The first time in my life I sought out songs that meant something to me.  

I bought The Strokes’ Room On Fire in 2004 mostly because I loved the cover art.

I’d heard “Reptilia” a few times, and each time it blew my mind. It sounded so new, so unlike anything on the radio, and it opened up a world of alt and garage rock that never found its way to Montana. I had to go and find it.

That album actually came out in 2003, but ’04 was the first year I actively cared about music. I bought so many albums that year looking for that same kind of escape The Strokes gave me. I wanted to live inside the machine three minutes at a time. I was a teenager, dammit, and I was cool and different and intellectually sophisticated. 

Generously lazy extended family members kept me waistdeep in iTunes gift cards, so I kept buying albums.

And what a year for music.

Matt’s top 7 album purchases from 2004, according to iTunes

1. Hot Fuss – The Killers

2. Good News For People Who Love Bad News – Modest Mouse

3. The College Dropout – Kanye West

4. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand

5. The Libertines  – The Libertines

6. Thunder, Lightning, Strike – The Go! Team

7. A Grand Don’t Come For Free – The Streets