Here's the conclusion of this year's personal best things loaded into my iPod or infesting my car or home stereo.  Without further delay...



5.  Fighting Style Killer Panda/Mommy and Daddy
--  It sometimes pays to show up early for a concert.  I considered skipping the opening act all together when Bloc Party made their very first Seattle appearance.  These guys opened for them along with Erase Eratta.  Those electronic beats and the seductive posturing got me hypnotized.  I maintain that this EP is better than their debut album which was also released this year.




4.  Catch Without Arms/Dredg
--  The internet forums that I've been frequenting always hyped this band as an excellent antidote to all the mallcore emo that's been flooding the market.  They've managed to infiltrate the circle by opening for Coheed and Cambria last fall.  You wonder what U2 would've sounded like if they added metal and hardcore into their musical toolbox?  Look no further for the answer.




3. Blackfield/Blackfield
--  This is one of Steven Wilson's many side projects.  I admire the prolific talent spilling out of this singer/songwriter.  Here he's paired up with Avi Geffen to come up with a set of really beautiful minor-key dominated ballads.




2.  Ghost Reveries/Opeth
--  This is the future of progressive metal.  As most acts have turned out mostly to become Dream Theater clones, these guys continue to push the envelope even further.  With the addition of Per Wilberg on keyboards, this album brings both the heavy and the elegant together as a whole new beast of it's own.

   

1.  (tie) Deadwing/Porcupine Tree and Twin Cinema/The New Pornographers
--  Both of these bands are very much polar opposites of each other.  Where Steven and the boys flirt with darkness and melancholy with Deadwing, Carl, Neko, Dan, and the rest of the Canadians shill out radio-friendly pick-me-up in the morning music.  I've seen both bands twice this year and they didn't disappoint with those brilliant performances.  They may seem to be different, but upon closer scrutiny, you'll find out that both bands's albums are influenced by progressive rock music.  Porcupine Tree does not have to hide that at all by parading all the songwriting and instrumental talent in the group.  You may have to sit down and spot it with The New Pornographers.  If you take the time to listen to Use It, you'll hear the Union-era drumming coming from Yes during the half-time breakdown.  The odd-meters on The Jessica Numbers is even further proof of the prog influence in the band. 

I hope that 2006 brings more sonic gold as I get to digest Urbandub's Embrace, Lokomotiv's debut record, the new ones from Shadows Fall, Mastodon, and The Haunted later next year,  Porcupine Tree's Stupid Dream reissue, the Chicago shows on DVD, and their tour this summer, and Dream Theater hitting the major US venues.  There's so much to see and do.  I'm ready to take them on.