My tops of 2005

While I don't think this is a bad list by any means - in fact I think this is a pretty darn good list - this may be my weakest best of list in at least a few years. Although I weeded out many purchases I made in '05, the fact that I slept on more releases this year than previous years (see previous entry) probably makes this relatively weak compared to previous years' lists. Also, there's more lack of variety on this list than previous lists...and I take pride in trying to be as open-minded to different genres and sounds and not be tied down to any one genre/sound. Here's to '06 being bringing in more variety into my collection than '05. Here's the list:

1. M.I.A. - Arular (XL)
2. Circle - Tulikoira (Ektro)
3. Lula Cortes e Ze Ramalho - Paebiru (Shadoks)
4. Six Organs of Admittance - School of the Flower (Drag City)
5. Gang Gang Dance - God's Money (The Social Registry)
6. LCD Soundsystem - S/T (DFA/Capitol)
7. Konono No. 1 - Congotronics (Crammed Discs)
8. Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)
9. Major Stars - 4 (Twisted Village)
10. Oneida - The Wedding (Jagjaguwar)
11. V/A - World Psychedelic Classics, Vol. 3: Love's a Real Thing (Luaka Bop)
12. August Born - S/T (Drag City)
13. Animal Collective - Feels (Fat Cat)
14. Lau Nau - Kuutarha (Locust)
15. Oneida/Plastic Crimewave Sound - Split 12” (Jagjaguwar)
16. No Neck Blues Band - Qvaris (5 Rue Christine)
17. Residual Echoes - S/T (Holy Mountain)
18. Sunn O))) - The Grimmrobe Demos (Southern Lord)
19. Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain (Load)
20. Lady Sovereign - Vertically Challenged (Chocolate Industries)

Honorable Mention:

Badgerlore - Stories for Owls (Free Porcupine)
Espers - The Weed Tree EP (Locust)
High On Fire - Blessed Black Wings (Relapse)
Konono No. 1/Dead C - Split 12" (Fat Cat)
Mahjongg - raYDONcoNG (Cold Crush)
New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (Matador)
V/A - Choubi Choubi! Folk and Pop Sounds from Iraq (Sublime Frequencies)