The 50 Finest Alt.Country (or, y’know, whatever) Albums of 2004
1 Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
2 Buddy Miller, Universal United House Of Prayer (New West)
3 Drive-By Truckers, The Dirty South (New West)
4 Brian Wilson, Smile (Nonesuch)
5 Jon Dee Graham, The Great Battle (New West)
6 Wilco, A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
7 Steve Earle, The Revolution Starts…Now (E-Squared/Artemis)
8 Tift Merritt, Tambourine (Lost Highway)
9 Dave Alvin, Ashgrove (Yep Roc)
10 Bobby Bare Jr., From The End Of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
11 Patty Griffin, Impossible Dream (ATO)
12 Marah, 20,000 Streets Under The Sky (Yep Roc)
13 Todd Snider, East Nashville Skyline (Oh Boy)
14 Willie Nelson, It Always Will Be (Lost Highway)
15 Ron Sexsmith, Retriever (Nettwerk)
16 Neko Case, The Tigers Have Spoken (Anti-)
17 Norah Jones, Feels Like Home (Blue Note)
18 Kasey Chambers, Wayward Angel (Warner Bros.)
19 Sam Phillips, A Boot And A Shoe (Nonesuch)
20 James McMurtry, Live In Aught-Three (Compadre)
21 Various Artists, Touch My Heart: Tribute To Johnny Paycheck (Sugar Hill)
22 Old Crow Medicine Show, self-titled (Nettwerk)
23 Elvis Costello, The Delivery Man (Lost Highway)
24 Iris DeMent, Lifeline (Flariella)
25 Various Artists, Por Vida: A Tribute to The Songs Of Alejandro Escovedo (Or)
26 Gretchen Wilson, Here For The Party (Sony)
27 Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat (Sanctuary)
28 Mindy Smith, One Moment More (Vanguard)
29 Robyn Hitchcock, Spooked (Yep Roc)
30 Sadies, Favourite Colours (Yep Roc)
31 Chris Stamey, Travels In The South (Yep Roc)
32 A.C. Newman, Slow Wonder (Matador)
33 Various Artists, Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs Of Stephen Foster (Emergent)
34 Alison Krauss & Union Station, Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder)
35 Geraint Watkins, Dial W For Watkins (Yep Roc)
36 Black Keys, Rubber Factory (Fat Possum)
37 Grey DeLisle, The Graceful Ghost (Sugar Hill)
38 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (Anti)
39 Gourds, Blood Of The Ram (Eleven Thirty)
40 Los Lobos, The Ride (Hollywood)
41 Richard Buckner, Dents And Shells (Merge)
42 Old 97’s, Drag It Up (New West)
43 Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute/Warner Bros.)
44 Tom Waits, Real Gone (Anti-)
45 Tres Chicas, Sweetwater (Yep Roc)
46 Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop)
47 Alecia Nugent, self-titled (Rounder)
48 Holmes Brothers, Simple Truths (Alligator)
49 Mavis Staples, Have A Little Faith (Alligator)
50 King Wilkie, Broke (Rebel)
The Top 20 Reissued Recordings of 2004
1 Clash, London Calling (Sony Legacy)
2 Various, Night Train to Nashville (CMF/Lost Highway)
3 Faces, Five Guys Walk Into a Bar (Rhino)
4 Candi Staton, self-titled (Astralwerks)
5 Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary)
6 Bobbie Gentry, Chickasaw County Child: The Artistry Of (Sony Legacy)
7 Vic Chesnutt, West Of Rome (New West)
8 Waylon Jennings, Are You Ready for the Country (RCA)
9 James Brown, Soul On Top (Verve)
10 Emmylou Harris, Pieces of the Sky (Rhino)
11 Bill Monroe & Blue Grass Boys, Live At Mechanics Hall (Acoustic Disc)
12 Rockpile, Seconds Of Pleasure (Sony Legacy)
13 Grateful Dead, Beyond Description 1973-1989 (Rhino)
14 Vashti Bunyan, Just Another Diamond Day (Dicristina Stair)
15 Various, Chicago Soul (Soul Jazz)
16 Mississippi Sheiks, Best Of (Columbia Legacy)
17 Various, Can’t You Hear Me Callin’: Bluegrass (Sony Legacy)
18 Uncle Dave Macon, Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy (Bear Family)
19 Flatlanders, Live 1972 (New West)
20 House Of Freaks, Tantilla (Rhino Handmade)
BLAME US; WE VOTED:
Grant Alden, Brian T. Atkinson,Brian J. Barr, David Baxter, Sophie Best, Peter Blackstock,William Bowers, Jim Caligiuri,Paul Cantin, David Cantwell, Rick Cornell, Danielle Dreilinger, Daniel Durchholz, Bill Friskics-Warren, Jon M. Gilbertson, Andrew Beck Grace, David Greenberger, Russell Hall, Geoffrey Himes, Silas House, Roy Kasten, Patrick Langston, Anders Smith Lindall, Scott Manzler, Barry Mazor, Michael McCall, Don McLeese, Fred Mills, Jim Musser, Jim Nelson, Joe Nick Patoski, Linda Ray, Kurt B. Reighley, Lloyd Sachs, William Michael Smith, Allison Stewart, Bob Townsend, Andy Turner, Mike Usinger, Ed Ward, Jon Weisberger, Brian Whepley, Tom Wilk, Jerry Withrow, Greg Yost.
