Best of 2005: Albums

2005 was an interesting year in the music business. New discs came out from legendary artists like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Cream released a live disc. MTV continued playing hardly any videos, and the ones they do play are all hip hop, and the rock scene continued to make it's comback. Here are the top 10 releases from 2005.

10. O.A.R. Stories of a Stranger release date 10/4/05

This was the second major label release from the Maryland via OSU group, and much like 2003's In Between Now and Then, Stories of A Stranger sees the group continue the evolution in sound. The production quality on the disc is higher than any thing a fan of the group has heard from them as drummer Chris Culos and Sax player Jerry DiPizzo really shine on this record. The Album pulls of the feat of lending from an even wider range of influences than any previous O.A.R. disc, without losing any direction or making it feel out of place.

Key Tracks: Heard the World, Love and Memories, The Stranger, Lay Down, 52-50

9. Wallflowers Rebel Sweetheart released 5/24/05

Yes, the Wallflowers are still together and no this isn't their first release since 1996's Bringing Down the Horse. Rebel Sweetheart is the group's fifth studio release, and best album to date. Lead singer and guitar player Jacob Dylan's, the son of Bob, chose to go at it in the music busniess as a group so as not to bring attention to his family name and catch a break he otherwise wouldn't be afforded. The influences in this album are clearly classic acustic rock (Springsteen, Petty) and the end result is the fifth best album released this year.

Key Tracks: Days of Wonder, The Passenger, The Beautiful Side of Somewhere, Here He Comes (Confessions of a Drunken Marionette), We're Already There

8. Hot Hot Heat Elevator release date 5/5/05

The Record sounds more like something we would hear in the late 90's, early new millenium when the new wave of The Vines, The Strokes, The White Stripes and other bands first hit the scene. The lyrics are nothing to write home about, most of the songs are just about good natured burns, but the album packs a punch in the guitar category. The One song you may have heard before is the single "You Owe Me an IOU" just now starting to be featured on cell phone commercials.

Key Tracks: Goodnight Goodnight, Ladies and Gentleman, You Owe Me an IOU, Island of the Honest Man, Middle of Nowhere, Shame on You

7. Bruce Springsteen Devils and Dust release date 4/26/05

The Boss made his studio return this year sans the E-Street Band and much like 1995's Nebraska we once again saw a darker side of Springsteen. The album follows the same path as the 2002 release with the E-Street Band, The Rising in following a journey of a man, woman and society and as much as we'd like to believe it's the case, things don't always turn out the way we planned, or good for that matter all, the time.

Key Tracks: Devils and Dust, Reno, Long Time Coming, Maria's Bed, The Hitter

6. Kanye West Late Registration release date 8/30/05

While some will argue (myself included) that his 2003 release The College Dropout was a better album, the difference in the two is that record was more about Kanye the emcee and this record is more about Kanye the artist, featuring his songwriting, and production skills more than his mic skills. The end result is still avery solid album. Definitely the hip hop album to pick up for non-hip hop fans.

Key Tracks: Heard 'Em Say, Gold Digger, Drive Slow, My Way Home, Crack Music, Roses, Bring Me Down, Diamonds Remix

5. Death Cab for Cutie Plans release date 8/30/05

The Veteran groups seventh studio release has by far been their most commercially successful album. 2003's Translatlanticism started to garner them a small main stream following and Plans has added to that. They have recently been featured on Six Feet Under, The O.C. and performed on Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05.

Key Tracks: Marching Bands of Manhattan, Soul Meets Body, I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Your Heart is an Empty Room, Crooked Teeth

4. The Rolling Stone A Bigger Bang released 9/6/05

I wasn't exactly the biggest Stones fan growing up, but I appreciated their work. Actually, this was the first studio Album of thiers I'd ever purchased (greatest hits collections not withstanding). This album is if not the best, one of the better rock albums to come out in the past few years. It does take a political stance and after listening to a few songs it's easy to see what side of the fence they lie on, but that's what a Rock and Roll album should do. If nothing else, they've proved they still got it after all these years.

Key Tracks: Rough Justice, Let Me Down Slow, It Won't Take Long, Rain Fall Down, Streets of Love, She Saw Me Coming, Oh No Not You Again, Sweet Neo Con

3. The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan released 6/7/05

Since the release of White Blood Cells in 2002, Jack and Meg White has constantly been re-inventing themselves and turning out a new sound on each album, while still making it sound like a White Stripes Album. For the life of me I still cannot figure out how they produce so much sound when the band consists of just two people, even at live shows. Get Behind Me Satan saw them continue to flirt with a more gritt country sound all the while still turning out a rock album. With out a doubt, the best piece of work they've done yet. the Walking With a Ghost EP recently released also goes hand in hand with this album, pick that one up too. The unique thing about this album is that it is more singles driven than "overall theme" of the record and that works great for it.

Key Tracks: Blue Orchid, My Doorbell, Little Ghost, The Denial Twist, Take Take Take, As Ugly as I Seem, I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)

2. Coldplay X&Y released 6/7/05

Parachuttes and A Rush of Blood to the Head were both good discs, but X&Y is great. One of the best to come out in the last half decade. Where The White Stripes focused on a singles driven record, Coldplay went after the entire album concept and pulled it off. The songs each show evolution and seem to tell a story, and so do the song titles (It opens with "Square One" and ends with "Kingdom Come"). On this album more than ever before they seemlessly melded Chris Martin's powerful vocals and piano stylings with a rock driven bass line and guitar play. Even if you are not a fan of the band (oddly enough before this album I really wasn't) pick this disc up.

Key Tracks: Square One, White Shadows, Fix You, Talk, Speed of Sound, A Message, Hardest Part, Swallowed in the Sea, Kingdom Come

1. Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better released 10/4/05

This disc was supposed to be your typical sophmore album where we see after a breakthrough debut album, this band was nothign more than a flash in the pan. One small problem with that, nobody informed the boys from Scotland of this plan. You Could Have It So Much Better blends new age rock, classic rock and punk all in one and makes it sound like a style all their own. It also shows it that this album and the debut album, Franz Ferdiand, only scratched the surface of what they have to offer as a group.

Key Tracks: The Fallen, Do You Want To, This Boy, Walk Away, Evil and A Heathen, Elanor Put Your Boots On, Well That Was Easy, You Could Have It So Much Better