Time to wrap this baby up. I think I'm not going to reach a top 10 at this point either. I'll leave it at 9 with the previous 6 selections plus these final three picks.

Needless to say the Arcade Fire disc is my top pick for the year. Iwon't bore anyone with the reasons why. If you haven't heard them by now you haven't seen me since June.

Also making the list is another Canadian act that dare we say received slightly less attention than Montreal's finest. Royal City's "Little Heart's Ease" took its own sweet time winning me over and that's primarily because it's not a record that jumps up and down trying to grab your attention. They certainly aren't part of any musical movement of the moment, I assume they're not that cute and there's not even a song as catchy as "Spacy Basement" that their first record had. All reasons for them being completely overlooked perhaps.

Final record selection is from a couple of oldtimers, one of whom is no longer with us. At the time of recording Billy Higgins was 64 and Charles Lloyd 62. Higgins, primarily known for his drumming, died within 6 months of recording the music on this double CD, "Which Way is East". Judging by the elegiac nature of much of the music and the liner notes Higgins must have known that his time was short. The urgency in the music puts the noodling of many younger jazz artists to shame. If this is the legacy that these two class jazzmen are leaving for today's young lions they've set the bar awfully high.

Some other thoughts re this year's music:

Critically acclaimed albums that still haven't found my wheelhouse: Bjork's "Medulla", Madvillain's "Madvillainy", The Sadies' "Favourite Colours" and TV on the Radio's "Desparate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes".

Albums that I could come to love with a bit more time: Devendra Banhart's "Rejoicing in the Hands", Joanna Newsom's "The Milk-Eyed Mender" and David Murray's "Gwotet".

Best reason not to believe anything a 19 year old NOW scribe has to say: "Red Tape" by Brooks.
(this disc will be first up for bids if we reprise our CD swap)

That's it for the music. Looking forward to listening to some of the discs I picked up at Soundscapes last Monday. Didn't leave much for you Brian but if you were in the Kinks section buddy then there was no fear of us crossing paths.

Thought I would throw in my favourite films of 2004 since we're doing that sort of thing:

Triplets of Belleville
Eternal Sunshine
Dogville
Before Sunset
Hero
Le Cou de la Girafe (film festival pick)

Two to avoid, regardless of what the critics have to say: Million Dollar Baby and Distant.

Happy new year to y'all.