Bryce Jacobson
Top 10 Albums
1. Motion City Soundtrack – Commit This To Memory
2. Mae – The Everglow
3. Acceptance – Phantoms
4. Spitalfield – Stop Doing Bad Things
5. The Academy Is… – Almost Here
6. Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
7. Cartel – Chroma
8. Sherwood – Sing, But Keep Going
9. JamisonParker – Sleepwalker
10. The Good Fight – Home Again
Close Calls No Order
Panic! At The Disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
Paramore – All We Know Is Falling
Fall Out Boy – From Under The Cork Tree
Jacks Mannequin – Everything In Transit
Waking Ashland – Composure
Number One Gun – Promises For The Imperfect
Forever Changed – The Need To Feel Alive
Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal
Thrice – Vheissu
The Receiving End Of Sirens – Between The Heart And The Synapse
Hidden In Plain View – Life In Dreaming
Coheed And Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV
Houston Calls – A Collection of Short Stories
The Spill Canvas – One Fell Swoop
The Starting Line – Based On A True Story
Copeland – In Motion
Over It – Silverstrand
Top EP’s
1. Jimmy Eat World – Stay On My Side Tonight
2. Relient K – Apathetic EP
3. Self Against City – Take It How You Want It
4. The Arrival – Residence Lift
5. Big City Dreams – Honesty
6. Echo Screen – An American Tale
7. Hit The Lights – Until We Get Caught
Most Anticipated For 2006
1. Underoath
2. The Early November
3. The Adademy Is…
4. Angels & Airwaves
5. Mae
6. Thursday
7. Saosin
8. Matchbook Romance
9. From First To Last
10. The Good Fight
Close Calls No Order
Taking Back Sunday
New Found Glory
The Starting Line
Bloc Party
Hellogoodbye
The Used
Less Than Jake
Saves The Day
The Class of 98
The Honorary Title
Best New Bands
1. Panic! At The Disco
2. Paramore
3. The Good Fight
4. Terminal
5. Let Go
6. The Panic Division
7. The Class of 98
8. Valencia
9. Self Against City
10. Sullivan
Best Labels
1. The Militia Group / Sidecho
2. Tooth & Nail
3. Fueled By Ramen / Decaydance
4. Drive-Thru / Rushmore
5. Victory
6. Epitaph
7. Equal Vision
8. Fearless
9. Lobster
10. Takeover
Best Movies No Order
Batman Begins
Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire
The Chronicles Of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Sin City
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Most Anticipated Movies For 2006
X-Men 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Superman Returns
Ice Age 2
Best Tours
Warped Tour
Acceptance, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Cartel, Panic! At The Disco
Past Years
2005 Mid Year Review
Best of 2004
I determine my best of the year by what has moved me the most. If I’m still listening to something that was released at the beginning of the year I know it must be good. And if I’m still listening to something from 2005 this time next year that it must be something that has really caught my ear.
Now lets hear what your thoughts about 2005 are and what your outlook for 2006 is as well.
Julie Watanabe
2005 Best List
So my end of the year review is compiled differently than Bryce’s. Personally, I think that music genres today have become so diverse that comparing them against one another is a daunting and precarious task. Sometimes you want to listen to a record with raw agression, sometimes you just want some music that makes you feel good. Hopefully doing my review this way will help to recognize specific bands’ strengths and get you to listen to them.
Best Overall Album
Imogen Heap “Speak For Yourself”
Best Album Lyrics
Gym Class Heroes “Papercut Chronicles”
Best Crossover Album
The Panic Division “Verses” (electronic/rock)
Best Album Concept
Thrice “Vheissu”
Best Album Music
The Receiving End Of Sirens “Between the Heart and the Synapse”
Best Progressive Album
Gatsbys American Dream “Volcano”
Best Debut Album
Emanuel “Soundtrack To A Headrush”
Best Overseas Album (international talent)
Days In Grief “Behind The Curtain Of A Modern Tomorrow”
Best Complilation Album
Drive-Thru Records & Purevolume.com “Bands You Love, Have Heard Of, And Should Know”
Best Improvement (most growth from previous release)
Chasing Victory “I Call This Abandonment”
Best Album Art
Mae “The Everglow”
Best EP
(Tied) Castles In The Sky “Whispers Are Hollowpoints EP” / Quietdrive “Fall From The Ceiling EP”
Best Movie Soundtrack
Rent OST
Best “Feel Good” Album
The Rocket Summer “Hello, Good Friend”
Best “Driving Music” Album
The Fray “How To Save A Life”
Best “Cathartic” Album
Darkest Hour “Undoing Ruin”
Best Demo
(Tied) Glory Nights – 2005 Demo / Saosin Capitol & Instrumental Demos
Best Label
(Tied) Fueled By Ramen / The Militia Group
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2005 Letdown List
I guess you can’t have the best without knowing the worst…so here are my 2005 disappointments. For the record, not all these albums were bad, I just had higher expectations for them.
Aiden “Nightmare Anatomy”
Blindside “The Great Depression”
Circa Survive “Juturna”
CKY “An Answer Can Be Found”
Finch “Say Hello To Sunshine”
From Autumn To Ashes “Abandon Your Friends”
Maida “Renaissance In Reverse”
Over It “Silverstrand”
Seemless “Seemless”
Story Of The Year “In The Wake Of Determination”
The Juliana Theory “Deadbeat Sweetheart”
Thousand Foot Krutch “The Art Of Breaking”
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2006 On The Rise
Here are albums I’m keeping my eye out for in the new year. There’ll be some HUGE releases from lesser known talents in 2006.
Saosin
Novice
Adair
Dead Poetic
Glory Nights
Rock Kills Kids
Clear Static
Atreyu
The Classic Crime
Brand New
The Ataris
Portugal The Man
Matchbook Romance
Yellowcard
Quietdrive
Damone
Lostprophets
National Product
36 Crazyfists
Goo Goo Dolls
Glory Of This
Rookie Of The Year
More Than A Thousand
New Years Day
Day Two
Rides Again
Hit The Lights
Waterdown
Hellogoodbye
October Fall
Strike Fire Fall
Brandtson
Joe Kominowski
Here’s my tops of 2005. Sorry it’s been forever since I’ve posted anything. My New Year’s Resolution is to get back on track here. I really miss the whole music scene. Look for more reviews/interviews and posts coming up soon!
Top 10 Albums of 2005
1. Fall Out Boy- From Under the Cork Tree
2. Motion City Soundtrack- Commit this to Memory
3. The Academy Isâ┚¬Ã‚¦- Almost Here
4. Panic! At the Disco- A Fever You Canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Sweat Out
5. Hidden in Plain View- Life in Dreaming
6. Jackâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Mannequin- Everything in Transit
7. Gym Class Heroes- Papercut Chronicles
8. Rocket Summer- Hello Good Friend
9. Cartel- Chroma
10. Rufio- Comfort of Home
Close Calls:
Spitalfield- Stop Doing Bad Things
JamisonParker- Sleepwalker
Midnight Aria- The Deep End
Sydney- Self Titled
Paramore- All We Know is Falling
Starting Line- Based on a True Story
Alkaline Trio- Crimson
Spill Canvas- One Fell Swoop
Just Surrender- If These Streets Could Talk
Unwritten Law- Hereâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s to the Mourning
Skeptics- Hearts and Spades
Best â┚¬Ã…”Non-Genre”
1. Kanye West- Late Registration
Best Song Names of 2004:
1. Panic! At the Disco- Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking her Clothes Off
2. Fall Out Boy- Our Lawyer Made us Change the Name of this Song So We Donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Get Sued
3. Spitalfield- So I Heard You Joined a Convent
4. Sydney- Got Some Purple Stuffâ┚¬Ã‚¦ Hey Sunny D!
Most Anticipated for 2006:
1. Yellowcard
2. Brand New!!! (P-P-P-P-Please!!!)
3. Taking Back Sunday
4. Matchbook Romance
5. The Academy Is..
6. Hit the Lights
7. Something Corporate
8. Race The Sun
9. Senses Fail
10. My Chemical Romance
Close Calls:
Hawthorne Heights
Ataris
Midtown
New Found Glory
12 Summers Old
Novice
Punchline
Jimmy Eat World
Sugarcult
Fall Out Boy (I hear possibly a late 2006 which would obviously blow everything else away)
Best New Bands of 2005
1. Panic! At The Disco
2. Jackâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Mannequin
3. Midnight Aria
4. Skeptics
5. Sydney
6. Paramore
7. Just Surrender
8. Spoken
9. A Day at the Fair
10. The Panic Division
Best Label of 2005
1. Fueled By Ramen / Decaydance
2. Militia Group
3. Epitaph
4. Drive Thru
5. Victory
6. One Eleven
7. Equal Vision
8. Takeover
Best Movies
1. 40 Year Old Virgin
2. Wedding Crashers
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Best Single:
1. Fall Out Boy- Sugar Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re Goin Down
What do you think? Way off, right on? let us know…
Valida Prentice
My Best of 2005 List…
Music is very personal. Yes, some is of higher quality (production, talent) but what really matters is how we breathe the music in and out – how we interact with the music and how the music interacts with us. What I feel the deepest connection to is generally what I listen to the most; my list will reflect that (I think… I haven’t made it yet).
Best Overall Album
Coldplay – X&Y
Runner-up: Motion City Soundtrack – Commit This to Memory
Honorable Mention: Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV
Album Most Indicative of My Year
Sherwood – Sing, But Keep Going
Biggest Surprises of 05
Surprised that I liked it as much as I did: Steel Train – Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun
Surprised that I disliked it as much as I did: Daphne Loves Derby – On the Strength of All Convinced
Best EP of 2005
Straylight Run – Prepare to Be Wrong
Best Album in a Foreign Language of 2005
El Sueno del Morfeo – S/t
Biggest Letdown of 05
Finch – Say Hello to Sunshine
Songs of 05 That Will Stick with Me
Acceptance – “Different”
The All-American Rejects – “It Ends Tonight”
Waking Ashland – “Hands on Deck”
Best Chill Music of 05
Iron & Wine – The Woman King EP
Best Feel-Good Album of 05
Jack’s Mannequin – Everything in Transit
Best Driving Music of 05
Fall Out Boy – From Under the Cork Tree
Most Overlooked of 05
Copeland – In Motion
Most Overhyped of 05
Panic! At the Disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
Best Music on a TV Series
The OC
Best 2004 Release That Everyone Thinks Was from 2005
The Killers – Hot Fuss (I saw it on the “Best of 2005” rack in Sam Goody the other day)
2005 Break-Up That Saddened Me the Most
Name Taken
Trevor Bivens
This is lame because there’s so much I wish I could include in my top ten.
Top 10 Full Lengths
1. Fall Out Boy – From Under the Cork Tree
2. theAudition – Controversy Loves Company
3. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
4. Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal
5. Paramore – All We Know Is Falling
6. Jamisonparker – Sleepwalker
7. theAcademyIs… – Almost Here
8. Motion City Soundtrack – Commit This to Memory
9. Spitalfield – Stop Doing Bad Things
10. TIE – Panic! At the Disco – A Fever You Can Sweat Out / Gym Class Heroes – The Papercut Chronicles
Honorable Mentions
The All American Rejects – Move Along
As Cities Burn – Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest
Cartel – Chroma
Chiodos – All’s Well That Ends Well
Circa Survive – Juturna
Copeland – In Motion
Daphne Loves Derby – On The Strength of All Convinced
The Decemberists – Picaresque
Emery – The Question
Finch – Say Hello To Sunshine
Funeral For a Friend – Hours
Jack’s Mannequin – Everything In Transit
June – If You Speak Any Faster
Just Surrender – If These Streets Could Talk
Lydia – This December; It’s One More and I’m Free
Mae – The Everglow
The Most Serene Republic – Underwater Cinematographer
Nightmare of You – S/T
Top EPs
A Healing Season – Raise the Ground
Self Against City – Take It How You Want It
Halifax – A Writer’s Reference(Reissue)
Letdowns
1. The Starting Line – Based on a True Story
2. Over It – Silverstrand
3. The Junior Varsity – Wide Eyed
Worst Album of 2005
Aiden – Nightmare Anatomy
Top Labels
1. Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance
2. Victory
3.Tooth and Nail
Best Spoken Word Album
Dane Cook – Retaliation
Top DVDs
Clandestine Industries – Release the Bats
Northstar – The Uncomfortable Camera
Epitaph Tour 2005
Sugarcult – Back to the Disaster
Underoath – They’re Only Chasing Safety Special Edition
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Random Stuff:
Best Makeout Album
Jamison Parker – Sleepwalker
Best Driving Music
Paramore – All We Know Is Falling
Best Album to Convert Radio-Junkies
Panic! At the Disco – A Fever That You Can’t Sweat Out
Biggest Breakout of 2005
Fall Out Boy
Worst Breakup of 2005
Name Taken
Best Cover Song of 2005
Underoath – Wrapped Around Your Finger(The Police)
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Looking Forward To:
Lostprophets
Brand New
From First to Last
Spitalfield
Atreyu
Matchbook Romance
Taking Back Sunday
Bloc Party
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