Arizona bands set the bar pretty high this year, due to so many amazing bands releasing albums in 2004. After hours of relentless bickering between our staff, we were finally able to come up with the top five Hottest Albums of the year!

Coming in at fifth place is the well established long time act, Reubens Accomplice. The band released their first album in several years titled, “The Bull, The Balloon, and The Family” on the newly formed Arizona label, Western Tread Records. Most people in the local music scene know that Jimmy Eat World frontman, Jim Atkins, co-founded Western Tread, as a way to help put a spotlight on the various talented bands and musicians that Arizona has to offer, and Atkins has been a long time fan of Reubens Accomplice, and even helped produce the album with the band.

Reubens Accomplice is primarily just Jeff Bufano and Chris Corak, although the long time friends and bandmates enlisted the help of “The Family”, with additional very polished female vocals on several songs by Amy Ross, an assortment of friends playing various instruments, and additional vocals on different tracks by David Bazan, Howe Gelb, Robin Vining, and of course, Jim Atkins.

“The Bull, The Balloon, and The Family” has such an even blend of mellow, but yet soulful music throughout the album, and as you listen to songs like, “Lost Sun” and “Leave This City”, you feel a sweep of emotion engulf you. Listening to the new album is truly an experience.

Coming in at number four is Arizona’s best horror punk band, Calabrese. Calabrese just manages to do everything right, from the bands overall style, to their live performances, and of course, the bands new album, “13 Halloweens”, released on Spookshow Records earlier this year.

“13 Halloweens” is exactly what you would expect from Calabrese. 13 spooktacular tracks that are in the same vein as The Misfits and The Cramps. Calabrese plays an almost horror pop punk style, and the band has a somewhat commercial sound, but in a very good way. They aren’t in the same zip code as say, AFI, who plays a much more mainstream style. Calabrese is just simple, catchy and good, just like a good horror punk band should be!

The third album of the year is presented to the pop punk trio, Numbers On Napkins. The bands debut full length album, “Waiting for Tomorrow” was released on Bad Stain Records just a few weeks ago in December of last year, and critics have been very kind, and album sales are higher than anyone expected according to the band’s MySpace page.

“Waiting for Tomorrow” features ten tracks, recorded at Studio Z by Aaron Carey, the same studio and engineer that recorded “13 Halloween” for Calabrese. The album is just as polished, with a superb sound quality compared to most local releases. NON’s first single, “Runaway” has already been getting airplay on the popular alternative rock station, The Edge, and the bands comedic and vulgar tune, “True Love”, has gradually been making its way up the Punk Rock Charts at GarageBand.com, and was recently ranked #1 on the Best Punk Rock Love Songs Chart, as well as #7 on the Best Punk Rock Love Songs ALL TIME Chart!

“Waiting for Tomorrow” has a clean sound with a great collection of punk and pop punk tracks that are fast, fun, and highly energetic. The album is just plain fun, like a party in a box......just press play!

Second place goes to the full length album, “Take a Number”, by the all female punk band, The Dames. “Take a Numbers” is the perfect example of a band really working together on a creative level to produce something amazing. The Dames are each talented musicians, singers, and songwriters, and it shows with the girls new album.

Songs like the title track, “Take a Number”, have this raw punk rock attitude about them, while other tracks like “Scary Spiders” are campy and just plain goofy, but they still maintain this memorizing feel about them. “Take a Number” could end up being the ticket to a decent career for these three young ladies from the Valley.

And now......the NUMBER ONE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR goes to.....The January Taxi, with their album, “Keep Quiet, They May Hear Us”. The January Taxi has been creating quite the buzz around the valley, and the bands latest release on Vacant Cage Records astounded fans and critics alike! “Keep Quiet, They May Hear Us” is not nearly as polished as the other albums on our list, and the recording has a raw and underground feel to it. Although the January Taxi shouldn’t record their style of music in a way that is so over-produced. The band has an underground feel to them, and that’s what they need to produce.

The band chose their name based on the taxi drive you take home after celebrating the new year. The first Taxi ride in January, of the year, taking you to start that new year. With the poetic thought put into the name of the band, I shouldn’t need to explain the poetic and vibrant lyrics that make up this album. It’s a new year, so ring it in with a copy of The January Taxi’s new CD! True fans of local music would benefit from getting all five local albums on our list!