Year 1

Everybody knows (yeah, I just sniffed out that Leonard Cohen reference) about Holly Go-Heavily's great taste in music. That is why I am proud to let you in on my favorite albums of 2005:

1. Lightning Bolt, Hypermagic Mountain
--This math-rock unit is sick, and their new album sounds how Husker Du's New Day Rising might sound if it was fed a 50 pound rock of crack.
2. Sleater-Kinney, The Woods
--Here, the grrrls get the Led out. "Let's Call it Love" and "Night Light" form the deadliest two-song combo in their arsenal.
3. Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway
--My friend British Matt likes this, so it must be good. Her big hit, the Strokes-lite "Since U Been Gone," is not to be confused with the Head East hit from '78.
4. Devendra Banhart, Cripple Crow
--Imagine Donovan raping Tiny Tim and you have this wondrous piece of musical afterbirth.
5. Curtis Mayfield, Curtis
--Sure, Curtis is dead. But this album is one of the best just about any year. As tribute, Kanye West samples "Move on Up" on "Touch the Sky" from this year's 8th best album, Late Registration.

Honorable mention:
The Pipe Bomb Cigarettes, Postcards are Hard to Swallow Whole, Even if You Have No Gag Reflex
--The 1st of two PBC records released in 2005, with tunes so catchy they'll suck out yer soul, the power of this release cannot be denied. With songs like "Eating Tacos for an As-of-yet-Unnamed Charity Contest," "Guy on a Cell Phone in His '58 Buick Riviera," "Onion Fun," "Ron Mexico's Real Reason for Icesledding" and "To Know Her is to Love Her Museum of Jesus Candles," you'll wonder why you went to work this morning.