Best albums of 2005?

Phiz · Post by **Phiz** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:58 pm

Holy shit. No one has mentioned Bell Orchestre's 'Recording a Tape the Colour of Light'. This is an instrumental post-rock project that shares members with the Arcade Fire. I've been trying to get a hold of this album for a few weeks now, but wasn't having much luck and was too lazy to order it. Today I finally found a copy at Amobea Records in SF. I gave it a quick listen on their listening stations, and then shelled $16 for it. I rarely buy CDs new, and even then I can't recall the last time my tight-wad ass paid over $12 for a CD. But this was good enough to justify bending my usual rules.

Lots of big, lush, melodic sounds. The heavy use of french horn and trumpet give it a different tonailty than the usual rock instrumentation plus strings that is some what common in this genre.

Aeroplane Audio · Post by **Aeroplane Audio** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:37 am

Phiz wrote:Holy shit. No one has mentioned Bell Orchestre's 'Recording a Tape the Colour of Light'. This is an instrumental post-rock project that shares members with the Arcade Fire. I've been trying to get a hold of this album for a few weeks now, but wasn't having much luck and was too lazy to order it. Today I finally found a copy at Amobea Records in SF. I gave it a quick listen on their listening stations, and then shelled $16 for it. I rarely buy CDs new, and even then I can't recall the last time my tight-wad ass paid over $12 for a CD. But this was good enough to justify bending my usual rules.

Lots of big, lush, melodic sounds. The heavy use of french horn and trumpet give it a different tonailty than the usual rock instrumentation plus strings that is some what common in this genre.

Good call. VERY good call.

It's on my top 50. Which is as follows (Bold means the album is exceptionally well-recorded):

1. A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Darkness At Noon (Leaf)
2. Animal Collective - Feels (Paw Tracks)
3. The Decemberists - Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
4. M. Ward - Transistor Radio (Merge)
5. Final Fantasy - Has A Good Home C.A. (Tomlab)

6. Sufjan Stevens - Come on! Feel The Illinoise! (Asthmatic Kitty)
7. Andrew Bird - & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs (Rightous babe)
8. Micah Blue Smaldone - Hither And Tither (North East Indie)
9. Erin Tobey - Erin Tobey (Plan-It-X)
10. John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt (Barsuk)

11. Iron & Wine & Calexico - In The Reins (Overcoat)
12. Apollo Sunshine - Apollo Sunshine (SpinArt)
13. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary (Sub Pop)
14. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
15. Sons & Daughters - The Repulsion Box (Domino)

16. Deerhoof - The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
17. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (Merge)
18. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die (Bar/None)
19. Electrelane - Axes (Too Pure)
20. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon (Ibid)

21. Bell Orchestre - Recording a Tape The Colour Of The Light (Rough Trade)
22. Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Vagrant)
23. Metric - Live It Out (Last Gang)
24. Ok Go - Oh No (Capitol)
25. American Analog Set - Set Free (Arts & Crafts)

26. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow (XL)
27. Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree (4AD)
28. Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop)
29. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (Atlantic)
30. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (Saddle Creek)

31. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem (DFA)
32. Marbles - Expo (Eenie Meenie)
33. The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute (Universal)
34. Chad VanGaalen - Infiniheart (Sub Pop)
35. Hockey Night - Keep Guessin' (Lookout!)

36. The Heavenly States - Black Comet (Baria)
37. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (Matador)
38. Fruit Bats - Spelled In Bones (Sub Pop)
39. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! (Self-released)
40. Denison Witmer - Are You A Dreamer? (Militia)

41. Against Me! - Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)
42. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
43. Patrick Wolf - Wind In The Wires (Tomlab)
44. Black Mountain - Black Mountain (Jagjaguwar)
45. CocoRosie - Noah's Ark (Touch & Go)

46. Panda Bear - Young Prayer (Paw Tracks)
47. James Apollo - Good Grief (Aquarium)
48. Beck - Guero (Geffen)
49. the Morning After Girls - Prelude EPs 1 & 2 (Rainbow Quartz)
50. Rosa - I Mississippi You (Plan-It-X)

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:17 pm

Son Volt, Melody...: awesome "Americana."
Ryan Adams, Cold Roses and Jacksonville: more cool "Americana."
Monk/Trane, Carnegie Hall: Monk/Trane.
Steve Wynn, Static Transmission: a great songwriter in the psych/garage/VU/poetry tradition.
Chris Whitley, Soft Dangerous Shores: uniquely atmospheric.
The Church, El Momento Descuidado: cool "acoustic" reworkings of past glories.
Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang: return to near-great.
BMRC, Howl: a real sleeper that really grows, unexpectedly acoustic.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, B-Sides and Rarities: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Brian Brock · Post by **Brian Brock** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:02 pm

I forgot about Sonic Youth's Goo - remastered and sounds awesome

Stephen B. · Post by **Stephen B.** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 5:50 am

Nickel Creek "Why Should the Fire Die?"

Honorable mention:
Brad Mehldau Trio "Day Is Done"

I'm gonna have to get that Monk/Coltrane record.

J.B.Horns · Post by **J.B.Horns** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:30 pm

I'm in love with Shipping News Flies the Fields.
Also Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Abbatior Blues/Lyre of Orpheus(was that 2005?)

OneZero · Post by **OneZero** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 4:36 pm

the latest Grandaddy release.

Tales of Toddzilla or something,

There are some great songs on there.

Cellotron · Post by **Cellotron** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 7:32 pm

Two albums that come immediately to mind as far as amazing stuff from 2005 are
Yellow #5's "Demon Crossing" - http://www.yellow5.net
featuring ex-Mondo Generator / Earthlings members Molly McGuire and David Catching. Molly's voice, lyrics and bass playing are truly intense. Kind of an edgy PJ meets Tom Waits vibe on this one - but definitely has its own unique thing going on. Well worth getting! - and I'm not just saying that only because I cut the master for the vinyl version.

Zoe Keating's "Natoma" - http://www.zoekeating.com - is an amazingly gorgeous album of layered/looped cellos that reveals more on each listen. Beautifully recorded also.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

mike_relay · Post by **mike_relay** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:01 am

The Madelenine Peyroux record "Careless Love" came out at the end of last year, but I've already given it twice as a Christmas present!

Skipwave · Post by **Skipwave** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:56 pm

starscream wrote:I would also like to mention; The Life And Times - Suburban Hymns, record. Very cool stuff.

They were great live, but I was disappointed by the recording. I've been less than pleased with everything J Robbins has recorded recently, which is a shame cuz I love Shiner's "The Egg" and other records he produced.

Speaking of J Robbins, his new band Channels was amazing live, but the recording they released doesn't do them justice.

These Arms Are Snakes - "Oxeneers.."
Milemarker - "Ominosity"
Saul Williams - s/t
Hot Snakes - Peel Sessions EP. Only four tracks, but rocks hard through repeat listenings every time.

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:18 am

so many..........

stina nordenstam - the world is saved
the pinetop seven - the night's bloom (home recording - completely humbles me)
sun kil moon - tiny cities (the song)
imogen heap - hide and speak (amazing song)
clem snide - the end of love
wilco - kicking television
idaho - the lone gunman
kepler - attic salt
josh rouse - nashville

Ethan Holdtrue · Post by **Ethan Holdtrue** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:08 am

The new Rhapsody is THE epic album of 2005.

brokenchairs · Post by **brokenchairs** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:15 am

Andrew Bird - Mysterious Production Of Eggs
Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers
Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth
The Fall - Fall Heads Roll
Animal Collective - Feels

there are more, but i can't remember them all...
it was a great year for music.

E-cue · Post by **E-cue** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 5:34 am

Guero by beck
Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple
Plans by Death Cab For Cutie
Arula by M.I.A.
Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
In The Reins by Iron & Wine + Calexico
Takk... by Sigur R?s
Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard by Paul McCartney
be by Common

and all the stuff I've heard so far off Elbow's new record...

seaneldon · Post by **seaneldon** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:46 am

medications made a good record
cinemechanica made a good record
spencer heim's side of the hella cd is awesome

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