Top 10 Albums of 2005 (Thus Far)
Part One
I've jumped on the mid-year top 10 list bandwagon (as seen on Chromewaves et. all). Here is the first five of my favourite 10 albums that have been released this year. I'm going to do them in alphabetical order, which I feel is easiest, because I honestly can't rank them in terms of my favourite to least favourite.

01. Amusement Parks On Fire - Self-Titled
I first read about these guys on Stereogum, where they were describred as emo-gaze (as in emo and shoegaze), and decided to check out their my space (click to sample a few of their songs). They blew me away upon first listen. Sad, emo-like vocals, over waves of distorted, My Bloody Valentine guitars. This is what Mogwai would sound like if Stuart could actually sing and write lyrics. They remind me of a louder, more aggressive Wrens, which may seem like a werid comparison. The Wrens always felt like emo for adults, emotional music with mature themes, instead of your typical "she left me and broke my heart" pop-punk type. This album is in the same vein but takes its inspiration more from shoegaze than indie rock (the Wrens).


02. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
I'm not going to bash Pitchfork like tons of people do, because they turn me onto tons of great music. This album was reviewed by them at the beginning of the year, and they added it to their best new music section. The first time I listened to it, I pretty much hated it. But after a couple listens, I fell in love with it. Antony's vocals are strong yet fragile. His lyrics make me smile and want to cry at the same time. I don't think that any album has effected me emotionally like this has since I first heard Elliott Smith back in high school (and The Smiths/Morrissey for that matter). There are many guest appearances on the album by notible musicans such as Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright and Devandra Banhart.


03. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
The release Silent Alarm marks the end of the nu-wave 80's revival. Even though there are still tons of bands releasing albums within this genre (for example, the Kasier Chiefs, The Bravery, Maximo Park) the scene is offically over. The shit that's coming out this year is so derivative, and these newer bands are re-hashing the sound of 2001-2002 a la the Strokes. Bloc Party stand out because they kids can really play their instruments, their rhythm sections is incredible, and Kele is a great frontman that isn't afraid to look like he's having a good time. I caught them for their debut show in Toronto at the Opera House and they were just as impressive live as they are on disc.



04. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Here's another guy that tons of people like to talk shit about. Bright Eyes aka Connor Obest's I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, shows once again what an incredibly brilliant songwriter he is. Every track on this album is great, Connor weaves touching narratives in his lyrics that deal with everything that is important in our lives. Standout tracks include Land Locked Blues, The First Day Of My Life and Poison Oak. The one thing that surprised me about this album is the fact that he left "When The President Talks To God" off the album. Follow the link to download the track for free from iTunes or his live performance on the Tonight Show.


05. The Decemberists - Picaresque
The Decemberists third album reminds me of reading literature from the past. The songs are all narrative-based, with a slew of interesting characters. Colin Meloy is not only a songwriter, but a writer of fiction. The Decemberists remind me a lot of Belle And Sebastian, but with much more mature songwriting. This album translates very well live, Meloy and company are excellent live musicians. Check out Chromewaves for some great pictures from the show I attended at the Phoenix in Toronto.