2005 artist favorites

records of the year: The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners; Acid House Kings – Sing Along With…; Tullycraft – Disenchanted Hearts Unite; Jens Leckman – Oh, You’re So Silent Jens.
songs of the year: The Lucksmiths – The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco; The Young Tradition – Now You Know; Acid House Kings – This Heart Is A Stone; Sambassadeur – Between the Lines; Jeff Hanson – This Time It Will; Laura Cantrell – 14th Street; Sera Cahoone – Couch Song.
great live experiences: The Lucksmiths + Tullycraft + MAPC at Sunset Tavern (Seattle); Playing “A is for Alphabet” with Gregory Webster at Pop Crush Fest (San Francisco); The return of Rose Melberg at Eagles Ballroom (Olympia); Seeing Calvin Johnson sing “Angel Gone” in the freezing cold SS Marie Antoinette (Seattle); MAPC at Seattle Art Museum; Laura Cantrell at Triple Door (Seattle); Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at KEXP benefit (Seattle).
good reads: A Million Little Pieces – James Frey; Belle and Sebastian: Just a Modern Rock Story – Paul Whitelaw; Moneyball – Michael Lewis; The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown (file also under guilty pleasures); Janice’s diary at copacetic-zine.com, especially after she cooks something.
top films: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith ; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; The Corpse Bride; March of the Penguins.
best discoveries: Cinnamon bread from Acme Bread Co. (Berkeley); Rickshaw Stop (San Francisco); the word “chuffed”; The Boy Least Likely To; Lisa’s gingerbread caramel cake; drunken chicken sandwich from Baguette Box (Seattle).
celebrated moments: Opening the first box of Weekends Away EPs from the pressing plant; harvesting veggies from our garden; watching orca whales from our picnic spot on San Juan Island.
guilty pleasures: Chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting from Cupcake Royale; The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: MAPC in Europe…?

favorite bands: For the second year running, Okkervil River.
records of the year: Black Sheep Boy” and “Black Sheep Boy Appendix” by Okkervil River; “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” and “Digital Ash in a Digtial Urn” by Bright Eyes; “Tanglewood Numbers” by the Silver Jews; “A River Ain’t Enough to Love” by Smog; “Every Night” by Saturday Looks Good to Me; “The Fast Rise and Fall of the South” by The Kingsbury Manx; “Face the Truth” by Stephen Malkmus; “Plans” by Death Cab for Cutie ; “Come On Feel the Illinoise” by Sufjan Stevens; “Not on Top” by Herman Dune; “Picaresque” by the Decemberists; “Man-Made” by Teenage Fanclub; “Set Free” by American Analog Set. (Quite a year!)
songs of the year: Most of “Black Sheep Boy” by Okkervil River, particularly “A Stone”, “Black”, “Get Big” and “Song of Our So-Called Friend”. There were also a couple of gems on the Silver Jews record: “I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You” and “Sleeping is the Only Love”.
great live experiences: As spectator: Okkervil River at Ding Dong and the Old Bar; Stephen Malkmus at the Northcote Social Club; and Dear Nora at Gertrudes (all in Melbourne). Non-musically, Daniel Kitson’s sit-down show “Stories for The Wobbly Hearted” at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. As performer: The Lucksmiths enjoyed a great Australian tour after Warmer Corners came out, where I also had the immense pleasure of playing as part of the Australian Ladybug Transistor Experience; the highlight was our hometown launch at the Corner Hotel. Our two-week whirlwind tour of the US was basically one big highlight, but the shows in New York (Knitting Factory) and Seattle (Sunset Tavern) were especially memorable.
good reads: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem; The Known World by Edward P Jones; The Plot Against America by Philip Roth; Saturday by Ian McEwan.
top films: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou; We Don’t Live Here Anymore; Look Both Ways; Downfall; A Very Long Engagement; Enduring Love.
best discoveries: Keeping to food and beverages, in the absence of any other notable discoveries: I enjoyed probably the best meal I have ever eaten at Becco, an upmarket but not uptight Melbourne restaurant. And, though I left it till almost literally the last minute, the vanilla vodka, apple and lime cocktails I drank on New Year’s Eve were a worthwhile find.
celebrated moments: Finally meeting Tom.
guilty pleasures: I probably should feel more guilty about it than I actually do, but I still watch the Simpsons repeats religiously at six o’clock every day.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: The same thing I have hoped for (in vain) every one of the last thirty-odd years: a St Kilda premiership.

records of the year: Richard Hawley – Coles Corner (just gorgeous); Pernice Brothers – Discover A Lovelier You (solidly impressive); St Etienne – Tales From Turnpike House (suprisingly impressive); Ben Folds – Songs for Silverman (superior AOR); British Sea Power – Open Season (finally convinced me); Go Betweens – Live In London (sadly more enjoyable than….)
not the record of the year: Go Betweens – Oceans Apart (a real disappointment).
songs of the year: Big Dumb Pop Hit Of the Year was “Hard to Beat” by Hard Fi – Spearmint should be consulting their lawyers or cursing their bad luck.
great live experiences: Go Betweens in London and Bilbao. Roddy Frame at Ronnie Scotts.
good reads: “Kafka on the Shore” by Murakami. “Oracle Night” by Paul Auster. Re-reading lots of Garrison Keillor.
top films: Not so many this year. Broken Flowers is all that springs to mind.
best discoveries: Finally getting with the mp3 generation and discovering the joy of Random play. Realising that milk in tea is an unnecessary evil.
guilty pleasures: Lost. Sleep. Poached eggs (sorry Jimmy)
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Alan Shearer to finally retire – Newcastle United to still not win anything. Math and Physics Club to win a Grammy.

favorite bands: Bands beginning with C: Concretes, Cannonball Jane, Comet Gain.
record of the year: One Kiss Can Lead To Another: GirlGroup Sounds, Lost & Found (fantastic 4-CD box set of 60s girl group stuff on Rhino).
songs of the year: Sambassadeur – Between The Lines; Lucky Soul – Lips Are Unhappy; Go-team – Ladyflash; Stars – Your Ex-Lover Is Dead; Magic Numbers – Forever Lost; Franz Ferdinand – Walk Away; Charlotte Hatherley – Bastardo.
good reads: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss; Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
top films: Me and You and Everyone We Know; Corpse Bride
best discoveries: Margate, posh Gewürztraminer, baby Ivy.
guilty pleasures: Rachel Stevens, MTV2 at 2am, Myspace.com, nail-biting.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: More girls in bands! More of a hope than a prediction, but the world of indie music seems to be getting a bit male-focused again, and we need to redress the balance!

favorite bands: The Pipettes; Broadcast.
records of the year: Tender Buttons – Broadcast; Demon Days – Gorillaz; A Certain Trigger – Maximo Park; Tales From The Turnpike House – St. Etienne; Some Cities – Doves.
songs of the year: Dirty Mind – The Pipettes; Interlock – Stereolab; I Can’t Seem To Make You Mine v2.0 – The Clientele; Spectacle – Wood-Sorrel; 1st You Fall In Love – Roy Moller; Saddest Day – Ephemera; Up & Down – Scent; Shortcut To Satisfaction – The Déjà Vu Experience; They Are Building Walls Around Us – Moneybrother; The Opposite Of Hallelujah – Jens Lekman.
great live experiences: Go! Team, Glasgow.
good reads: wikepedia.org, Neon, Intro, Ordnance Survey Maps .
top films: Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
best discoveries: Tyne & Wear, Perth, Love Dance, Voxtrot.
guilty pleasures: Wi-Fi in Cafés; TV: Space Cadets, Holby City; Songs: Gwen Stefani “Hollaback Girl”, KT Tunstull “Suddenly I See”, Natalie Imbruglia “Shiver”, Robbie Williams “Tripping”, Amerie “One Thing”.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Happiness lies ahead!

records of the year: Generally a slightly underwhelming year but I liked the LPs by Sigur Ros, Levy, Stars, Death Cab, Lovejoy and Feeder.
great live experiences: As a performer, playing Stockholm with Trembling Blue Stars in April. As a spectator, The Go Team! in Brighton in March. Away from music, comedian Daniel Kitson (Brighton, October) – THE funniest man in my known universe.
top films: I loved Crash (apart from the final scene), The Descent, Downfall and The Assassination of Richard Nixon. More importantly, we finally had the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back.
celebrated moments: Tony and Michele finding time to save their marriage during the mayhem of the 4th Series of 24 brought a tear to my eye. Brighton avoiding relegation on the last day of the footie season did likewise.
guilty pleasures: Thank god for US TV serials – Lost, 24, Desperate Housewives, The L-Word and Battlestar Galactica. I barely left the house.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: England to beat Argentina in the World Cup Final this summer.

favorite bands: The Lucksmiths, Cloud Room, Slender Means, and Sufjan Stevens.
records of the year: Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise, The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners (except I lost the CD while moving and cannot find it.. *wahhhh*), Arcade Fire – Funeral.
songs of the year: The Lucksmiths – The Chapter in Your Life Entitled San Francisco, Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day (is this getting predictable or what!?)
great live experiences: As a spectator – The Rachels, Long Winters, The National, Cars Can Be Blue (I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time!!) As a performer – Playing at the San Francisco Pop Fest. Covering the Razorcuts with Gregory Webster was ueberspass! 70’s Soft Rock Cover Night at the Sunset!
good reads: I was mostly stuck reading programming books this year…
top films: Mirrormask, Howl’s Moving Castle, Me, You and Everyone We Know.
best discoveries: Band – Of Montreal, Cars Can Be Blue Food – Pumpkin Seed Butter, Dark Chocolate with Chilies Others – love, my wonderful friends Dana and David, and my wings.
celebrated moments: Dinners at Casa Bos! Packed out room of fans at Bumbershoot!
guilty pleasures: Jack Johnson…his songs lyrics are just so deliciously sappy, I love them!
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Hopes: A little more than comfortable salary, tour, a tour, touring… successful LP Tips: Always be true to yourself only then will you find your wings. Three Butter toast: Whole grain toast with butter, almond butter and tahini butter. Mmmmmm!

favorite bands: The Lucksmiths; Acid House Kings; Math and Physics Club; Tullycraft.
records of the year: The Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners; Acid House Kings – Sing Along With Acid House Kings; Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away EP; Tullycraft – Disenchanted Hearts Unite; Jens Lekman – Oh You’re So Silent Jens Compilation.
songs of the year: The Lucksmiths – The Chapter of Your Life Entitled San Francisco; Remedy an’ Wren – Best Season of Your Life; Acid House Kings – Do What You Want to Do; Math and Physics Club – Weekends Away; The Young Tradition – Now You Know; Snowdrops – Sleepydust.
great live experiences: San Francisco Pop Fest: Pop Crush. July 6-9. Amazing bands on the bill, plus we played ‘A is for Alphabet’ with Gregory Webster singing, which was probably the highest highlight of a great year for all of us in Math and Physics Club; The Lucksmiths, Math and Physics Club, Tullycraft at the Sunset in Seattle May 4, 2005. I still can’t believe we played on this bill! It was like a dream for us. I’ve got the poster on my wall; Rose Melberg, P:ano, Math and Physics Club at the Eagles in Olympia, November 6, 2005. This was in the Eagles Ballroom, not the basement, which is a beautiful old style ballroom in downtown Olympia. Wooden floors, chandelier, and a stage with curtains. I cannot imagine a better place to see Rose Melberg, let alone actually get to PLAY with Rose Melberg. It was like actually being in one of her songs. Plus I’d never seen P:ano before, and they were terrific. They sang the entire show in Japanese, I think; Calvin Johnson, Tender Forever, Math and Physics Club at the SS Marie Antoinette in Seattle, December 13, 2005.
good reads: “5 on the Outside: Vern’s writings on the Films of Cinema” by Vern; “Swann’s Way” by Marcel Proust translated by Lydia Davis; “A Little History of the World” by EH Gombrich.
top films: I mostly watch old movies, but far and away my favorite movie discovery of the year was “The Adventures of Cheburashka.”
best discoveries: The Style Council – Thanks Jimmy! I listened to the Style Council all summer!; The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco; Chaco Canyon raw food vegan restaurant in Seattle.
celebrated moments: Releasing our EPs!; Touring with the Lucksmiths!; Playing ‘A is for Alphabet’ live with Gregory Webster at the Pop Crush Festival!
guilty pleasures: America’s Next Top Model – and James Werle would agree even if he’s too bashful to mention it! We love you, Jayla!
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Impeachment for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, Karl Rove forced to resign thereby saving us Americans any further humiliation in the eyes of the world and possibly even helping the poor state of the environment and world relations.

records of the year: “The Runners Four” by Deerhoof; “Strange Geometry” by The Clientele; “At the National Grid” by The Bats; “In Case We Die” by Architecture in Helsinki; “Idle Idol” by Andrew Kaffer; and the unfinished Pipas masterpiece.
songs of the year: “Spirit Ditties of No Tone” by Deerhoof; “Losing Haringey” by The Clientele; “You Crashed”, “Windswept Room” and many other newborn future greats by Pipas.
great live experiences: The Mosquitoes — Make-Out Room, San Francisco; The Clientele and Pipas — Bush Hall, London; Deerhoof — The Garage, London; Yo La Tengo — Koko, London; Darren Hanlon — Mailm, Tartu; Fred Astereo and Erik Halldén — Landet, Stockholm… and many Math and Physics Club westcoast shows!
good reads: The Bus We Loved” by Travis Elborough; “So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away” by Richard Brautigan; “Gailu’s Kitchen” recipes and commentary by Lupe and Gail.
top films: The Devil and Daniel Johnston, William Eggleston in the Real World, William Kentridge animations at the Prince Charles, Along Came Polly, King Kong, Casablanca, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
best discoveries: If flying to Milan with Ryanair, don’t even bother catching the bus from the airport to Milan – just stay in Bergamo. Very cool.
celebrated moments: Working with fruits and vegetables
guilty pleasures: Non-stop quoting lines from Napoleon Dynamite.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Same as usual – that I get to hang out with all my friends, and that my enemies all catch on fire.

favorite bands: the clientele, groove armada, bent, belle & sebastian.
records of the year: Jens Lekman compilation cd; Teenage Fanclub ‘man made’; Unknown Joe ‘My Secret Look alike’; The Clientele ‘Strange Geometry’; Belle and Sebastian ‘Push Barman To Open Old Wounds’; DJ Shadow ‘Introducing…’ reissue.
songs of the year: ‘something for the longing’ and ‘thaumaturgy’ from The Orchids reissues.
great live experiences: The Clientele, Teenage Fanclub, Durutti Column, and Love Dance were all highlights for me; As lovejoy great times were had in Stuttgart, Germany, Aarhus, Denmark ad Bergen, Norway…hi to new (and old) friends in each of these amazing places !!
good reads: ‘The Timewaster Letters’ volumes 1 & 2; Roger’s Profanisaurus (new edition), Alan Partridge ‘Every Ruddy Word’ (again…) and for fun, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night’ and ‘I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times’; I haven’t found a good magazine to read in years, although I often look. Recommendations anyone?
top films: Were there? I liked the interpreter, but can’t remember any others.
best discoveries: Rediscovered ‘pet sounds’- what a wonderful treat, plus trek bikes. A sony walkman mp3 player has attempted with limited success to drag me kicking and screaming into the ‘modern’ world. And I can fully recommend Swedish body massage to anyone who is remotely interested; TV; ‘extras’; DVD: ‘comic strip presents’ box set.
celebrated moments: Just enjoyed a fabulous Christmas holiday … Top holiday in Cornwall last Easter…and discovering three new European cities. If I had to pick just one; Bergen.
guilty pleasures: Quite a bit of bad telly this year, a low point for me (and humanity) was ‘Celebrity Love Island’; although I only managed the first week, the nausea stayed with me for months. Ditto big brother, space cadets et al. I’m like a moth to the flame. Except with no staying power; Ps2 still takes too much of my precious time – pro evo soccer, medal of honour, Simpsons hit and run; ‘Peep Show’ still hits the mark.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: Looking forward to the new Belle & Sebastian album; I really hope Love Dance make the great album they’re clearly capable of producing; hoping the new Lovejoy cdep turns out as well as we want it to…It would be great to play some more shows as well…

favorite bands: Devendra Banhart, Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire.
records of the year: Weasal – Absentee (7″); Separated By Motorways – The Long Blondes (7″); Cripple Crow – Devandra Banhart (album); I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning – Bright Eyes (album); Funeral – The Arcade Fire (album).
songs of the year: Wade in the Water – Marlene Shaw; Crown of Love – Arcade Fire; Old Soul Song (for the New World Order) – Bright Eyes.
great live experiences: The Pipettes at Pow! to the People; Belle and Seb’s Tigermilking show at the Barbican; Comet Gain’s last stand (well, David Feck’s anyway, most of the band didn’t show up) at the Buffalo Bar; Black Time, ripping it up, anywhere; The Would-Be-Goods acoustic performance of ‘too old’ at the Victoria. So good you could have heard a pin drop; Daniel Kitson at the Stand in Edinburgh, proving comedy is still the new rock’n roll; Everyone who played any of the gigs I promoted, but especially Michaelmas and The Gresham Flyers for loveliness beyond the call of duty; As a performer, The Cut-Outs at The Pleasure Unit with Mark from The Lucksmiths on bass. Suddenly it all seemed so easy. We were described as ‘sophisticated’. He’s out.
good reads: A quick glance at the bookshelf would suggest that the only books I’ve read this year are Foam Of The Daze by Boris Vian, and This Is Uncool by Gerry Mulholland. This seems about right. I’d recommend the second if, like me, you consider the ultimate form of great literature to be the 200-word record review.
top films: The Devil And Daniel Johnston; A History Of Violence; 2046; Dig!; Bob Dylan: No Direction Home.
best discoveries: San Sebastian, foodie heaven; The Thick Of It and Peep Show, best comedies on telly by a mile; Garlic-stuffed green olives from the Portuguese deli. I eat one every time I open the fridge…which is a lot; Seinfeld, several years too late but thanks all the same Marisa. Now I know what everyone was talking about; Bands? Pete & The Pirates, Absentee and, my favourites, Fanfarlo. Check them out, they’re amazing: http://www.myspace.com/fanfarlo
celebrated moments: Walking into Selectadisc one Spring morning as they were playing the new Bright Eyes album; Finally selling my flat after three failed sales and two years of financial destitution; That bizarre 8/10 review for The Chemistry Experiment in NME…and in the wider world…Kanye West live on NBC and Harold Pinter’s Nobel prize acceptance speech.
guilty pleasures: It’s embarrassing, but I really do like some of the records on Matinée, although the Madonna single beats them all hands down. Further, surely ‘Resolve’ by The Foo Fighters is the greatest song that Norman Blake never wrote. My only vice is football transfer gossip. If I could stop myself checking it every 15 minutes I might read some books!
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: It’d be nice to sell some records. To that end I’ll tip Cannonball Jane and Fanfarlo to get the recognition they deserve, although in the tradition of bands that escape my oily clutches I expect The Long Blondes will go supernova by spring. Other than that, a six-month sabbatical from my day-job will do nicely thanks! In general, I predict the World will continue to be shit. Line up with Kanye and Harold comrades.

favorite bands: Pram (as always, but where are you??); Antony and the Johnsons; Max Richter.
records of the year: The Blue Notebooks: Max Richter; Me and You and Everyone We Know: Soundtrack by Michael Andrews; I Am A Bird Now: Antony and the Johnsons; Want Two: Rufus Wainwright; Aerial: Kate Bush.
songs of the year: Mystery of Love: Antony and the Johnsons; The Art Teacher: Rufus Wainwright.
great live experiences: Performing in pvi collective’s tts:australia. I was “Daddy” with a strapped on dvd player and scary mask. Don’t ask.
good reads: Finally got around to reading “The Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham; and just read Annie Proulx’s “Brokeback Mountain”—cowboys in (tragic) love; revisiting Derek Jarman.
top films: Miranda July’s ‘Me and You and Everyone We Know’; Joss Whedon’s ‘Serenity’.
best discoveries: Place: Our new studio in Adelaide; Person: Julian.
celebrated moments: Meeting Julian.
guilty pleasures: Doppio Espresso; Tasty Jacks salt and vinegar chips; Single Malt Scottish Whisky.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: No more detention centres; A good life for my friend, Zahir; A repeal of all the horrifying legislations put into action by John Howard; Applying George W Bush to the concept of The Weakest Link – “Goodbye”; Marrying Julian; Meeting my new dog; The continuation of Matinée Recordings 4eva.

favorite bands: British Sea Power; Pussy Bottom.
records of the year: British Sea Power – Open Season; Broadcast – America’s Boy; Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better.
song of the year: Pussy Bottom – Nosebleed.
great live experiences: British Sea Power at Electrowerkz in Islington; The Rutles at the 100 Club; Television at the Queen Elizabeth Hall; The Windmills/Picture Centre at Water Rats; Julius Caesar at the Barbican; Cannon & Ball at the Palace Theatre, Southend on Sea; Durutti Column at the Met in Bury; Bob Dylan at Brixton Academy.
good reads: Sound on Sound, Lunar Park – Bret Easton Ellis.
top films: Corpse Bride, Broken Flowers, Dig!
best discoveries: colonic irrigation.
celebrated moments: my first colonic.
guilty pleasures: self-love/self-abuse.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: tip: colonic irrigation 4:30 Haydock Park; hope: colonic irrigation free on the National Health; prediction: world peace.

favorite artiste: Not a new phenomenon this year by any means, but Jeffrey Lewis is undoubtedly the most exhilarating act I’ve seen for many a year, either with his band but preferably solo – and quite possibly too difficult for the mainstream to homogenize easily. hurrah!
great live experiences: The Loft @ Spitz, London – I told him not to do it, but luckily Mr Astor ignored me and they were wonderful. The Masonics @ The Hertford Marquee – Sir Mark bought the kings of rock’n’roll to Hertford and not many locals seemed to dig it. a context which made Mickey’s witticisms and sumo posturing all the more hilarious. Hard Skin @ The Grosvenor, Stockwell – I love Hard Skin. I can’t hear any of their records without experiencing extreme happiness. Proper punx n skins shithole pub gig overstuffed to the rafters – the perfect place for my first Hard Skin live experience. None of you indie nonces here, mate. Sean has got more bottle than the ICF.
good reads: like my esteemed colleague Sir Mark before me, I am slowing exploring the golden age of American mystery writers, including pulp greats Harry Whittington, Fredric Brown and Cornell Woolrich.
top films: Broken Flowers, Broken Flowers, Broken Flowers. was anything else on?
celebrated moments: Medway beat legend Bruce Brand sitting in on the traps with Sportique in Hertford. Playing “solo” in Sacramento with Amy P & DJ Downfall backing me up for one night only.
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: New Sportique records. honest, guv.

records of the year (not on Matinée): Sambassadeur – Sambassadeur; The Radio Dept. – This Past Week; Love Dance – Love Dance EP; Death Cab for Cutie – Plans; Acid House Kings – Sing Along with…; The House of Love – Days Gone Away.
songs of the year (not on Matinée): Depeche Mode – Precious; Sambassadeur – Between The Lines; Voxtrot – The Start of Something; The Radio Dept. – This Past Week; Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body; Love Dance – Stay Handsome; The Wedding Present – I’m From Further North Than You; Acid House Kings – This Heart Is A Stone.
great live experiences: The Lucksmiths + Math and Physics Club at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, San Francisco Popfest (especially Gregory Webster and Math and Physics Club).
good reads: The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, Print and Metropolis magazines; 1950s Arts and Architecture magazines; You Ain’t No Picasso (blog).
best discoveries: a new 30 GB iPod…how did I live without this for so long?
celebrated moments: Alexander’s hilarious dancing to Heavenly, Wild Swans, Pipas, Math and Physics Club, The Housemartins, Sambassadeur, Depeche Mode…a true indie kid at heart and it never gets old. One-year olds rule!
guilty pleasures: TV: Project Runway, Kept, Desperate Housewives, and The Apprentice; music: Rihanna’s ‘Pon De Replay’ and Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone’…seriously, could you resist?
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: a final four finish for Team USA at the World Cup. You read it here first! My sage prediction of a North Carolina NCAA basketball championship on this very page a year ago should start you thinking…

records of the year: LPs: Lucksmiths – Warmer Corners; Teenage Fanclub – Man-Made; Hot Hot Heat – Elevator; Portastatic – Bright Ideas; My Teenage Stride – Major Major; Tullycraft – Disenchanted Hearts Unite; Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree; Sealevel – Beach From Last Summer; Crumb – Evenings & Weekends; Ultrasport – Nothing Can Go Wrong; EPs: Math And Physics Club – Weekends Away; Poison Control Center – Kennedy EP; Javelins – We Paid A Lot For Our Style 7″; Columbus – s/t EP; Love Dance – You Should Know Where I’m Standing 7″; Math And Physics Club – Movie Ending Romance; Voxtrot – s/t; Youth Untold – s/t EP; Boyracer – Insults & Insights EP; Pathways – Productivity 7″
great live experiences: Athens & New England Popfests; Teenage Fanclub in Vancouver (it was their first appearance there in about ten years, and the audience WENT WILD; I’ve seriously never seen a crowd that excited in my fifteen years of going to shows!), followed closely by TFC in London; checking Milky Wimpshake off the “bands I’ll probably never get to see” list; awesome Denver pop night in November; and, of course, Sloan!
top tv shows: Spaced, Black Books, Curb Your Enthusiasm, the new Doctor Who, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Yacht Rock (okay, some are older, but I just found ’em this year).
best discoveries: Contrary to popular belief, British food is tasty (as long as you’re not a health nut): I already knew I loved kebabs, but I discovered Cornish pasties, Scotch eggs and a variety of fried treats on our trip to the UK; Bittorrent (and yay for cancelling our cable service!).
celebrated moments: our new cosy den – now I really have no reason to leave the house!
tips/hopes/predictions for 2006: more music-related projects; fun trips; seeing old friends, making new ones.