Favorite debut album of '04...

[Ex Lion Tamer]

...and early '05

I haven't heard very many debut albums...lemme see, there's Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads, Secret Machines and Arcade Fire...and I think that's it. Of These Arcade Fires' "Funeral" is my favorite. To my mind it is the most mature sounding debut, of those I've heard, their sound is very much their own, in comparison to the more obviously derivative efforts by the other bands listed. They have a real talent for mixing in accessible hooks and melodies with pretty complex arrangements, using non-traditional instruments, without sounding overly heavy-handed or trite. I don't know if their future is as bright as Franz Ferdinand who seem to have a pretty powerful hype-machine behind them, but I do think they have a truly great album in them, I hope they're able to get it out.

BTW, I just bought the vinyl today, I've had the CD for a few months, and it is GREAT. If you're curious and you do analog, vinyl is absolutely the way to go.

Are there any other debuts that I've missed out on, that you think are great?

[Davey]

I like Funeral quite a bit but I don't think it was my favorite debut. Like you, I didn't hear all that many either, but I'd go with the Wayne Robbins album right now. And I also have enjoyed the Autolux more than Arcade Fire, but Funeral does have a lot of David Bowie sound. It didn't sound as fresh to me as it obviously does to you, but I'm not knocking it for that. I just got a little tired of it. On the other hand the new Bloc Party debut is really rocking my monkey bones right now. They're digging in that same post punk graveyard as seemingly all the rest of the new buzz bands, but sounds pretty damn classy. Franz Ferdinand got Sony money behind them pretty quick so they really exploded, but these guys are exploding over in the UK too. Who knows? Sounds a little different than the Futureheads, but honestly a little hard to pin down why I say that. Less XTC, I guess. More Blur, maybe? Yeah, that's it. Not as sinister sounding as Gang of Four, but lot's of GoF in the sound. Some of that epic britpop sound like in the last Idlewild too.

I also love the Frank Jordan debut Milk the Thrills. Kind of along the same lines as Pinback, but not really. Oops, just checked and it's not a debut. Nevermind

Loved the Old Canes debut, but that's more a side project of Appleseed Cast so doesn't really count since it still sounds kind of like them. Yeah, that's just about all I got. Oh wait, I forgot about TV On The Radio. That's a good one. But not my favorite.

But yeah, all things considered, Funeral was really the runaway debut of 2004 in the indie world. No contest. Top or close to the top on just about all of the lists. Fun to see a band break out of nowhere like that. Says a lot about the power of the internet in the "underground" music world today. A small record like this on a small label would've only sold a few thousand copies just a few years ago, but Pitchfork and a bunch of other popular sites busted that sales model all apart in recent times. Their label was totally caught with their pants down and no CDs to sell when the buzz hit. I think I got a copy right before the shelves went bare, but they recovered in a few weeks. Wonder how many copies it sold? Gotta be going on 100K or more. Anyone heard? There's a lotta people out there hungry for something a little different and a lotta fun. Great to hear that they put out a quality vinyl product as well. It was mostly an analog recording based on what they said in interviews, but don't know if that was preserved all the way to the cutting amps

[Dusty Chalk]

LCD Soundsystem is kicking my booty.

Nouvelle Vague is lots of fun, but I suspect it's a one-off.

Gotta give props to my girl Auf der Maur.

And the Dresden Dolls are fantastic.

And what about Franz Ferdinand?

And I don't know if it's The Real Tuesday Weld's first record, but I, Lucifer is off in bizarro-loungey-land. Gotta dig.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

I'd go with the Wayne Robbins album right now. And I also have enjoyed the Autolux more than Arcade Fire On the other hand the new Bloc Party debut is really rocking my monkey bones right now. They're digging in that same post punk graveyard as seemingly all the rest of the new buzz bands, but sounds pretty damn classy. Less XTC, I guess. More Blur, maybe? Yeah, that's it. Not as sinister sounding as Gang of Four, but lot's of GoF in the sound. Some of that epic britpop sound like in the last Idlewild too.

Three more to add to my list, after a dry period for buying new music I seem to be going through a mini avalanche in the last couple days. The Hellsayers disc is not even at insound.com yet; where did you find your copy? That Bloc Party disc sounds like another to watch...are we looking at a new British (mini) invasion?

But yeah, all things considered, Funeral was really the runaway debut of 2004 in the indie world. No contest. Top or close to the top on just about all of the lists. Fun to see a band break out of nowhere like that. Says a lot about the power of the internet in the "underground" music world today. A small record like this on a small label would've only sold a few thousand copies just a few years ago, but Pitchfork and a bunch of other popular sites busted that sales model all apart in recent times. Their label was totally caught with their pants down and no CDs to sell when the buzz hit. I think I got a copy right before the shelves went bare, but they recovered in a few weeks. Wonder how many copies it sold? Gotta be going on 100K or more. Anyone heard? There's a lotta people out there hungry for something a little different and a lotta fun.

I would have thought Franz Ferdinand as winner of the Indie buzz album of the year but I guess the Sony connection disqualifies them for that award. It is quite an accomplishment for a band like Arcade Fire. You really think they're approaching 100K albums sold? That would be amazing. If it's true the majors will be pounding down their door. I'm interested in seeing if they are nominated for the Juno (Canadian Grammy awards) in the new artist category. If they are I'd be absolutely shocked...Well colour me shocked, just checked the Juno website and though not nominated for Best New Artist, they are nominated for "Alternative Album of the Year", should face tough competition from A.C. Newman, still haven't heard his album.

Great to hear that they put out a quality vinyl product as well. It was mostly an analog recording based on what they said in interviews, but don't know if that was preserved all the way to the cutting amps

It's the pressing quality that impresses me as much as the sound quality. So rare to have a quiet album these days. I wonder what pressing plant Merge used.

[Slosh]

The Hellsayers disc is not even at insound.com yet; where did you find your copy?

Click on the link from Cole's post. I was lucky enough to find it locally. You'll definitely like it. It sounds somewhere inbetween Magnolia Electric Co. and Built To Spill and grows on you quickly. Not sure if it's available on vinyl but worth picking up in any format

[nobody]

Not too many debuts that I really got into this past year. I did like Dizzee rascal's Boy in Da Corner, which came out in the US for 2004, although I don't know its English release date. Madvillan was an excellent debut, which I got around to just recently, but as yet another project from established guys, I don't know if it counts.

Franz Ferdinand was good, but my wife and I both have the same problem with all ther retro 80s bands, as we were talking about recently. They all seem to mirror many of the original 80s bands in having a couple really good songs on short records with a lot of filler.

Some good records came out in 2004, a pretty strong year I thought, but not much in the way of debuts made it my way that really knocked me out.

[Davey]

It is quite an accomplishment for a band like Arcade Fire. You really think they're approaching 100K albums sold? That would be amazing. If it's true the majors will be pounding down their door.

Well, I was just making a guess based on all the buzz, but I just did a quickie google and found someone listing US sales figures in the middle of Feb at 89,000, and it's still hanging in the top 20 Billboard indie chart after 6 months, so I would guess it's well past 100K by now. Must be one of Merge's biggest sellers ever. More than a well known indie stalwart like Guided By Voices ever sold for one album. At the same site it said they have a 50/50 deal with Merge (although I don't know exactly what that means) so must be making a nice chunk of change off those sales!