The 20 best songs that rocked my year (2005)

Some year end retrospectives are boring, tired and predictable, but not this one. A number of these songs were released in 2005; some of them I just stumble upon thanks to friends, like Chris T., and internet and satellite radio (necessary friends in this day and age). These songs aren't in any order from most favorite to least. In the immortal words of Clare Louise Vance, "They all good!"


1. Hollaback Girl -- Gwen Stefani

I love the infectious bass and drums in this song. It reminds me of the drum jam the Auburn High School band used to do when I was in marching band. I love Gwen. I think Mattel needs to make an action figure of her so she can kick Barbie's anorexic ass. She is six and a half feet of pure bad MF.

2. 1,2 Step -- Ciara and Missy Elliot

This song has major roller skating jam potential and like "Hollaback", great drums and bass with a nice early 80's similarity to "Planet Rock" and "Let the Music Play" with the electronics. One of this song's shining moments was when Ciara performed this song on "Ellen" with Ellen unabashedly shaking her Caucasian groove thing. One, two step off Ed Sullivan.

3. Where Happiness Lives -- Magnet

I heard this on radioio.com on the eclectic channel -- my mainstay until you had to pay for stereo streaming. I don't know a lot about Magnet, but this is one beautiful guitar song with some very tasteful theramin thrown in for good measure. Like many of the songs I listed, it's the music that I was captivated by first and then the lyrics, if at all. Where does happiness live? I don't know, but I sure as hell would live to pay the place a visit in 2006.

4. Love In A Trashcan -- The Raveonettes

This song reminds me a lot of X with a real twangy guitar that is not quite country, definitely more rock and roll. The Ravonettes from looks and sound, from first perspective, seem to be the bastard children of Exene and John crossed with The Divynals, but with fortunately they take after the X side a whole lot more. I discovered this on an excellent compilation friend and fellow News employee, Chris Tutor, gave me back in the summer. I have read about The Raveonettes in Rolling Stone and, like Magnet, they are definitely a band I would like to hear more of.

5. Bandages -- Hot Hot Heat

6. Stumble and Fall -- Razorlight

Both songs from the Tutor mix. I don't know anything about either band, but love both of these selections. Rolling Stone has covered Hot Hot Heat. Razorlight -- a total mystery. Does anyone out there know anything about these guys? Anyone? Anyone?

7. When the President Talks to God -- Bright Eyes

If Bob Dylan had been in his mid-twenties in this day and age I think he would be much like Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes). The song is nothing but a primitive few chords, the singing, or vocalizing rather, leaves a whole lot to be desired, but that's not the point. The lyrics are biting, funny, sadly true and reflect the way a lot of Americans are feeling right now about our so-called leader. This is another gem from the Tutor mix. Thanks Chris for turning me on to so many good songs this year. I really enjoy listening to this song a few times in row while cleaning the kitchen -- call it positive stress relief.

8. Heard 'Em Say -- Kanye West w/Adam Levine

I like when good hybrids are discovered from seemingly unrelated artists or styles of music (Kanye West + Adam Levine = good, Nelly + Tim McGraw= bad) Kanye West is the shining star of hip-hop, funny in some instances and totally serious the next. Adam Levine is the sexy lead singer of one of the best pop acts going at the moment, Maroon 5, and has a nice blue-eyed soul sound that forefathers like Michael McDonald and Neil Diamond would be proud of. Justin Timberlake, when his mother unbuckles him from his car seat, needs to think about taking Levine's cue here when trying to cross-pollinate with the hip-hop world. Levine isn't posing. He picks up where Jay Ray of Jamiroquai left off with less of Stevie Wonder wanna be sound and presence. Kanye's album this year is my favorite and this is one of the reason's why. The mixing of rap and song work so well together here and that makes this song shine beautifully.


9. Addiction -- Kanye West

I love the line, "Why does everything 'supposed to be bad, make me feel so good?" I know what you mean Mr. West. Kanye has ego, like his hip-hop brethren, but he also has honesty about the not-so pretty parts that also make him tick and that is why I love him so. While other hip-hop artists like Yin Yang Twins and Ludacris are rapping about the same tired "rims, 'hos and cash" bullshit, Kanye is coming up with unique samples and loops and spilling it about everything from his unhealthy habits, to his grandmother's decline in a hospital bed, to how much he respects his mother. He also comes full circle with a great sense of humor on "Late Registration" with "Gold Digger" and happiness on "Touch the Sky."

10. Chocolate -- Snow Patrol

This is another band Chris T. turned me on to this year and they played a show at Zydeco that we both missed unfortunately. Snow Patrol excites me in a way that Radiohead and U2 did in their infancy and I predict they will have a long and successful career, like their European forefathers.

11. I Predict a Riot -- Kaiser Chiefs

If Madness and The Clash had a baby, it would be the Kaiser Chiefs. XM Radio plays a lot of these guys and although I know nothing about them, I like every song I hear. They aren't trying too hard to recreate what they don't know of the early-80's like The Killers (although those guys are a guilty pleasure I guess I must 'fess up to). Kaiser Chiefs aren't doing it for the videos or the photo shoots and I like that.

12. Feel Good Inc. -- Gorillaz

I must admit that I heard this song on the Apple iPod commercial with the roller skaters getting their serious groove on. I saw jam skaters like that at Central Park with Roy four years ago and it stuck with me so I have no embarrassment saying that I love this commercial for its artfullness and this full force roller skating jam brought a smile to my face every time I heard it. Let me plug XM radio once again by saying they played this every day for months. If anyone saw a white girl in a Camry in downtown Birmingham dorking out solo, that was probably me listening to this song.


13. Time is My Everything -- Ian Brown

This song comes from the former Stones Roses' frontman's album "Solarized" from 2004. I like what the title implies and how Brown, who has influenced countless young Brit art rock bands, maintains a boyishness like the Gallagher brothers even as he reaches age 40. This entire album is very strong and has many Stone Roses elements updated with some turn-of-the-century production.

14. I'm Coming Through -- Diana Krall

Elvis Costello liked her enough to marry her and I can see why. She is about as cool as a new jazz/standards singer can be. This song is sad and reminds me of Joni Mitchell's "River" in a subtle way as far as the mood it sets. I don't know a whole lot about the rest of Krall's work, but I love this song enough to know that I need to investigate.

15. I Need Love -- Sam Phillips

To explain my love of this song, I must confess that I have watched a few episodes of "Gilmore Girls" and one of the reasons is because the show has an excellent soundtrack. Like Diana Krall, I don't know a lot about Sam Phillips, but she reminds me of a younger, more pop version of Lucinda Williams with a dash of Gillian Welch -- an excellent formula I say.

16. Jesus of Suburbia -- Green Day

Green Day said in a Rolling Stone interview that they were trying to create their own version of Queen's rock opera "Bohemian Rhapsody." The jury is still out on the success of that attempt, but more importantly they have created a brilliant statement about America and our state of commercialized and still segregated religion called Christianity. I am not making my own political statement here, just reporting on my interpretation of the song and I don't think I am far off. I don't think this is the best Green Day song off their new album, but I appreciate the statement on our country post 9/11 and this song runs in the same vein as "When the President talks to God."

17. Smile Like You Mean It -- The Killers

Like I said earlier, they are a guilty pleasure. Roy playfully ragged me for liking this album so much when I saw him in Boston back in the fall and I defended myself the best I can. I can't help but love hearing a new spin on a style of music that reminds of new wave greats like Psychedelic Furs, early albums by The Cure, New Order and Duran Duran. Although he's no Simon LeBon or Richard Butler, Brandon Flowers rocks a Polo shirt with upturned collar and eyeliner pretty damn well I say.

18. Drop It Like It's Hot -- Snoop Dogg with Pharrell Williams

I love Snoop Dogg and this song is 100% infectious with its bass beat that screams for widespread woofer blowouts across the nation. The video is also incredible and features Snoop's two young sons jamming on some marching band style bass drums. Pharrell, the midas touch producer, also has a great voice and these two spin a new ring on the same ole bling pretty nice (and I will forgive the misogynist line because otherwise the jam is so good).

19. Talk -- Coldplay

Afrikka Bambatta took the Kraftwerk song "Trans Euro Express" and surprisingly turned it into one of the best jams of all time with "Planet Rock" and Coldplay, with permission, turns Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" into an amazingly beautiful ballad. I am a certified sucker for Chris Martin and company and think this is one of the real shining gems on their latest "X&Y".

20. Spiritual High (State of Independence) -- Chrissie Hynde/Moodswings

Back in 1992 ambient music was kind of hot and now it sounds real dated, overproduced and generally lame, but there are exceptions and here is one of them. From research, this song a cover although I still don't know who originally did it. The Pretender's drummer, James Hood, creating these Moodswings albums back in the '90s with a collaborator I am not going to bother to look up because without this track the album would score a C -. I will always love Chrissie Hynde's voice. This song is a total departure from The Pretenders sound and is one of the best songs she ever recorded (not that I don't love me some Pretenders). This song was the closing theme to the movie "Single White Female" and when I heard it on XM back in the summer, I immediately went home and found it on Amazon. Although the track is 13 years old, it really holds up well unlike the rest of the album and its all thanks to one of the best voices and artists of my lifetime, Chrissie Hynde.