android1961

It's given me much pain to remember all of the music of 2005. And many of this year's music is still sitting to the side, waiting to be listened to. So instead of a huge list, I've plucked out five albums of 2005 that fit the requirements of standing out in my mind and received much personal airplay.

1. We Are Wolves - Non-Stop Je Te Plie en Deux (Fat Possom)



Don't let the Fat Possum label fool you. This is not a blues band, nor is it a blues album. This is punk rock, baby and one of the better ones at that. We Are Wolves inputs the raw and primitive style of early blues artists and incorporate that into their jump-up-and-shout style.

2. Hudson Bell - When The Sun Is The Moon (Monitor)



I'm usually not a fan of the jam band, but this album escapes certain trappings most jam bands get stuck into. Their expansive multi-instrumental pieces fare more as a soundtrack than a meandering, and each song holds up as consistent talent from this East Coast band.

3. Iron and Wine/Calexico - In the Reins (Overcoat)



Just the fact that Sam Beam hung out with members of Calexico to collaborate gives me chills. To actually hear the final product is absolutely mesmerizing. You may get a tamed down Calexico, but you also get Sam Beams' vision expanded with a better range of instrumentation and richer sound.

4. Dirty Three - Cinder (Touch and Go)



Possibly because it's an easier album to instantly take in than say Whatever You Love, You Are, Cinder is their best album yet. You have Warren Ellis' gorgeous folk violin talents wrapped up into the three-minute-pop structure. With the constricted space, the band is forced to use every element of time while adding a series of instruments to their repertoire. Add a non-studio setting and you have an organic and pleasurable experience.

5. Plot To Blow Up the Eiffel Tower - Love in the Fascist Brothel (Revelation)



When someone says that an album is like a trainwreck, that is usually bad. But for this case, it's downright brilliant. PTBUET is messy, anarchic, incoherent, and downright beligerant. Definitely a jaw dropper.