I spend a year listening to music. A solid year. Rarely is my music machine far out of arm's reach. And when it is, it's because the stereo's on. And when I'm at work, I can't help but hear music. Amoeba is like the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks, where the little man dances and says, "There's always music in the air."

But I feel like I missed a lot. I never got around to listening to the new albums by Franz Ferdinand, or Kaiser Chiefs, or The New Pornographers, or Tom Vek, or Fiona Apple, or Babyshambles, or Deerfhoof, or...or...or... And the fact that I possess all those albums makes it all the more mystifying. There are reasons, I suppose. There are only so many seconds in a year, and I get just as obsessed as the next bloke when a great bit of music comes along. When I'm blindsided by, say, the entire remastered AC/DC catalogue (which sounds SO amazing and demands your attention--particularly those stomping gems from the Bon Scott era) well, guess what? Three weeks of potential contemporary music exploration go right out the bloody window.

Another culprit could be termed, "Breadth of Passion," I suppose. A good forty percent (sometimes much more) of my music time moves to a techno beat. Sasha's Fundacion comp and Nick Warren's sublime entry into the Global Underground canon (GU 28: Shanghai) dominate my musical year. I also download tracks weekly from beatport.com. There's a long-standing folder on my mp3 player dedicated to the music I get from there. And then there's the jazz/classical room. That's it's own entire universe. For example, I've been cultivating a garden of Baroque classics lately, including stuff by Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Corelli (I think it's a Holiday thing, since I can't stand Chrismas carols, but I love festive music.)

Anyway, blah, blah, blah. The point is, the following list is just a snapshot of my year in music. This is what moved me, in one way or another, during the past thirteen or months. If you glance over it and say, "Hey wait. What about Bright Eyes?" it's just because I haven't gotten to that one yet. Maybe it'll show up on next year's comp. Or maybe I have gotten to it and I think it sucks. Stop bothering me and finish your grain of salt.

So what folows is a listening guide to the CD that I put together. When I mention tunes and time-codes and talk about the song as if you were listing to it it's because you should be. It's a good comp. If I've promised you a copy, don't worry. It's coming soon. And if you want a copy, drop me an email. If I have an extra, I'll send it along.

DISC ONE:

Rob Dickinson: Mutineer
I'm not certain why we're starting off with such a mellow track, especially from a guy who rocks as hard as Rob Dickinson can, but then this is more for the bookending effect than anything else. Rob Dickinson was the frontman for Catherine Wheel, whom I've always loved, so in that sense this is sort of a nostalgia pick. A very short little clip, but his voice is so great I didn't want to leave it out, and there wasn't room for "My Name Is Love" or "Don't Change"

Devendra Banhart: The Tick Eats The Olive
Devendra Banhart's contribution to this year's music scene was Cripple Crow. I don't have Cripple Crow yet (can't find it used.) But since I finally stepped on the Devendra Ban-wagon this year I thought I'd toss in the token tune. "Tick Eats The Olive" is from his first collection, and it's even shorter than the last track. In fact, it's so short that's it shouldn't even count. It's like Devendra shows up, belches and then leaves and we give him full credit. But his acolytes are so rabid that they'd gladly pay to see him show up, belch and then leave. A short tune, but that's okay. We're still warming up.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Ain't No Easy Way
Now we're talking. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club gets things moving with "Ain't No Easy Way." I dove into this catchy kettle of gospel-y goodness on a drive through Santa Ynez on the 101 and it's stuck with me since then.

Maximo Park: Apply Some Pressure
Franz Ferdinand came out with a new album this year. So did newcomers Maximo Park. But since FF was on last year's comp and since I decided only one FF-sounding act should make it onto this year's collection we default to Maximo Park. that's okay, because the album is pretty great. "Apply Some Pressure" is a cool, bouncy tune that calls to mind the cool, bouncy moods I was in mid-summer.

Kasabian: Reason Is Treason
Kasabian's album is pre-2005, but only just barely, so it still fits into my Year In Music model. It's another highway song, this one discovered whilst slowing down through King City on a trip back from San Francisco to avoid the ticket-happy CHP. To this day, I still haven't figured out whether it's cool to like Kasabian. But then, I don't really care, because I like Jethro Tull, and they're decidedly Un-cool. which therefore makes it kinda cool. I think.

Where's the Advil?

The Go! Team: Bottle Rocket
Not slowing down yet. Can't ignore The Go! Team. Crazy uplifting thrash and bash sample-laden pop/dance yumminess. i like these guys because they sound like they recorded this on a portable tape deck. Oh, and they have an orange tiger on the album cover. Two big requirements in my book. Makes me feel like being in love.

Blackalicious: Rhythm Sticks
Walking to work, down Santa Monica, grab a coffee, past the trannies on Orange, down Theater Row, but since someone's shooting a movie they've got the sidewalk blocked. So it's down Cherokee to Romaine to Cole, then. Out of the cacophony of Go! Team comes the lone emissary from the world of Hip Hop. If you ain't heard about this crew, I guess they'll have to spell it then.

Carmen Rizzo: Travel In Time
Alright, let's chill things out a bit (but only to give y'all a brief rest.) Carmen Rizzo provides the noises. Kate Havenevik drapes her voice like silk over the beats.

Herbaliser: Song For Mary
Boy oh boy, it's Herbaliser. This is so cool and groovy that you might need a blanket when it's over. Or a cigarette. I'm shoving rows of DVDs around one day on the mezzanine. Back and forth, back and forth, upstocking Journey, pulling down the George Harrison display, replacing it with the Hives, whatever. And this tune comes on. I slip downstairs to find out who it is, immediately swipe a used copy, then forget about it. A couple weeks later i'm pulling down the Hives display, replacing it with George Harrison and this tune comes on again. Man, this is good. gotta go see what it is. I hurry downstairs and...oh yeah. i've got this one already.

Life is so difficult sometimes.

Juliana Hatfield: New Waif
I always ask Jackie, "Do you like [insert name of band here]?" And she always replies, "I liked their first album, but after that I just kinda lost interest." She has a thing about first albums. she likes bands when they're new. But once that second album comes out, it's like, "Oh man, these guys are SO last year." Ergo, I give her a very hard time about The Charlatans, whose best work came long after Some Friendly. Anyway, if I felt that way about Juliana Hatfield, I would have never gotten past "Hey Babe." She's only getting better with age (and more caustic.) She's the anti-liz Phair. She's edgier than ever. Harder, less compromising and a hell of a lot less self-conscious. Juliana Hatfield rules.

Giant Drag: YFLMD
Now that we've heard from the veteran, here's Giant Drag. YFLMD. You Fuck Like... oh man, forget it. You figure it out. These guys were a blast when they played Amoeba earlier this year. Funny as hell. Guitar and drums, just like The Spinanes, whom I love, love, love.

Devin Davis: Cannons At The Courthouse
A trio of giants dominated my Year In Music. Here's one of them. Devin Davis. Lonely People Of the World Unite. This is "Cannons At The Courthouse" I tried so hard to get people excited about this cd, but most people kinda went, "Meh." I don't understand it. How can anyone resist this one man party? Created over two years by Davis playing all instruments himself, the album rockets all over the emotional map, a wild party of a collection peppered with fun, geeky lyrics. A real discovery. Now if only the guy'll just go on tour...

There's a Starbucks
on top of Mt. Everest now.
There's a plan to land two on the Moon.
Each one fully equipped
with some young artists hip to new
paintings of Jesus in aerosol cheeses
while Hell might be frozen
when I get my toes in
the diamond sparkling stream...
that's airbrushed in the background
of your wildest dream,
a nameless extra
in your wildest dream,
a standby contestant
on your wildest dream
a stand-in for the sidekick
on your wildest dream,
that's buried in the backyard
of your wildest dream...

Laura Veirs: Galaxies
The second of the three giants to dominate my Year In Music is Laura Veirs. I stumbled upon her stuff quite by accident online and I was instantly hooked. if I were gonna be completely honest, I'd have included something from her last album, Carbon Glacier. that one rocked my world. But Year Of Meteors is accomplished and delicate. Very cool stuff.

Morcheeba: Ten Men
Morcheeba is still around, folks. And I'm giving you something from the new album because they accomplished something remarkable here. They lost Skye Edwards, who, to many, was the heart and soul of the band. her silky smooth vocals were its hallmark. But the new singer brings a new flair to the band. Morcheeba is brassier, louder, but with every bit of the bluesy cool that made the original so good. When she sings, "Life's too short this time. I need experience, like a teenager. All this exuberance, let's grow up later." I kinda get bouncy and my pupils dilate.

Shout Out Louds: Please, Please, Please
The Shout Out Louds are from Sweden. They make me happy.

Earlimart: Sounds
Earlimart's album came out last year. In fact, it came out last September, so it breaks my rules a little. But so what? These guys are like velvet. And I know what you're thinking when this song begins. "Huh? What's so velvety smooth about all these jamming guitars and whatzits?" Yeah, okay, but wait till the midpoint. When the time counter hits 1:22 the band slips into Dreamy Gorgeous mode. When I heard this Earlimart suddenly became one of my all-time faves. Call it instinct.

Beta Band: Wonderful
Thanks to that last track, we're slowing down at last. The Beta Band's album came out Spring of 2004. We're no longer stretching the Year In Music rule. We're breaking it completely. But wait, Beta Band released a Best Of compilation this year, and "Wonderful" is on it. So there. Stop pointing at me.

Maria Taylor: Xanax
Oh man, Maria Taylor did amazing things for me back in late May. Caught her at the Troubador (which, incidentally, is just a little West of Robertson on Santa Monica--that's for those of you for whom the location of everything in L.A. exists in relation to Robertson Boulvard...) The show was fantastic and I was in marvelous company. I could have died right then and been pretty okay. "Xanax" is a song about conquering fear.

Now that I've found a place, where I can breathe...

Yes indeed.

Boards Of Canada: Dayvan Cowboy
Boards Of Canada take over with the soothing, instrumental "Dayvan Cowboy." No idea what "cowboy" has to do with anything, but when that pulsing guitar refrain takes over and the drums kick up that ecstatic syncopation, I no longer care.

Bloc Party: This Modern Love
I tell people that "This Modern Love" is just about the most perfect pop song I've ever heard...I mean, of couse, aside from anything The Fixx has ever done. I'll tell you the truth. If I'd had the time, I'd figured out a way for this song to be preceded by Architecture In Helsinki. I had a great combo of the two at one point. But what the hell. Pay attention to this tune. The build is flawless. The guitars shimmer like running water. The drums trip along with flawless precision. At minute 3:42, there's nothing that even comes close. Quite possibly the most marvelous piece of tunage to come along in years. They played at Coachella, but I missed 'em. I was watching dumb ol' Snow Patrol instead.

White Stripes: Passive Manipulation
Okay, this is one of my guilty little token inserts here. I liked the new album by White Stripes. I just couldn't fit the tune, "My Doorbell" into the mix. Their hard-edged bluesy Zeppelin vibe just didn't fit in. But I didn't want them to go un-repped, so here's a tiny little Meg White thing.

Goldfrapp: Number 1
And how the hell does Goldfrapp fit in?? Their new album sisn't actually available in the US until February of '06. But imports were sneaking into Amoeba since August. And how to fit their sound into the overall scheme? This sounds like vintage New Order. Aw, to hell with it. Tonight I attended the Year-End party for Argentum. On the way home, I hear a remix of this track so kick-ass that I couldn't help but wonder whether Goldfrapp could someday rule the world (seek out the remix of "Strict Machine" on Sasha's Fundacion release to see what I mean.)

You're my favorite moment
You're my Saturday.
'Cause you're my Number One.

Rob Dickinson: Mutineer (reprise)
We close out Disc One with the same cat who brought us into this. Buy Fresh Wine For The Horses, not just because it's a great title for an album, but because Rob Dickinson is like Catherine Wheel redux. He whispers. He rocks hard. It's very good stuff.

DISC TWO

Imogen Heap: Hide & Seek
I dedcided to start the second disc with my most recent obsession. Imogen Heap's Hide & Seek is some of the most compelling melodizing I've heard in a while. Kirk can't stand it because that vocoder effect makes him think of Cher. Whatever. All I can think of is chilly, bracing strolls down Lexington after dark to that little oasis of light and warmth that was Joy's apartment where awaited a glass of wine and an episode of Extras starring Ricky Gervais. I'm sure it means exactly the same thing to everyone else.

Mylo: Valley Of The Dolls
Okay, did I say there were three giants in my year of music? Let's add a fourth. I'm hanging out at Carbon, that wacky little slice o' nightlife on Venice Boulavard. Nick Pinto spins Hip Hop. The night wears out. I hit the streets of Culver City. It's well past One AM. The air is cool. I turn onto Robertson Boulevard (the center of Los Angeles, remember,) I drop the Mylo CD for the first time and I feel like I've struck oil. Listen carefully. At minute 1:34 he introduces a delicate rocking-horse melody, which he then folds into the glory of that vocal refrain. And with that acoustic guitar threaded through the mix it's as if he's weaving gold.

Or (if I can hijack a Karen Finley image) pouring honey.

Feist: Mushaboom
Leslie Feist? What can I say about her that hasn't been said already? What a voice. What a melody.

And we'll collect the moments one by one
I guess that's how the future's done

Pure beauty.

Lemon Jelly: Don't Stop
Lemon Jelly played an important role in my move to Los Angeles (i.e. they clutched at my uncertainty and fear and dragged them from me and combed them into submission like colored yarn.) Their newest album came out last year. I know, I know. So much for 2005, but hey, check it. The tune starts with such a simple beat. Layers settle in, measure by measure, until you find yourself moving against your will. At 4:20 the breakdown sets its back against the wave, then it all comes crashing forth. If you ever have a party and I end up spinning music for you, I'll be playing this tune. Just a warning.

Mirah: Nobody Has To Stay
Oh hell. another tune from 2004. Early 2004, no less. But Mirah kinda slipped beneath my radar way back then, not to mention my sonar and my crazy hand-held Alien-detection devices. "C'Mon Miracle" is a beautiful piece of work.

Deat Cab For Cutie: Marching Bands Of Manhattan
Okay, okay, so it's a terrible transition. I wish I'd let Mirah play out instead of trying to overlap her with the intro to this song. But it's too late to fix it now. I'm locked in. The deed is done. Death Cab's opening track on their new album, "Plans" sat down on the couch in the living room of my mind and refused to budge for a good portion of August and September.

Petra Haden & Bill Frisell: I Don't Wanna Grow Up
I'm tossing the year-rule out the window. I've documented the KCRW-Petra Haden moment pretty well. And sometimes that's all it takes to land on the Year-In-Music list: a single moment lost in Franklin Hills on one's way to game night at the house of a good friend. The one thing I can say about it is that there's no one else anywhere that has had the same experience. And whether you're more familiar with the tom Waits or the Ramones version of this song, you should be able to appreciate this lilting, attractive version.

Beck: Go It Alone
It's Sunday. I clock out from Amoeba at seven and head for the front door. I haul it open and find myself face to face with Beck. He says to me, "I seem to have lost my friends." I wish I there's something I can do, but the best I can muster is a grunt of sympathy. I then proceed to tell everyone I know that, "I met Beck!" That reason alone should be enough to include him on this mix. But Guero was a pretty good album. No Sea Change, mind you, but still a good piece of work.

Archer Prewitt: Way Of The Sun
So I'm hanging out at Sean's house. I'm either on my way up to San Luis Obispo or I'm not, I don't remember. Perhaps I'm there for Christian's wedding. Who knows. This song is playing (on vinyl, of course) and I just have to ask what the hell is playing, because I want to own it and play it and absorb it and live it. Though he claims otherwise, Sean's like a music guru beyond what most people would consider normal. Thank God for Sean.

Earlimart: All They Ever Do Is Talk
Earlimart gets a repeat. No other artist, not Sufjan, not Laura, not Devin, gets a second appearance. Earlimart is that good.

Sun Kil Moon: Carry Me Ohio
Okay, remember that rule about music from the past year and whatnot? Forget it. This album came out in 2003. Now I'm not about to dip into the Seventies for a bit o' the AC/DC action that I got into this year, but I feel okay about giving you a little Sun Kil Moon. Why? Mark Kozelek is Sun Kil Moon. He was also Red House Painters. Not enough for you? Me neither. Except Kozelek got this great little role in Steve Martin's Shop Girl this year, and this song had a great little cameo as well. It resonated cool into the evening and then, in review, into all the nerve endings in my fingertips. That's all it takes to get onto this list.

Radar Bros.: The River Shade
Oh, the melancholy. The Radar Bros. bring us another sad, gorgeous slice of beauty. When I hear this song now, I remember taking a wrong turn on the way to Mount Tam north of San Francisco. Getting lost. But I happened to be in such good company, the idea of getting lost didn't faze me in the least. I was in good hands.

Elbow: An Imagined Affair
Elbow hasn't received the attention on their latest album, "Leaders Of The Free World" that they did for their last. Why? I need to know.

Eastern Sun & John Kelley: Rapture At Sea
John Kelley and Eastern Sun combine to give us this gorgeous, rolling electronic tune that took up residence early in 2005, most notably on a long walk to Sunset Boulevard to peruse the pages at Book Soup. It nails the conflict I have when putting together these kinds of collections. Too many music styles. Not enough disc space. Enjoy anyway.

Stars: Calendar Girl
This is not my favorite tune from the new Stars album, "Set Yourserlf On Fire." My fave is the opening track. It's called "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead." That's not to say that I don't like this one. I love it. The swelling vocals, the surging strings, the marvelous voluptuous sound, the...uh, rather depressing lyrics. But this works as a disc-ending tune. We're coming to a close now. We're getting ready to draw the curtains. And this one just...works.

Wilco: Late Greats
I'm cheating a little here. Yes, I went through a huge Wilco phase this year. Yes, all of their music is pre-2005. We're not following that rule anymore, but I still thought it would be weird to toss something in from A Ghost Is Born, which was so patently 2004. Yet, I saw them at Coachella in April, and that was intrumental in instigating the aforementioned obsession that I HAD to include at least something Wilco. After all, they helped me kick the midweek comedown. Luckily for us all, out came "Kicking Television," the glorious live double disc that so aptly catches the feel of that sunset groove out there in the desert.

Sufjan Stevens: Avalanche
Sufjan Stevens. this guy is on so many year-end lists, it almost seems trite to put him here. But how can we pass this one up? Illinois is, as far as I'm concerned, the best album of 2005. It's unlike anything I've heard before, a sprawling musical paean to a State I've only been to in passing. But it flows like a stream, it surges like a spring tide, it soars through the air like...well...some great soaring thing. And what song to choose? Each piece, while marvelous in its own right, fits into the album's whole in such a way that to wiggle it free for this compilation would somehow diminish its power. My solution? Here's "Avalanche," the extra track included at the very end of the double vinyl release of Illinois.

Enjoy.