Year Bestest 2005: 1995-98

i.e. old albums that I came across in 2005 that I really enjoyed. If it's too much to read skip to the free mp3s bit at the bottom. You will not be disappointed. If you expected free mp3s.

++ Chavez: Gone Glimmering ++

I bought this for two quid randomly. It's Matt Sweeney's (from Zwan and BPB and Matt Sweeney) old band. The guitars are fat and the rock is hard. I think his guitar has its fat string tuned to A for extra chunkiness. You might like this if you liked Rival Schools when they were about. Heavy but catchy. The songs themselves are supoib and have lots of cool buildups and quiet/loud sections. As usual words aren't saying much so have a listen to 'nailed to the blank spot', which is in the handy zip file at the bottom of the entry.

++ Cows: Sorry in Pig Minor ++

Mmm, prime noisy rock and roll. This is the final Cows album and was produced by King Buzzo from the Melvins which means the mix is er, interesting. Listen to Shannon Selberg whoop and howl like a crazy person. Appreciate his clever dark lyrics over the top of pounding drums, sometimes pounding, sometimes angry wasp bass and twisted mid-fi guitar riffs (noise). The album itself is really varied and has some very jazzy moments as well as the trademark Cows bugle. So if you happen to like catchy songs that haven't been written by someone else before buy this album now. 'Death in the Tall Weeds' is the song in the zip thing.

++ Heavy Vegetable: Frisbie ++

This is by far my favourite record of 2005 that wasn't released in 2005. It is a piece of off kilter pop genius.

Only a few songs stretch over two minutes. Sometimes they groove and sometimes the rhythm goes jerky and crazy like the Futureheads on...something. I don't know what. Something that makes them forget the 'four beats in a bar' thing entirely and kick more arse. The boy/girl harmonies are totally amazing in a Pixies style and Mr Rob Crow (who is in Pinback these days) fits a gazillion catchy vocal hooks and riffs into every song without packing too many in. Some of the songs are silly, some are very serious and some may make you cry.

The whole album fits together seamlessly and if you were to actually buy anything that I write about in this stupid 2005 review series it should be Frisbie by Heavy Vegetable. Everyone would love it. Buy buy buy. Or steal from the internet. Whatever. The song in the zip file is called 'Bully'.

downloadeth here:

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3K3744VNVYKNT22CJNDN2B12RZ