Best of 2005

NORM says "Overall, I thought this year sucked. More so than any other year that I can really remember. Granted, there was a plethora of stuff that came out over the summer and into the fall that I've yet to hear due to a tremendous lack of funds - but still...

01. Son Volt - Okemah And The Melody Of Riot

"First off, this is not Son Volt. There is no Boquist/Boquist/Heidorn, just Jay Farrar and some hired hands... Not Son Volt - but One Volt. And as such, this sounds nothing like a Son Volt record. Why resurrect the name just to urinate on it with this slate of bland tuneless dreck? Even if this were a Farrar solo outing, it's easily his worst, worse even than the maudlin moping of Terroir Blues (another record I considered a disappointment.) I don't know what's going on with Jay, but he needs to pull together some tunes with some soul, not this sparkly, by-the-numbers, pop-rock garbage. Just 'cause you're name-checkin' Woody Guthrie and naming the album after his hometown doesn't mean you got the goods. This album manages to both meander and bore at the same time. What I'd give for that hat to be medicine, and for Jay to recover his songwriting ability."

02. Outrageous Cherry - Our Love WIll Change The World

"A decade-plus after they first started swallowing the psychedelic-pop pills whole, Detroit's Outrageous Cherry are still tripping on the effects fantastic. Their latest disc, Our Love Will Change the World, dates its sound with the title, reveling in acid rock and bellbottom pop. Unfortunately, the daydreaming sound gets too lethargic at times -lulling you into a state that even handclaps and tambourines can't shake awake."

03. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

"You know that crackhead friend of yours who when confronted, changes everything in his life but the real problem? Well, no amount of new marimbas can change the fact that Meg White's baby-pounding drumming had grown into a serious weak link for this once mighty band. Sure it was charming in the past but now it cripples their sound. It also reinforces one of rock's most ludicrous myths, that of the amateurish drummer who somehow embodies the "spirit" of rock and roll. This is a tired falsehood that insults the legacy of Earl Palmer (look him up, kids). The truth is most times the drummer was the MOST ACCOMPLISHED member of the band. Many even fronted Jazz bands in their spare time, like Palmer, Ginger Baker, Charlie watts, Mitch Mitchell, Sheila E and Cindy blackman. Just listen to weaker sound-alikes (Black Keys, Early Man, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and you'll here the difference an accomplished drummer can make to rock and roll. Hell, if you don't believe that, why not listen to a certain record named Bleach and then a little ditty called Nevermind. White is going post doctoral with his guitar and voice, but Meg is still in grade school."

04. Echo & The Bunnymen - Siberia

"I don't know what the dick from Rolling Stone was smokin', but this album is really weak and boring. Don't waste your time or money. This is the weakest album they've ever made. Just stick to the recordings from 1979-1989, and forget about the crap that has come since."

05. Teenage Fanclub - Man-Made

"After the lackluster Howdy!, I was hoping for a return to the energetic sound that has made TFC one of my favorite bands. Man-Made was quite a disappointment. While the vocal harmonies and musical arrangements are still beautiful, there is just no passion here... It's like the band is totally bored with the material. When Songs from Northern Britian was released, I was surprised by how the band had matured and became less hyper-frenetic, but at least that album had some soul behind the performance. If you're new to TFC, I'd suggest Northern Britian or any of their Geffen albums over this."

06. The Fleshtones - Beachhead

"Garage-rock bands are not built to last: The moment someone wants to park in the practice space, the party's over. And this party ended about 25 years ago."

07. The Ponys - Celebration Castle

"Tucked in near the end of the album, there's a song title She's Broken that features a female lead vocal by bassist Melissa Elias. An incredible song, driving, energetic, with a great chorus, and screaming vocals. Why did The Ponys bury this track after about 9 or 10 yawners in a row? Well, most likely, they didn't consider those 9-10 songs to be yawners, but be that as it may, they should have led off with this one. Elias is a wonderful talent, and the songwriting here, for a change, is equally superb. Unfortunately, this one song is worth the price of the CD, and unless I don't know my music industry as well as I think I do, you'll probably never get to hear She's Broken unless you buy the CD. Fuckers."

08. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

"If this qualifies as one of the best of the year, then it was indeed a HORRIBLE year for music. This is one of the worst albums I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to. The singer - better to call him a blatherskite - does nothing but mumblespeak nonsense. There are a thousand bands like this playing small venues and bars all over, yet THIS is singled out as one of the BEST albums of 2005??!? After this cd was over I promptly took it out of the player and flipped it in the trash. What a waste. That anyone could listen to this cd more than once confounds me. The singer is nothing but a poor man's poor man's David Lowery (minus any ability to write clever lyrics). It just goes to show that just because some people can turn on an amp, have cds pressed, and manage to get bookings doesn't mean you have any talent."

09. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

"To those who say you must have a sophistocated ear to 'get' all that's going on in this music, I say give me a break. Sufjan Stevens, John Coltrane, Brian Wilson, Thelonious Monk, Wilco, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, etc. are all bands and muscians that are greatly appreciated by those with a deeper understanding of musical content and are willing to hear daring and inovative artists at work. One must also enter passion into the equation with any music to truly 'get it.' Passion for what's being said both lyrically and musically. To my ear, Sleater-Kinney is neither daring nor innovative on this deeply disappointing album. It is true that they are passionate about what they have created here (as are their numerous fans and the reviewers who have given this record positive reviews) but passion doesn't always make good music. Here are just a few things that bother me about this album: a lead singer who often tries to sing with a British accent and is full of snarl and vigor but offers little in the way of true vocal talent; pointless, often childlike lyrics that say nothing new or orignal; feedback for the sake of feedback with no real purpose other than to say "this is our down and dirty album and screw you if you don't like it; Guitar solos that end up nowhere (comparisons to Hendrix are laughable and must be made by people who have never picked up a guitar before!); a horribly mixed album where everything is thrown together and tossed and the result is what it is. It's true that in the world of rock and roll - attitude counts for a lot and helps greatly to get your message accross, but what happens when that message is incoherent or at best muddled? The result is The Woods.

10. The Deathray Davies - The Kick And The Snare

"Three songs into their set one evening in Chicago, my friend leans in to say, "I think they're playing the same song over and over". "If they are, they're absolute genuises. None of these Blue Moon swilling, horn-rimmers will have the guts to ask anyone, least they look unschooled." But that wasn't the truth. The truth is that the band were your run of the mill foux hipster revivalists with more fashion sense that musical chops. The cutesy pun in their band name makes me think of the early 90's ska epidemic when the bands were called SKAface and Luke SKAwalker. Guys, Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre beat you to the punch. As the sun descends, I'm sure these guys are the typical trustfund douchebags you find in the hip and arty neghborhood of any city. It's easy to live the lifestyle when others pick up the tab. You can ride the crest of other artists and cash in on their hard work and ingenuity. Therefore you dont have to work too hard...and you can sleep past noon."

Bubbling Under:

Gang of Four - Return The Gift

Lucero - Nobody's Darlings

Bob Mould - Body of Song

The Sights - s/t

Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain

Reissues:

Sonic Youth - Goo (Expanded)

Paul Westerberg - Besterberg: The Best of

Gang of Four - Entertainment!

Yo La Tengo - Prisoners of Love (3-CD version)

Dinosaur Jr. - (original SST albums)