Darn! As soon as I submitted my list, I realized that I omitted Brendan Benson's "Spit It Out" and "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)." I'm not sure where both songs would fit on the list, but they'd definitely be on it. And if I was thinking clearly, I might have found a spot for "E.M.P.T.Y.," a standout track from The Clientele's Strange Geometry, one of my favorite albums of the year. My apologies.

Holding to the theme of listing just one track... I'll say hands down "Sixteen Military Wives" by The Decemberists. Great vocals, great instumentation, incredible lyrics, and a timely and powerful commentary. These guys (and gal) are freaking brilliant!

My favorite songs of 2005. I believe the Kathryn Williams song is the only cover song (Tim Buckley) on the list though the Waking Hours song sounded very familiar.

1. Someday Soon -The Waking Hours
2. So Right -The Orange Peels
3. I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) -White Stripes
4. Summer Is Here -Go-Kart Mozart
5. Jezebel -Iron & Wine
6. Buzzin' Fly -Kathryn Williams
7. Trust Vs.Mistrust -The Spinto Band
8. I See You, You See Me -Magic Numbers
9. Be My Baby -Al Green
10. Lai-Ha Lam -Len Price 3
11. Gray Stables -Iron & Wine
12. Big Chance -Patty Loveless
13. Forever for Her (Is Over for Me) -White Stripes
14. Stoppin' The Love -KT Tunstall
15. I Want None of This -Radiohead
16. We Both Go Down Togather -Decemberists
17. Mostly Alice -Green Pajamas
18. Peaceful Valley -Ryan Adams
19. Music Next Door -Lucksmiths
20. Oh My -The Dansettes
21. Illuminated -Weird War
22. Off the Record -My Morning Jacket
23. Another Day -Al Green
24. Girlfriend -Portugal Japan
25. Shut Up & Kiss Me -Thee Minks
26. Move & Shake -The Konks
27. Born -Over The Rhine
28. Four Hours in Washington -M.Ward
29. Want Some -Bart Davenport
30. Beautiful -Aimee Mann
31. Espera -Erin McKeown
32. Out of Time -BBQ
33. Fistful of Love -Antony & the Johnsons
34. Sweet Creature, What's Your Name? -Anton Barbeau with Bevis Frond
35. My Home Is the Sea -Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Matthew Sweeney
36. This Night's For You -Go-Betweens
37. Blue Sky Blues -Ryan Adams
38. Losing My Edge -LCD Soundsystem
39. I Summon You -Spoon
40. Galaxies -Laura Veirs
41. Infatuation of the Girl -Bloody Hollies
42. What's in Store? -Architecture in Helsinki

there have been some good stuff this year:

afx - fenixfunk 5 (greeeat)

boards of canada - slow this bird down
four tet - smile around your face
the decemberists - bagman's gambit
animal collective - purple bottle
sigur ros - glosoli
sufjan stevens - jacksonville
lcd soundsystem - tribulations
the russian futurists - sentiments vs syllables

Depends on whether you're talking about songs that affected you personally (as most here are), or songs that somehow 'sum up' the year.

The only two songs that fall into both category for me simultaneously are as follows:

Dare - Gorillaz
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys

Both were no 1s in the UK, both astonishing, slap in the face, accomplished pieces of pop brilliance. The latter may be unfamiliar to North American readers, but believe me, this band are going to be HUGE. They've spread via word of mouth and the internet (the UK press likes to reiterate this fact ad nauseum, but it's true) and they sound so fresh, so vital, so alive, you kind of wonder where they've been all your life.

Those are my two. Huge hits and songs that still make me jump for joy when I hit them. And what a great 05 was for music. Here's to much more in 06

Peace y'all.

Low - Monkey
Coldplay - Talk (video version)
Wilco - Hell is chrome (live at chicago version)
Arcade Fire - Rebellion (at least in Canada in 2005)
Interpol - slow hands (2005 single...at least in Canada again...I think)
Spoon - I turn my camera on
The White Stripes - Instinct Blues (why nobody's talking about that song???)

I think the New Pornographers' "Bleeding Heart Show" is the best song I've heard all year.

Some of what i thought were the best songs of 2005:

twin cinema - new pornographers
entertain, night light - sk
tell someone who cares - boat people
power out - arcade fire
everyday i love you less and less - kaiser chiefs
juicebox - strokes
apply some pressure - maximo park
tribulatios - lcd soundsystem
forever lost - magic numbers

I thought it was a good song. When i pick things i don't analyse their back catalogue and decide on my fav songs based on what they have done and how it differs from their other stuff. I just put down ones i like the sound of. I guess i have lost all my hipster cred for not putting in CYHSY of wolf parade or something.

quote:

Originally posted by Kyla:
I thought it was a good song. When i pick things i don't analyse their back catalogue and decide on my fav songs based on what they have done and how it differs from their other stuff. I just put down ones i like the sound of. I guess i have lost all my hipster cred for not putting in CYHSY of wolf parade or something.

Good for you, K. Liking or disliking the sound of any track is, in the end, all that matters.

Our handful of members who feel the need to hate on somebody else for what they like or dislake is occasionally vocal, but fortunately small and for the most part easily ignored. All the better to enjoy them shaking their tiny, virtual fists in self-righteous outrage.

Now Playing: NPR's Weekend Edition

quote:

Wow. You listed "Juicebox." Everyone in the Strokes deserves to be shot for writing that song. It's an atrocity. Go away.

This may genuinely be the most pathetic, sad post I have ever read on metacritic. Way to go joji.

quote:

Originally posted by Kyla:
I thought it was a good song. When i pick things i don't analyse their back catalogue and decide on my fav songs based on what they have done and how it differs from their other stuff. I just put down ones i like the sound of. I guess i have lost all my hipster cred for not putting in CYHSY of wolf parade or something.

I'm not a big "Juicebox" fan, Kyla, but I like the rest of your list a whole lot. Make sure you don't let the fact that one person acts like an asshole influence your opinion about the lot of us. I'm also glad you didn't play into the baiting game and respond with something as infantile as 'your taste sucks...go away!"

Speaking of the hipster cred, I have noticed many similarities with the favorite picks here. I'm sure that I'm imagining things but there seems to be a "Top Ten Recipe" regardless of whether it's an Artist, Album, or Song thread.

Grab a bowl
- pour in 5 parts "exactly what everyone else says"
- add 2 parts "borderline (but not outrageous) selection" (Just make sure somebody else tried it first)
- add any random Sufjan Stevens song, album, etc...
- finally add 2 unique, "nobody else mentioned these" selections. (Go for obscurity so it looks like you did your homework)
- stir till your arm falls off and enjoy.

The beauty of this recipe is the variety of the results. Always something new and tasty. Don't forget to chastise others with inferior ingredients!!!

Having said that, I'll take "Dondante" - My Morning Jacket

"Dondante" sucks. Z sucks. My Morning Jacket has sucked since they sold out and left Darla and became corporate tools. They still sucked when they were with Darla, but at least they weren't sucky corporate sell-outs.

Thanks, P-Bo. That was very, very, very good.

But your favorite band still sucks.

Now Playing: Purdue up 59-46 on Wisconsin...Purdue and Wisconsin suck.

"Monkey" by Low has hit me at an emotionally powerful time. It is becoming a definite for my top 3 or 4 songs of 2005.

quote:

But your favorite band still sucks.

The proper saying is "Your favorite band sucks corporate balls."

Seriously, we can't have a mod running around spouting inaccuracies.

I think a million years ago, or maybe longer, I listed "i'm going to stop pretending that i didn't break your heart" by eels, and that still stands, but I like "Love, Love, Love" by Mountain Goats, and Paul Kelly's bluegrass take on "Little Boy Don't Lose Your [Corporate?] Balls" is mighty tasty too.

Am I the only one who found P-Bo's "mixing bowl" post insulting and ridiculous? I mean, I'm a cynical guy, but.....Ahhh, I was gonna post some prolonged acerbic argument, but this shit is depressing me. Whatevs. I'm going to bed.

quote:

Am I the only one who found P-Bo's "mixing bowl" post insulting and ridiculous? I mean, I'm a cynical guy, but.....Ahhh, I was gonna post some prolonged acerbic argument, but this shit is depressing me. Whatevs. I'm going to bed.

There are only a handful of regulars whose tastes stray from the formula, so I'm inclined to agree with him.