Fuzzy Lion

2005 was an odd year for music, as many people have complained that making their “best-of list” has been quite tough. I will say that it was pretty easy for me to make my Top 10 list, but unlike last year, there wasn’t a huge surplus of records left off.

I have included a link to the albums on Amazon should you decide to purchase them. I’ve also included some standout tracks should you want to go to iTunes (or your favorite file-sharing service) and get yourself acquainted with these fine, fine albums.

Without further ado, I present the Fuzzy Lion Top 10 Albums of 2005:

10. Nine Inch Nails - “With Teeth”
Best Tracks: “All the Love In the World” / “Only” / “Right Where It Belongs”

09. Mike Doughty - “Haughty Melodic”
Best Tracks: “Looking At the World From the Bottom of a Well” / “I Hear the Bells” / “Madeline and Nine”

08. Nada Surf - “The Weight Is a Gift”
Best Tracks: “What Is Your Secret” / “In the Mirror” / “Concrete Bed”

07. Ivy - “In the Clear”
Best Tracks: “Nothing But the Sky” / “Thinking About You” / “Keep Moving”

06. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - “Clap Your Hands Say Yeah”
Best Tracks: “Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)” / “Details of the War” / “By the Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth”

05. Gratitude - “Gratitude”
Best Tracks: “Drive Away” / “All In a Row” / “Last”

04. Ben Lee - “Awake Is the New Sleep”
Best Tracks: “Whatever It Is” / “Catch My Disease” / “Apple Candy”

03. Death Cab For Cutie - “Plans”
Best Tracks: “I’ll Follow You Into the Dark” / “What Sarah Said” / “Brothers On a Hotel Bed”

02. Sigur Rós - “Takk…”
Best Tracks: “Glósóli” / “Hoppípolla” / “Sæglópur”

01.Billy Corgan - “TheFutureEmbrace”
Best Tracks: “Mina Loy (M.O.H.)” / “The CameraEye” / “I’m Ready”

As an honorable mention, I’d like to highly recommend Shout Out Louds - “Howl Howl Gaff Gaff.” The import version was one of my favorite records of 2004, but it was released in the US this year with a llot of different tracks. If you can get your hands on both versions, definitely do it, as they’re both equal amazing.

Set your Tivo’s for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight, as Billy Corgan will be performing.

WOW. In what has probably made me the happiest person in the world today, Billy Corgan has said he wants the Smashing Pumpkins back!

Today marks the official release of his first solo album TheFutureEmbrace. In the Chicago Tribune, Billy place a full page ad that says “For
a year now I have walked around with a secret, a secret I chose to
keep. But now I want you to be among the first to know that I have made
plans to renew and revive “The Smashing Pumpkins.” I want my band back,
and my songs, and my dreams. In this desire I feel I have come home
again.”

Now I don’t mean to “fan out” here or anything, but if this is true, this has been the best day of the year for me! I love TheFutureEmbrace, but it’s still not the Pumpkins’ sound that made me the person I am today.

This
announcement begs the question: “Will the rest of the band be up for
it?” I’m sure Jimmy would do it, but James is the tough one. After all
the smack that was talked post-Pumpkins, it may be some time before
James can forgive and forget.

As for D’arcy, it would be nice to
have her back, but if she’s still going to be a drugged out waste, I’d
gladly take Melissa Auf Der Maur!

I’m sure this topic will be
discussed many more times in the near future, as more announcements are
made. In the meantime, pick up a copy of TheFutureEmbrace.

Update 6/22/05: Billy elaborates slightly on the reunion in the Chicago Sun Times.

You can stream Billy Corgan’s soon-to-be-released solo album in its entirety here. Enjoy.You can stream Billy Corgan’s soon-to-be-released solo album in its entirety here. Enjoy.

TheFutureEmbrace will mark the first solo album from one of the most loved/hated musicians of the past decade, Billy Corgan.

Love
him or hate him, (and I adore him — no pun intended), Billy Corgan is
by far the most prolific songwriters to emerge from the “Alternative”
genre that he helped bring into the mainstream with the massive success
of The Smashing Pumpkins.

The following tracks were released as a promo EP and have been streamed at Billy’s MySpace
site on and off. In my opinion, there are much better songs on the
album (such as “The CameraEye,” “To Love Somebody (feat. Robert
Smith),” and “I’m Ready”), but these tracks hold up really well as an
overall presentation of what to expect.

You can pre-order the album at Amazon here.

Stream TheFutureEmbrace EP here.

Update: 6/14/05: Stream removed due to whole album being streamed at Billy’s MySpace site.