Several Arrows Later
Matt Pond PA
October 11, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

The group out of Pennsylvania (now in NY) just keeps putting out great music. Some of these songs including "Halloween" are classics.

Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
February 22, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

The sound is rough, but it fits these real rockers from the south. Lyrics are not poetic, but they work in this up-tempo jam-filled album.

The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Andrew Bird
February 8, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

Who's ever heard of a world-class whistler? Andrew Bird is just that and despite the obvious connection to a Clint Eastwood movie that songs like "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left," his songs are world class as well. They are moody and poignant and paint a dramatic picture. The album has a decent balance of energy and calm and he came up with one of the greatest album names ever.

Z
My Morning Jacket
October 4, 2005

These melodies are haunting and infectious and this album sets a distinct mood. Jim James, the frontman, has unique vocals and struggles a little in the up-tempo songs, but those a good despite that. "Wordless Chorus" opens the album up with an anthem of sorts. The distinct sound is captured in James' "ahhhh ahh ahhhh ahhh ahhh..."

The Craft
Blackalicious
September 27, 2005

The craft is right. Blackalicious has taken hip hop to a new level. While the music isn't ground-breaking in the general scope of music ("Powers" is reminiscent of Gorillaz), the rhymes are tight as they come and the raps are amazing. It's hard to imagine anyone performing these songs live they are so complex verbally.

Songs We Sing
Matt Costa
July 26, 2005

On a myspace.com page for Matt Costa (we assume that's actually him), he has entitled it Matt Costa and Friends of Old Time Music. That's just what this album is, good-time folk. The melodies in songs like "Cold December" are brilliant and lasting. Some songs are too simple, like the opening "Yellow Taxi" but they fit the album perfectly. This is a great album for a relaxing summer day. It's clear Matt is headed for great things. This album is a perfect indication.

A Certain Trigger
Maximo Park
May 31, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

I suppose we can let one musical group in the top 10 that has a heavy influence from the '80s. These post-punk rockers from the isles demonstrate a high level of talent in songwriting even if their instrumentation is straightforward and basic. These songs will make you rock, even if you never have before. "The Coast is Always Changing" is a must-download from iTunes if you don't have the album. They may be compared with Franz Ferdinand, but are a classier outfit with better music.

Demon Days
Gorillaz
May 24, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

The side-project turned mega-hit has led to a great second album. This one is as solid as they come in this genre. The beats are live and unmistakable and the vocals are a perfect fit. This album is a collaborative effort by some of the most influential names in the business: Damon Albarn of Blur (2D), DJ Danger Mouse (whose album nearly missed the State of Art Top 10), and some really talented cartoon characters. This album is all over every college campus and rightly so- it lends itself well to mindlessness. It is fantastic music, though, and this album is modern in every sense of the word.

Arula
M.I.A.
March 22, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

Some of this stuff is so rough and some of the beats are so sharp they hurt, but M.I.A. always makes up for it with nice melodic choruses or sweet rhymes. She makes a little too much of an effort to be hard, but she pulls it off. This album is unique and solid and shows what modern music can do. It's tribal and electric at the same time. Highlights are "Bingo" and "Sunshowers."

Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Shout Out Louds
May 24, 2005

This is a great rock album. It has great melodies, great instrumentation (if not brilliant), and a diverse selection of rock and roll tunes (from mellow to rockers). The lead vocalist, Adam, is not Pavoratti, but he matches the music and his unique sound doesn't bore. The addition of violin and keys are great to the electric guitars and give the album a just-right pop feel. "Oh, Sweetheart" and "Very Loud" are instant classics and, "Go Sadness" is a great-feeling mellow tune.

Let It Die
Feist
April 26, 2005
Listen on On Your Ear Bone

This is the only album released in 2005 that had everything. It has sensual-sweet vocals by the bilingual Canadian Leslie Feist, great songs, beautiful production and great balance. Let It Die is modern lounge with enough pop to make it absolutely irresistible. Fortunately Feist departed from her previous collaborations with the crazy Canadian Broken Social Scene and dubious Peaches and maintained the feel of another fellow collaborator, Kings of Convenience.

The songs are instant hits and will endure as classics. Though they aren't all modern ("Inside and Out" sounds a bit like it should be on The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack), some are absolutely unique. The title track is stunning and brilliant using spaces in music not found on the radio, but irreplaceable on this album.

"Mushaboom" and "Secret Heart" are sweet and innocent looks into a young woman's heart and "When I Was A Young Girl" gives the album a different perspective.