December 28, 2005

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Top Albums of 2005

I'd been reading some critics' lists, and then we talked a lot about this year's albums last night at Jon's house. So, I was inspired to pick my top albums of 2005. I'll eventually do my top movies, just like last year, but I've got way too many left to see.

I've noticed two trends in this year's list: my top albums of the year are mostly happy music, and they are disproportionately from countries other than the United States. That's cool.

First, the honorable mentions. These are all albums I was into this year, but that didn't make the cut. A few may only be because I heard them too late in the year to really assimilate them yet.

• Beck - Guero
• Coheed And Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness
• The Decemberists - Picaresque
• Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
• The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning Strike
• Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
• John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt
• Love Is All - Nine Times That Same Song
• M83 - Before The Dawn Heals Us
• Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures
• The Rosebuds - Birds Make Good Neighbors

And now, top albums, along with sample songs and explanations.

• 15. Iron & Wine - Woman King EP

  This EP would've definitely ended up much higher if it weren't only six songs. Despite that, it's twenty-three minutes of the best music Sam Beam has ever put out. It's got more rhythm than he normally has under him, and most of it is supplied by random knick-knack percussion, which seems to be a theme of this year's top albums (see #1, 2, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14). This pared-down rustic banging is the perfect beat to graft onto his music.

  If you haven't listened to Iron & Wine before, do so. The hushed and earnest singing and quiet picking is not something that will immediately astound you: this is music you've really got to listen to, and give attention to. It's ultimately extremely rewarding. The guy's full-lengths are great too, particularly The Creek Drank The Cradle.

  Sample: Iron & Wine - Woman King
  Sample: Iron & Wine - Jezebel
  Sample: Iron & Wine - Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
  Sample: Iron & Wine - Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)
  




• 14. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - self-titled

  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! is such a strangely titled band that I was immediately interested. It surprised me at first by being so disaffected: the silly title, art, and first track ("Clap Your Hands!") can't help but inspire smiles, which is a promise never lived up to in the rest of the album.

  Instead the rest of the album seems to be defined by life not living up to promises. The songs are weary, ironic, and apathetic, the singer whiny and mumbly. It's a testament to the songwriting that the album overcomes these impediments to make the listener care. It's a very enjoyable album, and I really liked it a lot until I saw them live. If they hadn't been absolutely terrible in concert (all the worst things about them were accentuated, they seemed to hate being there, the singer didn't give a shit and never said a coherent word, etc.), this would've been a lot higher. Nevertheless, it remains a wonderful and unique album.

  Sample: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands!
  Sample: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away
  Sample: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Details Of The War
  Sample: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
  Sample: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - In This Home On Ice
  




• 13. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire

  Stars is amazingly catchy, like Death Cab For Cutie with a stronger voice, and adding a female singer. They're also playing DC this semester. I've heard on good authority that they're quite exciting in concert.

  As with Death Cab, my biggest problem with them is just that they aren't that innovative. We've heard this before. But Stars does a great job of it (and this record beats the hell out of this year's Death Cab release). So yeah. Great album, really catchy. "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" would easily rank in my top ten songs of the year.

  Sample: Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
  Sample: Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
  Sample: Stars - The Big Fight
  




• 12. The Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations

  This double album is sprawling and self-indulgent and uplifting and beautiful. It's an album for people who have the time to stop and enjoy the world. The Eels echo this: in "From Which I Came/A Magic World," Everett sings, "And I was happy to be alive/ In a magic world." When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it may be a bit boring, but it's still pleasant.

  If you haven't listened to The Eels older stuff, get Beautiful Freak and Electro-Shock Blues. You might remember the song "Novocaine For The Soul," which was pretty popular back in 1997 or so, and that's on Beautiful Freak.

  Fun Fact: Mark Oliver Everett, a.k.a. The Eels, is the son of Dr. Hugh Everett III, Ph.D., a.k.a. the author of the "many-worlds" hypothesis).

  Sample: The Eels - Trouble With Dreams
  Sample: The Eels - Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
  Sample: The Eels - I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
  




• 11. The Brunettes - Mars Loves Venus

  These guys were, strangely, just signed to Sub Pop. They're a couple from New Zealand, and are just tons of fun. Kind of like Belle And Sebastian, but a bit less quiet. They've got the random percussion thing going like Architecture In Helsinki (my number one this year), who are from Australia. Maybe it's just that region, but both of these bands are just so delightful to listen to. They always make me smile. Listen to "Loopy Loopy Love" and I dare you not to get it stuck in your head--in a good way.

  It's so cute that it's almost too cute. But they don't take themselves very seriously, and that really saves it. Despite that, the supposedly autobiographical lyrics are quite earnest. But the sound is like an Annette Funicello beach party movie for pre-teens from the early sixties. Very interesting mix of instruments and a sound that ends up being as catchy as anything I've ever heard.

  Sample: The Brunettes - Mars Loves Venus
  Sample: The Brunettes - Loopy Loopy Love
  Sample: The Brunettes - Too Big For Gidget
  Sample: The Brunettes - Best Friend Envy
  




• 10. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins

  These guys have put out a ton of albums now. This album isn't as cohesive (though not as excessively strange) as Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies: A Variety Of Whimsical Verse, nor as rocking as Satanic Panic In The Attic. Nevertheless, this has the same joyous spirit. It's happy music, just like a lot of this year's top albums.

  Very silly, whimsical, sweet, poppy, and danceable. I can't believe this stuff isn't playing in every gay club around.

  Sample: Of Montreal - Requiem For O.M.M.2
  Sample: Of Montreal - Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games
  Sample: Of Montreal - Forecast Fascist Future
  Sample: Of Montreal - So Begins Our Alabee
  




• 09. The Russian Futurists - Our Thickness

  I also only heard his older albums this year, The Method Of Modern Love and Let's Get Ready To Crumble. I'm way into all of them. The old ones were more straightforward and rocking. But this new one is so danceable. So much rhythm and melody. It's just got such groove!

  This is to indie what Prince was to music in the 80's. This album even has titles like Prince songs: "Hurtin' 4 Certain," and "Why You Gotta Do That Thang." Don't listen to this expecting dance music or funk. Go in expecting normal electronic indie rock, and you'll be surprised. This album reminds me a lot of Self, one of my favorite bands ever. Like Self, John Vanderslice, and M83 combined.

  Sample: The Russian Futurists - Paul Simon
  Sample: The Russian Futurists - Sentiments Vs. Syllables
  Sample: The Russian Futurists - Why You Gotta Do That Thang
  




• 08. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

  I've been listening to Devendra Banhart for about a year now. His old stuff was great, but this new album just kills all the old stuff. It's so interesting and fun and haunting. It's like the strange and creepy guy finally made a bunch of friends. There are a lot more instruments in on this, and it really does wonders.

  His strange vibrato is instantly identifiable, and he uses it well. He can be creepy and dark, and he can be ebullient and straightforward. There are twenty-two tracks of classic songwriting on this album.

  Sample: Devendra Banhart - Long Haired Child
  Sample: Devendra Banhart - Dragonflies
  Sample: Devendra Banhart - Mama Wolf
  Sample: Devendra Banhart - Chinese children
  




• 07. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

  These guys are British. They're getting a lot of praise. Every song on the album is good, the way I remember music being in seventh grade. When I'd not eat lunch so I could save up my lunch money and spend it on CDs, and feel like each one was totally worth my $15.

  They do what they do very well. It's amazing that they're not selling out arenas. Sounds to me like they could easily be super-popular, straddling the gap midway between Coldplay and Radiohead. There's also now a Silent Alarm Remixes album, to which I'm looking forward to listening.

  Sample: Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass
  Sample: Bloc Party - Helicopter
  Sample: Bloc Party - Compliments
  




• 06. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary

  Right after I started listening to this album, it got so popular that it's silly. I was about one week ahead of the rest of the world on this one, thanks to some friends of mine who are deep into the music scene. Anyway, the album deserves the praise.

  This contains what might be the best line of the year: "God doesn't always have best goddamn plans, does he?" It's in "Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts," which is one of my favorite songs of the year. But this whole album is great. Give it a listen. Nay, give it two listens.

  Sample: Wolf Parade - We Built Another World
  Sample: Wolf Parade - Fancy Claps
  Sample: Wolf Parade - Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts
  




• 05. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs

  On the tenth track of this album, "The Naming Of Things," Andrew Bird sings, "You remind me of you." And well, at first listen, this reminded me of every other boring and unremarkable pop singer/songwriter I'd ever heard. I'd heard a lot about this album before listening to it, and my first impression was, "What's the fuss about?" But after a full listen to this disc, it doesn't really remind me of anything else at all, except Andrew Bird. It's quite unique, and it's terribly hard to even speculate as to who this guy's influences might be.

  In any case, it's a great pop album that's infectious, creative, and catchy. It is mostly kind of quiet, but each song also touches on a lot of different sounds. The songwriting is at once corny and brilliant. One line from "A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head" really sums up how I feel about the songwriting: "Though the words we speak are banal, not one of them's a lie."

  Sample: Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head
  Sample: Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes
  Sample: Andrew Bird - Opposite Day
  




• 04. Sigur Ros - Takk

  This band is so innovative that it's insane. They're like the Icelandic Radiohead, and they sound kinda like a more fully realized version of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. All of their past albums have been sung in their own made-up language that they call "Hopelandic." This time they sing in Icelandic. I can't tell the difference. In any case, this album is more accessible and more beautiful than their past albums. This one sees them writing songs, rather than merely writing experiments, albeit very successful ones. If you get a chance, check out their videos as well. They're great.

  Sample: Sigur Ros - Glosoli
  Sample: Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
  




• 03. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise!

  Sufjan Stevens is one of the greatest artists in music. He's a devout Christian, and sings about it, and yet manages to make me love him. This album is miles ahead of his last couple albums, which were themselves wonderful. He has quite a gift for making anything at all, no matter how mundane, into a moving song.

  This album is all about Illinois. His last one was all about Michigan. Supposedly he eventually wants to do all fifty states. If he can keep up this level of quality and managed to do that, it would definitely make him quite the musical legend. He'd rank up there with the greats. Even if he doesn't he's already making wonderful music. The instrumentation varies. His vocal accompaniment varies. The melodies are often soaring, with strings all over the place. It may have lost some of the intimacy of Seven Swans, but it's made up for it in scope. Sufjan Stevens is very observant, and manages to find the humanity in everything he sees.

  Oh, and by the way, this album is number one on just about every other top albums list I've seen.

  Sample: Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Feel The Illinoise
  Sample: Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
  Sample: Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
  




• 02. Animal Collective - Feels

  This one also ended up on a lot of critics lists, and rightly so. It is exuberant, effusive, and emotional. It has all the joy and purity of a child indulging his most wild impulses, and yet is extremely innovative and enjoyable. This is one of only albums in a long time that I've been able to just lay down and listen to. Not listen to while doing something else, just lay down and experience. This group is like Lord Of The Flies before everything starts going wrong. It's like Where The Wild Things Are. I love this album. Their last album Sung Tongs was great, but this one was a big improvement. They've now started writing songs to guide their outbursts and wild harmonies. They're coming to DC in March, and I can't wait.

  Sample: Animal Collective - Did You See The Words
  Sample: Animal Collective - Grass
  Sample: Animal Collective - The Purple Bottle
  Sample: Animal Collective - Banshee Beat
  




• 01. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die

  Architecture In Helsinki's new album In Case We Die is just awesome. It moves from genre to genre about every fifteen seconds, but remains happy and joyous the whole time. If Animal Collective is like a seven year old acting out his jungle fantasies, Architecture In Helsinki is like a ten year old at his most ambitious. It's silly and beautiful, and unique, and weird, and catchy.

  I have yet to find anyone who likes them as much as I do, but I also have yet to find anyone who doesn't like them. I saw them live this year with Chris Barbour, Michelle P., and Sarah Conway, and it was my favorite concert of the year. They were so happy to be playing, happy that the crowd was enjoying it. There were nine band members, and they all switched instruments on almost every song. All the random percussion you hear on the album is even better in concert: they had a clothesline strung up on stage from which they hung pots and pans, and other random things to bang at carefully planned intervals. It was one of my saddest nights of the year, but some of my happiest two hours of the year. If you can listen to this album and not smile, then you have no heart.

  Sample: Architecture In Helsinki - Neverevereverdid
  Sample: Architecture In Helsinki - It's 5!
  Sample: Architecture In Helsinki - Do The Whirlwind
  Sample: Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
  Sample: Architecture In Helsinki - The Cemetary
  

Posted at December 28, 2005 6:29 AM | Comments (8)

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