Music Round-up for 2005

Here is the best music of 2005. Although some of the selections weren't actually released last year, it was the first time I got my hands on them and they were just too good not to put on this list.

20. Spoon:Gimme Fiction-Every time I listen to it I think that it's really incredible, but when it's no longer coming through the speakers I think that it's over-rated, what gives?
19. Joy Zipper:American Whip-Perfect breezy psychedelica floating down your ear canals, Dosed and Became Invisible is the coolest song I've heard all year.
18. Fiery Furnaces:Rehearsing My Choir-These guys are too crazy to keep them off this list, completely original.
17. Marissa Nadler:Ballads of Living and Dying-Somber and dreamy, and her voice creeps down into your heart.
16. Stereolab:Margerine Eclipse-A fitting tribute to their recent lost, while this band just continues to grow.
15. Manual with Jess Kahr:The North Shore-Mellow ambientscapes drifting on a beach somewhere far away from here.
14. Tosca-J.A.C.-I really like the soft beats and added vox, a pleasant surprise.
13. Soel:Memento-Jazzy activism bouncing around your head when you need it the most, thank you Ludovic Navarre.
12. Keren Ann:Nolita-Her voice whispers in your ear making you want to sink into your couch with a good book in your hand.
11. Mono:Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined-Alternating from near total silence to thundering madness in your ear, Japan's Godspeed.
10. Nick Drake:Pink Moon-A reissue from before I was born, I never realized music was this good so long ago, What the hell were my parents listening to?
9. Josh Rouse:Nashville-Pleasant, casualrock that floats easily out of the speakers, he's just in tune with all the stuff that makes me feel good.
8. Calexico & Iron and Wine:Lays in the Reins and Calexico:Travelall-Two short albums that have all the wonder and beauty found in the creative talents of Joey Burns and friends, now why do they suck so bad in concert?
7. Brazilian Girls:Brazilian Girls-Big beats with a beautiful chanteuse, what more do you want?
6. Kings of Convenience:Versus-Quietly becoming one of our favorite must listen at all hours of the day so that they steadily fill our ears with beauty type of bands.
5. Devendra Barnhardt:Cripple Crow-I never knew that I'd like folk music this much.
4. Archer Prewitt:Wilderness-His voice is soft and delicate over crisp, gentle guitars and makes me wonder why The Sea and Cake is so goddamn boring?
3. Feist:Let it Die-I just love her scratchy voice from another era, I've been singing her catchy tunes all year long.
2. Sufjan Stevens:Come On Feel the Illinoise-About as complete as an album can get.
1. Inara George:All Rise-What an amazing voice and she takes the cake because she was so damn cool when we met her, plus she stands on her tiptoes when she sings.