Top 50 from 2005
 

Just finished my top 50 from 2005... thought you all would like to see/mock it ;)

1 - Hood - Outside Closer
2 - LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
3 - Low - Great Destroyers
4 - Spoon - Gimme Fiction
5 - Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
6 - Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
7 - Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness
8 - sigur ros - takk
9 - Ladytron - Witching Hour
10 - Autolux - Future Perfect
11 - Joy Zipper - The Heartlight Set
12 - Broken Social Scene: - Broken Social Scene:
13 - Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary
14 - Editors - The Back Room
15 - 13 & God - 13 & God
16 - Fischerspooner - Odyssey
17 - Architecture In Helsinki: - In Case We Die
18 - Boards of Canada: - The Campfire Headphase
19 - Vitalic - OK Cowboy
20 - M83:Before the Dawn Heals Us
21 - Of Montreal: - The Sunlandic Twins
22 - Bright Eyes - Digital Ash InA Digital Urn
23 - Wilco - Kicking Television (Live in Chicago)
24 - Brendan Benson - The Alternative to Love
25 - 2 Many DJ's - 50,000,000 Soulwax Fans Can't Be Wrong
26 - The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightening, Strike
27 - Kraftwerk: Minimum - Maximum
28 - The Duke Spirit - Cut Across The Land
29 - Engineers - Engineers
30 - Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic
31 - Brakes - Give Blood
32 - We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor
33 - The Fall - Fall Heads Roll
34 - The Books: - Lost and Safe
35 - The Chemical Brothers - Push the Button
36 - British Sea Power - Open Season
37 - Animal Collective: Feels
38 - Soulwax - Nite Versions
39 - Sufjan Stevens: - Illinoise
40 - Daft Punk - Human After All
41 - The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
42 - Colder - Heat
43 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah:
44 - Six Organs of Admittance - School of the Flower
45 - Magnet - The Tourniquet
46 - Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
47 - The Decemberists - Picaresqe
48 - The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
49 - Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
50 - The Raveonettes - Pretty In Black

*Arcade Fire - Funeral and Ambulance Ltd. - S/T I consder 2004 as that's when I got them...

Why everybody putting Bloc Party so high.

It`s averageness from start to finish , good list otherwise though

couldn't agree more

hmm... i don't listen to the album anymore so kinda know what you are saying... however, I still enjoy the live and remixed stuff of theirs I have. It's a good album, but not great. The reason I rated it so high is the truly inspired drumming.

...surely there's more to say about this list than critisizing 1 of my choices? what's your top albums? :)

It's not bad. Some albums (like Illinoise, Picaresque, CYHSY s/t, Everything Ecstatic) I would have rated a littler higher. I would have added a couple in there as well

Antony and the Johnsons- I Am A Bird Now
The Evens- s/t
New Pornographers- Twin Cinema
Deerhoof- The Runners Four
Erin Mckeown- We Will Become Like Birds
The Boy Least Likely To- The Best Party Ever
Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney- Superwolf

I've been trying to rank my top 50 for the longest time now, but eventually I just gave up. I decided to make a much more managable top 25 instead. Hopefully this will be my definitive list and I won't feel the need to make any others...

25. The Light Footwork - One State Two State
24. Xiu Xiu - La Foret
23. Pelican - The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
22. The American Analog Set - Set Free
21. The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human
20. The Most Serene Republic - Underwater Cinematographer
19. Nedelle - From the Lion's Mouth
18. Edan - Beauty and the Beat
17. Stephen Malkmus - Face the Truth
16. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Broom
15. Various Artists - DFA Holiday Mix 2005
14. The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done
13. Red Sparowes - At the Soundless Dawn
12. Thunderbirds Are Now! - Justamustache
11. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
10. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
9. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
7. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
6. The Decemberists - Picaresque
5. The National - Alligator
4. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
3. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
2. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois: Sufjan Stevens Invites You To Come One Feel the Illinois!

Your list is very good (forgot to mention that), except for the low rank of mars volta :)

Here are some of my favourites

The Mars Volta - Frances the mute
Mew - and the glass handed kites
Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Arcade Fire - Funeral (listened to it in 2005)
Sigur Rós - Takk...
Madrugada - The deep end
Turbonegro - Party Animals (Oh yeah!)

Illinoise - I admit I'm in the minority here... I think i 'missed the point' of this somewhat as only really liked 2 songs from the album... fair play to making it, as it's certainly not BAD - I just don't think it's as great as most everyone else does...

Everything Ecstatic - Pause and Rounds are both top 5 of their respective years for me.... Everything Ecstatic I simply didn't like that much... Seen him more than any other band in the last 3 years too (about 7 times I think). Sadly, his live performances have slowly gotten worse and I doubt i'll bother again... last time I saw him 2/3 of the audience had left before he was done (he headlined locally with Explosioins in the Sky)

Various Artists - DFA Holiday Mix 2005 - I thought this was quite boring... big disapointment for me... DFA mix 2 is great of course.

The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human - Another album I expected a lot more from. I'll put on LCD Soundsystem 99% instead of this album.

The American Analog Set - Set Free - DAMN YOU! I forgot to put this on my list!! doh!

39 - Sufjan Stevens: - Illinoise

such a great album. im really hooked on this guy

Here's my list in no particular order:

1. Ryan Adams - Cold Roses
2. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
3. Animal Collective - Feels
4. Elbow - Leaders of the Free World
5. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
6. Deerhoof - The Runners Four
7. Kate Bush - Aerial
8. New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
9. Oranger - New Comes And Goes
10. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
11. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
12. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
13. Tom Vek - We Have Sound
14. Great Lakes Myth Society - Great Lakes Myth Society
15. Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities
16. Dream Theater - Octavarium
17. Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel
18. British Sea Power - Open Season
19. Echo & The Bunnymen - Siberia
20. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
21. Portastatic - Bright Ideas
22. Supergrass - Road To Rouen
23. Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later
24. Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
25. Low - The Great Destroyer
26. Doves - Some Cities
27. Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration
28. Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
29. White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
30. Metric - Live It Out
31. Dandy Warhols - Odditorium or Warlords of Mars
32. Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift
33. Kinski - Alpine Static
34. Ok Go - Oh No
35. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
36. The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s
37. Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts
38. Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft
39. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
40. Gang of Four - Return The Gift
41. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
42. Gratitude - Gratitude
43. Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
44. Electrelane - If Not Now, When?
45. Beck - Guero
46. Thievery Corporation - Cosmic Game
47. The Earlies - These Were The Earlies
48. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
49. Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers
50. The Constantines - Tournament of Hearts

The DFA comp was 04, I thought the Holiday Mix was great. Didn't think it was boring at all.

I listen to them both equally. I love this album, but then again I'm a huge Six Finger Satellite fan. Besides, I thought the two albums were different enough taht it wasn't really necessary to compare the two.

Good call.

No one mentioned the Headphones s/t album. :(
It's a gloomy electro side project of David Bazan from Pedro the Lion. Good stuff.

Wasn't that great of an album, but I'm glad to see it mentioned.

I hate Pedro the Lion.

The Plain White T's pwn!11!!!!oneone1111!!

Death Cab For Cutie at number 6?

You must be apart of the MTV generation. I'd put DC in the worst albums of 2005 list.

blimey - what is with people just picking on one album they happen to disagree with? Surely you can at least be more constructive in your thoughts/critisism...?

Funny how the 2 albums that were picked out prolly sold the most...

a part, or apart?! i'm 30 so dunno what that makes me... not seen mtv in 6-7 years tho if that answers your question (or listened to any commericial radio for that matter)...

Ah, I missed a space.

No you aren't in the MTV generation... What I mean by it is that Death Cab is all over MTV, much like Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy, or Mariah Carey...

The only decent thing that MTV plays is the Stripes "Denial Twist" video, everything else is intended for the TRL 14-year-old audience.

dcfc all over mtv?! that's surprising, but I certainly don't let it bother me or change my opinion of their music. I have to ask, why do you watch mtv at all? Even at that age (14) i'd realized it was horrible and stopped watching it (except for 120 minutes on Sundays ;)). And believe it or not - some kids at 14 have decent taste! I was listening to Jesus and Mary Chain back at that age and their song 'Head On' was on normal MTV then! (actually - i was 12-13 when that came out).

Also, checking some things you've said you like on the forums (Darkness and Babyshambles) doesn't give you much room to complain about dcfc being too 'intended for the TRL 14-year-old audience'.... (and what is TRL?). I'm not trying to be rude, just making a point. And yes, i've heard both their albums and even seen them both live... once! Not seen dcfc yet tho - but will do in March...

I've always been quite a fan of light guitar indie I must admit (other favorites are Wheat and Toad the Wet Sprocket)... Most get nowhere near commercial success though (but certainly deserved it!). It is ok for bands I like to do well and get popular! I wish more of them did in fact, then at least i could talk to more people 'on the street' about music I like and they would make more albums, rather than give up...

SO! back to subject - what are your top albums for 2005?! :)

I'm not the one watching MTV, believe me. I have a nine-year-old. Her taste in music is mainstream pop-punk (Simple Plan, Bowling For Soup) nothing I seem to make her listen to helps. Who cares what her 'ol man thinks when her friends are all watching Total Request Live.

Anyway, I like the Darkness because it's a kick in the ass from the past. I don't see many other bands making good 80s arena-rock anymore, and I've always been a fan of Queen, Justin Hawkins reminds me much of Freddie Mercury. Babyshambles I can't really explain, I hated the Libertines but have this certain respect for Pete Doherty, sober or not. I think "La Belle et la Bête" is a cool and original song. Speaking of Babyshambes, my top albums of 2005:


White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

It's not what you expect from the Stripes, which is the reason why it is so great. I remember when Bob Dylan (my fave) made the switch from acoustic to electric, and the majority booed Dylan and called his electric music crap. But Dylan knew what he was doing. Just like Jack White. Jack didn't rip out another dozen electric riffs, he used his incredible songwriting skills and ability to play piano, marimba, mandolin, and acoustic. The record is truly amazing.

Babyshambles - Down In Albion

I'm not from England, but I've always had the appreciation for bands like The Ramones & The Sex Pistols. Down In Albion SCREAMS Pistols to me, and alot of the songs are very catchy and well-written.

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

While I disagree with the Dylan comparisons, Coner Oberst is still a terrific songwriter.

Stephen Fretwell - Magpie

Another shining songwriter. The lyrics are very good, and the album is stripped down to simply Stephen and his guitar.

Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell And Back

Okay, so it's not close to as good as Permission To Land, but it still differs from most of the other rock out there. And any rock with ripping guitar solos sits well with me.



Weezer, System of A Down, and Broken Social Scene were my disappointments.

It is really unfair to characterize a list of 50 albums based on one selection, don't you think? I liked the new DCFC album, does that mean I should hang my head in shame around indie scene kids?

You attacked that guy for liking Death Cab for Cutie and then listed Babyshambles, Bright Eyes, and The Darkness as your favorites of last year, AND called BSS a disappointment?

Wow.

i'm sorry, i must focus on one thing only, babyshambles, an absolutely horrible band, fuck forever is such a terrible song i can't for the life of me understand why it gets so much airplay. i never much fancied the libertines, but compared to babyshambles they're fucking awsome....
on topic, albums i really liked in 2005:
coldplay - x&y
clor - clor
bloc party - silent alarm
franz ferdinand - you could have it so much better
sufjan stevens - come on feel the illinoise
antony and the johnsons - i am a bird now
lcd soundsystem
hot hot heat - elevator
sigur ros - takk
the chemical brothers - push the button
aqueduct - i sold gold
tom vek - we have sound
the mars volta - frances the mute
ryan adams - cold roses
kings of leon - aha shake heartbreak
queens of the stone age - lullibies to paralyze
beck - guerro
green day - american idiot
my morning jacket - z
system of a down - mezmerize
the bravery
the rakes - capture/release

I think 2005 in general was a gigantic disappointment, and yes Broken Social Scene is a huge disappointment. There are 17 different members, and the only song I liked on the record was 7/4 (Shoreline).

My choices for records of the year reflect how bad of a year in music it was, save White Stripes & Fretwell. A band straight from the 80s who sounds like Queen gets a tip of my hat. A singer-songwriter compared to Dylan gets a tip. And Babyshambles, I explained.

I can't get away from Death Cab. If I'm driving my daughter to school it's on two different Pop stations. If I'm sitting at home watching television with her it's all over MTV. It reminds me of Good Charlotte and Simple Plan, and those are two of the worst bands I've ever, ever heard.

BTW, I wouldn't call a negative reply an "attack", DCfC was one of the few albums I disagreed with. I said "you must be a part of the MTV generation" not 'What the hell is wrong with your list'... Sorry for having my opinion.


Adidas: If **** Forever is the only Babyshambles song you've heard you're missing out. It isn't a good song, it reminds me of the Vines' **** The World. Like I said, La Belle et la Bete is the best song on the record, and the rest is just a great Pistols reminder.

no, there was another song, i can't remember the name, but it was just as bland as fuck forever

So you can think of ONE Babyshambles song and call them an "absolutely horrible band".

Right.

If I hadn't listened to a record at least three times through, I wouldn't be in a place to judge a record. Listening to two 'hits' on the radio puts you in no place to judge a band.

I think all your list shows is how little effort you want to put into finding music you enjoy. Last year was an amazing year for music, I think it was the best year of the 00s so far. I found around 100 albums I loved (or just liked a lot) last year, and you only managed to find a handful?

And I thought BSS' album was great, but to each their own. You should listen to You Forgot It In People if you haven't heard it already.

I only listed my top 5. For the most part, I agree with alot of what Indi posted, it's not that I didn't search for good music.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Decemberists, Hot Hot Heat, LCD Soundsystem, Sufjan Stevens, Of Montreal, Mars Volta, Wilco, Animal Collective, & The Chemical Brothers. I wouldn't go out on a limb and say there were '100' albums I enjoyed this year. Maybe your personal taste is very, very wide open, but I couldn't list one hundred albums I LOVED in any year.

WOW - it's good to see that everyone has such a wide variety of stuff they bought / downloaded / listened to this past year - and kind of bizarre that I didn't get one single CD listed by anyone. I like that actually. Most of my purchases / downloads this past year were catalogue fillers because the vast majority of what's current just doesn't appeal to me. I must be getting old.

well that's a bit of a daft statement isn't it? if i absolutely detested those two songs i should get the album anyway and listen through it half a dosen times so i can judge if they're good or not? em.......noooo....i don't think it works that way.....i think i can judge what's good and what's not ( for me ) based on two songs thankyaverymuch....

Black_Jack_Davey - I'm still lost how your arguement against dcfc is mainly it's overexposed (and then comparing them to Charlotte and Simple Plan is just plain silly I must say) but then list off Weezer, System of A Down, Babyshambles, Darkness, White Stripes as good music... Surely you see the hypocrisy there...?! While I'm not in the US, surely the bands you like are much more available Radio/Mtv?!

Also - as for babyshambles, they are a 1 trick band (well, not really any tricks except for being a junked up f**k head...) and you only need to hear 1 song of theirs to hear ALL of their songs and you know it! Again, heard the album, seen them live... they are utter ****e. I know you weren't so rude about dcfc (and I apologize) but it must be said about babyshambles... Not an original bone in one of the band members bodies and I wish people would stop supporting them so he could get himself sorted out and get back in a chip shop (never to bore anyone with his 'music' again)... Darkness I've had the same arguements with some (older) guitar friends from work... They think he's 'fun' and 'in the spirit' of some of the bands they used to like. Well.. i never liked those bands to begin with and certainly want nothing to do with another completely unoriginal band rehashing other peoples songs...

Anyways, we can agree to disagree on these few bands - lol. looks like we agree more than not once you list more than your top 5 ;)

Adidasss - Tom Vek and Ryan Adams I've not heard yet.. thx for reminding me to get those (as I have a sneaking suspicion I'll think they should be in my top 50 list)

Black Davey, I wished I had you as a dad - since mine passed at an early age, he was in a hair metal rock band and OD'ed (dont worry, I'm doin' fine in life) but I wish I would have had him stay around longer and have had someone help me with music and love music as much as I do. But my mom listens to Paula Abdul and Country. I don't know how she got with my dad in the first place. You better bring that girl up right. It's a girl right? They better listen to the best damn music ever. I like most of the music you listen to - I've never come by babyshambles before... so I can't crucify you like the rest of this lovely lot, but I love the White Stripes and yeah, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders. Gotta appreciate the old man with an appreciation for new music.

ok, cold roses is definetly in the top 5 of last year so yeah, you should definetly check that out, as far as tom vek is concerned, the album as a whole isn't that great but i put it on the list because 3 songs are absolutely off the charts for me :c-c you set the fire in me, ain't saying my goodbyes and green lights, and being a fan of indie electro, i have a feeling you'll like them.....and i haven't seen clor on your list, nor aqueduct.....both awsome indie electro....

noted :)

have got The National, Clor and Aquadect now and all are amazing!! None of them 'hit' me right away which is a nice change (i'm usually very quick to make up my mind on bands). Have got tom vek too but not had time to listen.

The National in fact are sending me their cd (actually, it's beggars banquet - and they are sending other cd's too - score!)

Working on a remix of Friend of Mine as we speak... just got ableton and messing around with it as that song I thought the structure could be better/different...

anyways - you can me recommendations to me anyday!!

i've not heard the national...you say it's good? possible description, similar bands?

They are straight up indie. Some songs a bit weird, some a bit acoustica... just get it - i promise it's good!

Tom Vek - got to them finally... the three songs mentioned (c-c you set the fire in me, ain't saying my goodbyes and green lights) are OK... but just OK...

you jest surely..not even i ain't saying my goodbyes?!...oh well...

oh, and i heard that the national were americana....i will get to them eventually....

what do you mean by americana? Wilco/Califine etc? if so I would not put them in the same boat... honestly - straight up indie (or REAL indie)... whatever you want to call them you WILL like them!

Why does everyone rank Anthony and the Johnsons so highly in the top albums. I heard a few of their songs and they're not much to brag about, although the lead singer has mighty vocals.

you sir, have no soul.....it's one of the best albums in the last year, and it still sends chiils down my spine every time i hear it....