honorable mention

these songs really should have ended up on my list but i slacked and either forgot about them or just heard them in the past day. in no particular order here are several more tracks that helped trademark the year that was 2005. (thanks gorilla vs. bear though im pissed i didnt think of several of these tracks)

the animal collective- did you see the words
i posted about the purple bottle last week and totally forgot that this was actually my favorite cut from the album. the song makes one feel like they just awoke from a full nights sleep and catching their first overwhelming glance at the sun. if you want to be completely shocked at how music can sound then please do yourself a favor and listen.

vashti bunyan- against the sky
of all the people in pop music's history, which seems infinite, i can safely say that not one person would have thought we would ever hear a new album from 60's cult legend vashti bunyan. her album picks up right where she left off, by delivering timeless folk music that has this intense mood lingering over it that i just can't pin down. in any case welcome back vashti.

love is all- make out fall out make up
this track has all the elements of my favorite songs. jackhammer drumming, anthemic vocals and the sense that something really important is pouring out of the speakers makes this track a worthy addition to your music arsenal. if you like the arcade fire then start salivating right now.

andrew bird- fake palindromes
why isn't this on the list? andrew bird has cast himself far from the shadow of the squirrel nut zippers by creating some of the most memorable songs as of late. this one in particular gives the feeling of being stuck on one of those rides at theme parks that spins you in circles until you can no longer stand up straight. in other words the song is a maelstrom of noise that swirls around the vocals of bird. listen and love it.