Best Music of 2005

[dukkadukka]

it's that time of year again...

 

name your five favourite albums this of 2005; and aswell as that an "unearthed gem", an album over 10 years old that you've only just discovered this year.

 

here's my selection(in no particular order)

 

CoCoRosie - Noah's Ark

their second album in as many years, i just can't stop listening to it. if you like experimental music, especially along the lines of devendra banhart and joanna newsom, you should definitely get this.

 

Girls Aloud - Chemistry

this is the most "pop" album i have ever listened to, and yet it references more genres and periods of music than any indie band i've heard this year. i know it's easy to look down your nose at them, but you're missing out if you do.

 

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

i have to say this album just floored me. in 2005, an all-american christian is the last person i'd expect to come out with one of the most tender and forward-thinking albums in years, but he did. more than anyone else on my list, i would recommend sufjan stevens to anyone and everyone.

 

Diane Cluck - Oh Vanille

incredibly pure-sounding folk music, she has the most striking voice i've ever heard. a brilliant songwriter, her music has soul.

 

MIA - Arular

i really don't know what to say about this album, it's just a mish-mash of styles. if you like the go! team, annie or gwen stefani you'll love this album.

 

UNEARTHED GEM

 

Patti Smith - Horses

I've only started listening to it in the past month, but it's just phenomenal. Pretty much any woman in indie today can be traced back to this album. everyone should have this in their collection, it's genius.

 

p.s) please give explanations for your choices too

[rizz]

Imo, 2005 has had a few disappointments, like the latest albums by Foo Fighters, System of a Down, and Rammstein. However, there was one album this year that really stood out for me.

 

1349 - Hellfire

Their third album, and it's most awesome. It's black metal, and as some might say, it sounds tr00 :P Well, it does sound like that, with everything being excellent. Playing drums myself, I have to love Frost's drumming, which is so fast yet remains consistant. I wouldn't know much about the other instruments, but I love what comes from them, and if anyone has seen the video for the track 'sculptor of flesh' you will see how fast they are. It seems a lot bigger and fuller and more thought out to me than the other albums, but it is longer than the others, and has a track that is 13:49 long (and that band is called 1349 if you didnt notice :P)

[kopo]

Of the albums i listened to death this year:

 

Lullabies to paralyse from QOTSA. Their darkest, most serious album yet. Their 5th album is also the most mature. After the incredible thundermassiveawesomenesswave that was SFTD, this is a little more quiet, but still rocks you off your socks. Little Sister is pure melodical genius, whereas the bass in Burn the Witch hits you in the face and it also has this awesomly smooth melody that takes you away to higher places. And Medication is good old fashioned old-school QOTSA. Every song on this album is wicked and sublime on every front: lyrics, melody, rythm, singing,...

 

In Your Honor from the Foo Fighters.

Fast, hard, rocking, bass VS soft, quiet, introvert slower music. My fav is by far the first cd in this double album. It just rocks. Although I find FF less subtle than QOTSA, they sure know how to make some loud, hard music. In Your Honor, DOA, The Last Song, Hell and Best of You stand out as my favs of the album, and also as some of my favorite FF songs. Less refined then usual though, but still perfect for headbanging and going all out.

Then the second cd, is more quiet, sensitive. Less my kind of thing tbh, but Grohl and co do an admireable job at a new domein for the FF.

 

Then there's Nite Versions from Soulwax. Basically a dance remix from Any minute now. So it's AMN on speed and better. It made the transition from rock to dance rather well and before you know it you'll be in love with Accidents and compliments, E-talking and the rest.

 

 

Then there's the ones who didn't make it:

Heft Fine from the Bloodhound Gang. They seem to have lost their sharp edge. The brilliant and razorsharp lyrics from classics such as the Bad Touch and Lift Your Head up High and Blow Your Brains out is gone, only sporadically pops up in Uhn Tiss Uhn tiss uhn tiss and No hard feelings. Also their music has evolved from 'dancy' 90s to more modern er years 2000-2005 kind of stuff. Something Diabolical is nice, but where's the edge to cut your fingers onand your neighbours neck? Gone with the wind

 

(No) More Sweet Music from Hooverphonic.

Probably a fantastic album, just haven't listened enough to it yet to form a decent verdict. Wake up is sublime though, the soft and 'hard' version. And No More Sweet Music is just .... awesome.

[rizz]

See, compared to other stuff by Foo's, I don't find In Your Honour heavy :-/ I was expecting stuff like 'My Poor Brain', 'Weenie Beanie' and 'Enough Space', but I was disappointed

[Roostophe]

2005 has been alright IMO. And there have been some good albums this year.

 

Editors - The Back Room

This is a great Indie album, with songs like 'Munich', 'Blood' and 'Bullets', and the brilliant 'Fingers In The Factories'.

 

Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze

Brilliant album, brilliant tracks, songs like Medication and Everybody Knows You're Insane makes me want to:

 

We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor

Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt, need I say more? Absolutely brilliant.

 

System Of A Down - Mezmerize/Hypnotize

Just truly fantastic, I can't really say much more.

 

Foo Fighters - In Your Honour

A lot of people have slated this, but I like this quite a lot. True, there are a couple of naff tracks, such as Free Me, Resolve and Virginia Moon. But songs like The Deepest Blues Are Black, End Over End, The Sign, Still, What If I Do?, Another Round, Cold Day In The Sun and Razor are just fantastic.

 

blink-182 - Greastest Hits

Farewell to Tom, Mark and Travis. This album contains all their gems, such as Carousel, Dammit, Adam's Song, Man Overboard, The Rock Show, First Date, Feeling This, I Miss You, Always and Not Now.

 

I'm sure I have a hidden gem I got this year, but I can't remember, so I might as well give you my hidden gem from last year, which was:

 

Jeff Buckley - Sketches for My Sweetheart The Drunk

The album that will never be completed. Songs that could have been part of Jeff's second album. Some good (Vancouver, Nightmares By The Sea), some great (The Sky Is A Landfill, Haven't You Heard), some the greatest songs I have ever heard (Jewel Box, Morning Theft, Everybody Here Wants You) some just plain weird(Murder Suicide Meteor Slave, Back In NYC).

[altheman]

My two picks of the year...

 

Arcade Fire - Funeral (best album I've heard in years)

Fischerspooner - Odyssey (which sold about 5 copies)

 

In Your Honour was a bit of a disappointment, the acoustic disc started to grate after about 3 or 4 listens, although Best Of You, DOA and Deepest Blues are Black are pretty good.

[Wesley]

Aracade Fire - (Funeral) Finally something truely different that doesn't totally alienate your listener! I've been begging for one of these sort of albums since The Dears last one.

 

Wolf Parade (Apologies to the Queen Mary) - One of my favourite bands finally release their first album!

 

Elbow (Leaders of the Free World) - One of my favourite bands go back to their Asleep At The Back-ish routes which was nice, I do actually perfer their last album's sound, but still: Lovely stuff!

[Dan_Dare]

Ive recently gathered quite a collection of retro glory so I'll post some of them

 

The Who: Who's next. utter, utter genius. really is one of the best rock albums imo.

 

The Clash: London Calling. I avoided the hype around the clash, but now i realise sometimes you should beleive the hype. buy this.

 

The Jimmi Hendrix Experience: Axis Bold As Love. A more blues orientated album than are you experienced, and it's utterly fantastic.

 

The Velvet Underground And Nico. really awesome chilled out stuff. sunday morning is aa lovelyan opening track as you will ever come across.

[Tom]

The Mars Volta - Frances the mute: Probably my most listened to album released this year. I love it. It is one of the most beautifull albums ever imo.

 

The Arcade Fire - Funeral: A very recent discovery for me. A few weak tracks but on the whole very strong. I love the first few tracks in particular.

 

Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm burning star: Another very new discovery which I love for many of the same reasons as the Arcade Fire.

 

Queens of the Stoneage - Lullabies to Paralyze: Strong, loud, catchy and very different. My favourite album by QOTSA by a mile.

 

Trivium - Ascendancy: In the future this album will be heralded as one of the first really quality albums of the 'new metal' (not nu-metal) scene. The solo is back, along with great vocals are powerfull songs.

 

Also rans: Meshuggah - catch 33, SOAD - Mesmerise/Hypnotize, Oasis - Don't Beleive the Truth, Sigur Rós - Takk

 

A big mention also to The Fall of Boss Koala, whose debut EP launched this year. Its a fantastic EP, and has resulted in them being signed, and to Hey Pablo! who launched their debut EP and deserve to be signed ASAP!

[the_mars_volta]

The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back - Stunning second album from the UK's finest. Completely lived up to my expectations. What an album!!!

 

Juliette And The Licks - You're Speaking My Language - Hollywood actress Juliette Lewis formed a band. And they made one of the best albums this year. Rock 'n' roll at its finest. I LOVE this band!!!

 

Melanie C - Beautiful Intentions - You may laugh, but this Spice Girl is incredibly talented, with an amazing voice. She took a 'rock' direction for this album and it definitely paid off. An incredibly underrated album imo...she might be big again next year, her latest single has just been number 1 in a lot of mainland Europe countries. Listen to this album because she is better than you.

 

System Of A Down - Mezmerize - I love both of the albums they released this year, but this is my favourite. Fantastic singalongs, incredible riffs. A fantastic return to form after the dire 'Steal This Album!'

 

Foo Fighters - In Your Honour - Can you hear meeeeeeeeeeee? Hear me screamiiiiiiiiiiiing?!?!? Foo Fighters returned with one of their very best albums. Dave Grohl is a god!!! Acoustic side was refreshing.

________

Voyeur tube

Edited April 2, 2011 by the_mars_volta

[Charlie]

I think 2005 has been a pretty poor year for music, in comparison to 2004 anyway.

 

Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth

Oasis almost at the their best, not one song on the album is bad.

 

Coldplay - X&Y

I love this album, every single song on it is good.

 

Robbie Williams - Intensive Care

The Darkness - One Way Ticket

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Of Have It So Much Better

 

Unearthed Gem:

Pink Floyd - The Wall

[Infinete]

dunno when these were realeased, these are just ones that i bought this year;

Good Good Charlotte - Chcinicles of life and death

Blink 182 - Greates hits

Cold Play - Greatest his

Gorrilaz - Demon Days

Mike Shinoda - Fort Minor

(i diont have an albun by ORGY but i highly recomend it, expecially the song fiction)

[Ramar]

Cauterize - Paper Wings

 

Thought the band was gonna go down the piss pan when they were dropped by Wind-Up. This album is solely independant and quite frankly its freaking awesome, a huge improvement from So Far From Real. Amazing band, I really hope they hit it big.

 

Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

 

A band I've only recently over the last few months discovered, but they are amazing, and I'm going to see them when the support The Acadmey Is in January.

 

Other than that most of the albums I've been buying are from a few years back.

[Platty]

The Subways - Young for eternity

Love the whole album and been to see them 3 times this year

 

Oasis - Dont believe the truth

nothing needs to be said.

 

Hard Fi - Stars of CCTV

Love the album

 

Editors - The back room

great band

 

Babyshambles - Down in Albion

been waiting ages for pete's new masterpiece and i love it

 

UNEARTHED GEM

 

Yeah yeah yeahs - Fever to tell

possibly may have got this last year but its a damn good album and i love it. They are even better live.

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze

Very well written and played.

Bruce Dickinson- Tyranny Of Souls

Easily the most melodical, and just plain enjoyable album all year.

[Cheapshot]

Gorrilaz - Demon Days: It's all so damn original and a breath of fresh air from all the generic crap around lately.

[broadwayrock]

I have not really kept up with the new bands until the second half of the year so:

 

Arcade Fire - Funeral

 

I love it when a band comes along and does not sound like any of its peers.

 

Josh Rouse - Nashville

 

At first i was really dissapointed in this album. It seemed like leftovers from his previous album 1972. But it was a grower: 'My Love Has Gone' turned out to be one of my favourate songs this year.

 

Block Party - Silent Alarm

 

Although i find the album patchy towards the end, when they are on target they can amaze. 'Banquet' is a superb song.

 

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

 

I only found out about this guy last month. The album has wonderful arangements and a varied approach to songwriting, something few artists in America have at the moment.

 

Does Lullabies To Paralyze require more listens? because ive only heard it twice and found it a noticable step down in quality compared to the previous two albums.

 

Unearthed Gem

Every so often i come accross a band that transports me to a different world when i listen to them and i have to listen to all their albums (ie: Pixies, Replacements, Go Betweens):

 

Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional

 

It took me about 6 months of listening to truely understand this album by the '80s Austrailian band. It is very much a 'grower' album.

 

Even though it was recorded in London it sounds so much like some Austrailian landscape in the outback. There are echos of other bands such as Velvet Underground and the Go Betweens, yet they manage to make those influences their own.

 

Its also refreshing to come across a lyricist whom can create a mini novel in a five minute like Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

 

The song 'Wide Open Road' help mend a broken heart earlier this year.

 

Although their are more highlights in their following albums: 'In The Pines' and 'Calenture', this is the album that started it all for me.

 

Future Recommendations

 

The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth

 

I liked their first album (even though it was heavily overhyped) and was disappointed with their second album, but i got hold of a 'preview' copy of their third album it is much better than the second one.

 

The Strokes have matured as a band and have become more adventurous in their sound. Better than the White Stripes disappointing latest album.

[dukkadukka]

ooh, i didn't know first impressions had leaked yet, i'll give that a listen now.

 

glad to see qotsa getting recognition aswell, imo lullabies is their best album, dark and magical and jsut altogether fantabulous thanks broadway and cheapshot for reminding me of bloc party and gorillaz, they were two of the best british records i've heard in a long time.

 

dan dare, congratulations for discovering the sheer awesomeness of the velvet underground, you'll be listening to that album for a long time yet

[ShavenWolf]

5 Albums (in no order):

 

Hard Fi - Stars Of CCTV

It's one of those albums that could be a soundtrack to your weekend. Hence 'Living For The Weekend', I guess... Loads of energy, tunes to match, 'Move On Now' is an awesome break-up song too.

 

Sigur Rós - Takk...

I had the pleasure of seeing these live the other week. The words 'atmosphere' 'cut' 'through' and 'knife' didn't do it justice. Huge crecendos, songs that make you feel glad to be alive, and 'Hoppípolla'/'Með Blóðnasir' is worth it alone.

 

Gorillaz - Demon Days

I saw these live too the other week. Awesome band (if you can call them a 'band') and damn catchy songs to go with it too! This album could be a classic someday...

 

Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft

I don't know if it's about obsessing over the makers of Dairylea, but this album gets my thumbs up! This summery album is going to be the cure to my mid-winter blues. 'Zoom!' and 'Frequency' are my stand-outs.

 

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

This album kicks arse. 'Nuff said. Though, yes, one or 2 songs at the end are a little duff.

 

In the running: Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World, Kaiser Chiefs - Employment, Coldplay - X&Y, Doves - Some Cities.

 

Special Mention: ARCTIC MONKEYS!!! I know they've not had an album out, but they're the most exciting band since... god knows!

 

Unearthed Gem:

 

Sigur Rós - Ãgætis Byrjun

 

I can't believe I let this one slip by me, even though it was in my house since it came out in the UK in 2000! Such amazingly beautiful music. Listen to it in the dark with headphones for maximum effect. Or on an aeroplane, going to NY, going through massive turbulance... that was quite unique...

[Platty]

I would have put Bloc party - silent alarm down cos i listen to it nearly everyday and love it (also seen them 2 times this year) but i thought that i got the album in 2004.... :S

[MunKy]

KoRn - See You on the Other Side, came out today, and its awesome.

Mudvayne - Lost and Found

System of a Down - Mezmerize, havent got Hypnotize yet but Im sure it will be awesome.

Bullet for my Valentine - The Poison, There sort of a welsh Trivium. Much better vocals though.

Trivium - Ascendancy. Ive heard a bit of it and its brilliant, the solo to A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation is sex on a fretboard.

 

I was dissapointed with Lullabies to Paralyze. It was alright but a bit meh.

[dukkadukka]

just remembered two of my fasvourite electronic albums this year, four tet's "everything ecstatic" and broadcast's "tender buttons".

 

broadwayrock, thanks for the heads-up on the new strokes album, i've been listening to it all day. another 2006 release that's been leaked is cat power's "the greatest", it's absolutely brilliant.

 

just wondering aswell, did anyone else think the kaiser chiefs album was bollocks?

[Platty]

Kaiser chiefs are a wanna be Blur band. However i quite like the album.

[djamb3]

Limp Bizkit greatest hitz, SOAD mezmerize (hipnotize its not that good), Donavon Frekeinreiter (not sure it was this year but I love it), Blind Zero (great portuguese band)

[McPhee]

Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

 

A band I've only recently over the last few months discovered, but they are amazing, and I'm going to see them when the support The Acadmey Is in January.

 

Panic! At the Disco rule!!! Where you going to see them live? And to all those who dont know who they are there are a cople of free, legal, demos on the net or check out their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/panicatthedisco

 

As for my top 5, its difficult as i found this year to be very good for music so im going to give a top 10 instead and drop the reasons (aint got time to write them out, got a lecture soon)

 

1. Editors - The Back Room

2. Block Party - Silent Alarm

3. Bright Eyes - Im Wide Awake, Its Morning

4. Stereophonics - Language Sex Violence Other.

5. Wily Mason - Where the Humans Eat

6. Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger

7. The Subways - Young For Eternity

8. Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

9. Death From Above 1979 - Your a Woman, Im a Machine

10. Nine Black Alps - Everything Is

 

Hopes for 2006 - Panic! At the Disco, Arctic Monkeys, Test Icles, We Are Scientists, Mystery Jets