Less talking, more listening

5. Four Tet — Rounds

The capability of recording artists to automate, cut, paste, and… 5. Four Tet — Rounds

The capability of recording artists to automate, cut, paste, and create their songs through electronic manipulation offers two possibilities for songwriting in the future: It will either bow down to the ease of technology-dependent creation, or it will use the technology to push musical limits further than imaginable. With Rounds, we see solo artist Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) embracing the latter. An album rife with original sounds, Rounds is incessant in its desire to experiment without drifting into obscurity. Between glitchy beats and ultra-filtered samples, a beautiful work unfolds.

4. Ted Leo ‘ the Pharmacists — Hearts of Oak

Ted Leo’s enthusiasm is inspiring. While other New York bands took to synthetic beats and vintage keyboards, as part of what would be 2003’s “dance-punk” revolution, Ted Leo and company got the dance floor moving by channeling Elvis Costello and passing out frying pans and tambourines for audience members to bang. On Hearts of Oak, Ted Leo’s squeaky, throbbing falsetto hovers above clangy guitar strums and jumpy beats. From the deliciously catchy “Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone” to the thumping “Ballad of the Sin-Eater,” Hearts never hit a sore note.

3. The Shins — Chutes Too Narrow

Drifting between folksy campfire songs and rowdy, ’60s-pop style, Chutes Too Narrow is 2003’s catchiest album, hands down. Front man James Mercer’s lofty vocals tower over jangled guitars, meandering into uncharted melodic territory that always seems simultaneously surprising and stupidly simple. Either way, Chutes’ easygoing pop choruses and deft witticism are always intriguing and often quite touching.

2. Non-Prophets — Hope

On Hope, underground rap hero Sage Francis brings his raspy flow so hard that his lyrical stabs and enraged political dissent are hard to keep track of. “Going gold with a fool’s heart/I’d rather be a fool with a heart of gold,” Francis rhymes on “Mainstream 307.” Elsewhere, Francis condemns Bill O’Reilly and noisy toddlers, points an angry finger at sell-out MCs, and asserts, “I’m not left wing or right wing/I’m the middle finger.” The abundance of brilliant lyricism found on Hope makes it not only a repeatedly entertaining listen, but a testament to hip-hop’s future. As Francis puts it, “hip-hop’s not dead/It’s just sick of being personified.”

1. Basement Jaxx — Kish Kash

British dance gurus Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe have yet to release a dud — 1999’s Remedy and 2001’s Rooty were infectious dance-anthem classics, brimming with chant-able choruses and rabid beats that made even the most dance-loathing stiff (i.e., myself) shake a leg. With Kish Kash, the group comes to the music scene with arty songwriting, elaborating on their instantly gratifying grooves with splatter-paint synthesizers, weirdo samples and crisp, complex beats. Themes of heartbreak and ex-lover animosity run rampant through Kish Kash’s 14 lush tracks, from the Gloria Gaynor-ish “Good Luck” to the downbeat glory of “If I Ever Recover.” Kish Kash’s all-star guest list (Dizzee Rascal, Siouxsie Sioux, and *NSYNC’s J.C. Chasez all make appearances) speaks volumes about the group’s ability to use nearly any voice as dance-song fodder. While decidedly more somber and challenging than their previous work, Kish Kash is a vibrant burst in a reportedly defunct London club scene, and an undeniably beautiful party record to boot.