Popmatters has their Top 100 Albums of the Year list out. Kanye's #1, and it looks like he'll hold the top spot on a bunch of other year list and be the big winner at the Grammys too. I just picked up his album last week (after holding off forever), and it's worth the hype.

So now, is there really a need to list 100 top records of the year? I mean, when all is said and done, it's a pretty amazing if 10 years down the road you have a whopping 15 CDs that you thoroughly enjoy from a particular year. These kids today.

And my favorites of the year (since you're just dying to know) in no particular order:

Kanye West-The College Dropout
Interpol-Antics
De La Soul-The Grind Date
Air-Walkie Talkie
DJ Vibe-The Underground Sound of Lisbon (Mixed CD)
Danny Tenaglia presents Kult of Krameria-Esperanca/Voodoo Doll (12")
Victor Calderone-Resonate (DJ Vibe Mix) (12")
Notorious B.I.G.-Ready to Die (Reissue)
Nas-Illmatic (Reissue)
Blaze-Found Love (12")
Jill Scott-Beautifully Human
Alicia Keys-The Diary of Alicia Keys

That is all.

Somebody saw the Pixies last night.

I think it's finally setting in, too. The concert was fantastic (although the older I get the less patience I have for tall people and the idiots that push their way up front as soon as the concert starts). For some reason, it's easy to forget how just hard some of their songs are, and it's the thrashers that really came to life in concert.

For most of the time, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. Joey Santiago (the best guitar player, by the way, this is an undisputed fact) providing a flawless performance, Kim Deal grinning from ear to ear (and sounding as angelic as ever), David Lovering hamming it up, and Frank Black howling like he's 17 again. And when they sang "La, La, Love You" during their encore, I knew they were singing only to me. :)

The Datsuns opened, and they suck, like, reeeeaaaaalll bad.

Is there a better way of saying "Happy Friday" a day early than supplying you with a link about disgusting food? Of course not! Ch-ch-ch check it out!

A short article on the website that singlehandedly ruined indie rock for me, basically because it epitomizes the insular, holier-than-thou, inablility to express enjoyment in a non-ironic manner wankfest that is, in effect, the present day hipster. They manage to stay in my daily rotation of web surfing because I haven't found a decent source of daily music news, but right next to their news column lurks the daily reviews. Each and everyday I click on the main review du jour, knowing that the pretentiousness and lack of rounded musical knowledge is going to grate on my nerves and make me subconsciously tighten the grip on my coffe cup. I skim through the review, go "C'mon, just get to the point! Who has time to read this garbage!," and then go over to the New York Times or BBC News and remind myself that, along with the staff of Pitchfork and much of the rest of the country, I spend too much time worrying about stuff that doesn't matter.