Thursday, December 22, 2005
Favorite Ablums of 2005 (1-5)
Finally on the home stretch. I had to talk about 25 albums this year, because that's how many I liked. I can't say this was the most spectacular year for music, but it did produce quite a few albums that I will still be listening to in 10 years. So here they are, my favorite albums of 2005:
05. Early Man - Closing In
This band completely embodies rock and roll better than any band I've ever heard. What makes this even more astonishing is that this band is only a duo. These long-haired dudes crank out fast-paced, alcohol-fueled, heavy duty rock and roll. The singer has pipes that rival Ozzy. This album has great production and belongs in the collection of any Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy fan.
04. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
This is where actual order becomes less important. This album produced some of my favorite songs of the year, but since it has 22 tracks, I feel that it also produced some filler. Stevens is a wonderful storyteller though, and his songs are so alive because they are actually attached to real people and places. I have to admit that I've gone to sleep with "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." on repeat.
03. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
This is the third Ryan Adams release to make it on my list for this year, and it is undisputedly the best of the year. 29 is too scattered, and The Cardinals are not used to their full potential in Cold Roses. Here, the band fits in perfectly with the upbeat country tunes. Adams uses his full voice, leaving behind the falsetto and Neil Youngish waivering.
02. Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Matt Sweeney - Superwolf
Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) teams up with Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan) for this collaboration of simple tunes. Sweeney wrote the music while Oldham wrote the lyrics and sings. Sweeney opts for an electric guitar most of the time, as opposed to the acoustic guitar that Oldham's voice is used to. What you end up with is songs with minimal instrumentation, Oldham using a hushed voice, and the feeling that both of them are sitting right next to you and playing just for you.
01. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Something tells me this will be number one on my favorite albums of the decade list. On his second full-length, Antony strips everything down to just his voice and his piano. If music could cry, this album would be weeping. Antony's mournful, cabaret-style voice, full of vibrato, hovers over hauntingly beautiful piano pieces. Guest appearances from Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart, and Boy George don't hurt much either. "Hope There's Someone", the sad, sweeping album opener, is by far my favorite song of the year.
05. Early Man - Closing In
This band completely embodies rock and roll better than any band I've ever heard. What makes this even more astonishing is that this band is only a duo. These long-haired dudes crank out fast-paced, alcohol-fueled, heavy duty rock and roll. The singer has pipes that rival Ozzy. This album has great production and belongs in the collection of any Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy fan.
04. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
This is where actual order becomes less important. This album produced some of my favorite songs of the year, but since it has 22 tracks, I feel that it also produced some filler. Stevens is a wonderful storyteller though, and his songs are so alive because they are actually attached to real people and places. I have to admit that I've gone to sleep with "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." on repeat.
03. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
This is the third Ryan Adams release to make it on my list for this year, and it is undisputedly the best of the year. 29 is too scattered, and The Cardinals are not used to their full potential in Cold Roses. Here, the band fits in perfectly with the upbeat country tunes. Adams uses his full voice, leaving behind the falsetto and Neil Youngish waivering.
02. Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Matt Sweeney - Superwolf
Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) teams up with Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan) for this collaboration of simple tunes. Sweeney wrote the music while Oldham wrote the lyrics and sings. Sweeney opts for an electric guitar most of the time, as opposed to the acoustic guitar that Oldham's voice is used to. What you end up with is songs with minimal instrumentation, Oldham using a hushed voice, and the feeling that both of them are sitting right next to you and playing just for you.
01. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Something tells me this will be number one on my favorite albums of the decade list. On his second full-length, Antony strips everything down to just his voice and his piano. If music could cry, this album would be weeping. Antony's mournful, cabaret-style voice, full of vibrato, hovers over hauntingly beautiful piano pieces. Guest appearances from Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart, and Boy George don't hurt much either. "Hope There's Someone", the sad, sweeping album opener, is by far my favorite song of the year.
# posted by Sammy @ 6:45 AM 
