2005 In Retrospect: Music

Here are the top 5 albums that were on heavy rotation on my iPod:

1. Antony and the Johnsons, I'm a bird now - I first heard Antony & the Johnsons in 1999 (if my memory serves me well), when they opened for Current 93 at Sadler's Wells (I think). It was, together with David Byrne's "Monster in a Mirror Tour", one of the best and most intense live acts I have ever seen. Been a faithful fan ever since, and will never forget them.
2. Bloc Party, Bloc Party - These Essex boys really rock! Keke, their frontman, has a quite a voice . Their sound has the rock'n'roll attitude of a Doolitle (I know, this is a bold statement!), the freshness of an early Blur, and can sometimes (Banquet) remind me of The Cure. "Like drinking poison, like eating glass" oh yeah!
3. Coldplay, X & Y - Darnit. I admit I wasn't expecting much from this release but they certainly delivered. I give it up, Coldplay deserve to be right up there with the U2s and Radioheads: they simply have the talent.
   
4. Royksopp, The Understanding - what a masterpiece, I love it! Karin Dreijer's voice in What else is there is unavoidably seductive!
   
5. Zhou Hui - Something I brought from my trip to China in 2001. Just recovered my CD that was scratched due to overuse. She has got to have the most beautiful voice and sings like an angel. Can't even find an (non-Chinese) Internet link, that is how precious she is!
   

Runners up: dEUS - Pocket Revolution, Frank Black - Honeycomb, Gorillaz - Demon Days, Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak, Keane - Hopes and Fears, Sigur Ros - Takk