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The Best Albums of 2005
By Nick Caceres
Published 12/29/2025
Original Press photo depicting Noodle and Russel from Gorillaz in their old studio.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Hewlett from Creative Boom
The following list was composed due to this particular year winning in an Instagram poll in August as well as exactly being 20 years ago. Expect to see 2025 VERY SOON.
*Some EPs and Mixtapes made the cut.
*Just my opinion
30. Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
The British Death Metal legends kept things fast, tightly structured and mid-tempo groovy on what would become their finale, “Those Once Loyal.” Thematically gripped by the events of World War I, the album honors the bonds of those fellow soldiers whose stories live beyond their mortality.
29. Common - Be
Released: 05/24/2005
Label: Geffen, Getting Out Our Dreams, Universal Music K.K.
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Neo-Soul, Chipmunk Soul
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
With an album being produced by two of the most respected producers in the game, J Dilla and Kanye West, “Be” was destined to be the comeback for the Chicago-based Conscious emcee. The album is a tight package of soulful Rap, not meant to be ambitious, but a feel good investigation into the heart of Black culture that retains some of the best production of the year. Each track feels so distinct and catchy upon immediate listen. Interestingly, any rejected beats would reappear on Kanye West’s sophomore album.
28. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Released: 02/01/2005
Label: Secretly Canadian, Spunk, Rough Trade
Genre: Chamber Pop, Art Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Soul
Image Courtesy of 1001 Albums Generator
Now going by the female name, ANOHNI, “I Am a Bird Now” arrived a decade after ANOHNI started the project, bringing on collaborators under the name, “the Johnsons” referring to the late NYC trans activist, Marsha P. Johnson. This follow-up to their 2000 debut found Anohni finding herself at home in Soul vibrato with an evocatively dark and tragic queer yearning with dramatic pacing throughout the entire album in swelling crescendos and quiet rhythmic sections, perfect for a chamber approach. “I Am a Bird Now” would be awarded the Mercury Prize for the best UK album for 2005 which makes sense when considering guest vocals from the likes of Boy George and Lou Reed.
27. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
Released: 05/24/2005
Label: Sub Pop, Houston Party
Genre: Garage Rock Revival, Garage Punk, Indie Rock, Noise Rock, Heavy Psych
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
Being the final studio album from titans in the original Riot Grrrl movement that dominated the Pacific Northwest of Punk and Indie Rock in the previous decade, this was a pivotal yet temporary return to form for the Olympian duo. Their seventh studio album, “The Woods,” would be recorded in a live studio setting, being produced by Mercury Rev bassist, David Fridmann, in late 2004. Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein achieve some of their grandest moments on this finale with big talks of feminism and left-leaning brackets of storytelling. In Garage Rock fashion, the production is abrasive and crunchier than dried bread.
26. M.I.A. - Arular
Released: 03/22/2005
Label: XL Recordings, Interscope
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, UK Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop, Grime, Pop Rap, Tamborzão, Funk Brasileiro, Electropop
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
This isn’t just a debut, it’s a goddamn statement. Up until 2001, Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam had a background exclusively in the visual arts, having a degree from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. That would all change while filming a documentary for Elastica during their U.S. tour. She would be inspired by Electroclash artist, Peaches, who introduced her to the Roland MC-505 which she would eventually acquire from a past singer for Elastica. Fast forward to 2003, Arulpragasam, under the name M.I.A. would develop her own style through programmed drum beats recorded with the help of a four-track as well as Dance-ready styles such as Funk Brasileiro introduced from collaborator, Diplo, as well as attempting to pitch these instrumentals to Caribbean singers at clubs with little to no success due to the stylistic unfamiliarity. This led to M.I.A. using her own voice to elevate these instrumentals, laying down bars with input from Justine Frischmann. Her lyrics are a deliberate messaging of revolutionary ideas originally established by her father, a Sri Lankan Tamil activist, Arul Pragasam. The album would go on to have a long-standing legacy, pioneering styles further amplified by Charli XCX and Death Grips
25. Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice
Released: 06/27/2005
Label: Total Holocaust, Southern Lord
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, Funeral Doom Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal, DSBM, Dark Ambient
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
A truly one of a kind execution. Lurker of Chalice, while in hindsight having a short duration, would leave a lasting impression on third wave Black Metal as the defining solo project of Jeff Whitehead, known by the Metal community as Wrest. The self-titled debut was slowly built brick by brick from a few demo releases in 2001-2002, showcasing spiraling vignettes of creepy riffs, some mimicking howling wind through growling vocals. There’s even a slight unintentional remnant of Shoegaze hidden throughout the project among other influences setting it apart from other Black Metal styles that plagued the Y2K. Each track has an abrupt start that, when pieced together, is a gloomy journey into the darkest catacombs of the soul.
24. Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra - Out to Lunch
Released: 12/11/2005
Label: Doubtmusic
Genre: Experimental Big Band, Free Jazz, EAI, Post-Bop, Onkyo
Image Courtesy of Discogs
At first glance, “Out to Lunch” appears to be a tribute to a bygone era of Jazz excellence, but Otomo Yoshihide is no Dolphy, he’s part of the next chapter. His time working in magnitudes from radically extensive involvement from Ground Zero to Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden, resulting in a truly distinct strain of expressionism. Endurance became the key to unlock a live session that morphed into the full-length, “Out to Lunch.” Grotesque textures collide with a cacophonous border; it’s a listening experience that may be off-putting to some, yet undoubtedly impressive and one of the most rewarding experiences of this year.
23. Animal Collective - Feels
Released: 10/18/2005
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Psychedelic Pop, Ambient Pop, Psychedelic Folk, Freak Folk
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
One of their strongest statements in the realm of Neo-Psychedelia, Animal Collective takes a more suspensefully upbeat route on “Feels.” The instrumental talent from both Avey Tare and Panda Bear becomes all the more childlike and surreal than ever before. Through an unconventional approach in guitar tuning, everything molds in a way that feels like a loving attack on the senses. It’s hard to not enjoy a staple in the realm of Beach Boys disciples that lives up to its name.
22. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
Released: 02/11/2005
Label: Universal, Gold Standard Laboratories, Strummer Recordings
Genre: Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock, Latin Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Avant-Prog, Jazz Fusion
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
Before forming Mars Volta in 2001, while working as a repo, Jeremy Ward would stumble upon a peculiar discovery in the confines of a repossessed car. A diary, one that had a life that mirrored his own, would become the thematic basis for arguably the magnum opus of the band. “Frances the Mute” takes several names and topics out of this diary, transmitting them through some of the densest and formulaic Rock music of the modern era, filled with beautifully drastic interludes and passionate stories. Through this, the album also honors Jeremy Wade, who would unfortunately pass away in 2003.
21. Boris - Pink
Released: 11/12/2005
Label: Dimphalanx
Genre: Stoner Metal, Post-Metal, Noise Rock, Japanese Hardcore, Psychedelic Rock, Hardcore Punk
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
Likely the most well-known in their discography, “Pink” was the album that practically opened Boris to the world during one of the most revered runs in modern Rock history, building upon the standard Punk Rock album essence found in “Heavy Rocks 2002” through the infusion of uncompromising noise and feedback from “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-.” So many unforgettable moments from the title track to “Farewell” to “Just-abadnoned Myself” possess a uniquely passionate energy, traversing unbothered under this blazing pink sun. The instruments become almost distorted through this fuzz of Noise, reaching levels of ecstasy never seen before or since. All hail the heavy rock legends!
20. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Released: 01/24/2005
Label: Capitol, DFA, EMI, Parlophone
Genre: Dance-Punk Revival, Synth Punk, New Rave, House, Mutant Disco
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
During the early 2000s, an unsung hero to the tenacious spirit was finding his place in the blossoming New York Indie Rock scene. LCD Soundsystem was formed by James Murphy in 2002, releasing a string of singles and EPs that would climb up the charts towards the inaugural event that was the self-titled full-length. The album combines relatively unclean Electronic production with sensationally tasteful Dance-Punk, but the closing deal comes in Murphy’s comical but empathetic self-awareness towards the instantaneous fame he found himself in.
19. Gospel - The Moon Is a Dead World
Released: 05/24/2005
Label: Level Plane
Genre: Post-Hardcore, Screamo, Progressive Rock, Math Rock, Space Rock Revival
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
Truly I tell you, there has never been an album quite like the debut of the Brooklyn-based Hardcoore Punk outfit, Gospel. With recording time limited to a single week in early March at God City Studio in Salem Mass, it can be fair to say that time was spent exceptionally well, with producer Kurt Ballou taking note of the departure that the band took from the already competent 2000s DIY Punk style. “The Moon Is a Dead World” is an exercise in molding the textures of dense Progressive Rock with the catharsis of Screamo and Hadcore. You also can’t forget about the showstopper here, Vincent Roseboom, whose drumming exceeds every assumption towards the messiness of Punk rhythms, sticking with frantically complex licks.
18. capsule - L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer
Released: 09/21/2005
Label: Contemode, Yamaha Music Communications
Genre: Picopop, Electropop, Electronic Dance Music, Electro House, Shibuya-kei, Lounge, Britpop, Drum and Bass
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
Maximalist perfection is a good way to describe the sixth studio full-length from Kawazawa duo, capsule. “L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer” is perfect showcase of stylistic uniformity from the producer and DJ, Yasutaka Nakata, who extradites a tastefully forward-thinkling blend of Picopop, Electronic, Drum and Bass, and Lounge over for Toshiko Koshijima to gracefully flutter atop.
17. Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Released: 09/13/2005
Label: Atlantic, ABB Records
Genre: Boom Bap, Southern Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Chipmunk Soul, Contemporary R&B
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
When people refer to Hip Hop classics that came from the humble state of North Carolina, not enough reference the Durham trio composed of the 9th Wonder, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh, Little Brother. Their sophomore full-length would see the trio pushing their skills into something concept driver with “The Minstrel Show” being a satirical interpretation of Radio programs and advertisement towards African Americans with the exaggerated white host of the "UBN" (U Black N****s Network) as well as dramatic R&B performances by R. Kelly and Ronald Isley in styles commonly found in this genre of marketing. Little Brother operate in a mix between Southern Rap from below and East Coast Boom Bap from above with distinct talent coming from each emcee, many tracks feeling like entering an NBA tournament in North Carolina during the mid 2000s.
16. Boards of Canada - The Camphire Headphase
Released: 10/17/2005
Genre: Ambient, Downtempo, Folktronica, Neo-psychedelia, Trip Hop
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
A major switch up from their previous two albums, which by 2005 were already receiving the status of modern day classics, “The Camphire Headphase” was in almost every way a huge risk for the Scottish Electronic duo, Boards of Canada. Gone were the cryptic sampling and computer programming found in “Geogaddi.” Instead, the duo opted for direct modification and EQing of organic instrumentals. This provided a more conventional tone for BoC and one that still retains that dreamlike glow that only they could attain.
15. The Newfound Interest in Connecticut - Tell Me About the Long Dark Path Home
Released: ?/?/2005
Label: We Are Busy Bodies
Genre: Midwest Emo, Post-Rock, Math Rock, Post-Hardcore, Field Recordings
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
An unforgettable paradigm between Midwest Emo and Post-Rock. The Canadian five-piece, seemingly having nothing to do with their name, had been consistently playing small shows and occasionally putting out a few EPs since their inception in 1999. Historically speaking, “Tell Me About the Long Dark Path Home,” was the valiant ending to their original obscure reign in the Canadian underground, not just for the inclusion of Post-Rock, but how they managed to convey the story of self-discovery in an exploratory sense, examining between youthful admiration and actions of maturity.
14. Éliane Radigue - L'Île re-sonante
Image Courtesy of Discogs
“Project created in November 1998, for the CNMAT in Berkeley, and David Wessel, its director. First ‘Île sonante’ refers to...But the title also seemed quite suited to the location, hung on the side of a hill treached by a footbridge. Michel Chion kindly allowed me to co-use this title. I want to thank him for that. Then it became ‘re-sonante’, as an evidence from the process of elaboration, a return to analogical sound sources, after a long and failed attempt to convert them into MIDI and other digital formats. Thanks to Gérard Pape for proposing the restoration of the Serge Modular, and to David Jisse for welcoming it in his studio. The hours spent with the Serge, such a magnificent instrument, brought me back a few decades, when I first discovered the ARP. I was thus able to try to combine the qualities of these two instruments among the best of their generation, their age being approximately the same…’Re-sonante’ also refers to the making of this piece, a very classical construction, in which the first part would be reflected in the central part, which would be like the mirror of a lake, from which the third part would emerge, both from its depths and reflection. I would like to thank the staff at the CCMIX and la Muse en Circuit, for welcoming me; especially Stéphane Kim who was able to bring the ‘beautiful Serge’ back to life, with patience and dedication, and Brian O'Reilly for his skillful and committed support in the final mix of this ‘Île re-sonante’ in the CCMIX studios.”
13. Deathspell Omega - Kénôse
Released: 05/08/2005
Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli, The Ajna Offensive
Genre: Black Metal, Dissonant Black Metal, Avant-Garde Metal, Progressive Metal
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
The divinity of man will never be out of Satan’s reach, Deathspell Omega knows such realities, they used it to channel some of the best Black Metal of the entire century. The French outfit ramped up their Prog motifs and an almost theatrical without forcing lyrical delivery, to officially extend the genre forward as a serious artistic movement since the days of church burnings. “Kénôse” is a cabalistic escapade of winding turns, consisting of three gargantuan movements packed in just under 40 minutes. Unlike many other Black metal acts from this era, every second of every minute is gripping, devoid of filler.
12. Aphex Twin - Analord 10
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
The span between 2001 to 2014 was not a vacancy for Richard D. James. A good chunk of the 2000s would see James reclaim his AFX alias with a re-entry of his earlier excursions of analog-primary in the “Analord” series. This consisted of obscure 12-inch EPs that would culminate into “Chosen Lords” in 2006. HOWEVER, that’s not the release we’re focusing on for 2005 (obviously). To find the creme of the crop, you’d have to travel to the 10th installment at the start of the year–one that would see AFX briefly glitch into Aphex Twin with both tracks inhabiting a divinity of perfectly conjured trifecta of IDM, Acid Breaks, and piecemeal Techno. Some say that this little EP houses the best of RDJ, if you can believe it.
11. Gorillaz - Demon Days
Released: 05/24/2005
Label: Parlophone, Virgin, EMI
Genre: Art Pop, Alternative Rock, Trip Hop, Alternative Dance, Electronic
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
Some time after the initial success of their debut, Damon Albarn was hoping to further extend his genius creation of a virtual band into the inception of a movie, however one train trip between Beijing and Mongolia in a “weird, unspoken, forgotten part of China” would scrap the idea to make way for a follow-up album. While “Demon Days” uses many of the fragments of the abandoned film, there is stark difference from the debut, replacing the playfulness found in their self-titled with darker tones. “Demon Days” views the world trapped in an endless nightfall, driven by ego, shining a light on a post 9-11 landscape. The album also brings in a more beautiful side of Gorillaz, in how the band uses their perspectives to tell this story through visuals and top-notch production. Additionally, Albarn would bring in features like De La Soul, MF DOOM, and Don Harper, who perform at the top of their game on this thing, perfectly complimenting the complex molding of Pop styles throughout the last decade until this checkpoint. If anyone should label an album as a definitive time capsule of 2000s politics in the wake of the war in the Middle East and how society was coping with drastic shifts in safety and surveillance, this is the one.
10. Boris - Dronevil
Released: 02/28/2005
Label: Misanthropic Agenda, Inoxia
Genre: Drone Metal, Post-Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Dark Ambient
Image Courtesy of Discogs
People thought it peaked at “Feedbacker,” they were dead wrong. Toward the start of the year, the Tokyo Rock legends would release a rather peculiar four track LP–scratch that, two tracks when played correctly. This is because the first and second tracks on each side are meant to be played in parallel to each other, with some sound mixing from each channel up to the listener. The result was one of the most unique Drone Metal compositions out there, sounding like a glimpse into a cyberpunk city, a kaleidoscope of those heavy signature riffs as well as godmode textures of feedback and synth. This is a truly transformative project that propelled the potential of Metal experimentation forward.
9. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
Released: 09/27/2005
Label: Listenable, Mon Slip, Stomp Entertainment
Genre: Progressive Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Sludge Metal
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
“It’s the cross between borderline universal metal appeal and unreplicable distinctive flavour which makes Gojira’s third trailblazing album so special. I believe it can also be said that From Mars To Sirius was what metal was built for; it was just that nobody had realised it yet. Heaviness. Brutality. Rage. The album is a musical dictionary for all of these words. Who knew that the secret to utilising mind-blowing heaviness was actually a fairly linear process? Well, Gojira did. But there really is so much more to it than that. The album, for all its upfront abrasiveness, is also filled with sadness. It’s a cry of remorse for the unruly descent of humankind in the modern world. And vocalist Joe Duplantier, whose voice is consistently harsh, touches on the more mature side of negative emotion. There are no foul-mouthed, declarative statements in his lyrics. His is the muse of a person who has all-too-late arrived at the apocalyptic wasteland of man’s self harm. He also serves as an advocate of the natural world, whose beauty is tarnished by the same beasts to which he is related. So mentally and physically locked in are Gojira’s four members that each note played on this album is a concentric ring model of guitar, bass, drum, and voice, all executed with the stamina of an airborne whale. Trust me, I’ve seen them do this live. From Mars to Sirius is a naturally crafted occurrence in metal music. “Backbone” is an explosive beast which is really only comprised of four parts. The same can be said for several other songs on this record. Also consider “The Heaviest Matter of the Universe”, a mechanically perfect tour de force, and “Flying Whales”, a decidedly awesome example of the album’s overall attributes balanced finely in one track. From Mars to Sirius is the ultimate showdown of energy and angst, a carnal display of rage and poignancy. It is also a heart-and-soul demonstration of technical proficiency from a band whose energy and musical talent is as anomalous as the gritty natural lore they depict in their music.”
8. Mount Eerie - “No Flashlight”: Songs of the Fulfilled Night
Released: 05/09/2005
Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun, Art School Dropout, 7 e.p.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Psychedelic Folk, Avant-Folk, Noise Rock, Slacker Rock
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
A sobering start of a new chapter for Indie musician and singer, Phil Elverum, after completing his Microphones moniker in 2003 with the release of “Mount Eerie,” a transition of sorts. “No Flashlight: Songs of the Fulfilled Night” saw Eleverum establish many of the key indicators of a Mount Eerie project, including the overt homage and reference to the pacific northwest in the cover art and lyrical content. What makes, “No Flashlight,” a standout debut is the heavy use of large drums and four-dimensional recording dynamics that give the album a sound that’s organic, even at Elverum’s usual standard, making it one of the most underrated and perfectly executed releases in his discography.
7. Clipse - We Got It 4 Cheap, Vol. 2
Image Courtesy of Internet Archive
Revolutionizing the concept of a Mixtape, the follow-up installment of the Virginian brother duo between Terrence “Pusha T” Thronton and Gene “Malice,” of the “We Got it 4 Cheap” series would be released online for not even a dime on New Years Eve. The Mixtape arrived to fans at a time when Clipse were in the midst of a legal quarrel with the label, Jive Records–after absorbing the more Urban-based Arista Records–who kept unfairly halting the release of “Hell Hath No Fury” for more mainstream-friendly and profitable artists. In hindsight this was a blessing in disguise, with “We Got It For Cheap, Vol. 2” not only being the most radically released, but Clipse at their most unrestrained, joined by fellow Virginian, Pharrell Williams, and Philadelphia-based rappers Sandman and Ab-Liva with DJ Clinton Sparks as the host to deliver a re-working of hits throughout the past year and beyond in a way that felt unrestrained and in your face, referencing drugs which is on brand for the coke rap mythos of Clipse in their “black card” era. This lesser-known mixtape also saw major improvements from “Lord Willin” in both production and delivery, being considered the best of the best when it came to an exemplary 2000s rap mixtape.
6. Sigur Rós - Takk…
Image Courtesy of Bandcamp
“Huge and intimate, orchestral and gossamer-light, rich layered and essentially simple, ‘takk’ is a work of a band operating at the very top of their game. it accomplishes what maybe they haven’t done since they first appeared, which is to make high-flown ideas appear to be straight ahead pop music, or, perhaps more accurately, invest pop music with a sense of magic long since lost in the mists of time and imagination (not that they sound anything like any music made back in any mythical musical heyday). ‘takk’ seems to operate so far outside the confines of what else is going on as to make comparison redundant. that the band were not going to be held by any narrow categorisation was apparent from the off. that they might be capable of creativity at this level of freedom and imagination was more than any of us might ever have hoped for. ‘takk’ is an instant classic, and might well turn out to be sigur rós’s masterpiece.”
5. Nujabes - Modal Soul
Released: 11/11/2005
Label: Hyde Out Productions
Genre: Jazz Rap, Conscious Hip Hop, Instrumental Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Deep House
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
As influential as he is to the Lo-Fi Beats craze that plagued study sessions between the 2010s and 2020s, “Modal Soul” is so much more than that. The sophomore effort of the reclusive Minato-born Audio Engineer, Producer, Disk Jockey, and Composer, Jun Seba, known by most of the public as “Nujabes.” His style consisted of subtle Instrumental Jazz Rap that stood out for its unique molasses feel that peaks in “Modal Soul.” The album features an abundant embalming of underrated guest bars from Shing02, Apani B. Fly, as well as Jazz Fusion with the help of Uyama Hiroto, and even subterranean House music. “Modal Soul” is a truly a tranquil experience front-to-end and has yet to be fully replicated.
4. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Released: 07/05/2005
Label: Asthmatic Kitty, Rough Trade
Genre: Chamber Pop, Progressive Pop, Folk Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Chamber Folk, Indie Folk
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
“It is wonderful that this album lives on, and though Stevens has abandoned his 50 states album project Illinois stands as one of his best works. I visit Chicago at least once every year. I would be willing to bet that in the last decade I have heard the song ‘Chicago’ in Chicago more than I have at home. It pops up in restaurants, bars, and in intermission music at venues. Chicagoans, Illinoisians, and at least Quad Citizens love the fuck out of this album. There are many, like me, who normally don’t dabble in the indie pop/folk world who know this album is special. It oozes regional pride while weaving heartfelt emotions into these landmarks, leaping far beyond the novelty of a state-themed album into one of Millennial’s most celebrated and loved records. I could fill a few more pages of personal anecdotes that connect to the themes and subject of this album, but instead, I will suggest that you also form memories around Illinois, whether the album or the state. Twenty years on, and I am still feeling the Illinoise.”
3. Coil - The Ape of Naples
Released: 12/02/2005
Label: Threshold House
Genre: Post-Industrial, Electronic, Neoclassical Darkwave, Dark Ambient
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
A fulfillment under the looming shadow of grief, “The Ape of Naples” represented an end of an era for Coil, arriving just over a year after the sudden passing of fellow bandmate and romantic partner, John Balance, in 2004 at the residence of Coil in Weston-super-Mare. For that reason, this is Coil at their most personal with the remaining bandmate, Peter Christopherson, acting as the sole producer, reworking various tracks previously reserved for live improvisations and an abandoned project during the “New Orleans” era. In mourning, Christopherson would work with the recorded vocals of his deceased lover, creating an otherworldly exploration of grief through the somber and cathartic, with intricate Electroacoustic and tension-contorted Industrial motifs.
2. Kanye West - Late Registration
Released: 08/30/2005
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam Recordings
Genre: Pop Rap, Conscious Hip Hop, Chipmunk Soul, Neo-Soul
Image Courtesy of Daily Trojan
Within a year of one of the most extravagant debuts in Hip Hop history, the up and coming Chicago talent had already returned to the drawing board, already wanting to top what was already seen as near perfect by critics. Continuing the educational themes, dressing in that culturally distinct teddy bear costume, many of the overt lyrical patterns of critiquing capitalism and inequality would stay and expand, while Kanye West would shake off a considerable amount of the standard sped-up “Chipmunk Soul” sampling to make way for “alternative” inspirations from the likes of Fiona Apple and Portishead. West would even step outside of being the primary sorcerer of his beats, implementing a 20-piece ensemble that breathed a striking level of life into these tracks. What makes “Late Registration” a truly sophomore effort is that West raps from a perspective of finally hurdling over obstacles and finding success in the market economy, still using his platform to highlight issues. Thankfully, “Late Registration” would meet West’s standards with as much praise as the former, going as far as receiving a five-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), cementing itself as the first instance of him reinventing the mainstream feed.
Honorable Mentions
The Drones - Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Grazhdanskaya Oborona - Лунный переворот
Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain
Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked
Little Brother - The Chittlin Circuit 1.5
8pashupatinath - Sunbrain Albino (Aquarium Temples)
1. Lalleshwari - Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness
Image Courtesy of Rate Your Music
Released: 11/03/2005
Label: Self-Released
Genre: Avant-Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Ambient Pop, Art Pop, Hypnagogic Pop, Darkwave, Minimal Wave, Minimal Synth, Industrial
When performing as the frontwoman of two renowned underground bands, Queenadrena and Daisy Chainsaw, throughout the late 1980s and 1990s became stale and overwhelming, KatieJane Garside would retreat from the public eye and begin recording solo from the comfort of her own home, only using a standard four-track recorder. Garside would build a concept out of scratch while experimenting with these lo-fi recordings while she wasn;t on-tour with Queenadrena throughout 1999 to 2005, up until the release of “Lullabies In A Glass Wilderness” which is an entire rabbit hole in itself. The first 100 editions would sell out within a day, consisting of a numbered copy, an autograph, a purple handprint from KatieJane and four experimental short films that supplement the music found in the original edition. Many have referenced Garside as the pioneer of the “dark pixie” persona found in later feminine art, due to her range of vocality, shifting from a childlike whisper to strained, guttural screams, and occasional gawking. This may sound humorous on paper, but it’s misleading to what the listener will experience on “Lullabies In A Glass Wilderness.” This is a dark journey into a fairytale full of profound sorrow and metaphorical synapses firing out into the void, all under this overtly grainy Lo-fi production with personnel handling all instruments, such a Woodwind and Electronic instrumentation outside of Garside’s acoustic guitar. It’s no surprise that Garside has been called the "scariest woman in alternative music” by the Evening Standard in ‘99, aging like wine in only six years.