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The Best Albums of 2003

Dave Mix - Dave's Big Top Ten for 2003 in no particular order!

Nada Surf "Let Go" Anyone who dismissed this band based on their previous output (especially rock radio hit "Popular") would be missing out on one of the great records of the year. A beautiful, lush and melancholy album filled with heartfelt lyrics and great hooks. Worth it for the fourth track "Blonde on Blonde" alone; other standouts include "Blizzard of '77" and "Fruit Fly." The nicest surprise of the year, hands down.

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The Weakerthans "Reconstruction Site" Brainy pop-rock brimming with literary allusions and political manifestoes that somehow manages to avoid sounding pretentious. Maybe it's because the songs are so damn good. "One Great City!" is an instant classic, and have you ever heard a chorus better than on "The Reasons?" You'll feel all your cynicism evaporate when John K. Samson sings "I know you might roll your eyes at this/But I'm so glad that you exist."

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Sloan "Action Pact" Here is the catchiest, loudest, most ridiculous and frankly, BEST rock record of the year. And no one outside of Canada will hear ever hear it. Sloan abandons their democratic formula of the past, and the result is a focused album that commits itself to balls-out rock and doesn't ever let up. Tom Rothrock's glossy production compliments the sing-along qualities of each of these tracks, and the harmonies have never sounded better. I maintain that "I Was Wrong" may be the best song of the year.(See Album Review)

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Beck "Sea Change" So, technically, this record came out in 2002, but it hasn't been out of my player since it was released. Ever had your heart broken? Ever felt like curling up in a ball and never leaving the house again? Beck has. And he wrote a record about it. And it's one of the best records you'll ever hear. So put on your housecoat, get drunk, and have a good cry.

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The New Pornographers "Electric Version" So it's not as good as their debut, "Mass Romantic." How could it be? This is still a kick-ass record. Dan Bejar (Destroyer) contributes the best tracks here, especially "Chump Change," but when Carl Newman lets Neko Case loose on one of his songs, that's when the magic really happens. Incomprehensible lyrics and sweet, sweet harmonies. This is what the summer sounds like.

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Grandaddy "Sumday" Grandaddy are back to warn us about the pitfalls of technology and the ache of a broken heart. As usual, the production is spot-on perfect. "The Group Who Couldn't Say" simultaneously contains the most hilarious and poignant lyrics of the year. Other highlights include "Now It's On" and "The Saddest Vacant Lot In The World." If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, you should, because it's filling up fast. Not to be missed.

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The Dears "No Cities Left" Whoa. This is an epic. You might hate it. I love it. The influences (The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division) are worn on their sleeves here, yet the finished product is somehow unique. Frontman/songwriter Murray Lightburn is too good to languish in Canadian obscurity, and you know that this is one of those bands you'll brag about knowing before they were the biggest band in the world. Features the unbelievably good single "Lost in the Plot.

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Outcast "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" What can I say about this record that hasn't already been said? It's weird, and it's pretty fucking good.

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Joel Plaskett Emergency "Truthfully Truthfully" This is another obscure Canadian artist that deserves much wider recognition. You can't get much better than this on a straightforward rock record. The vocals sound good, there's a cowbell on a few tracks, and every single song will stick in your head for days on end. Plaskett seems to have an almost endless cache of good songs; his records are refreshingly free of filler. "Extraordinary" and "Work Out Fine" will rock you, and then "The Day You Walked Away" will make you cry. Another excellent album from an underappreciated talent.

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The Shins "Chutes Too Narrow" This is an awesome record. If you play it for your friend who doesn't like pop music, he will say it sounds gay. And it does, especially "Saint Simon," and you will be skipping around and crying because you will be so happy that you found a record that sounds the way your band would sound, if you had a band, or any kind of talent.(See Album Review)

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