The year in music

Each year at this time, we ask our music writers, friends and fellow scenesters to weigh in on the 12 months just past. Some of them actually respond. Of those who opined, Outkast appeared on the most best-CD lists and the Midwest Music Summit was mentioned most frequently among live events.

Rhymefest

Steve Hammer, music editor, NUVO

Local top 10 albums

1. Left Foot Moses, Sucker for a Pretty Face
Like the best music of The Band, the music of Left Foot Moses tells vastly complex tales of life and love in three-minute pop songs. Underrated and underappreciated in their home town, this band has a bright future with their hyperliterate, intelligent rock.
2. Vulgar Boatmen, Wide Awake
A primer for every aspiring singer/songwriter who wants to rock balls while maintaining dignity and self-respect. Classic songs from perhaps Indiana’s finest band ever.
3. Chris Shaffer, Chris Shaffer
Freed from the confines of his old group, Shaffer creates a soundtrack of redemption and renewal while being melodic and funky. It’s his version of Blood on the Tracks.
4. Otis Gibbs, Once I Dreamed of Christmas
Masterful, humane tales from this area’s premier storyteller.
5. Up Scumbag, Murder Death Kill
Punk rock the way it should be played — young, loud and snotty.
6. The Pieces, The Pieces
Tasteful to a fault. Tuneful and truculent.
7. Devil To Pay, Thirty Pieces of Silver
Angry, depressing metal that sticks to your brain for days.
8. Lunar Event, This Transparency
Electro-pop which miraculously avoids cliches.
9. Loretta, The Translation
When this band is at the top of its form, as it is for most of the disc, it’s a very amazing band.
10. Gay Black Republican, Ballet on Barbed Wire
One part Primus, one part Ramones and one part something which cannot be named.

10 best live shows

1. Pearl Jam/The Buzzcocks, Verizon Wireless Music Center
2. Rhymefest/Fiti Futuristic, Monkey’s Tale
3. The White Stripes, Murat Egyptian Room
4. Ozzfest, VWMC
5. In Flames, Murat Egyptian Room
6. The Cadavers, Festivilla
7. Indyviduals, The Patio
8. 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, VWMC
9. Toxic Reasons/Pizzle/Slurs, Melody Inn
10. The Lackloves, Radio Radio

Jill Brooks, music writer, NUVO

10 best live shows

1. Turin Brakes (opened for Dave Gray, who sucked), Verizon.
English superstars.
2. Jayhawks/Thorns, Vogue
3. Luna, Birdy’s
4. Vess Ruhtenberg, Otis Gibbs, Dale Lawrence and Tad Armstrong acoustic, Upper Room (MMS)
5. Gord Downie & The Country of Miracles, Birdy’s.
Lead singer of the Tragically Hip. Rock’s poet laureate.
6. Guided By Voices, Birdy’s
7. David Garza, Birdy’s
8. Loretta, Patio (MMS)
9. Drive-By Truckers, Birdy’s
10. Dan Bern, Birdy’s

Matt Socey, music writer, NUVO

Favorite albums of 2003

Marcia Ball, So Many Rivers (Alligator)
Jimmy Burns, Back to the Delta (Delmark)
Eddy Clearwater with Los Straitjackets, Rock ’n’ Roll City (Bullseye)
Guy Davis, Chocolate to the Bone (Red House)
Buddy Guy, Blues Singer (Silvertone)
Jay McShann, Goin’ to Kansas City (Stony Plain)
Duke Robillard, (Tie) Exalted Lover and More Conversations on Swing Guitar (both on Stony Plain)
Kill Bill Vol. 1, soundtrack (Maverick)
Rob Stone & The C-Notes, Just My Luck (Earwig)
Otis Taylor, Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc)
Various Artists, Live at the W.C. Handy Blues Awards Vol. 1 (Tone Cool)
Favorite reissues of 2003
Miles Davis, Complete Jack Johnson Recordings (Columbia)
Rod Piazza, Modern Master: Best of Rod Piazza 1968-2003 (Tone Cool)
Various Artists, Alan Lomax Blues Songbook (Rounder)
Various Artists, 50 Years of Jazz and Blues (Delmark)
Muddy Waters, Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live (Epic)

Matt Fecher, Indianapolismusic.net

Best shows of 2003

1. MMS 2003
2. Flaming Lips
3. KRS-ONE
4. Elton John/Billy Joel
5. Indy Music + Film
6. Battle of the Bands Finals
7. Toxic Reasons Re-union
8. Pearl Jam/Buzzcocks
9. Blue Man Group
10. Perfect Nothing Farewell/ CD Release

Greg Brenner, PunkRockNight.com

10 best things about 2003

1. Up Scumbag
2. Indianapolismusic.net
3. New Kitchen and Windows
4. Bunnies
5. Paris Hilton
6. iPod & iTunes for Windows
7. Melody Inn
8.Throwing stuff at The Fuglees and their new Indiana CD
9. prngraphics.com
10. NUVO *smooch*

Josh Baker, Benchmark Records

10 best things about 2003

10. Lollapalooza, Verizon
9. Loretta, the Vogue WRZX X-mas Party
8. John Prine & Peter Stewart, Summer Stages
7. Will Hoge/Cameron McGill/ Middletown, the Patio
6. Flaming Lips, the Vogue
5. Outkast’s new record
4. Otis Gibbs, La Jolla
3.Songwriter Round, Upper Room (MMS2K3) featuring Vess Ruhtenberg, Tad Armstrong, Otis Gibbs & Dale Lawrence
2. 2003 Midwest Music Summit
1. Willie Nelson, the Vogue

Bliss Entertainment

10 best CDs of 2003

1. Ill Nino, Confession
2. Freddy vs. Jason, soundtrack
3. Chimaira, The Impossibility of Reason
4. Korn, Take a Look in the Mirror
5. MTV2, Headbangers Ball
6. Haste, The Mercury Lift
7. Violent J (ICP), Wizard of the Hood
8. Throwdown, Haymaker
9. Withallsincerity, theagewherenothingfits
10. Mushroomhead, 13

Todd Robinson, owner, LUNA music

10 best CDs of 2003

Caia, The Magic Dragon
The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
Tosca, Dehli9
McKay, McKay
Pete Rock, Lost & Found Hip Hop Underground Soul Classics
Belle And Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Fivedeez, Kinkynasti
Grandaddy, Sumday
Sun Kil Moon, Ghosts Of The Great Highway
The Stills, Logic Will Break Your Heart

Matt Chandler, The Free Zone, WICR

10 best CDs of 2003

Unwed Sailor, The Marionette and the Music Box (Burnt Toast)
Manishevitz, City Life (Jagjaguwar)
Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Arista)
The Coke Dares, Here We Go With ... (Reibenbach)
Tindersticks, Waiting for the Moon (Beggar’s Banquet)
Ibrahim Ferrer, Buenos Hermanos (Nonesuch)
Various Artists, The American Song-Poem Anthology (Bar None)
The Mars Volta, De-Loused in the Comatorium (Universal)
Cursive, The Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek)
Jaylib, Champion Sound (Stones Throw)

Rob G.,The Free Zone, WICR

10 best CDs of 2003

Stark Reality, Now (Stones Throw)
Howard Tate, Rediscovery (Private Music)
Madlib, Shades of Blue Note (Blue Note)
The Free Design, Heaven/Earth (Light in the Attic)
Various Artists, The American Song-Poem Anthology (Bar None)
Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Arista)
True Love Always, Clouds (Teen Beat)
Sex Mob, Dime Grind Palace (Rope a Dope)
Gary Wilson, Forgotten Lovers (Motel)
The Impossible Shapes, We Like It Wild (Secretly Canadian)

Matt Schwegman, the Vogue/Patio

Best national show of 2003: The Flaming Lips at the Vogue!
Best local show of 2003: Battle of the Bands Finals at the Vogue!
Best national CD: Drive-By Truckers, Decoration Day
Best local CD: America Owns The Moon
Best local single: “Bout to Get Ugly” by Rhymefest
Best national single: (Tie) “Seven Nation Army,” White Stripes; “In Da Club,” 50 Cent

Lunar Event

Favorite things of 2003

10. Jucifer at Radio Radio
9. Kill Bill
8. (Tie) Flaming Lips/ Spiritualized at the Vogue
7. playing Punk Rock Night
6. George W falling off Segway Scooter
5. release of our record This Transparency
4. therapy
3. lithium
2.release from record
contract
1. THC, our faithful friend