The Year in Music by, Alan Suback 12/09/05

As the heavy velvet curtain begins sliding slowly across the movie screen of 2005, it's the best time of year for anal retentives and compulsive rankers: list time.  And while we are far too disorganized to make some comprehensive survey like we did last year, here are some non-Brown Brothers albums released in 2005 which belong in everyone's collection:

1) Son Volt - Okemah and the Melody of Riot

Although Wilco has proven Jeff Tweedy to be the real genius from Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar reclaimed some of that legacy for himself this year with a rocking-yet-tinged-with-sadness masterpiece.  When we heard that Farrar was using the Son Volt name again after years releasing albums under his own name, with none of the original Son Volt musicians, we cringed.  But perverse fucks that we are, we greedily gobbled up a free promo of this one (the Okemah in the title is Woody Guthrie's Oklahoma hometown).  And boy are we glad we did, because this cd is a corker.

Musically, Farrar is still mining the same country-rock ore -- he virtually has no choice with his world weary, midwestern voice.  Lyrically, he constructs an oblique but unmistakable theme of resignation and criticism of the current political climate.  The songs flow naturally one after the other, giving the effect that this one is a well-thought-out album sequence.  An indispensable addition to the Tupelo-Wilco-Volt canon and one of the best new albums of the year.

2) Herlin Riley - Watch What You're Doing

For better than 10 years, Herlin Riley was Wynton Marsalis' drummer of choice for the prestigious Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.  Near the end of that run, which came to a close in 2005, Riley signed with Criss Cross records, a jazz label out of Holland which is doing a creditable job emulating the mighty 1950-70 classic Blue Note run.  This is his second album as leader for Criss Cross, and it swings, burns and smokes in equal measure.

Riley wrote most of the tunes for this one and assembled a great cast of contributors including Wynton on trumpet, his frequent rhythm partner Reginald Veal on bass, mighty Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Eric Reed on piano and Victor Goines on a variety of horns.  Although the somber mood of the album was inspired by the tragic death of Riley's nephew in the months before Riley recorded the album, it takes on added meaning since Katrina ravaged Riley (and Veal)'s native New Orleans in the months before the album's release.   With these folks though, the joy of music is the overriding theme and for some sturdy and brilliantly played instrumental jazz, this is the best new one of the year.

3) Kanye West -- Late Registration.  The man knows beats, and the Jay Z duet "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" is the year's best rap track.

4) Iron and Wine/Calexico -- In the Reins.  Haunting, moving, folksy stuff.

5) Ray Davies -- Thanksgiving Day.  The former Kinks leader says fuck the Christmas song genre, what about Turkey day.  The title track is classic Davies.