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2005 Year End Best Of

 
 
Minion Name:
  PostLibyan  
         
 
          Albums
 
 
 
  1. Waves and Echoes by Portal. Dreamy, catchy, goodness. Read full review for more information.
  2. Outside Closer by Hood. This is such a complex album, but it's still really fun to listen to. Read full review for more information.
  3. No Cities Left by The Dears -- Technically this was released at the end of 2004 here in North America, but it didn't come out until early 2005 in the UK and Europe. I didn't get it until this year, so i will go ahead and consider it a 2005 release. anyway, this is an awesome complex album. the Dears can imitate anyone from The Smiths to Flying Saucer Attack when they try... Truly wonderful. Look for a review to come!
  4. The Dreams Our Stuff is Made Of by The Purrs -- Really fun rock album from Seattle. Sounds vaguely like mellow, early Rolling Stones. The perfect driving album of 2005. Read full review for more information.
  5. There I Go Daydreamer by Mira -- Awesome melancholy shoegaze album from Floridian band. Look for a review to come!
  6. Campfire Headphase by Boards of Canada -- Scottish IDM act discovers guitars, and becomes shoegaze-esque (in a German fashion) in the process. Another essential release from this act. Look for a review to come!
  7. In A Cave by French Toast -- Energetic punky dubby goodness. Look for a review to come!
  8. Absence by Dalek -- Latest from apocalyptic avante-rap act from Philly. Dark rhymes over a wall of sheer noise... Beautiful and malevolent. Read full review for more information.
  9. One Ten Hundred Thousand Million by The Octopus Project -- Electroclash dance rock from Austin, TX. This is really energetic and fun. Read full review for more information.
  10. With Teeth by Nine Inch Nails -- Trent can still write a really friggin' catchy song. He's not as angry as he was, but the man has obviously been following the recent electroclash explosion, and the addition of those style songs to the NIN sound is a good thing, IMHO. I really like this disc. Read full review for more information.
 
     
 
          EPs
 
 
 
  1. Stranded Under Endless Skies by Hammock -- Ambient dreampop done right. Read full review for more information.
  2. Night Light by Hitchhike -- Newish Austin releases stunning debut. Seriously -- this is good stuff! Read full review for more information.
  3. Eternifininty by The Mattoid -- Wacky Nashville-based Finn manages to make really quirky music that is still catchy and fun. Read full review for more information.
  4. Unwind by the Rosebuds -- Featuring one of the catchiest songs in a long time (You Better Get Ready), and then 4 more good songs. Solid. Read full review for more information.
  5. Guidance by Avrocar -- A really fun and complex EP. I love this band. Read full review for more information.
  6. England Fallen Over by Epic 45 -- Good Hood-ish electro indie pop. Read full review for more information.
  7. Birth by The Funeral -- Electrofied gothic rockers from Denver do a Gang of 4 cover, and do it well. Their original stuff is fun too. Read full review for more information.
  8. EP2 by Headlights -- Really nice pop disc. Read full review for more information.
  9. Camplex by Polestar -- Some of the best IDM released this year. Read full review for more information.
  10. In the Remote Woods by Foreign Born -- Yet another great post-punkish release. I look forward to more from this act in 2006. Look for a review to come!
 
     
 
          Singles
 
 
 
  1. Waves by Marjorie Fair -- Amazingly catchy song by this new LA band. And they were great in concert too! Look for a review to come!
  2. Black Eyes b/w Good News by Snowden -- Atlanta post-punk act release 2 great songs. If you can play vinyl, you need a copy of this! Read full review for more information.
  3. The Lost You by Hood -- Yeah, so i really like this act, so they are on here twice. If you haven't heard them, track down a release -- any release! Read full review for more information.
  4. Damaged Goods b/w Falter (Floor Mix) by The Funeral -- Okay, so they do a killer version of the Gang of 4 classic, plus really good original tune. Another essential vinyl purchase from this year. Read full review for more information.
  5. Pieces by Mira -- Another act i adore right now. This is a great single. Read full review for more information.
  6. Patroness b/w The Cold Fraction by eNTERTAINME.nt -- A second great vinyl release from this gothish Atlanta band. Read full review for more information.
  7. Sister Sneaker Soul by My Latest Novel -- Catchy indie pop from this British act. Great stuff, really! Look for a review to come!
  8. A Guitar and A Heart by M83 -- Awesome prog rock from France. Read full review for more information.
  9. Death of All Romance by The Dears -- Another great tune by these French-Canadians. Is there nothing this band cannot do? Look for a review to come!
 
     
            Live Events  
     
  1. Robin Guthrie at Club Violane at Basswerks in Los Angeles, CA on Friday.29.April -- My guitar hero performs a solo set for about 100 faithful fans. This was an amazing experience.
  2. Gang of 4 at Earthlink Live on Saturday.8.October -- Another show at a big venue with pretty bad openers, but finally seeing Gang of 4 was worth it. This performance was something i have waited many years for, and they did not disappoint. Read full review for more information.
  3. Home of the Wildcats at The EARL on Thursday.3.November -- Local Atlanta math rock legends play a blistering set to, well, me and a handful of other people. I know that no one saw this show, but Home of the Wildcats played their hearts out. Read full review for more information.
  4. Pylon at The EARL on Thursday.7.July -- Reunion show from very fun old Athenian post-rock act. I had never seen them in the 80s, but they still can make a crowd dance. And dance. And dance. Actually, despite the fact that i loved this show, the band did wear me out! For old rockers, they sure have some endurance (and of course, they didn't have to be at a meeting at 9 AM!).
  5. Hitchhike, Palaxy Tracks, The Octopus Project, and Asobi Seksu at SXSW on Wednesday.16.March -- Four wonderful sets, even if i was standing around in the freezing cold for the bulk of it. Read full review for more information.
  6. The Dears, The Shout out Louds, and Marjorie Fair at The EARL on Saturday.18.June -- This was, holistically, the best show i saw all year. All three bands put on enjoyable performances. Read full review for more information.
  7. Dälek at The EARL on Thursday.17.February -- Avante-hip hopers from Philly put on a good show even though the rapper had a cold and was running a fever. Their noise is even more beautiful live. Read full review for more information.
  8. The Rosebuds, The Comas, and Hopewell at EARL on Friday.20.May -- Another all around great show, with three fun touring acts. No complaints here at all. Read full review for more information.
  9. Corndogorama, Day 3 at The EARL on Saturday.25.June -- A wonderful, long, beer-soaked day that left me exhausted. So many good bands. I think it all reached a peak when Magnapop played Merry. What a wonderful moment on a truly great day. Read full review for more information.
  10. Asobi Seksu on Valentine's Day at The Drunken Unicorn -- What a fine way to celebrate a greeting card company mandated holiday. Read full review for more information.
  11. The Shut Ups and Snowden at The Star Bar during the Atlantis Music Conference on Saturday.13.August -- The Shut Ups have written one of my favorite, as yet unrecorded tunes, the aptly title I Hate People, and they played it and so much more this evening. I always have fun seeing The Shut Ups. This was also my first live exposure to Snowden, and they were really on this night.
  12. Saturday Looks Good to Me at SXSW on Friday.18.March -- This was a simply wonderful set of motowny goodness. When this band is on, they are ON! Read full review for more information.
  13. The Potomac Accord at The EARL on Saturday.4.June -- What a wonderful set from this fine band. And really nice people to hang out and chat with too. Read full review for more information, and as of the New Year's Posting, you can still download the show. Read full review for more information.
  14. Emery Reel and American Analog Set at The EARL on Saturday.3.December -- Drinking in the late afternoon to two great post-rockish bands? Sure, sounds like a great idea. This was an all around fun show.
  15. Headlights and Maserati at The EARL on Tuesday.27.September -- This was the second time i had seen both of these acts perform on the same bill, the first time being at Corndogorama. Tonight, both played wonderful sets.
  16. Paik at SXSW on Thursday.17.March -- Detroit space rockers succeed in wowing even Tracers, who is not a space rock fan. This was a truly stunning performance. Read full review for more information.
  17. The Futureheads at The Loft on Wednesday.1.June -- Okay, so the venue kind of stinks and the opening bands were not that great, but The Futureheads are so much fun in concert. Read full review for more information.
  18. British Sea Power at The EARL on Tuesday.10.May -- Their new album is not bad, but it has no songs on it that really grab me. However, they still put on a powerful show. Read full review for more information.
  19. The Selmanaires and Shock Cinema at The EARL on Friday.18.November -- I have seen The Selmanaires many times this in 2005, but i think that this was their best set. They are a lot of fun in concert.
  20. Envie at Corndogorama at The EARL on Thursday.23.June -- It was great to see the classic Envie lineup play one last time. I will miss them... Speaking of which, when the heck is Renee Nelson going to get a new band organized? Read full review for more information.
 
         
            Re-releases  
     
  1. Lullabies to Violane by Cocteau Twins -- Robin Guthrie remastered every single that Cocteau Twins ever released onto this 4 CD set. Simply stunning. Look for a long, ranting, fanboyish review to come!
  2. December by For Against -- Classic lost post-punk album. Really -- you need this. Read full review for more information.
  3. You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. -- Oh, how J. Mascis rocked back in the day! Thank you so much Merge Records for remastering and re-releasing this lost classic from my mis-spent youth. I had forgotten how much i loved this band until i picked up this CD. Wonderful stuff.
  4. Entertainment by Gang of 4 -- Re-released on very nice vinyl no less! This music still sounds as earth-shattering now as it must have 25 years ago.
 
         
         
 
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