Stars - Calendar Girl
Joel Plaskett - Love This Town
Matt Mays & El Torpedo - On the Hood
Kasabien - Club Foot

A few of those might slip back into 04 I'm not sure.

quote:

"I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart" by eels. There's plenty of others which are catchier and more radio-friendly (I guess since I don't listen anymore), but nothing that tops this for being simple, powerful, haunting and beautiful.

I've managed to plow through the Eels double-disc 2 or 3 times, and that's defintely one of my favorites. Other favorites from Blinking Lights:

--The Other Shoe
--Old Shit/New Shit
--Bride of Theme From Blinking Lights
--Understanding Salesman
--Trouble With Dreams

quote:

Where can I download Architecture....

I've had a heck of a time trying to find some AiH songs to download and try on for size. Now that the Pitchfork review (8.8) is in, it should be easier.

While I'm so-so on the album as a whole, I'm finding myself repeatedly playing Bloc Party's "Banquet" OVER AND OVER!

It's got an early Police guitar lick to it that is fantastic. This is a really good song.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philosopherEric,

In no particular order:
Architecture in Helsinki - Wishbone
Sujfan Stevens - Come On Feel the Illinoise!
Cloud Room - Hey Now Now
MIA - Bucky Done Gun
Okkervil River - The Latest Toughs
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On
Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes
Iron & Wine - Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
Bonnie Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney - Blood Embrace

Also, soulseek is your best bet for rare albums.

quote:

Originally posted by dano:
Cloud Room - Hey Now Now

Yes! Maybe the most relentlessly catchy song of the year. Have you any word on if/when they have a full-length album coming?

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
While I'm so-so on the album as a whole, I'm finding myself repeatedly playing[...]

I'm finding this pretty much describes a lot of my favorite tracks so far this year, pE.

The short list (as yet unranked):

"Attagirl" Bettie Serveert A great track, but her voice is so weirdly reminiscent of Suzanne Vega's as to make it a somewhat strange listening experience.

"Leaders" Archer Prewitt An exception to the the above comment. One of my favorite complete albums of the year.

"Eyelashes" The Panda Band I picked them up from the SXSW sampler and outside of their web site, can't find much about them. Great neo-psychodelia.

"Catch My Disease" Ben Lee I'm really on the fence with this one. It's been a favorite for a while, but it's starting to wear on me a bit. Per pE's recommendation I need to spend more time with the entire album.

"Carolina" Josh Rouse It's a close tie with "Sad Eyes."

"Black and White Town" Doves I need to dig deeper into the album because I love the sound of this one.

"Goodnight Goodnight" Hot Hot Heat More style than substance, but it's been a great driving-with-the-windows-down spring single.

"Black" Okkervil River Along with Archer Prewitt, a great album start to finish, easily my top album of the year to date.

"Love in a Trashcan" The Raveonettes I'm not convinced that the entire album will hold my attention, but I've been loving this song since it started popping up earlier this year.

"Hey Now Now" The Cloud Room See above.

"Cherries in the Snow" Elk City They've been around a while, but are completely new to me. A full-length is apparently due this year.

I can't decide if I'm including Graham Coxon and Ed Harcourt on the list for this years since they've been out for a while overseas, but "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery," "Freakin' Out," "Born in the '70s," and "This One's for You" have all been getting a lot of play with me.

Now Playing: "No Wow" The Kills No Wow

The new Hot Hot Heat is the Killers of summer 2005. It's a great driving record, good for warm summer months. You are dead-on about more style than substance.

From Cloud Room's official website:

quote:

The Cloud Room has signed with Gigantic Music. The label is set to release our debut album in Spring 2005

That Hey Now Now song is definately one of the best tracks I've heard this year, although I'm still taking 'Fistful of Love' by Antony and the Johnsons as my pick of the year so far.

Okkervil River may have album of the year right now for me though.

An advance of the cloud room album has already leaked onto the internet, actually.

"Feel Good Inc" By the Gorillaz i am really enjoying and that entire album sounds really impressive.

"Silas Stingy" by Petra Haden. The stand out track on an album that i can't get enough of. It is a cover, and some people will hold that against it but she takes the song and makes it so much her own that i can't possibly fault her.

"Fistful of Love" Antony & The Johnsons. A few songs warrant consideration off the album, but i love the showmanship, and energy that goes into this one.

"Pull Up The People" M.I.A.'s "Arular" is such a trendy album to be showering with praise but i'll do it anyhow. This song has so much energy, is so addictive, and the beat just is the icing on the cake.

Hmm...I was wondering if the Gorillaz album would be good. Based on their s/t they could either produce a really good followup, or a really terrible one.

Anyone been to their website? It has everything except the information you probably went there for in the first place.

I haven't been to the website but i will. I kinda thought the album would be a disappointment, DJ Dangermouse rather than Dan "The Automator" seemed like it would be a bad decision. It wasn't at all a bad decision though. The sound is darker, and more intricate than before. It has more layers.

Architecture in Helsinki - Wishbone
Ill second this one, great tune. I love the vocal.

Okkervil River - "For Real"

I love the Eels double album, and I've heard some great stuff this year, but I haven't found a single song that can top "For Real." He doesn't have the greatest singing voice, but it's just so powerful and genuine. Those guitar flourishes are great as well. I haven't heard the rest of the album, but I think I'll buy it if I can scrounge up some money.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
Okkervil River - "For Real"

I haven't heard the rest of the album, but I think I'll buy it if I can scrounge up some money.

For Real isn't even the best song on the album as far as I'm concerned. It's the best album I've heard this year, and I've listened to a lot of this year's top releases. Definately buy this one.

the many instruments and build-up of JAGA - Oslo Skyline. Best intrumental of 2005 by far.

Two more of my favorite singles of the year so far:

"Please Stand Up": British Sea Power

"Landed" Ben Folds

The former is running close with "Banquet" for my fave of 2005.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philosopherEric,

A few more I forgot:
Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
Stars - Ageless Beauty
The Russian Futurists - Paul Simon
Eels - The Stars Shine in the Sky Tonight

"Love in a Trashcan" by the Raveonettes, without a doubt, at least not counting anything else I've mentioned here already. Good call, LT! (The album is damn fine too.)

It's not an official single, but I'm playing the crap out of "Maria" by Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers. It's a poppy, jangly slightly alt-countryish thing reminscent of the Gin Blossoms or Joe Firstman. Not something Pitchfork reviewers would look kindly on, but something that I really like.