| Best Music Of 2005 |
| So 2005 is over. I don't really have anything special to say about it except a bunch of cool music came out. Here's what I liked the most. #1. Venetian Snares: Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett: Planet Mu With an artist as prolific as Aaron Funk, each coming new release, while anticipated, usually becomes less and less of an event as when you first started following said artist. I mean, you don't usually hear someone say that Merzbow or Jandek released the best album of the year, do you? So when the new VSnares record is such a dramatic shift from his earlier stuff (his previous release was Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole), it's worth taking notice. It's not as if nobody's combined acoustic, even orchestral arrangements with harsh, complex breakbeats before, but few have done it to such stunning effect as on this album. Equal parts beautiful and frightening, this album goes beyond what I'd come to expect from Snares and creates something truly amazing. And yes, I know he stole most of these melodies from Hungarian folk songs or whatever, but I don't care, it sounds awesome. #2. M.I.A.: Arular: XL/Interscope I still wish this was the biggest selling pop album of the year. "Sunshowers" should've been huge. She should be headlining and selling out stadiums by now. Instead, I saw her at Central Park for free and at least half the crowd just didn't get it. I will be honest and say I don't think she's quite talented enough to justify the ridiculous amount of hype (that would be impossible, really), but I just love these songs so much I don't really care. From Congo to Colombo, cant't stereotype her thing, yo. #3. Drop The Lime: This Means Forever: Tigerbeat6 Based on all of the 12"s that came before this, there's no way this album couldn't possibly be amazing, and it was. Most of his best and craziest tracks are on here, and I can only hope for more good things from him. #4. Jason Forrest: Shamelessly Exciting: Sonig Going even further beyond the classic rock/disco/breakcore permutations of his previous albums, there's some truly epic, remarkable stuff here. Guest stars from outside the IDM/breakcore axis abound (Laura Cantrell! Maja Ratjke! David Grubbs!), further seperating this from the plunderphonic/mashup crowd. Not to mention, this album is just incredibly fun. #5. Duran Duran Duran: Very Pleasure: Cock Rock Disco Technically, this album hit stores last year, and most of it was stuff I'd heard the previous few years, but the scheduled release date was supposed to be 2005, so I'm counting it as this year. Anyway, this album wasn't really surprising to me, and probably to most of the people that heard it already, because by now, this type of stuff has been done before. I still think Ed is just an incredibly awesome person, and this is just a super solid album. #6. His Name Is Alive: Summer Bird EP: Time Stereo / Summer Bird CDR: Ypsilanti / UFO Catcher LP: En/Of / Raindrops Rainbow EP: Silver Mountain Media 2005 was sort of a "return to form" year for my favorite band. Not quality-wise, of course: I love everything this band has done. But after years of field recordings and free jazz, they're actually writing songs again. Not to mention, really incredibly ridiculously great songs that more people should hear (and will, once Detrola comes out next month). All the hardcore fans got an early taste of HNIA's new stuff in the form of some download-only releases, a super-limited CDR, and a super-limited (not to mention super-expensive) vinyl LP. All I can say is, lots of people are going to be very pleased to discover (or re-discover) the insane and brilliant world of Warn Defever next year. #7. Animal Collective with Vashti Bunyan: Prospect Hummer: Fatcat / Animal Collective: Feels: Fatcat / Jane: Berserker: Paw Tracks Animal Collective were always a band I wanted to appreciate, but never really could. That's mostly because their vocals tend to be pretty annoying, so having Vashti Bunyan sing most of the Prospect Hummer EP certainly helped in luting me in. Fortunately, Feels was just as great, and now I'm convinced. Don't sleep on Panda Bear's side project with Scott Mou from Other Music, either. #8: Paavoharju: Yha Hamaraa: Fonal Easily the best Christian electro-psych-folk album from Finland that I've ever heard. Nothing I've ever heard sounds like this album. #9: Terminal 11: Illegal Nervous Habits: Cock Rock Disco It's not that this album sounds different from any of Mike Castaneda's previous Terminal 11 albums. It's just shorter and more consistent, and overall a more satisfying listening experience. Can't wait for the new one on Phthalo next year... #10: Aoki Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko: 28: Fatcat The better of the 2 Tujiko albums this year. More glitchy and minimal than her earlier stuff, but still as catchy and brilliant. #11: LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem: DFA I probably should rank this higher just because of the inclusion of the group's previous singles on the second disc. "Losing My Edge" is still one of my favorite songs of the decade. Regardless, the first disc is great enough on its own, even if it's blatant that he's ripping off all his favorite bands. But "The Great Release" out-Enos the new Brian Eno album, so. #12: Vashti Bunyan: Lookaftering: DiCristina/Fatcat Long awaited comeback album by the woman with one of the most heavenly voices in music. #13: Jahcoozi: Pure Breed Mongrel: Kitty-Yo Easily one of the most slept-on albums of the year. Basically imagine Arular minus the hype, and with more bite in the lyrics, and more glitch-friendly production. Of course, that's an unfair comparison (especially since this group's singer shares the same nationality as Ms. Arulpragasam), but everyone who loved Arular certainly should check this one out too. #14: Lisbeth & Bent: The Amenathon: illphabetik.com Easily one of the harshest, sickest, noisiest breakcore albums I've ever heard. Pretty much only recommended for masochists. And people who hate pop music. #15: Gustav: Rettet Die Wale: Mosz I have a feeling that I'd probably hate this album if I was into politics. Well, at least if I was ultra pro-American. I'm not entirely sure what this album is about, but damn it if "We Shall Overcome" doesn't bring a smile to my face. It's against conformity, at least, and that's good enough for me. #16: Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom: The Days Of Mars: DFA DFA had a pretty good track record this year, and ultimately, I have to hand it to LCD Soundsystem for making the overall best album. This album, a throwback to '70s electronic music, certainly was the biggest surprise, however. #17: Mr. Oizo: Moustache (Half A Scissor): Mute No more Flat Eric, but instead, a supremely bizarre and cut-up album of electro-glitch weirdness. No way to explain this one, just listen. #18: Broadcast: Tender Buttons: Warp Ditching the type of '60s sounds that landed them a slot on the first Austin Powers soundtrack (!), Broadcast '05 sounds like a poppier version of early Cabaret Voltaire with female vocals. Sorta. With electro drumbeats, circuitbent NES noises, shoegazey guitars, and a few bursts of noise, Broadcast have created their most daring sound yet, and are basically the best band on Warp right now. #19: M83: Before The Dawn Heals Us: Mure Their previous album was more hyped, but I think they made a much more accomplished album this time out. More dramatic, certainly to the point of potentially unbearable cheesiness (I can understand if you think "Car Chase Terror!" is unlistenable... I still like it), but overall a really excellent album. I still think the first track almost sounds like their attempt at a black metal song... #20: Boom Bip: Blue Eyed In The Red Room: Lex Moving entirely away from abstract hip-hop (and almost entirely away from sample-based composition), Boom Bip has created a truly outstanding post-rock/IDM disc. Altho, I think the 2 tracks with vocals are an over-arching bid for indie credibility, but other than those, this album is incredible. I'm going to be lazy and not rank the rest of the albums I had on my list, or write descriptions. Honorable Mention: Lady Sovereign: Vertically Challenged: Chocolate Industries Isolee: We Are Monster: Playhouse Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain: Load End: The Sick Generation: Hymen Amboss/Zombieflesheater: split 12": Restroom (this was probably 2004) Vorpal: An Incomplete Guide To Vorpal Music: Cock Rock Disco Avia Gardner: More Than Tongue Can Tell: Intr_version Mad EP: Eating Movies: Ad Noiseam Neil Hamburger: Great Moments At Di Presa's Pizza House: Drag City Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster: Hippy Justice: Stereolaffs Run_return: Metro-North: n5MD Boards Of Canada: The Campfire Headphase: Warp Odd Nosdam: Burner: Anticon Bearsuit: Cat Spectacular!: Microindie Mice Parade: Bem-Vinda Vontade: Bubble Core Mice Parade: Nights Wave EP: Bubble Core Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto: Insen: Asphodel Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow: XL The Orb: Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt: Kompakt The Orb: Orbsessions: Malicious Damage Fennesz/Sakamoto: Sala Santa Cecilia: Touch AFX: Analord 1-11: Rephlex Beck: Remix EP #1 and Game Boy Remixes: Interscope Caribou: The Milk Of Human Kindness: Domino Six Organs Of Admittance: School Of The Flower: Drag City Blockhead: Downtown Science: Ninja Tune Petra Haden: Sings The Who Sell Out: Bar/None Low: The Great Destroyer: Sub Pop Carlos Giffoni: Welcome Home: Important Merzbow: Bariken: Blossoming Noise Venetian Snares: Winnipeg Is A Frozen Shithole: Sublight Jason Forrest/End: Ladies Get In Free!!! 12": Broklyn Beats Jason Forrest: Lady Fantasy EP: Sonig Hrvatski: Irrevocably Overdriven Breaks Freakout Megamix: Entschuldigen Xiu Xiu: La Foret: 5RC Assacre: Fantasic Illusions Worth Dying For: self-released Koushik: Be With: Stones Throw Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Naturally: Daptone The Budos Band: The Budos Band: Daptone Negativland: No Business: Seeland T.Raumschmiere: Blitzgrieg Pop: Mute TTC: Batards Sensibles: Big Dada Stromba: The Sitting Room: Fatcat Jaga Jazzist: What We Must: Ninja Tune Alan Astor: Everything Is Possible: Mental Monkey Drumcorps: Rmx Or Die: Kriss Sickboy: Into Oblivion: Mirex Emotional Joystick: Plays!: Zod Eyeball Skeleton: #1: My Pal God The Juan Maclean: Less Than Human: DFA DJ Koze: Kosi Comes Around: Kompakt DJ Koze AKA Adolf Noise: Wo Die Rammelwolle Fliegt: Buback Robert Pollard: Relaxation Of The Asshole: Recordhead The Octopus Project: One Ten Hundred Thousand Million: Peek-a-boo Hood: Outside Closer: Domino Jennifer Gentle: Valende: Sub Pop Aarktica: Bleeding Light: Darla Shining: In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster: Rune Grammophon Skullflower: Orange Canyon Mind: Crucial Blast Plat: Compulsion: Unschooled Montag: Alone, Not Alone: Carpark Signaldrift: Girl: Audraglint Datach'i: The Elements: Sublight Rotator: Dissident Sound Maniak 1.0: Peace Off 1-Speed Bike: Klootzak Keizer 12": Broklyn Beats 1-Speed Bike: Someone Told Me Life Gets Easier In Your 50's: Broklyn Beats The Flashbulb: Kirlian Selections: Sublight Animal Hospital: Animal Hospital: Mister Coachwhips: Peanut Butter & Jelly Live At The Ginger Minge: Narnack Pedro Angel Serrano: Live At The Court Taven: Bald, Drunk & Out Of Breath: self-released Alarm Will Sound: Acoustica: Cantaloupe Dead Meadow: Feathers: Matador Larsen: Play: Important Souvaris: I Felt Nothing At All: Bearos Beequeen: Bodyshop: Important Anthony Saunders: 092X04: Garbage In Garbage Out/102X04: As Drifting Of Night Into Morning: self-released Justus Kohncke: Doppelleben: Kompakt Artanker Convoy: Mature Fantasy: The Social Registry Control Panel (Warn Defever): Music Inspired By Abraham Lincoln's Civil War: Isonauta Hatebeak/Caninus: Bird Seeds Of Vengeance/Wolfpig 7": Reptilian Shapeshifter: Reticulum Flux: Schematic Markus Guentner: 1981: Kompakt Christian Marclay/Yasunao Tone/Christian Wolff: Event: Asphodel v/a: White Cock 2: Cock Rock Disco (i haven't heard 1, i assume it's awesome too) Enduser: Run War: Ad Noiseam Enduser: Comparing Paths: Very Friendly Enduser: Calling The Vultures: Sublight Enduser/Submerged: Appropriate And Deface: Ad Noiseam Drop The Lime: Step It Up: Mirex Maladroit: Polyester Wolf: Powerviolence Maladroit: Steed Of Darius EP: System Corrupt Maladroit: Dark Gummi Rising: self-released Voidstar Runner: Play Hard: Linguamentis Venetian Snares: Meathole: Planet Mu Hangedup: Clatter For Control: Constellation Sound Directons: The Funky Side Of Life: Stones Throw White Magic/American Analog Set: Songs Of Hurt And Healing: Tylenol Piano Magic: Open Cast Heart EP: Important Ifwhen: We Will Gently Destroy You: self-released Exposure: Lost Recordings 2000-2004: Eastern Developments Mahjongg: Raydoncong: Cold Crush Sufjan Stevens: Illinois: Asthmatic Kitty Hella: Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard: Suicide Squeeze Oxes: Oxes EP: Monitor Mount Eerie: No Flashlight: P.W. Elverum & Sun Alva Noto: Transall Cycle EPs: Raster-Noton Antibalas: Government Magic: Afrosound Somatic Responses: Pounded Mass: Hymen Hellfish: One Man Sonic Attack Force: Planet Mu Electronic Music Composer: Abandon Music: Planet Mu Exile: Pro Agonist: Planet Mu Boris: Akuma No Uta: Southern Lord M.O.T.O.: Raw Power: Criminal IQ Decomposure: At Home And Unaffected: Unschooled Alias & Ehren: Lillian: Anticon Tod Dockstader: Aerial #1: Sub Rosa Earth: Dissolution III: Troubleman Dead Hollywood Stars: Smoke & Mirrors: Hymen Numbers: We're Animals: Kill Rock Stars Nobody: And Everything Else: Plug Research Ween: Shinola Vol. 1: Chocodog Andy Bratta & Pacuk: Harmony Of The Spheres: self-released ASVA: Futurists Against The Ocean: Mimicry Hella: Homeboy EP: 5RC Alan Astor: Everything Is Possible: Mental Monkey Hollertronix: Bmore Gutter Music: Milkcrate Songs Of Green Pheasant: Songs Of Green Pheasant: Fatcat Dosh: Powder Horn: Dosh Family Steve Reich: You Are (Variations): Nonesuch Vex'd: Degenerate: Planet Mu Sunn O))): Black One: Southern Lord Domotic: Ask For Tiger: Active Suspension mu-ziq: Ease Up 12": Planet Mu Black Dice: Broken Ear Record: DFA Phon.o: Burn Down The Town: Tigerbeat6 Ocean: Here Where Nothing Grows: Important XXL: Ciautistico!: Important Windy & Carl: Dedications To Flea/The Dreamhouse: Kranky Christopher Bissonnette: Periphery: Kranky DJ Scotch Egg: KFC Core: AD AAD AT Ergo: Ergo: self-released No-Neck Blues Band: Qvaris: 5RC Jana Hunter: Blank Unstaring Heirs Of Doom: Gnomonsong Sun Kil Moon: Tiny Cities: Caldo Verde Audion: Suckfish: Spectral XBXRX: Sixth In Sixes: Polyvinyl One Self: Children Of Possibility: Ninja Tune Quantic Soul Orchestra: Pushin' On: Ubiquity Quasimoto: Further Adventures Of Lord Quas: Stones Throw Missy Elliott: The Cookbook: Elektra Amerie: Touch: Columbia (ok really just "One Thing") Mu: Out Of Breach (Manchester's Revenge): Output (ok really just "Paris Hilton") reissues/comps/archival releases/etc: His Name Is Alive: King Of Sweet: Time Stereo Cocteau Twins: Lullabies To Violaine: 4AD Stereolab: Oscillons From The Anti-Sun: Too Pure Belle & Sebastian: Push Barman To Open Old Wounds: Matador Control Panel: Music Inspired By Abraham Lincoln's Civil War: Isonauta AFX: Hangable Auto Bulb: Warp Ennio Morricone: Crime & Dissonance: Ipecac v/a: Artificial Intelligence I and II: Warp Quasimoto: The Unseen: Deluxe Edition: Stones Throw The Fall: Complete Peel Sessions: Castle King Tubby/African Brothers: African Brothers Meet King Tubby In Dub: Naturesounds Gang Of Four: Entertainment!: Rhino James Kochalka Superstar: Our Most Beloved: Ryko Sonic Youth: Goo [Deluxe Edition]: Geffen Stooges: Stooges and Fun House: Rhino Spoils Of War: II: Shadoks v/a: Tsunbosajiki: Renda DJ /Rupture: Redux 12": Broklyn Beats DJ Shadow: Endtroducing (Deluxe Edition): Interscope Messer Chups: Crazy Price: Ipecac Mum: Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK: Morr Can: crapload of reissues: Mute Lali Puna: I Thought I Was Over That: Morr Mutamassik: Definitive Works: Sound Ink Unrest: Imperial F.F.R.R. Deluxe Edition: TeenBeat v/a: Sidetracked: Mode Of Proof v/a: Run The Road: Vice v/a: The Rough Guide To Dub: World Music Network v/a: Famous When Dead 4: Playhouse Cex: Starship Galactica: Temporary Residence King Tubby/African Brothers: African Brothers Meet King Tuby In Dub: Naturesounds Curtis Chip: Eating Paste: Ad Noiseam Ruins: Vrresto: Skingraft Ruins: Pallaschtom: Skingraft Mogwai: Government Commissions: Matador v/a: Wasted: Mirex/Cock Rock Disco v/a: Monsters Of Mashup: Ad Noiseam v/a: Invasion From XXX Dimension: Mutant Sniper Adventure v/a: Hey Lets Break Section 1 and 2: Netwav Dr. Israel: Inna City Pressure: ROIR Current 93: Sixsixsix Sicksicksick: Durtro Current 93: Thunder Perfect Mind: Durtro Kraftwerk: Minimum-Maximum: Astralwerks Alan Braxe & Friends: The Upper Cuts: PIAS Masters At Work: The Kings Of House: BBE/Rapster RZA & Keb Darge: The Kings Of Funk: BBE/Rapster TV Toy: Shards 1977-1983: Reversing v/a: Radio Pyongyang: Sublime Frequencies v/a: Guitars Of The Golden Triangle: Sublime Frequencies v/a: Choubi Choubi!: Sublime Frequencies v/a: Pop Ambient 2006: Kompakt v/a: Total 6: Kompakt v/a: Camping: Bpitch Control v/a: World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love Is A Real Thing: The Funky Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa: Luaka Bop v/a: Studio One Lovers: Soul Jazz Sunn O))): The GrimmRobe Demos: Southern Lord Dinosaur Jr: Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me and Bug: Merge Brian Eno: soundtrack series of reissues: Astralwerks Yo La Tengo: Prisoners Of Love: Matador Astor Piazzolla: The Rough Guide To Astor Piazzolla: World Music Network v/a: Spectral Sound Vol. 1: Ghostly Guided By Voices: Propeller: Scat Guitar Wolf: Golden Black: Narnack Galaxie 500: Peel Sessions: 20|20|20 v/a: OHM+ The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music: Ellipsis Arts They Might Be Giants: They Got Lost: Zoe Current 93: Judas As Black Moth: Castle Nurse With Wound: Livin' Fear Of James Last: Castle Dead Can Dance: Memento: 4AD Senor Coconut: Coconut FM: Essay v/a: Acid: Can You Jack?: Soul Jazz Criterion: Disco Rallado: Broklyn Beats v/a: Children Of Nuggets: Rhino Ulrich Schnauss: Farawy Trains Passing By: Domino Young Marble Giants: Live At The Hurrah: Cherry Red v/a: Sous La Neige: Where Are My Records Le Dust Sucker: Le Dust Sucker: Plong! Mochipet: Feel My China Vol. 1: Component v/a: Music For Plants: PerfectIfOn M83: M83: Mute Most Disappointing Album Of The Year: Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins: Polyvinyl 2 great songs, other than that, what happened? Stop this avant-disco tedium and make fun music again. |