I just got this in the mail today, don't know how long it's been on the shelves...I was sort of disappointed that Antony wasn't on here, considering he's on the cover, but oh well.

____

1. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
2. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
3. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Worlds Apart
4. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
5. Sujfan Stevens - Illinois
6. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
7. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
8. M. Ward - Transistor Radio
9. Queens Of The Stone Age -Lullabies To Paralyze
10. The National - Alligator
11. Black Mountain - Black Mountain
12. Constantines - Tournament of Hearts
13. The Decemberists - Picaresque
14. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
15. The Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday
16. High Dials - War of The Wakening Phantoms
17. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
18. My Morning Jacket - Z
19. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
20. Six Organs of Admittance - School of The Flower
____

Fairly congruent with the other lists. I thought Stars was 2004?

It was.


That's good positioning for Sufjan, though. I like it but I'm hardpressed to call it the best of the year. Or top three, even.

Illinoise will be number one on the VV Pazz 'n Jop critics poll. It fits the "big musical statement" that usually attract this music critic's consensus award. See the last six awards, only a couple get respect on this board.

2004 - College Drop Out
2003 - Speakerbox/The Love Below
2002 - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2001 - Love and Theft
2000 - Stankonia
1999 - Play

It'll probably be #1 on my list... the strongest, most unique voice (not vocals), and the most universally challenging and universally accessible music of the year.

According to All Music, the release date for Set Yourself on Fire was March 8, 2005.

Not one doubler with my Top Twenty.

Trail of Dead at #3? Wow.

Sufjan plays on the nw Denison Whitmer disc? odd.

indeed. This was an album that just never grew on me. Love the band, but this release was either dead in the water, to me, due to buying it with some other releases, or just plain neglect.

Magnet is always hit or miss with me. I remember in college we got it religiously, but their reviews were old due to their printing scheds, but they had good features. I haven't picked up an issue in quite some time, and that should probably be a testement to how much stock I put into their publication.

Its a good album and doesn't get the credit it deserves. It wouldn't be #3 for me, but if you limit the options to those 20, I'd put it at #1 with spoon at #2 and everything else that I've heard tied for three/meh

That was the US release date. My Canadian CD says 2004.

i tried to like TOD's newest one...

i guess their new one will be different as well..

kick ass live band though....except when they destroy their instruments before the end of a set

That's what I thought, I'm not including it in my list.

Correct. I had it in my cd player as of October '04. I was sick of it by this time last year.

boring list.

I won't have Trail of Dead at #1, but like Dr. O'Boogie, if I were limited to these choices, it would sit atop the pile.