Best of 2005 for TexasGigs.com

Kate Mackley, Best of 2005
Everyone has their picks for the "Best of…" during the past year. Here are a few things that caught my attention.

2005 Albums That Ought to Pay My iPod Rent
Lousy Robot, The Strange and True Story of Your Life
The Hourly Radio, The Lure of the Underground, with my #1 Most Played track of 2005, "Fear of Standing Upright" (because of all those hours on the treadmill, I’m sure).
Happy Bullets, The Vice and Virtue Ministry
John Dufilho, I Remain, As Always, a Rabble Rouser from the Mountains
everything Cory Watson did this year.

My Mix CD 2005
with the songs my friends made sure I had:
"Apple Candy", Ben Lee, Awake Is The New Sleep
"Between Us", Brendan Benson, Alternative to Love
"Take It Easy", Bright Eyes, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
"Confection", Mommy And Daddy, Fighting Style Killer Panda
"Finding Out True Love Is Blind", Louis XIV, The Best Little Secrets are Kept
"What League Am I In?", Michaelmas, Every Minute A Mystery (Comes With A Smile)
"The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth", Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"Dinner Bells", Wolf Parade, Apologies To The Queen Mary
and the ones I sent to them:
"On and On", Mission to the Sea, Red Light
"Badlands", Spitfire Tumbleweeds, King James Version
"One Day at a Time", Johnny Lloyd Rollins, Let's Be Poor Together
"Montreal", Salim Nourallah, Beautiful Noise
"Foreigner", Zapruder Sequence, EP
"Good Luck", Chris Holt, Summer Reverb
plus, of course, all the other albums mentioned here.

Best Synchronicity
Black Tie Dynasty and [DARYL] for Bloody Basin

Most Infectious Song
"Willow" by Millicent Friendly. and now it’s stuck in my head, again.

Best Show I Couldn’t Handle
Salim Nourallah @ Bend Studio – Salim, undiluted. I fled in tears.

Best Marathon I’d Run Again
Spune’s Wall of Sound @ Hailey’s

Best Sandwich I Ate During a Music Fest
Denton’s Sweetwater Café (around the corner from Hailey’s): shrimp, cheese, and bacon. See those extra pounds on my hips? Uh huh. yum.

Best Time That Was Over Too Soon
Trees, Club Dada, Highlands Cafe’s first season

Most Improved Club
The Cavern, duh.

Most Innovative and Freakin’ Great Idea, ever.
Bend Studio – the vibe, the art, the shoelessness

Best Thing That Began
Podcasts: yours & mine.

Most Interesting New Band on My Radar
Auto Escape

Most Interesting Personality
Scott Porter

Rocking My 2006
The Lord Henry – in the studio with Stuart Sikes and a new album. The Beatles meet The Strokes.

Au Revoir 2005! Can’t wait for 2006.