Top Five for 2005

1) The Hold Steady, "Separation Sunday"
2) Go-Betweens, "Ocean's Apart"
3) Sleater-Kinney, "The Woods"
4) Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
5) Bob Mould, "Body of Song"

I'm posting a second time here, this time for my top 5 Jazz finds this year. Each one of these really shines on my system:
1. (Female Vocals): Dianne Reeves - "Good Night, and Good Luck"
2. (Smooth Jazz): Kirk Whalum - "Babyface Songbook"
3. (Jazz): Charles Lloyd - "The Water is Wide"
4. (Live): Mary Stallings - "Live at the Village Vanguard"
5. (Other): Steely Dan - "Gaucho" (sorry, it's a classic I rediscover each year)

I thought 2005 was a slow year for new releases and ended up buying mostly older music. That said:

1 EELS - Blinking Lights. (Easily the best I heard this year.)
2 Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads
3 Bright Eyes - Wide Awake
4 Brendan Benson - Alternative To Love
5 Fire Marshals of Bethlehem - Songs for Housework (The return of John Coslin, formerly of The Reivers)

Also: Bill LLoyd & Jamie Hoover, Bonnie Raitt, Green Day, U2, Bob Mould, White Stripes,John Legend, Jim Boggia, Jackson Browne

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane- At Carnegie Hall

Richard Thompson- Front Parlour Ballads

John Hiatt- Master of Disaster

Antony and the Johnsons-I am a bird now

Lucinda Williams- Live at the Fillmore

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl
Foo Fighters: In Your Honor
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: Cold Roses
Mike Doughty: Haughty Melodic
Social Distortion: Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll