I really was profoundly underwhelmed by Digital Ash

Compared to Wide Awake, it's not so great, but these two albums really pushed my Bright Eyes love into crazy intense overdrive when they came out so I have listened to Ash a whole lot this year kind of by default.

But some sort of switch flipped listening to The Sunset Tree

This is how I felt after Tallahassee, which is still my favorite. Since that album and now seeing the Mountain Goats three times (I have tickets to see them this Friday - woot!) my iPod is just about bursting with Goat-y goodness. It's so fun to get into a band that has THAT much good material to be explored.

the Hold Steady are so amazing live that their album went up a few notches in my estimation from their show

Michele, have you given any listen to Lifter Puller? It's Craig Finn's pre-Hold Steady band and I highly recommend Fiestas & Fiascos. I have tickets to see them at the end of this month and can.not.wait. Separation Sunday took me a while but yeah - I've been obsessed with it and the first Hold Steady album and all his stuff ever since I gave it another try about a month or so ago.

Guero is probably with Bloc Party fighting for the 9 and 10 spots. It's nice that Beck can recover from the dark and sweet Sea Change, but he recovered by the same old album he used to make.

Plans was such a massive disappointment. Death Cab is better than that.

I finally got the Mountain Goats album this weekend. So far, like.

I'm not "indie" enough to participate in this discussion in this thread, I think. Which is funny, as I haven't bought an album from one of the main record companies in, like 3 years. I think the last one was Tenacious D.

Seriously. Projekt, Metropolis, A Different Drum, Dancing Ferret . . . . none of these are big labels. Back me up on this, Jilli.

Tallahassee is actually the TMG album I've been listening to the most the last week or so: I tried to convince amych that "Old College Try" was actually quite a romantic tune just by quoting her the lyrics, which didn't work. (And actually someone should send me the buffistarawk addy to my michele at myfullname dot com e-mail, so I can upload my "No Children" thesis*)

Tina, at their last run of shows, the Goats were doing rocked out versions of some really old tracks -- thanks to the Live Music Archive, I have their new takes on "Grendel's Mother" and "New Star Song" (improved by one audience member shrieking like she was watching the Beatles. I don't know why that cracks me up so much.) Look for the Bottom of the Hill show in SF.

Lifter Puller was Finn and the guitarist from THS, no? They're on my list. I liked Separation Sunday immediately for "Your Little Hoodrat Friend," which is definitely one of my top singles for the year -- I got that much faster than I got "The Swish" from Almost Killed Me.

• Which is the album track, the one live take I have on it with the whole audience singing along, and Kiki & Herb singing it as the cabaret duet it turns out always to have been in its secret heart, and proof as if any was needed of the cruciality of interpretation.

I tried to convince amych that "Old College Try" was actually quite a romantic tune just by quoting her the lyrics

I know! I always think of it has a great mid-troubled-but-still-in-crazy-love mixtape song.

And actually someone should send me the buffistarawk addy to my michele at myfullname dot com e-mail, so I can upload my "No Children" thesis

Done and insent to your profile address. I happily await your thesis because I do love that song so.

Look for the Bottom of the Hill show in SF.

It is officially added to my list of stuff to do today while I should be working.

Lifter Puller was Finn and the guitarist from THS, no?

Yup. Tad Kubler. A co-worker who is a crazy THS fan gave me a Craig Finn mix a few weeks ago. I need to put "Sophomore Slump" by Brokerdealer (w/Finn on vocals) and "Mission Viejo" (Lifter Puller) up on buffistarawk for all to enjoy. For they do verily rock.

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

It is what drew me into the album as well.

Finally, after posting my list last night I started to put together a 2005 best of mix and I'm going to move The Sunset Tree up the list - to #2. It's darn good. (Moving Separation Sunday down one.) I promise not to post my list shifts every day. Maybe.

ETA: Above mentioned Craig Finn songs are up at buffistarawk. Start your day off with a crazy Minnesotan yelling in your ear!

Saw the Decemberists last night! woo!

I really enjoyed the show, but next time I go to that venue (Pearl Street in Northampton), I'm not standing near the speakers again. It was so noisy, and I think the sound was mixed kind of poorly, that I could hardly hear anything distinct in the music: vocals, violin, accordion, drums, upright bass, everything fused into a wall of sound. I was a little disappointed because I've been talking them up to my friend, who came with me, but we could barely make out any of the lyrics--which are probably my favorite thing about the band. So I've loaned him my CDs so he can feel the love.

We both had a good time, but I think for me, they might actually be one of the bands that I appreciate more, musically, by listening to the CD. Or, alternatively, at a venue that knows how to mix their sound properly. (Also, Colin Meloy mentioned that he had hurt his back the night before, so he wasn't jumping around as much as he usually does. I guess the show is usually a little livelier than the one we saw.)

One part I really liked was when Petra sang a song that my coworker (who was also there) has identified as "Tam Lin"--possibly the Fairport Convention version? I couldn't make out the lyrics very well, so I can't tell for sure. Anyway, it was appropriately spooky and passionate and wild. A definite highlight of the evening.

I think my favorite album this year has been Ben Lee's Awake Is the New Sleep. Picaresque would probably be up there as well.

One part I really liked was when Petra sang a song that my coworker (who was also there) has identified as "Tam Lin"--possibly the Fairport Convention version?

Don't you have that song? I thought I sent you the Brit Folk rock mix?

You did, and in fact I also own the CD it's from, Liege and Lief. But it was too difficult to make out Petra's lyrics to tell for sure. I'll have to listen to it when I get home tonight to see if the tune matches.

I'm going to see the Gang of Four on Wednesday.

Currently, I don't want to rank them, but I think Picaresque, Oceans Apart, In The Reins, Gimme Fiction, Six Organ of Admittance's School of the Flower, Animal Collective's Feels (or, possibly, the Prospect Hummer EP), Eric Matthews's Six Kinds of Passion Looking For An Exit, and The Fiery Furnaces's EP (although I'm leaning towards Rehearsing My Choir if it's actually slated to be released this year) would be on my list. Oh, and at the top: The Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall 1957, because DAMN.

Welcome re-releases: Cardinal's s/t album and Can's Future Days. I'll have more for this topic, too, when I figure out which other albums were actually re-released this year.