2005 was a bad year for me as a music lover. Having decided to move from Indiana to Michigan, I packed up almost all of my audio gear early last year, and wasn't really able to unpack it and set it up in our new house until August. And then there was a minor flood in my new listening room! Fortunately, most of my gear was not damaged, but I had to pack it all back up again until the restoration work was completed...

Well, that work is almost done, and now that I've got some of my audio rigs set up again, I've been catching up on all of the 2005 releases that I purchased but hardly got a chance to listen to. And boy am I having fun!

For the past couple of weeks, I've mainly been spinning alternative pop/rock records. I dunno why - that's just been the mood I've been in. And here are some of my current favorite alternative albums (listed alphabetically by title) from 2005:

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations by the Eels

Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart

Face the Truth by Stephen Malkmus

Feels by the Animal Collective

Illinois by Sufjan Stevens

I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning by Bright Eyes

Love Kraft by the Super Furry Animals

The Milk of Human Kindness by Caribou

The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird

Twin Cinema by the New Pornographers

2005 also saw some terrific releases by classic pop/rock artists like Neil Young, Paul McCartney, and Neil Diamond. However, I've found most of the above alternative titles to be more interesting - and ultimately more satisfying.

Has anyone else here been spinning any of the above records? If so, what do you think?

Brian, A friend turned me on to Sufjan Stevens's Illinois on vinyl. Had to go pick it up for myself. Interesting concept and well recorded.

RC

2005 was a bad year for me as a music lover. Having decided to move from Indiana to Michigan, I packed up almost all of my audio gear early last year, and wasn't really able to unpack it and set it up in our new house until August. And then there was a minor flood in my new listening room! Fortunately, most of my gear was not damaged, but I had to pack it all back up again until the restoration work was completed...

Well, that work is almost done, and now that I've got some of my audio rigs set up again, I've been catching up on all of the 2005 releases that I purchased but hardly got a chance to listen to. And boy am I having fun!

For the past couple of weeks, I've mainly been spinning alternative pop/rock records. I dunno why - that's just been the mood I've been in. And here are some of my current favorite alternative albums (listed alphabetically by title) from 2005:

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations by the Eels

Couldn't make it all the way through this one.

Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart

I only heard this about a month ago, else it would have made my 2005 top twenty. Banhart tamed some of his hippy-dippy quirkiness, and fleshed out these songs. Excellent.

Illinois by Sufjan Stevens

I was a believer until this one. Half hour too long, too much filler, and too preachy. I'm done with Sufjan.

I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning by Bright Eyes

Better than I first thought.

The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird

One of my absolute favorites from last year. Great tunes, and a pretty good sounding recording.

Twin Cinema by the New Pornographers

I fell asleep.

2005 also saw some terrific releases by classic pop/rock artists like Neil Young, Paul McCartney, and Neil Diamond. However, I've found most of the above alternative titles to be more interesting - and ultimately more satisfying.

Has anyone else here been spinning any of the above records? If so, what do you think?

Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel of Progress puts them all to shame.

:yes:

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations by the Eels
Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart
Face the Truth by Stephen Malkmus
Feels by the Animal Collective
Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning by Bright Eyes
Love Kraft by the Super Furry Animals
The Milk of Human Kindness by Caribou
The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird
Twin Cinema by the New Pornographers


Hate to say this and show how sheltered a life I have lived...but I have never even heard of any of these groups. Guess I have a long way to go musically. :music:

Terry

Terry's indie-hipster quotient= 0

:)

The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird
One of my absolute favorites from last year. Great tunes, and a pretty good sounding recording.
Hey buddy, did you see that it finally got a vinyl release? Or is just about to? Or something like that? Man, I'm so gonna snatch up a copy of that before it's long gone. Great album.

Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel of Progress puts them all to shame.
Yeah, well it's good and all that, but it hardly puts My Morning Jacket and Steve Wynn and the National to shame, at least in the real world ;)

Hi tentoze,

I've come to believe that your taste in music is much more similar to mine than that of most other AKers. And while I can name a few records that I love and you hate, the reverse does not seem to hold - every record you've ever recommended to me has been an absolute winner in my book!

And so I feel compelled to address some of the observations you made in your reply to my original post here:

1) Without a doubt, you need to be in the right mood to make it all the way through the Eels' Bright Lights and Other Revelations, which is a double album. And this is NOT a recording that I would suggest to someone who is potentially suicidal.

2) I, too, have mixed feelings about Sufjan Stevens, and I'm still don't quite understand why Illinois was put right at the top of so many "Best of 2005" lists. Still, this is bold, inventive, and truly unique stuff...

3) Regarding Twin Cinema by the New Pornographers, I too was a bit disappointend and a bit bored the first couple of times I spun this disk. However, it quickly grew on me, and I now think that it contains at least two of last year's very best pop/rock songs!

Probably my favorite titles from the ones I listed are those by Devendra Banhart, Andrew Bird, and the Super Furry Animals. Love Kraft in particular is a compelling album, and it seems to reside in a strange land halfway between Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here and Beck's Odelay, but with a few late-sixties Kinks moves tossed in for good measure, and string arrangements courtesy of the High Llama's Sean O’Hagan.

I'll have to check out Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel of Progress - thanks for the recommendation!

Cheers,
Brian

Hey buddy, did you see that it finally got a vinyl release? Or is just about to? Or something like that? Man, I'm so gonna snatch up a copy of that before it's long gone. Great album.


Yeah, well it's good and all that, but it hardly puts My Morning Jacket and Steve Wynn and the National to shame, at least in the real world ;)

Davey dot, you know some shit, but that National sux hippo balls. The MMJ is definitely quality music, and a major progression in Jones' artistic development.

Besides, who was talking about Steve Wynn- he builds tacky ass casinos in Las Vegas.

:)

Hi tentoze,

I've come to believe that your taste in music is much more similar to mine than that of most other AKers. And while I can name a few records that I love and you hate, the reverse does not seem to hold - every record you've ever recommended to me has been an absolute winner in my book!

And so I feel compelled to address some of the observations you made in your reply to my original post here:

1) Without a doubt, you need to be in the right mood to make it all the way through the Eels' Bright Lights and Other Revelations, which is a double album. And this is NOT a recording that I would suggest to someone who is potentially suicidal.

2) I, too, have mixed feelings about Sufjan Stevens, and I'm still don't quite understand why Illinois was put right at the top of so many "Best of 2005" lists. Still, this is bold, inventive, and truly unique stuff...

3) Regarding Twin Cinema by the New Pornographers, I too was a bit disappointend and a bit bored the first couple of times I spun this disk. However, it quickly grew on me, and I now think that it contains at least two of last year's very best pop/rock songs!

Probably my favorite titles from the ones I listed are those by Devendra Banhart, Andrew Bird, and the Super Furry Animals. Love Kraft in particular is a compelling album, and it seems to reside in a strange land halfway between Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here and Beck's Odelay, but with a few late-sixties Kinks moves tossed in for good measure, and string arrangements courtesy of the High Llama's Sean O’Hagan.

I'll have to check out Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel of Progress - thanks for the recommendation!

Cheers,
Brian


I do alright for an old guy, I guess (typing this while listening to Carly Simon's Greatest Hits, no less- my credibility waffles between zero and less than)

Since Davey sez Bird's Eggs is coming out on vinyl, I will definitely be in the hunt for that. SFA seem like this week's news to me.

My latest revelation is Pinetop Seven- something in the vocals definitely reminiscent of Michael Stipe- just very fine music.

Cheers to you, amigo, and great to see you posting a bit!

i'm like you TW. i've never heard of these groups either.
i must be a hipster duffus. :smoke:

Hate to say this and show how sheltered a life I have lived...but I have never even heard of any of these groups. Guess I have a long way to go musically. :music:

Terry

Terry - if you are interested in discovering more of this type of music, I'll be happy to make you a compilation from my Best of 2005 list Top 20 (http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55668). I've been meaning to make one for myself anyway. And I have tentoze's Best of '05 too that I could throw in the envelope.

Just let me know if you want one.

JD

Hey buddy, did you see that it finally got a vinyl release? Or is just about to? Or something like that? Man, I'm so gonna snatch up a copy of that before it's long gone. Great album.


That, Davey, is good news. But where can one obtain the vinyl copy? Inquiring minds want to know.

JD

Terry - if you are interested in discovering more of this type of music, I'll be happy to make you a compilation from my Best of 2005 list Top 20 (http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55668). I've been meaning to make one for myself anyway. And I have tentoze's Best of '05 too that I could throw in the envelope.

Just let me know if you want one.

JD

JD: There are a few on your Top 20 list I have heard of! I need to get my music education started...I would enjoy a copy of your "Best of 2005". Thanks for the offer. I'll PM my address.

Terry

That, Davey, is good news. But where can one obtain the vinyl copy? Inquiring minds want to know.

JD
Hey JD, I saw it the other day when I was looking for something at Darla ... http://www.darla.com/catalog/search.asp?id=10956 ... it's on a tiny label named Grimsey and might be available direct as well, but I imagine most of the indie sites should have it. The CD is on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe label and they don't generally do vinyl, so I was surprised to see it. Guess they farmed it out just like the majors. Anyway, great news. As tentoze says, it does seem like a very good recording but they kind of messed it up on the CD with all the needless compression. Hopefully the master is less compressed.

My best for 2005 have been:

Maia Sharp's Upstanding Citizen
Steve Howe's Spectrum (including Tony Levin)
Richard Thompson's Front Parlour Ballads
The Syn's "Syndestructibles"