25. Lemon Jelly -'64-'95a shiny, concept-type album that i liked a lot better earlier in the year. Come Down on Me was featured in the trailer to the movie A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy... hearing that song on the commercials for the movie made me sick of LJ for a while.
KEY TRACK: Go (featuring William Shatner)
24. My Morning Jacket - Za lot of people have been raving about this album. to some extent, the hype may be bigger than the band, though the song GIDEON alone makes this album worth repeat listens.
23. LCD Soundsystem - s/tthey sound like they should be from England but they reign from NY. good dance/indie-electronica for when you need that fix.
KEY TRACKS: Daft Punk is Playing at my House, Yeah
22. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satanadmittedly, it took seeing them on the Daily Show with John Stewart (of all things) to give them another listen. I had grown tired of the Stripes, but seeing them live (on TV) made me curious and interested again.
KEY TRACKS: My Doorbell, Red Rain
21. Boards of Canada -The Campfire Headphaseatmospheric, spacey, beautiful & intriguing electronica. it puts you in another place on some other planet, on the beach with waves lapping over your feet. i don't know how else to describe this album.
20. Switchfoot - Nothing is Soundanother solid effort from the surfers/rockers of Switchfoot. it may as well be titled The Beautiful Letdown, pt. 2, but it still is worth your time.
KEY TRACKS: Stars, The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
19. Waking Ashland - ComposureMelodic, piano-driven pop-rock. this album was on repeat all summer long.
KEY TRACKS: I Am For You, Edinger
18. Stars - Set Yourself on Firelush boy/girl vocals with lyrics about love and emotion with melodic instrumentation... Set Yourself on Fire (featuring an array of instruments (horns, strings, synthesizers with the usual guitar and drum) was a surprise find this year. This album is about the ups & downs of any given romantic relationship. KEY TRACKS: Your Ex-love is Dead, Ageless Beauty
17. Embrace - Out of NothingOne of the many gems from 2005 that derived over in England. If you don't feel good after listening to Embrace then you quite possibly might be dead.
KEY TRACK: Out of Nothing
16. The Myriad - You Can't Trust A LadderA late find, The Myriad's debut kept finding it's way into my CD player. the music is smooth and i kept wanting more.
KEY TRACKS: Streched Over, 10,000 X 10,000
15. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoisi don't know if Sufjan is really good yet. his music is the latest trend, which is part of the reason Illinois didn't crack the Top 10 for me. I like this album... it has some creative elements and is easy to listen to.
KEY TRACKS: Casimir Pulaski Day, John Wayne Gacy, Jr
14. Mae - The Everglowit's a concept album that plays like a storybook. Each song flows into the next with purpose and ease; before you know it 15 tracks and 61 minutes have passed by. as a whole, it's a perfect record that i hope will not grow tiresome with age.
KEY TRACKS: Someone Else's Arms, Painless, The Ocean, The Sun And The Moon
13. Kent -Du & Jag Doden400 Slag is one of the best lead tracks on any CD ever. it doesn't matter that i have no idea what lead singer Joakim Berg is singing about (the album isn't in English - Kent reigns from Sweden), the album is terrific.
KEY TRACKS: 400 Slag, Du Är Ånga, Du Var Min Armé
12. The Perishers - Let there be Nothingthis album is easy to listen to and hard to forget. The Perishers, like Kent are from Sweden, only this album is in English. With songs are about love and hope and smooth and dreamy instrumentation, Let There Be Nothing brings balance to my music library.
KEY TRACKS: Sway, My Heart
11. Beck - Gueroi'm not sure how i left this one out of the top 10... i guess i didn't listen to it enough. Beck goes back to his roots with this one. it's chunky but funky and you can bug out to it.
KEY TRACKS: E- Pro, Hell Yes
10. Coldplay - X&Ythis was probably one of the most anticipated releases of this year. i can't say that disappointedted but prior to listening i had figured it would be my number one for the year. Coming in at number 1o is nothing to be ashamed of. the album isn't anything new, but it's still worthy of repeated listens.
KEY TRACKS: White Shadows, Talk, Low, 'Til Kingdom Come
9. Sigur Rós - Takkthe band that put icelandic music on the map has given us one more beautiful piece of art. it ranks in the top 10 because of it's sheer originality. like their previous albums, Takk is an experience.
KEY TRACKS: Glosoli, Saeglopur, Sorglega
8. Nada Surf -The Weight is the Gifti can't think of anything specific about this album that i like, other than all of it. it's another low-fi album that placed in my top 25. i listened to it a lot, so i guess i liked it, thus it's ranking at #8.
KEY TRACKS: Always Love, All is a Game, In the Mirror
7. Kanye West - Late Registrationwhat is this album doing in my top 25? it doesn't really fit with anything else on my list. regardless, it's a mighty fine album. The beats are kickin' which is all i ask for in a rap album; plus collaborations with Adam Levine, Jamie Foxx, Common & Jay-Z. The hype surrounding West almost kept him off my list... didn't want to be looked at as a trend-follower, but alas, the album is good and speaks for itself.
KEY TRACKS: Heard 'Em Say, Gold Digger, Diamonds From Sierra Leone
6. Over the Rhine - Drunkard's Prayeri love Over the Rhine. What's not to love? this album is stripped down and natural... it's as if Karen and Linford are playing in your living room. it's intimate and personal; like other OtR albums, it is best listened to in the dark.
KEY TRACKS: I Want You to Be My Love, Drunkard's Prayer, Who Will Guard the Door
5. David Crowder Band - A Collision (or 3+4=7)this was my most listened to album of the year. it was hard not to put this one at #1. this exceeded all of my expectations and drew me in from the start of Everybody Want's to Go to Heaven. tracks 11-21 are so incredible. i often would listen to them on repeat for a very long time and not grow tired of them. A Collision brings the realm of worship music to a whole new level, a level probably more in tune with God's heart than anything else, because it's raw, honest, creative and from the gut. listening to A Collision is a journey from our depravity to His divinity.
KEY TRACKS: Here Is Our King, Beautiful Collision, O God Where Are You Now?, Come Awake, You Are My Joy, Rescue Is Coming
4. Bloc Party - Silent Alarmin march, you could have called me an addict... everyday i had to have my Bloc Party fix. there is just something fun about this album. Imagine the retro Eighties sound brought back to life with the Killers mashed up with a rabid, futuristic beat and a pinch of disco-funk, and you’ve got Bloc Party. No rip off sound here - just a raw, danceable spirit, full of energy.
KEY TRACKS: Like Eating Glass, Helicopter, Banquet
3. Bruce Springsteen - Devils & DustBruce goes back to his roots with this solo, all accoustic disc. he tells stories and shares his soul. this album increases its value with every listen.
KEY TRACKS: Jesus Was An Only Son, Devils & Dust, All I'm Thinkin' About
2. Thirteen Senses - The InvitationWhat would happen if Coldplay, Travis, South and Keane merged into one and yet maintained some sort of originality? With a solid collection of soulful lyrics, melodic piano and guitar instrumentation, Thirteen Senses has gained moderate success in the British indie scene. The pure emotion of Will South’s vocals keep you hooked as The Invitation improves upon repeated listens. It isn't really anything original but i really like this album and i listened to it a lot this year.
KEY TRACKS: Thru the Glass, Do No Wrong
1. Engineers - s/tBreathtaking. Epic. Euphoric. The slow-building crescendos of downbeat sadness show an electrifying side of beauty reminiscent of a cool spring evening sleeping under the stars. Engineers’ self titled debut is more of a soundtrack to a somber reality than anything else. They don’t necessarily fit into any category; maybe that is why i liek them so much.
KEY TRACKS: Lets Just See, Come in Out of the Rain, One in Seven
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so there you have it... my top 25...
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