if you would have let your precious albums leak before my deadline, you'd have made the list too.

And now, as the French say, on with the list!

THE TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2004 SO FAR:

30. Heroes to Zeros - The Beta Band
Hey, remember when we were all working in that record store and I was like, “I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band,” and then Barry was all like, “Dude, you're not even in this movie”? Yeah, The Beta Band’s still hot. Look for it May 4 on Astralwerks Records.

29. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Does “Tiny Dancer” make you weep? Have you been searching used bins the world over for a decent club mix of The Wall? Ye need look no further. If The Darkness is supposed to be today’s Queen, then Scissor Sisters fit comfortably somewhere between the Bee Gees and Elton John. C’mon, you know you love it.

28. Milk Man - Deerhoof
A scene from RED HQ, mid-February 2004: Everyone else liked Apple O’ last year. I don’t have to review all of these, you know. Why don’t you review it, Jeremy? No, Brent, you review it. No, you do it. What are you Brent, a baby? Stop crying. Why are you crying, you baby? Doesn’t anybody like Deerhoof anymore? I still do. No. 28, folks. Oh yeah, that's tight.

27. Cellar Door - John Vanderslice
Sorry, but I just have a soft spot in my heart for anyone willing to channel “Requiem for a Dream,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Donnie Darko” in song—even though this album isn’t nearly as visceral as any of those films. Instead, it peels away all the needle holes and charred bogeymen to get to the heart of those and, indeed, most great films: confusion, desire, humor and beauty.

26. Our Endless Numbered Days - Iron & Wine
A sublimely pretty, Southern-tinged album that perfectly captures the feeling of realizing that you are only at No. 26 on a list that seems as though it will go on forever, though you will really be done with it in only about five minutes.

25. The Orange Billboard - Moonbabies
These Swedish darlings ape everyone from Stereolab to Low to the often-overlooked Ecstasy & Wine-era of My Bloody Valentine. Certainly the poppiest album on my list, perhaps it's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but no drumming has made me this happy since ABBA.

24. i - The Magnetic Fields
Fourteen songs that start with the letter I may not sound as conceptually pleasing as 69 songs about love, but you know Stephen Merritt can’t steer you wrong. Oh, and they are still all about love. Look for it May 4 on Nonesuch Records.

23. Inches - Les Savy Fav
The best punk band currently making music, PERIOD. Inches compiles every 7-inch since the band’s inception, including several new songs, live cuts and even a dramatic reading. But the real appeal here is the 10-plus new cuts, which for many will be the first they’ve heard of the band since 2001’s stellar Go Forth.

22. Lycanthropy - Patrick Wolf
This is how it might sound if the Pied Piper of Hamlin had led all those children to a Xiu Xiu concert instead of, what, off a cliff [editor’s note: it was actually a cave]? That’s just wrong. But Lycanthropy takes the Nintendolectronica that was hinted at on the first track of Fabulous Muscles and crafts an entire album of it—refreshingly maudlin, sylvan and mystical. Oh, the recorders!

21. A Ghost is Born - Wilco
No, it’s not as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but this is not a pity placement either. More jam-laden and less experimental, Jeff Tweedy’s cunning lyricism is still very much in force. Look for it on June 22, hopefully, on some record label (probably on Nonesuch). Get better soon Jeff—we love you!

20. The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not On Fire - McLusky
Basically this album secured its position on my list by virtue of its title alone. Though to be fair, McLusky sounds a lot like it’s on fire on this album. So you see, we’re really not all that different after all. Intolerance kills. Look for it May 18 on Beggars Too Pure Records.

19. dios - dios
So I guess the timing of this release technically makes dios (spelled in lower case) contemporaries of The Beach Boys. Fitting I suppose, since both bands kind of sound alike, and they’re both from the exact same city. So I guess I could just as easily say that The Beach Boys are ripping off dios, and there's NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, JEREMY. Hmm, that's probably only funny to about two people. What’s that? Zero people? Yeah, I can see that.

18. Now Soon Someday - Beans
People may not have known what to make of this ex-Antipop Consortium member when he opened for The Unicorns, but this long-running EP is all smooth rhymes and slick beats courtesy of El-P and Prefuse 73. It's so catchy, in fact, you'll hardly notice it’s underground.

17. Sung Tongs - Animal Collective
Avey Tare and Panda Bear et. al. have always sounded like a band of animals, but only now, for the first time, are they really coming together and beginning to sound like a collective. This is their happiest sounding and most accessible album to date (but still pretty weird). Look for it June 1 on Fatcat Records.

16. OnoffON - Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma made it OK to rock out in Boston a full five years before The Pixies had even boned their first machine. Tragically, the mission was aborted after only one proper full-length, but all is well again in Beantown! For both bands are back in full form, and this one even has a new album out! Look for it May 4 on Matador Records.

15. SmiLE — The Beach Boys
Finally, Brian Wilson (the Kevin Shields of the ’60s) gets around to putting out the album that Jeremy has been patiently waiting for since 1967. A little silly at times, but still considered by many to be the best unreleased album of all time. I guess that honor will have to be passed on now to Chinese Democracy. Ugh. Look for it this fall.

14. Remastered EPs - My Bloody Valentine
Finally, Kevin Shields (the Brian Wilson of the ’90s) gets around to putting out the album that Brent has been patiently waiting for since 1967. Is it worth the $60? Are you kidding? EACH SONG is worth $60. Hopefully it will be out very, very soon. Let us all pray.

13. Seven Swans - Sufjan Stevens
Speaking of prayer, what do Creed, Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer and Sufjan Stevens all have in common? All four are in love with the Lord, and all four wear it on their sleeves, but where those first three bands treat Jesus like a really benevolent A&R rep, Stevens is more interested in the lore of the Old Testament and in expressing sincere humility and devotion to the Lord. Oh, and also, he doesn’t totally suck. Check it.

12. The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me - The Hold Steady
Now this is truly a rock-and-roll album. “I got bored when I didn’t have a band, and so I started a band, man.” Sounds something like the soundtrack to a documentary on The Replacements with sing-speak narration from a hilarious, party-going, ironic and perhaps slightly inebriated Andy Rooney.

11. Espers - Espers
For my money, psychedelic folk is the new garage revival. Then again, my money is not accepted in 51 out of 54 U.S. states and territories. But if yours is, these guys could use it. Their record company too. Also, I could use it. Oh, the flutes!

10. Bows + Arrows - The Walkmen
Bows plus arrows equals…wow, I really thought that was going to write itself. This may be the old garage revival, but it is still The Walkmen, and it is still quite good. Seriously. We’re in the top 10 now folks. No more kidding around.

9. Heron King Blues - Califone
OK, maybe just one more—Beck Hansen and Les Claypool walk into a bar. What do you…where’s the…OK, the answer’s Califone. Get it? No? Okay, it’s Mutations meets Pork Soda. How’s that? I’ve been saving that one up for months. Tight.

8. Your Blues - Destroyer
“You married well, a gentle woman of means/ Who kept the word Destroyer embroidered on her jeans.” Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit it took a lot of guts for Dan Bejar to risk alienating his fan base with this Casio-laden anthem to role-playing games, classic Disney characters and David Bowie throwbacks. And at least to these ears, it completely paid off.

7. Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
And now, at long last, Modest Mouse gets a proper review! Where to begin? Good News pits the curious ambition of Moon & Antarctica against a musical palette both familiar and new. Dig the horns. Many good songs here. Appearing in a car commercial is not selling out. There, how was that? I think I reviewed it more when I didn’t review it. Crap. Sorry, whoever you are.

6. Sonic Nurse - Sonic Youth
The members of Sonic Youth have got it so bad, it’s hard to believe they almost lost it about five years ago. With this jamtastic masterpiece, the youngsters have officially become the Grateful Dead of our day. Finally, the band should be able to shake off all those pesky Sonic Youth comparisons. Makes Murray Street look like a peanut. Look for it June 8 on Geffen Records.

5. Talkie Walkie - Air
As good as Moon Safari. As good as “Lost in Translation.” Better than “Lilo and Stitch.” Not as good as the vanillascented nitrous at the dentist. That’s still pretty good, though. See you all at Coachella!

4. The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash - Jason Forrest
Unrelenting? Check. Songs? Check. This album took about three minutes to catapult to the upper strata of my list. Granted, this is probably what they’re listening to in hell, what with all the random noise and corporate rock sampling, but here’s another way to look at it: These songs are finally getting the rich pummeling they so sorely deserve. Look for it April 27 on Sonig Records.

3. Madvillainy - Madvillain
The culmination of all the many and intertwining projects of one Otis Jackson (aka Madlib, Yesterday’s New Quintet, Quasimoto) and one Daniel Dumile (aka MF Doom, Metalface, King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn). For that reason alone, it's one of the most important events in hip-hop in years. But it also doesn’t hurt that it, well…just listen.

2. Codename Dustsucker - Bark Psychosis
While it may be fashionable these days to call Talk Talk and Slint the progenitors of post-rock, Bark Psychosis was in fact the first band ever labeled as such, for 1994’s chilling Hex. Oh, and what's this? Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris joins the band on the kit for its first album since then? Where do I sign up? Not to be confused with the false drum-n-bass version in heavy circulation on many peer-to-peer networks. Look for it July 5 on Fire Records.

1. Misery is a Butterfly - Blonde Redhead
For lack of a better word, this album penetrates me on a level that words just cannot describe. It’s something I can listen to when I don’t want to listen to anything, something I can put on to tune out the world. Oh, the strings! Simple. But just. So. Beautiful.

Is this. It? Am I. Dying? I always. Wanted. My last. Words. To be. Remember. The. Ah. Forget it. Dying. Sucks. Remember that. Instead. Dying. Sucks. Really. Really. Sucks. Bad. Thanks. For. Reading. All my. Love. And. Guts. Brent.
brent@red-mag.com