Yeah, you know what this is — it’s another list, bitches! The second in my highly self-indulgent look back at some of the cultural crap that diverted my brain during the surprisingly epic year of 2005. The first installment laid down the law on the very bestest graphic novels and comics and whatnot, the third will cover movies.

Best Music of 2005

1. Edan – Beauty & the Beat
From out of nowhere, this crazy dude unleashed the nuttiest, most weirdly playful and ferocious musical missive of the year. Old school beatery and psychedelia meet in a ’60s garage and something new is born. Has to be heard to be believed.

2. Animal Collective – Feels
A wonderfully puzzling and beautiful drifting haze of a record that grooves where you don’t expect. It takes some patience, but is more often than not quite stunning. Sounds like nothing else ever and begs to be listened to over and over. Genuinely dreamy!

3. Black Mountain – Black Mountain
I love the sound of this. It’s like some ’70s stoner rock group added more instruments, some ladies, and decided to soak up Appalachia. Deft, surprisng, and elaborate heavy sonic sludge folk. Or something.

4. MIA – Arular
Take the Missy/Tim template, add some dub, some spare/funky beats, an earful of hooks, and you get this fantastic dose of brand new pop.

5. New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
Guitar pop so ridiculously calculated and baroque that it should collapse under its own self-conciousness — except these guys have more magnificent, unbelievably huge hooks and harmonies PER SONG than some bands are able to muster in their whole career. Their best, most consistent record to date.

Kudos also to:
-Lightning Bolt – Hypermagic Mountain: The aural embodiment of shred. You will be rocked…into FUCKING DUST.
-Blood On the Wall – Awesomer: Gloriously unassuming and unpretentious rock that mashes together Pavement, Sonic Youth, and the Pixies into one glorious whole.
-Kanye West – Late Registration: Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty wonderful. Overlong and uneven, but contains a generous amount of undeniably incredible, soaring “how the hell did he do that?!?” moments.
-Sleater-Kinney – The Woods: “The Fox” makes my head want to explode with awesomely huge guitar delight.
-Beck – Guero: Ok, there are some serious deadspots here, but overall Guero is remarkably close to great. “Girl,” “Rental Car,” and “Earthquake Weather” are particularly glorious in their gloriousness.

Fie!

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