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The hazards of sitting under coconut trees

Posted by Terrance Mann

I often spend my Saturday afternoons lounging on the beach, dangerously underneath swaying coconut trees. Most are unaware of the hazards of sitting underneath coconut trees, apt at any moment to release a coconut on their unsuspecting victim, leading to a yearly death toll higher than that of lightning strikes. This Saturday, I ventured to the beach for the first time since after the tsunamis struck and bravely sought shelter in the shade below the coconut trees. I was hoping to do some thinking, perhaps gain some new insights or at least come up with a new piece for Planet Bangkok. I came up with nothing...except a few random thoughts, and a list of my top 3 favourite albums of 2004.

The New Year is well under way. What is in store for Thailand in 2005? Will bird flu break from its current lull to reach epidemic proportions? Will SARS impose its Darwinian forces on a much wider scale? Will the Muslim separatists in the south bring their struggle to the soft targets of Bangkok?

Too much for this insignificant farang teacher to mull over while laid out on a recliner perched on the white sand of a Phuket beach. My thoughts shift while I stare out to sea; fears of the water rapidly receding from the bay in front of me are squashed by common sense. Really, what are the odds of this freak phenomenon happening again? Nonetheless, my escape plan was formulated upon arrival.

Surely 2005 cannot surpass the horrible depths that 2004 has buried us under. However, this random pondering over impending doom should come full-circle when you realize you're sitting on a tropical beach, an environment of which most sane people would deem paradise. One should not have to worry about the uncontrollable in paradise. Anyway, things could be much worse...as you hear the resounding thud of a rogue coconut hitting the sand a few trees down.

Mr. Mann's Top 3 Albums of 2004

1. Funeral - The Arcade Fire

This debut effort from Montreal's Arcade Fire is nothing short of astounding. This is pure, cinematic indie rock loaded with beautiful strings, insightful lyrics and razor-sharp hooks. The Arcade Fire tackle emotional subjects, set against uplifting, over-whelming music. Be assured, this is not whiny, juvenile "Emo" shit; this is rock genius.

Standout Tracks: Rebellion (Lies), Wake up, Haiti, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

2. Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse has been around since 1993, flying well below the radar of popular music, building a cult following among indie rock circles. With this last album, Good News..., Modest Mouse's strange, angular rock has been embraced by the mainstream, albeit, on their own quirky terms. There's no pandering to the masses here, though, Modest Mouse has strayed from their bleak and heavier music of the past towards a more upbeat, poppier rock. There are no more than ten great tracks on this album. Be sure to check out their entire back catalogue...this may be your new favourite band.

Standout Tracks: Float On, Bukowski, The Ocean Breathes Salty, Satin in a Coffin

Previous kick-ass albums: The Lonesome Crowded West, Building Nothing out of Something, The Moon and Antarctica

3. A Ghost is Born - Wilco

A Ghost Is Born, the eagerly awaited follow-up to 2002's brilliant Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, took a while for it to sink its teeth into me. But after a few listens to the first track, "At Least That's What You Said", a quiet ballad that finishes with a cataclysmic, classic-guitar finish, I realized Wilco was onto something interesting here. This album does have a few setbacks, namely a 15 minute song of random feedback noise that has no place on an album such as this.

Aside from a few other weak songs, A Ghost is Born has several moments of classic-rock inspired genius. The aforementioned 1st track, along with "Muzzle of Bees", "Company In My Back", "Handshake Drugs", "Spiders/Kidsmoke" and "Wishful Thinking" are enough to make me listen to this CD obsessively since its release.

Previous kick-ass albums: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Summerteeth, Being There

Posted Jan 22, 2005 at 04:29 PM | Permalink |