I couldn't find a thread like this that had already been made. If there is one, I apologise. If there isn't, I await your apology. Jeez, you turn your back for a couple of months, and the whole of Media loses its damn standards...

For my money, best album so far has been ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's 'Worlds Apart'. So beautifully multi-faceted, it'll take a lot to beat it, I tells ye.

Running close behind is Bright Eyes - a pair of spanking albums in 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' and 'Digital Ash In A Digital Urn', both with some outstanding tracks.

And in the 'worth a listen' column, 'EP' by Fiery Furnaces. Quirky electo-power-pop? Yes please! And only a fiver from your local Music Zone - though good luck finding a copy now...

Finally, grinding the rumour mill, the new QOTSA album is pretty damn good. I gained a copy indirectly from Mark Lanegan - don't ask, it's a long story - and whilst it isn't a 'Songs For The Deaf' beater, it shows that Homme won't be flagging any time soon.

Hmm, so far I would have to say "Push the Button" by Chemical Brothers, although I expect this will change when the new VNV Nation album comes out next month *bounce bounce*

So far I think the best one I've heard is Mars Volta, Francis the mute. I haven't really listened to any other new ones that have impressed me. Ask me again in May though when the new NIN album comes out.

Hmm... I've not seen anything good yet, so I'll just say this: the best album thus far was the mix CD I just finished making. Mike's Greatest Hits Volume II. I could (and do!) listen to it all the time.

Quite early for a 'Best of 2005' thread but fair dos.

I'm likewise looking forward to the new NIN album, heard the new single earlier in the week and it sounded better than the name of the album would suggest.

Also Bloc Party's latest work seems to be a favourite atm.

I've felt that VNV have been slipping a bit. Their first album is really good, the second is excellent, the third is very good too, but basically more of the same, and the fourth is a bit by-numbers. I'm hoping that they're going to go back to their old sampling ways and not let Ronan get too obsessed with singing. For me, their best tracks are the ones without lyrics, but this is something that they have been moving away from.

I'm not sure if it was released this year or towards the end of last year, but the Johnny Cash 'Unearthed' collection is fantastic.

I've not bought any CDs this year but I'm with Lo and MrT, really looking forward to the new NIN album! I love the single and I'm really looking forward to seeing them on Wednesday to hear some more of the new stuff but at the same time I want lots of the old stuff to boot.

Anyway... I digress

*pokes snoo with a stick and steals NIN tickets*

So yeah, self explanatory that I'm also looking forward to the new NIN album, apart from that the newest album I've purchased this year came out in 2001.

Early days yet, but so far I'm giving lots of attention to

Warnings/Promises by Idlewild
Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett by Venetian Snares
Blue-Eyed In The Red Room by Boom Bip
Some Cities by Doves
Wind In The Wires by Patrick Wolf
Government Commissions by Mogwai
Jesu by Jesu

All are most enjoyable and I'll be happy to explain why if anyone's interested

I am very excited to get my mitts on

Picaresque by The Decemberists
Arula by M. I. A.
Surrounded by Silence by Prefuse73

Also, I heartily recommend Shake The Sheets by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, which has been released here in the UK in the last month or so, but has been floating around on import since September last year. So y'know. Not perhaps technically a 2005 album, but equally technically is a 2005 album. Dig?

I have yet to buy any CDs released this year, but when I get the chance I'll grab Daft Punk's new album, Human After All, and get back to y'all.

Edit: having listened to a few tracks through illicit channels, it sounds like a damn fine album, easily on par with Homework and Discovery. I'll definitely be buying it.

I have also just heard that there is a new Gorillaz album coming in May - but apparently not produced by Dan the Automator. Tricky. Time shall tell...

No. It's produced by someone else who is, I'm told, wicked. I don't know who. Pete does.

But heard a track of it and it's really rather fun.

Anyway. Something relevant:

I'm not sure I'm looking forward to new Nine Inch Nails... The problem with everything Trent does is that it'll either be magnificent, for it'll go tits up. I enjoyed The Fragile more than most people, but, y'know, we've been waiting for this new material for six years now, and it could be a huge let down.

While Automator shall be missed, he's busy with the new Franz Ferdinand effort, which is certainly an interesting proposition. Meanwhile, Gorillaz have enlisted the mighty Danger Mouse, who is frankly f***kin' incredible. You may have heard of him last year when EMI axed his remix of The Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's Black Album, cunningly titled The Grey Album (BBC News). However, he deserves more recognition for his work with emcee Jemini The Gifted One; the album, Ghetto Pop Life is one of my favourite hip-hop albums ever, as DM's production is stunning and Jemini's flows are funny, political and very sexy. He's also supposed to be working with MF Doom on an album under the heading DangerDoom, surely an effort to match last year's Madlib/Doom collaboration, Madvillain.

Anyway; new Gorillaz track, Feel Good Inc, with De La Soul = the sex. Pitchfork review here and news and the song itself at Danger Mouse's own website. Single out May 9th, album, Demon Days, May 23rd. Should be superb.

If the rest of the new album is anywhere near as good as 'The hand that feeds' it'll be amazing, the only thing that annoyed me about that track was the complete lack of repetition in the first half of the song then then _very_ repetitive last minute or so. Maybe that's just me.

Well, I bought Human After All, and it's definitely got my vote at the moment for best album of 2005 (admittedly it is the only album of 2005 I've heard yet...). A move away from the mainstream commercialism of Discovery, it's fresh and interesting without being too far abstracted from the dancehall. Great album.

Not at all, dear boy. The fun of it is watching people change their minds as new, more exciting albums get released. Fun fun fun...

Nothing better than the Trail Of Dead album has yet to catch my ears. I thought the Daft Punk offering was OK, but suffered from being too repetitive, and ultimately quite dull by the end - quite like the last Prodigy album. I will say, though, that it vastly outshines Moby's effort, which made all the staff present in Music Zone wilt like celery in a blast furnace. So utterly dull it was almost offensive...

I've got my eye on the forthcoming Belle & Sebastian album, and like most people here I am eager for some NIN action. The Gorillaz album has promise, also. Could be a good year.

On a last note, I bought the Arcade Fire 'Funeral' album not long ago. It's lush - as if Modest Mouse had spent more time listening to Mercury Rev - but there seems to be some confusion as to whether it was released last year or this. Any ideas, ya'll? It's a bloody good effort, whichever way you slice it.

Funeral was released February 28th of this year in the UK, but September 14th of last year in the US.

Grrrr.... That helps not my situation. Thanks anyway, Komrade.

Well, it's a brilliant album, whichever way you slice it.

I had my Funeral slyly imported shortly after it's US release and was very happy that I did. So it won't make my 2005 list, 'though it would, 'cause it's ace.

Arula by M.I.A. and Picaresque by The Decemberists are both utterly superb. Surrounded By Silence by Prefuse73 is a lot of fun, especially for the appearances by The Books and Beans, the latter laying the best vocal on the whole damn album on a track that's a mere 90 seconds long.

School Of The Flower by Six Organs Of Admittance and Iron And Wines Woman King EP are the prettiest releases I've heard since January; Woman King particularly is indespensible.

And New Order do the same old thing all over Waiting For The Sirens Call, but it doesn't matter 'cause it's New Order, they still sound wicked and it's perfect for all this unseasonable sunshine we're having.

Gonorea - Documenting the Love and Faeces of a robot

You know you love it too.

Yes. This.

Idlewild and Hell is for Heroes have both brought out albums that, despite being fantastic, didn't tickle me the same way their previous stuff has.

Oh, and the new Atticus: Dragging the Lake CD (volume 3, I think) has some awesome tracks on it (lydia, the kinison and motion city soundtrack, yay!).

Hmm.. Well, I've been busy buying albums recently. Several aren't 2005 releases, which is a shame, because Relationship of Command by At The Drive-In is an easy favourite of mine.

Of the 2005 albums, I'd have to go with The Arcade Fire - Funeral. It's awesome.

Coming up a close second are the Kaiser Chiefs with Employment. The lyrics can be a bit simple at times, but even so, are pretty damn amusing. The musical side of it is just.. yay.

Following them is another UK-not-US 2005, Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous. I was wary of it being called "jazz-rock fusion" by some at first, but it's brilliant. "Love and War (11/11/45)" is one of my favourite songs at the moment, I suggest you have a look-see.

4th is The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute. Placing TMV anywhere lower than 1st or 2nd is rare for me, and this shows my frustration at the album. It's still a great musical entity, but the over-preponderance of random noises grates on my ears a bit, at least when listening to the tracks independently. TMV are all about the arty side of things, but De-Loused In the Comatorium struck a much finer balance between art, story and musical quality in my eyes. Or ears.

Beyond that, my shockingly poor memory wins again. I'm fairly certain there were more, but never mind.

Albums I'm looking forward to would most certainly include System of a Down's twin albums Mesmerize and Hypnotize. The first will be released around May in the US, with the second around 6 months later, and I'm salivating at the thought, even to point where I'm considering importing, something I rarely do. Then again, importing can make you lose out on bonus tracks.. Damn.

I've been trying not to buy much music as we're trying to tighten our belts a little, but far and away the best so far has been the latest Venetian Snare release, tongue-twistingly titled

"ROSSZ CSILLAG ALATT SZÜLETETT"

It features classical strings, east european beat poetry and mad 200 bpm+ cut-up amen breaks.

You can't say fairer than that.

However, all this may change in a week, when Autechre's new one "Untilted" is released (and no, that's not a typo).

Although one online acquaintance who's been privy to an early release described it as "made entirely from samples of the noise of two men disappearing up their own arses"

And again, that might all change again 2 days afterwards when the charmingly named Shitmat releases his new LP, and then again a month later when Mr Snares releases his 5th record this year (he's a busy fellow).

Isn't that the sound they've been making for the last five years?

I'm really enjoying new Snares. I was about ready to give up on him after some of the dreadfully pointless arse he put out last year (except for This Bitter Earth, which was stunning). I'm pleased he's sorted himself out.

Shitmat does my head in, though. Very amusing, especially live, but prolonged exposure is bad for me.

The only Planet μ release I'm excited for is the Frog Pocket album, which I'm assured is on its way.

The new Mindless Self Indulgence album is ace. Short, sweet, and very fun. There's something deeply wrong with the thought of them covering Tom Sawer though....

I'm with InKy on the new QOTSA album. It's good, really good, just not as good as Songs for the Deaf. The actual quality of the songs hasn't lowered, it's just the style has changed, presumably because Oliveri left the band and took his death screams with him. Lullabies to Paralyse is 'softer' than Songs for the Deaf, which was a great album because to be honest it just plain ROCKED. LtP doesn't quite ROCK as much, it merely rocks. I heartily recommend Strings for the Deaf, recorded on Vitamin records, which is a string quartet tribute to, unsurprisingly, Songs for the Deaf. Not all the songs are on there, but it's amusing enough and they've managed to cover the songs they did do pretty closely.

Also, I am looking forward to any new releases from SOAD, though I heard B.Y.O.B. and thought it was a bit iffy. I'm after copy of Human After All, but I heard Robot Rock (I think that's the track name, the latest single anyway) and thought it was pretty standard, much like Discovery. It's a sad thought, but I think I've been persuaded by their recent efforts that Daft Punk will never acheve the same quality as Homework without some rethinking of their music. In my opinon, Discovery was a bit flat and electro-poppy, if that's even a relevent way to describe it.

Also looking forward to the new Gorillaz album, but I could really do with buying their first one first. I hear a new Zutons album is on the cards and I'm pretty intrigued by that. Wouldn't mind listening to the new Chemical Brothers album, but I've heard from sources with similar musical tastes to mine it was 'a bit crap'.



Incidently, the duo who record the string tribute albums have clocked up around 120 cover albums so far, if you hear any good ones let me know. There's a huge listing on amazon.co.uk with many many samples if anybody would like a starting point, though they're pretty expensive on there. Hey, you could always contribute to the matazone though

I'm loving the new QotSA album. The absense of Oliveri just encourages Homme to get even more insular and self indulgent, and it would have been nice to have Grohl on drums again but they don't suffer without him.
I don't agree that Lullabies.. just doesn't rock as much, it's abandoned Songs for the Deaf's ridiculous compressed production and the songs are more varied but the music rocks just as hard as it ever has done.

I wouldn't be so quick to trust your source's opinions on the new Chemical Brothers album. Give it a listen, tis very good. : )

I'm also really liking the new Ivy album, one of the prettiest releases of the year.

With Teeth - Nine Inch Nails.

Not as good as I was expecting, there are a few great tracks but not enough of the album is as woah to compare it to previous works of teh Trent. Good but not amazing.

I hate hate hate hate the new NIN album. Sorry. I'm usually a big fan, but this album, quite frankly, is piss-poor. Trent, usually so good at his production, has fallen on his face with this effort. And he's a forty-something still whining and angsting about everything. Just stop it, Trent. Stop. Now. Hush.

Bah.

However! My faith in metal has been restored by just hearing the new System of a Down track, BYOB (see www.systemofadown.com to have a looksee). It's four and a half minutes of orgasm, and I've come over all excited. Both albums, Mezmerize (out in May) and Hypnotize (out in November, I think), are bound to be wicked.

Oh, a new SOAD album? Funky, after a good 4 years of waiting.

Did you sleep through Steal This Album or something?

With teeth is the best new album I’ve herd this year.
Although I did enjoy hotel by Moby and have high hopes for the prodigy retrospect album

Does it count, though? It was more of a filler album - older stuff that never made it onto the first two. That's cheating.

It's a CD full of System songs I hadn't heard before. Quibbling about when they actually recorded the songs is just nit-picking, really. How much does it matter?

Pfft, a mere collection of B songs. Barely and album so therefore it doesn't count. So ner.

Why was it "barely an album"? It was a CD full of music, exactly what else is it you want from an album?

Its mostly because I don't like it, but that would be stupid to say that if I don't like something it shouldn't exist.

Steal this Album was released because of people downloading the songs under the name "Toxicity 2" and SOAD released the collection of songs so that people would stop downloading the songs and buy them. Seems to be against what SOAD are for, stop getting things free so we can make money.

Ok fine, its an album but not a good one. The worst of the three, just a collection of their previously unreased songs that I see why they weren't released on Toxicity or on their self titled.

I concur on both points. Obviously. Because you're hot and I want to have lots of sex with you.

But seriously, Trent is up his arse and should just kill himself and stop wasting our time. And I've not been so excited for anything remotely metal since Sikth coughed up All The Trees... in 2003, but new System has made me burst my excitement glands.

New stuff! In Case We Die by Architecture In Helsinki is the most glorious and wonderful thing I've heard so far this year; if The Fiery Furnaces packed Blueberry Boat into an album half the length, it would sound like this. More fun, more interesting, a little silly, but leaking with glorious melodies and harmonies and sunshine singalongs. Spastically good.

Also, I caved in to Bloc Party, and I have to say Silent Alarm is one of the most enjoyable indie guitar pop albums of recent memory.

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations is two discs of Eels by numbers, but is still worth a listen because even at his weakest, E still writes better songs than most people. The Milk Of Human Kindess by Caribou (formerly Manitoba) is lush, awash with psychedelic flourishes set to particlarly propulsive percussion. And yeah, I can alliterate and stuff!

And there's a badass Stereolab boxset called Oscillons From The Anti-Sun, which culls all their EPs and singles since 1993 onto three CDs and there's a DVD of videos and other goodies, and I managed to pick it up for £12.99, 'though I think HMV are running it for £15.99. Still bargainous though, and so full of that mad Gallic prog electro pop that Stereolab have always done so well. Stunning, really.

Many people would agree, here is a simple and short review of the album.

I heard BYOB, and as stated before, thought it was a bit dodgy. Would it kill them to stick to less than three rhythm sets in one song? My friend has a copy of one of the new SOAD albums (hasn't said which one, or where from, I'm guessing mezmerize), but I'm eager for a listen. I'll let you know what I think if I get a chance to snaffle his pocket-PC thing for half an hour tomorrow.

And Steal This Album wasn't awfully bad. I liked at least three tracks from it, innervision was better than some of the tracks on Toxicity, I thought.

Anybody know anything about a new Zutons album?

Having had my mitts on the the new Autechre album for a few weeks now, I can honestly say it's by far and away the best album I've bought this year. Proper amazing.

And much less about climbing up their own bottoms than previous few releases. Great, great, great stuff....

At your lovely local Music Zone (if you have one) you can still get it for £12.97. Because we rock. And yes, it is a fine release, packed with loveliness.

On a more disagreeable note, I like the new NIN album, so hairy nadgers to the lot of you. Unless you agree with me, in which case, shaven nadgers covered in cheese. Everything tastes great covered in cheese...

Five months into the year, and here's my top five:

1. Arcade Fire - 'Funeral'
2. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - 'Worlds Apart'
3. Bright Eyes - 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning'
4. QOTSA - 'Lullabies To Paralyse'
5. NIN - 'With Teeth'

This is subject to change, as I am a wilfully capricious person with a short attention span.

Good things upon the horizon include various ones already mentioned, a collection of Jeepster-period Belle & Sebastian B-sides (which, given that 'Tigermilk' is my favourite album of theirs, I will probably love), a new Stephen Malkmus offering (predictably unpredictable), and new stuff from Coldplay and Oasis for everyone to argue about (are they past it? is it okay to still like them? is it as good as 'Definitely Maybe'/'Parachutes'? etc etc etc).

It's times like these when I love working in a music shop...

Hello.



I was right!

I suggest you all go, put your copies of With Teeth in the bin right now, buy this instead and pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.

Bye!

Eleven songs, thirty-six minutes, no fat, just mad metal silliness. Politics upfront, tongues firmly in cheeks, cock and balls out, System Of A Down as frantic and daft as ever. It's like someone's applied electric current to my nipples and made me dance bare-arsed in a tiger pit.

What I do find is that the dark edge that the first two albums bore is absent; there's serious ideas and politics, but there isn't such a sense of menace. No matter, as it's still ace.

Also, I'm really enjoying Maritime by Minotaur Shock; pretty and enchanting with a childlike sense of wonder present in the melodies and arrangements. Instrumental, based around live and programmed drums and synthesisers, with acoustic guitar, piano, flute and violin.

Audioslave - Out of Exile is sounding pretty good

You can listen to it on My Space (here)

It would have to be:

Employment - The Kaiser Chiefs

I win the thread.

Lots of nice noodling from Morello, but I still feel the band as a whole aren't worthy of backing up Cornell. He really needs stronger melodies and a more creative rhythm section behind him. The band do have their moments though, maybe I might grow to like more of the album in time, it does at least seem a better effort than their debut.


I just discovered Jimmy Chamberlin's new project, the imaginatively titled Jimmy Chamberlin Complex. Their album 'Life begins again' sticks to a strange fusion of Jimmy's jazz roots with the Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan's melody rich rock, which at times can be slightly tiresome and other times simply gorgeous (Lokicat and Lullabye to Children are stand out favourites, the former with Billy Corgan on vocals and the utterly fantastic Bill Medley on the latter).
Jimmy's drumming is better than it's ever been, making full use of the restraint and subtlety that make him stand apart from other great drummers imo, as well as his prodigious talent. The band can all hold their own, and Jimmy's arrangements are full of the same care and detail that Corgan brought to the Pumpkin's best work.

All in all a very nice record that's definately worth a listen but does at times get pretty bogged down in its fusion ambitions. Saying that they do stay more firmly rooted to the ground (with their heads less up their arses) than most, this ain't your dad's Tortoise or Liquid Tension Experiment.

I'm really falling in love with the new Gorillaz release, Demon Days. It's my current nomination for this year's best (out, admittedly, of the two albums I've heard so far this year).

Only thing I can think of right now is Garbage - Bleed like me. I like the kaiser chiefs album as well though.

Demon Days is awesome, we'll leave it at that (especially Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head, Dirty Harry and Feel Good Inc), maaaybe the best album this year.

However, I'm now here to plug a different album- The Invisible Invasion by The Coral. It's like their other albums- kinda bouncy, with good basslines and a scouser singing over it. Except now it is a little bit darker, some songs being more ghostly than before, and lyrics mostly about death, disease and decay. However, it's still great and it still sounds cheerful in some parts.

I think the Kaiser Chiefs are ok, but I think all their songs sound the same! If you skip down media player and listen to two seconds of the middle of each song on their album, only two sound different to the rest, What Did I Ever Give You and Team Mate. I must admit though I've only listened to it a couple of times, so thats just the impression I got.