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1. Augustana: All the Stars and Boulevards (Epic) 2. Madonna: Confessions on a Dance Floor (Warner) 3. Depeche Mode: Playing the Angel (Sire) 4. Sinéad O’Connor: Throw Down Your Arms (Rocket Science) 5. Eurythmics: Ultimate Collection (Arista) 6. 30 Seconds to Mars: A Beautiful Lie (Virgin) 7. Wynonna: Her Story: Scenes From a Lifetime (Curb) 8. Flyleaf: Flyleaf (Octone) 9. Various Artists: Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends (Astralwerks) 10. Bon Jovi: Have a Nice Day (Island) | Jim Campbell
1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinios (Asthmatic Kitty)
2. The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema (Matador Records) 3. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice Records) 4. Sleater-Kinney: The Woods (Sub Pop) 5. The Go-Betweens: Oceans Apart (Yep Roc) 6. Editors: Back Room (Kitchenware) 7. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday (French Kiss) 8. Sigur Ros: Takk... (Geffen) 9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl (Red Int/Red Ink) 10. Spoon: Gimme Fiction (Merge) | Shandy Casteel
1. Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine (Sony)
2. The Arcade Fire: Funeral (Merge) 3. Brandi Carlile: Brandi Carlile (Red Int/ Red Ink) 4. Tracy Bonham: Blink the Brightest (Zoe) 5. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 6. LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 7. Gorrilaz: Demon Days (Virgin) 8. Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth (Interscope) 9. Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have it So Much Better (Sony) 10. Garbage: Bleed Like Me (Geffen) | Laura Ann Checkett
1. The Fall: Fall Heads Roll (Narnack)
2. Elbow: Leaders of the Free World (V2) 3. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 4. Kaiser Chiefs: Employment (Universal) 5. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday (French Kiss) 6. Matt Pond PA: Several Arrows Later (Altitude) 7. Sleater-Kinney: The Woods (Sub Pop) 8. Kasabian: Kasabian (RCA) 9. The Cribs: The New Fellas (Wichita Recordings) 10. OK Go: Oh No (Capitol) | Jim Dunn 1. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 2. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (Saddle Creek) 3. Iron & Wine: Woman King EP 4. The Decemberists Picaresque 5. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty) 6. Annie: Anniemal 7. Maximo Park: A Certain Trigger 8. Sigur Ros: Takk 9. Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better (Domino) 10. M83: Before the Dawn Heals Us Honorable Mention: Patrick Wolf: Wind in the Wires, Babyshambles: Down in Albion, Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now | Cindy Gao 1. Matthew Good: In a Coma (Universal) 2. The Frames: Burn the Maps (Anti-) 3. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s: The Dust of Retreat (Standard) 4. a-ha: Analogue (Universal) 5. OK Go: Oh No (Capitol) 6. Big Bad Zero: Imagination America (self-released) 7. Hard-Fi: Stars of CCTV (Atlantic) 8. Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock and Roll (Fierce Panda) 9. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 10. The Shout Out Louds: Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Capitol) | Laura Hamlett 1. LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem (DFA) 2. Roisin Murphy: Ruby Blue (Echo UK) 3. Saint Etienne: Tales From the Turnpike House (Sanctuary UK) 4. Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now (Secretly Canadian) 5. Madonna: Confessions on a Dancefloor” (Warner Brothers) 6. Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It so Much Better (Sony/Domino) 7. Bananarama: Drama (Universal/A&G Productions UK) 8. Andy Bell: Electric Blue (Sanctuary) 9. Death From Above 1979: Romance Bloody Romance: Remixes and B-Sides (Vice) 10. Erasure: Nightbird” (Mute U.S.) | Cory Hoehn 1. Greg Trooper: Make It Through This World (Sugarhill) 2. Serena Ryder: Unlikely Emergency (Rockoandme) 3. Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash: Mile Markers (Emergent) 4. The Believers: Crashyertown (Bonafide Recordings) 5. Paul Kelly and the Stormwater Boys: Foggy Highway (Cooking Vinyl) 6. Domino Kings: Some Kind of Sign (Hightone) 7. The Redwalls: De Nova (Capitol) 8. Reckless Kelly: Wicked Twisted Road (Sugarhill) 9. John Prine: Fair & Square (Oh Boy) 10. Joy Lynn White: One More Time (Thortch Recordings) | Al Kunz 1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) 2. Bravo Silva: Bravo Silva (Streak Music) 3. Chad Van Gaalen: Infiniheart (Flemish Eye) 4. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Worlds Apart (Interscope) 5. The Ponys: Celebration Castle (In the Red) 6. John Frusciante: Curtains (Record Collection) 7. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 8. M83: Before the Dawn Heals Us (Mute U.S.) 9. Stars: Set Yourself on Fire (Arts and Crafts) 10. Spoon: Gimme Fiction (Merge) | Joel Lapp 1.Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy (Jagjaguwar) 2. Kanye West: Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella) 3. Sufjan Stevens: Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty) 4. Cass McCombs: PREfection (Monitor) 5. Shout Out Louds: Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (Capitol) 6. Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird (Secretly Canadian) 7. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday (French Kiss) 8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) 9. John Vanderslice: Pixel Revolt (Barsuk) 10. Neil Diamond: 12 Songs (American) 11. Devin Davis: Lonely People of the World, Unite! (Mousse) 12. Hella: Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard (Suicide Squeeze) 13. Fruit Bats: Spelled Out in Bones (Sub Pop) | Sean Moeller 1. Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now (Secretly Canadian) 2. Kathleen Edwards: Back to Me (Rounder/Zoe) 3. Kanye West: Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella) 4. Coldplay: X&Y (Capitol) 5. The Decemberists: Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars) 6. Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine (Epic) 7. The Fiery Furnaces: Rehearsing My Choir (Rough Trade) 8. Ben Folds: Songs for Silverman (Epic) 9. Kaiser Chiefs: Employment (Capitol) 10. My Morning Jacket: Z (ATO/RCA) | Preston Jones Top 25 Records of 2005 1. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday (French Kiss)
2. Pelican: The Fire In Our Throats… (Hydrahead)
3. A Frames: Black Forest (Sub Pop)
4. Shipping News: Flies The Fields (Quarterstick)
5. Love As Laughter: Laughter’s Fifth (Sub Pop)
6. Kinski: Alpine Static (Sub Pop)
7. Oneida: The Wedding (Jagjaguwar)
8. Deerhoof: The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
9. The Life and Times: Suburban Hymns (DeSoto)
10. Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain (Load)
11. Big Business: Head For The Shallow (Hydrahead)
12. ZZZ: Sound of ZZZ (Howler)
13. By The End Of Tonight: A Tribute To Tigers (Temporary Residence)
14. Constantines: Tournament Of Hearts (Sub Pop)
15. The Evens: Self Titled (Dischord)
16. Oxes EP: Oxes (Monitor)
17. The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower: Love In The Fascist Brothel (Revelation)
18. The Narrator: Such Triumph (Flameshovel)
19. Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA)
20. Melt-Banana: 13 Hedgehogs (A-Zap)
21. William Elliott Whitmore: Ashes To Dust (Sub Pop)
22. Cursive: The Difference Between Houses and Homes (Saddle Creek)
23. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice/Dim Mak)
24. Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better (Domino)
25. Dropkick Murphys: The Warriors Code (Hellcat) | David Lichius 1. Acid House Kings: Sing Along With Acid House Kings (Twentyseven) 2. Better Than Ezra: Before The Robots (Artemis Records) 3. Bettye Lavette: I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti) 4. Brazilian Girls: Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast) 5. Brendan Benson: The Alternative to Love (V2) 6. Coheed & Cambria: Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Mad (Sony) 7. The Dandy Warhols: Odditorium or Warlords of Mars (Capitol) 8. Dungen: Ta Det Lugnt (Kemado) 9. Eisley: Room Noises (Reprise) 10. Fischerspooner: Odyssey (Capitol) 11. Hanna-McEuen: Hanna-McEuen (DreamWorks Nashville) 12. The Hellacopters: Rock & Roll Is Dead (Universal Int’l Import) 13. Hot Hot Heat: Elevator (Sire) 14. Johnathan Rice: Trouble Is Real (Reprise) 15. Josh Ritter: 4 Songs Live EP (V2) 16. Judd & Maggie: Subjects (RCA) 17. Keren Ann: Nolita (Blue Note) 18. Lapush: Someplace Closer to Here (456 Entertainment) 19. Living Things: Ahead of the Lions (Jive/BMG) 20. Louis XIV: The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (Atlantic) 21. M.I.A.: Arular (Interscope) 22. Mugison: Mugimama Is This Monkey Music? (Ipecac) 23. Neptune Crush: Salisbury: The Acoustic Demos (Promotional Demo) 24. Nikka Costa: Can’tneverdidnothin’ (Virgin) 25. One Lone Car: Variety Half Hour (self-released) 26. Spoon: Gimme Fiction (Merge) 27. Stina Nordenstam: The World Is Saved (V2) 28. The Subways: Young for Eternity (WEA – Import) 29. West of Eden: Five-track demo (Promotional Demo) 30. World Leader Pretend: Punches (Warner Bros) | Jesse Raya (The Pageant)
1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty)
2. Bol: Silver Sun (Curling Legs) 3. The Real Tuesday Weld: The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid (Six Degrees) 4. Hanne Hukkelberg: Little Things (The Leaf Label) 5. Ephemera: Monolove (Ephemera) 6. Pilotdrift: Water Sphere (Good) 7. Luke Temple: Hold a Match for a Gasoline World (Millpond) 8. Aluminum Babe: Vi Tri Fied (Lucero) 9. The State of Floral Beings: We Know You Love Us and That’s Why We Do This (Trewetha) 10. Eels: Blinking Lights (Vagrant) | Kevin Renick
1. Mahjongg: RaYDONcoNG 2005 (Cold Crush)
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) 3. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty) 4. Doveman: The Acrobat (Swim Slowly) 5. Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts) 6. Akron/Family & Angels of Light: Akron/Family & Angels of Light (Young God) 7. Isolée: We Are Monster (Playhouse) 8. Deerhoof: The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars) 9. Mugison: Mugimama, Is This Monkey Music? (Ipecac) 10. Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Fierce Panda) | Aaron Richter
1. My Morning Jacket: Z (ATO)
2. Spoon: Gimme Fiction (Merge) 3. Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA) 4. Marah: If You Didn’t Laugh You’d Cry (Yep Roc) 5. The Raveonettes: Pretty in Black (Sony) 6. Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) 7. New Pornographers: Twin Cinema (Matador) 8. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday (French Kiss) 9. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) 10. Lucero: Nobody’s Darlings (Liberty and Lament) Honorable Mention: Eels: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (Vagrant); Death Cab for Cutie: Plans (Interscope); System of a Down: Hypnotize (Columbia); Sigur Ros: Takk (Geffen); Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl (RCA); White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan (V2) | Andrew Scavotto
1. Dirty Three: Live! at Meredith (tour-only) (Anchor & Hope)
2. Various Artists: Broken Flowers (Original Soundtrack Recording) (Decca Records) 3. Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow (XL Recordings) 4. The Fiery Furnaces: EP (Rough Trade) 5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) 6. Spoon: Gimme Fiction (Merge) 7. Dirty Three: Cinder (Touch and Go) 8. Sigur Ros: Takk… (Geffen) 9. The Decemberists: Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars) 10. Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney: Superwolf (Drag City) | Pete Timmermann
Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA)
The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan (V2) Death Cab for Cutie: Plans (Atlantic) Ryan Adams: Cold Roses (Columbia) The Frames: Burn the Maps (Anti-) King Elementary: Kudzu (Terminus) Minus the Bear: Menos El Oso (Suicide Squeeze) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl (RCA) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released) Sleater-Kinney: The Woods (Sub Pop) | Mike Wachsnicht Reissues
1. Billie Holiday: The Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
2. The Fall: Hex Enduction Hour [Expanded Deluxe Edition] (Sanctuary)/The Complete Peel Sessions 1978–2004 (Castle Us/Ryko)
3. Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run [30th Anniversary Edition] (Columbia)
4. The Stooges: Fun House [Deluxe Edition] (Rhino)
5. DJ Shadow: Endtroducing... [Deluxe Edition] (Island)
6. Belle and Sebastian: Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (Matador)
7. Manic Street Preachers: The Holy Bible (Epic)
8. The Cure: Pornography [Deluxe Edition] (Elektra/WEA)
9. Dinosaur Jr.: You’re Living All Over Me (Mergebinoa)
10. Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island and in the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Domino)
| Shandy Casteel 2005 Albums I Might Have Liked, but Am Compelled to Avoid Because of Their Ubiquitousness on NPR 1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty) 2. Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts) 3. Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now (Secretly Canadian) 4. Animal Collective: Feels (Fat Cat) 5. Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop) 6. Bright Eyes, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (Saddle Creek) (Truth? I never would have liked this) 7. British Sea Power: Open Season (Rough Trade) 8. Either Azure Ray member’s solo album (Saddle Creek) 9. M. Ward: Transistor Radio (Merge) 10. Matt Pond PA: Several Arrows Later (Altitude) | Kimberly Faulhaber
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