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Your top CDs of 2003

The Globe critics have compiled their lists of the year's best music releases.

Now here's your chance to share your favorite CDs of 2003 with other Boston.com users. What CDs stood out above the rest this year? Which ones would you recommend and why?

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Elephant - White Stripes
Room on Fire - The Strokes
Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
Youth and Young Manhood - Kings of Leon
Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Hail to The Thief - Radiohead
Speakerboxxx/The love Below - Outkast

Jules, Southie


In no particular order...

the thrills - so much for the city
travis - twelve memories
the white stripes - elephant
belle & sebastian - dear catastrophe waitress
the shins - chutes too narrow

Alicia, Weymouth


Prefuse 73 - "One Word Extinguisher"
The Wrens - "The Meadowlands"
The Rapture - "Echoes"
Radiohead - "Hail To The Theif"
Sufjan Stevens - "Greetings From Michigan"
The Bad Plus - "These Are The Vistas"
My Morning Jacket - "It Still Moves"
Aphex Twin - "26 Mixes For Cash"
Outkast - "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"

Warp Fan, Somerville


Dido-Life for Rent: a poet and every song is so emotional and so real

Nelly Furtado-Folklore- so beautiful

Madonna- Hollywood

Beyonce- Dangerously in Love: can get a groove on with this

Michelle Branch-Hotel Paper: she's young but she's sure savvy about relationships and can express just what I would like to say and feel sometimes

Wheat- per second, per second, per second- a bit more upbeat/hard edged than previous efforts but still those lulling vocals and I just love this band!

Guster- the perfect Sunday album, nice and quiet

Amy , Brighton


The best cd of the year i think should go to Dave Matthews for Some Devil. That recording shows that he can complete a great solo project and continue to create great music with his band.

ken, bridgewater,ma


Hey, Peter from Waltham/Carver, you do know there are other types of music besides metal, right? Speaking as someone who likes Dave Matthews' solo album, grooves on Speakerboxx/TLB, and has Slipknot's "Iowa" playing in my car CD player, I say YOU need to think outside your own little musical box.

Just to clue you in, people like Dave because he's a talented musician, and people like Outkast because most of their stuff is extremely well-crafted. "Hey Ya!" is one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard, particularly the way Andre combines Beatlesesque pop, Kraftwerk-style cheesy synth, and hip-hop call and response. Along with the decidedly downbeat theme of the song's lyrics, and the utterly hilarious video, it's so brilliant even the mainstream can't resist.

Like it or not, the heavy distortion and in-your-face vocal delivery of the bands you listed is just not most people's cup of tea. Taste is subjective, but melody ain't always such a bad thing.

Mark, Maynard


Hey Mark in Maynard, I think you missed Peter's point. He was simply saying that there's lots of great music out there that isn't well known or unknown all together...most people are just exposed to what's on mainstream commercial radio. He's simply saying/suggesting to explore what's out there and expose yourself to new music that you normally wouldn't listen to...a good start is KEXP out of Seattle (www.kexp.org).

Now then, my list was tampered with by some guy who thinks Outkast sucks and that 50 cent is the god almighty...to each their own I guess....here's my list again:

Off the top of my head some of my favourite albums of the year include (in no particular order):

Constantines "Shine A Light"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Fever To Tell"
White Stripes "Elephant"
Ted Leo/Pharmacists "Hearts of Oak"
The Weakerthans "Reconstruction Site"
Longwave "The Strangest Things"
Grandaddy "Sumday"
Earlimart "Everyone Down Here"
Jim Bryson "North Side Benches" (Canadian artist who deserves big props)
Super Furry Animals "Phantom Power"
New Pornographers "The Electric Version"
Asteroid No. 4 "Honeyspot"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "Take Them on, on Your Own"

Kevin, Ottawa, Ontario


The best CD of 2003 is, undoubtedly, Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle. This wasn't mentioned in any of the lists, but it is a 46 minute epic, and the song "The Noose" will bring you to a different place. The fact that is considered "metal/alt-rock" probably caused it to be overlooked. Honorable mention: Outkast "Speakerboxxx/Love Below", Radiohead "Hail to the Thief", John Mayer "Heavier Things", and Blink 182 "Blink 182".

Chris, Somerville


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