• 12-20-2005, 08:54 PM
    Audio Girl
    Pitchforkmedia.com's Top 50 for 2005
    I believe MonkeyBoy already reported on this but Pitchfork has now officially published their Top 50 for 2005. Thoughts? Do you concur with the list? Disagreements?

    Check it out here:

    http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/
  • 12-20-2005, 09:49 PM
    3-LockBox
    Agree? Disagree?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    I believe MonkeyBoy already reported on this but Pitchfork has now officially published their Top 50 for 2005. Thoughts? Do you concur with the list? Disagreements?

    Check it out here:

    http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

    I think I've heard of some of those artists...ok some of those artists do get talked about here now and then, but I can honestly say that I've not heard one note from any of them. So, as a list of Top-50 songs that I'm not likely to ever hear, its pretty concise.

    Glad to see you, Mary.
  • 12-20-2005, 09:57 PM
    Audio Girl
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    I believe MonkeyBoy already reported on this but Pitchfork has now officially published their Top 50 for 2005. Thoughts? Do you concur with the list? Disagreements?

    Check it out here:

    http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/



    After looking over the list, I am surprised that the Silver Jews, Bloc Party and Spoon efforts didn't rank higher, and that Sufjan Stevens "Illinois" and Bonnie Prince Billy were ranked as they were. Surprised in the sense that I don't feel they deserved the high ratings, in the scheme of how good releases were in 2005, but not surprised in the regard that they have gotten alot of positive press. Personally, I haven't been that impressed with either (which I own on vinyl).

    However, the list (and supplied descriptions) made me extremely curious about new Pornographers, Love is All, Clap Your Hands, Sleater Kinney, Jamie Lidell, Franz Ferdinand, Mountain Goats, Fiery Furnaces, The Boy Least Likely To, and Roisin Murphy. If you can shed some light here, the feedback would be appreciated.
  • 12-20-2005, 09:59 PM
    Audio Girl
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 3-LockBox
    I think I've heard of some of those artists...ok some of those artists do get talked about here now and then, but I can honestly say that I've not heard one note from any of them. So, as a list of Top-50 songs that I'm not likely to ever hear, its pretty concise.

    Glad to see you, Mary.


    Good to hear from you, 3 LockBox. I only own 5 of these, and have a few more on order. Purchased because of recs here or other sites...

    Merry Christmas, 3LB!
    Ag
  • 12-20-2005, 10:36 PM
    Audio Girl
    Here's Metacritic.com's Top Releases:

    http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2005.shtml#topten
  • 12-21-2005, 05:24 AM
    ForeverAutumn
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    However, the list (and supplied descriptions) made me extremely curious about new Pornographers, Love is All, Clap Your Hands, Sleater Kinney, Jamie Lidell, Franz Ferdinand, Mountain Goats, Fiery Furnaces, The Boy Least Likely To, and Roisin Murphy. If you can shed some light here, the feedback would be appreciated.

    Hi AG! I picked up that New Pornographers disk a few weeks ago and it's been in steady rotation ever since. I absolutely love it and it's, for sure, in my top 10 this year....if not my top 5.

    I don't have your new address...PM me.
  • 12-21-2005, 05:24 AM
    jasn
    If I weren't listening to XMU on my new satelite radio this past month I would not have heard or known of most of these bands, especially at the top. #'s 3-10 have been stand outs though and I look forward to hearing more of them. Though I'm not sure I'll be buying many of them.
  • 12-21-2005, 06:46 AM
    Stone
    Yeah, AG, I could really see you liking the New Pornographers record. Regarding the others, I'm guessing that Sleater-Kinney wouldn't be your style, but I could be wrong? Have you heard any of their stuff?
  • 12-21-2005, 07:40 AM
    Duds
    I can't believe
    They have SunnO))) on that list, totally shocked. The only good band along with Fiona Apple on that list as far as i am concerned

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    I believe MonkeyBoy already reported on this but Pitchfork has now officially published their Top 50 for 2005. Thoughts? Do you concur with the list? Disagreements?

    Check it out here:

    http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

  • 12-21-2005, 10:08 AM
    DariusNYC
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Duds
    They have SunnO))) on that list, totally shocked. The only good band along with Fiona Apple on that list as far as i am concerned

    That is not a rational statement. How many albums on the list have you actually listened to? I doubt it's been much more than the two you mention.

    Responding more generally, I was happy to see LCD Soundsystem so high up on the list, because that is a really really fun album for me. I bought that album on the same day as the dreary, respectable Arcade Fire album from last year. And it was such a nice contrast for me about where I want music to be now vs. what I'm really tired of (even in a such and admittedly high-quality incarnation such as Arcade Fire).
  • 12-21-2005, 11:19 AM
    Jim Clark
    Did I just miss it or is there absolutely no mention of the Stars album?

    For the love of jebus!~ What the L is on going on down at Pitchfork these days? I'm listening to Art Brut right now. Number 3? Wow, gimme the revivalists anyday.

    jc
  • 12-21-2005, 11:27 AM
    Duds
    relax
    it's my opinion. I've listened to quite a few. Glad you think you know more about what I have listened to than I do.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DariusNYC
    That is not a rational statement. How many albums on the list have you actually listened to? I doubt it's been much more than the two you mention.

    Responding more generally, I was happy to see LCD Soundsystem so high up on the list, because that is a really really fun album for me. I bought that album on the same day as the dreary, respectable Arcade Fire album from last year. And it was such a nice contrast for me about where I want music to be now vs. what I'm really tired of (even in a such and admittedly high-quality incarnation such as Arcade Fire).

  • 12-21-2005, 11:29 AM
    Davey
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jim Clark
    Did I just miss it or is there absolutely no mention of the Stars album?

    For the love of jebus!~ What the L is on going on down at Pitchfork these days? I'm listening to Art Brut right now. Number 3? Wow, gimme the revivalists anyday.

    jc

    Hehehe, yeah, many of my favorites aren't on there either including my #1.

    Davey's silly list ...
    1. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
    2. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
    3. Micah P. Hinson And The Gospel Of Progress
    4. Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers
    5. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
    6. British Sea Power - Open Season
    7. The National - Alligator
    8. Decemberists - Picaresque
    9. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
    10. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree

    Pitchfork's silly list ...
    50 Orthelm, OV
    49 The Fiery Furnaces, EP
    48 Okkervil River, BLACK SHEEP BOY
    47 The Boy Least Likely To, THE BEST PARTY EVER
    46 Fiona Apple, EXTRAORDINARY MACHINE [Jon Brion version]
    45 M83, BEFORE THE DAWN HEALS US
    44 Vashti Bunyan, LOOKAFTERING
    43 Spoon, GIMME FICTION
    42 My Morning Jacket, Z
    41 Roisin Murphy, RUBY BLUE
    40 Young Jeezy, LET’S GET IT: THUG MOTIVATION 101
    39 Robyn, s/t
    38 Devendra Banhart, CRIPPLE CROW
    37 Dominik Eulberg, KREUCHT & FLEUCHT
    36 Keith Fullerton Whitman, MULTIPLES
    35 The Game, THE DOCUMENTARY
    34 Silver Jews, TANGLEWOOD NUMBERS
    33 Bloc Party, SILENT ALARM
    32 Beanie Sigel, THE B. COMING
    31 Konono No.1, CONGOTRONICS
    30 Franz Ferdinand, YOU COULD HAVE IT SO MUCH BETTER
    29 Serena Maneesh, s/t
    28 Sunn O))), BLACK ONE
    27 Jamie Lidell, MULTIPLY
    26 The Decemberists, PICARESQUE
    25 Alan Braxe & Friends, THE UPPER CUTS
    24 The Mountain Goats, THE SUNSET TREE
    23 Ladytron, THE WITCHING HOUR
    22 Broadcast, TENDER BUTTONS
    21 Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney, SUPERWOLF
    20 The Hold Steady, SEPARATION SUNDAY
    19 Sleater-Kinney, THE WOODS
    18 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, s/t
    17 The Clientele, STRANGE GEOMETRY
    16 Love is All, NINE TIMES THAT SAME SONG
    15 Clipse, WE GOT IT 4 CHEAP, VOL. 2
    14 Vitalic, OK COWBOY
    13 Various Artists, RUN THE ROAD
    12 The New Pornographers, TWIN CINEMA
    11 Isolee, WE ARE MONSTER
    10 Wolf Parade, APOLOGIES TO THE QUEEN MARY
    9 Cam’ron, PURPLE HAZE
    8 LCD Soundsystem, s/t
    7 Animal Collective, FEELS
    6 Deerhoof, THE RUNNERS FOUR
    5 Antony and the Johnsons, I AM A BIRD NOW
    4 M.I.A., ARULAR
    3 Art Brut, BANG BANG ROCK & ROLL
    2 Kanye West, LATE REGISTRATION
    1 Sufjan Stevens, ILLINOIS
  • 12-21-2005, 12:04 PM
    Jim Clark
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Duds
    it's my opinion. I've listened to quite a few. Glad you think you know more about what I have listened to than I do.

    Just out of curiousity, how many have you heard?

    I'm about to figure out my own totals now that wavey davey has conveniently posted the list in an easy to add m'up format.

    jc
  • 12-21-2005, 12:10 PM
    Duds
    I've listened to 27 of them. If that isnt enough to back up my irrational statement, than I apologize to everyone, and most importantly Darius.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jim Clark
    Just out of curiousity, how many have you heard?

    I'm about to figure out my own totals now that wavey davey has conveniently posted the list in an easy to add m'up format.

    jc

  • 12-21-2005, 01:12 PM
    Jim Clark
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Duds
    I've listened to 27 of them. If that isnt enough to back up my irrational statement, than I apologize to everyone, and most importantly Darius.

    Yeah, that's pretty darned good. I only have 7 of the titles listed there. In addition, I have 2005 bootlegs of some more of the shows so I feel I have a pretty good handle on whether or not it's going to be for me. That brings the total up to the amazing sum of 12.

    Personally I think Pitchfork may have squirreled on us this year.

    jc
  • 12-21-2005, 01:57 PM
    Slosh
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Audio Girl
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - If you can shed some light here, the feedback would be appreciated.

    Stay far, far away. Don't think Wolf Parade would be your thing either but who can tell? Try some mp3 samples.

    That's one awful list Pitchfork put together. I've only heard eight of those albums completely and of them only like three. A lot of the stuff there only took me a couple of mp3s to know they weren't for me. I'd put Stephen Malkmus, Rogue Wave, SFA, Andrew Bird, AmAnSet, 13 & God, Fruit Bats, DCfC, and Calexico/Iron & Wine before anything they have in their top twentyfive. The only thing on that list that I haven't yet heard that I'm looking forward to is the Silver Jews.

    The only list that matters to me is my own.
  • 12-21-2005, 02:24 PM
    -Jar-
    Antony and the Johnsons, I AM A BIRD NOW

    It's weird, the end of the year and all of a sudden I'm hearing about this. I can't even recall anyone mentioning this around here. Weird.
  • 12-21-2005, 09:40 PM
    Dusty Chalk
    I'm still having trouble with my year-end list. To wit:

    - Haven't heard the new Ephel Duath yet;
    - That Nine Horses disk is blowing me away -- I have to wonder if it's the folly of novelty, or if it's really good;
    - Haven't heard that Earth disk yet;
    - Haven't heard many of those disks more than once (I mean, how many times do I have to listen to Autechre?).

    Give me 'til...March...2010...
  • 12-22-2005, 09:27 AM
    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.
  • 12-22-2005, 11:29 AM
    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
  • 12-22-2005, 12:36 PM
    Stone
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slosh
    That's one awful list Pitchfork put together. I've only heard eight of those albums completely and of them only like three. A lot of the stuff there only took me a couple of mp3s to know they weren't for me. I'd put Stephen Malkmus, Rogue Wave, SFA, Andrew Bird, AmAnSet, 13 & God, Fruit Bats, DCfC, and Calexico/Iron & Wine before anything they have in their top twentyfive. The only thing on that list that I haven't yet heard that I'm looking forward to is the Silver Jews.

    The only list that matters to me is my own.

    I think it's a pretty good list, but predictable. Are you exaggerating, or do you not really like the New Pornographers record or that Deerhoof album?
  • 12-22-2005, 12:42 PM
    ForeverAutumn
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PDK
    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.
  • 12-22-2005, 12:46 PM
    ForeverAutumn
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 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

    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.
  • 12-22-2005, 02:29 PM
    Slosh
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Stone
    Are you exaggerating, or do you not really like the New Pornographers record or that Deerhoof album?

    I've told you a million times do not exaggerate!

    Both are meh of what I've heard (a couple of songs from each). Not impressed with the old Pornographers either.

    NP: Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth (not meh)