Albums of 2005...
 

What music albums of 2005 have you given a listen, and how were they?

For my part, I've heard a fair amount of music thus far this year (well, more than I normally would, at least) largely as a result of becoming Arts editor at a student newspaper. While there's a pretty large staff of writers around, I do still feel a bit of an obligation to try to keep up with as much of the movies and music we're covering as possible.

3 Doors Down, "Seventeen Days" -- Absolutely TERRIBLE album. I enjoyed "Kryptonite" but otherwise have no use for the band. As far as radio-friendly pop-rock goes, this is real bad.

50 Cent, "The Massacre" -- Not nearly as good as "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and I didn't even love that album very much. The production on that was pretty solid though. "Massacre's" production is amazingly bland.

Black Mountain, "Black Mountain" -- Thoroughly enjoyable Canadian indie rock which some tracks that do get a little too long and meandering. Love their two main vocalists. "Modern Music," "Druganaut" and "No Hits" were fave tracks.

Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm" -- Still need to give this another listen, but it didn't make a strong impression one way or another the first time through.

Bright Eyes, "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" and "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" -- Both are good listens. "Digital Ash" is semi-Postal Service sounding (makes sense, I believe they were involved in producing a couple tracks). I really like "Arc of Time (Time Code)" and "I Believe in Symmetry." However, I have fallen in love with the second album, the acoustic "I'm Wide Awake." It's probably my favorite album of the year thus far.

Eisley, "Room Noises" -- Only listened to it once, but I enjoyed it on first listen. Would have to pay closer attention to really give a full endorsement, but it tenatively gets a thumbs up.

Jack Johnson, "In Between Dreams" -- I can't help but enjoy this thing. It makes me feel warm all over. I'm not saying Jack Johnson is a genious musician (or even a particularly good one), but damnit, if you don't at least mildly enjoy this album, you have no soul.

LCD Soundsystem, "LCD Soundsystem" -- Same as with Eisely: haven't listened more than the one time, but I liked what I heard.

Beanie Sigel, "The B.Coming" -- Really mixed feelings. On the one hand, you can tell Sigel's coming off a long break and that "B.Coming's" thematic content was meticulously planned. On the other, you can also tell that the production--the sound--was rushed due to his November incarceration on fed gun charges. It lacks a uniform sound to go with the uniformly bleak themes. Tracks stick out like a sore thumb here and there--it's more mixtape than album. They're good beats and production, they just don't fit in. There's far too many guests that get in Sigel's way (surprisingly, Snoop does the best job of avoiding that pitfall). It's definitely worth a listen, it just could have been a bit better.

Beck, "Guero" -- Again, only one listen. I've heard some negative reviews of this (more disappointed than negative, really) and I didn't get it. I liked it. But haven't dived in too hard yet, so my opinion might change.


There's about 20 or so that I want to get at yet but haven't had time.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

can you name some particularly good songs on the acoustic Bright Eyes?

as for me the only album from 2005 i can think of that i've listened to extensively is Vanessa Carlton's Harmonium. it was a huge disappointment for me and doesn't measure up at all to the first.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

[ QUOTE ]
can you name some particularly good songs on the acoustic Bright Eyes?

as for me the only album from 2005 i can think of that i've listened to extensively is Vanessa Carlton's Harmonium. it was a huge disappointment for me and doesn't measure up at all to the first.

[/ QUOTE ]

The whole thing. There's not a song on there that I consider skipping when I listen to it. That said, good test downloads are "Lua," "First Day of My Life," and "Road to Joy."

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
can you name some particularly good songs on the acoustic Bright Eyes?

as for me the only album from 2005 i can think of that i've listened to extensively is Vanessa Carlton's Harmonium. it was a huge disappointment for me and doesn't measure up at all to the first.

[/ QUOTE ]

The whole thing. There's not a song on there that I consider skipping when I listen to it. That said, good test downloads are "Lua," "First Day of My Life," and "Road to Joy."

[/ QUOTE ]

The first one is pretty damn annoying, first track that is

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/best/

those are all mostly good.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

NH..probably won't find 3-Doors Down on there.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

[ QUOTE ]
NH..probably won't find 3-Doors Down on there.

[/ QUOTE ]

prolly not [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Other albums I like not on the list:
Moby - Hotel
Beck - Guero
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

so far the only thing that's really stuck out for me has been m.i.a. "arular." but then again, i really haven't heard many 2005 releases. i am ashamed to say that i still haven't heard the perceptionists album, but i expect that to be very good.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

Armor for Sleep - What to do when you are dead

Very Good disc.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

armor for sleep...nice.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

The first song is damn amazing.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

[ QUOTE ]
Jack Johnson, "In Between Dreams" -- I can't help but enjoy this thing. It makes me feel warm all over. I'm not saying Jack Johnson is a genious musician (or even a particularly good one), but damnit, if you don't at least mildly enjoy this album, you have no soul.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is awful.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

M.I.A. - Arular
Of Montreal - The Sundlandic Twins
Spoon - Give me Fiction. I've only heard one song.
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash/I'm Wide Awake
Decemberists - Picaresque
Iron and Wine - Woman King
Fiery Furnaces - EP
LCD Soundsystem - s/t
The Evens - s/t
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
Kills - No Wow

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/best/

those are all mostly good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read Pitchfork regularly (and happen to think that, while they're worth reading, they frequently slip into bouts of elitist-prickism--hence why you won't see them review 3 Doors Down, Jack Johnson, or anything else Top 40). The point wasn't to get Pitchfork's point of view, it was to get actual comments on individual albums from people who've listened to them.

On that list, I've downloaded "Picaresque," "Arular," "Woman King," "I Am a Bird Now," "Before the Dawn Heals Us," "The Documentary," and "EP." I just haven't gotten to those yet. Well, I've started "Documentary" but I got interrupted.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Jack Johnson, "In Between Dreams" -- I can't help but enjoy this thing. It makes me feel warm all over. I'm not saying Jack Johnson is a genious musician (or even a particularly good one), but damnit, if you don't at least mildly enjoy this album, you have no soul.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is awful.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have no soul.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute

if you dig their old album you most likely will like this one. if you've never heard them before, they're fairly out there but good stuff. i dig the cd a lot, but i loved de-loused in the comatorium.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

Comatorium is so far above Frances the Mute it's not even funny.

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

word

also
New Aesop Rock EP - Fast cars, danger, fire and knives
alkaline trio - crimson (i have an advanced copy)
millencolin - kingwood
gatsby's american dream - volcano
grayskul - deadlivers

Re: Albums of 2005...
 

Comatorium >Frances.

Agreed.

Wide Awake its morning > Digital Ash in a digital urn
(although the title of Dadu is great).