Report Card: Class Act 4.0's

-As we begin the new term, we at CA/E5S decided to look back at the things that made our inaugural year worth remembering. So, for the next few days we will be posting our 2008 essentials in groups of 4, with categories ranging from movies and music to clothing and tech gadgets.
-That being said, I'd like to start off with my top 4 records of 2004:

Neil Young-Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968
-There's not much left to be said about my man Neil. This record was recorded at an acoustic concert when he was 22, only a few weeks before the release of his first solo album. It is amazing how sophisticated his earliest work sounds, and he manages to wring a ton of emotion out of a single acoustic guitar.
Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago
-Just as I was lamenting the fact that Neil Young's legacy is hardly being carried on by anyone but tooly neo-folkers like Devendra Banhart, I came across Bon Iver's debut record, which is built around haunting acoustic guitar and melancholy vocals. A little depressing, sure, but I'm working my way through Madame Bovary so the album's music and title are apt.
Copeland-You Are My Sunshine
-We've been trying to convince people that Aaron Marsh is an underappreciated pop genius since long before this site's inception, and this record is Copeland's most pristine and meaningful record yet. The production on "Not So Tough Found Out" is some of the best I've heard in a long time.
Kings of Leon-Only By The Night
-There has been a ton of hype surrounding this band and this album, but get past it and you'll find a classic, straightforward rock and roll record. I've listened to this album almost daily since its release and I still can't get enough of it.