Farewell to 04

In 2004, the highs were high, the lows were low and the boobs were abundant, starting with the Super Bowl half-time show featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. A war raged in Iraq and most of the world was against it, but a narrow majority of US citizens decided it was a good idea to let a different kind of boob run the country for four more years anyway. The rest of us spent Wednesday, November 3rd weeping and gnashing our teeth in frustration. The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 stirred up all kinds of controversy, while The Daily Show with Jon Stewart kept us laughing about it all. Ashlee Simpson, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Tara Reid were all overly exposed. You know why. Martha Stewart went to jail and the Pistons and the Pacers got so upset about it they started a brawl in the stands to protest. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason turned out to be a ridiculously bad movie, but Helen Fielding's latest book, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination turned out to be ridiculously fun. Ron Perlman made an excellent Hellboy and the props department made him an excellent gun, a copy of which mAc later received for his 30th birthday. On April 1, 2004, we got engaged at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pasadena. This year, we literally attended four weddings and, sadly, a funeral. We also attended the college graduation of mAc's mom, Val, and couldn't be prouder. This year we said goodbye to Angel, the last of our Joss Whedon TV show addictions, but said hello to JJ Abrams' amazing Lost. And then, we met Joss as well as most of our favorite cast members from Buffy, Angel and Firefly and they were awesome. We both worked hard and traveled so much that between the two of us we were in at least 11 different airports over the course of the year. 2004 movies were filled with zombies a-go-go, including Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil 2 and the hilarious Shaun of the Dead. mAc auditioned to be the Independent Film Channel's Ultimate Film Fanatic, but it turns out he was very popular in Seattle, and so was disqualified for knowing two of the contestants. New babies Paul Muntersbjorn, Hayden Lee, Conner & Phoebe McLean and Spencer McLean all graced us with their arrival, while Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve and Johnny Ramone all bid us farewell. Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2 and the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA rocked our socks off. In 2004 we made even more good friends here in the City of Angels, with whom we stood gobsmacked, pensive and bewildered at the world gone crazy around us… and then we shook it off and went for margaritas. And throughout all of these events, this is what we were listening to.


Somebody Told Me/The Killers – Because it’s one of our favorites of 2004.
Triple Trouble/The Beastie Boys – Because it’s the Boys at their political-yet-danceable best.
On Top Of Your World/ Sahara Hotnights – Because they’re chicks, they’re Swedish and they rock.
Talk to Me, Dance with Me/Hot Hot Heat – Because you can’t not shake your ass to that cowbell.
Still in Love Song/The Stills – Because if you went back in time, this would be perfect for the Valley Girl soundtrack.
Ghost in the Radio/Pretty Girls Make Graves – Because it sounds so very good so very loud.
Dark of the Matinee/Franz Ferdinand – Because despite being yet another 80’s pop rock throw-back, they’re actually excellent.
Glass Danse/The Faint – Because if New Order sounded a little more industrial, they’d sound like this.
Such Great Heights/The Postal Service – Because it sounds rad bouncing around on a good pair of speakers.
Mirando De Lado/Kinky – Because it’s Latin techno dance funk. Yes, all four.
All Night (Don’t Stop)/ Janet Jackson – Because she does more things well than flash her goodies.
Hollaback Girl/Gwen Stefani – Because she made the marching band’s drum corps cool.
Are We The Waiting Unknown/Green Day – Because it’s the best power rock ballad the 80’s hair bands never made.
Beautiful Child/Rufus Wainright – Because it’s so over-produced, it’s awesome.
Fall To Pieces/Velvet Revolver – Because it’s so different from Patsy Cline’s song by the same name. And also, beautiful.
She Wants to Move/N.E.R.D. – Because the primal beat makes you want to dance around like the sexy bitch in the song.
Shut Up/Black Eyed Peas – Because the nod to Peggy Lee at the end is only the cherry on top.
Maps/Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Because even punk bands can sing sweet, yearning love songs.
So Says I/The Shins – Because it’s upbeat and happy and yet totally not annoying.
Do You Realize??/The Flaming Lips – Because it has all the anthem-like, wall-of-sound qualities required for a big finish.