• Submit Date: 1/5/2006
  • Format: Cassette
  • Category: Theme

...and to touch was almost heaven: Best of 2005

Side A
Artist Song
Stephen Malkmus  Pencil Rot  
Serena Maneesh  Chorale Lick 
Gang Gang Dance  Egowar  
Dead Meadow  At Her Open Door  
Islaja  Rohkaisulaulu  
Tod Dockstader  Second Song  
Architecture in Helsinki  Frenchy, I'm Faking 
The Gris Gris  Mademoiselle of the Morning  
The Modey Lemon  Mountain Mist (The Universe Comes Undone) 
Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy  Death in the Sea 
Martha Wainwright  Bloody Motherfucking Asshole 
Lau Nau  PlSkkikanteletar 
Black Mountain  No Satisfaction  
Dorau & K÷hncke  Duch Die Nacht [Geiger Mix] 
Reigning Sound  Medication Blues #1  
A Hawk and a Hacksaw  The Black and White Rainbow 
Lightning Bolt  No Rest for the Obsessed  
Side B
ArtistSongBuy
Black Dice  Snarly Yow 
Paavoharju  Puhuri  
The New Pornographers  Three or Four  
P:ano  Leave Me With the Boy  
Animal Collective  Grass  
Scout Niblett  Drink to Me  
The Fiery Furnaces  Guns Under the Counter  
Devendra Banhart  Heard Somebody Say  
Of Montreal  Everyday Feels Like Sunday  
Fursaxa  Neon Lights  
The Ponys  Discotea 
Kammerflimmer Kollektief  Equilibrium  
Vashti Bunyan  Here Before  
Deerhoof  O'Malley, Former Underdog  
Hanne Hukkelberg  Little Girl  
Kid606  Hold it Together  
Silver Jews  The Farmers Hotel 

Comment:

The first few months of 2005 weren't really that interesting in terms of releases, but the last half of the year has brought about some stellar albums (Animal Collective, The Gris Gris, etc). Here's some of the finest pop/garage/noise/electronic/folk tunes I heard this year. I left off some stuff (M. Ward, Monade, Electrelane, Sufjan Stevens, Hood, A Silver Mt. Zion) only because I couldn't make a quality third disc. Title from the Animal Collective track.

Feedback:

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THE POLITE SOCIETY
Date: 1/5/2006
Oh God. This looks amazing.
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Mixxer
Date: 1/5/2006
It was a good year. Deerhoof seems to be showing up on most of the best-of's.
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musicgnome
Date: 1/5/2006
Reigning Sound, Gris Gris, Lau Nau, Silver Jews...hmm...sure would like to hear those...hint, hint.

This is as solid a best of...I've seen, btw.
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lo-fi jr.
Date: 1/5/2006
Many of my 2005 faves seem to be here. I'm with you all the way on the Gris Gris, Modey Lemon, New Pornos & Ponys LPs. Have to check out some of your other picks.
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valis
Date: 1/5/2006
Lots of great stuff here Salman. (Seems like a loooong time ago since the Dead Meadow came out.)
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GambleOn
Date: 1/5/2006
Nice work, definitely one of the better '05 mixes I've seen. I titled my 2005 mix after an Animal Collective song as well! Feels really just towered over everything last year.
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Pop Kulcher
Date: 1/5/2006
As only about three of these artists have made the cut on my own best of (still in the draft stages and not yet posted), looks like I've got a lot of tunes I need to check out.
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Mo Twang!
Date: 1/6/2006
Clearly, I need to trade for some of these "best of" mixes. I don't think I've heard a single cut here. I need to get out more....
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Jenergy
Date: 1/6/2006
Oh! This is awesome. I'd be interested in a trade if anything of mine catches your eye.
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steelkillie
Date: 1/6/2006
Fantastic.
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French Connection
Date: 1/6/2006
Sterling stuff here Salman.
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Rob Conroy
Date: 1/6/2006
I definitely like a lot of this, but I'm sure you could guess that I would. Nice mix.
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Dom1
Date: 1/6/2006
Much I don't know...but I'm always behind!
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Curtis_Burns
Date: 1/6/2006
Most excellent. Love that Dead Meadow disc especially.
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Moe
Date: 1/7/2006
I'm always behind too. In 2009 this will all be familiar to me. You AOTM kids are just too hip! ;)
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Siobhan
Date: 1/7/2006
Lovely! Just shows you the great things that came out of last year - glad you've got the Silver Jews in there, and Animal Collective.
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Bear
Date: 1/8/2006
Well you left off two of my very favourites (Sufjan and Electrelane)... quality all round all the same!
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gobi
Date: 1/8/2006
Black Mountain was definitely a stand-out album of the year for me too. 2005 was a great year for music - my mix is still work in progress. You guys are sooooo organised. Excellent job.
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phat grrl
Date: 1/31/2006
i didn't like stephen malkmus' stuff, but props for the lightning bolt & deerhoof tracks.
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Rob_z2.
Date: 2/12/2006
Nice to see paavoharju there! and of course lightning bolt and and...i dont know all stuff here but anyway looks nice!