With apologies to Mike Doskocil for unauthorized use of one of his more memorable lines, the following are CSTB’s in-house picks for the year’s finest popular recordings.

Sun Kil Moon – Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes (Calo Verde)
The Dirtbombs – If You Don’t Already, Have A Look (In The Red)
Spoon – “I Summon You” (Merge)
Bob Mould – “Paralyzed” (Yep Roc)
Sensational – Speaks For Itself (Quartermass)

Howard Hello – “More Of The Same” (Temporary Residence)
Boards Of Canada – “Dayvan Cowboy” (Warp)
Jason Forrest– Shamelessly Exciting (Sonig)
The Futureheads – “Man Ray” (Sire)
John Parish – ‘Once Upon A Little Time’ (Thrill Jockey)


Pissed Jeans – Shallow (Parts Unknown)
Tom Sharpling & Jon Wurster – Hippy Justice (Stereolaffs)
The Rebel – Kit (Hook Or Crook)

Please note that titles associated with any of CSTB™s business interests (with one exception) were ineligible. If you™d like to submit your own list via our comments section, please, feel free to do so. Unless you were planning on including the Hold Steady, in which case you can fuck off.

2004’s honorees
2003’s winners