When it was all said and done, 2005 was not an outstanding year for music. There were a few truly amazing records, but lots of mediocre ones as well. Did anyone really break out this year? My gut reaction to that question is to answer with a "not yet." This time last year, Arcade Fire were already being heralded as the new kings of indie rock and roll, but the various "next Arcade Fire" bands we have been subjected to this year have yet to strike a chord with a more mainstream crowd, for better or for worse. All that aside, however, there was much to be happy about when it came to music in 2005, and if you've read other lists like this one, you probably already know that.
I would like to point out that the list I am about to unfurl was composed before I saw any of the big lists from the big media outlets, such as Pitchfork or Pop Matters. You may notice that the broad strokes of these lists are essentially pretty similar, which is more a comment on the music than on the media which covers it. I heard many, many more albums than I have included on this list, but these are, quite simply, the best of the year. I refuse to bow to the hipster tradition of including seemingly random albums that two or three people have heard of, just to show that I'm not a slave to the popular indie media. The fact is, that Physics of Meaning record just wasn't as strong as these 20 discs. Anyway, on with the show...
20. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
Conor Oberst gets shit on all the time, and I don't really think it's quite fair. Sure, he will always be the poster boy for sad-bastard music, and his earnestness makes him a damn easy target. But whatever; with I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, he has made the best anti-war record of the year, and it he made sure we heard it at a time when it was desperately needed. Bright Eyes had a permanent spot in my stereo in the aftermath of the '04 election, mainly because listening to this music reminded me that it isn't my entire generation that lacks the passion needed for change.
19. Broken Social Scene - s/t
Broken Social Scene had a near impossible task ahead of them in recording their follow up to You Forgot It In People, their second album which came out of nowhere a few years ago to propel the Canadian collective to indie superstar status. How do you top an album that was so pleasurable, but so unexpected? Part of the enjoyment of YFIIP was the surprise of hearing it. What Broken Social Scene wound up doing is creating the best headphones album of the year. While the songs have an undeniably immediate kinetic energy, the real joy of the record comes on a close listening, when you notice that this thing is truly overflowing with sound. Tracks are stacked one on top of another to skyscraper heights. Musically, this is the most dense and interesting album I heard all year.
18. Dirty Three - Cinders
It was a good year for Australian music between this and the excellent new album from The Drones (which would have been #21 on this list). Dirty Three change their formula slightly to a shorter song format, but the end result is much the same. Highly evocative post rock, this time with a heavier guitar in the mix, and vocals for the first time on a Dirty Three record.
17. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
Like I said in a previous post, Gimme Fiction is 2005's most difficult and possibly most rewarding grower. Their is a pop sensibility in these tunes that is hard to see at first, but once you find them, they grab you and don't let go. At times both invigorating and hypnotic, Gimme Fiction is perhaps not what you would expect from Spoon going in, but going out you realize it is their best album by a wide margin. Also, my favorite cover art of the year.
16. Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney - Superwolf
Sweeney's electric guitar gives Will Oldham's lyrics some much needed weight. These songs don't float into nothing like on other Oldham efforts. Quite simply, these two make a fantastic pair and are constantly going in weird and interesting directions.
15. M. Ward - Transistor Radio
M. Ward explores what Greil Marcus calls the "old, weird America" on this impressive disc. No one else makes music quite like M. Ward. He is at once a curator of musical traditions of the past, and an innovator bringing old ideas to a new audience.
14. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
The Clientele also make music that sounds fresh out of a time capsule, but where M. Ward explores depression era traditional songs, The Clientele are much more focused on a pop/rock tradition rooted in 60s psychedelia. This album is full of sunny melodies and jangly, reverbed guitars, not to mention the songs themselves, which reveal a deep paranoia and druggy self doubt. "Everything's so vivid, and so creepy," indeed.
13. Iron and Wine - Woman King/Iron and Wine & Calexico - In the Reins
This year may well be remembered as the one in which Sam Beam, the man behind indie (not freak) folk outfit Iron and Wine, came into his own. These two EPs rock harder than anything Beam has done previously, and may well indicate an exciting new direction in his sound. Yeah, there is even some guitar feedback in the Woman King EP. Ponder that for a minute. Sam Beam. Guitar feedback. They go together now, and it sounds fantastic. While In the Reins sounds more like the Iron and Wine we've gotten used to, it has a majestic quality to it which is obviously the Calexico influence at work.
12. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Plenty of ink has already been spilled on Bloc Party, and I don't have much to add. I'll just say that this is great unpretentious guitar pop from Britain. They aren't afraid to be formulaic and relentlessly hooky because they know they do it so well. Every song could be a single.
11. New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Speaking of albums where every song has single potential, the New Pornographers latest album is a power pop masterpiece, filled with terminally catchy tunes. This is the type of album you play at 11 in the morning, and are still humming a song from it laying in bed that night. These songs get in your head, but like those on the Broken Social Scene album, there is more to them than meets the eye. A close listening reveals what was obviously a painstaking construction process for each tune. This band was once considered a one-off supergroup of sorts - a bit ironic that they now make music with such obvious care and attention to detail.
10. Wilderness - s/t
My favorite release of the year from the Jagjaguar label, which is one of the most consistently interesting labels out there right now. The debut album from Baltimore band Wilderness sounds like a call to action - lead singer James Johnson's voice soars above a guitar squawk that will be familiar to fans of certain shoegaze and post-rock bands. Johnson is angry or frustrated about something, and he sings with the passionate intensity of a street preacher who thinks God is at his side. But it's the guitar heavy songs which truly shine on this deep and impressive debut album. The riffs jolt the listener in a way that few bands even attempt any longer.
9. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
This is the funniest album of the year. Film director Jean-Luc Godard famously said that the best way to criticize a film is to make one yourself, and Eddie Argos and crew have done the equivalent in the musical spectrum with this small masterpiece of a record. Essentially a collection of the band's recent A and B sides, Bang Bang Rock & Roll's great subject is the declining state of rock music. When all anyone wants to do is make a quick buck and move to L.A. to get laid and sit by the pool, what happens to the quality of the music? Argos knows that it suffers, and his lyrics satirize the corporate rock world, one in which artists are compromised by their own superficial goals. Argos's do-it-yourself attitude comes through in the form of scathing commentary on our pop-culture obsessed society. Top of the pops.
8. Animal Collective - Feels
Animal Collective operate on another plane - they do not make music within a tradition of rock, punk, pop, or anything else. It is amazing that these guys were able to find each other to make these sounds. Listening to "The Purple Bottle" recently, I had to ask myself, how the fuck did they think of this? The balance of catchiness with truly avant-garde sounds is a wonder to behold. The music seems both otherworldly and incredibly listenable. Perhaps the most telling lyric on the record, and one of the few that is immediately clear, is "silence is a bore," which you can hear on the aforementioned "The Purple Bottle." I can't think of a more apt mission statement for this band.
7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - s/t
The only sound more deafening the summer of '05 than the hype stirred up by a single 9 point whatever Pitchfork review for this album was the backlash that came after it started to appear in your local independent record store. How could it have lived up to that impossible hype? Listen to this disc with an open mind and there are wonderful sounds to hear, but if you come into the experience expecting a second coming of the Talking Heads, you are sure to be disappointed. The fact is, there are probably a lot of great unsigned bands making music like this, but this is the one I heard, and I like the sound they make. No, CYHSY are never going to be rock icons, but that doesn't mean they haven't made a fantastic record.
6. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
This is the White Stripes at their most unconventional. Get Behind Me Satan finds them all but abandoning the blues in favor of R & B, offering a thrilling interpretation of the other great American musical genre. The piano doesn't merely replace the guitar on this album, but represents an alternate sonic direction in the same way Bob Dylan's New Morning album, released on the heels of his 1960s classics, showed his audience what Dylan would sound like had things been just a little different. Apart from the academic interest in this album (the 'what can Jack White do besides play blues riffs?' question is finally answered), these songs are adventurous and unique, and show that the Stripes continue to be one of the most vital and important bands in the rock sphere. For all the pop brilliance of "My Doorbell," this album also features the dissonant and dark "The Nurse," and the even darker and more dissonant "Red Rain," one of the few tracks on this album to prominently feature Jack's guitar, which we are shown can still create a brilliant, spiraling noise.
5. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
You either love this album or you feel indifferent to it, but there is no hatred for it, simply because Antony's voice is the most exciting musical instrument to be heard this year. These songs have an undeniable power to them because Antony makes his very specific struggles with sexual identity all of our struggles with identity in a much broader sense. Believe me, you need not be gender confused to get something meaningful out of this album. In the end, though, what you discover is that there is a strong sense of hope in these songs which overshadows the confusion and pain, because Antony knows who he is and finds beauty in it. This album is unlike anything else released this year, and is a breath of fresh air at a time when popular music is dominated by ironic showmanship - this is a real and important record.
4. The National - Alligator
The National bring a strut and swagger back into rock 'n roll. This is not your geeky friend's rock band. You know the guy I'm talking about - he thinks rock music can be summed up by a math equation, and he probably wears glasses with dark rims and hasn't cut his hair in the last year. He thinks Bright Eyes is some weak shit but has the same thrift store wardrobe. People like that need to remember that rock music is about getting drunk and getting laid. Enter, The National. Brash and confident, but at times overcome with self doubt and pathos, The National make rock music behind gorgeous melodies that could somehow fit on both a Coldplay record and the back of the bar. If the music isn't gritty enough for you, the lyrics more than make up for it ("Karen put me in a chair, fuck me and make me a drink."/"I'm a birthday candle in a circle of black girls."). By the time we get to "Mr. November," there is no doubt in our mind that we are listening to the ravings of a man who sees himself as a king of rock 'n roll, but who everyone else sees as some geeky kid.
3. The Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday
A band with a punk aesthetic makes an epic rock opera, but rather than basing it on the state of our country (because, seriously, that's way too easy), it's written about a Catholic girl who is both saved and destroyed by rock and roll. Green Day suck, and I'm sick with myself that I've compared them to The Hold Steady, but everytime someone says that no one has made a rock opera like American Idiot in years, I want to blast "Stevie Nix" in their ears as loud as possible. Seperation Sunday is a brilliant piece of work, and the only album denser than this to come out in '05 is number 1 on this list. Craig Finn's lyrics come fast and furious, and reference the Bible as easily as Springsteen lyrics. The Springsteen connection should not be ignored, as The Hold Steady create a similar feeling in their music about lost, young souls living in times too fast for their years. The Hold Steady are not afraid to sound like a cock-rock band, the anti-cool for their main audience of indie rock nerds. Thoughts of hair bands brought on by self indulgent guitar solos are put to rest once you hear the stories in these songs, which could only be set to this kind of operatic music.
2. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
So what if they sound like Modest Mouse? This is great disjointed rock music, made all the better by the explosive vocals of the two lead singers. This is another band we were told were the "next _______", but they are true originals despite the spot the influence sound. I think that this album's greatness comes from the band's ability to take all the best elements of indie rock and combine them into something that is very much their own. Different musical elements are introduced seperately, then brought together at the end of a tune into a crushing climax that leaves your jaw on the ground. Songs speed up, slow down, get tight, then get sloppy with perfect precision. Wolf Parade somehow find a balance between a technical wizardry and a thrown together aesthetic that gives them their charm. Really though, the main draws are the voices. Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner sing with a sense of real urgency that fits the theme of everything going to hell that is most often covered in the lyrics of these songs. Apologies to the Queen Mary is a great album and, from start to finish, the most exhilarating musical adventure of 2005.
1. Sufjan Stevens - Come on Feel the Illinoise
This is an easy choice. Sufjan Stevens is at the top of his game, and improves dramatically on the already great formula that he used on his Michigan album two years ago. Every one of these songs is like a mini movie, with its own style and goal. Some are sad, some are happy, some are operatic, and some are simple. All of them create a particular mood. What is great about this record is the way that all of the different elements at play hang together as a whole. Nothing ever seems out of place - this is the equivalent of a painter using the whole canvas. In any case, anyone who can write a pop song about the World's Columbian Exposition is a stone cold genius in my book. No other album comes close to this in '05. It is a towering masterpiece, a record for the ages, a perfect 10. It is epic, quiet, catchy, heartbreaking, and awe inspiring. This record represents the best of out American folk tradition and at the same time heralds the arrival of a new master of pop songcraft. In short, this is an album that makes you realize why you listen to music in the first place.
So those are the best 20. In addition to those albums, I also enjoyed releases by these artists in '05 (in no real order): Hanne Hukkelberg, Deerhoof, Tom Vek, Kate Bush, Vashti Bunyan, Edan, Super Furry Animals, Kanye West, Devendra Banhart, M83, Andrew Bird, The Drones, Okkervil River, Jens Lekman, Feist, Caribou, Boards of Canada, Wooden Wand, M.I.A., The Silver Jews, Fiona Apple, Franz Ferdinand, and others.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Best of the Boxes
Originally I had planned on this being a much bigger post, but, you know, life gets in the way and whatnot. There were some fine box sets, reissues, comp albums, and shit like that in '05, but I want to focus on three items which I think stand out.
First things first: The Fall's Complete Peel Sessions is an absolute must own. By far my favorite box of the year. You get the full range of The Fall in this exhaustive set, which is a major accomplishment considering this band went through more changes than Madonna in her prime. Yes, I just compared The Fall to Madonna, and it is an apt comparison because, seriously, The Fall were and are constantly tinkering with their sound. Madonna mostly tinkers with her hair style and wardrobe, but I think you get the idea. Anyway, this is a must own if you are at all interested in British rock music in the 80s. They were John Peel's favorite band, so they must be good enough for you. Did I mention you should go out and buy this?
Next we have Gilles Peterson Digs America. For those who don't know, Gilles Peterson is a British DJ (yes
another British DJ, what can I say it was a good year for Anglophiles) who is known for, among other things, his giant record collection which he literally keeps in a separate house. This house aint for living, its just for records. If you think you are an obsessive music geek, you should take a step back and calm down, because you're nothin' if you don't have a separate house for all your records. Anyway, this disc is a compilation of obscure jazz and soul music from years gone by which is totally unavailable outside the out of print vinyl market. That means these tracks are rare. Impress your hipster friends by talking about Darondo and saying things like Ellen McIlwaine's original version of "Higher Ground" is easily the best version of that song. You will be a god. This is a very cool comp album.
Finally, the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds three disc set entitled Rarities and B-Sides is a great collection of, you guessed it, rarities and b-sides. I have been listening to this set since the spring, and I only like it more and more. These guys don't get the respect they deserve. So many of the bands that get a lot of press today are really only Nick Cave impersonators. Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but they are one of my favorite bands, OK? This is a great set.
There were more awesome releases in a similar vein this year, but I didn't mention them because they are going to be getting or have already gotten a lot of coverage in the music media. I'm thinking of the Talking Heads box, One Kiss Leads To Another (the girl group box), No Direction Home (Dylan), and the Born to Run reissue. All are amazing and worth getting, but those three are under the radar, therefore on Bottle of Bread.
Next time: the best albums of '05.
First things first: The Fall's Complete Peel Sessions is an absolute must own. By far my favorite box of the year. You get the full range of The Fall in this exhaustive set, which is a major accomplishment considering this band went through more changes than Madonna in her prime. Yes, I just compared The Fall to Madonna, and it is an apt comparison because, seriously, The Fall were and are constantly tinkering with their sound. Madonna mostly tinkers with her hair style and wardrobe, but I think you get the idea. Anyway, this is a must own if you are at all interested in British rock music in the 80s. They were John Peel's favorite band, so they must be good enough for you. Did I mention you should go out and buy this?
Next we have Gilles Peterson Digs America. For those who don't know, Gilles Peterson is a British DJ (yes
another British DJ, what can I say it was a good year for Anglophiles) who is known for, among other things, his giant record collection which he literally keeps in a separate house. This house aint for living, its just for records. If you think you are an obsessive music geek, you should take a step back and calm down, because you're nothin' if you don't have a separate house for all your records. Anyway, this disc is a compilation of obscure jazz and soul music from years gone by which is totally unavailable outside the out of print vinyl market. That means these tracks are rare. Impress your hipster friends by talking about Darondo and saying things like Ellen McIlwaine's original version of "Higher Ground" is easily the best version of that song. You will be a god. This is a very cool comp album.
Finally, the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds three disc set entitled Rarities and B-Sides is a great collection of, you guessed it, rarities and b-sides. I have been listening to this set since the spring, and I only like it more and more. These guys don't get the respect they deserve. So many of the bands that get a lot of press today are really only Nick Cave impersonators. Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but they are one of my favorite bands, OK? This is a great set.
There were more awesome releases in a similar vein this year, but I didn't mention them because they are going to be getting or have already gotten a lot of coverage in the music media. I'm thinking of the Talking Heads box, One Kiss Leads To Another (the girl group box), No Direction Home (Dylan), and the Born to Run reissue. All are amazing and worth getting, but those three are under the radar, therefore on Bottle of Bread.
Next time: the best albums of '05.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Best Songs of 2005 not sung by Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Madonna, or Kanye West
Not all of these tracks are singles, but since iTunes killed the single I don't think that really matters too much. That's right iTunes killed the single - it didn't save it like so many would have you believe. Singles are 7'' records with one track on side A and another track on side B. They aren't CDs with the same song remixed 6 times, and they certainly aren't 1s and 0s on the internets. iTunes has simply made it OK to shop for individual songs instead of albums. So really iTunes is killing the single and the album at the same time, which is mighty fucking impressive. I don't want to sound like I'm trashing on Apple because I love that company so much I could fuck it...in fact I own not one but two iPods and bring you Bottle of Bread from one of them futuristic shiny iMacs. That said, the iTunes music store is pretty damn lame, and if Apple abondoned it tomorrow I wouldn't complain.
Anyway, these are my favorite SONGS of 2005. Like I said, some are singles, some are just album tracks. There are 20 of them, and here they are, comments where appropriate:
20. Boards of Canada - "Dayvan Cowboy"
Mostly because of the way it changes gears halfway through. This is the most stunning track on their altogether very good 2005 album.
19. Wolf Parade - "Shine a Light"
Marches along and builds up a tremendous head of steam. Like the other great tracks on Apologies to the Queen Mary, this has an undeniable anthemic quality.
18. The New Pornographers - "The Jessica Numbers"
The reverse-machine gun intro is perfect.
17. M. Ward - "Radio Campaign"
More people should listen to M. Ward. This guy evokes nostalgia for old-timey Americana like nobody else working today. His latest album is a small masterpiece for the way it conjures memories of a time its listeners can't possibly remember.
16. Dirty Three - "Doris"
This isn't your older brother's Dirty Three. "Doris" draws attention to itself because of its "rock" orientation. This is the best purely instrumental track of the year, and this was a good year for instrumental music.
15. Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer"
From their EP, which isn't an EP at all. Not sure if this counts since I think it first appeared as a B side in '04(?), but I need some Furnaces on this list, and they aren't getting on through the shitty grandma album which I honestly can not even remember the name of.
14. Arctic Monkeys - "A Certain Romance"
"I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is the single that got caused such a stir in the autumn of '05, but I prefer this track, which is just a lot more interesting and evocative. I don't know if they are the "next Clash," but this track is vaguely Clash-esque, and they pull it off. I especially enjoy the killer guitar soloing towards the end.
13. The Hold Steady - "Stevie Nix"
The epic centerpiece of their fine '05 album.
12. Spoon - "Sister Jack"
Gimme Fiction is one of '05's toughest growers, but "Sister Jack" is perhaps the one track on the album that is instantly likable. I find that more than most songs, this one benefits from being played as loud as possible.
11. Feist - "Inside and Out"
Totally unexpected Bee Gees cover. A great mix of 70s kitsch and modern French electro, yet it doesn't come off as ironic in any way. This is a great track, unlike anything else on the album. Feist had a good year with the American release of Let it Die and the new BSS album which she appears on. This track makes me want to find a nice Canadian woman and drink espresso with her in a Montreal cafe or some other nonsensical thing.
10. The National - "All the Wine"
All the swaggering arrogance that rock n' roll is supposed to be.
9. Clay Your Hands Say Yeah - "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"
Out of nowhere, Pitchfork declared these guys to be the biggest thing in indie rock in 2005. They weren't completely wrong. This song is their strongest - perfect summer time guitar shit.
8. Iron and Wine & Calexico - "History of Lovers"
Iron and Wine released 2 EPs worth of material this year, and collectively they represent Sam Beam's strongest work to date. "History of Lovers" is a departure from the usual Iron and Wine aesthetic, and makes a listener hope that more collaborations with Calexico will follow.
7. Bloc Party - "This Modern Love"
Most lists put "Banquet" in this spot, but I prefer this track. Maybe its the naked honesty in the lyrics, or the hook which isn't the hook you first expect, but I think mostly its the way Kele Okerere sings "breaks me" near the end.
6. Wolf Parade - "I'll Believe in Anything"
The vocal on this track is out of this world, but even that is overshadowed by the wall-of-sound moments in the second half. Absolutely exhilarating from start to finish.
5. White Stripes - "My Doorbell"
Having mastered the blues, the White Stripes try their hand at classic soul. Can't you hear Mary Wells singing this? Definitely the best Stripes single since the White Blood Cells album.
4. Okkervil River - "For Real"
Anthemic, rocking, and dark. The rest of the album doesn't hold up as well as I hoped it would, but I never get tired of hearing this song.
3. The New Pornographers - "The Bleeding Heart Show"
I think this is the best thing they've ever done. Anyone who says "Since U Been Gone" is a "perfect" pop song needs to listen to this track. The "hey na" ending gives it the instant classic status.
2. The National - "Mr. November"
Hard to believe the arrogant prick of "All the Wine" wrote this song as well. Not only is this a great track on its own, but the content of the lyrics cast a new light on the other songs on what is one of the year's best albums. This album closer makes you want to instantly listen to whole thing again. If "All the Wine" is brash, cocky, rock 'n roll, "Mr. November" is the introspective flipside.
1. Art Brut - "Emily Kane"
Bruce Springsteen says that the subtext of all rock music is "I like you, will you please pull your pants down." In "Emily Kane," Eddie Argos is playing into that long tradition by proclaiming is love for the childhood sweetheart he hasn't seen in 10 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 5 seconds. Poor guy doesn't even know where she lives. You don't expect guys working in the punk tradition to be as emotive as Argos is here, but he's wonderful at it. With any justice, schoolkids on buses will be singing Emily's name for years down the road. BEST SONG OF THE YEAR! TOP OF THE POPS!
So those are the best songs of the year. Notice the lack of Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. I'm not one of those hipsters who will lump in "Shake it Off" with the truly serious shit you see above. Now, I'm not too cool for big tittied pop stars, but that shit's a different animal. There's a time and place for mindless bubblegum pop, but Bottle of Bread aint it.
Tomorrow: A run down of archival releases/reissues/comps/box sets
Anyway, these are my favorite SONGS of 2005. Like I said, some are singles, some are just album tracks. There are 20 of them, and here they are, comments where appropriate:
20. Boards of Canada - "Dayvan Cowboy"
Mostly because of the way it changes gears halfway through. This is the most stunning track on their altogether very good 2005 album.
19. Wolf Parade - "Shine a Light"
Marches along and builds up a tremendous head of steam. Like the other great tracks on Apologies to the Queen Mary, this has an undeniable anthemic quality.
18. The New Pornographers - "The Jessica Numbers"
The reverse-machine gun intro is perfect.
17. M. Ward - "Radio Campaign"
More people should listen to M. Ward. This guy evokes nostalgia for old-timey Americana like nobody else working today. His latest album is a small masterpiece for the way it conjures memories of a time its listeners can't possibly remember.
16. Dirty Three - "Doris"
This isn't your older brother's Dirty Three. "Doris" draws attention to itself because of its "rock" orientation. This is the best purely instrumental track of the year, and this was a good year for instrumental music.
15. Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer"
From their EP, which isn't an EP at all. Not sure if this counts since I think it first appeared as a B side in '04(?), but I need some Furnaces on this list, and they aren't getting on through the shitty grandma album which I honestly can not even remember the name of.
14. Arctic Monkeys - "A Certain Romance"
"I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is the single that got caused such a stir in the autumn of '05, but I prefer this track, which is just a lot more interesting and evocative. I don't know if they are the "next Clash," but this track is vaguely Clash-esque, and they pull it off. I especially enjoy the killer guitar soloing towards the end.
13. The Hold Steady - "Stevie Nix"
The epic centerpiece of their fine '05 album.
12. Spoon - "Sister Jack"
Gimme Fiction is one of '05's toughest growers, but "Sister Jack" is perhaps the one track on the album that is instantly likable. I find that more than most songs, this one benefits from being played as loud as possible.
11. Feist - "Inside and Out"
Totally unexpected Bee Gees cover. A great mix of 70s kitsch and modern French electro, yet it doesn't come off as ironic in any way. This is a great track, unlike anything else on the album. Feist had a good year with the American release of Let it Die and the new BSS album which she appears on. This track makes me want to find a nice Canadian woman and drink espresso with her in a Montreal cafe or some other nonsensical thing.
10. The National - "All the Wine"
All the swaggering arrogance that rock n' roll is supposed to be.
9. Clay Your Hands Say Yeah - "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"
Out of nowhere, Pitchfork declared these guys to be the biggest thing in indie rock in 2005. They weren't completely wrong. This song is their strongest - perfect summer time guitar shit.
8. Iron and Wine & Calexico - "History of Lovers"
Iron and Wine released 2 EPs worth of material this year, and collectively they represent Sam Beam's strongest work to date. "History of Lovers" is a departure from the usual Iron and Wine aesthetic, and makes a listener hope that more collaborations with Calexico will follow.
7. Bloc Party - "This Modern Love"
Most lists put "Banquet" in this spot, but I prefer this track. Maybe its the naked honesty in the lyrics, or the hook which isn't the hook you first expect, but I think mostly its the way Kele Okerere sings "breaks me" near the end.
6. Wolf Parade - "I'll Believe in Anything"
The vocal on this track is out of this world, but even that is overshadowed by the wall-of-sound moments in the second half. Absolutely exhilarating from start to finish.
5. White Stripes - "My Doorbell"
Having mastered the blues, the White Stripes try their hand at classic soul. Can't you hear Mary Wells singing this? Definitely the best Stripes single since the White Blood Cells album.
4. Okkervil River - "For Real"
Anthemic, rocking, and dark. The rest of the album doesn't hold up as well as I hoped it would, but I never get tired of hearing this song.
3. The New Pornographers - "The Bleeding Heart Show"
I think this is the best thing they've ever done. Anyone who says "Since U Been Gone" is a "perfect" pop song needs to listen to this track. The "hey na" ending gives it the instant classic status.
2. The National - "Mr. November"
Hard to believe the arrogant prick of "All the Wine" wrote this song as well. Not only is this a great track on its own, but the content of the lyrics cast a new light on the other songs on what is one of the year's best albums. This album closer makes you want to instantly listen to whole thing again. If "All the Wine" is brash, cocky, rock 'n roll, "Mr. November" is the introspective flipside.
1. Art Brut - "Emily Kane"
Bruce Springsteen says that the subtext of all rock music is "I like you, will you please pull your pants down." In "Emily Kane," Eddie Argos is playing into that long tradition by proclaiming is love for the childhood sweetheart he hasn't seen in 10 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 5 seconds. Poor guy doesn't even know where she lives. You don't expect guys working in the punk tradition to be as emotive as Argos is here, but he's wonderful at it. With any justice, schoolkids on buses will be singing Emily's name for years down the road. BEST SONG OF THE YEAR! TOP OF THE POPS!
So those are the best songs of the year. Notice the lack of Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. I'm not one of those hipsters who will lump in "Shake it Off" with the truly serious shit you see above. Now, I'm not too cool for big tittied pop stars, but that shit's a different animal. There's a time and place for mindless bubblegum pop, but Bottle of Bread aint it.
Tomorrow: A run down of archival releases/reissues/comps/box sets
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Neil Young used to be cool
I'm in the habit of watching Saturday Night Live, which is a little like being in the habit of poking yourself in the eye with a rusty blade. It basically just isn't funny. Tonight's show was actually pretty good - Jack Black was the host, and there was a hilarious Robert Smigel claymation about what Jews do on Christmas done in the style of an Phil Spector girl group wall of sound parody. It was even in black and white, and Darlene Love did the singing....it was very funny, and the musical highlight of the show, which is unfortunate considering Neil Young was on tonight. There was a time when this guy was relevant, and his early albums are some of my favorites by anybody. Tonight he did a few songs from his new album....I think its called Farting into a Prairie Wind or something like. He's in his old-fogie country phase, I guess, which he was bound to go through sooner or later. It is just so incredibly boring compared to, say, Tonight's the Night or On the Beach. I think one of his band members actually died on stage tonight, but I was the only who noticed. THAT IS HOW BORING HE IS. This got me thinking about other old-fart rock stars, so I've compiled a list of some of the best and worst
1. Bob Dylan: People who know me know that I've gotta throw Bob up here first. He is a living legend and a mesmerizing guy to watch on stage. More than that, the guy is a fucking freak of nature with his pencil thin mustache and cowboy hats, his metallic colored scarfs....the guy is WEIRD. Definitely NOT boring in any way.
2. Johnny Cash: He's so cool he died. This is the first lesson musicians who get old should learn. When you get to the age when you can't perform any longer, it is best just to die. Nothing helps your cred more.
3. Pual McCartney: Unless you're Sir Paul. Even death couldn't save him at this point. Paul is currently my sixth favorite Beatle. The correct order is 1. George 2. John 3. George Martin 4. Pete Best 5. Ringo 6. Sir Paul Basically he is just a massive tool, and if you read Spitz's new 1000 page Beatles biog you will learn that Paul was all "oh guys stop doing drugs so we can record...I've got this great tune about a blackbird....oh, you're writing awesome psychedelic pop songs that will be remembered forever, I guess I can just do blackbird on my own" Seriously what a fucking tool. I haven't even mentioned all the lame crap he's done as a solo artist. His latest crappy album just got nominated for a Grammy, which is a sure sign he is totally fucking irrelevant.
4. Tom Waits: His voice sounds like a broken garbage disposal. By that I mean it is not for singing, but a percussive instrument. He's awesome.
5. Willie Nelson: He still gets high everyday.
6. David Bowie: A caricature of his former self. Tries to appear hip by going to Arcade Fire shows. Comes off as desperate.
7. Mick Jagger: Pretty lame only because he is proving himself to be the grandfather of corporate rock when he was once the face of youthful rebellion. Looks way older than he actually is. Ditto for Keith. Obviously, the drugs.
Well that was really fucking depressing. Moral of the story: if you are a rock star and can avoid aging, you should do so. Otherwise, you will be a punchline on some hipster blog by the time you hit 60.
1. Bob Dylan: People who know me know that I've gotta throw Bob up here first. He is a living legend and a mesmerizing guy to watch on stage. More than that, the guy is a fucking freak of nature with his pencil thin mustache and cowboy hats, his metallic colored scarfs....the guy is WEIRD. Definitely NOT boring in any way.
2. Johnny Cash: He's so cool he died. This is the first lesson musicians who get old should learn. When you get to the age when you can't perform any longer, it is best just to die. Nothing helps your cred more.
3. Pual McCartney: Unless you're Sir Paul. Even death couldn't save him at this point. Paul is currently my sixth favorite Beatle. The correct order is 1. George 2. John 3. George Martin 4. Pete Best 5. Ringo 6. Sir Paul Basically he is just a massive tool, and if you read Spitz's new 1000 page Beatles biog you will learn that Paul was all "oh guys stop doing drugs so we can record...I've got this great tune about a blackbird....oh, you're writing awesome psychedelic pop songs that will be remembered forever, I guess I can just do blackbird on my own" Seriously what a fucking tool. I haven't even mentioned all the lame crap he's done as a solo artist. His latest crappy album just got nominated for a Grammy, which is a sure sign he is totally fucking irrelevant.
4. Tom Waits: His voice sounds like a broken garbage disposal. By that I mean it is not for singing, but a percussive instrument. He's awesome.
5. Willie Nelson: He still gets high everyday.
6. David Bowie: A caricature of his former self. Tries to appear hip by going to Arcade Fire shows. Comes off as desperate.
7. Mick Jagger: Pretty lame only because he is proving himself to be the grandfather of corporate rock when he was once the face of youthful rebellion. Looks way older than he actually is. Ditto for Keith. Obviously, the drugs.
Well that was really fucking depressing. Moral of the story: if you are a rock star and can avoid aging, you should do so. Otherwise, you will be a punchline on some hipster blog by the time you hit 60.
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