My top 10 records of 2005.

It's finally time for the much-anticipated (ok, that's a stretch) year-end music wrap-up. Yikes! Where did the year go? I did one of these babies last year, but it didn't seem like such a big deal. Now, though, it seems like even before the last month of the year hits-- in fact, even as early as June-- people starting talking about "Albums of the Year."

I guess in the world of magazines, music websites, and especially music blogging, your list is like the culmination of everything you've been blabbing about all year. Many of the music blogs I frequent have already posted their year's best, and the ever-pretentious (but strangely popular among readers, myself included) Pitchfork posted its Top 50 last week.

Naturally, I want to be a bit pretentious and self-important on my own and post my indie faves. Be reminded, this is ultimately a favorites list. Sure, I buy into some hype sometimes, and that may be reflected in parts of my list, but at the end of the day, it's really about what I liked the best and what really got the most airtime.

By and large, it's hard for me to actually rank music with a numerical list. The genres are too varied and the musicians are all so different that I don't really think it's fair. Each album is unique in its own way with each offering something to me at particular times and during distinct moods. That said, here is the list, starting backwards from 10, as best as I could order it. If ever I was torn, I probably gave a little bias to my favorite artists to whom I am loyal.

Read on. For each album I offer a quick blurb as well as a sample track. Hope you like what you hear.

10. Iron and Wine :: Woman King EP

Yes, EP's count. Especially this one. In fact, both this and In the Reins (with Calexico) were both EP's dueling for position, but in the end I had to give it to Sam Beam's solo effort for its experimentation and adventure. If there was anything that previously annoyed me about Sam Beam, it was that I really had to be in a particular mood to listen really quiet, slow, whispery vocals over quiet finger-picked acoustic guitar. On Woman King, he gives me another option. He sounds like a full band here, with tons of percussion, strings, banjos, and an overall fuller sound. Sure, as a 6-song EP it left me wanting more, but it also left me in great anticipation for what other directions Sam Beam will take in the future.

Try me: Woman King


9. Doves :: Some Cities

I'm not quite sure how to describe Doves. They're a UK band, so they immediately earn points for that. There's some darkness and melancholy in there, but with some really lush instrumentation ranging from strings to gritty guitars and synths. They combine these sounds with big drums and a vast symphonic sound, the kind that really surrounds you and fills the room. It's moody and melodic, and the track below should illustrate the ability they have to really build a song to a moving climax.

Try me: Walk in Fire

8. David Gray :: Life in Slow Motion

So this isn't exactly an obvious "indie" pick, but David Gray has followed up A New Day at Midnight wonderfully here. No, it's not groundbreaking nor particularly out-of-this-world, but it's David Gray doing what he does best, which is writing great melodies and beautiful piano ballads. I'm a sucker for his work, and am glad he's still at it.

Try me: Lately


7. Okkervil River :: Black Sheep Boy

I actually heard Okkervil River for the first time very late in the year, but this was one of those albums that didn't have to grow on me. Upon first listen I was like "Wow, this is great," and proceeded to repeat the album, something I think is rare and special when it happens. Try to imagine what Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) might sound like if he drank more milk, or rather had more testosterone, or something like that... Lead singer Will Sheff has that kind of throaty, voice-cracking thing going for him, but it comes off a bit less whiny and much more polished. And strangely, much as I love The National's album (see below) for the way the vocals seems so indifferent, this album's vocals are great for the way Sheff seems to try so hard. Like he really means every word he sings. In that sense, it's kind of rockin' indie-emo, but who said there was anything wrong with that?

Try me: Song of Our So-Called Friend

6. Ryan Adams :: Jacksonville City Nights



As a follow up to Cold Roses, this album definitely took a while to grow on me. For one, if you're addicted to an artist's album for such a long period of time, when they give you something new to digest, it kind of throws everything off. Secondly, this album was decidedly more country than Cold Roses, with lots more twang and not much "alt-" involved. For that reason alone, it took some extra time for me to appreciate it. Now I find myself at random times of the day with "The End" in my head. A chorus with lyrics like Oh Jacksonville, how you burn in my soul/How you hold all my dreams captive are hard to forget, especially with Adams's evocative delivery. It seems he really went back to his roots on this album, and despite what you think of the true country genre (not Shania Twain), the result here is memorable.

Try me: The End


5. Sufjan Stevens :: Illinois

Again, this album I've talked about at length before, so I'll keep it simple. This is a really fantastic album. I just hope Sufjan's next state pick is Virginia so I can hear him turn the Mixing Bowl into an amazingly catchy banjo song. I previously posted the song below, but it remains my favorite off the album, so for those of you who missed it the first time, here's your chance!

Try me: Casimir Pulaski Day


4. The Decemberists :: Picaresque

When this album first came out, I wasn't crazy about it, and in fact I still don't love it as much as Her Majesty. That said, it really grew on me, particularly after seeing the band perform it live at the 9:30 club. It's upbeat, but still sticks to Colin Meloy's obscure historical/pirate-like themes. He really establishes his position as a writer of fictions, and a good one, at that. Check out "The Sporting Life," to which any booknerd who never made the football squad can surely relate...

Try me: The Sporting Life

3. Andrew Bird :: The Mysterious Production of Eggs

I already touted this album in a post earlier this year, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Whistles, vibraphones, strings, and all sorts of other full-band delights are pulled together magically by one Andrew Bird in this easily accessible and truly unique album.

Try me: A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left


2. The National :: Alligator

This album made its way to the top of many a year-end list. After reading endless reviews about it, I had to check it out. After tuning in, my quick synopsis is: extremely good, not a weak track, and mysteriously addicting. There's just something about the way lead singer Matt Beringer sings in his baritone voice with a somewhat indifferent/sarcastic/ironic tone, repeating lines like I'm so sorry for everything in "Baby, We'll be Fine" that pulls you in. It's unusual, haunting, dark without being depressing, but in the end, worth many repeat listens. I've picked "Secret Meeting" as the sampler here, as it's the first track and inevitably what will keep you listening for the 12 tracks that follow...

Try me: Secret Meeting


1. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals :: Cold Roses

I played the absolute hell out of this album for probably 3 months after it came out. Sure, it could have been one "mega-album" instead of two discs with the occasional "filler," but Ryan Adams filler is still better than most other things. And in the end, despite his inclination to release just about anything he records, I'd rather have it that way than have to wait years in between album releases. The sampler track should speak for itself. (It's really freakin' good.)

Try me: Sweet Illusions


So to conclude, 2005 really was a tremendous year for music, or maybe it's just that I started paying better attention. Either way, in posting a short list of 10, there's clearly much that I missed and many albums I didn't get enough time with or that I discovered too late. But the idea of that is actually kind of exciting. To think of all the music that's out there that we've yet to hear and may possibly never hear... it's overwhelming but at the same time really incredible. On that note, here's to 2005 and to what may come in 2006!

Rockin' around the Christmas tree...

Well, after all the meals and gatherings and gift exchanges, I'd say Christmas (aka "the Holidays") was a hit this year.

As I've done before, I'll illustrate the long weekend with a series of thumbnails...


12/24:

We are graced by the presence of baby Santa, aka Kyle, who quickly became the subject of our innate paparazzi behavior. (By the end of the weekend, I swear this kid had smiled for at least a thousand flash bulbs. I felt bad for him, but what can I say? He's so irresistible!)

12/25:

My mom and dad in a silly pose after receiving new much-needed oven mitts/cooking supplies:

The rents surprise me with the ridiculously awesome collector's box-set of the entire "Friends" series:

(don't worry, we got the rents got more than oven mitts, in case you were wondering...)

Christmas Brunch at our house... featuring the battle of the My Chaus on DDR:

And last but not least, one more of happy Kyle in the adorable Christmas outfit we got for him:

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

P.S. GO SKINS!

It ain't over til it's over... (the season, that is)

Oh, let's talk about the joy of watching a near-flawless Redskins performance against their Cowboy rivals in what was a hugely hyped-up division battle today. The Skins stepped it up and for once didn't leave our hearts pounding til the end in what was a rare "easy" victory that was crucial to our wildcard playoff hopes.

It was definitely an amazing Skins team we hadn't seen yet, staying aggressive throughout the game, strong on defense (7 sacks! 4 interceptions!), and most importantly, never letting up. After so many close losses and ridiculous game-endings, all Skins fans now know that no lead is safe. It was a relief, then, when the game was over and we found ourselves with a chance for a playoff berth. Ok, we've still got the Giants ahead and a lot of "what ifs"-- all for a mere wildcard entry-- but it's nice to think that it's even a possibility, and I'm excited about Redskins football actually being interesting this late in the season!

Here's a photo of Auddie & my dad at her first football game:
(And here's a quote from football's newest #1 fan...context: as Auddie was singing "Hail to the Redskins" tonight, my mom made fun of her...and Auddie responded with: "Don't be jealous just because you don't know the words!")

Hail to the Redskins! Hail Victory! Braves on the Warpath! Fight for old DC!

Decemberists jump ship.

(Hah! Pun intended...You know, since they write pirate music? Ok, it's a stretch but I sure got a kick out of it. )

The Decemberists announced yesterday that they are leaving their current label, Kill Rock Stars, and joining the big leagues-- and bands like Coldplay & Radiohead-- at Capitol Records. That's right, another indie gem jumps ship and heads for a major label. Maybe their producer and Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla told them what major-label life was like and they just wanted to see what would happen.

These announcements can usually be a big deal in the indie scene ("sellouts!!"), with hipsters liking their bands to stay with their bedroom studios and 5-person staff labels. I, for one, am indifferent to such things as long as the music stays good. And knowing the Decemberists and especially Colin Meloy, it'll probably get better. Reading his personal letter to fans on his messageboard reaffirmed that fact. It's a pretty great read so I'm posting it here in full:

Hi All

I wanted to write all the boardies a more personal note regarding this whole Capitol thing. Having read a lot of your guys' responses, I had to heave a sigh of relief. I felt like I was introducing a new girlfriend to a parent when we announced the signing. And I'm glad that most of you have been congratulatory. First off, thanks for everyone weighing in. We do appreciate that. We're really not the sort of band that blithely ignores the opinions of its fans -- rather, we tend to think of you guys as shareholders (there I go with the corporate analogies -- it's downhill from here!) to whom we must answer. I'm very thankful to those of you that have written and said that you trust us and believe that we will not compromise our aesthetic (whatever that may be) with this change. Believe me, we don't have a single bone in our collective bodies that intends to somehow recast our music in order to appeal to a larger, Santana-duet-record-buying public. And I think the nice folks at Capitol would be the first to agree that, for example, pairing us with that Rob guy from Matchbox Twenty or something in similarly poor record company taste would spell nothing short of disaster. No offense to the Rob guy.

For those of you who have, in the parlance of the day, 'flamed' us for this decision, that's cool. You have a right to your opinion. I've reacted similarly when I've found out that favorite bands have made decision that I think are tragic. But remember: we've released 3 and two halves (which I guess would make a whole, but for the purposes of this. . .) records with indie labels both small and large. Our first EP I would burn myself, one by one, on my out-dated PC, hand-stamp (much thanks to Chad Crouch for the lease of the stamp pad) and send to whomever had happened to hear our band and had sent in 5 dollars. We've worked hard to be where we are and have been lucky enough to fall into an incredibly sweet group of people who buy our records and come to our shows across the world. We're now in a position that the help of a major label is incredibly beneficial. It wouldn't have made any sense any earlier. We needed a change and we needed a challenge.

We will do our part to keep the community we've all developed intact and unchanged. This website and message board is not going anywhere, though the design might get a little more fancy (thank god! I'm a songwriter, not a web designer!). And here I would say that we intend to keep making the same music we always have, but that would be a lie; we intend to keep shifting and changing and making music that is important to us and we think is challenging to its audience.

And thanks for those of you who have posted congratulatory messages about Carson's with-babiness. All this label stuff sort of pales in the coolness of that.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice etc.

Colin

p.s. immediately read Julian Barnes' "Arthur and George." Beautiful.


As far as Kill Rock Stars goes, at least we still have Colin's Tarkio release to look forward to in January! That and the pending Decemberists DVD... Oh, how I heart this band.

Amazing, indeed!

After yet another heart-pounding Amazing Race season finale, I was thrilled and relieved to see the Linz family land first on the final mat and receive their $1 million prize!

[Update: The Linzes score extra points in my book for giving half their prize to their parents, and splitting the rest among the 7 siblings in the family. ]

I was rooting for them from the start, probably because I saw a bit of my own family in their close-knit sibling bond. After all those second place finishes, they hung in there to finish first when it counted! And don't be too disappointed for the Bransens-- in case you forgot, they won a ton of first-place prizes, one of which was free gas for life!

Tonight's finish further reaffirmed my belief that this show (and thus, life) is all about karma. For the past few seasons that I've watched, just about all the winning teams have been the ones who have played honestly and been kind and compassionate. (We all recall season 7's Uchenna & Joyce who had arrived at the finish but waited to pay their cab driver before they ran to the mat, and of course season 5's Chip & Kim who edged out a bickering Colin & Christie.)

Now that the family edition is over-- and it actually turned out to be quite a decent season-- I'm looking forward to season 9 starting in February, and I can't wait to see the teams finally leave the continent. After all, the real challenges are ones that involve cultural and language barriers. You know.. eating mysterious foods and dealing with old, decrepit taxis.


Current Music: How to Be Perfect Men, by Songs: Ohia

Kyle the kutie!

Here's a quick update on crazy hair Kyle:

Look who learned to sit up on his own!

How bout a lil' lip?

Two fast points.

-Big local news! The DC Council voted 12-1 Tuesday to pass a smoking ban for all bars and restaurants in DC. It still needs the mayor's signature, but with such an overwhelming majority in favor, it looks like they'd be able to override his veto if he doesn't approve. Clearly there's a lot of debate on the issue, but I for one am all for it! Now I won't have to look forward to smoke-free outings in New York if I can enjoy them right at home...

-So things at work are beginning to get interesting. And by that I mean, today I was addressed by clients on the phone as both "Cody" and "Julie" after either leaving voicemails or telling receptionists my name... I wonder what else they'll come up with. I'll be sure to keep a list going and update everyone as necessary.

For now I'm hunkering down at Huan's pad and waiting for the first snowflake/iceblock to fall from the sky to begin what I'm sure will be dubbed something ridiculous like DC Freeze '05 (no matter how much or how little we actually get, of course). Cheers to wintry weather.

First Snow of the Season!

Ok, so I'm not counting the dusting on Thanksgiving or the flurries we've gotten since. Today was the first real measureable snowfall of the season, and boy was it beautiful! Sure, it was forecast as being a 4-5" deal and the city ended up with barely 1", but what else is to be expected of our crazy nation's capital? Out in the burbs, of course, we got a bit more, at least 3" and counting... Naturally, I had to capture some snow shots on film before heading to bed. Have a look-see!

Just magical!

Here's another of the indoors, just to illustrate why I love this time of year!

Ah, a perfect opportunity to play some Christmas music... I know the perfect song!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..."

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

I feel like I just started my new job yesterday, but all of a sudden it's been a month (I know-- "wow Pouy, a whole month...") and the Holiday season is upon us in full force!

This is my favorite time of year, kicked off by Thanksgiving and continuing up til Christmas. It's not Christmas day that I look forward to...after all, I hate crowded malls and the headaches of shopping... it's just all the trimmings that come along with it. I'm talking about Christmas music in Starbucks and Borders, lights and wreaths everywhere you look, and just that wonderful wintry feeling everywhere you go.

I know I've been terrible about blogging, but hopefully you all will forgive me by getting into the holiday spirit and listening to some Christmas music. To all you scrooges out there, spare me the negative comments!

Here are two versions--one classic and one contemporary-- of my favorite seasonal tune:

The Christmas Song :: Nat King Cole

The Christmas Song :: Aimee Mann


Now, off to fill the house with those crazy life-sized elves!