Mid Year Bests

[ratioci nation]

Top 5 Albums
 
 The National - Alligator
 Lucero - Nobody's Darling (I like it more and more, maybe better now than the last one)
 The Go Betweens - Oceans Apart (I think it is pretty remarkable that they can still make an album this good)
 Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
 Clem Snide - End of Love

[sonickteam2]

I'll go
 
 Albums:
 
  Soundtrack Of Our Lives, The - "Origin 1"
  Mercury Rev - Secret Migration
  Backyard Babies - "Tinnitus"
 
 
 Shows:
 
  Weezer - Toronto
  Dinosaur Jr. - last night
  TSOOL - Rams Head
  Live8 - Barrie, ONT

[BookerT]

my favorite records have been "axes" by electrelane, "life & love in sparrow's meadow" by the skygreen leopards and "celebration castle" by the ponys.
 
 my favorite shows have been the wedding present at the black cat and unrest at the black cat.

[grotty]

Originally posted by BookerT:
  my favorite records have been..."celebration castle" by the ponys.
 
 

free Ponys MP3s here:
 http://www.theponys.com/

[amnesiac]

Albums:
 
  Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
  Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
  Spoon - Gimme Fiction
  Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
  Decemberists - Picaresque
  Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T
  Bright Eyes - (both albums)
 
 Shows:
 
 Arcade Fire @ 9:30 Club
 Bloc Party @ Black Cat, Coachella
 Pixies @ Merriweather
 Crooked Fingers @ Black Cat
 Secret Machines @ Coachella
 Black Star @ Coachella

[markie]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  Anyone heard the Oneida "The Wedding"? People were raving about it on eMusic, so far it's strikes me as something some of ya'll would enjoy.

They had a song on the rough trade compilation of covers, "stop me if you think you have heard this one before."
 
 I didn't like it that much.

[markie]

So far my year bests:
 
 dislocating my shoulder and getting back on the bike three days later.
 
 Doing 130 miles on the C&0 canal in one day.
 
 3 man team victory in sport at the 12 hours of Lodi.
 
 The Edge Trail in Fruita
 
 Oh, and the new national album.

[SalParadise]

i really need to catch up on the 2005 stuff, but from what i've heard:
 
 lcd soundsystem
 the evens
 electrelane - 'axes'
 rio baile funk: favela booty beats
 mice parade - 'bem-vinda vontade'
 deadbeat - 'new world observer'
 dr. dog - 'easy beat'
 
 shows:
 
 animal collective @ black cat
 lcd/mia @ 930
 bloc party @ black cat

[Bags]

Originally posted by canker-blossom:
  So far my year bests:
 Oh, and the new national album.

Yeah, canker's pretty much out of the music game these days...busy riding riding riding.  More power to ya, skinny guy.  Fewer beers to catch a buzz!

[beedubyah]

As I havent heard of half the bands listed in this thread, my picks will more than likely be viewed as hopelessly mainstream.
 
 Albums:
 Oasis - DBTT - Knee-jerk reaction, but its a very solid album.
 Bloc Party - Apprehensive due to the amount of hype, but its a REALLY solid album.  Pissed I missed them live.
 Bright Eyes - Wide Awake...See Bloc Party
 Gorillaz - Demon Days- You like the last album, youll like this one
 
 Shows
 Secret Machines @ 930 - Kick ass show....
 Interpol @ 930 - Better than November
 The Music/Kasabian @ 930 - This is one of my favorite shows.  2 great young rock bands
 Wilco @ 930 - Not a fan going in, but they converted me.  Amazing...
 
 Disappointments:
 Walkmen @ Cathedral School - What was I expecting? Shit, a little bit better than that. Looking forward to seeing them @ a proper venue.
 BRMC - Howl - Loved the last album on the first listen.  Not digging this one.
 
 Music I have downloaded but havent gotten a feel for:
 Sleater-Kinney
 LCD Soundsystem
 Wolf Parade
 
 Music that I obviously just dont get:
 Arcade Fire - CD and live show just left me underwhelmed...Dont get it.

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by canker-blossom:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  Anyone heard the Oneida "The Wedding"? People were raving about it on eMusic, so far it's strikes me as something some of ya'll would enjoy.

They had a song on the rough trade compilation of covers, "stop me if you think you have heard this one before."
 
 I didn't like it that much. [/b]

actually that whole rough trade tribute record stunk... even the Detroit Cobras couldn't make the Strokes song work.  
 
 i actually though of you and general gee when listening to it... but i'm probably wrong on that point, best go back talking about how great i think the second half of the new Brendan Benson CD is....

[markie]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  .. even the Detroit Cobras couldn't make the Strokes song work.  
 
 

I actually really really like that. The other good one is Tugboat by BSP. Which made me go and buy some Galaxie 500 albums.

[Barcelona]

Originally posted by The Artist Formerly Known As grotty:
   

Originally posted by Creepy Crawler:
       

Originally posted by amnesiac:
       

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  What about this Clap Your Hands Say Yeah band?

Loving their cd. Some people may be turned off by the vocals though [/b]

Second best thing I've bought this year. [/b]

Hmmm...opening for The National @ The Bowery Ballroom in September
 
 Anyone else interested can hear tunes here:
  web page
 
 some serious David Byrne sounding vocals on Over & Over Again
 
 Barcelona should get this immediately [/b]

Excellent three songs on the website! Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by canker-blossom:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  .. even the Detroit Cobras couldn't make the Strokes song work.  
 
 

I actually really really like that. The other good one is Tugboat by BSP. Which made me go and buy some Galaxie 500 albums. [/b]

the covers ok, i've spun it a couple times,  but Detroit Cobras didn't have much to begin on that one

[HoyaSaxa03]

top albums:
 
 1)  the mountain goats - the sunset tree
 2)  decemberists - picaresque
 3)  bloc party - silent alarm
 4)  spoon - gimme fiction
 5)  stephen malkmus - face the truth
 6)  m83 - before the dawn heals us
 7)  sleater-kinney - the woods
   josh rouse - nashville
 9)  gorillaz - demon days
 10) bettie serveert - attagirl
 11) sage francis - a healthy distrust
 12) iron & wine - woman king [ep]
 13) dead meadow - feathers
 14) dr. dog - easy beat
 15) the game - the documentary
 17) lou barlow - emoh
 18) LCD soundsystem - s/t
 19) doves - some cities
 20) of montreal - the sunlandic twins
 
 haven't absorbed yet: new order, low, the cribs, archer prewitt, andrew bird
 
 don't much like: thievery corporation, queens of the stone age, mu, mars volta, M.I.A., jimmy chamberlin complex, fiery furnaces EP,  bright eyes, brazilian girls, bonnie 'prince' billy, ben lee (one great track)
 
 still need, will probably be on the good list:
 shout out louds, the national, [edit] brendan benson