My Top Ten List...finally

But first the Bears

Oh Bears why do you tease me...with you're league best Defense in the regular season? Grossman settled down and played ok. Should have kept running Jones. Moose is going to have to step it up next year. Carolina was definitely the better team today. Bummer. Should be good games next weekend.

Before the list I thought this was interesting. Conan O'brien cares about who wins the race for Finland's President. Why? Because one of the woman...yes woman...looks like him.

50 The Evens- The Evens
With the hiatus of Fugazi, lead singer Ian MacKaye found himself with some spare time and decided to make a left turn stylistically into stripped-down pop, or at least music as poppy as a post-punk pioneer can get. Collaborating with Warmers alum Amy Farina.

49 Giant Drag - Hearts and Unicorns
part PJ Harvey and part Liz Phair (the good cds)

48 Sam Prekop - Who's Your New Professor?
A longtime pillar in the Chicago underground community and architect of the post-rock sound, Sam Prekop first gained notoriety at the helm of Shrimp Boat before becoming the leader of the Sea and Cake. This is solo work.

47 Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later
5th cd. Solid. Just missing those "wow" songs.

46 Neil Young - Prairie Wind
Another Harvest from the Godfather of Grunge.

45 Richard Hawley - Coles Corner
4th solo cd for touring guitarist for Pulp. It's almost like having Johnny Cash back. Almost.

44 Frank Black - Honeycomb and Bob Mould - Body of Song
they both did the opposite of what they were currently doing and did just fine. Frank went Nashville and Bob picked up the guitar again.

43 Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
an LP where nothing's just indie pop and the string arrangements sound as perfect as the keyboards.

42 Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday
Imagine if GBV worshiped Springsteen instead of the Who. Greatest lyrics of the year sung by the guy who corners you at a party and just won't shut up about how Boston are the missing link between the Beatles and The Chemical Brothers.

41 Nada Surf - the Weight is a Gift
Nada Surf and producer/Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla have made a great pop/rock record. Period.

40 The Eels - Blinking Lights and other Revelations
a double cd that if cut down to one would probably be in the top 15.

39 John Butler Trio - Sunrise Over Sea
Jam band with pop sensibility from Down Under

38 The National - Alligator
They sound like a garage band turned down--way down

37 Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
messy nerves and orchestrated elegance never sounded so good. Sad is the new happy.

36 Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures
Indie Rock borrowed from their first cd. Always a challenge after a wonderful first cd. Hopefully in cd three they recapture the magic again.

35 Brendon Benson - Alternative to Love
rockier end of the power pop spectrum

34 Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
a blast of sparkling energy from start to finish

33 Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Sessions
Acoustic covers of Bowie sung in Portuguese. Brillant.

32 Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
He just makes music that feels right. Get ready for Curious George.

31 Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Were the bloggers right? Yes. glorious pop from Canada. Have you heard Wolf Parade? They'll change your life.

30 Ry Cooder - Chavez Ravine
First solo cd since '87 and it's a concept album. What's it about? Just listen. This is the Grand Opus of his career.

29 Emilana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman
a normal Bjork with Nick Drake leanings.

28 Ryan Adams - Cold Roses/ Jacksonville Nights/ 29
3 cds? Someone get him an editor. If you took the best of the cds and smashed it into one it might the best cd of the year. If you want just one get Cold Roses.

27 The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
This is John Cougar Mellencamp's Scarecrow if it were set in southern California and narrated by Charles Bukowski.

26 Beck - Guero
If you listened and didn't like it at first or didn't think it was brillant. Listen 5 more times.

25 Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
See Beck

24 Franz Ferdinand - You Could have it so much better...
Don't mess with a winning streak or if it ain't broke don't fix it.

23 Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust
Every decade or so, Bruce Springsteen releases a somber album. People say Nebraska--I say poppy Nebraska or as poppy as Nebraska could be.

22 Elbow - Leaders of the World
Elbow referred to themselves as "prog without the solos" without winking. Good enough?

I have about 18 left and need to get to bed.

more later
Bro

21 Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft
It's decade number two...another excellent album from a band that may no longer shock and surprise because they have been there and done that. Fine Fine CD.

20 Kathleen Edwards - Back to Me
From Canada and her heart has been broken and we are the better for it. This is her second cd.

19 The Decemberists - Picaresque
alot of love, drowning, and death and I mean that in a good way.

18 Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
The Followill family returns to the front porch/garage on sophomore effort

17 The Constantines - Tournament of Hearts
Another band from Canada...I might be moving soon. CD 3 is the sound of the Constantines operating at the peak of their powers

16 Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
somewhat disappointed that the album isn't more than yet another solid Fanclub release if only because it was Recorded at Tortoise frontman John McEntire's Soma studio in Chicago--it's a pair made in indie heaven and yet it's only very very good.

15 Andrew Bird - and The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Chicago-based violinist and all around amazing talent. What is next? Who knows? Who cares? Get the CD and enjoy the ride.

14 Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning/ Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Two different cds yet still the same underneath--one alt/country-- the other a clone of Postal Service. Alot of backlash against poor Conor. I don't think he ever claimed to be the next Dylan. If you want only one try Wide Awake. It's classic Conor Oberst.

13 Tom Vek - We Have Sound
London's eclectic one-man band Tom Vek combines electronic music with indie rock, punk with dance, and influences like new wave and garage...He is this close to being Brillant and I can't wait until his next CD. Please to be Good. Stay on the good path brother man.

12 Low - the Great Destroyer
there's something for almost every kind of Low fan on the album: chilly, brooding songs-- gentle but powerful songs-- and gorgeous epics

11 Jose Gonzalez - Veener
a welcome addition to the q-school of indie pop. Quiet is the new loud.

10 John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt
Like Andrew Bird yet sonicly different. You don't know what you'll get from JV but it is always brillant. In a few months this will probably be top five if I were to ever go back a re-rank. Just a guess.

9 Supergrass - Road to Rouen
they have found new things to do with their sound without getting mature. It may not be a party record, but an excellent album. It's not your Supergrass of the 90s but they have grownup nicely.

8 Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Plans is both a destination and a crossroads. First it is a combination of their entire back catalog-- a road well travelled. Now a new set of challenges: to stay the course and suffer stagnation or try something bold and daringly new with their future. Which road they'll take will make all the difference.

7 Pernice Brothers - Discover a Lovelier You
makes a case for the Pernice Brothers as the best pop band on the planet. At the very least, you will be hard-pressed to discover a lovelier group, or record, in 2005

6 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
Where's my rock n roll indeed. BRMC have grown up and grown interesting. I liked their older cds but this is one I will be listening to for a long time. The Jesus and Mary Chain influence is gone--or at least hidden very well and the band has embraced classic American music, namely country, blues, and gospel.

5 New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
If you loved their first two you will love this one if you liked the first two then listen to them again. Do yourself a favor and fall in love with this Canadian band. Pure pop yummies.

4 Iron and Wine with Calexico - In the Reins
A rare and wonderful occurrence-- don't let it slip past you.

3 My Morning Jacket - Z
Hopefully this is the album that woke people up to this beautiful band. Don't be afraid of their back catalog.

2 Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
People were calling them the next Ferdinand. Now people are looking for the next Bloc Party. Hopefully they build on this wonderful debut. Hype Hype and more Hype and it still sounds great to me. They lasted all year for me. Well done lads-- combining art-punk and the grand gestures and earnestness of groups like Coldplay and U2.

1 Spoon - Gimme Fiction
This should have been their Green Album. Hopefully their next one is. This should have been the big break through that sent all the people scrambling for any and all Spoon CDs they could find. If you are smart you have already done this. The fact that this cd didn't sell millions just marks the fact that life is not fair.