My Top Records Of 2005
Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures - In this day and age of freaky bands trying to find new and "exciting" avenues of creating atonal and simply weird "modern" music, one must ask oneself: what's wrong with melody? The answer, if you listen to Rogue Wave, is nothing at all. These guys play exciting indie pop/rock with absolute sincerity which makes this one of the years best. Recommended track: "Publish My Love"
Crooked Fingers - Dignity & Shame - The post-Archers of Loaf career of Eric Bachmann has yielded mixed results and left more than a few fans scratching their heads. But on Dignity & Shame, there is something so deeply profound and sad underlying these tunes it's enough to make you forget about a re-issue of Vee Vee and take notice. Concept albums are popular as of late, with varying degrees of success, but this album manages the task quite nicely. Recommended track: "Call to Love"
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan - It's amazing to me that no matter how far music may wander from the bare-bones basics of rock and roll, it can still be stripped to only the essentials with superb results. The White Stripes are the only proof you need of this. Listen to the piano and drums driven "The Denial Twist" or "My Doorbell" and tell me I'm wrong. Recommended track: "The Denial Twist"
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday - In some ways, lead singer Craig Finn reminds of Frank Black. Or even better, Black Francis. But only if he was backed up not by the Pixies but by Cheap Trick. Bar band rock and roll is alive and well in 2005 and these guys managed to make a great rock record which can be appreciated by anyone, from average skinny indie rock kid to your uncle with the goatee and the mullet. Recommended track: "Banging Camp"
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois - Over hyped? Probably. Worth the hype? Definitely. Stevens paints a picture of the prairie state on a beautiful and schizophrenic palette. Let me put it this way, if you're not convinced this is great after listening to "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" then it's time to check your pulse. Recommended track: "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!"
Spoon - Gimme Fiction - While not as eclectic or experimental as 2002's Kill the Moonlight, Spoon proved they can be just as exciting using a basic rock and roll template as they are using sampled beats and distorted organ. Just listen to "Sister Jack" and try not to clap or sing along. It can't be done. Even better, listen to "I Turn My Camera On" and try not to dance. Even harder, I tell ya. Recommended track: "I Turn My Camera On"
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
I agree with you on Beck and Coldplay. The Beck album is fabulous and will easily be near the top of my list (to be podcast and written early next year).
The Coldplay... very disappointing. And I say this as someone considering himself a Coldplay fan. I wanted this to be THE album. It's not. It is well behind either of their first two albums.
2 - GoHah
especially agreed that New Pornographers is up there (I reserve top spot for America's Sweetheart, Fiona "Go With Yourself" Apple). And this is the clincher for Sufjan Stevens--haven't heard it, but it's shown up on so many best-of I'll need to succumb to some extent.
And Coldplay? I'm convinced that the reason such a piss-poor band like this has been so embraced is somehow linked to Gwyneth, the anti-Sweetheart of America, sour Apple and all. You have no powers here, Gwyn!
3 - Scott
I just realized that there's 8 records on my "best of" list and 5 on the "over-rated" list. Kinda sad in a way. I guess I should have also said that there were a few honorable mentions that are good records but simply didn't make the "best of" list. The Clientele, Low and The Magic Numbers all made pretty solid records.
4 - Darren
Ditto on the Weezer debacle. I've never listened to a record that made me cringe quite so much as "My Best Friend". Painfully embarrassing. Makes the Green Album look pretty good; which in hindsight, it actually is. Think you've heard the riff from Coldplay's second single "Talk" before? You have - in numerous Big Country songs. Why such the big whoop about this band??? They're OK, but there's a lot better out there.
Anyone like the new Depeche Mode album? All I've heard is the first single, "Precious", and I like it - atmospheric and hooky, along the lines of "Policy of Truth" from Violator. worth a shot, it gets good critical reviews. I actually heard this on --- get this --- the radio! Remember that thing? Little box -- dial -- used to be worth listening to?
I'm going to listen to the rest of the stuff on this list, as I'm painfully out of touch at nearly 40. I would like to be proven wrong, that all the best music has already been recorded.