2005's Best - Artist Compilations

Play it: Best Artist Compilations 2005

More great albums not on my final list due to the fact that they are compilations... but they still get some love on this list.

The first is the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's fascinating documentary on Bob Dylan, No Direction Home. Full of unheard demos, live tracks and rare alternate takes, it hit's the veritable bonanza for Dylan fans.
Play it: Bob Dylan No Direction Home

Second is the incredibly endearing Oh You're So Silent Jens by Jens Lekman. This Swedish singer/songwriter writes orchestral pop reminiscent of Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, with the naivete of Jonathan Richman and the pop twee sensibility of Bell & Sebastian. The album gathers all his singles and b-sides and is a superb introduction to the unitiated. The song "Black Cab" (which has the lyric the album title comes from) is a great example of all of the aforementioned comparisons. Lyrically it begins with (delivered dead pan) "Oh no, god damn... I missed the last trend. I killed the party again, god damn, god damn." Wink, wink, Jens. He's proclaimed he'd never release a full length album, so this compilation is prolly as close to one as you'll get.
Play it: Jens Lekman Oh You're So Silen Jens

Odd that The Fiery Furnaces release their most accessible album as a collection of singles, b-sides and oddities. Odd also that for their first normal-length (10 songs at 40 and change minutes) they decide to call it an EP. Well I'm not calling it an EP (that was yesterday's post) but it is great collection of Fiery Furnace tracks that border on the bizarre that we know and love. "Single Again" is quite the catchy reworking of the traditional folk song "I Wish I was Single Again." About as funky as they'll ever be. Also included is the single version of "Tropical Ice-Land" which was released early in 2004 as a bouncy/frenetic reworking of the sleepy original found on Gallowsbird's Bark.
Play it: The Fiery Furnaces EP

This Canadian (Halifax, Nova Scotia) rapper will soon prove he's worth the extra $1.15 over 50 Cent, with his US debut on V2 records. Earlier this year, however, V2 got Buck 65 (born Richard Terfry) to agree to let them compile his best work from up north (with a couple new tracks thrown in,) to serve as introduction for the uniniated American ears. This Right Here Is Buck 65 accomplishes it's purpose and also lets it be known that his voice has begun to channel Tom Waits in the trip south.
Play it: Buck 65 This Right Here Is Buck 65

Also:
The Greenhornes Sewed Soles
Seu Jorge The Life Aquatic Exclusive Studio Sessions

Check out the Mother of all Year-End lists page (continually updated)

tags: playlist, music, bob dylan, jens leckman, fiery furnaces, buck 65, greenhornes, seu jorge