Top 5 - Christina Apeles
1) Gomez, Liquid Skin (Virgin). Once again Gomez releases an extraordinary album that is textured, dense in orchestration and rich in verse. This band is sure to have a long lifes-pan on the music scene as they continue to experiment and develop their bluesy sound with such passion, you can't help getting wrapped up in the layered guitars, multiple vocalists and inventive musical arrangements.
2) Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin (Warner). Frontman Wayne Coyne is a musical genius, enough said.
3) Beck, Midnite Vultures (DGC). There is no better party favor than this in the jukebox. For an artist who continually reinvents himself with every album, Beck once again takes the best of what came before, adds his quirky lyrics packed full of pop culture references, and produces an album that is just downright funky. Culling grooves from Kraftwerk to Prince, Tom Tom Club to Funkadelic, Midnite Vultures proves that Beck knows how to get down and boogie.
4) Dot Allison, Afterglow (Arista). Somewhere between Stina Dordenstam and Julee Cruise you'll find the exquisite voice of Dot Allison, former vocalist of trance outfit One Dove. Collaborating on different tracks with the innovative talents of Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, Mani of Primal Scream/Stone Roses and newcomers Death in Vegas, Allison's debut album takes her listeners through an imaginative musical journey teeming with intrigue, a scenery of arousing beats, escorted by vocals that are both angelic and erotic.
5) Superchunk, Come Pick Me Up (Merge). It is not because they are indie pop veterans, or the fact that they put on remarkable live shows, or even because bassist Laura Ballance was fun to interview, that Come Pick Me Up is one of my favorite releases for 1999. If you had a year and a half nephew turn to face you while Superchunk was playing and smiling, starts to bouncing his head to the music, how could you not think the album is great?
