ROCK INSIDER'S BEST OF 2005

I locked myself in my room over the Thanksgiving to come up with this list. It took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it done but I think I finally managed. I picked my top 25 based on1 simple rule: Repeat listens of the album in its entirety. I never realized just HOW FUCKING LONG it takes to format these kind of lists in blogger. 3 HOURS! Jesus. ROCK INSIDERS BEST OF 2005 Summary Top 25 Albums Of 2005 Albums I Should Have Listened To But Never Got Around To Doing Cuz I'm A Tard Top 10 Singles Of 2005 Top 5 Shows Of 2005 Six Artists To Watch In '06 JAX'S TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2005 1. Tom Vek – We Have Sound "Nothing But Green Lights" (MP3) site myspace 2. Wolf Parade – Apologies To The Queen Mary "Shine A Light" (MP3) site myspace 3. The Magic Numbers - S/T "Forever Lost" (BUY) site myspace 4. Spoon – Gimme Fiction "I Turn My Camera On" (MP3) site myspace 5. lcd soundsystem - S/T "Tribulations (Tiga Mix)" (MP3) site myspace 6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T "The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth" (MP3) site myspace 7. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm "Pioneers" (MP3) site myspace 8. My Morning Jacket – Z "Anytime" (MP3) site myspace 9. Lake Trout – Not Them, You "Pill" (MP3) site myspace 10. The Valley Arena – Take Comfort In Strangers "Paint It Red" (MP3) site myspace 11. Nic Armstrong & The Thieves – The Greatest White Liar "Broken Mouth Blues" (MP3) site myspace 12. Silversun Pickups – Pikul EP "Kissing Families" (MP3) site myspace 13. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" (MP3) site myspace 14. dios (malos) – 137 "I Want It All" (MP3) site myspace 15. Of Montreal – The Sunlandic Twins "Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games" (MP3) site myspace 16. Goldspot – Tally Of The Yes Man "Rewind" (MP3) site myspace 17. Marjorie Fair – Self Help Serenade "Empty Room" (BUY) site myspace 18. OK Go – Oh No "A Million Ways" (BUY) site myspace 19. Deerhoof – The Runners Four "Spirit Ditties Of No Tone" (MP3) site myspace 20. Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness "Welcome Home" (BUY) site myspace 21. Tapes N’ Tapes – The Loon "Cowbell" (MP3) site myspace 22. Kanye West – Late Registration "Goldigger" (BUY) site myspace 23. Boy Least Likely To – The Best Party Ever "Be Gentle With Me" (MP3) site myspace 24. Patrick Wolf – Wind In The Wires "The Libertine" (MP3) site myspace 25. M.I.A. – Arular "Pull Up The People" (MP3) site myspace JAX'S ALBUMS I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO BUT NEVER GOT AROUND TO DOING CUZ I'M A TARD The National - Alligator site myspace Broken Social Scene - S/T site myspace Animal Collective - Feels site myspace Stars – Set Yourself On Fire site myspace Brendan Benson – Alternative To Love site myspace JAX’S TOP 10 SINGLES OF 2005 Morningwood – "Nth Degree" (BUY) Arctic Monkeys – "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor" (MP3) The Rakes – "Retreat" (MP3) M.I.A – "Galang" (BUY) Tom Vek – "I Aint Saying My Goodbyes" (MP3) The Spinto Band – "Oh Mandy" (MP3) OK Go "A Million Ways" (BUY) Bloc Party – "Banquet" (MP3) Kanye West – "Gold Digger" (BUY) Be Your Own Pet – "Damn Damn Leash" (MP3) JAX'S TOP 5 SHOWS OF 2005 The Magic Numbers – November 1st Troubadour Los Angeles, CA Tom Vek - Scenic Bar New York City, NY Birdmonster - 10/23 HELL YA NIGHT At Club Spaceland Los Angeles, CA Metric – Hiro Ballroom New York City, NY Arcade Fire - at Coachella Indio, CA JAX'S SIX ARTISTS TO WATCH IN '06 MORNINGWOOD "Nth Degree" (Video) Reason: Catchy as fuck pop songs that get stuck in your head, frontwoman Chantal Claret will knock your socks off. site myspace ARCTIC MONKEYS Reason: If you aren't sick of them already. The band will be releasing their full length debut in '06. NME already is all over them. "Scummy" (MP3) site myspace DIRTY PRETTY THINGS "Bang Bang, You're Dead" (Live @ Rome Qube Club - Oct 10th 2005) - courtesy of Van Tango Reason: Carl Barat from The Libertines new band. Next year the rock rivalry between Pete Doherty's Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things will be blown enormously out of proportion. Don't let that sway you. The band is in LA recording their debut album (to be released in 2006) and it sounds like its going to be a force to be reckoned with in '06. nme article TAPES N' TAPES "Insistor" (MP3) Reason: The second I heard "Insistor" I knew this was going to be a band I would love absolutely. It all started with a Music.For-Robots feature. Within 2 weeks they were on almost every blog known to man. site myspace BIRDMONSTER "The Resurrection Song" (MP3) Reason: Probably one of the best live bands I have every seen. Their chemistry is incredible. The band will tour this spring - YOU WILL GO SEE THEM LIVE. site myspace MEN, WOMEN, & CHILDREN "Dance In My Blood" (MP3) Reason: I heard this song 4 months ago and still cant fucking get it out of my head. I play it everytime I DJ and people always ask what it is. I just say it's "AWESOME." site myspace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well there you have it. God Im glad thats over with. I can go back to sleep now. Note: Fellow Bloggers if you feel you must link directly to these songs, please include a direct link to rockinsider.com as well. Also you should know all MP3s will be removed 12/15/05. JAX - The Rock Insider