First Breath After Coma

2004 is a good year in terms of good music, for me at least. Lots of damn good releases with lots of exciting new bands also. So this is my top 10 albums for 2004 (in no particular order). Check out other top 2004 albums list from Amazon, Pitchforkmedia, Prefix Magazine, XFM


Feels Like Home - Norah Jones.
- its soft-scratchiness and lush tone is so beautiful and seductive


Good News For People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
- a well-rounded, lovable record


Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
- the ideal hipster guilty-pleasure music for 2004


Our Endless Numbered Days - Iron & Wine
- ushed immediacy and rich melodies


Ambulance LTD - Ambulance LTD
- New York-based quartet's mix and match


Summer in Abaddon - Pinback
- infectious pop hooks that you can't help but sing


A Hostage And The Meaning Of Life - Brazil
- not quite The Mars Volta/ATDI, but hey, it's good!


Porcelain- Sparta
- straight foward rock formula with hints of ATDI sprinkled throughout


Riot On An Empty Street - Kings of Convenience
- a gorgeous album from start to finish


Selamat Tinggal Dunia - Butterfingers
- Rock n Roll with that Radiohead vibe. Nuff said

Just barely missing the list:
Final Straw - Snow Patrol
Antics - Interpol
Hot Fuss - The Killers
More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV on the Radio
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Garden State Soundtrack - Various Artists
A Grand Don't Come for Free - The Streets
Hopes & Fears - Keane
Blue Cathedral - Comets on Fire
The Libertines - The Libertines
Slow Wonder - A.C. Newman
You Fail Me - Converge
A Ghost Is Born - Wilco
Miss Machine - Dillinger Escape Plan
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Damn Dirty Apes - Ape Kill Ape

Longest time in the Winamp's playlist : Summer in Abaddon - Pinback
Best for morning commute : Cave In - Antenna
Best for afternoon commute : Riot On An Empty Street - Kings of Convenience
Best for the car stereo : On And On - Jack Johnson
Genre of the year : Emo-core
Most downloaded : Mogwai
Hardest to find : Rumah Sakit
Best video : Radiohead Live at Glastonbury 2003
Best for melayang-layang : A Data Learn The Language - The Mercury Program
Best semasa mengantuk : You're Only A Rebel From the Waist Downward - Thirty Called Arson
Best when feeling down : Still Life - Aqualung
Let down album : Size Does Matters - Helmet
Best online radio : XFM UK
Best record label : SubPop

Rating : 4 / 5

Review : We arrived a little late, at about 3.20pm. Lots of people queing outside for tickets and the place is already about 70% full. It was raining slightly (gerimis), and passers-by along Jln Sultan Ismail must be wondering why these bunch of kids standing in the rain. While I was nearing the door, the doorman said, "rilek dulu, sekang tak best, killer songs masa tengah-tengah nanti". Killer songs? Someone should remind him that the band for the day is not Spider nor Kristal. I guess after so long pushing doors (and people) made him a little mixed up.

Finally we got inside in the middle of Nyilu.It is HRC so the stage is only just elevated from the floor. Joined the crowd at the floor, which was mainly cosists of 20-year-olds trying very hard to look 'happening' or 'grunge' or whatever crap their into right now. Loque with his usual Gibson Les Paul Sunburst and Emmett sporting a rather funky ala-batik shirt. No Batak as sessionist on 2nd guitar so Loque keep mostly the licks to himself with Emmett giving him a helping hand on a song or two. Emmett kept his interaction with the crowd to a mininum, with broken Malay and all. Loque's Gibson was crisp and clear, with the usual intended feedbacks, spontaneous solos and tappings. Kadak just mostly minding his own low-end business, nodding once in a while in full synchronized with Loco's rhythmic duties. The monitor speakers' level is rather low for my liking though. As expected, the younger kids only interested in the band's older songs, or, 'heavy songs'. Somebody did shouted for Royaljelly. I wished they had shouted for Pacific or Pretty Rain.

In overall, the show was awesome. No fancy backdrop, excessive lights or smoke machine. It was rock n roll at its best. I was just there to welcome back the kings. Walked to Bukit Bintang after the show ended at about 5.30pm and had our lunch at Nasi Ayam Hailam Chee Meng. Yummy...
"Butterfingers have left the building."

Setlist:
Nyilu (hidup makan tidur mati muzik)
Daulat Tuanku
Cuai
Selamat Tinggal Dunia
Kabus Ribut
Merpati Sejoli
Hanyut
Taman Tasik Perdana
Tentang Tentang
Siaran Tergendala
Nico' tynne*
Me*
Stolen*
Viopipe
Fire
Love
Faculties Of The Mind
Encore:
Ruin By The Selling Out
The Chemistry (Between Us)

* Kalai on drums
The setlist is not that accurate especially on the sequences.

Low Points:
+ no violine in Viopipe
+ no keyboard in Siaran Tergendala, so it lost the whole Radiohead feel to it
+ not a single track from Malayneum
+ Loque's guitar went dead during Fire
+ very fat and sweaty girl jumping out and down, nearly bringing the place down (literally)

Best quote:
" lama sangat tak buat macam ni, pening rasa dia " - Emmett, after a neck breaking, head banging session

Spotted:
Members of Furniture, KLPHQ, Elisebelle Tears, Seven Collar T-Shirt, Sgt Weener Arms

Pictures : here here here and here

Ceh,harapan palsu. I want my RM15 back.

Post-mortem:
1. No fighting spirit. Zero. 0. Nadda. The score is 3-1 with still about 15 minutes to play. So play then! Build up the play, attack and try to score. There is no 'away goals' rules. If the score is 3-2 then we are still level with 4-4 aggregat. Professionals can't just put their head down and let go of the game!

2. If you just gonna walk, take your own sweet time and be a pedestrian, do it on the road or somewhere else and not in the field. What do you trying to proof? That you can play quality football with just walking? You are not Zidane so don't bother. You make me want to puke.

3. Now repeat after me,"defenders mark strikers". That is the nature of the game. So just mark your man then. Why do you want to chase all over the ball playing full press and leave your man unmarked when you know that you don't have the breath? You don't even get close to the ball and terkejar-kejar macam main monyet? You guys do play main monyet right on training? Pathetic.

4. Asking the coach to substitute you? Why? You don't want to be blamed? The team has lost but at least you are not on the field when the final whistle blows? Shameful. At least act that you've injured your leg or something. You are not using it anyway.

5. We all know that both of the Indon's wingers are fast and speedy. So what are good defenders supposed to do? You mark deep and not close mark, so you can always see him and let him come at you. But, you mark close. Ah..what a nice gift to the wingers. They turned you in flash then baru terkebil-kebil nak kejar.

6. Why all the goal kicks are intended for the sol 'scoring machine' Khalid Jamlus? He is slow and marked by 2 defenders. What do you expect him to do? Do a Ronaldo? Play close passes and patiently build the play la!

7. When you want to pass, you pass. When you want to shoot, you shoot. Make up your decisions early! And only pass the ball to the guys in yellow, ok kids? You know yellow? Yelllowwww...

8. Please challenge for a 50-50 header ball. At least pretend that you have jumped the highest that you can. Then only we will try to believe you.

9. Move around and stay close to your man when defending a corner.You do watch EPL right? Don't you learn a thing or two watching them defend corners. People don't stay put during corners. They pulled shirts, tug shorts, pushed and hustled just to get to the ball. So why you just stand static? While you are at it, why not you just sing the song Aku Statik. We will more than happy to sing along with you.

Overheard at the stadium:
1. Bodohhh!
2. Sape ko passing tu? Buta ke ape?
3. Laju la sikit Khalid. Berat bontot la wei!
4. Woi! Rilek la dulu. Jauh lagi nak shoot. Ingat ko Zidane?
5. Sikit-sikit jatuh, sikit-sikit jatuh. Lembik!
6. Main sepak je tah mana-mana
7. Ha, betulkan rambut je la...
8. Score la lagi satu Indon, baru puas hati aku!
9. Lembab nak mampos!
10. Macam ni main ambik Capello jadi coach pun tak boleh!

This post is way due. I am gonna wish you all a very Happy New Year anyway. Hope for a better and more productive 2005. So how was your 2004? Hmm..that bad eh?

coming soon:
+ yes, you've guessed it - "The Resolution"
+ top 10 albums that made my year
+ 2004 in summary
+ wishlist for 2005
+ new blog design
+ some pictures (if I can find a good scanner - ol skool lah!)

playlist:
+ Butterfingers - Selamat Tinggal Dunia
+ A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
+ Coldplay - Live at Forum, London

Yesterday, on 2nd January 2005 the Malay College Kuala Kangsar celebrated its 100th birthday. Studied and lived my years there from 1994-1998, it was the best 5 years of my whole life.

It's 12 days since the last post. When you just don't have the desire to blog, then you just don't have it. No point in forcing it. Zaha and Adiman blog almost every day. Heck, even they have something useful (more or less) to talk about. Just some updates on current status, I am now based at a government agency for these couple months doing development/programming works with 4 other colleagues. Struggling to wake up earlier than usual to catch the 7.23am train (before this it was the 8.08am train).


Finally bought Selamat Tinggal Dunia (STD) last Saturday at Victoria Music Kotaraya for a rather cheap price of RM33. Alternate cover from the previously proposed. It was actually already sold out on the 24th December (2nd day of release) so I have to wait for the next stock to arrive. Noticed The Times (alim and naza post-OAG band) debut album at the rack, but the curiosity in checking out the band is not that strong (and the fact that I am short on cash that day). Well, a good friend of mine said that the concept is more or less like traces of early brit pop bands. Interesting.

Now the review of STD. Actually I don't quite agree on the concept of review, especially on rating of an album. Everybody listens to all kinds of music, everybody has their own favourite bands/artists. Why bother reading the reviews and checking the ratings when you gonna listen to that Sum 41 or that Simple Plan albums anyway?

Anyway, back to STD : "Hidup mati muzik. Bangun tidur muzik. Cuba bernafas, ralat itu normal. Maafkanlah hamba. Hamba pun hamba wang pada zahirnya."
Rating : 10/10 (yes, I am a fan)
'Nuff said. See you this weekend.

Butterfingers : Selamat Tinggal Dunia Gig
When: January 8th, 3.00pm
Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Concorde Hotel, K.L.
Tickets: RM25 (inclusive of first soft drink)

“Apabila Emmett pulang ke Kanada nanti, Tuhan sahaja yang tahu bila lagi kami akan membuat persembahan sebagai Butterfingers semula”, kata Loque. -quoted from royalbutterfingers

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