Since I don't see anything that's coming out over the holidays that's likely to knock off any of my fave films from 2005 here's my top 10 in no particular order:

The World
Crash
Me, You and Everyone We Know
Tristram Shandy
Moolaade
Broken Flowers
Syriana
The Squid and the Whale
Good Night and Good Luck
History of Violence

Also enjoyed some films that were not released in 2005: Elephant, Brief Encounter and Aberdeen.

Biggest piece of shit fawned over by the critics: Last Days. No doubt Brian will find it magical.

Forgot to mention the Coltrane/Monk record, outstanding. Plus, yes, I did enjoy the Decembrists record, they're incredibly consistent from release to release. No doubt seeing them live would have sealed their standing for me in '05.

Also forgotten, I really liked the Bjork release in '05 - The Music from Drawing Restraint 9. Not a Bjork record in some ways, but very rewarding mood music.

...I 'd have to say for me its the year of the decemberists....Picaresque for best album and also for best concert at the Pheonix....after that in no order I have a group of ;
Kanye West - Late Registration
Antony & Johnsons - I am a bird now
Monk & Coltrane - Carnegie Hall
Sigor Rios- Takk

Next bests group Rounding out the top 10 would be ;
Sufjan Stevens - Illinios (should have been 7 songs less, but that song about john wayne Gacy gets in the top songs of the year for me)
Broken Social Scene- Tragically both Brian & Derek are wrong with their opinions..the first record is a masterpiece, but this is too aimless & rambling but still a very good record....
Julie Doiron- Goodnight Nobody -The song "When the snow falls in December " this song evoking heartbreak and the early cold november snow.... ya all must have been here at some point ...download the one song if the whole album is too much
Richard Hawley-Coles Corner

Finally 2 reissues...Belle and Sebastians-Push Barman...2 cd set of all singles and eps is pure bliss...I have all the records and thought I had all the good stuff ...but this would be what I would recommend to a neophyte....the most consistent band in the world...
Bill Fay self titled...I am a sucker for 70s sound ..horn section...production values...etc and this cd although it took me 3 or 4 listens has come to be a real favorite...

A final note...this is my last day at work and I dont have access to my email at home so if you want to contact me...its the phone baby ...

I had a lousy listening year as you all know (I've complained about it ad nauseum) due to renovations and baby, but still emerged with a few favourites - all of which you know as well. Nevertheless, in the spirit of inclusiveness, I will add my brief list.

My favourite by far is Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens. I haven't had a connection to a pop record like this for a few years. It seems to me that he creates in his own space, with a musical/psychological idiom that is entirely his own. On Illinoise, the mix of folk, choral, and orchestra, combined with his soft voice made my heart do tricks on almost every track. His mix of supreme earnestness and goofy humour works for me as well (hmm...BD insight, maybe it's because I am also over-earnest and goofy?). It's funny, because I know that I could find the whole package, or certain aspects of it, very irritating, but I find myself caught up in the songs, and unable to criticize even their most cloying elements.

I was quite surprised (a little worried, frankly) to find that Pitchfork was on the same page for 2005: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2005/

Other fave albums for me were:
Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
Paul Motian/Bill Frissell/Joe Lovano - I Have the Room Above Her
Cardinal - re-issue of their 1994 (only) record (great chamber pop).
Bill Charlap - Somewhere (from 2002) - Songs of Leonard Bernstein

First few listens of the Animal Collective sounded very good to me, so I'm hopeful. And I really enjoyed The Woods but haven't listened to it enough yet.

Disappointing albums for me (Have I become very hard to please in the last 12 months?):

- Broken Social Scene - Derek and I disagree, but I find this record (and the previous) somewhat devoid of personality (perhaps too many contributors), with overthought arrangements, and lacking great songs. The song D chose as his fave is a good song, but it sounds almost exactly like Pavement (so what's the point?).

- the New Pornographers - some great songs, but overall the band lacks cohesion, and the generic AOR (ie., CFNY "rock" music) mixes destroy some of its originality for me.

- Xiu Xiu - maybe just not my thing.

Songs I loved - I could pick a bunch form the records I enjoyed (or was disappointed with) above, but never mind. I can think of one that is on an unmentioned album, which is Black Mountain's "No Satisfaction". Great anthemic Lou Reed-inspired number.

Enough for now. Gotta work.

Christmas, Kwanza or Dia de los Muertos, I actually never work so having no excuse for my lamentable posting record here goes:

Songs that had me skipping down the streets of Toronto this year are as follows:

Bright Eyes - Gold Mine Gutted
Broken Social Scene - Ibi Dreams of Pavement
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
Me and You and Everyone We Know S/T - Mirror
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Kanye West - Gold Digger
MIA - Galang
Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us
The Go! Team - Ladyflash
The Mountain Goats - This Year
Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything
Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
The Clientele - Since K Got Over Me
The New Pornographers - The Bleeding Heart Show
The Decemberists - The Sporting Life

Best Live Show - The Decemberists at the Phoenix

Most Disappointing Show - Wolf Parade at the Shoe with Calexico/Iron & Wine at the Docks coming a close second

Fine Album that registered on nobody's radar (although Kyle is now digging it) - Beck - Guero

2005's version of Brian Wilson's "Smile" - Antony & The Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now (sorry, Stu)

Favourite Album of 2005 (keeping it singular) - Broken Social Scene - Self Titled

Best compilation of previously issued material - Orange Juice - The Glasgow School

Finally 10 solid records most of which wont end up on any year-end best of list:

The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Holopaw - Quit + Or Fight
David Pajo - Pajo
Drumheller - Drumheller
Akron Family - Akron Family
Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts
Dave Douglas - Mountain Passages
Tujiko Norkio - From Tokyo To Naiagara (from 2003)
Tinariwen - Amassakoul (from 2004)

Seriously now, what are you people doing? Christmas shopping? Spending quality time with your family? Doing the job your employers pay you good money to do? Good grief!

Well, since I said last week that I would post some year end faves I may as well get that done instead of bitching at others. First, a brief list which probably reiterates those printed in other publications but hey, what can you do if other people have good taste too?

Albums/EPs

'Be' – Common – feel good, groovy, intelligent, poppy, just good
'Late Registration' - Kanye West – sometimes too poppy but enjoyable
'Arular' - M.I.A. – like a shot of adrenaline, recommended for the treadmill
'Illinois' - Sufjan Stevens – doesn’t tire
‘Picaresque’ – Decemberists -
'Feels' - Animal Collective – energetic, inventive, weird, wonderful
'Strange Geometry' - The Clientele – warm bath harmonies, like a lost Byrds record with better sound quality; what Teenage Fanclub would be if they were “great”
'Woman King' - Iron & Wine – Sam Beam’s voice.
'In Case We Die' - Architecture in Helsinki - kind of like the Fiery Furnaces, in more easily digestible (shorter) portions, but with more instruments and singers
‘Black Sheep Boy’ by Okkervil River, another reason why KEXP in Seattle, where I first heard their music, should be replicated in Toronto someway, somehow.

Songs

‘Golddigger’ – Kanye
‘Engine Driver’ – Decemberists
‘Feel Good Inc’/’Dare’ – Gorillaz
‘Sunshowers’ or ‘Hombre’ – M.I.A.
‘On a Holiday’ – Green Day
‘I Turn My Camera On’ – Spoon
‘Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood’ – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
‘Something Beautiful’ – The Real Tuesday Weld
‘Evil’ – Interpol (technically last year’s release but I really only listened to it in 2005 and it’s a song that makes sensible use of the ‘repeat’ button on your cd deck)


Disappointments: 'The Cosmic Game' - Thievery Corporation. I've liked their 3 previous discs but I guess this just seems like more of the same, without any interesting new twists or directions. Thought that appearances by David Byrne and the Flaming Lips on a few tracks would be interesting but these tracks are actually the weakest on the album.

‘Solarized’ – Ian Brown. Though I’ve read others rave about this and I know, Stuart, that you kind of dug it, this is one that never quite did it for me. Maybe it’s because he seems to be doing a pale imitation of his earlier solo and Stone Roses stuff.

Grew on me:

No Title - 'Petra Haden and Bill Frissell' - An album of cover songs which at times can get a little too sugary sweet for my taste (ie. not sure why they chose to redo 'when you wish upon a star'), petra's voice is quite pretty and frissell's arrangements on 'Yellow', 'Satellite' and 'I Believe' make it worthwhile for me.

‘Guero’ – Beck – Sarah bought it and I resisted it for months, even after rave reviews her and Derek but am now digging it large. He’s a great songwriter and this disc is up there with ‘Odelay’, albeit with less distortion and more quieter, straightforward, acoustic numbers.

Old Music but New for Me:

Brian Jonestown Massacre – pretty much all their discs, most notably ‘Take it from the Man’. I wasn’t all that familiar with their music until seeing the documentary ‘Dig!’ this year but have been hooked on their sound ever since. Their jangly, psychedelic rock at times channels the best of the Rolling Stones (without sounding too derivative) and at other times more contemporary bands like Primal Scream and Verve.

‘Remember the Future’ – Creeper Lagoon, a 5-song ep of sweet, dreamy pop songs. Heard one of the tracks while listening to the forementioned KEXP on my laptop in an airport lounge, surfed over to emusic and downloaded the whole thing for a buck and change, then transferred it to my mp3 player for listening on the plane. Music I want, at a reasonable price, in seconds. What this whole digital music—ecommerce thing should be.

‘Madvillainy’ – Madlib & MFDOOM and “Vaudville Villain” – Viktor Vaugh
With thanks to Derek, who leant me these discs. A lot of the tracks stop just when they’re getting going but somehow I love the smooth, rhythmic delivery of both MCs, the sometimes strange but effective mix of drum and accordion samples, old b-movie clips, and scratching, the humourous pop culture references. Hip hop that’s more geared to lounging on the couch than it is to the dance floor.

That's all for now. Back to work.

Where can I sue this Eastern European no-hoper? He was obviously listening to me sing in the shower earlier this week and is just blatantly hoping to cash in. It makes Ian Curtis' original sound like Dusty Springfield.

It's the year of Mariah? I thought this year was all about punk-rock throat singers doing cover songs? Think I'm talking smack? Then listen to Albert Kuvezin's cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" which to me sounds a bit like a drunk Henry Kissinger trying to channel Ian Curtis.

I'm pretty much in sync with the Grammy people. This has been Mariah's year and let nobody tell you different.

As for MMJ I've never owned anything by them and despite liking a song here and there have never felt impelled to make an album purchase. They do seem to be getting a lot of hype for this latest however so take the plunge.

Has anybody heard the new My Morning Jacket disc? It's getting tons and tons of hype, raves, kudos, esteem, acclaim, praise, laudatory press...you get the picture...and I was wondering if it measures up?

Also, the end of 2005 fast approaches...what were your faves of the year? Overall, I think it was a pretty damn good year for indie/alternative music, with some pretty good releases from artists with which I was previously familiar (Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Sleater-Kinney), and from artists I only discovered this year (M.I.A., Okkervil River, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). I've tipped my hand already with some of those that would make my top list so rather than come up with a list that will closely resemble what you'd see in exclaim, pitchfork, others, I'll try to come up with some more interesting categories. Hold your breath...now!

(Also, it's been at least a week since the last post. Don't tell me you people are actually working! Get off your ass and type something in here).

i've created a monster!

list/link mania continues....

here's one i discovered today that posits the 33 hottest bands in canada. lots of interesting links to other blogs as well as artists sites.

you are probably not interested in the Issac Hayes ....I just got a little excited about this links function Kyle taught me......Ill try to keep it in control ....
oops

Thanks Kyle ...check out this Issac hayes

btw derek....looks like itunes has that imogen heap cd for $9.99, which is probably cheaper than what they had it for at hmv.

i read that pitchfork article a few weeks back and had lots of chuckles. a friend of mine actually played the 'heintje' record (featured on the first page) last year at a dinner party and the groupo nearly wet itself in laughter. the track he played, 'i'm your little boy' features heintje softly whispering the words, 'mama, i love you' during the bridge.

as for digging through the silly album covers in my own collection:

one of the first albums i owned was heart's 'magazine', which features the silly ass cover listed here. love pavement but always thought the cover for 1995's 'wowee zowee' was particularly stupid. actually, i could be here for awhile this is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel...

have you ever not bought an album because of the cover? i guess in the age of downloading this is becoming less of an issue but it did happen to me once this year. i'd heard a couple of tracks from the NYC-based group, Brazilian Girls and was interested in picking up the disc but refused when I saw this cover. I was kind of on the fence about the album and looking at the cover, felt that I'd probably regret the purchase in the very near future; it was as if they seemed less like musicians and more like a bunch of jackasses messing around with some sounds and coming up with something that sounded good to me on first listen but maybe wasn't worth my time.

question: what are the coolest album covers of all time?

abbey road and dark side of the moon immediately come to mind are of course classics. another of the first albums i ever bought was supertramp's 'breakfast in america', which i still really like.

any others you'd all care to add?

also, not that i mind copying and pasting, but here's a tip on making actual links: Highlight the word you want to use as the link, like I did with the words 'magazine' and 'cover' above, then click on the link icon, located above the text box you're typing in and represented by a picture of a globe with what appears to be a chain resting on its northern axis. Then paste the link in the URL field and click OK. There, now you've linked to that site. And don't you feel better?

from my own collection I think this is the worst I have....

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4791DDF4AA47720C0803E53C0BA74E006D14EC59D0A354B47C8953E46C30C7FE352BB8A92ECB628EC30D2FD47E11043D2CBF154F9C3643D3D88A2A76A3B3641020E3525FD&sql=10:pz2tk65x9krw

Copy and paste the link above

Bad album art. This might be a good topic for discussion as I'm sure we've all come across some clangers in our day. Some of the covers shown here are laugh out loud funny but be warned that by the time you get to the last few pages some are just over the top repulsive. Sadly I own 4 of these records and have a 5th from which the single extracted is on this list also. I'll leave it to you aces to guess which ones if you've got nothing to do this afternoon.

Some of the worst covers I remember from my days when I had hair and trawled the two indie record stores in downtown hammertown were those of the Dayglo Abortions. Any that come to mind that aren't shown here?

http://pitchforkmedia.com/features/weekly/worst-album-covers/

well....it seems we've all bit a bit sporadic with posts lately....to be frank, I had sort of given up last month when it seemed like it was only Derek and Kyle out there....It seems you need at least 3 others (BARE MINIMUM) outside of yourself to make for any kind of meaningful dialogue, so since marc seems to have abandoned the site completely , but Brian is now back after understandably being absent with the newborn , itll be up to the 4 of us to be a bit more active.....myself included...
so in that spirit....
TRy again Brian with your name the band...I didnt have enough time.....
Ill try your music tips guys cause im in a bit of a drought........
Thus ....Ive gone a bit retro....picking up JF Sorrow (kudos to Brian) and also the early sampler Cure "staring at the sea" nothing you guys dont already know about....
I also picked up a very concise Lennon 2 disc set which better summarizes his career
then the Lennon BOX ...The 4 discs had too much filler , which though interesting , didnt really hold up to repeated listenings...Anyone who wants to trade or buy it off me is welcome.....

Hate to see you two chaps trade words with no input from the rest of us so here goes. Liked the band guessing game there Brian just never got around to posting a response so don't forsake the idea completely just yet. Could have sworn band 2 was Nirvana. Speaking of which have any of you seen that dirge of a movie by Van Sant yet. It's called "Last Days" and you might never see yours if you watch this somnolent piece of indulgence.

As for music of the month I can say without doubt what my song of the month has been. Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek". If you're averse to the vocoder please run the other way. Personally I'm with the guy who does NPR's All Songs Considered. Every 10 years or so you need a really great vocoder song whether it be Laurie Anderson or Cher. This one's a beauty and I just can't get enough of it. Check out Salon's Audiofile (Oct 14) if you want to download a copy of it and please all your chums when you cut it as track #3 on all the Christmas comps. Only downside here is that when I went to buy the album last week at HMV it had that dastardly CC logo on it and so ixnay on that purchase.

Another piece of music that came to my attention courtesy of NPR is Orenda Fink's (love the names of these women) album "Invisible Ones". You can listen to the whole thing in streaming audio at http://www.orendafink.com/orendafink.html.

There's a bit of Kate Bush going on here and some Tori Amos I suppose but not in that idiosyncratic way that makes every Tori song sound the same and has me reaching for the mute button. If you like the Cocteau Twins you'll probably love track #6 "Miracle Worker".

I concur with Kyle on the Animal Collective but I'll say that "Sung Tongs" also grew on me. For me AC are a lot like BSS in that you would be hard pressed to pick out the "songs" on the record but there's a lot of primal emotion and when you're in the right frame of mind it can really rock.

I'm also digging the new Deerhoof record. I'm three records into these guys now and they seem to turn them out at a pretty fast pace. I was really turned on by 2003's "Apple O" but last year's "Milk Man" was a real chore and didn't see the light of day more than 3 or 4 times. Glad to say that the new record might be there most accessible yet so if you were scared off by the yelping of the Japanese female vocalist and the rather too angular riffs of records past this might be the place to parachute in.

Must check out the Ladytron disc as I've been on the verge several times then backed off. Still have the horrible sound of Electroclash ringing in my ears.

Nothing worse than the sound of one hand clapping, eh? I too get glum when my posts generate zero response but I assume it's because everyone is so enthralled with what I've written that they're stressed about producing something approaching my genius.

Switching off jackass mode for a second...I like the monthly music pick thang and will here attempt some of my own...

I'm warming up to the new Animal Collective disc, 'Feels' quite nicely. I downloaded one of their previous albums and found it a little too...what's a good word to use...abstruse? Abbrasive? Difficult to appreciate unless one is the process of commiting a terrible act of violence? To hear an example, click here. 'Feels' has been described as one of their most accessible discs to date and while this latest may not get them on heavy rotation in Much More Music anytime soon, it does manage to channel some of the ready-to-explode energy into catchy melodies on several tracks while slowly building pretty, string-laden incantations on others. I think it's worth giving some time to get to know.

Equally challenging but yet to 'find my wheelhouse' as mon amis Ecossais would say, is the Coco Rosie disc 'Noah's Ark'. Though I like the title track, I'm still trying to get into the rest of the disc. I dig the the gauzy, discombobulated, jazzy female vocals and the overall production, but I find some of the songs get bogged down in their own esoterica. Perhaps this will change with a few more listens.

What else...the new Elbow disc, "Leaders of the Free World" is a bit of a disappointment on the first couple of listens. I really liked 2003's "Cast of Thousands", which managed to sound fresh and confident throughout while drawing immediate comparisons to Spiritualized, Catherine Wheel, and Coldplay. In the latest disc, the lyrics seem a little more forced and the vocals a little lethargic...kind of more lethargic Coldplay which I don't think anybody needs. Still, it's on the mp3 player so a few more listens it will get.

More of a pleasant surprise is Ladytron's 'Witching Hour', which I wasn't expecting much from, having not really enjoyed what'd I'd listened to previously. This album got some decent reviews so I bought it (emusic). When I listen to it, I hear Lush, Curve, M83, Kraftwerk, and maybe a little Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab, which hits all the right notes for me but maybe not for y'all out there.

Whatta you boys been listening to lately?