Albums in My Life: 2005

In 2005, I was really starting to look into more music, and this point was a lot less of relying on my dad for music, and looking for myself. I didn't have the internet or cable, but I would go to my grandmother's after school, and I would watch vh1 or MTV at her house (there was still a little music on at that point).



David Banner- Certified
I discovered this through a Rap Critic episode and I kind of loved how overdone the violence, profanity, and aggression was on this album. This is kind of one of my favorite ironic jams just because of how crazy it can get at points. My personal favorite has to be 'Take Your', which pretty much casts David Banner as the guy banging your entire extended family, just so that he can rub it in your face. Always hilarious.





Beck- Guero
This and the follow up recorded at the same time, The Information, are pretty much Beck's Odelay for the 2000s. I enjoy his return to his pseudo rapping style, and the instrumental palette on this album is super diverse. I really liked the associated remix material as well, whether it be Guerolito, or the entirely chiptune inspired Hell Yes EP. I really like the edge of these sessions, because after these recordings, there's not a whole lot of teeth to be found on Beck's stuff. Modern Guilt suffered from Danger Mouse syndrome, Morning Phase was laid back, and Colors was pop that played it super safe and sterile. I want edgy Beck back.



DangerDOOM- The Mouse and the Mask
This was the first time I ever heard MF DOOM rap, apart from maybe on the Gorillaz' 'November Has Come'. He really showed me what hip hop could be, and his wordplay and rhyme schemes are still pretty unmatched. This was also back when Danger Mouse was still producing well, and not removing all the charm from the artists he works with Rick Rubin style. It's got weird Adult Swim skits in it, and that dates it a little bit, but I feel that tracks like 'Benzie Box' and 'Old School' still rise above and sound as great as the first time I heard them.



My Morning Jacket- Z
This was the commercial break though for the band, and also the time when they started getting a lot more varied in their approach, flirting with a lot more genres and sounds than on their previous albums. While their next record, Evil Urges, is my favorite My Morning Jacket record, I feel like Z laid the groundwork for that album. It's got a lot of crowd favorites on here, and the audience at the show I went to lost it when songs like 'Wordless Chorus', 'Dondante' or 'Off The Record' started.




of Montreal- The Sunlandic Twins
I feel like Kevin Barnes and company really progressed their new sound on this album, which they began on Satanic Panic. The electronic elements are better incorporated, and songs 'Oslo in the Summertime' really indicate where Kevin was going to go with his songwriting going forward, adopting a much more personal approach, relying a lot less on characters and delving into much more sincere territory. The groundwork of this album and their previous made it possible for Hissing Fauna to take the indie landscape by storm.




So that's me list for 2005. Check back in soon for some albums from 2006 that were crucial in my development, as well as reviews and album discussions from time to time.



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