2005 In Review: Music

Of my forty-odd CD purchases this year, these are my favorites. I highly recommend them all. Links will lead you to high-quality music samples courtesy of the iTunes Music Store.

Enjoy.

1. Iron & Wine: Woman King
   Only a 24-minute EP, but absolutely worth it. Check out his previous full-length as well.
2. Lali Puna: I Thought I Was Over That
   Remix albums don’t get much better than this. Lali Puna and Dntel are a match made in heaven.
3. Paul Duncan: Be Careful What You Call Home
   An outstanding release on par with the best Iron & Wine. Where would I be without Tiny Mix Tapes?
4. Stars: Set Yourself on Fire
   This is one indie release that actually lived up to the hype. Not a single disappointing track.
5. Sam Prekop: Who’s Your New Professor
   Hat tip: Almost Cool Reviews.
6. Ms. John Soda: No P. or D.
   More great music from Morr in Germany. This was on my wish list for years, and just recently became available in the U.S.
7. Books: Lost And Safe
   Wow, another solid release from these guys. Keep ‘em coming!
8. N. Lannon: Chemical Friends
   Props to Amazon for recommending this. I would not have found it otherwise. An excellent mixture of electronics and acoustics.
9. Psapp: Tiger, My Friend
   Psapp was one of several artists I discovered through Last.fm, a great (and free) service that offers recommendations based on your iTunes listening habits. This album fits perfectly into my electronic-y pop collection.
10. Styrofoam: Nothing’s Lost
    Is this what the kids call lap-pop? Sign me up for more of this.