Best Albums of 2005

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by redsock:
  It qualified, but nope, not even a mention from any of our writers. I think we need a few more snobs on staff actually.

It's an abortion of a list. Sleater Kinney, Decemberists, and New Pornographers were the top 3 records of the year? I sold all of those back.

[brennser]

Originally posted by Julian, faux celeb-porn CONNOISSEUR:
   

Originally posted by redsock:
  It qualified, but nope, not even a mention from any of our writers. I think we need a few more snobs on staff actually.

It's an abortion of a list. Sleater Kinney, Decemberists, and New Pornographers were the top 3 records of the year? I sold all of those back. [/b]

which just goes to show your abysmal taste in music...

[redsock]

Originally posted by Julian, faux celeb-porn CONNOISSEUR:
   

Originally posted by redsock:
  It qualified, but nope, not even a mention from any of our writers. I think we need a few more snobs on staff actually.

It's an abortion of a list. Sleater Kinney, Decemberists, and New Pornographers were the top 3 records of the year? I sold all of those back. [/b]

Let's not forget you could have contributed to the list. Hardly an abortion, still better than Sufjan being number one, like every other list out there.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by redsock:
  Let's not forget you could have contributed to the list. Hardly an abortion, still better than Sufjan being number one, like every other list out there.

Well, I'll grant you Sufjan isn't all it's made out to be (hell, read my review) but I at least kept that CD instead of selling it back.
 
 Also, I received no email about voting for this.
 
 Also also, I literally got that Alog CD (that supposedly was sent to me in November) yesterday so that's why you got no review, in case you care.

[ggw]

All in all, I think it's a pretty decent list.  But that's just because I think the Decemberists and Sleater Kinney put out two of the very few great albums in 2005.
 
 My only complaint is the glaring omission of Dead Meadow.

[markie]

I think it is a great list.
 
 Possibly because there are so many on there that I have not heard. Then again, if the subpar Decemberists album can make #2, I probably have not missed much.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

It had one of my top 12, so it's a better list than popmatters or pitchdork.

[kosmo vinyl]

The eMusic top 50 has some interesting choices on it, they include reissues.  Their top pick Konono No. 1 sounds very intriguing and will be downloaded this evening...
 
 Emusic Top 10
 
 01 Konono No. 1, Congotronics (Crammed Discs)
 02 Antony & The Johnsons, I Am A Bird Now (Secretly Canadian)
 03 Animal Collective, Feels (Fact Cat Records)
 04 Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
 05 Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (French Kiss Records)
 06 Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree (4AD)
 07 Annie, Anniemal (Big Beat)
 08 Various Artists, Run the Road (Vice Records)
 09 Slits, Cut (KOCH Records)
 10 Bettye LaVette, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti Records)
 11 Spoon, Gimme Fiction (Merge Records)
 12 New Pornographers, Twin Cinema (Matador Records)
 13 Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Fierce Panda)
 14 Bobby Bare, The Moon Was Blue (Dualtone)
 15 Danger Doom, The Mouse & The Mask (Epitaph)
 16 Bloc Party, Silent Alarm (Vice Records)
 17 Supersystem, Always Never Again (Touch & Go Records)
 18 James Blood Ulmer, Birthright (Hyena Records)
 19 Decemberists, Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
 20 Go-Betweens, Oceans Apart (Yep Roc Records)
 21 Eels, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Vagrant Records)
 22 John Doe, Forever Hasn't Happened Yet (Yep Roc Records)
 23 Deerhoof, The Runners Four (5 Rue Christine)
 24 Washington Phillips, Key to the Kingdom (Yazoo-Shanachie Records)
 25 Clientele, Strange Geometry (Merge Records)
 26 Gang Gang Dance, God's Money (Social Registry)
 27 Of Montreal, Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
 28 Blackalicious, The Craft (Anti Records)
 29 Albert Ammons, Hey Piano Man (JSP Records)
 30 Gogol Bordello, Gypsy Punks (Side One Dummy)
 31 Lyrics Born, Same!@#$ Different Day (Quannum Projects)
 32 Nortec Collective, Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3 (Nacional Records)
 33 The National, Alligator (Beggars Banquet)
 34 Black Mountain, Black Mountain (Jagjaguwar)
 35 Iron & Wine/Calexico, In the Reins (Overcoat Recordings)
 36 Yo La Tengo, Prisoners of Love (Matador)
 37 Cocorosie, Noah's Ark (Touch & Go Records)
 38 Isaac Hayes, Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It? (Fantasy/Stax)
 39 So Percussion, Steve Reich: Drumming (Cantaloupe Music)
 40 Vasti Bunyan, Lookaftering (Dicristina)
 41 Serge Gainsbourg, Love And The Beat Vol. 1: Love Gainsbourg's Way (Sunnyside Records)
 42 Ladytron, The Witching Hour (Rykodisc)
 43 Dave Douglas, Mountain Passages (KOCH Records)
 44 Attileo Mineo, Man in Space with Sounds (Subliminal Sounds)
 45 Various Artists, Sun Spots: The Story of Sun Records (Sun Records)
 46 Blueprint, 1988 (Rhymesayers)
 47 Dr. Dog, Easy Beat (National Parking)
 48 Horace Andy, Dance Hall Style (Wackies)
 49 Various Artists, Thai Beat A Go-Go 2 (Subliminal Sounds)
 50 Fieldwork, Simulated Progress (Pi Recordings)

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  So can anyone whose actually heard it give constructive critism of the Kanye West record? Something other than it blows Mountain Goats....  Is it one of those well done guilty pleasure/party records or just over hyped sewage.  Just curious...

it's a very good hip-hop album with enough adventurous quality that it makes mainstream music fans who are kind of afraid of underground/backpack hip-hop think that they're listening to "artistic" music (much like outkast) ... it has some fantastic productions, some pretty good flows (not great), but it blows radio mainstream shit like mike jones and young jeezy out of the water
 
 that said, everyone here should pick up danger doom, it's a great, hilarious album ... best hip-hop album of the year

[kosmo vinyl]

I'm suprised the Gogol Bordello isn't getting more nods, just downloaded the record and it has everything that all those new "punk" bands lack.  Attitude to burn on the top of a band on verge of total musical choas.  I can sense why this bands show could be amazing...

[grotty]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  All in all, I think it's a pretty decent list.  But that's just because I think the Decemberists and Sleater Kinney put out two of the very few great albums in 2005.
 
 My only complaint is the glaring omission of Dead Meadow.

I agree, but more strongly:
 Very nice list Mr Redsock.
 I particularly like your writeups which are not incidentally just snippets from the reviews.
 
 
 Oh...and for the record:
 Dead Meadow was on my submitted list

[Summerteeth]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
  It had one of my top 12, so it's a better list than popmatters or pitchdork.

I'll bite; which one Rhett?

[brennser]

It is a good list - includes some nice albums that were overlooked by alot of others, e.g., Radar Bros - I think it shows the growth of bigyawn as a site that they were able to cover so much ground during the year
 
 kudos to eric for what I know is a thankless job

[markie]

Originally posted by You go, Judge Alito:
  I'll bite; which one Rhett?

Yeah me too,
 
 Hackensaw boys or stars?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Josh Rouse
 
 

Originally posted by MTB-Markie:
   

Originally posted by You go, Judge Alito:
  I'll bite; which one Rhett?

Yeah me too,
 
 Hackensaw boys or stars? [/b]