Kathy Fennessy's Favorite Records Of 2002

Note: I made an effort to listen to more new music--including local music--in 2002, but this list would probably look a lot different if I'd had the chance (the time, the money) to hear even more of the year's new releases. (My top 10 movie list, on the other hand, more accurately represents my tastes, since I saw more movies than I heard records--hence all those soundtracks!)

1. Sondre Lerche, Faces Down (Astralwerks)
2. The Hives, Veni Vidi Vicious (Sire/Burning Heart/Epitaph)
3. Spoon, Kill the Moonlight (Merge)
4. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Elektra Nonesuch)
5. Linda Thompson, Fashionably Late (Rounder)
6. Mr. Airplane Man, Moanin' (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
7. Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabate, & Friends, Mali Music (Astralwerks)
8. Various Artists, CQ [Original Soundtrack] (Emperor Norton)
9. The All Girl Summer Fun Band, The All Girl Summer Fun Band (K)
10. Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head (Capitol)
11. Jeff Danna & Various Artists, The Kid Stays in the Picture [Original Soundtrack] (Milan)
12. Sugarman Three & Co. , Pure Cane Sugar (Daptone)
13. C.O.C.O. , The C.O.C.O. Sound (K )
14. Various Artists , Y Tu Mamá También [Original Soundtrack] (Volcano)
15. Alberto Iglesias & Various Artists , Talk to Her [Original Soundtrack] (Milan)
16. Clinic , Walking With Thee (Domino )
17. Elmer Bernstein , Far From Heaven [Original Soundtrack] (Varese Saraband )
18. Cinerama, Torino (Manifesto )
19. Mudhoney, Since We've Become Translucent ( Sub Pop )
20. The Streets , Original Pirate Material (Vice)
21. Peggy Lee, The Best of Miss Peggy Lee (Capitol)
22. Lee Dorsey, Working in a Coalmine: The Very Best of Lee Dorsey (Music Club)
23. Fats Domino, The Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest Hits the Way You Originally Heard Them (Capitol/EMI)
24. Various Artists, Let the Good Times Roll: 20 of New Orleans Finest R&B Classics 1949-1966 (Capitol/EMI)
25. Various Artists, Finger Poppin' & Stompin' Feet: 20 Classic Allen Toussaint Productions for Minit Records 1960-1962 (Capitol/EMI)
26. Various Artists, The Big Beat of Dave Bartholomew: 20 of His Milestone Productions 1949-1960 (Capitol/EMI)

[last 6 are reissues --ed.]

Maximum Mix Tape (Top Tracks): The Soundtrack of Our Lives - "Mind the Gap" (Behind the Music, A Hidden Agenda), Mull Historical Society - "Mull Historical Society" (Loss, Blanco y Negro/XL), The Soft Boys - "Sudden Town" (Nextdoorland, Matador), Sloan - "If It Feels Good Do It" (Pretty Together, Murderecords), Steve Earle - "Breed" (Sidetracks, Artemis), Chuck E. Weiss - "Jolie's Nightmare (Mr. House Dick)" (Old Souls & Wolf Tickets, Rykodisc), Johnny Cash - "The Man Comes Around" (American IV: The Man Comes Around, Universal), Bobby Bare Jr. - "The Monk at the Disco" (Young Criminals' Starvation League, Bloodshot), Chuck Prophet - "Elouise" (No Other Love, New West), Rhett Miller - "Come Around" (The Instigator, Elektra), Pete Krebs & the Gossamer Wings - "Her Dress So Green in the Moonlight" (I Know It By Heart, Cavity Search), The Reindeer Section - "You Are My Joy" (Son of Evil Reindeer, Bright Star/PIAS), The Webb Brothers - "Some Velvet Morning" (Total Lee! The Songs of Lee Hazlewood, Astralwerks), Neko Case - "Deep Red Bells" (Blacklisted, Bloodshot), The Flaming Lips "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (Warner Bros promo EP), the Cato Salsa Experience - "I Can Give You Anything" (A Good Tip for a Good Time, Emperor Norton), People Under the Stairs - "Hang Loose" ("O.S.T.", Om), Sharon Jones - "Got a Thing on My Mind" (Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Daptone), & Conor Oberst & Britt Daniel - "Let The Distance Keep Us Together" (Home: IV, Post-Parlo).