I realize the year's not over, and shows are still likely to happen, even year's bests, but I'd like to name my Top 5 now. You can too, and edit later if you must.

1. Six Organs of Admittance @ The Music Gallery, Toronto, ON 6/4/05 (followed by Antony then Current 93) – An all-too-short set, but stunning while it lasted. Solo Chasny performance on acoustic and electric guitars, often looping the former and shredding with the latter. Amazing surroundings and sonancy in a gorgeous church. He killed with "Redefinition of Being" and I'll never forget it.

2. Mouthus @ Earthunder, Mill of Kintail, Almonte, ON 9/4/05 – Surreal noise festival in the woods of Ontario (w/ the cursory Rhode Island, Brooklyn and Montreal noise contingents +++). Mouthus destroyed as dusk turned to gloaming and dark. Highly psychedelic and maddeningly sinister. The perfect confluence of environment, circumstance, and heavy. Transcendant! (I ate chocolate fungus.)

3. Amon Tobin @ Corona Theatre, Montreal, QC 3/25 & 3/26/05 – Two special nights presented in surround sound and lazer vision. Amon had never sounded so metal. Sensory overload, to the 9s.

4. Dreamcatcher @ Five Roses, Montreal QC 8/25/05 - Nimbus album launch at a beautiful loft in an industrial neighbourhood. A decidedly more cohesive Dreamcatcher set than usual, that was as grating as it was funky. It should have been a dance party. Very impactful and almost entirely captivating. Like I said, shoulda been a dance party.

5. The Books @ El Salon, Montreal, QC 5/4/05 - A number of shows could have been placed here, but I was really impressed how they adapted their really distinct recording identity to an equally original live performance. Well, almost. The blend of live instrumentation with sampling, and the synchronization of the latter with video pieces was endearing. The Books are easily one of the most well-rounded artists out there, this solidified it.

Honorable mentions:
- Comets On Fire
- Spank Rock
- Fursaxa/Christina Carter/Zaimph
- misc. Lightning Bolt, Mouthus, Wolf Eyes
- No Neck Blues Band

1. Isaac Hayes
2. Eddie Bo
3. D E V O
4. Gang of 4
5. Alejandro Escovedo

Hoping that Blowfly/Dolemite/Mr. Mixx/Dulli will knock Alejandro Escovedo off the top 5 this saturday.

Hon Mention:

The Wedding Present
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Desmond Dekker
Seu Jorge
Pernice Brothers

Can't remember what I might have seen in the winter months...maybe forgetting some biggies.

1. broken social scene
2. growing
3. why?
4. brazilian girls
5. pedestrian

1. Paul McCartney

i really only went to handful of shows this year.

feist was pretty good - but real mellow.

both the decemberists and arcade fire were really good...the latter maybe a bit over the top.

paul westerberg was really good back in february.

didn't see a whole lot of shows this year, but:

decemberists with okkervil river- the mill, iowa city, april 7(?) venue the size of my living room, my parents came and had a blast, good times all around.

great lake swimmers- cafe montmartre, madison, sept. 23. just absolutely breathtaking from beginning to end. i was hypnotized- this dude does not fuck around.

Sigur Ros by deault

Slint (I guess), because that was the only show I went to - unfortunately, it was awful

It was the only one I saw this year, but I have a feeling it would have trumped most of the available acts to me in my neck of the woods. Maybe Broken Social Scene would have come close...

1. les savy fav @ intonation, chicago
2. sam champion/paper airplane pilots @ schubas
3. the national/clap your hands say yeah @ schubas
4. m83 @ empty bottle
5. shout out louds (opening for the dears) @ metro

all the others can be lumped together

tom vek/mobius band @ schubas
the features @ double door
royksopp@metro
paul westerburg @ somewhere in denver
earlimart @ schubas
okkervil river/the changes @ schubas

Forgot about them. They'd be an honourable mention. The second of two times I saw them, in Queens, was transfixing.

duncan sheik
honorary title
the constantines (twice)
tristeza

actually it has been a pretty weak year for me

1. 06.06 - My Morning Jacket - Ziggy's - Winston-Salem, NC
Blew me the fuck away. So good.

2. 10.21 - The National - Cat's Cradle - Chapel Hill, NC
Sadly, they were just the middle band, so they played a pretty short set. Good intensity, though.

3. 06.08 - Ryan Adams - Meymandi Concert Hall - Raleigh, NC
Played for about 3 hours straight, with Caitlin Cary coming at the end to sing a few old Whiskeytown songs. They couldn't remember some of the lyrics, but still kinda great to see.

4. 02.21 - Wilco - Oven's Auditorium - Charlotte, NC
Not a huge fan of A Ghost is Born, but they were so tight and so great live.

Hopefully, I will make it to more shows this coming year with the opening of a new music club that will be bringing bands in town that I want to hear.

i went to way more shows this year than any other (i think it's 55 or 56 right now), so this is pretty difficult. so, chronologically:

les savy fav @ intonation
the national @ schuba's
rocket from the crypt @ westin hotel
super furry animals @ metro
depeche mode @ allstate arena

and then there's a ton of others that you can see in the concerts sticky.

1. Wilco/My Morning Jacket - Knoxville Museum in Buffalo

2. Menomena - The Bug Jar in Rochester

3. The Wrens - Little Brother's in Columbus, Ohio

4. Wolf Parade - Shine Underground in Syracuse

ive only gone to three.
1)broken social scene
2)matthew good
3)atmosphere

The better ones...

Chariots - First Ave - 1.19.05
Spoon - First Ave - 6.22.05
A. Escovedo - First Ave - 8.06.05
oneida - 7th St. Entry - 8.16.05
(Smog) - 400 Bar - 8.23.05
13+God/Black Dice - Walker Art Center - 9.24.05
Dungen - 400 Bar - 10.07.05
constantines - First Ave - 11.01.05
mason jennings - First Ave - 12.10.05

The Weddoes were decent.

Ike Reilly destroyed the Metro in Feb, slayed in New York over St. Patricks Day, was solid acoustic at Schuba's, was somewhat disappointing at the Double Door this fall.

The Fleshtones were their usual selves i.e. great.

I went to one show this year. On my birthday. Alone.

The Thermals - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, April, 2005

1. white stripes - eagles ballroom, milwaukee
2. paybacks - uw memorial union terrace, madison
3. high dials - cafe montmartre, madison
4. super furry animals - metro, chicago
5. ray lamontagne - high noon saloon, madison

Westerberg @ the Commodore
My Morning Jacket @ the Commodore
The Fleshtones @ the Railway Club
New York Dolls @ Bumbershoot
Tsar @ Dick's on Dicks
The Has-Been Ladens @ the Marine Club

1-The Pipettes/Kitty daisy and lewis.... Buffalo bar, london
2-Graham coxon/tom vek + pete doherty suprise guest.
3-Pete and the pirates.....Notting hill arts club
4-The Retro spankees/crusier chimps....soundhaus, northampton
5-Presidents of the USA!....roadmender, northampton.

Balls i have to edit this because i forgot about Joseph arthur @ soundhaus, northampton which knocks out presidents of the usa thank god! Although it was fun.

Bauhaus
Duran Duran
The Futureheads
Royksopp

sorry, I can only think of 4 really memorable, fun ones, but I saw others

I'm gonna hold off until I see Iron & Wine/Calexico on Friday, and then I'll post a list.

I didn't go to nearly enough shows this year.

i don't see that many shows either, but this one rocked. both bands are quite proficient and eclectic with the instruments. great arrangements, strong vocals, and an overall air of fun permeated the venue. great time.

(the only other shows i saw were death cab for cutie with devin davis opening @ milw. summerfest, ben folds @ summerfest & roth @ summerfest.)