06) cLOUDDEAD- Ten... This cd should have been called, "How To Make The Catchiest Experimental-Pop Rap Album, Ever." It's so rich, sonically, but has that great pop hook. Needless to say, your average 50 Cent fan will not be amused.

05) Buddy Miller- Universal United House of Prayer... Miller, Emmylou Harris' guitar player, has made quite a name for himself with his own solo records. This is easily the best one of the lot and the best country release of the year.

04) Bjork- Medulla... What can be said of Bjork that hasn't been said before? This album is a study in Voice and it's possible sounds. Sonically, it's like swans having sex. Choral anthems, gothic chant, beatbox... its all used and mastered.

03) The Residents- WB:RMX... Taking the never-before-released tracks of the odd demo The Residents sent to Warner Bros. back in the 70s and adding modern techno beats, WB:RMX is a helluva lot better than you might think from the description. The fact that the demos have never been released before in any form makes this a must for any Residents fan... but considering how great the final product sounds makes it an interesting buy for anyone interested in music off the beaten path.

02) Sonic Youth- Sonic Nurse... Terrible album name, but the music is a great marriage of the prog-drone of "Murray Street" and the spazz pop of "Goo" and "Dirty." I don't know, Sonic Youth could fart in a can and I'd love it.

01) Woven Hand- Consider The Birds... Some of the best material ever written by David Eugene Edwards, of 16 Horsepower fame. Keeping more experimental nature that trademarks the Woven Hand material, while adding the dark passion of 16HP.

00) Sufjan Stevens- Seven Swans... Seven Swans is amazing. Stevens doesn't write songs... he composes them. It's delicate, layered folk that sooths without being sleepy. Each note is meticulously placed without feeling forced or mastering. His songs take you on a trip. A trip I'd take any day.

That's it. It may not be a "best of" in the traditional sense, but those are the albums that greatly impacted me. There would probably others that would make the list if I had heard the albums, but it would be impossible to listen to everything.

Have a good 2005.