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Best of 2005

A friend bought me a copy of Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning: Had previously avoided this as any write up I'd seen (apart from Pitchfork) made it sound kind of twee. Actually, it's full of great songs - between Eels and Iron and Wine - and is now in my 2005 top 10.

Also been listening to the Konono No1 "Congoelectrics" which Bub mentioned a while back. Has featured in a lot of end of year polls and is might good on first listen. I have got into a habit over the last few years of picking up what become my favourite records of any year after reading the end of year polls. Looks like this will be no different! Can't see why that Polar Bear/Acoustic Ladyland stuff is figuring: A jazz version of Oasis - recyling their record collection, adding zip but acting like they're at the vanguard of modern music. Mind you, Seb Rochford has the best hair of the year. although even that is borrowed from The Mars Volta.

Kevin
 
ErikL said:
Pitchfork's top 50 is out: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2005/

Does anyone else find it very odd that they define "good hip-hop" as whatever is playing on MTV and/or corporate radio?
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Agreed. No sign, for example, of Edans "Beauty and the Beat" or the Radiq record. It's a bit like a cutting edge hip hop site thinking the Coldplay record is the best rock album of the year.

Must add the Radiq record and Six Organs Of Admittance to my own list. Neither feature elsewhere as far as I can see.

Kevin
 
Does anyone else find it very odd that they define "good hip-hop" as whatever is playing on MTV and/or corporate radio?
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While hip-hop has never been their strong suit, Pitchfork's selections this year veer on the embarrassing.

Many of their top indie rock selections are pretty much throw-aways too. Cases in point: Art Brut and Deerhoof. I must stop and think very hard to even remember what they sounded like.

Pitchfork's critical relevance appears to be inversely proportional to their influence (and they seem to have become pretty influential).
 
Someone whose music opinions I respect dissed Deerhoof! <collapses>

IMO, Art Brut, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Wolf Parade are all stronger evidence that PF has died.
 
Browsing the link,

Is it me or are "indie" bands getting way out of control with their ironic band names?

"Hey man, have you heard the new Six Organs Of Admittance album?"

"Hey brah, have you heard the new The Boy Least Likely To album?"

"Hey sister, have you heard the new Thunderbirds Are Now! CD?"
 
Mike Sae said:
Browsing the link,

Is it me or are "indie" bands getting way out of control with their ironic band names?

"Hey man, have you heard the new Six Organs Of Admittance album?"

"Hey brah, have you heard the new The Boy Least Likely To album?"

"Hey sister, have you heard the new Thunderbirds Are Now! CD?"
Click to expand...

Mike, it's the clubby language of over-empowered geekdom. (Who, btw, would never address its membership as "Brah" -- that's for the jam-banders trustafarians). I do like Six Organs of Admittance, though. And would reccomend them, they are more musical than many of the bands on that list, bringing to mind Califone and Dirty Three -- although I'm sure Pitchfork and its minions have some devastatingly precise descriptor that sums them up better than that.

I second ErikL on Deerhoof, they shouldn't be lumped together with the other (usual) pretenders.

dn'l
 
Mike Sae said:
Browsing the link,

Is it me or are "indie" bands getting way out of control with their ironic band names?

"Hey man, have you heard the new Six Organs Of Admittance album?"

"Hey brah, have you heard the new The Boy Least Likely To album?"

"Hey sister, have you heard the new Thunderbirds Are Now! CD?"
Click to expand...

Yeah not like in my day when we had sensible names like Echo And The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes and Wah! Heat and that was just from one city's new wave explosion!

Cheers

Rich
 
FooFighters in the Point/Dublin last night c/w video screens,fancy lights,smoke and lasers :D Great live act,loadsa energy!

Oh,and the FutureHeads were pretty good.
 
AlexG said:
Must look into 'Six Organs Of Admittance'.
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The School of the Flower LP is lovely. With Chris Corsano of The Sunburned Hand of the Man on drums, since we're bandying around unlikely group names.

-- Ian
 
I'm terrible at year end lists, I can never keep track of what was bought at the end of the last year vs. the beginning of the current year. (yes, i know there are dates on the cd's, but that takes planning) But I do know that Dirty Three's "Cinder" is 2005, and I think it's pretty beautiful.

ian, i've just bought Rova:Orchestrova, but so far haven't had the uninterrupted 63 minutes (at unrestricted volumes) it is properly due for an honest listen. the first 15 sound promising.
dn'l
 
Metallifan said:
FooFighters in the Point/Dublin last night c/w video screens,fancy lights,smoke and lasers :D Great live act,loadsa energy!
Click to expand...
I'd agree. Foos at Earl's Court last Sunday. Superb, emotional, tight, rockin.
 
Top albums:

Alicia Keys - Unplugged
Oceansize - Everyone Into Position
José González - Veneer
Jan Jelinek - Kosmischer Pitch
Engineers - Self Titled

Nearly-made-its:

Goldfrapp - Supernature
Moby - Hotel
Editors - The Back Room
The Cardigans - Extra Super Gravity
Markus Guentner - 1981
Triola - Im Fünftonraum

Re-issue of the year:

Global Communication - 76:14
 
The Kanye West Album, the Souad Massi album and a couple of really excellent new releases on Ocora.
Pretty meagre pickings overall.
 
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