best buy

anyone working on a best of 2005 yet?

early nominees?

major disappointments??

incredible surprises?

wretched failures? (keep to music, please)

Off the top of my head, my favorites so far:

British Sea Power
Team Sleep
M.I.A.
Devil In a Woodpile
Tara Angell

Single: New Order - Krafty

Spoon "Gimme Fiction" & Brendan Benson "Alternative to Love" are my favorite records so far. Nothing earth shattering but satisfying listens. I have an advance of the White Stripes cd and it's a crushing disappointment but I wasn't as impressed with Elephant as some people and TP called that one a "masterpiece" so, what do I know?

oh yeah - add Damien Jurado, the Go-Betweens and Mercury Rev to my list. Forgot them before.

"Golden Ocean", by Kristin Hersh's new thang 50 Foot Wave, is pretty great, and I've never even been that big a fan of her other past projects.

Louis XIV - The Best Little Secrets Are Kept

Beck - Guero

Mike Doughty - Haughty Melodic

Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out

little richard - complete reprise recordings

not really 2005, but SHUT UP!


ordinary boys - over the counter culture

also not really 2005, but SHUT UP again!

major disappointments??



lou barlow
mando diao
ponys (at least the first half)
subway surfers - SHUT UP!

Some winners:
Devin Davis - Lonely people of the world, unite!*
Wedding Present - Take Fountain
New Order - Waiting for the Siren's Call

Maybes:
Ponys - Celebration Castle
Beck - Guero
British Sea Power

Singles/EPs:
The Boy Most Likely To - Be Gentle with Me
New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Bloc Party - various

Some Disappoinments-
Cocteau Twins reunion failure
White Stripes LP
U2, Eminem and REM still emptying teenager's pockets
Bush's war drags on; not even rap responds with fervor


*Equal parts Kinks, White Stripes, and BDB



Post Edited (05-24-05 01:59)

two albums so far that are rocking my world...

the Regulations--Swedish garage/punk/hardocre band

Direct Control--early 80s hardcore punk. This one isn't out yet but I've had an advance for awhile.

Masta Killa - No Said Date
MF Doom - MM ... Food?
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Mastodon - Leviathan (came out very late 2004)

From what I've heard of the new Electrelane, High Tension Wires and Bearsuit records might make the list ...

Did The Mice reissue For Almost Ever Scooter come out this year?

LCD Soundsystem!!!!!!!