As the year winds down, it's time to look back at the year that was in music, at least the music I give a shit about.
Here are my top 20 Albums of 2005, and then some other categories:
20. Bright Eyes--I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning This album is missing from a lot of folks' Year End Lists, and I think it's a matter of short term memories. The album came out nearly a year ago, but it includes some absolutely fantastic songs, including, "Old Soul Song", "We Are Nowhere And It's Now", "The First Day Of My Life", and "At The Bottom Of Everything". C'mon folks, if this album was just released, folks would be all over it. Sometimes you have to let an album sink in. You can't just jump all over everything you just heard and call it the best of the year.
19. The National--Alligator-An album that grew on me with time. "Baby, We'll Be Fine" is one of my favorite songs of the year.
18. Franz Ferdinand--You Could Have It So Much Better...-More ultracatchy pop from Franz. This album may not be as good as their debut, but it's pretty damn close, and in an age where sophomore slumps tend to be the rule and not the exception, that's pretty good.
17. Martha Wainwright--Martha Wainwright-Ballsy debut album from the other Wainwright sibling. "Bloody Motherfucking Asshole" is the best song that will never be played on regular radio. The rest of the album is a nice mix of folk, rock and pop.
16. British Sea Power--Open Season-Some argue that British Sea Power sold out on this second album, opting for accessibility over art. I think they captured the best of both. Their debut album, The Decline Of British Sea Power, is tough to penetrate at times, and while there are some really good songs on it, I had trouble really loving it. No big shock, since I definitely prefer artists who maintain some pop sensibilities (the Arcade Fire) over bands that have a disjointed, chaotic sound (Broken Social Scene). "It Ended On an Oily Stage" and "Oh, Larsen B" are two favorites from this album.
15. Aberdeen City--The Freezing Atlantic--I came upon these Bostonians late this year, but their debut album is proof positive that Americans can make post punk as well, even if its not quite as good as the Brits.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Bliffle
What a lousy list! Not one new classical recording, not one new or re-issue jazz recording. I suppose it reflects the stunted audio world of modern dilettantes. How shallow. Too bad.
2 - Triniman
Great list, Matt. Lots of music for me to check out. Did you manage to listen to Montreal's Stars' album Set Yourself On Fire?
3 - Tan The Man
You didn't like the Caesars?
4 - Matt
Bliffle--I am not only a modern dilettante. I am also an indie yuppy and a rock snob. There are no reissues on my list at all. They don't count. Plus, I find it shallow that you summarily dismiss this list because it doesn't fit your narrow musical view. How sad.
Triniman--Stars is on my short list of shit I need to listen to. Some many great albums, so little time.
Tan--I hated the Caesars album. I really wanted to like it, too. "Jerk It Out" is a great song, but the rest of the album was just boring to me. I'll gladly mail you my copy, postage paid!
5 - Mat Brewster
Wow I am now officially out of it, and old. I don't have a single album on this lists. Better yet, I haven't even heard of half of them. Guess I better get back to my Laurence Welk albums, its almost bed time.
6 - Generalissimo Alberto
Welly, welly, welly, Monsieur Freelove comes out of the closet as an enemy of The People. Perhaps a little vacation at Camp Mimi will improve his poor attitude.
And if the "Little Ghost" and "Blue Orchid" don't do anything for you, then you just don't know a real song when you hear it.
On the other hand, Matt does have a good strategery here to make himself hard to criticize, in that he's managed to pick 20 albums without even ONE of them being anything that anyone would have ever, ever heard of.
I hunted down that New Pornographers album. I'm all in favor of porn, but you think THIS is a hot record and the White Stripes were not memorable? Granted, the New Pornographers are far more obscure and thus more legitimate, but they still suck and JACK WHITE RULES WITH AN IRON FIST!
Perhaps a loved one will gift you with a box of Q-Tips for Christmas.
7 - Mark Saleski
he's managed to pick 20 albums without even ONE of them being anything that anyone would have ever, ever heard of.
only true if you stopped caring about anything new way the hell back in college.
don't agree on the White Stripes though. really great record.
Bright Eyes...also a great record. i'm a little amazed that the Duke picked the other one. ah well.
8 - Matt
I can't get even remotely interested in The White Stripes album. Sorry. Al--you need to get off the farm once in a while and get to a record store to buy some good music. Christ dude, you haven't heard any of this? Put down your Jack White autographed copy of White Blood Cells and switch the 20 CDs spinning in your changer.
9 - zingzing
decent list, although i don't care for most of the albums on the list. especially bloc party. it's a bit lifeless.
broken social scene may take you a while to get into, and it is a big bloated mess, but the sound is just amazing. the detail and the rush of the whole thing makes up for any lack of hooks. the sound is the hook.
i do find the first comment funny... how limiting... new classical (what, like philip glass? there's really not that much interesting stuff coming out of classical music... maybe william basinski... or that "blue notebooks" album...) same with the quoted bit in #7... if there is a person out there who has not heard of even one of these albums, there's really no point in them reading this list...
10 - Eric Berlin
I like your declaration as indie yuppie and rock snob, Matt. Great work on this list, though I'm very surprised you're down on the Stripes. And no Guero by Beck? I freaking played that album into digital smithereens this year.
Kaiser Chiefs is currently tops on my lists of albums I want to snag.
11 - DJRadiohead
EB, I am with you on Guero. It is no worse than #3 on my list and might wind up in the #1 slot. It keeps morphing with two others that have been at the top of my list throughout the year.
12 - EZ
Matt-
If you're using Arcade Fire to cleanse your speakers it really should be on your top twenty. Great, frickin' solid album, gosh darnit. I'd say it's better than any Bright Eyes album.
13 - Michael J. West
Arcade Fire was last year. Best album of last year, too, except for the final draft of Smile. Animal Collective's Feels is far and away my favorite album of this year, spellbinding...I played it four times in a row when I got it.
And I truly hated the Bloc Party album. Truly. But my desperate loathing of the entire neo-postpunk style may have something to do with that...
Oh, and Al: I'd heard of all the Top 20. Actually listened to 16. Own eight of them. I've also heard of all the stuff on the honorable mention list. How, as the writer of countless music reviews, the "New CDs" column, and more comments than any other Blogcritic, could you have not heard of ANY of them? You'd almost have to have actively avoided hearing of them.
14 - Michael J. West
I think the thing about CYHSY is just how badly the hype got carried away. They went from "exciting new band with great album" to "this year's indie-rock savior who everyone else in the world will imitate from this day forward!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Plus, their live show turned out to be pretty dull. I think that diminished people's appreciation of the album, which is, I agree, a shame. I think it's great (although it's probably more like 6 or 7 on my list).
15 - Mark Runyon
Definitely agree with you on Martha, Franz, Pornographers (should have been #1 though) and Death Cab. Passionately disagree on the Stripes. There are so many great sounds on that CD. Really the Coldplay is pretty decent as well, but it takes forever for it to click into place. How could you leave out great Brit records like Hard-Fi and KT Tunstall? What about the interesting grooves of Royksopp or Thievery Corporation? Fiona Apple's latest (the Brion version) was also quirky amazing stuff.
16 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
"I freaking played that album into digital smithereens this year." EB, that is the best thing i've read in days, an i been up to the eyes in Camus. you kick Camus in the arse-gland!
Great list here, Matt, some cross-overs with my own end-of-year list (i'm waitin till after christmas to post, on account of i haven't heard the new ryan adams yet). perplexing that Bright Eyes is way down at #20, though. and Bloc Party i find especially, well, bland. but i AM however giving the British Sea Power record another spin at this minute, on account of this reminding me it was due another go in iTunes sometime soon. it really is rather spiffing, although it wouldn't make a personal top 20. thats the joy as these things, i'd wager.
good call on Martha as well, best Wainwright ever, is what.
And Mark, i adore I'm Wide Awake..., but Digital Ash is the one that keeps me awake at night reelin over those sonic wonderments.
17 - Zach
I don't really get the appeal of CYHSY. They're perfectly decent "now sound" indie rock, but they sound exactly like Wolf Parade, etc. to these ears. And why is it now a prerequisite for indie singers to not have even the most precarious grasp on, you know, singing? Is that all Jeff Mangum's fault or what?
Don't get me started on the Stripes. I'm sitting that one out.
18 - Matt
"How could you leave out great Brit records like Hard-Fi and KT Tunstall? What about the interesting grooves of Royksopp or Thievery Corporation? Fiona Apple's latest (the Brion version) was also quirky amazing stuff."
Mark--one can only listen to so many albums in one year. I've gotta play with my kid, too.
19 - Matt
The Arcade Fire is probably my favorite album of the last five years, just not a 2005 album, unles you're in the UK
20 - Michael J. West
And why is it now a prerequisite for indie singers to not have even the most precarious grasp on, you know, singing?
I was just commenting the other day about CYHSY's singer, but I said that it now seems a prerequisite for indie singers to do their best David Byrne impression. What's up with that?
21 - zingzing
david byrne is cool, that's why. sheesh.
22 - JR
Still not a good enough reason to imitate a lousy singer.
23 - Flying Bannana Pie
Great list Matt! But I kind of like Get Behind Me Satan, but it still didn't live up to my expectations.
24 - Zach
I dunno, I kind of like Byrne's voice. These new bands (I'm thinking CYHSY and Wolf Parade in particular) just seem like they're TRYING to sound grating. Maybe I just haven't given them a fair enough shot.
25 - Matt
CYHSY's lead singer, Alec, has a nasally speaking voice. You guys are so presumptuous to think that it's just imitating. News flash: David Byrne is not the only human being to have that voice. Some folks sound like him. And some of them happen to sing in bands, too.
Zach--I do agree that the Spencer Krug songs on Wolf Parade's album sound like he's trying to sound wacky. Dan Boeckner's voice on his WP songs are much more conventional vocally. I really think Alec Ounsworth is just singing with the voice God gave him. I got a chance to talk to him after a solo show he did in Philly a few months ago, and he sounds like his singing voice fits, if that makes any sense.