Well, the end of 2005 came and went and we unfortunately couldn't coordinate a big hoopla this year for the Brainwashed Year-End Readers' Poll.  However, with the new system, we've organized what has been the most popular articles from our site to arrange some kind of a list.  Of course, it will differ from everybody else's, but then again, we gotta be us!

Keep in mind, this is the Readers' Poll, this isn't what the staff list as their faves of 2005.  (If you want to see that, see the Meet The Staff section and find out more there!) In fact it might not even be what the readers think is the best, but was the most popular reviews they read this year.  Kinda lame but it's something....

So, without further adieu, here it is!

Top 50 albums of 2005:

  1. Coil, "The Ape of Naples"  
  2. Sunn O))), "Black One"
  3. CocoRosie, "Noah's Ark"
  4. Boards of Canada, "The Campfire Headphase"
  5. Merzbow, "Merzbuta"
  6. Thighpaulsandra, "Chamber Music"
  7. Ween, "Shinola Vol.1"
  8. Autechre & Hafler Trio, "aeo3 & 3hae"
  9. Earth, "Hex (or Printing in the Infernal Method)"
  10. Murcof, "Remembranza"
  11. Nurse with Wound, "Shipwreck Radio Volume Two"
  12. Broadcast "Tender Buttons"
  13. Dirty Three, "Cinder"
  14. Mi and L'au
  15. Señor Coconut, "Coconut FM"
  16. Merzbow, "Senmaida"
  17. Tape, "Rideau"
  18. Lightning Bolt "Hypermagic Mountain"
  19. Windy and Carl, "The Dream House"
  20. Prurient, "Black Vase"
  21. Animal Collective, "Feels"
  22. Wolf Eyes, "Live at Banfields East"
  23. Akron/Family & Angels of Light
  24. Khanate, "Capture & Release"
  25. Noise/Girl, "Discopathology"
  26. DJ Scotch Egg, "KFC Core"
  27. Kid 606, "Resilience"
  28. Vex'd, "Degenerate"
  29. Black Dice, "Broken Ear Record"
  30. The USA is a Monster, "Wohaw"
  31. VVV, "Resurrection River"
  32. Architect, "The Analysis of Noise Trading"
  33. Ellen Allien, "Thrills"
  34. XXL, "Ciautistico!"
  35. Mirror, "Viking Burial for a French Car"
  36. Boris with Merzbow, "Sun Baked Snow Cave"
  37. Jandek, "Raining Down Diamonds"
  38. Tactile, "Bipolar Explorer"
  39. Lichens, "The Psychic Nature of Being"
  40. T.Raumschmiere, Blitzkrieg Pop
  41. Edward Ka-Spel, "Happy New Year"
  42. Mouse On Mars, "Live 04"
  43. Danger Doom, "The Mouse and the Mask"
  44. Brian McBride, "When the Detail Lost its Freedom"
  45. Fovea Hex, "Bloom"
  46. Cobra Killer & Kapajkos, "Das Mandolinenorchester"
  47. Deerhoof "The Runner's Four"
  48. Drazen, "Visions Ov Anarcadia"
  49. Long Live Death, "Bound to the Wheel"
  50. Earth, "070796 Live"


Top 10 Singles of 2005:

  1. "Grief"
  2. Stereolab, three 7" singles
  3. The Magnolia Electric Co, "Hard To Love A Man"
  4. Black Dice, "Smiling Off"
  5. Afx, "Analord 01-05"
  6. Current 93, "At Sunset Black Ships Ate The Sky"
  7. Lcd Soundsystem, "Yr City's A Sucker"
  8. Black Leotard Front, "Casual Friday"
  9. Nudge And Strategy, 12" Singles On Community Library
  10. The Hafler Trio, "Being A Firefighter Isn't Just About Squirting Water"
  11. The Juan Maclean, "I Robot/Less Than Human"



Top 5 Compilations of 2005:

  1. Love, Peace & Poetry: Turkish Psychedelic Music
  2. The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned
  3. Camping 1 & 2 (BPC Compilations)
  4. But Then Again
  5. 4 Women No Cry


Top 10 Reissues/Old Things of 2005:

  1. AFX, "Hangable Auto Bulb"
  2. Comus, "Song to Comus: The Complete Collection"
  3. Bill Fay, "Bill Fay" and "Time of the Last Persecution"
  4. The Hafler Trio, "An Utterance of the Supreme Ventriloquist"
  5. Erik Satie, "Vexations"
  6. Múm, "Yesterday was Dramatic, Today is OK"
  7. Gina X Performance, "Nice Mover" and "X-Traordinaire"
  8. Burning Star Core, "Mes Soldats Stupides '96-'04"
  9. Galaxie 500, "Peel Sessions"
  10. Asmus Tietchens, "Formen Letzter Hausmusik"

 


Top New Artist of 2005:

  • Akron/Family

 

Lifetime Achievement Recognition:
This category was chosen by the Brainwashed Staff and not the readers.  Each year we collectively agree on who to recognize for their devotion to innovative music and this year, once again, we chose to honor a person who's not known for the music he's released but the mark he's left on the world of music.  Unfortunately, this year's honoree is also no longer with us to see our appreciation but we know those close to him will.

  • Bob Moog


A lot of names were tossed around in the discussion of this year's Lifetime Achievement recognition, and nobody on our lists came as close to truly defining what it means to have a lifetime of achievement as Bob did.  Some of our dear friends were very close to him, and we are all very sad at the world's loss, however, much more important we feel is the world's gain.  Bob Moog has effected nearly all the music we geeks listen, mostly indirectly but often directly. 


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