Because you still care. But before that, We (us) have traded Rob Mackowiak. Rob Mackowiak is, in my right opinion, the best utility player of his generation. I mean, defensively- brother was so solid and diverse (any outfield, and great picks at 3rd and 2nd). and his bat was a delight bomb. he had the chalant back approach, which made you underestimate his power. I'm not all too bummed, he wasn't getting enough press, and for the White Sox- he's ganna get recognized. Its just sad that I won't get to say "macko-wacko-smackso-splicko-splatso" and variations of everytime he's at bat. I'm talking baseball. anyway it took too much of a while but, mush, I did: 70 songs that I considered Deez Best This (deez) Year Ought Five. So to before that: 20 in alphabetical therefore not numbered just because its easier, 50 topped, because lists are in 50s. Made up of released this 2005th year (so thats why theres no Feist). Of course I'm bound to have missed some. Opinions too. Its all in reflection of what my free time is and that I enjoy liking. A deal. So further ado (itself is):
SONGS: first, actually and technically last, 20 in a particular alpha-order: 70-51:
Belaire- Thru the Wire; Bloc Party- Eating Glass; Ciara- Oh, Kathleen Edwards- Good Thing; Esthero- Wikked Lil' Girls; The Fiery Furnaces- Norweigan Wood; Franz Ferdinand- Do You Want To; Goldfrapp- Ooh La La; Imogen Heap- Hide and Seek; Her Space Holiday- Weight of the World; Lady Sovereign- 9-5; Missy Elliott- Lose Control; Nizlopi- JCB Song; The Poison Dart- Blood; Robyn- Be Mine!; Roman- I Found Love; Sleater-Kinney- Modern Girl; Spoon- They Never Got You; Luke Temple- Someone, Somewhere; We Are Scientists- Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
Tip Fiftis Sungsis:
50) May or May Not- Gotta Get Outta Here
49) Parker and Lily- I Am A Gun
48) Gorillaz ft Shaun Ryder- Dare
47) Tapes 'n Tapes- Insistor
46) Arctic Monkeys- I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor
45) Shy Nobleman- Baby in the Rain
44) The Clientele- Since K Got Over Me
43) Need New Body- So St. Rx
42) XXL- Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw Paw
41) Fischerspooner- A Kick In The Teeth
40) The Evens- On the Face of It
39) Baby Teeth- Celebrity Wedding
38) Natasha Bedingfield- These Words
37) Antony and the Johnstons- You Are My Sister
36) Le Sport- Business Girls
35) Heartless Bastards- Onions
34) Animal Collective Ft. Vashti Bunyan- I Remember Learning How to Dive
33) Aqueduct- Heart Design
32) Devin Davis- Iron Woman
31) Kiss Me Deadly- Dance 1
30) Iron & Wine- Jezebel
29) Eisley- Trolley Wood
28) Decibully- Penny Look Down
27) Nic Armstrong- Finishing Touch
26) The Brunettes- When Ice Met Cream
25) LCD Soundsystem- Disco Infiltrator
24) The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers- Concerning Lessons Learned From Aliens
23) Tim Fite- 45 Remedies
22) Magnet- Fall at Your Feet
21) My Morning Jacket- Off the Record
20) Suburban Kids with Biblical Names- Rent a Wreck
19) New Buffalo- I Got You and You Got Me
18) MGMT- Boogie Down
17) Ninja High School- Shake It Off
16) Man Man- 10 lb. Moustache (This was so late 2004, it was basically January, in fact FACTS)
15) MIA- Galang
14) Architechture In Helsinki- Do the Whirlwind
13) Mountain Goats- This Year
12) Martha Wainwright- Bloody Motherfuckin' Asshole
11) Kelly Clarkson (or Ted Leo)- Since U Been Gone
Top Ten are Sapphires.
10) The Tiny- Closer
OK here- Ellekari Larsson's voice is enough to make it to anyone's anything list (presumably positive lists), and you back that up with a stuttering piano, and the classy classy cello- you're ganna get some magic. Where the instruments are the dark cold, her voice is the warm light. Thats a cheesy line. The singing of the word 'closer' is so graspmatastic, you can't help becoming obsessing overing this song.
9) Islands- Bucky Little Wing
Unicorns broke up, everyone went wah. Islands shine up and kept up on the Unicorn humor. Bucky Little Wing is a piano piece dittyified, but the charm is that its a ball of up and down, of letting someone go and being silly. Its the "if you take this seriously, you're a twat", and thats just my alley and up it.
8) Out Hud- How Long
Out Hud made me dance. Even though thats not hard to do and Out Hud has done that countless times before- they never made it memorable. But this has the mist of pomp with the pretty panic that is Out Hud. Just slap a chorus you could rattle out, and zipadip- Out Hud was literally the health of my lower half this year.
7) The Greencards- Time
What song helped remind me that country music is a viable art form? What song made americana music seem less pretensious? A question about harmonies, universal lyrics, and classic string instruments later- Time is a natural, genre defining work. At least for me. for meat. format. form of.
6) David Thomas Broughton- Walking Over You
Brother's gotta creepy voice. There is so much anguish and fever in his guitar playing. The lyrics are like the sadness you get before you're about to puke (not literally, though that'd be such cool).Then when Broughton whistles, it comes off as arrogent in a way. All this makes for one of the most earnest songs of the year.
5) Hello Saferide- Get Sick Soon
I like it when a singers singing hardly syncs up with the music. I like it when the voice is presented sweet, and with an uncomplicated melody. I like lyrics that say something old in a new way, and then they interject personal pups. I like female vocals. I like 'lovely'. Now all that is this: Get Sick Soon is a porno for me.
4) Bodies of Water- Here Comes My Hand
And you ask where's my indie rock? AND AND- its close to twee. But its not twee. Its admittedly amateurish, but then when they work that to their advantage and shout along the way- this is gold. This song is what I love about pop music- something could be so well worn yet still seem new and adventourous. This song screams sunny, and the dance I invented to it is called "The Anticipation".
3) Lavender Diamond- You Broke My Heart
From the careening organ opening to the bells that seemingly shatter: You Broke My Heart is simply the healing song of forever. Becky Stark's voice is like the leader of a musical army thats leading a charge to self recovery. So Puh: this is a charge, the charge, and ga-golly: Lavender Diamond is the winner.
2) Paul Duncan- You Look Like an Animal
The first 5 seconds of You Look Like An Animal might be the best folktronica moment ever. Paul Duncan is geniously talented. The album, Be Careful What You Call Home, is more on the folk side... then this song kicks in: bagoosh. Its pumping without loosing its heart. There is such an air of confusion to You Look Like An Animal, which Paul Duncan lets himself rise above. He utters "let me be your employee of the month" in a way that its not even a stupid lyric. Theres bips and then theres climax, followed by a banjo. Seriously Paul Duncan, don't hurt 'em.
1) Stars- Your Ex-lover is Dead
This is such a pluck of the heart personal triumph for me, added upon the whole whistfulness of the music. I couldn't help but make this number 1 because by far it was the most memorable. Though everyone likes Ageless Beauty off of Stars' Set Yourself on Fire, this song so much rolling that when I first heard it, I absolutely had to listen to again even before I finished it. The best cello hook I've heard, the horn Oh the horn, they just spill the emotion before we get to the lyrics. Torquil Campbell is the touch and Amy Milan is the feel. I mean when she sings "this scar is a freck on my porcelin skin.." its by far one of the most intense moments in pop music. The music is like the stage for the 2 to duet to let out: "I’m not sorry I met you; I’m not sorry it’s over; I’m not sorry there’s nothing to say; I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save.” Its so alive with heartbreak. Gosh. So its personal, so theres a stupid old man at the beginning, but when a song is crafted so beautifully and when all these layers of instruments come together in such harmony (check that piano line), "live through this, and don't look back" becomes so poignant for me, for anyone. For me mostly. Baby.
Thats thatter- did you notice 3,2,1 went like You, You, Your. I'll do albums... in enough time. You're thats it for now.