2004 to 2005

So let us keep this somewhat brief. 2004 was great for seeing and hearing fantastic new material from Vernon Reid, Madvillian, Tack>>Head, Little Axe, Marillion, Dizzee Rascal, Natasha Bedingfield, Miles Davis (ok, it was a reissue, but it had so much unreleased material it was damn new to all of us). We saw the unfortunate passing of John Peel and the unfortunate finding of Ashlee Simpson. We saw a wardrobe malfunction that wasn't and a moment when Howard Stern showed some real class instead of just ass.

Here are 20 songs to start 2005 with:

Miles Davis - Mademoiselle Mabry
Chris Whitley - Narcotic Prayer
Bill Laswell/Sacred Sound - Jerusalem
Tack>>Head - Mind and Movement
Natasha Bedingfield - I'm A Bomb
Brand New Heavies - Boogie
Rush - Vapor Trail
Marillion - Ocean Cloud
Steve Coleman & Five Elements - Verifiable Pedagogy
King Crimson - Eyes Wide Open
Bourgeois Tagg - Waiting For the Worm to Turn
Gerling - Dust Me Selecta
Goapele - Closer
Me'Shell N'degeocello - Love Song #1
Un-Cut - Midnight (Marcus Intalex and St Files Remix)
Lamb - Gabriel (Si Beggs Remix)
Tears For Fears - Call Me Mellow
David Sylvian - Blemish
Salif Keita - Papa
Prince - Sign O' The Times