HippoPress -- The Hippo -- Guide to Manchester and Nashua NH

This year the music world tagged along with Neil Young?s cane-hobbling attempt at reviving the ?60s, but the ?00s are doomed to be the next ?80s, because for a while there bands literally had to throw a Bush Is a Rotten Meanie song on their new albums per corporate policy. Even worse, Mars Volta made another album.

There were a precious few good records, though ? 20 by my count. In no particular order, they were:

? Neil Young, Living With War Vote the sons-a-guns out, by cracky! At least someone did something.

? Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit I could beat up this entire band with two hands tied behind my back, so maybe it?s a mother-hen thing.

? Wired All Wrong, Break Out the Battle Tapes Mindless Self who? Industrial-brat-punk goes Aerosmith in an instant classic.

? Paul Oakenfold, A Lively Mind Not a very lively mind, but Oakenfold rules the trance genre.

? Zero 7, The Garden This was a constant in the car all summer. Yard sales, the Cape, barbecue every weekend ? don?t you miss it like hell already?

? Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll I saw my new girlfriend NAKED! TWICE! and a star is born.

? Archie Bronson Outfit, Derdang Derdang Alt-rock reviewers, Domino Records? PR list is the new holy grail. Great stuff all year from them, and January?s Clinic album is (smug grin) in my car right now.

? KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope You can get this at Wal-Mart, but don?t let that keep you from this goddess.

? Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That?s What I?m Not Ticks you off that this made the list, huh hipsters? Mission accomplished.

? Peter Bradley Adams, Gather Up Americana record of the year, hands down.

? Die Form, Exhuman Hey, Metropolis Records: stop making me love you by plying me with android sex. Someone take these handcuffs off pronto please.

? Delerium, Nuages du Monde Another world-class techno album from Bill Leeb, who is actually God.

? Ministry, Rio Grande Blood During the politico-rock wave, Al Jourgensen brought a grenade launcher to Neil Young?s Nerfball fight.

? Euphoria, Precious Time Guitar-tronica to die for ? sweeter?n molasses. Almost makes the thought of Texas tolerable.

? Front Line Assembly, Artificial Soldier Makeout music for vampires and the goths who want to be them. I did mention that Bill Leeb is God, right?

? Juggaknots, Use Your Confusion This in spite of the just-plain-doltish copy-protection on the press copies. There?s hope for hip-hop, however small.

? Teddybears, Soft Machine Every cool TV-commercial song you heard this year came from this album ? the Pentium Core commercial, the Cadillac commercial, all of ?em. Pop record of the decade thus far.

? Gary Numan, JaggedAny goth who doesn?t own this is an idiot.

? The Horrors, We Are the Horrors EP Doubtful they?ll live long enough to pull off a full-length, but hope springs.

? Megaherz, 5 If Laibach were musically adept they?d be this. Rammstein should be forced to listen to this for a month straight in order to rediscover their mojo.