Best of the Hip-hop Based Genres 2005

I found hip-hop to be pretty stagnant in 2005. Yes there were lots of hip-hop CD’s released in 2005 but not a lot of them caught my attention yet alone grab a hold of me. It seem more and more like hip-hop has crossed over to mainstream pop and blurred the genres together and I even find it hard at times to distinguish which artists fall into which genre anymore. But, with that all said there were a few diamonds in the rough this past year. The first hip-hop release that comes to mind when thinking of 2005 is Common’s latest release “Be”. Common, with the help of Kayne West, has produced an amazing record that is a bit more street oriented than his previous records. Some are even calling “Be” and instant classic. Not to be outdone by Common, Kayne West released his sophomore effort in 2005 titled “Late Registration”. The lead off single ‘Gold Digger’ featured the signing of Jamie Foxx and proved to be one of the top singles of 2005. Finally when I think of hip-hop in 2005 I think of Fort Minor. Fort Minor is the side project of Linkin Park emcee Mike Shinoda. The effort titled “The Rising Tied” was executive produced by none other than Jay-Z. Mike Shinoda played and arranged 90% of the record and came up with some of the hottest beats that I have heard in years. The lead off single “Believe Me” proved to be an instant hit world wide while the track “Kenji” provided a story telling experience about Japanese interment camps in the United States in World War II. By far these are the best hip-hop released of 2005.

Best of the Pop Based 2005

What really constituted pop music in 2005? I really couldn’t tell you because there wasn’t much that was worth noting in 2005. Sure Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson put out records but who actually bought them? Yes Gwen Stefani was riding the high horse in 2005 but her record was released in 2004. The only note worthy pop release in 2005 has to have been the comeback record from Mariah Carey. The strangely titled “Emancipation of Mimi” brought Mariah back to the mainstream and also brought critical acclaim. Well I have been a Mariah Carey fan for a long time and I was looking forward to her new record. When it came out I gave it a few spins and liked it but didn’t think it was the treasure that other critics thought it was. Now that the year has ended and I have been forced to reflect back on the year my opinion on the record hasn’t changed much, it’s good but not great although in comparison to its competition it’s phenomenal. Way to suck this year pop music.

Best of the Rock Based Genres 2005

This is a tough category for me to write because I am a huge fan of hard rock or alternative music and this past year there were way too many great CD’s released so I apologise if I miss some along the way. Well to start off I have to say that 2005 was, in my mind, a resurgence of rock music to the mainstream. Bands like System of a Down and Disturbed dominated the charts with their releases proving that rock is not dead at all. On the other hand so many lesser known upcoming bands released some of the best music of 2005. 10 Years released their major label debut titled “The Autumn Effect” and had one of the hottest rock songs of the year with their single ‘Wasteland’. Former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale formed a new band called Institute and produced a record that resembled Bush a lot but sounded slightly heavier. Audioslave resurfaced with their sophomore record that was a bit softer and more subtle than their previous record. Former Lifer front man Nick Coyle resurfaced in an amazing band called The Drama Club and released a stellar EP. Bands like Egypt Central, One Less Reason, On A Dead Machine, Of Autumn and A Life Away tore up the Memphis Tennessee scene. Other artists like 30 Seconds To Mars, 32 Leaves, HIM, Mercy Drive, My Darling Murder, Armchair Cynics, Trapt, Five.Bolt.Main and Uncrowned made waves the rock world. Even Panama got in on the act with their greatest band Cage9 coming state side to release their amazing record “El Motivo”. The somewhat emo band Finch reinvented themselves with their new record by producing an amazingly heavy rock record that silenced everyone except the emo kids who were disappointed in the bands new direction. Finally one of my favourite artists of all time, Matthew Good, released a double disc plus DVD career retrospective titled “In A Coma”. The first disc featured all of the hits from his career as a solo artist and with the famed Matthew Good Band. The second disc provided fans with long out of print rarities plus new studio acoustic recordings of some of Matt’s greatest hits. Haunting is the best way I can describe this compilation.

Best of the Punk Based Genres 2005

First of all I have to say that 2005 brought about an insurgence in the punk based genres and brought us more and more crappy bands that we could shake a stick at. Once you weed your way through all the crap that sounds like contrived bullshit that you might hear on the next episode of The OC then we can get down to business. I have to say that at the beginning of the year there were 3 records that were soon to be released that I knew would be gems, and they didn’t disappoint. First is the sophomore release from Christian rockers Anberlin, “Never Take Friendship Personal”. Their straight forward pop-punk approach to Christian music without pushing religion upon you worked so well that no other CD this year got more spins in my player than Anberlin. The next record that I was looking forward to was Emanuel’s debut record “Soundtrack to a Headrush”. Well, what can I say but amazing. Please check out their newest single ‘Make Tonight’ and add it to your make out CD right now. The third record that I was looking forward to was Hidden in Plain View’s debut “Life In Dreaming”. This ended up being an excellent record that I always have a hard time removing from my CD player. Another record that blew me away this year came from one of my all time favourite bands, Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Their Immortal Records debut “The City Sleeps In Flames” was a rock solid debut record that only breaks the surface of the bands talent. One CD that took me completely off guard this year was Renee Heartfelt’s “Death of a Ghost”. Post hardcore has never sounded as good as Renee Heartfelt and their debut full length is one of the absolute best CD’s I have heard in years. Alexisonfire’s Dallas Green also released a solo project this year under the name City and Colour. The record titled “Sometimes” was a beautiful acoustic record that ripped at every nerve in your body. Other artists making an impact in 2005 are Blindside, Cauterize, Emery, Latterman, Rufio and Story of the Year (I guess Story of the Year might have fit into the rock category as well as they have progressed more towards metal or hard rock this year).

Best Concerts of 2005

I attended quite a few great shows this past year. The one that comes to mind first is Green Day with My Chemical Romance as the opening act. Well what can I say about this show? Green Day is my favourite band and even if they weren’t I would have to say this was the greatest rock show of the year. I was never big on My Chemical Romance before this show but really got into them after seeing this show. Green Day on the other hand put on a show like nobody in the business does. It was the preverbal parade of hits. Even a huge fan like myself was like “Wow, how many hits do these guys have?” Throw in a rarity and a couple cover songs and you have the best set of the year. Another great show that I saw this year was System of a Down and The Mars Volta, well not the latter. The Mars Volta opened the show with a pretentious set that showcased nothing but ego and contempt for the audience. I was bored by their set and ashamed that people were actually cheering for them. I get that they were influenced by great bands but they have not become a great band themselves, yet. System of a Down on the other hand put on a fantastic show and had the entire audience singing along for the entire set, which is impressive for a hard rock band. Other notable concerts from this past year included Matthew Good (as always) and Audioslave (with Seether and 30 Seconds To Mars).

Biggest Disappointments of 2005

One of the biggest disappointments of 2005 for me was the new Our Lady Peace record. I really love Our Lady Peace and have been a fan since the Naveed days and I even enjoyed their last record even though it was produced by Bob Rock with a big arena rock sound. I had high hopes for Our Lady Peace this time around but “Healthy in Paranoid Times” was just not that good. I respect the fact that the band was going through lots of personal differences making the record and then ended up trying to do a concept record and write more conscious songs but musically the record lacked the bite of the bands previous releases. It seems that since Mike Turner left the band most of the edge left with him. Another disappointment in 2005 for me was the new Foo Fighters double CD “In Your Honor”. I like the Foo Fighter and I like this CD, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t need to be a double CD. This record would have served its purpose better if it was a single CD compiled of all the best songs off of the two CD’s or if each of the two CD’s were released independently like System of A Down did. I think fans would have eaten up the first CD which was more rock and left the more acoustic second CD on the store shelves. Anyways, nice try guys, better luck next time.

Guilty Pleasures of 2005

I already took one stab at Fall Out Boy in this article but I have to say they are my guilty pleasure of 2005. As over hyped as Fall Out Boy is, they did produce two of the catchiest songs of 2005. ‘Sugar (We’re Going Down)’ and ‘Dance Dance’ were so catchy that they propelled this pop punk band into the mainstream and even got them recognized as one of today’s best new artists (even though they have released many a CD before their latest). Another guilty pleasure of 2005 was the Backstreet Boys comeback single ‘Incomplete’. As bad as the Backstreet Boys suck you know you sang along to this song at one point this past year. Poor attempt at a comeback BSB but nice single.

Who to Watch Out for in 2006

The first two words that come to mind when I look forward to 2006 are Evans Blue. This hard rock band from Canada is set to make waves with the February 21st release of their debut record “The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume” on Hollywood Records. Evans Blue is comparable to 10 Years, A Perfect Circle, Chevelle, Earshot and Tool. The next two words that come to mind when thinking of 2006 are Media Lab. This emotional hardcore band will be releasing their debut record “Bleeding Memory” on Sunland Records on January 28th. Media Lab mix the brutal elements of hardcore with the melody and harmony of U2, it’s a unique and powerful combination. Rumour even has it that we might finally see the new Guns N’ Roses record “Chinese Democracy” this year but I am sure Axl Rose will find a way to push it back to 2010.

Top 10 Albums of the Year

10. Cage9 – El Motivo: I know this record was released late in 2005 but Panama’s best band proves that they can hang world wide with one of the most complete records of 2005. I recommend this record to fans of intense alternative rock in the vein of Hoobastank and the Lostprophets.

9. City and Colour – Sometimes: Dallas Green let the entire world look inside his soul this year with the release of his solo project under the name City and Colour. Dallas you are no longer just part of one of the worlds most popular emocore bands, Alexisonfire, anymore. You have proven that you are an excellent song writer and a force to be reckoned with in the future. I recommend this record to fans of Alexisonfire and to fans of acoustic music that oozes with emotion.

8. Egypt Central – Egypt Central: I have said a few times before that the Tennessee hard rock scene is one of the best in the world and it shows when bands like Egypt Central put out records like their self-titled debut. Egypt Central has been headlining gigs in Tennessee all year and look for them to do much more in 2006. I recommend this record to fans of explosive hard rock in the vein of 12 Stone and Trustcompany.

7. Common – Be: Common’s smooth and subtle voice becomes a bit more edgy and street oriented on his latest release that was produced by Kayne West. By taking his sound back to the streets Common has an instant classic on his hands. I recommend this record to fans of The Roots and Kayne West.

6. System of a Down – Mesmerize: Armenian hard rockers System of a Down have been touted as political rockers since the release of their most brilliant record “Toxicity” in 2001. System of a Down will always have a hard time living up to “Toxicity” but they did come really close on “Mesmerize”. “Mesmerize” was the first part of a double disc that was released separately, with “Hypnotize” being released later in 2005. “Mesmerize” is by far the better of the two discs and features a balance of power, beauty and political commentary. I recommend this record to fans of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.

5. Matthew Good – In A Coma: Matthew Good is one of the best songwriters of our generation and it is never more evident that on his career retrospective “In A Coma”. The 2 CD, 1 DVD set features all the hits from his career spanning back to the days he spent with the Matthew Good Band. The real treasure of the collection is the second CD that features the “Rooms” sessions which are acoustic reworkings of some of Matt’s greatest hits. These reworkings are haunting and give a glimpse into the future as Matt publicly said this past year that he many never tour with a full band again. I recommend this record to fans of extraordinary music and excellent song writing.

4. 10 Years – The Autumn Effect: With the release of their major label debut “The Autumn Effect”, 10 Years seem poised to bring hard rock music back to the mainstream. The melodic hard rock that 10 Years makes caught people’s attention and garnished the band a hit single. The song ‘Wastland’ rocketed up the charts and became one of the top rock songs of 2005. I don’t see 10 Years slowing down in 2006 as they are getting ready to embark on a headlining tour. I recommend this record to fans of A Perfect Circle, Chevelle and Tool.

3. Fort Minor – The Rising Tied: Mike Shinoda broke free from the musical constraints of Linkin Park this past year and made a hip-hop record for himself. Mike went back to his hip-hop roots and enlisted the help of good friend Jay-Z for guidance. The result was an underground hip-hop record that showcased Mike’s ability to produce hot beats and share the stage with some of his best friends. Featured on the record are Mikes close friends Styles of Beyond, Common, Bobo, John Legend and Black Thought of the Roots. Although this is not the strongest record lyrically in the past year, the beats and instrumentation set it apart from anything else released this year. I recommend this record for fans of Linkin Park, Styles of Beyond and to anyone who likes underground hip-hop.

2. Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal: “Never Take Friendship Personal” really built on what Anberlin started with their debut record “Blueprints For the Black Market”. The catchy pop punk sound combine with Stephen Christian’s unforgettable voice was taken up a notch with some of the best song writing of the year. I never knew Christian music with underlying messages about faith could be done so well. This record has a way of grabbing hold of you and not letting go. It will find its way into your CD player and not leave for weeks on end. The record flows so well that it’s like you are on a journey and you have to listen to it from front to back and back again. I recommend this record for fans of Christian music and for anyone who like catchy pop punk music with substance.

1. Renee Heartfelt – The Death of a Ghost: Well what can I say about Renee Heartfelt’s “The Death of a Ghost”? It was just one of those records that slipped in the back door and never left. The rich organic post hardcore sound draws in listeners and quickly makes fans of even the sceptics. The album exudes emotion and energy like no other record this year. It was a tough call to place Renee Heartfelt as the album of the year but after repeated listens I don’t think any other record this year showed as much progression and really made me excited like “Death of the Ghost”. It may not have the replay value that Anberlin has for me or the classic hard rock sound that I love more than any other sound but it is the most completely honest and emotional record that I have heard all year. And for those reasons I am happy to name Renee Heartfelt the album of the year.