Best Music of 2005
by Steven Rybicki
Alright, it’s that time of year: have to get these lists out before the rest of those online journalists. Unfortunately, it’s the only way to ensure your authenticity and integrity as a dedicated music connoisseur.
Best Records of 2005
1. Black Sheep Boy and Appendix by Okkervil River
2. The Forgotten Arm by Aimee Mann
3. Wind in the Wires by Patrick Wolf
4. Illinois(e) by Sufjan Stevens
5. Apologies to the Queen by Wolf Parade
6. Alligator by The National
7. I am a Bird Now by Antony and the Johnsons
8. Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
9. Cold Roses by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
10. Picaresque by The Decemberists
11. Arular by M.I.A.
12. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
13. The Woods by Sleater-Kinney
14. Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene
15. Woman King by Iron & Wine
16. Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady
17. Gimme Fiction by Spoon
18. Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers
19. Demon Days by Gorillaz
20. Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture by Various Artists
21. E.P. by The Fiery Furnaces
22. Z by My Morning Jacket
23. Coles Corner by Richard Hawley
24. X&Y by Coldplay
25. Pick Us Apart by The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up
Best Songs of 2005
1. “Video” by Aimee Mann
2. “Jezebel” by Iron & Wine
3. “This Modern Love” by Bloc Party
4. “The Greatest” by Cat Power
5. “The Engine Driver” by The Decemberists
6. “Casimir Pulaski Day” by Sufjan Stevens
7. “Beautiful Sorta” by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
8. “Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts” by Wolf Parade
9. “Sunshowers” by M.I.A.
10. “Hope There’s Someone” by Antony and the Johnsons
11. “Lion Tamer” by Damien Jurado
12. “Traffic” by Chad VanGaalen
13. “Your Ever Changing Moods” by Summer at Shatter Creek
14. “The Fox” by Sleater-Kinney
15. “Liquid Swords” by GZA and Ras Kass
16. “C C (You Set Fire to Me)” by Tom Vek
17. “Gold Digger” by Kanye West
18. “Just a Lil Bit” by 50 Cent
19. “Your Little Hood Rat Friend” by The Hold Steady
20. “We Both Go Down Together” by The Decemberists
21. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens
22. “Window Shopper” by 50 Cent
23. “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens
24. “For Real” by Okkervil River
25. “Do It Again” by Nada Surf
26. “Walk Away” by Franz Ferdinand
27. “Only” by Nine Inch Nails
28. “it’s all gonna break” by Broken Social Scene
29. “Landlocked Blues” by Bright Eyes
30. “A Toast to the Happy Couple” by The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up
31. “The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine” by Spoon
32. “Mr. November” by The National
33. “ibi dreams of pavement (a better day)” by Broken Social Scene
34. Those Ying Yang Twins singles… the Ben Folds cover of Dr. Dre… both are catchy in their own way. The core of the former is just soulless, capitalist, misogynist, exploitive, nasty (etc., insert all those self-righteous adjectives) garbage. In the latter, Mr. Folds adds irony… oh, wow, didn’t Dynamite Hack trip on that whole formula (gangsta rap+white boy pretension=an “irony” riddled muddle of a stunt) seven or eight years ago? I guess Ben was busy crying about "his" abortion.
Of Special Note:
Live @ the Fillmore by Lucinda Williams
No Direction Home by Bob Dylan
Kicking Television by Wilco
You must own the originals, but the live reconfigurations are worth the time and coin.
Alright, it’s that time of year: have to get these lists out before the rest of those online journalists. Unfortunately, it’s the only way to ensure your authenticity and integrity as a dedicated music connoisseur.
Best Records of 2005
1. Black Sheep Boy and Appendix by Okkervil River
2. The Forgotten Arm by Aimee Mann
3. Wind in the Wires by Patrick Wolf
4. Illinois(e) by Sufjan Stevens
5. Apologies to the Queen by Wolf Parade
6. Alligator by The National
7. I am a Bird Now by Antony and the Johnsons
8. Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
9. Cold Roses by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
10. Picaresque by The Decemberists
11. Arular by M.I.A.
12. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
13. The Woods by Sleater-Kinney
14. Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene
15. Woman King by Iron & Wine
16. Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady
17. Gimme Fiction by Spoon
18. Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers
19. Demon Days by Gorillaz
20. Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture by Various Artists
21. E.P. by The Fiery Furnaces
22. Z by My Morning Jacket
23. Coles Corner by Richard Hawley
24. X&Y by Coldplay
25. Pick Us Apart by The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up
Best Songs of 2005
1. “Video” by Aimee Mann
2. “Jezebel” by Iron & Wine
3. “This Modern Love” by Bloc Party
4. “The Greatest” by Cat Power
5. “The Engine Driver” by The Decemberists
6. “Casimir Pulaski Day” by Sufjan Stevens
7. “Beautiful Sorta” by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
8. “Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts” by Wolf Parade
9. “Sunshowers” by M.I.A.
10. “Hope There’s Someone” by Antony and the Johnsons
11. “Lion Tamer” by Damien Jurado
12. “Traffic” by Chad VanGaalen
13. “Your Ever Changing Moods” by Summer at Shatter Creek
14. “The Fox” by Sleater-Kinney
15. “Liquid Swords” by GZA and Ras Kass
16. “C C (You Set Fire to Me)” by Tom Vek
17. “Gold Digger” by Kanye West
18. “Just a Lil Bit” by 50 Cent
19. “Your Little Hood Rat Friend” by The Hold Steady
20. “We Both Go Down Together” by The Decemberists
21. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens
22. “Window Shopper” by 50 Cent
23. “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens
24. “For Real” by Okkervil River
25. “Do It Again” by Nada Surf
26. “Walk Away” by Franz Ferdinand
27. “Only” by Nine Inch Nails
28. “it’s all gonna break” by Broken Social Scene
29. “Landlocked Blues” by Bright Eyes
30. “A Toast to the Happy Couple” by The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up
31. “The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine” by Spoon
32. “Mr. November” by The National
33. “ibi dreams of pavement (a better day)” by Broken Social Scene
34. Those Ying Yang Twins singles… the Ben Folds cover of Dr. Dre… both are catchy in their own way. The core of the former is just soulless, capitalist, misogynist, exploitive, nasty (etc., insert all those self-righteous adjectives) garbage. In the latter, Mr. Folds adds irony… oh, wow, didn’t Dynamite Hack trip on that whole formula (gangsta rap+white boy pretension=an “irony” riddled muddle of a stunt) seven or eight years ago? I guess Ben was busy crying about "his" abortion.
Of Special Note:
Live @ the Fillmore by Lucinda Williams
No Direction Home by Bob Dylan
Kicking Television by Wilco
You must own the originals, but the live reconfigurations are worth the time and coin.
posted by steven rybicki at 11:49 AM
10 Comments:
So why didn't any of Jack Johnson's music make your list?
so... is this your list... of from somewhere else.... good choices with sufjan and adams and bright eyes...
Well... Jack Johnson, especially his release this year... really didn't "do anything" for me. It's not that I've never had a good time while listening to him (to the contrary), but I just admire other folkies much more (as evidenced on my lists this year of Iron & Wine, Chad VanGaalen, Cat Power, Tom Vek).
Hannah, yeah, this is "my" list. I actually didn't get the Sufjan until the past few weeks. I was resisting because I was worried the record was being over-hyped. But I found a first pressing copy of the record (with Superman on the cover) and bought it. And I was very impressed... shattered after thinking about the lyrics to some of those songs.
I take heat for my Ryan Adams interest. Most people who I respect for their expansive knowledge of all things music think he's a bit of a fraud. But, for me, his melodies, and those hooks (especially in Cold Roses) just get in my blood: Magnolia Mountain, Beautiful Sorta, Cherry Lane, Let it Ride...
Bright Eyes is over-hyped, bur for some reason I just liked Landlocked Blues. But listen to his alt-country record, and then listen to Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams and hear how Wide Awake, It's Morning rips off that record almost song for song... but enough Bright Eyes hating: that's also over-rated :O)
yeah...
i have heartbreaker and i'm wide awake it's morning. :) i'm glad you like sufjan though---michigan is one of my favorite albums he's done... good snow music. but i guess you probablly don't have much down there... how are you btw? miss you.
Alright, I can see why you'd leave Death Cab's new stuff off the list. But here's what I want to know: what is it you have against The Lovemakers? Or She Wants Revenge? The Mars Volta? You've got me tempted to make my own list.
Of course, props for the ones you did include, particularly the Sufjan Stevens, Sleater-Kinney, Wolf Parade, and Chad VanGaalen references. Spoon, The Decemberists, Bloc Party, yeah. Great playlist.
You convinced me to get "Illinoise", and it deserves every bit of your praise. Love it.
Also, what do you think of Stars? (They're one of my current faves and I was curious to hear your analysis :-)).
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
David,
Glad you enjoy the Sufjan. I don't think I'm a devotee of him (I just can't get in to the Michigan installation of his project), but I think Illinoise is a very worthy record. I picked up the 2005 alternative to Sufjan, Andrew Bird and his The Mysterious Production of Eggs. It's got this Rufus Wainwright edge to it, but overall it's a nice companion piece to Illinoise. And while I'm on "unique" singer songwriters: I haven't been able to stop listening to The Mountain Goats' record the Sunset Tree and lots of Bonnie "Prince" Billy's stuff from the past few years. Check them out.
As for Stars. I do enjoy them, but then again, I'm into Broken Social Scene... They're last record from 2004, Set Yourself on Fire is a good listen. You should go see them when they play BlackCat in February.
Speaking of: BlackCat will be hosting Feist, Stars, Hold Steady, Art Brut, The National, and a few other realy primo bands this semester. Go forth and support them!
Mmmhm. Set Yourself on Fire is amazing.
Same here with Sufjan. I didn't listen to Illinois for so long because I really disliked Michigan.
Steve, did you used to go by the name ComicUser?
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