Update, close to final

1 - The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
2 - Andrew Bird - ...Eggs
3 - The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
4 - Heartless Bastards - Stairs And Elevators
5 - Portastatic - Bright Ideas
6 - World Leader Pretend - Punches
7 - Micah P. Hinson - ...And The Gospel Of Progress
8 - Richard Buckner & Jon Langford - Sir Dark Invader Vs. The Fanglord
9 - Crooked Fingers - Dignity And Shame
10 - Devin Davis - Lonely People Of The World, Unite! (edit: glad to see this made someone else's list)

Honorable Mention (and still contending)
*) Antony And The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
*) P:ano - Brigadoon
*) Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights
*) Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood Jr, 1947
*) Brendan Benson - The Alternative To Love
*) The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
*) Lucero - Nobody's Darlings
*) Calla - Collisions
*) Greg Dulli - Amber Headlights
*) CYHSY! - CYHSY!
*) Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
*) The National - Alligator
*) Coldplay - X+Y

Note: The two Iron & Wine EP's if they were combined into a single LP, would be my top choice this year. As it is, they get left off the list. Sad, really.

i feel the same, and am doing the same. EP's get a seperate top 10 (or top 4 really for me so far).

at the moment:

1. wolf parade, apologies to the queen mary
2. spoon, gimme fiction
3. antony & the johnsons, i am a bird now
4. lcd soundsystem, s/t
5. depeche mode, playing the angel
6. nine inch nails, with teeth
7. beck, guero
8. the spinto band, nice and nicely done
9. sufjan stevens, illinois
10. the rolling stones, a bigger bang
11. paul mccartney, chaos & creation in the backyard (so sue me)
12. the national, alligator
13. art brut, bang bang rock & roll
14. calla, collisions
15. death cab for cutie, plans
16. dalek, absence
17. jesu, s/t
18. iron & wine - woman king
19. devendra banhart, cripple crow
20. elbow, leaders of the free world

17-year-old me is outraged that there are two records made by over-60-year-old men on this list.

1. The National - Alligator
2. My Morning Jacket - Z
3. Sigur Ros - Takk...
4. Dalek - Absence
5. Eluvium - Talk Amongst the Trees
6. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
7. Broken Social Scene - s/t
8. Brian McBride - When the Detail Lost its Freedom
9. Black Dice - Broken Ear Record
10. p:ano - Brigadoon

ENVELOPES-Demon
SUN KIL MOON- Tiny cities made of ashes
WOLF PARADE- Apoligies to queen mary
TEENAGE FAN CLUB- Man made
TEST-ICICLES- For screening purposes only
BOB MOULD- Body of song
SILVERSUN PICKUPS- Pikkul ep
DEVIN DAVIS- Lonely people of the world unite
IDLEWILD- Warnings/promises
CLAP YOUR HANDS AND SAY YEAH-
AMADOU & MARIAM- Dimanche a bamako
MINUS THE BEAR- Menos el oso
MY MORNING JACKET- Z
YOUTH GROUP- Skeleton jar

In a particular order....

An updated list...

1. Decemberists -- Picaresque
2. New Pornographers -- Twin Cinema
3. Andrew Bird -- Mysterious Production of Eggs
4. Aimee Mann -- The Forgotten Arm
5. Mike Doughty – Haughty Melodic
6. John Prine -- Fair & Square
7. Ryan Adams – Cold Roses
8. Bob Mould – Body of Song
9. Eels – Blinking Lights
10. Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
------------------------------------------------------

11. Deathray Davies -- The Kick & the Snare
12. Stars – Set Yourself on Fire
13. Richard Thompson – Front Parlour Ballads
14. Dressy Bessy – Electrified
15. Head of Femur – Hysterical Stars
16. White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
17. John Doe – Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet
18. Pitty Sing – 2005 s/t
19. Juliana Hatfield – Made in China
20. Glen Phillips – Winter Pays For Summer

Still need to hear too many discs, though. B.Benson, Pernice Bros., Son Volt, Spoon, Sufjan, Sun Kil Moon, Kate Bush, Vanderslice, Rouse & Dulli

AND...looks like there's a new Alejandro Escovedo CD out on 12/6, but I can't really find any info on it, aside from the fact that it's the AE String Quintet. Anyone gotten an advance copy?

I saw Escovedo live a few months ago. He made no mention of having anything coming out that soon. He said that he was going into the studio around the end of this year with John Cale handling production. December seems too early for it to be a release of that though.

Any chance it could be a live album? That would be my guess.

np: Eduardo Aruajo "A Onde e Boogalo"

01) "picaresque" the decemberists
02) "cold roses" ryan adams & the cardinals
03) "illinois" sufjan stevens
04) "i'm wide awake, it's morning" bright eyes
05) "twin cinema" the new pornographers
06) "late registration" kanye west
07) "jacksonville city nights" ryan adams & the cardinals
08) "nashville" josh rouse
09) "silent alarm" bloc party
10) "a certain trigger" maximo park

11) "digital ash in a digital urn" bright eyes
12) "gimme fiction" spoon
13) "frances the mute" the mars volta
14) "the mysterious production of eggs" andrew bird
15) "the sunset tree" the mountain goats
16) the magic numbers
17) "black sheep boy" okkervil river
18) "plans" death cab for cutie
19) "pixel revolt" john vanderslice
20) "i am a bird now" antony & the johnsons

[14-20 is a big mess, #12 vs #13 & #2 vs #1 & #4 vs #5 are big battles]

Need more listens:

"witching hour" ladytron
"you could have it so much better" franz ferdinand
"playing the angel" depeche mode
"transistor radio" m.ward
"apologies to the queen mary" wolf parade
"elephant eyelash" why?

not-yet-released shot at top 20:

"29" ryan adams

[bump=updated]

1. Spoon-Gimme Fiction
2. Broken Social Scene-S/T
3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-S/T
4. Wolf Parade-Apologies to the Queen Mary
5. The new Pornographers-Twin Cinema
6. Josh Rouse-Nashville
7. Doves-Some Cities
8. My Morning Jacket-Z
9. Feist-Let It Die
10. Sufjan Stevens-Illinois
11. The Rosebuds-Birds Make Good Neighbors
12. The National-Alligator
13. Sage Francis-A Healthy Distrust
14. Super Furry Animals-Love Kraft
15.The Magic Numbers-S/T
16. Brazilian Girls-Brazilian Girls
17. The Decemberists-Picaresque
18. Coldplay-X&Y
19. Bloc Party-Silent Alarm
20. Bright Eyes-I'm Wide Awake...

update:

01. Deerhoof - The Runners Four
02. Animal Collective - Feels
03. Smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love
04. Orthrelm - OV
05. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
06. Angels of Light & Akron/Family - Akron/Family & Angels of Light
07. Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Matt Sweeney - Superwolf
08. Akron/Family - s/t
09. Iron & Wine/Calexico - In the Reins
10. Gospel - The Moon Is a Dead World
11. Antony and The Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
12. Six Organs of Admittance - School of Flower
13. Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers
14. No-Neck Blues Band - Qvaris
15. Low - The Great Destroyer
16. Sunburned Hand of the Man - Complexion
17. Serena Maneesh - s/t
18. Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness
19. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
20. Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain


21. Black Dice - Broken Ear Record
22. High on Fire - Blessed Black Wings
23. Wilderness - s/t
24. Badgerlore - Stories for Owls
25. Autechre - Untilted
26. Need New Body - Where's Black Ben?
27. Jamie Lidell - Multiply
28. OOIOO - Gold and Green
29. Mouthus - Slow Globes
30. Sunburned Hand of the Man - No Magic Man

still have a lot left to take in

and Ish, I guess I've finally come around on that 6 Organs album

Here's where I'm at heading into the home stretch:

1. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. Bright Eyes – I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning/Digital Ashes...
4. Ladytron – Witching Hour
5. Beck – Guero
6. New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
7. LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem
8. Wolf Parade – Apologies To The Queen Mary
9. M.I.A – Arular
10. Kills – No Wow
11. Brazilian Girls – Brazilian Girls
12. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
13. Rakes – Capture/Release
14. Depeche Mode – Playing The Angel
15. Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger
16. eels – Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
17. Sigur Ros – Takk
18. The Evens – The Evens
19. M. Ward – Transistor Radio
20. Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak
21. Josh Rouse – Nashville
22. Youth Group – Skeleton Jar
23. Sleater-Kinney – The Woods
24. Decemberists – Picaresque
25. Oranges Band - The World And Everything In It
26. Gorillaz – Demon Days
27. My Morning Jacket – Z
28. New Order – Waiting For The Siren’s Call
29. Iron & Wine – The Woman King (EP)
30. Styrofoam – Nothing's Lost

updated, and in need of paring down

spoon gimme fiction
coachwhips peanut butter and jelly live at the ginger minge
single frame body/end\basement
heartless bastards stairs and elevators
edan beauty and the beat
the boy least likely to the best party ever
white stripes get behind me satan
tonedeff archetype
enduser run war
jamie lidell multiply
hot chip coming on strong
M83 before the dawn heals us
calla collisions
kreator enemy of god
emiliana torrini the fisherman's woman
jeff hanson s/t
feist let it die
sigur rós takk
thunderbirds are now! justamustache
a gun called tension s/t
lightning bolt hypermagic mountain
tom vek we have sound
john vanderslice pixel revolt
nic armstrong the greatest white liar
xbxrx sixth in sixes
blueprint 1988
az a.w.o.l.
franz ferdinand you could have it so much better
modey lemon the curious city
my morning jacket z

I have a feeling that poor Billy will quickly fall off the list once Steve Spacek's album arrives in the mail.

1. Common - Be
2. M.I.A. - Arular
3. Markus Guentner - 1981
4. Kanye West - Late Registration
5. Platinum Pied Pipers - Triple P
6. Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
7. Coldplay - X&Y
8. James Lidell - Multiply
9. MED - Push Comes to Shove
10. 50 Cent - The Massacre
11. 13 & God
12. Cage - Hell's Winter
13. Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
14. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
15. The Game - The Documentary
16. DJ Quik - Trauma
17. Get Rich or Die Tryin' Soundtrack
18. Gorillaz - Demon Days
19. DJ Koze - Kosi Comes Around
20. Billy Corgan - The Future Embrace

My list:

Black Mountain
Rob Dickinson, Fresh Wine for the Horses
Jesu
LCD Soundsystem
Mars Volta, Frances the Mute
Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth
Porcupine Tree, Deadwing
Supersystem, Always Never Again
John Vanderslice, Pixel Revolt
Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, The Days of Mars
Foetus, Love

My current Top Twenty

1. Two Gallants - The Throes
2. Edgar 'Jones' Jones - Soothing Music For Stray Cats
3. Lightning Bolt - Hyper Magic Mountain
4. Mogwai - Government Commissions
5. Fiery Furnaces - EP
6. Sebastien Tellier - Politics
7. Antony & the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
8. Edan - Beauty And The Beat
9. The Broken Family Band - Welcome Home, Loser
10. Viarosa - Where The Killers Roam
11. King Creosote - KC Rules OK
12. Arcade Fire - Funeral
13. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
14. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
15. King Creosote - Rocket DIY
16. Boards of Canada - Campfire Headphase
17. Roots Manuva - Awfully Deep
18. Mek Obaam - You And I
19. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
20. Smog - A River Ain't Too Much To Love

[bump to more easily find it]

First full update in about 2 weeks as a result of reviewing old stuff and more listens of new stuff...

01) "picaresque" the decemberists
02) "cold roses" ryan adams & the cardinals
03) "illinois" sufjan stevens
04) "i'm wide awake, it's morning" bright eyes
05) "twin cinema" the new pornographers
06) "late registration" kanye west
07) "jacksonville city nights" ryan adams & the cardinals
08) "nashville" josh rouse
09) "silent alarm" bloc party
10) "a certain trigger" maximo park

11) "digital ash in a digital urn" bright eyes
12) the magic numbers
13) "gimme fiction" spoon
14) "the sunset tree" the mountain goats
15) "plans" death cab for cutie
16) "pixel revolt" john vanderslice
17) "frances the mute" the mars volta
18) "the mysterious production of eggs" andrew bird
19) "black sheep boy" okkervil river
20) "witching hour" ladytron

[13-20 is a big mess, #8/#9/#10 & #2 vs #1 & #4 vs #5 are big battles]

Need more listens:

"you could have it so much better" franz ferdinand
"playing the angel" depeche mode
"apologies to the queen mary" wolf parade

not-yet-released shot at top 20:

"29" ryan adams

[EDIT: updated 12/06]

not sure how much mine has changed since i last posted:

1 sigur ros.takk
2 matt sweeney & bonnie 'prince' billy.superwolf
3 andrew bird.the mysterious production of eggs
4 lcd sounsystem.s/t
5 dead meadow.feathers
6 the national.alligator
7 elbow.leaders of the free world
8 hood.outside closer
9 the duke spirit.cuts across the land
10 ryan adams & the cardinals.cold roses
11 bloc party.silent alarm
12 broken social scene.broken social scene
13 black rebel motorcycle club.howl
14 doves.some cities
15 my morning jacket.z
16 arab strap.the last romance
17 calla.collisons
18 sufjan stevens.illinois
19 patrick wolf.wind in the wires
20 the constantines.tournament of hearts

still need to digest cat power, rogue wave and babyshambles.

also need to re-visit some '05 releases i haven't listened to in a long time.

just realized cat power is officially a 2006 release, so therefore it is no longer eligible for the elephantstone hott 100 of 2005.

carry on.

hey dead alive,

i like the Lorna album as well. in my top 20. to others: recommended if you like Low, YLT, et al. in the slocore genre in general.

bort

Bump.

I doubt my list will be final until Jan

Same as above only King Creosote 'KC Rules OK' moves up to 8th.

It's been a good year I think.

Current non-ordered:

Black Mountain
Rob Dickinson, Fresh Wine for the Horses
Electrelane, Axes
Matt Elliott, Drinking Songs
Foetus, Love
Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, The Days of Mars
Jem, Finally Woken
Jesu
LCD Soundsystem
Mars Volta, Frances the Mute
New Model Army, Carnival
Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth
Porcupine Tree, DeadWing
Sigur Rós, Takk
Super/System, Always Never Again
John Vanderslice, Pixel Revolt


Antimatter
Venetian Snares
Jason Forrest -- Shamelessly something
m83

I'm sure after some whining and trashing you in the music press he will get over it.