[紅白組合]White Stripes今年大豐收, 橫掃多個Music Chart的第一位, 一支結他一個鼓使White Stripes紅遍英美兩地. 今年音樂興Nostalgia, 成績好的很多玩翻六,七十年代Garage Rock, 一隊The White Stripes加一隊The Stokes, 還有Yeah Yeah Yeahs掀記音樂復古潮. Kings of Leon 則別豎另一格調的復古, 重玩70s Lynard Skynard的Southern Rock. 今年搖滾樂其實也跟隨世界性的復古潮, 今年Pop Art 及Mod Culture當道呢!
Brit-Pop名存實亡, Blur的Think Tank靠Fatboy Slim 有不少Gimmick, Think Tank在不少chart上也有名, 但事實聲譽則好壞參半. Radiohead的 Hail to The Thief是OK Computer+Kid A, Radiohead現倚靠是以前的威勢, 這張Album談不上創新及野心, 不過我相信Radiohead能突破自己框框. 相反地, 其他Brit-pop時期樂隊則很慘淡, Oasis, Spiritualized, Travis甚或Starsailor這年推出的Album反應不佳, 只有後Brit-pop時期的Muse及Elbow獲得好評.
黑人熱潮逐漸冷卻, 不過謹守崗位的還有Outkast, 而僅接Eminem rapper餘風的有50cent.
2003年, American Rock也是輸家. Nu-Metal系樂隊完全無法突破之前的格調, 在黑人熱潮退時反成了犧牲者. Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Staind等Nu-Metal樂隊無一上Chart, Linkin Park靠廣告熱播還可十分賣座, 音樂本質上則不見突破. 不過小石城Evanescence算是Nu-Metal的新貴, 主音Amy Lee的Gothic唱腔和造型或可為Nu-Metal啟發新的出路. Korn年尾的Take a Look in The Mirror也是今年另一Nu-Metal系較好的作品.
Electronica方面, 舊名字Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Primal Scream等這年推出的只是Collection, Tricky則有原地踏步之感, 幸好Basement Jaxx和Massive Attack還甚有水準. 新貴則有Four Tet的Rounds.
今年沒有什麼新的主流樂風, 寄望2004有新的Genre, 尤其是新的Rock Style, 因今年紅的也只是玩舊東西而已.
以下是各大雜誌Best 10:
NME：
1. The White Stripes "Elephant"，
2. The Rapture "Echoes"，
3. The Strokes "Room On Fire"，
4. Elbow "Cast Of Thousands"，
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Fever To Tell"，
6. Rufus Wainwright "Want One" ，
7. Kings Of Leon "Youth & Young Manhood"，
8. Outkast "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"，
9. Radiohead "Hail To The Thief"，
10. My Morining Jocket "It Still Moves"。
Wire：
Robert Wyatt "Cuckooland"，
David Sylvian "Blemish"，
John Fahey "+"，
Nurse With Wound "Salt Marie Celeste"，
Chris Watson "Weather Report"，
Rhythm & Sound "With The Artists"，
Dizzee Rascal "Boy In Da Corner"，
Four Tet "Rounds"，
Keith Rowe & John Tilbury "Duos For Doris"，
The Bug "Pressure"。
Mojo：
1. The White Stripes "Elephant"，
2. Outkast "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"，
3. Blur "Think Tank"，
4. The Strokes "Room On Fire"，
5. My Morning Jacket "It Still Moves"，
6. Radiohead "Hail To The Thief"，
7. Emmylou Harris "Stumble Into Grace"，
8. Robert Wyatt "Cuckooland" ，
9. Evan Dando "Baby I'm Bored"，
10. Wire "Send" 。
Rolling Stone：
1.50 Cent "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'"，
2.Ryan Adams "Rock N Roll"，
3.The Bad Plus "These Are The Vistas"，
4.David Banner "Mississippi: The Album"，
5.Basement Jaxx "Kish Kash"，
6.Beyonce "Dangerously In Love"，
7.Blink-182 "Blink-182"，
8.Blur "Think Tank"，
9.Brand New "Deja Entendu Triple"，
10.Johnny Cash "Unearthed"。
CMJ：
1. The White Stripes "Elephant"，
2. Postal Service "Give Up"，
3. Radiohead "Hail To The Thief"，
4. Belle And Sebastian "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"，
5. Cat Power "You Are Free"，
6. Death Cab For Cutie "Transatlanticism"，
7. Grandaddy "Sumday"，
8. Ween "Quebec"，
9. Yo La Tengo "Summer Sun"，
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Fever To Tell"。
Q:
1. The White Stripes "Elephant"，
2. Blur "Think Tank"
3. The Mars Volta "De-loused In The Comatorium"
4. Kings Of Leon " Youth And Young Manhood"
5. Justin Timberlake "Justified"
6. 50 cent "Get Rich Or Die Trying"
7. The Strokes "Room On Fire"
8. Outkast "Speakerboxxx/the Love Below
9. The Darkness "Permission To Land"
10. Jane's Addiction "Stays"
BBC (alphabetical order):
Dm & jemini "Ghetto Pop Life"
Elbow "Cast of Thousands"
Four Tet "Rounds"
The Kills "Keep on Your Mean Slide"
Kings of Leon "Young and Young Manhood"
Manitoba "Up in Frames"
Prefuse 73 "One Word Extinguisher"
Radiohead "Haid to The Thief"
White Stripes "Elephant"
Zongamin "Zongamin"
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