Best of 2005 (from LJ)

Because I happen to like music and thought 2005 to be an excellent year of music, I comprised a list of my favorite albums. It seemed as if on the whole there were a lot of really well crafted albums, and I couldn't tell if I had lowered my standards or if everyone was aiming to make a landmark record. This list is based on my personal favorites, but was influenced by the "greatness" and "bestness" factors.

20. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us (Gooom)
I bought this album in philly on perhaps the best weekend of the year, after playing a huge show. I was sick and listened to it driving home with kent and mar and sometimes when I hear it, I feel sick, but not because the album's sickening! Sometimes melodramatic, but really nice tones and atmosphere.


19. Supersystem - Always Never Again (Touch and Go)
After seeing them at the best show of 2004 as El Guapo, I was interested, but heard the El Guapo albums were a bust. This came out, and owned. Nothing new really, somewhere in between Q and Not U and !!!, but it's fun.


18. Coldplay - X & Y (Capitol)
Not a hip choice, Trav. Have you grown into a high school girl? Everytime I see them or read about them, I really dislike Chris Martin more and more. If that were not the case, this would probably be higher because it's a really solid album. Sounds like it was recorded in 2015, awesome synth / organ combos, funkier drumming than last 2 albums. 'Future Music' for malls.


17. Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die (Bar None)
I thought this was an uncreative creative album. Uncreative: steals premise of polyphonic spree, who steal from the flaming lips. Creative: Songs. Really happy, I guess annoying if you're not happy. Hippies, beards, excess instrumentation. Sounds like I don't like this. I do though.


16. The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever (Too Young To Die)
Cool! I really liked the theme of "Be Gentle With Me" which is about the fragility of life, but with a disco beat! I ended up putting it on almost every mix I made this year. Folky, 70's AM Gold harmonies.


15. Deerhoof - The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
First Deerhoof album I've heard. People that like Deerhoof LOVE Deerhoof and swear they're the almighty band of bands. I don't really get that, but they are unique and creative and kinda charming. The selling point is the guitar solo in "You Can See."


14. Brendan Benson - The Alternative To Love (V2/Startime International)
This reminds me a lot of Novi because, I believe, this was the last album I bought living there and ended up listening to it a lot while knowing I would be getting out soon. So there's a lot of hopeful excitement that I attached to this. I like where Dude's head is at, but this is also the second album that features a song for a car commercial...and the other isn't even coldplay! Gah...i'm not doing so hot here...


13. Alec Jensen - Oh! Brother (King of Hearts)
The Great White Hope of Michigan Indie (Segernomics being the Diaper Dandy/Freshman Phenom of 05 for Michigan Indie). This is really awesome and authentic. Very appropriate production and great songwriting. It's exciting to me that there is a guy just around the corner, full of creativity that's just getting started.


12. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
This was not "You Forgot It In People" and it was not supposed to be...or was it? I don't expect them to make the same album, but maybe at least to keep up. Production was a bit too slick, songs were a bit too catchy, it's just a bit "too," you know? The restraint and emptier points of YFIIP were what made it great. This album is balls to the wall from start to finish, and to that I say, "Hey. Guys. Take your balls off the wall sometimes."


11. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (Merge)
I swear when I bought this I thought "D+, maybe C at best" and considered trading it in. Foolish! What a cool rock album! Swagger rock! Britt Daniel seems to be a bit pretentious, but maybe I misread him. Good luck on Veronica Mars, dude!


10. Kanye West - Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella)
I don't like Kanye West. If I knew how to change the font to a smaller size, this would be the album I would do it for. Maybe more embarassing than Coldplay. Now, initially this may seem hypocritical because I have decided in recent past that I don't think I could integrate rap albums with indie rock albums because it's kinda like comparing apples and oranges. But I don't see this as a rap album or even a hip hop album. True, there is "rapping" on the album, but musically it's a jazz/pop album. If this said Jon Brion "Late Registration" it would probably be bumped up 5 spots.


9. Of Montreal - The Sundlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
In the summer this was my favorite to be number 1, but pop don't last, bro. Still a really neat one man show. Bright, funky, jazzy, poppy, happy.


8. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (Atlantic)
Oh where to begin. Kinda shallow, fellas. The songs are mostly steady, moderate, stable (no pun intended). Didn't really take a lot of chances. I guess the end of "Different Names..." is new for the band, but they're really just incorporating the Postal Service which is kinda whoring themselves, I think. It is hard to take them at their word anymore, and their credibility is kinda shot. But "Marching Bands of Manhattan" is one of the best songs they've ever written. Oh, and The OC. I think there's an unwritten law that says I'm obligated to mention that somewhere.


7. Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Feel The Illinoise! (Asthmatic Kitty)
The overwhelming pick for album of the year, the definitive 2005 album. This probably should have been much higher on my own list. When I was making my list, I seemed to think there was a lot of unnecessary noise tracks that broke up the flow of the album. I don't know why. I was really really wrong. I don't have a lot of emotional ties to this as I did with Seven Swans but this is an excellent, excellent album and deserves all of the praise it's receiving.


6. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop)
This album was quick to be awesome. But it was obviously awesome to many people and was a bit overhyped (SAT analogy - Death Cab: The OC, as Wolf Parade: Isaac Brock). Fun fact: I once listened to this album two times in a row, maybe the only time this feat was accomplished with a 2005 album. It was still 1000 times easier and more fun than one listen of Frances the Mute.


5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! (Self-Released)
Best band name of the year until I heard of "Let's Get Out Of This Terrible Sandwich Shop" on The Onion. This is really smooth and jerky at the same time. Each song is great and maybe the best on the album. I don't know how much staying power this will have or what the next album will sound like. Hopefully they won't go the way of other NY bands like The Rapture or The Strokes and fade away.


4. Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift (Barsuk)
Nada Surf, you wounded bird, I will love you when nobody else does. This is maybe the album that I hold nearest and dearest to me for the simple fact that no one else liked it. Which is fair. At first, I thought the lyrics were super campy and the music was too simple. But it eventually blossomed, much like "Gimme Fiction," and I saw all of its wonderful-ness and have come to love it maybe more than "Let Go" which is an all-time fave.


3. The Decemberists - Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
They were next in line to absorb the "favorite indie band" title from death cab, but had to go and totally blow it. Capitol's cool though, say hi to Yellowcard for me. Another slow-growing album, but aren't those always the best? If this is their last great album, I can live with that.


2. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (Matador)
13 bombs of exploding joy! Super dense power pop, way better than the last album. It has lots of variety and great hooks; each song has its own quirks. Carl Newman is 37! Holy crap! Do you know Neil Diamond, man?


1. Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent, Jens (Secretly Canadian) - This is my most favorite album that I heard all year. It has redefined what I love as a "sound": Clever like Moz, lush like Belle & Sebastian, lo-fi like Yo La Tengo. This album also has 100% awesome individual songs, each unique and special. "Pocketful of Money" has booming backup bass vocals that sound like Thurl Ravenscroft singing that one song about the grinch. "A Man Walks Into A Bar" is lyrically funny like Atom and His Package, but endearing; the perfect balance of humor and sincerity. "Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill" is awesome block party music for hot summer nights with an neat Warren G reference. I heard that Jens is hanging it up for a while, which bummed me out, but that might make this album even more special.