Now that you’ve seen Peter’s top 10 albums of ‘05 (if you haven’t, I suggest you check it out — let Peter be your guide into the unknown), I’ll pass along my top 10, in no particular order.
10. Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt
The album was originally released in 2004, but it was re-released in 2005 with a few bonus tracks, so I had to seize the opportunity to put this one on my list. Most of you may not have heard of this Swedish, psychadellic rocker, but this album is a real gem. The songs are amazingly well constructed, the whole thing is a sonic masterpiece, and maybe best of all, the lyrics sound funny.
9. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
I’m clearly not the only one who liked this album, because it has rapidly gained popularity over the last year or so. I was hooked right after listening to the opening track, “Like Eating Glass.” This album is superbly creative, shows off some impressive musicianship, and the whole thing exudes energy like you wouldn’t believe.
8. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
I picked up this album on a bit of a whim, but totally fell in love with BSS’s sound right away. There’s something so distinctive about their sound, yet it’s one of those things you can’t quite put a finger on. These guys definitely know how to put together an album too — not just a collection of songs.
7. Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum
The Godfathers of techno. I didn’t know anything about Kraftwerk until I saw all these references to them in Coldplay interviews over the last year or so. So, again (there’s a theme developing here…), I picked up the album on a whim. I listened to it and thought it was pretty cool, but it wasn’t until I found out that most of the songs they performed were written over 20 years ago that I realized the real genius behind this group; they essentially created a lot of the keyboard/synth sounds that people have been using for the last 20 years — amazing stuff.
6. M.I.A. - Arular
I had no idea what to make of M.I.A. at first listen, but after awhile, there was something so raw and energetic about her beats and vocals that kept me coming back for more. And before hearing her, I didn’t think anything so sassy could possibly exist on this Earth.
5. Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
I had been a big fan of Nickel Creek even before this album, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed this album as well. The performances — singing and instrumental — are typically amazing, and the songs are solid too. I also loved the fact that they went out on a bit of a limb and threw some drums in a couple songs for the first time.
4. Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Another album I picked up on a whim that I ended up enjoying a great deal. The lead singer’s voice has a lot of personality, and the songs are well put together. Actually, I feel like some of their songs are very much in the vein of songs we might write / have written. All in all, it’s just a very solid album from top to bottom.
3. Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
I always thought that “Bandages” was a catchy song (off their first CD), but I thought it was almost annoyingly catchy in the sense that the singer’s voice started to wear on me. So, I wasn’t totally sure that I could stand a whole CD of his voice. After hearing “Middle of Nowhere” though, I had to at least give it a try. The CD isn’t great by any means, but it’s filled with catchy, energetic, and short songs; the CD keeps on moving, and before you know it, it’ll be over — but I guarantee after it’s all said and done you’ll have one of the songs stuck in your head.
2. My Morning Jacket - Z
I was luke-warm on one of MMJ’s prior releases (”It Still Moves”) that I had purchased, but decided after all the positive reviews that I better check out “Z.” I was pretty blown away by the improvement from the old CD I had to the new one. The instrumentation is great, the songs are all pretty engaging, and the production quality is really interesting and cool. A pleasant surprise, I’d say.
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Much like Peter, I was extremely impressed by Sufjan’s 2005 effort. I was vaguely familiar with Sufjan prior to “Illinoise,” but I never thought he was capable of something so grand and so unbelievably musical. I remember Andrew Martin saying something to the effect of, “Albums like this make you realize that there’s so much more out there when it comes to writing music.” I couldn’t agree more; the arrangements are extraordinary (in the truest sense of the word), the melodies are lovely, and the songs are works of art. I just can’t say enough good things about this album.
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