I need some help. I want some ideas for CDs I should ask for this year. I've been fairly disappointed overall with the 2004 releases I've heard/bought this year and I'd like to collect some good ones before the year ends. Here are the ones I have:

The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Bobby Bare Jr. - End of Your Leash
Gomez - Split the Difference
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Legends - Up Against the Legends
The Libertines
The Mendoza Line - Fortune
Modest Mouse - Good News...
AC Newman - The Slow Wonder
Old 97s - Drag it Up
Mathew Pond PA - Emblems
Secret Machines - Now Here is Nowhere
Simple Kid - 1
Elliot Smith - From a Basement on a Hill
The Veils - Runaway Found
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
Wilco - Ghost is Born

If you dig Broken Social Scene then I suggest:

Apostle Of Hustle - Folkloric Feel

I just want cash, honestly. I have lots of things to buy that I'm sure people would fuck up if they tried buying them for me.

I'm working on mine the last couple days.

It's not impressive. I've been creating it via amazon.com so I can get a better idea.

I have The Arcade Fire, Saint Etienne, Air's Walkie Talkie and the Ed Harcourt Import and a few hard to find vinyl recordings.

Still searching through their alternative Vinyl section for add on's.

Found Electric Warrior & Sessions' Vinyl for 40 bucks. Seeing as I can never find that anywhere I figured why not add it on.

I need suggestions because I've been too poor to buy anything this year and have no idea what to get. I have Joseph Arthur, Kevin Tihista, Drive By Truckers, Wilco...blah blah blah.

Futureheads! Any band that mixes some of the best sounds of the post-punk era including the Jam and XTC and Gang of Four is gonna wind up high on my list. And it's just their debut! Not as stylistically varied as the Franz Ferdinand debut, but overall more likeable for me - and it does have Andy Gill as producer to lend them more cred with GoF fans like me. But there really isn't any album I've heard this year that stands out enough to really recommend it without reservation, especially since I don't know which of those you list that you actually like. I do like the Arcade Fire and really like the Fiery Furnaces The Blueberry Boat which might be the one I ultimately pick as record of the year. But I've also been playing the Pinback Summer in Abaddon a lot. And one of my early favorites was and still is the excellent Honeydogs 10,000 Years rock opera that I've talked about in other posts. Stellar work if you appreciate a more mature take on pop/rock music, something more along the lines of late era Uncle Tupelo mixed with Ry Cooder and the Beatles and maybe even Harry Nilsson. Kind of the all-male and alt-country leaning version of Aimee Mann. Even released on her own label which lends credence to the comparison. Lots more that might break into the top 10 like Lali Puna and the Old Canes and The Moonbabies and a couple others. Hard to call a big winner right now. I'm also very partial to the new Mark Lanegan Bubblegum which will most likely be in my top 5 of the year. Waiting to hear the new Nick Cave set too. So I guess the Futureheads is as good a pick as any right now. That is, if you like Gang of Four and XTC and the Jam (although I certainly wouldn't recommend it over the seminal works of those bands - but if you already have the classics....).

Ok, what has been currently in rotation the past few weeks (on the 04 release tip):
Controller.Controller- History
VHS or Beta- Night on Fire
Futureheads- s/t
Pinback- Summer in Abaddon
Autolux- Future Perfect

I'd recommend any of the above. There's a lot more, but that's what's been heavily in rotation for me.

That Futureheads is pretty ace, but i find that Pinback album uneven - it has some killer songs like 'non-photo blue' and 'fortress' but some weak shit on there too. On the plus side 'fortress' is even getting played on the Alt station here

I hate it when people who know nothing about the type of music I like try to buy me CDs. People now know - Gift cards, gift cards, gift cards!

yeah, what a bunch of fucking assholes!!

You must've got a bum copy because on mine there's no weak shit - it's all ace!

Hehehe, music is just so subjective, huh? That's why it's always a gamble to ask other people, who in this case are probably all strangers, what you should ask for

yes! my sentiments exactly. i dig pinback, but summer in abaddon is mostly a letdown because of the filler. and not even "fortress" can compete with something like "penelope" or "loro." i was expecting a different-sounding record after offcell, but it hasn't sunk in yet after many tries. oh well...

I agree with you but if I ask for a specific CD I usually get it. As far as gift cards go, I love getting them but hate giving them. It makes me feel lame and uncreative. It doesn't really make any sense though, because I'm sure whoever gets them from me likes getting them as much as I do.

To me, gift cards are practical, except when someone gives you one from Walmart. There's no Walmart in NY. I had to go all the way to Pennsylvania.

Is it really that good? Cuz what I've heard was fairly unimpressive -- way too KISS Top 40 sounding for me. Dunno. I could change my mind if the songs on the album are better than what I've heard.

PS -- I gladly accept gift cards or vouchers.