Iâve had this idea for a few weeks but as the Flop Eared Mule has got the jump on me I donât wanna be left out. Yes folks, it is time for that end of year ritual, the best music of 2005. Be blessed in that this is not some trendy, oh so hip review of the year but a purely subjective look at the CDs I heard and the live shows that I liked. And I intend to plagiarize myself a lot as it will save some time.
CDs
Baby â Detroit Cobras
Have been into this band for a while ever since I first heard their ripping version of obscure 60s song âHey So La Nayâ (Recorded as âHey Sailorâ). And that is what the Detroit Cobras do. Find obscure rock and soul classics and rock âem up. âBaby’, is a great album. Rachel Nagy has one sexy voice from the stomping opening infedility that is âSlippin Aroundâ (almost copping the riff to ‘Misty Mountain Hop’) to the small town frustrations of âI Wanna Hollerâ and the FEM approved yodelling of âEveryoneâs Going Wildâ . This is one great party album. If this doesnât get the feet and hips going you dead or Phillip Ruddock.
Chavez Ravine â Ry Cooder
I blogged on this back in July so see the review. The conclusion still holds in that:
It makes you want to dance, it makes you want to sing and makes you want to mourn a neighbourhood lost to the corruption and greed of politics.
You Have To Dig Deep To Bury Daddy â Jeff Lang
Again, another artist who I blogged on back in October:
Jeff sings with a distinctly Australian twang and references our countryside and cities without sounding forced. The music is pure Australiana. Even when he covers Josh White and Blind Willie Johnson it seems appropriate. Jeff is very comfortable with his influences but has created an album that is Australian. It could have not come from anywhere else.
On tour around Oz in early January. Go see him. He is one of Australiaâs best.
Atom Bomb â Blind Boys of Alabama
Even an atheist sometimes needs to have some soul. Quoting the now departed Ranty:
The only word I can describe this album is as deep. Deep in terms of the emotional weight. Deep in terms the testifying and the commitment. Deep in terms of the well of experience that is drawn upon and comes through in their voices. This is one heaven of a record.
Listening to it now as I type. Oh those heavy, harmony vocals are sublime.
Greatest Hits â Spiderbait
OK. A greatest hits album is sort of cheating but I do love the âBait.âBlack Bettyâ is still an awesome cover, a whole lotta fun and features one of the all time great rawk drum fills. And as Kram and Whitt can rock out (âFour on The Floorâ I love) you also have the pop whimsy of Janet on ‘Glockenpop’, ‘Stevie’ or ‘Calypso’. An excellent retrospective for a great and often very underrated Aussie band.
Live
Nick Cave, Luna Park March 16th
A great show. As I said in an earlier incarnation:
It was a brilliant show no matter what Bernard Zuel thinks. The crowd wanted, the intensity, the bombast, the sheer exhilaration of a band testing its power. And that is what they got. It was what worship should be.
Amanda and cs may have Bruce Elder as their nemesis. This was the start of Bernard Zuel as mine.
Diamanda Galas, State Theatre, October 16
This was not a show you could enjoy. It was a show you experienced. It was harsh and confronting with moments of pure beauty and gallows humour. Will never forget this one.
Jeff Lang/Bob Brozman, Avoca Beach Theatre, January 12 (Almost a year ago now!)
Two masters of their instruments and an eclectic journey around the world. As I plagiarize myself for the last time:
The musical journey that best could be described as âSweet Home Calcuttaâ? was a blend of genres and spices from distant lands. And that continued all through the night, each artist taking a turn with excellent support from the other mining different lodes of musical tradition. Throw in two very affable storytellers and it was one hell of a night of entertainment.
As for 2006â¦â¦â¦.
No predictions. The Mark of Cain are doing a Sydney show in early January which Iâm going to make an effort to get to. Jeff Lang is on the Central Coast late January and will get along. And I believe that Santa may deliver some Richard Thompson tickets for March. And maybe these old rockers will deliver another album and a tour.
What are you faves in music from the past year?
Cross posted at Rock’n'Roll Damnation
Bob Dylan, the Starbucks Mix.
*ducks*
Sorry, been reading too much crap about Cronulla, too much senseless argy bargy.
Seriously, best stuff? Hasn’t been a fantastic year overall. It is interesting to see how the Blind Boys of A are finally coming into their own after Ben Harper gave them a lift up, but otherwise there was a predominance of 2nd-4th albums by established bands who disappointed.
Blasko’s got style, but her album’s been out since 2004 I think…
I thought Thommo was getting shunted for the ball and chain thing.
Not that I mean to pry.
OK just read the RARD comment on Thommo.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty good year for music in my field. A couple of big releases which came through and the whole Bob-a-Thon the year turned into. I was pretty disappointed in the new Willie Nelson (not a surprise) and Billy Joe Shaver (a surpise!)records though.
It’s the first year really I’ve made an effort to hear as many of the new releases as possible, usually I can’t muster a top five let alone top 10.
there has been a decent album since the mid-seventies.
you young uns of today haven’t listened to any decent music to appreciate the finer points.
Evryone now is too old to play.
john McLaughlin, Jeff beck, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley clarke, Chick Corea etal.
In addition … everything you ever write or think about music should be totally subjective.
The day I am objective about music, you may take me out the back and shoot me. Life will be over.
I feel sure Homer will agree.
Actually Homer el Becko’s output over the past few years has been surprisingly consistent and he has been pretty active. I rate him as the best of Yardbirds alumni.
Yes Amanda, Thommo’s show is just two weeks out from the big day but in the end if Santa will provide why the hell not?
Of course it is subjective. Except for the times when I am so obviously right.
They are all nowhere as good as they were.
There are even morons out there who would pay good money to see the rolling Bones.
What is the point. They can’t play like they used to and in their case they could never play.
Their best album had studio muso’s playing on it!
Mandy I am always objective over music.
I always find it fascinating that my taste is always netter than anyone else’s!!!
I won’t get fooled again!
Best Album: Starsailor – On The Outside
Runnerup: Foo Fighters – In Your Honour
Best Live: The Whitlams at the Zoo
Runnerup: Mark Seymour at the Spiegeltent
I do not think it has been a very good year for music. 2004 was a lot better, possibly a reflection of the politically charged atmosphere of the elections and the albums that were a part of this… hmm.
My favourite album of 2005: Feel The Illionoise, Sufjan Stevens (God music! aarghh!)
Honorable mentions: Picaresque, The Decemberists; Funeral, the Arcade Fire. Also ahem Franz Ferdinand’s second release was darn good; Iron and Wine with Calexico was aslo fantastic.
Best live show: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, at the bloody Burswoord (urgh). I didn’t go to many gigs this year so I’m not really a good judge. I expect the Big Day Out to be a cracker.
Best song:I love ‘Middle of the Hill’ by Josh Pike. Luverly.
I forgot Sleater-Kinney! The Woods! Brilliant.
Guero by Beck. Absolute cracker.
Hypnotize by System of a Down.
Antony & The Johnsons, Frances the Mute, Kate Bush, Nick Cave and Lucinda Williams.
I am horrified to see the crossover in musical taste between my husbang and Homer. shudder
Lullabies to Paralyse – Queens of the Stone Age
Late adopter of these guys, I think put off by the novelty element of their biggest previous hit Feel Good Hit of the Summer. Masters of the well utilised chords and well timed solos they get this kind of delicate fluid choppiness that brings us closer to understanding the wave/ particle aspects of light. Rarely listened to without a smile or a bit of a thrill.
On top of that, their concert was the best of the year, no bullshit, just lots of loud playing. Concert DVD gets close to capturing that
Well I don’t think it’s been a particularly good year for AUSTRALIAN music, despite all the hype. One notable exception though was Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set. Some interesting stuff going on there, specifically marvellous tunes.
Lots of self-indulgent shite too, with Bernard Fanning going solo, some other guy from Powderfinger going solo, forgettable nobodies Grinspoon doing a Greatest Hits etc etc etc.
Overseas? Sleater Kinney for sure. Gorillaz. Goldfrapp.
CDs, in no particular order:
Guero – Beck
Get Behind Me Satan – White Stripes
Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple
Lullabies to Paralyse – QOTSA
Government Commissions – Mogwai
Art is a Technology – Anthony Rother
Late Registration – Kanye West
Supernature – Goldfrapp
Live:
Spoon, Dappled Cities Fly and Wolf and Cub @ Metro Theatre. Spoon’s was easily the best live performance I’ve seen in recent years.
Kid Koala and the Short Attention Span Theatre @ Metro Theatre
QOTSA @ Enmore Theatre
Good that you saw Jeff Lang, Shaun. I saw him several times at Woodford in 2000. He’s a captivating performer. I’ll probably remember 2005 as the year the Beta Band broke up, Lupe Fiasco hit the ground running and electroclash finally gave way to something better. I’m looking forward to seeing most of the Big Day Out ’06 line up!
Homer you wrote: “I always find it fascinating that my taste is always netter than anyone else’s!”
Pity about spell checkers on comments. I think you meant to write:
“I always find it fascinating that my taste is always nuttier than anyone else’s!”
[comments on new LP still doesn't remember me]
Diamanda is certainly on my best live list.
On your comments policy you say no commenter’s are allowed to wear tan safari suits.
Why isn’t FXH banned!!!
The new Depeche Mode album – Playing the Angel
2006 sees new albums from Morrissey and the Cure. ‘Nuff said.
dk.au, I was very sad to miss Spoon live for some stupid reason. I really like ‘Gimme Fiction’ too but I think it was released in 2004?
Zoe, Antony & the Johnsons are touring in early 06. Playing Brissie at the Tiv on 17/1, I think from memory. Hopefully will have Canberra on the list of dates!
Favourite CDs:
Tim Rogers and the Temperance Union – Ghost Songs/Dirty Ron
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – The Proposition
Bonny “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeny – Superwolf
The Drones – Wait Long By the River…
Low – The Great Destroyer
Sunn O))) – Black One
Caribou – The Milk Of Human Kindness
M. Ward – Transistor Radio
Sleater-Kinney – The Woods
The Dirty Three – Cinder
Spoon – Gimme Fiction
Live: Sigur Ros, no question
I forgot about Sleater-Kinney as it was Kate who made the reccomendation way back then.
Good album indeed.
Francois Breut – Un Saison Volee
Robbie Fulks – Georgia Hard
Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise
Marty Stuart – Soul’s Chapel
Jose Gonzalez – Veneer
Best compilation of the year by a country (ouch) mile is the Annual Oxford American Music Issue. 28 tracks of sheer curatorial joy.
Vive la Decembrists! Picaresque I like, a lot, but don’t often think to play it lately. Also another enthusiastic vote for Gorillaz.
Here’s the rest of my picks
the eponymous Oliver Mann Sings
the EP by Midnight Juggernauts. I hear they’re bringing it back too.
Hippocamp ruins Pet Sounds
Politics, Sebastien Tellier
that’s all really, I’m bit fussy
Oh pleeeezee – now come on folks – its just gotta be Mia Dyson’s Parking Lots.
Just for the four lines of “Down”
“We been down in this shit hole so long it’s getting comfortable
Just a few try to claw their way through the wool
We’re trying to keep our guts down & we’re losing our humanity
Pushing hard against ourselves, only crushing our shells…”
Best records 2005
Sufjan Stevens
Antony & Johnsons