So many of today's "it" bands have some sort of quirky aspect, usually a singer with...erm, unconventional pipes. Deerhoof's chick sounds like a female Asian chimpmunk; CYHSY's Ounsworth plain can't sing at'll; Wilderness dude is a hopped-up Johnny Rotten PiL era vocal, and so on.

Some of these I enjoy but most I find irritating. Repeated spins of Billy Corgan and Thom Yorke convinced me SP and Radiohead, respectively, are all well and good; but I suspect repeated spins of Deerhoof is gonna make me wanna pop a Valium or two.

Quirky Acts of 2005! DiScuss.