2006-01-13 - 9:35 p.m. My Top Ten Recordings for 2005! But first, some ado: A note to my musical friends: I learned my lesson years ago about ranking friends' CDs, and I've limited myself here to stuff put out by people I don't know. But it's worth mentioning here that the world is a much happier place for the arrival of 2005 releases by (in chronological order) The Larch, Rebecca Turner, and Liza & the Wonder Wheels! The Top: Ben Lee - Awake is the New Sleep The sunniest break-up album ever. Fourteen songs of loss, lust, love, and ultimately, spiritual renewal. I love that he thanks his guru in the liner notes, that's so un-punk. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment Groundbreaking? Hardly, but they do the new wave retread thing with wit, hooks, and goofy charisma. Spoon - Gimme Fiction The best songs of their career. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine This is how you turn angst to art Boubacar Traore - Kongo Magni This Malian guitar virtuoso writes songs that manage to be lilting and bluesy at once. Frank Black - Honeycomb Even with the all-star Nashville backing band, he still sounds like Frank Black, only better. His most inspired solo album since Teenager of the Year. Heartless Bastards - Stairs & Elevators Powerful guitar-rock from the heartland that sidesteps bombast, featuring Erika Wennerstrom's authoritative vocals The National - Alligator The indie world is full of kids, but National leader Matt Berninger sings and writes like an adult. I was gonna say "like a man," but I couldn't say that with a straight face. Brendan Benson - Alternative to Love Because someone needs to keep the tradition alive--the rootsy singer-songwriter with punk leanings, pop instincts, and a gorgeous, supple voice Much more exciting and eclectic than I was expecting it to be. Not quite eligible but I still loved 'em The Fame - Get on the Beat e.p. Yellow Pills compilation Greenhornes - Sewed Soles comp. Honorable Mention 50 Foot Wave - Golden Ocean Anthony Hamilton - Ain't Nobody Worryin' Brian Eno� - Another Day on Earth BRMC - Howl Chocolate Genius - Black Yankee Rock Deadly Snakes - Porcella Fripp/Eno - Equatorial Stars Go! Team - Thunder Lightning Strike Hold Steady - Separation Sunday John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolution Jolie Holland - Escondida Kate Bush - Aerial LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem M.I.A. - Arular� The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers Manual -Azure Vista Paul Motian - I Have the Room Above Her Randy Travis - Glory Train Raveonettes -�Pretty in Black Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures Sufjan Stevens - Illinois Vashti Bunyan - Lookaftering Songs I Listened to Eleventy Billion Times Ben Lee - "Gamble Everything for Love" Kaiser Chiefs - "I Predict a Riot" Sinead O'Connor - "Untold Stories" The Raveonettes - "Love in a Trash Can" The Go! Team - "Panther Dash" My Morning Jacket - "Gideon"
thoughts? (0 comments so far) previous - next
|