[dihansse]

Two albums of 1999 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

When Your Heartstrings Break by Beulah (US)
One of those albums where nothing is really special but overall good enough to be in my year chart and goes from the 46th to the 55th rank.

And an album from my wishlist which is just the opposite:

The Power In One by Wipers
And that because there is no other band which sounds like the Wipers. The guitar sound of Greg Sage is very unique and so is his voice and song writing and they just excel in not making compromises and still succeed in making albums which are not copies of the former ones even on this last album of theirs. Ship Of Dreams and Rest Of My Life are the best tracks but the album is just filled with great songs that continue to make me want to hear them over and over again. It's a pity they stopped after this album but on the other hand: there's still a few of their albums I haven't discovered yet. This one enters my 1999 year chart at the 14th rank.

[dihansse]

Only an album I already own/know for the year 2000 (none on my wishlist anymore):


Almost Happy by K's Choice
An enjoyable album from this Belgian band with the raspy voice of Sarah Bettens (now Sam Bettens). The band has always been dismissed as being to poppy but they sure know how to write a good song (just listen to the title track and Another Year for that. So the album moves up from the 44th to the 23rd rank of the year.

[dihansse]

And also for 2001 there is only an album I already own/know I listened to because there's nothing any more on my wishlist:

Bayleaf by Stone Gossard
A fairly average album of this Pearl Jam guitar player but two tracks jump out in a positive way: Pigeon and Anchors. The album goes from the 54th to the 42nd rank.

[dihansse]

Two albums of 2002 I listened to:

First an album I already know/own:

When I Was Cruel by Elvis Costello
Certainly not his best album, only Alibi is on the same level as his best songs, but still good enough to be in my year chart and it moves up from the 55st to the 42nd rank.

And an album from my wishlist:

After Everything Now This by The Church
Even if they run on automatic pilot like on this album, The Church still knows how to make a good album. With 23 regular albums spanning 5 decades (with this one right in the middel and their last was in 2024 so they haven't finished yet), they must be one of the most consistent(ly good) bands in the world. And also this album is very much ok, with no outlyers, but still very much ok. The album enters at the 30th rank.

[dihansse]

And two choices of albums of 2003 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

The New Folk Implosion by The Folk Implosion
This band shows the poppy side of Lou Barlow and after a hiatus they're back with this album but it's clear the first Folk Implosion albums are better. Without any highlights it is still a good album though which moves up from the 48th to the 21st rank.

And an album from my wishlist:

Show Me Your Tears by Frank Black And The Catholics
Not his best album with still a few highlights like Everything Is New, When Will Happiness Find Me Again?, The Snake and especially Massif Centrale. Enters my year chart at the 65th rank.

[dihansse]

After some holidays these are two albums of 2004 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

Outta Sight/Outta Mind by The Datsuns
A better album of this Australian rock band than I had initially quoted it. Just think of it as a good old rock record without a lot of frillies and you won't be disappointed. It moves up from the 66th to the 39th rank.

And an album from my wishlist:

Strangers by Ed Harcourt
A good but not essential album of this otherwise underrated artist, maybe also because there are no real highlights here. It enters my year chart at the 56th rank.

[dihansse]

Two albums of 2005 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

Plans by Death Cab For Cutie
A better album than I initially had ranked it and certainly in the league of Transatlanticism. It climbs from the 81st to the 47th rank.

And an album from my wishlist:

Pure Vernunft Darf Niemals Siegen by Tocotronic
I'm only now discovering this great German band and after their first album which is a bit of nihilistic punk album they moved on considerably on this album later in their career. This is just extremely good rock/indie, sang in German but as good or even better then any similar album in English. The best track is the last one of the album but there is no weak one here. This might be the best, and certainly most consistent German albums I've ever listened to (including Kraftwerk, Kraut and Neue Deutsche Welle). I'm certainly gonna discover all their albums and there's many. This album immediately enters at the 28th rank of the year.

[dihansse]

And two albums of 2006 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

Other People's Lives by Ray Davies
One thing's for sure: Ray Davies is a great storyteller. But this rock music so it isn't all about good lyrics and sometimes the musical quality isn't what it used to be or his voice gives a bit. But don't get me wrong the overall quality of the album is nowhere less than ok and there are some tracks which really stand ou, not in the least the title track but also Things Are Gonna Change, Next Door Neighbour and certainly Over My Head. And although Is There Life After Breakfast? has been written in 2006, 10 years before the referendum, the song could as well have been called Is There Life After Brexit? and it would have made sense completely. So all in all a good album which moves up from the 62nd to the 38th rank.

And an album from my wishlist:

All This Time by Heartless Bastards
To start: I don't like the voice of the singer but she delivers her songs in such a dynamic way it doesn't really bother me. And the bluesy atmosphere of the songs combined with the great guitar work makes this album hard to hate: it's even good and enters my year chart at the 37th rank.

[dihansse]

Two albums of 2007 I listened to:

First an album I already own/know:

Beyond The Neighbourhood by Athlete
I quite liked their second album, Tourist, so I bought this third album without thinking and regretted it. Up to now it hovered at the last rank of the year but this album is so uninteresting I have deleted it from my year chart.

And an album from my wishlist:

Rise To Your Knees by Meat Puppets
Up to now I like all their more recent albums and I like this one as well. unfortunately I didn't find it on Apple Music so had to listen via Youtube. There's nothing new here and they stick to their very typical sound but the album is interesting enough to still keep your interest. The standout is the psychedelic Disappear and also Fly Like The Wind, On The Rise and Ice but overall an enjoyable Meat Puppets album which lands at the 6th rank on my year chart.

[Repo]