Songs of the Year (A bit late)

I had meant to post this upon my return to Minneapolis, but my computer is broken, so things have been stalled. Luckily, I have hijacked a University of Minnesota School of Journalism computer to complete my mandatory end-of-the-year list. Plus, the extra couple weeks allowed me to better formulate my ranking and weed out the songs that I listened to in London simply because I couldn't get at the real good stuff. (Hard-Fi, Goldfrapp, The Black Eyed Peas, you're out.)

Top 25 Songs of 2005 ["Song Title," Artist, (Album)]

25. "Fix You," Coldplay ("X&Y")--Although I didn't like the album, this song is nice. Simple, with a nice rising pulse throughout.
24. "Step Into the Light," The Clientele ("Strange Geometry")--Guitar hangs in the air, relaxing the mind and freeing the spirit...I just wanted to see how lame that sounded coming out of my mouth.
23. "The Bleeding Heart Show," The New Pornographers ("Twin Cinema")--You know I'm a sucker for group "Hey-Yas" at the end of any song.
22. "100 Degrees," The Shout Out Louds ("Howl Howl Gaff Gaff")--Funny because in MY room, it actually does hit 100 degrees. You'll have to listen to the song.
21. "Testify," Common ("Be")--For my money the best rapper out there, considering delivery, pace, accentuation and cadence.
20. "This Modern Love," Bloc Party ("Silent Alarm")--Anytime I get a chance to highlight a song featuring glockenspiels, I'm taking it.
19. "Girl," Beck (Guero)--I can't actually decide if this is my favorite track from a well-rounded CD with no standout songs, but the Nintendo-esque accompaniment makes a strong case.
18. "Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)," Kanye West ("Late Registration")--Jay-Z adds a dimension of sincerity that Kanye can't quite reach alone.
17. "Chicago," Sufjan Stevens ("Illinois")--To write a song with this much orchestration is difficult enough; to play every instrument is ridiculous.
16. "These Are the Fables," The New Pornographers ("Twin Cinema")--A solid song until the key modulation and change from acoustic guitar to keyboards makes it a great song.
15. "Bottle Rocket," The Go! Team ("Thunder, Lightning, Strike")--Actually released in 2004, but it has to be included because you won't have more fun in 4 minutes. Great driving song.
14. "Extraordinary Machine," Fiona Apple ("Extraordinary Machine")--Long-awaited album delivers, especially on title track. Best female vocal out there.
13. "Trust Vs. Mistrust," The Spinto Band ("Nice and Nicely Done")--Anyone struggling to write a song should listen to this track; you can get it done with a simple chorus of "Ahh-Oohs."
12. "Roses," Kanye West ("Late Registration")--A clear indication of how much I missed vibes as an accompaniment in my popular music world.
11. "Casimir Pulaski Day," Sufjan Stevens ("Illinois")--A beautiful and poignant tribute to a dying loved one.
10. "Military Wives," The Decemberists ("Picaresque")--A little social commentary spliced with a horn section and some "La-Di-Das." Do I sense a theme?
9. "Faithful," Common ("Be")--The chorus-style ending with overlapping voices and hard-to-predict harmonies is a frenzied illustration of passionate commitment.
8. "Life On Mars," Seu Jorge ("The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions")--I'm normally not a huge fan of covers, but this Portuguese interpretation on a David Bowie classic is sparse, and spectacular.
7. "Your Little Hoodrat Friend," The Hold Steady ("Separation Sunday")--This (not really) Minnesotan band drew comparisons to Bruce Springsteen with this album--but who knows how many hoodrats the Boss was with.
6. "Gone," Kanye West ("Late Registration")--West's best rapping to date, and Cam'ron delivers as usual.
5. "Use It," The New Pornographers ("Twin Cinema")--There just isn't enough male/female harmony out there, and Carl Newman and Neko Case know how to "Use It" well. Wow, that was probably a new low for me.
4. "Wake Up," The Arcade Fire featuring David Bowie (iTunes download)--A good song from their 2004 release, "Funeral," this version gets a huge boost from Bowie's chilling vocals.
3. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr," Sufjan Stevens ("Illinois")--A sympathetic, at least musically, take on a serial killer. Makes you question how to read such a delicate song about such a terrible story. Stevens balances the light guitar with dissonant piano, struggling with the same question.
2. "We Major," Kanye West ("Late Registration")--The idea of a delayed hook-revealed over three minutes into the song-is brilliant. It allows the song to build, climax, rebuild with a new identity, and re-climax when West finally makes his entrance. A full-bodied song that doesn't overstay its six-plus minute welcome.
1. "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!," Sufjan Stevens ("Illinois")--Absurd title, absurd subject, absurd musical ambition, amazing result. It's nearly impossible to single out each instrument, acknowledge the syncopation or understand the meaning of the lyrics, but getting lost in the mess is just as fun as conquering the musical structure.


So, as you may have guessed, my favorite albums from last year were "Illinois" by Sufjan Stevens, "Late Registration" by Kanye West, and "Twin Cinema" by the New Pornographers. Although I'm not a huge fan of hip hop, Common's work was spectacular, and Kanye West leaned more toward my pop music inclinations. Fiona Apple inspired me to look deeper into the realm of the solo female artist, and the "the" bands (Clientele, Decemberists, Go! Team, Hold Steady, Shout Out Louds, Spinto Band, others) demonstrated their supreme spawning ability.


I almost forgot. Worst song of the year? Let's just say it involves "lovely lady lumps." Check it out!