Top 20 of 2005 -- Rave Recs

[audiobill]

I thought I'd try to resuscitate this year-end thread.

Certainly, some who haven't posted their year-end lists, may want to do so now.

I know that I'm always interested in what other RaveRecers deem "favourites".

From what you've heard in 2005, what are some of your favourite albums??


Cheers,

audiobill


(Davey and Snowbuns please feel free to post your lists, but please don't hijack it. Having said this, I've probably already baited you to hijack.... refrain, freinds, refrain.)

[MasterCylinder]

To the OP............There were not 20 discs worth buying in 2005 -- having stated my critical & cynical opinion, I will suggest that OCTAVARIUM belongs in the mix somewhere.

[Jim Clark]

Well, I'll start this and see where it takes me. Time constraints may force and abrupt wrap up.

10. Editors - Back Room. At first I wasn't even sure if this would make the top ten. Sure I loved it but due to the sameness to Interpol I felt a bit uneasy considering it for a top spot. The fact of the matter is that I love this sound and this band does a great job of pulling it off. If Interpol had released it last year it would have been hailed from all corners. Granted it's rehash but it's top shelf hash and utterly enjoyable for those always needing some post punk whoring.

9. Nightbird - Erasure. I like Andy Bell's vocals. There, I admitted it and it's out of the closet, so to speak. Darker than your Erasure of years gone by it's balanced by an honesty and universally accepted themes of love, regret and pain that are seldom done much better. Vince Clarke continues his synth wizardry which perfectly accompanies the cathartic lyrics. We all know what the album is about but it's so well written and emotionally honest that there's something in there for most lovers of quality pop toons.

8. The American Analog Set - Set Free. Taken in bits there doesn't seem to be anything on this disc as compelling as the track Davey used to introduce me to the band. For those that didn't get that disc the track was "Come Home Baby Julie, Come Home". So why is it that this album has remained so high on my list? For starters it seems so well recorded that it makes my system spring to life. I haven't done any analysis on the content so it may be full of all the uglies of modern CD mixing but it still sounds darn good to me. Whatever the magical quality is that pulls a listener in even though it's not their usual bill of fare, this album seems to have in spades.

7. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary. High on the stuff that makes listening to music fun for me. Tons of energy, a little bit quirky, and unique enough to still stand out in a crowd (so long as Franz isn't standing there too!) Don't know if I'd need a second disc from them though. I'd really need to see some serious growth much as the aforementioned Franz Ferdinand. Still, all things considered I'd think this was as close to an essential album of 2005 as you're going to find.

6. Sigur Ros - Tak. A Sigur Ros album for the rest of the world. Equally ambitious and anthemic but more accesible perhaps. Some of these tracks might make for decent demo material listening for all the subtle cues and numerous things going on all at the same time. I'd have to go all the way back to REM's Murmur to find a disc that I liked so much without understanding a lick of what was being said.

5. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm. If one were to take all of the various year end lists and compile the stats, this album may very well end up being the most prized album of the year. Deserving too I might add. Everyone knows it, everyone should have it if they at all enjoy well written and executed modern rock/pop that offers at least one view of the world in a catchy-hook ladden way. Excellent debut.

4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T. Vocals can easily be seen as a major stumbling block here. Elmer Fudd with his testes being squeezed? Not really all that bad and I made the adjustment easily enough when similar styles annoy me to no end. What I really enjoy is big shiney quitars with sounds that can get your blood pumping and your toes tapping and this one does exactly that. Sure it's a bit rough and raw around the edges, that's part of the appeal of this cult classic that simply exploded on the indie world this year. I saw one reviewer rip the "big top circus" intro. Yeah it's corny and campy, again, part of it's appeal. Lot's of people look to create unusual and unique intro's. I've done it with comps and admit it, so have you. I still say that's part of the charm of the whole deal. Green rockers trying their level best to have fun and do it their way. The circus intro really does fit after all. During the course of the disc you meet all sorts of side show attractions anyway, may as well have a barker announcing it. If more people pulled off something similar the music world would be a much better place.

3. Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. Pure, Simple, Unadulterated, Wall Of Sound, Rock. Got caught up in a wave of bands with goofy names and they didn't help their cause a single bit with the album title. In the mixed year that was 2005 I will maintain until my dying days that this album is the most criminally under rated of the year. This sucker has it all and the quality shines through every single time. A true gem. If you didn't hear it, you should have. Unless overblown, over produced, over thought out, over used rock is your only music outlet, you owe it to yourselves to at least listen to some samples before you say nothing good was released this year. Or, you could ask for a copy of my comp!

2. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire. I've reviewed this album on site and much to my suprise, a little interest was piqued. I do regret that after leading a couple folks to check it out that it didn't really catch on the way I was sure it would. I've been trying to figure out why. I've listened over and over and can't really see why it fizzled out. Surely this is ranked highly on someone's list other than my own? I still say there's something for everyone, except the classic rockers and Bon Jovi set. I dunno. Unique, varied, well written, charming. Well, at least to me.

1. The National - Alligator. These guys speak to me and it's not a weird, inaccesible thing that they're doing here. Why this band isn't huge is both puzzling and alarming. Doesn't bode well for the future of music when something this good doesn't get more attention. I guess I'll have to continue to hope that dedicated musicians will continue to make music for the pure love and enjoyment of it. If not, we're all screwed.

To round out the top 20 I offer the following coulda, woulda, shoulda's.

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel
British Sea Power - Open Season
Ladytron - Witching Hour
MIA - Arular
Broken Social Scene - S/T
LCD Sound System
Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
The Kills - No Wow
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
John Vanderslice

Should have picked up:

Lucksmiths
The Hold Steady
And maybe Andrew Bird?

Should have left on the shelf

Abandoned Pools
Calla
Andy Bell
and some electro clash thing that I can't even remeber the Bands name.

jc

[Davey]

Well, I'll start this and see where it takes me. Time constraints may force and abrupt wrap up....

Hey, nice job Jim! Always enjoy reading your insightful mini-reviews. The National disc did do well in that Uncut list (#5) and on the Junkmedia site (#2) where they matched my 1-2-3, except in a different order. But yeah, haven't seen much love for it in the other media. Might fare well in the obner poll, but some people seem to really react negatively to it, which is kind of strange. Too bad for the National guys, but I don't mind being a little odd. Like you, I do find it a little troubling though. Not the part about other people not getting it, what troubles me is that you and I are starting to think an awful lot alike

[Stone]

what troubles me is that you and I are starting to think an awful lot alike

I agree: nice job, Jim.

What troubles me though, is that I've only heard four albums on his top ten list (and two of those were thanks to Jim).

If I have time this weekend, which is unlikely, I'll start putting together a top 10 list for 2005. There are still a lot of albums I bought this year that I haven't given much time to, though.

[Mike]

I never got around to making a year end comp this year but if I did I would be choosing from the following in no particular order top ten albums of 2005.

British Sea Power, Open Season
This album really got under my skin this year, a radical change from their debut that got a mixed response from most people.

Kaiserchiefs, Employment
Great combination of indie pop/rock that sounds so 80ish but fresh with it, it’s been the soundtrack for my summer.

Kraftwerk, Minimum Maximum, classic old school stuff but updated, great double live CD.

Bedouin Soundclash, Sounding a Mosaic, seems like a few people round here are taking notice of this band if you’ve heard the album you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s upbeat and it’s reggaeish and sounds great.

Spoon, Gimme Fiction got this courtesy of Dave and I never got around to buying a genuine copy but I can live with that. If I had to pick a top five this might make it, it’s that good.

Bloc Party, Silent Alarm, now this would make my top five, enough said.

Nada Surf, The Weight is a Gift, another freebie courtesy of a board member and this hasn’t been out my car player for a while.

Coldplay, X&Y, Coldplay fell into the trap of one minute being so cool and then too hot, this is a straightforward commercial album but chock full of excellent music.

Editors, The Back Room, another derivative 80’s/Interpol sound but they do it better in my opinion.

My Morning Jacket, Z, another one that’s crept up on me recently, this pretty much a complete album for me it’s got everything.


Not forgetting some near misses from so many good bands and albums like
LCD Soundsystem
Arcade Fire
Babyshambles, showing Pete Doherty, loser that he is, can still cut it
Mars Volta, well worth spending some time with
Mylo, blatant pop but ever so catchy
The Bravery
DCFC, not really what I expected and a little disappointed at first but it’s a grower
Maximo Park
Elbow
Doves
Antony and the Johnsons, I dismissed this early on but soon learnt to eat my words

I’m sure there must be some obvious MIA’s but that will do for me.

As for losers of the year a few spring to mind, how about Beck, Guero that might surprise a few but after the masterpiece of his last album Sea Change I was just so let down by this. A smattering of good tracks but not for me overall.

Moby, Hotel, poor old Moby his ten minutes of fame have now gone and he’s had his day in my books.

Eels, Blinking Lights… I like Eels and had high hopes for this after reading reviews. it’s been hailed by some as a personal masterpiece but I just don’t get it, a sprawling meandering mish mash of songs

Cheers
Mike

[Stone]

10. Animal Collective – Feels


Very obtuse, while still managing to be accessible most of the time, Feels is a very engaging and different album (and very hard to describe). It’s very enjoyable to these ears, but at times seems to try too hard to be different, especially on “Grass” which tends to grate on me.


9. Brakes – Give Blood


I didn’t hear a lot of rock music in 2005, but this one hit the spot. Give Blood ranges from a nearly hardcore political punk sound to straight ahead rock to having a country tint at times. It includes a cover of the Cash’s “Jackson” which works for me, despite my being a huge fan of the original.


8. Andrew Bird –Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs


Again using a wide variety of instruments, and a nice range of pleasant melodies, Mr. Bird continues to put out quality albums. Not a masterpiece to me, like many are claiming, but a very nice album start to finish with very nice songs and transitions.


7. Smog – A River Ain’t Too Much To Love


“Singer/songwriter” is a term that is overused these days, but it does describe Bill Callahan and his latest, A River Ain’t Too Much To Love. The beauty of this album is in the tale telling, and how the stories of his songs, best featured in “The Well” (which is a story about how finds a well after he throws a bottle into the woods, and feels bad that it could cut the paws of animals so he goes to retrieve it), engage the listener and suck you right in.


6. High On Fire – Blessed Black Wings


BLESSED! BLACK! WINGS! Is there any better testament to a song or album than when you hear certain words, a song immediately pops into your head? That’s what happens with me and the title track of this album, which is the centerpiece of a fine straight-ahead metal document. HOF create a heavy sound without a lot of flash (for example, there are not overblown two-minute guitar solos), which suits me well. Blessed Black Wings was all the metal I needed in 2005.


5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah


If you don’t want to have fun with your music and/or keep an open mind, do not bother with this album. The self-released and self-titled album from CYHSY starts off with what sounds like circus or carnival music, then turns to fun, sometimes whimsical pop that delivers the goods. This album is not the second coming, but it sure is a lot of fun.


4. Low – The Great Destroyer


The production and “sound” (which really isn’t that far removed from their previous sound) of The Great Destroyer is a welcome change and really fits Low’s style of music well. On certain tracks, the percussion is distinct and sounds out, showing Fridmann’s fingerprints all over it. Coupled with the great Low songwriting and vocal delivery, this new style pushed The Great Destroyer into top-5 land for me.


3. Okkervil River – Black Sheep Boy


There’s so much to say about this album and so little time. Starting with a cover of Tim Hardin, and fleshing out a whole album out around it seems pretty pretentious, let alone workable, but the result is a fantastic album which employs all kinds of instruments and song structures. “For Real” is the standout here, and the lyrics are dark and homicidal, sucking the listener in like the protagonist sucks in his prey.


2. Pinetop Seven – The Night’s Bloom


This album grabbed me and wouldn’t release its grip over the past couple of months. This is the perfect album for late-night listening. It has a very pleasing sound, and the songs are the best yet from this Chicago band. The instrumentation on this record is outstanding and yet not overdone. This is one beautiful record.


1. Of Montreal – The Sunlandic Twins


There is a lot of pop music out there and a lot of it sounds the same. Of Montreal has delivered an album that varies in style within itself, and from most other pop, while creating ear worms that will not go away. Many times this year I found my self singing one of the songs off this album to myself. Plus, I kept coming back and back and back to this album, even after many many listens. Some have complained about the transition from straight pop in the first half or so of the album to the more experimental, psychedelic pop of the second half, but this works perfectly for me. If the album were full of either style, I would likely be tired of it by the end, but with this setup, it flows nicely and is never tiresome. Let’s pretend we don’t exist.

[Stone]

I thought I'd try to resuscitate this year-end thread.

Certainly, some who haven't posted their year-end lists, may want to do so now.

I know that I'm always interested in what other RaveRecers deem "favourites".

From what you've heard in 2005, what are some of your favourite albums??

Man, I still have a lot of listening to do over the next few weeks before I have a even a decent idea of a top ten, let alone a top 20. Here are a few that'll surely make the list, though:

Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
The Juan Maclean - Less than Human
Animal Collective - Feels
High On Fire - Blessed Black Wings
Smog - A River Ain't Too Much To Love

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