Monday, December 19, 2005
Favorite Albums of 2005 (15-19)
19. Unsane - Blood Run
Noise metal pioneers finally decided to release a new album via Relapse Records. They've been around since the 80's, but still manage to make relevant hard music somewhere between the epicness of Isis and Neurosis and the stoner tendencies of High on Fire and Bongzilla.
18. Neil Young - Prarie Wind
An aneurysm can't keep Neil Young down, as he returns with the third installment of his Harvest series, an album full of folky roots rock. He can still play the harmonica like the best of them (well maybe not quite like John Popper, but not too shabby) and uses string arrangements beautifully. This album is underproduced and very raw-sounding. For a full review of the album, see my article on www.therockquarry.net.
17. Half-Handed Cloud - Thy is a Word, and Feet Need Lamps
This guy just sounds happy. Maybe I'm just assuming that based on his voice, or maybe it's the joy that he sings about. Half-Handed Cloud's John Ringhofer is one of those quirky Christians that graces Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label. He sings jubilant retelling of Bible stories with no instrument left behind. Think the Danielson Famile with a much less annoying voice.
16. Fantomas - Suspended Animation
I had a chance to see this noise band on the tour supporting the release of this album. Comprised of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), Buzz Osbourne (The Melvins), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Fantomas is definitely an all-star band. This album is based on Saturday morning cartoons, with cartoonish circus noises amid a mass of other noises and samples, with the rest of the band holding it all together with heavy metal explosions. There is no singing, only Mike Patton making strange vocal noises and then manipulating them. This album is very hard to listen to, but I like to think there is genius underneath it all.
15. Iron & Wine/Calexico - In the Reins
This is a collaboration between Iron & Wine's Sam Beam and the Latino-flared, horn-tooting Calexico. A lot of work was put into this collaboration, as opposed to others where bands just rework their leftover songs. This is still basically an Iron & Wine EP, but Calexico picks up the beat a little bit and adds a little something extra to the basic structure of the songs. There aren't as many horn parts as I was expecting, but when the horns do show up, they sound marvelous.
Noise metal pioneers finally decided to release a new album via Relapse Records. They've been around since the 80's, but still manage to make relevant hard music somewhere between the epicness of Isis and Neurosis and the stoner tendencies of High on Fire and Bongzilla.
18. Neil Young - Prarie Wind
An aneurysm can't keep Neil Young down, as he returns with the third installment of his Harvest series, an album full of folky roots rock. He can still play the harmonica like the best of them (well maybe not quite like John Popper, but not too shabby) and uses string arrangements beautifully. This album is underproduced and very raw-sounding. For a full review of the album, see my article on www.therockquarry.net.
17. Half-Handed Cloud - Thy is a Word, and Feet Need Lamps
This guy just sounds happy. Maybe I'm just assuming that based on his voice, or maybe it's the joy that he sings about. Half-Handed Cloud's John Ringhofer is one of those quirky Christians that graces Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label. He sings jubilant retelling of Bible stories with no instrument left behind. Think the Danielson Famile with a much less annoying voice.
16. Fantomas - Suspended Animation
I had a chance to see this noise band on the tour supporting the release of this album. Comprised of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), Buzz Osbourne (The Melvins), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Fantomas is definitely an all-star band. This album is based on Saturday morning cartoons, with cartoonish circus noises amid a mass of other noises and samples, with the rest of the band holding it all together with heavy metal explosions. There is no singing, only Mike Patton making strange vocal noises and then manipulating them. This album is very hard to listen to, but I like to think there is genius underneath it all.
15. Iron & Wine/Calexico - In the Reins
This is a collaboration between Iron & Wine's Sam Beam and the Latino-flared, horn-tooting Calexico. A lot of work was put into this collaboration, as opposed to others where bands just rework their leftover songs. This is still basically an Iron & Wine EP, but Calexico picks up the beat a little bit and adds a little something extra to the basic structure of the songs. There aren't as many horn parts as I was expecting, but when the horns do show up, they sound marvelous.
# posted by Sammy @ 6:42 AM 
