Best in show The top rock, etc. listens in ’04 BY BOB GULLA

So here I am, literally surrounded by stacks of music (good problem) from which I’ve somehow got to choose the year’s best local music (bad problem). Every year at this time, faced with the same task, I come to the same conclusion: there’s a lot more worthwhile music being made here on a regular basis than many people realize. It’s really something, listening to all of these CDs again, tripping down Local Anesthesia lane. This week, I’ve featured 10 of the very best full-length rock-punk-etc. albums of the year. Next week, and perhaps the week after, I’ll be running columns on EPs, jazz/blues, and reissues.

The Marlowes: Glue, Glitter and Shine (Shiny Fly)

I didn’t speak much about the Marlowes in 2004. Back in the spring they played Little Steven’s Battle of the Bands, but in terms of important band events, there wasn’t a lot of local stuff going on. Since then they plunged into the recording of their fourth album, Glue, Glitter and Shine, over at Lakewest Studios in West Greenwich. Well, the time spent was worth it. It’s the band’s most impressive disc yet, besting Sugarbursts and Thunderbolt, their acclaimed set from ’03. The last time they made a terrific record like this, they won international acclaim. One can only hope that Glue, Glitter and Shine continues that trend.

M-80: American Road

M-80’s new album has again put the outfit in a position to make something great happen. But will it? Recorded at the Machines with Magnets studio over in East Providence with Mike Viele and Keith Sousa, it’s M-80 magnum opus thus far, with better songs, more skilled performances, and just enough of the band’s characteristic nuance to make it sizzle. "Out of all the M-80 [discs]," says drummer Brian Bacon, "this is the one I think that’s most entertaining to listen to. The songs are more technical, there’s more going on. When we were laying it down, we were thinking, ‘Damn, this is gonna be really good!’ " They were right.

Chinese Stars: A Rare Sensation (Three.One.G.)

A Rare Sensation features nine buzzing neo-dance tunes, some of which may snap your neck with convulsive joy. Many are designed to put you in some kind of miracle groove that’ll make you lose your mind if you let ’em. Wiggy vibes such as "Hospital Fly" and "Cheap City Halo" give some indication of the kind of lubricated pop thrill these spazzes dish out. The best thing about it is you don’t have to be hip to get something out of it. Hear for yourself what the fuss is all about.

State of Corruption: 3 (Backroom Music)

As a start-up rock-rap act before the term was even invented, the SOC crew has slowly and steadily come of age as a unit. All this despite a climate that has seemingly worked against them, despite real life getting in the way, and despite the backlash against the current crop of rap-rock bands that arose in the wake of what they had already started. And while most rap-rockers have ditched their hybrid in favor of more melodic craft, SOC soldiers on, true to its original mission. 3 is their best album by a long shot, and a real giant step in establishing them as perhaps the formidable rock force in town.

Daughters: Canada Songs (Robotic Empire)

Fast-becoming one of the most revered bands on the extreme noise scene, the edgy, audacious Daughters is goin’ nowhere if not up. Says leader Lex, "We try to sound as fucked up as possible. And I think we’re getting stranger musically. The hardcore kids say we’re lightening up, but that’s bullshit. This next time out we’ve decided to write the heaviest we’ve ever written, more extreme, more bizarre. It’ll be cool."

Velvet Crush: Stereo Blues (Aktion Musik)

I’ve written extensively in this column over the years about VC and their place in the indie rock world. I’ve spoken quite highly about local luminaries Ric Menck and Paul Chastain (Jeffrey, too). What I haven’t said is that when the band left town, or ostensibly broke up (whichever came first), they left a hole in the music scene that hasn’t been filled. And that is, perhaps, the highest praise you can give a band. They were simply indispensable. Is there a reunion in the offing?

Stefan Couture and the Campfire Orchestra: Ghost In the Rearview

That regular-guy phenomenon that Couture and company have going is one thing that’s pushing this band to a critical place. Will it translate into something great? Possibly. They’re on the verge, I can tell you that. Since winning a Best Music Poll award (for Best Roots Act) in this paper, Couture and company have steadily parlayed that success into bigger and better gigs, converting audiences wherever they go. "It’s pretty crazy," says Couture. "The kids are coming out, and some of them are even bringing their folks. It’s little things that people see in us that they really ‘get.’ It just connects."

Becky Chace Band: Rescue

Though she’s had some shake-ups recently, the new lineup is better and crisper than ever. Perhaps the changes brought on the break she needed to get to that proverbial place, "the next level." One thing’s for sure, Rescue, recorded with Joe Moody at Danger, won’t hurt her chances. It easily betters her best, and finds the tough chanteuse getting closer to a sound of her own.

Tanya Donelly: Whiskey Tango Ghost (4AD)

No matter how far her life drifts from music, Tanya Donelly can always come back home, to the recording studio, to the sound that has made her artistry perennially bewitching — not just locally, but worldwide. The new album features Tanya’s voice taking on even more surreal qualities and textures, while her songwriting is enhanced with richness and experience.

Audiocentrix: Center Yourself

It starts out promisingly with "So Easy," a killer lead track — one of the best songs of the year — that sounds like the early Britpop of the late ’80s, like the Smiths or Echo and the Bunnymen, with deep chord changes and a sing-along chorus. And while the rest of the album doesn’t hold up to that early promise, Center Yourself still manages to maintain a high level of quality. Now get that website up and running so we can learn more.

Jazz Bastards: 50 Giant Steps

Not jazz, not even bastards as far as I can tell, the improperly monikered Jazz Bastards have made one of the more intriguing debuts, ragged around the edges, melodic in its center. It’s part Zappa, part Grateful Dead, and part Pink Floyd, with each song bringing adventure, promise, and brazen instrumental explorations. Obviously, ideas aren’t a problem for these Bastards, excepting of course, coming up with a proper band name.

Honorable Mention: Two releases this year helped to explain why indie punk rock is so amazing. With just the right proportions of power, aggression, and humor, you can come up with the perfect blend. On the surface, the Sleazies’ disc Trite Ditties and Meaningless Crap (Pelado) and Katie Lee Hooker’s Thriller beg not to be taken seriously, but ultimately deserve real consideration. They prove, along with slightly more commercial bands like M-80 and Monty’s Fan Club, why punk rock will never die. It’s just too much friggin fun. And when have we ever gotten enough of that?