Pitchforkmedia.com's Top 50 for 2005

[Mr MidFi]

I probably didn't buy enough current releases this year to fill out a top 10 list...so here's my lame-ass, me-too Top 5 List:

1. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
2. My Morning Jacket - Z
3. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
4. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
5. British Sea Power - Open Season

Wilco's remarkable live set, Kicking Television, deserves an honorable mention, although I usually don't like to include live or best-of albums on such lists. And from what I've heard from that Rogue Wave disc so far, Slosh might just be right about it (I'll be buying it if it doesn't show up in my stocking).

New-to-me titles that deserve honorable mention, even though they were released in 2004 or earlier, include Spoon's Kill the Moonlight, Secret Machines' Now Here Is Nowhere, Crooked Fingers' Red Devil Dawn, and Green Day's American Idiot.

Remaster of the year goes to Born to Run, as much for the incredible live DVD as for the excellent CD remaster.

[PDK]

I've been in the process of going through literally hundreds of new releases for about a month to make my annual "Best of" CD compilation. Not that any one cares or should take notice, but here's a dozen of the best tracks on my compilation. I was going to do a single a week but ran out of room on 2 discs at 48 unique artists:

2005's Standout Track:
The Tears: The Lovers
and the rest:
The Fiery Furnaces: Tropical Ice-land (re-released in 2005)
The Magic Numbers: Love Me Like You
Wolf Parade: Grounds for Divorce
Maximo Park: Apply Some Pressure
The Caesars: Jerk it Out (re-released in 2005)
The Doves: Some Cities
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Over and Over Again
Dead 60's: Riot Radio
The Editors: Blood
Goldfrapp: Number 1
Babyshambles: 32nd of December
British Sea Power: Stand Up
Paul Weller: From the Floorboards Up
Album of the Year:
BSP: Open Season
Big Hope for 2006:
The Boy Least Likely


For reference: Here's some of the best of last year's comp:
2004's Standout Track
The Delays: Long Time Coming
and the rest
Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out
The Ordinary Boys: Talk Talk Talk
Razorlight: Rip it Up
Dogs Die in Hot Cars: Something off the Way
The Zutons: Pressure
THe Streets: May Well Be In
THe Thrills: Whatever Happened to Corey Haim
Graham Coxon: Bittersweet Bundle of Misery
The Futureheads: Meantime
The Libertines: Can't Stand Me Now
Album of the Year:
The Thrills: Let's Bottle Bohemia
Big Hope for 2005:
Devandra Banhart

[ForeverAutumn]

For reference: Here's some of the best of last year's comp:
The Zutons: Pressure
The Thrills: Whatever Happened to Corey Haim

Album of the Year:
The Thrills: Let's Bottle Bohemia

I really enjoy that Thrills disk from last year. It never really seemed to catch on with the folks around here, but it's a great disk IMO. I also really liked The Zutons disk at first. But I tired of it pretty quickly.

[PDK]

I really enjoy that Thrills disk from last year. It never really seemed to catch on with the folks around here, but it's a great disk IMO. I also really liked The Zutons disk at first. But I tired of it pretty quickly.

I tend to glom on to singles so nothing on the list should be a huge surprise. I don't get a lot of (North) American music exposure so I probably miss a lot of its "critical" indie music. I actually had the Wolf Parade record before I even had heard of The Arcade Fire. I completely missed their "2004 Must-have" and to tell you the truth, it never really caught on with me in 2005. There are a few American/Canadian acts on my comp, but for years it has had a distinctly northern and Scottish focus to it.

It took a few listens to get the Thrills disc for me as I so loved their debut. In the end, it turned out to be the most listened to for me in 2004- hence the top album award.

I've saw the Zutons a couple times in 2003/2004 and the disc does them a great injustice compared to their live shows. My affection for the Zutons is forever skewed! The disc is a bit unfocused but has a couple gems- there are several tracks that I usually skip and, truth be told, I haven't listened to it in its entirety for months.

Simarily, I probably have inordinant affection for Snow Patrol and Idlewild due to their energy of their performances from four to six years ago. They are prior Album of the Year award winners that, sadly, didn't seem to latch on in the USA from what I can tell. Unfortunately, Idlewild's 2005 release flirts with an REM influence....

[ForeverAutumn]

It took a few listens to get the Thrills disc for me as I so loved their debut. In the end, it turned out to be the most listened to for me in 2004- hence the top album award.

I've saw the Zutons a couple times in 2003/2004 and the disc does them a great injustice compared to their live shows. My affection for the Zutons is forever skewed! The disc is a bit unfocused but has a couple gems- there are several tracks that I usually skip and, truth be told, I haven't listened to it in its entirety for months.

Simarily, I probably have inordinant affection for Snow Patrol and Idlewild due to their energy of their performances from four to six years ago.

Funny, I heard Let's Bottle Bohemia first and loved it right away. So I then bought their debut and it's really never hit me the same way Bohemia did. I find it a little too low key for my tastes.

My first experience with The Zutons was a live show, opening for Keane. I really enjoyed them live (way better than Keane was live) and that's what led me to purchase their disk. I agree that their live show was very good. Had I heard the CD on it's own, before seeing them live, I'm not sure that I would have made the purchase. I hope that their next disk is a little more focused than the first.

Snow Patrol is another favourite of mine. Can't say that I've heard Idlewild though. I'll have to check them out.

Based on the bands that you've listed that you like, you should check out a Canadian band called Boy. You can hear a few of their songs at their web site....

http://www.boytheband.com

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Simarily, I probably have inordinant affection for Snow Patrol and Idlewild due to their energy of their performances from four to six years ago. They are prior Album of the Year award winners that, sadly, didn't seem to latch on in the USA from what I can tell. Unfortunately, Idlewild's 2005 release flirts with an REM influence....

All I have is 100 Broken Windows, which is absolutely brilliant in my book, and which I heard an R.E.M. influence from the very first spin. I don't know why I never picked up any other Idlewild albums, though they are not the easierst albums to find 'round these parts. Still I think The Remote Part holds my personal record for longest time on the top of my wish list without actually being bought. One of these days.....

[Davey]

All I have is 100 Broken Windows, which is absolutely brilliant in my book, and which I heard an R.E.M. influence from the very first spin. I don't know why I never picked up any other Idlewild albums, though they are not the easierst albums to find 'round these parts. Still I think The Remote Part holds my personal record for longest time on the top of my wish list without actually being bought. One of these days.....

Yeah, that is a good one. That opening volley of "Little Discourage" through to "Roseability" is a blast and a half, and the whole thing is full of fun little punk-poppers. The Remote Part was a good one too, but not as raw and urgent as that one. Drags a bit in the middle for me. More polished and ready for the British charts, which I think a couple of the singles rose pretty high up. Anyway, that's all I got. With a little nudge I'm sure Forever Autumn would remember that she has heard Idlewild on a little comp I did called Fun In The Sun which they closed out with one of those charming British singles from The Remote Part, think it was actually the third one they released. Pretty successful album in the UK. They did a cool little vid for that song with one of my favorite directors Wim Wenders ... http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=5252

[ForeverAutumn]

With a little nudge I'm sure Forever Autumn would remember that she has heard Idlewild on a little comp I did called Fun In The Sun which they closed out with one of those charming British singles from The Remote Part, think it was actually the third one they released. Pretty successful album in the UK. They did a cool little vid for that song with one of my favorite directors Wim Wenders ... http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=5252

Really? I'll have to delve into my archives. Thanks for the reminder.

[ForeverAutumn]

I probably didn't buy enough current releases this year to fill out a top 10 list...so here's my lame-ass, me-too Top 5 List:

1. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
2. My Morning Jacket - Z
3. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
4. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
5. British Sea Power - Open Season

I've been listening to Gimme Fiction for the last couple of weeks and I just don't see what all the buzz is about. It's okay, enjoyable enough, but there are other new disks that I would reach for before that one. I just find it to be mediocre. Maybe it's a grower.