The (s)Wheatest 11 of the 2k5! [#2 and #1!]
Happy New Years, Y'all. So, I've been looking around, and it turns out that Top 11 lists are very en vogue right now. I didn't even know. I mean, even
Jesus is doing a top 11 this year. Believe it or not, His #1 and my #1 are the same, but first, Katie, you're going to have to read my #2.
2. MySpace
Here's a quick analogy. Let's see how you do with it...
MySpace : Friendster :: Crack : __
A. Butt
B. Egg
C. Coffee
D. Sidewalk
[answer: C. "Coffee"]
I mean, MySpace came on like gangbusters this year, and all of a sudden, you're sucked back into the world of online friend networks. But this time, you can download music legally from your favorite bands. Whoa. I put MySpace at #2 because it probably got more of my time this year than any of the other previously ranked people/places/albums. Add me.
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois [
Asthmatic Kitty,
Insound,
eMusic]
Yes, Katie, it's Sufjan. I mean, the guy puts out an album about a state, writes about serial killers, wasps and Carl Sandburg, and it makes you want to cry. Bravo! On Illinois he weaves the themes of loss and redemptive love so deeply in his music and can talk about God without coming off preachy. Best album of the year, hands down. I don't even know if there's an album that's been released in this decade that can match it. I don't know if he will top this album with his next release, but it almost seems impossible.
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago [via
Gorilla vs Bear]
The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us [Live in Denver] [via
My Old Kentucky Blog]
That's a Roman Numeral for #1 on their sweaters.
Previously [in case you're anti-scrolling]:
#6-#3,
#11-#7.
The (s)Wheatest Top 11 of 2k5 [#6-#3]
So,
my last post listed numbers 11 through 7 of The (s)Wheat Spot!'s Top 11 of 2005. Here are the next four spots. Numbers 2 and 1 will be posted before the clock strikes twelve tomorrow. Promise.
6. Austin City Limits Fest 2005Read All 'Bout It.
5. José González
José González is the only
person listed here, and I guess I could have listed his album Veneer [
Insound,
eMusic], and it's great, but his cover songs have become so ubiquitous on the interweb that it makes more sense to me just to list the man himself. His 'quiet is the new loud' sound seems to be equal parts Elliot Smith and Nick Drake, with generous helpings of Flamenco guitar and Scandinavian solitude. Here's his cover of Kylie Minogue's 'Hand on Your Heart':
José González - Hand on Your Heart [Kylie Minogue cover] [via
songs:illinois]
José González - Crosses [via
Gorilla vs. Bear]
4. M. Ward - Transistor Radio [
Insound eMusic]
M. Ward was all over my iPod in 2005. I saw him live on April Fools at the Parish in Austin, and after that, I used my eMusic subscription to get every one of his albums. Each of his albums are uniquely astounding, but since this is 2005, and he released Transistor Radio this year, that's what I'm talking about. M. Ward's gentle swirling voice nests perfectly over the antique sound of his guitar. Where Wilco's
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [
insound] sends it's messages across short-wave radio, M. Ward transmits on more commonly traveled frequencies, all the while coming through like a distant radio station.
M. Ward - I'll Be Yr BirdM. Ward - Radio Campaign [via
Chromewaves]
3.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm [
Insound,
eMusic]
This album grew on me this summer and is now one of my favorites. Their ACL show was probably one of the Top 10 shows of my life, and they released a
remix album that re-defined the remix for 2005. All-in-all, a pretty good year for Bloc Party.
Bloc Party - Pioneers [via
Rock Insider]
Stay tuned for #2 and #1 tomorrow!
The (s)Wheatest 11 of the 2k5! #11 through #7
So, everybody's doing year-end 'best of' lists, and I figured I'd chime in myself. I didn't want to a
Best Songs of 2005, nor did I have the technology to do a
Readers Poll, so I'm going to go for what impacted me the most this year: a dozen songs, albums [new and re-releases], artists, and maybe even a spare phenomenon or two.
11. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! [
insound]
I love this album. I can’t understand half of what Alec Ounsworth is saying, but I’m glad he’s saying it. It’s fun, it’s a little different, and anyone who makes sounding like David Byrne a positive thing gets a thumbs up from me.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth [via
Rock Insider]
10. The Re-emergence of Houston as Hip Hop Ground Zero in 2005
Back in the day, the Geto Boys held it down for H-Town, then it was the “Wanna Be a Balla” song talking about the now-defunct ‘PrimeCo phones’, but now the
Swisha House crew is the main thang. They Screw it, they Chop it, they have platinum grills, they candy paint their cars, and they
love purple drank. Go figure.
Read Fluxblog's coverage of Mike JonesMike Jones - Cuttin [remix] [via
Fluxblog]
Paul Wall - They Don't Know [Astros remix]9. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea [re-release][
Insound,
eMusic]
I get 'Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2' in my head about once a week spontaneously, as though it was given to me from above.
Read my review. Now read
Pitchfork give it a 10.0
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2 Live8.
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek[via
Gorilla vs. Bear]
I won't lie. I heard this on the O.C. during the season finale of Season 2, and I was floored. The vocorder vocal is perfectly angellic. Listen. Love.
7. Spoon - Gimme Fiction [
Insound eMusic]
Some called this album Spoon's 'Revolver'. I don't know about all that, but it rules. The sound is big, upbeat, and it's probably Spoon's most fully realized release to date. They manage to be more experimental with their sound than they were on 'Kill the Moonlight' while coming off more poppy than 'Girls Can Tell'. Plus, their ACL show rocked. Dig it.
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On [via
Rock Insider]
Spoon - The Beast and Dragon, Adored [via
The Big Ticket]
Stay tuned for #6-#1!
It's Christmas, Kids
I absolutely love Christmas. Yes, it's over-commmercialized, and yes, I think that these uber-activist Conservatives who wanted to
boycott retailers who omit Merry Christmas from their advertisements are putting their efforts in the wrong place, but otherwise, it's a good time.
One of my favorite things about Christmas is the music. It's so joyful. Last year,
Stereogum linked a great Indie Christmas album that I listened to all season. Well, this year, you can enjoy enough Christmas music to make your ears bleed tears of Christmas joy!
Irresponsible Journalism has all of Sufjan Stevens' Christmas Albums for your immediate download.
Test Pilot has a bunch of Indie [and not so Indie] Artists doing pop-Christmas tunes. And they do have
The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song, which is one of my favorites from last year.
Sounds Are Active has the
Krismus Karols album [incl. (s)Wheat Spot fave
Half-Handed Cloud].
I'm boycotting
Krismus Karols though, because they took "Christ" out of Christmas by spelling it with a 'K'. Are they with the KKK?
The Arcade Fire - Jingle Bell Rock [from
Test Pilot's Mix]
Christmas 1979 - Jingle Bells [from
Sounds Are Active's 'Krismus Karols'].
Enjoy!
Denton, TX
I'm back in my hometown of
Denton, TX for the next few days, and I thought I'd share a little love about some Denton bands that you should know of.
Growing up in this town was not the typical small-town suburban experience. Because of the
University of North Texas, which sports one of the best music schools in the nation, as well as a great art program [and yes, Chris, their Marketing dept. is ok too], Denton has far more culture/music/life packed into its 75,000 inhabitants than most other cities.
Here's a little tour you can take, without ever leaving the confines of
myspace. You will find mp3's galore, and you might find a few bands you could learn to love.
Centro-MaticMidlakeDoug BurrBosque Brownand
Hailey's [a great club in Denton; here's their
Myspace]
Who did I miss?
Coming soon: Choose your own blog adventure!
