Best albums of 2005

Bobby Hogg

Bobby Hogg

New Member
The year is drawing to a close and I think now is a good time to begin considering the year's music in the form of the best albums.

I'll provide my list, in no particular order (or the order I remember them), and I hope people follow suit. Maybe I can learn about a record I should be keeping an ear out for.

Anyway:

Alligator by The National

Delightfully maudlin. Music this beautiful simply cannot be depressing.

(Come on feel the) Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens

An album that manages to be sprawling and epic, yet at the same time intimate, honest and tender. Simply gorgeous. I've seen Stevens and his band live and their collective charisma makes their show a joy. They take you on a musical journey through the state. Long may his journey across the rest of the USA continue if he keeps producing music like this.

Takk by Sigur Ros

A return to form for the ethereal (yes, it always has to be used to describe Sigur Ros) Icelanders. () was more to be admired than truly enjoyed, I felt. It conjured up too much grey for me, whereas Takk is back to joyful Sigur Ros. The type of music you can listen to as you fall to sleep, or while contemplating the world on a clear day. Beautiful.

Had tickets to see them tomorrow night, but passed them onto a friend because I can't make it down to Dublin.

Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart

I love this guy. Hugely prolific, very hard-working, but his music is effortless and playful. This album has a full band backing for the first time, with Banhart inviting all of his friends along for the ride. It works, it works very well. The sound is more fleshed out.

The songs may still be mostly nonsensical freak-folk (or Spanish), but it hardly matters when they are this easy to listen to. Any fans of acoustic rock or folk rock, pick it up and his earlier work.

Another artist I managed to catch live. Great at engaging the audience, and had plenty of time to meet everyone afterwards. No pretentions from him.

Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River

Not much to say about this other than it's great. Melancholic indie that rocks out occasionally. It's hard to imagine what a man has to go through to get a voice this tortured.

Probably some severe teen angst.

Love Kraft by Super Furry Animals

I love them. I love this album. It's possibly their most laid back work yet, from a band who are becoming increasingly so. The songs are still masterpieces of chaotic melody and political commentary concealed beneath a veneer of surreal humour.

Seen this band twice this year. Both times went home feeling thoroughly entertained, visually and aurally.

I'm Wide Awake It's Morning by Bright Eyes

He might be an absolute dickhead, but he can definitely write a great song. Or in this case, an album full of great songs. Emotional, mostly acoustic folk with a quavering voice that it is straining with honesty.

Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade

The hype surrounding this band preceded them. Members who play with Arcade Fire (who released last year's stunning stand-out masterpiece Funeral) and produced by the lead singer from Modest Mouse. Anyone who enjoys those bands will love this.

The Magic Numbers by The Magic Numbers

Pure, honest, feelgood pop rock. Brilliant.

Another band I've seen this year. Their set was magnificent, the crowd loved them and they loved us. Genuinely nice people it would appear.

Trouble by Ray Lamontagne

This man's voice is astonishing. Absolutely perfect. He could make a bad song sound like a lullaby. Fortunately, his songs are actually rather good. An acoustic artist whose strength of voice is perfectly supported by a sparse, unpretentious backing. This is the type of music that I think will appeal to all ages.

I have seen him live this year also, and his voice was even more incredible live. A wonderful experience.



That's my list. I stopped at ten, but honourable mentions also go to Antony and the Johnsons with I Am A Bird Now (incredible voice again) and Open Season by British Sea Power. I never got round to picking up Springsteen's album this year either, for some reason.

Have at it.
 
1. Holy Diver by Dio (1983)

If there is a bad note on this CD, I ain't heard it yet.

2. W.A.S.P. (1984)

Like to take a guess at which LA metal band from the 80s is still alive and putting out new music? Not the Crue...not Poison...not Ratt...you got it. W.A.S.P. This CD is ungodly good.

3. KISS (1973)

Thus beganeth the legacy that changed forever the face of live rock and roll. If you have ever seen anything at a live show that you enjoyed, thank KISS. They did it first.

4. Back In Black by AC/DC (1980)

If you never owned it, you never mattered.

5. Diary Of A Madman by Ozzy Osbourne (1981)

Been said before, gonna be said again. Randy Rhoads was, is, and shall remain untouchable.

6. Backtraxx by Every Mother's Nightmare (2001)

The best band you have never heard of.

7. Life Before Insanity by Gov't Mule (2000)

One word. Vital.

8. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975)

The power, the majesty, the mystery. Robert Plant rules.

9. Ace Of Spades by Motorhead (1980)

Lemmy. That's all. That's enough.

10. Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan (1983)

Only the good die young. He died young.




Did I mention that I hate almost all modern music?
 
I don't know much of or about today's music, but from your descriptions I shall look for some of these, Bobby Hogg.
 
the only one on that list i've heard of is Sigur Ros.
i'll keep an eye out for a couple of the others.
 
Antony & the Johnsons - compulsory buying. In other words, if ye don't buy, I will swing by and wedgiroo every last one of you. ;)
 
Out of my list I'd say Sufjan Stevens, The Magic Numbers and Ray Lamontagne are possibly the easiest to listen to.

Sufjan Stevens is interesting too because his album is actually about the state of Illinois. He also has one out about Michigan, his home state. He's attempting to write an album for every state in the USA, which I think we can all agree is a fairly ambitious career plan.
 
I'm afraid to say that I don't recognize so much as the name of any of BH's bands :blush:

Old Codgerdom, here I come! :p

I only picked up four albums of 2005 material this year.

Sting "Sacred love"
Il Divo <self named>
Annie Lennox "Bare"
Cindy Lauper "At last"

The first three bought for MrsBish..the last one was for me. I'd heard a track from Lauper's album and he voice has matured so well into the world of Jazz that I had to pick it up.

Me said:
Bare - Annie Lennox

Tracks:
1. 1000 Beautiful Things
2. Pavement Cracks
3. The Hurting Time
4. Honestly
5. Wonderful
6. Bitter Pill
7. Loneliness
8. The Saddest Song
9. Erased
10. Twisted
11. Oh God

This is Annie's third solo effort since leaving the Eurithmics, and perhaps her most poignant. As the cover art might suggest, she's stripped bare her soul and tried writing music to show it all. Annie has never been one to mince words, when it comes to her emotions and her pain, and this is by and far, no exception. Her music delves into the reality of loneliness, despair and denial. It yanks you off your feet by the heart-strings and touches your past like no previous album of hers has. A well put together album lyrically and musically. I actually like every song (which is a lot to say because I normally only like 5-6/album). The last track "Oh God" didn't strike me as powerfully as the others, but touched me nonetheless.

Kudos to Annie Lennox for yet another stunning album, and one that has a place of honour, in my car and at the ready to play anytime the melancholy comes over me.
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My review of Bare, by Annie Lennox.

I hear that Nicklebacks "All the right reasons" is a pretty decent album. Megadeath did a 'Greatest Hits' album. :)

Like SnP...I tend to buy less 'modern' music though :)
 
I'm always on the lookout for music of actual quality, sounds like some of that is right up my alley BH.

I didn't buy much new music this year but what I did buy:

1. Coldplay - X&Y

Thanks to ris, I've become a diehard Coldplay fan. We saw them in concert a couple of months back and I'd do it again in a second. What else can I say, I'm a huge fan.

2. Keane - Hopes and Fears

They've been called an up-and-coming Coldplay so it's no wonder I like them.

3. Michael Buble - Michael Buble

I heard this album while eating dinner in a NYC restaurant and fell in love. He covers George Michael's "Kissing a Fool" which has long been a favorite of mine. He's a crooner much like Harry Connick Jr. and does mostly covers. Some covers you might expect (Sinatra) but some you wouldn't (BeeGees). We were going to have "That's All" as our wedding song until someone reminded me that Adam Sandler sang it in The Wedding Singer. :eh:

4. Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business

Lots of high-energy stuff, as usual. A bunch of interesting collaberations; James Brown, Sting. Fergie's got more of a stake in a lot of the songs which isn't a mistake in my opinion. Their humor is apparent again and the song "My Humps" is quite funny and very popular on iTunes, I'm told.

5. St. Germain - Tourist

This isn't a new album but it was new for me, hearing it the first time. Rusty and I were watching Serendipity and this one song (Rose Rouge) kept playing and I said, you know that's a good song. So he got up, went to the CD rack and handed it to me. It's like techno-jazz. It's great background music and we're planning on having some of it playing during the sit-down parts of our reception.
 
Last cd I bought was "The Wind" (Warren Zevon). Came out in 2003 but I bought it in 2004. I don't know... I have about 400 cd's and 150 or so albums that still play (converted to cd for listening purposes though). It's gotta really catch my attention for me to buy a new one.
 
Gonz said:
Kinda hard when the A&R guys keep signing clones. :(
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That's no lie.
A&R guys are marginally above lawyers and politicians on my personal hierarchy of pond scum.
 
None of those acts are obscure, but you do have to look beyond the radio to find really good music these days.

Coldplay's new album I was pretty disappointed with this year. Same with Oasis.
 
Wouldn't touch coldplay with a 10ft barge pole - sorry greenie. :)

Franz Ferdinand should get an honourable mention, with their high energy new album "You could have it so much better", and White Stripes "Get behind me Satan".
 
BH do you like their other albums? What did you object to? At first I wasn't that enamored with it, probably because I was expecting more piano and less guitar. But it's been growing on me and is now a staple in my iTunes list.

I think Oasis is probably more popular elsewhere than in the US. After Wonderwall, they pretty much dropped off the radar. Except for the stories on the brotherly fueds.
 
I think Parachutes is great, the second album less so.

X&Y just seems disgustingly over-produced to me and some of the songs a re-tread of the second album. It was like Coldplay's attempt at OK Computer (them being a watered down Radiohead) and, for me, it fell flat.

If you're into piano-driven music you should check out Funeral by Arcade Fire, if you haven't already.
 
Bobby Hogg said:
None of those acts are obscure, but you do have to look beyond the radio to find really good music these days.
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That's always been true, although radio used to be less formulaic. I just don't get around as much as I used to and I'd rather play than listen anyway. :D
 
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