My Top 12 Albums of 2005

This is going to be posted on SFist in a little while, but you, lucky AITNR reader, can read it here first:

(P.S. At least my SFist readers told me that all my links were broken! Smaart quoooootes!!!)

Sufjan Stevens Illinois

Young, ambitious, talented, and accomplished, Sufjan Stevens has topped the majority of 2005’s Best Of lists his own way, on tiny independent label Asthmatic Kitty. Most people are still mispronouncing his name (say it with me: ‘soof-yawn’) but most music lovers have definitely heard of him. You know the story by now, he’s making an album about every U.S. state. He’s done Michigan, and this year he released his magnificent ode to Illinois. This concept is not a crutch; it’s a great way for him to focus his overflowing talent and vision. His voice, his melodies and lyrics, the arrangements and instrumentation, it’s all layered and transcendent. The controlled chaos of his live show is a celebratory spectacle: more than a dozen players mill about onstage, in uniform, performing songs and cheers with sincerity and a sense of humor. If I ever get the chance, I want to pinch Sufjan to make sure he’s real.

Listen to Sufjan and the Illinoisemakers spinning on WNYC.

Feist Let It Die

I’m cheating a little on this one, because I fell in love with the import of Feist’s record in 2004 when I read Torontoist’s Top 10 and hunted down a copy (thanks Arts & Crafts!) The States didn’t see the release of Let It Die until 2005 though. Feist is one of those exciting and rare talents that opens up a new realm of possibilities in listening. We lost a true musical genius this year when Chris Whitley passed in November, but it’s artists like Feist who will carry on the legacy of artistic integrity and adventure. During her live shows she’s open and channeling, and no two performances are the same. Let It Die is a sultry concept record about lost love and crumbling relationships, and is just the start of wonderful things to come from Ms. Feist.

Listen if you like Astrud Gilberto and Jeff Buckley.

Spoon Gimme Fiction

Spoon can do no wrong. Gimme Fiction ushered in an unprecedented level of popularity for the band, but they’re still somehow the underdogs. They should be bigger than Death Cab; they should have gotten that Grammy nomination that went to Arcade Fire. No band has the strength, swagger and class of Spoon. From their taught, spare production to Britt’s signature aw-huh’s and awright’s, Spoon is simultaneously classic and modern. There’s something self-contained and standoffish about Spoon, something that’s always just out of reach, which only makes you want them more.

Listen now and thank me later.

Imogen Heap Speak For Yourself

One of my most anticipated releases of the year, Imogen came out with just the type of album I hoped she’d make. Emotional, dizzying, and hypnotic, she grabs your hand and pulls you into her world. She makes electronic music with heart and soul, and sings moods, fears and heartbreaks you’ve felt but could never put into words. The album swings from lighthearted and effusive (“Goodnight and Go”) to heavy and tragic (“The Moment I Said It”). The track “Hide and Seek” is a staggering showcase of her creativity: comprised primarily of a cappella vocal tracks run through heavy effects, it’s spooky and mesmerizing.

Listen if you like Tori Amos, Frou Frou or Cut Copy.

Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy

The lyrics on this concept record are highbrow: “A black sheep boy dissolves in hot cream, in sweet moans, in each dead bed and empty home, in each seething bacterium. Killing softly and serial, he lifts his head, handsome, horned, magisterial. He's the smell of the moonlight wisteria. He’s the thrill of the abecedarian.” Wordplay, recurring themes, alliteration and assonance, you expect to find these elements in literature, not in indie rock. But it’s not just cerebral. Will Sheff’s weary voice weeps with emotion when he sings about being cast out by his family and spurned by lovers.

Listen if you like The Good Life or Neutral Milk Hotel.

Constantines Tournament Of Hearts

This was my most highly anticipated release in 2005. The Constantines first two records were dark, raw and sophisticatedly aggressive, with songs that were down in the mouth and determined at the same time. Grit, rasp and stubble remain on this record, but a softening has happened. The lover just left; the bedsheets are still warm and you can smell stale cigarette smoke on the pillowcase. It’s unclear if you’re wrecked or relieved.

Listen if you wish Bruce Springsteen went to art school and led an indie rock band in 2005.

CD compilation from The Believer’s June 2005 Music issue

Released in the June 2005 music issue of “The Believer”, this compilation features a who’s who of indie rock, from The Mountain Goats to Two Gallants. Two of the artists on this Top 12 appear as well. The best part? They’re each covering each other’s songs. Highlights include The Decemberists covering Joanna Newsom’s “Bridges and Balloons” and CocoRosie’s cover of “Ohio” by Damian Jurado.

Track down a copy and listen if you like covers but not in the Alanis-Morissette-covers-Seal’s-“Crazy” kind of way.

Silversun Pickups Pikul EP

Silversun Pickups’ singer Brian Aubert sounds like Kim Deal after a case of cigarettes; his voice is distinctive, searing and desperate. In my favorite song of 2005, “Kissing Families”, when he screeches “thank god it’s over” you feel the sting and the release. During an opening set for Brendan Benson at Slim’s this fall, Aubert joked about being nervous (maybe he wasn’t joking) but his performance was above all things alive. SSPU’s full length album, to be released in early 2006, should blow us all away.

Listen if you like co-ed vocals, dramatic performances and adventurous song structures.

South San Gabriel The Carlton Chronicles: Not Until The Operation’s Through

I’m a rabid fan of Will Johnson’s band Centro-matic and his mellower alter ego in South San Gabriel, but when I heard he made a concept album about a cat, I was understandably skeptical. The Carlton Chronicles is such a gentle, gorgeous album that I had to release all judgement of the lyrics, which are written from the standpoint of an eloquent feline. The lyrics are creative and strange, but the music, melodies and instrumentation are lush and lulling. This album is as relaxing and comforting as a cat curled up at your feet.

Listen if you like Iron & Wine’s folk with a touch of Grandaddy’s weirdness.

Phosphorescent Aw Come Aw Wry

Is Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea in your top 10 albums of all time? It might be so for Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck. Careening horns and crooning pedal steel prop up Houck’s forlorn singing on “Joe Tex, These Taming Blues”, and “I Am A Full Grown Man” bursts into Arcade Fire-esque multi-instrumental interludes. I’ve been so excited about this record that I’ve been spreading the word to discerning music fans. I saw them play a gorgeous set at the Rickshaw Stop to about 40 people. At one point Houck sang unamplified while playing a rickety piano in the corner of the venue, while his bandmates wandered around the room playing horns or tapping tambourines. They were making music and creating an experience for everyone who was there. True artists, in my mind.

Listen if you like Neutral Milk Hotel or Okkervil River.

Eisley Room Noises

These four siblings and a friend are from Tyler, Texas, which I can personally attest counts for humble beginnings. Their debut full-length album, Room Noises, is an otherworldly singalong adventure. They’re young (the eldest is in her early 20’s) and on a major label, but don’t mistake them for pop sellouts or puppets. They each play their own instruments and the sisters’ three-part harmonies are spot-on. You’ll be pulled in by the sweet and addictive melodies, but their lyrics are dark and strange enough to keep things interesting. Besides, you already have enough angst and irony in your life, do you not?

Listen if you like The Sundays or The Cranberries, or if you need a dose of something hope-filled and beautiful.

The Life and Times Suburban Hymns

From the ashes of Shiner, one of my favorite bands of the 90’s, rises The Life and Times. Suburban Hymns is tall, dark and mysterious, just like I like ‘em. Songs like “Skateland” and “Coat Of Arms” (“hold your face to my face / a coat of arms around my heart”) are disaffected, tough and atmospheric at the same time. When I told my buddy Allen, the singer (that’s full disclosure), that this was my favorite of his albums since Shiner’s masterpiece Lula Divinia, I wasn’t just saying it. I mean it. You should listen, and don’t miss a chance to see them perform live.

Listen if you like The Constantines or Shiner.

Comments

[marylynn]

You always list bands that I am far too lame to have even heard of BUT I am proud to say that I both own and love Illinois. HA. Finally!

[harold]

Nice list. I love that Okkerkill River record. Will have to check out the others that I haven't heard.

I also love that Spoon album and how the band has gotten back to the hype level of "A Series of Sneaks." Deserved or not, I just think it's cool how they've come full circle. There's something about Spoon that just inspires people to discuss whether or not they're getting their due...