Fuzzy Lion

Every friday, AmazonMP3 has a “5 albums for $5 each” deal. There’s usually something decent in the list, but more often than not the decent record is something I already own. This happens to be the case with this week as well with Sigur Rós‘ Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. This is hands down one of the best albums of the year and I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t alert the music-buying public of this offer.

Here’s a great video of the band performing Gobbledigook live with Björk…

Tomorrow (Saturday, June 28th) at 3pm EST, National Geographic Music will be streaming a live concert from Reykjavik featuring hometown favorites Sigur Rós and Björk. The free show is a benefit to raise the awareness of the impact that the growing aluminum smelting is having on Iceland’s environment.

While Sigur Rós is not a political band by any means, they are no strangers to environemental causes that affect Iceland.

Also, if you haven’t checked out their latest masterpiece Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, you are missing one of the year’s best albums.

Check out the webcast at http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com

Head on over to Sigur Rós‘ official site to download a free, high-quality mp3 of the new song “Gobbledigook” and view the video from their forthcoming new album.

The song is unlike the typical Sigur Rós I’ve come to adore, but it’s still a wonderful track. Needless to say, this is one of my most highly anticipated albums of 2008.

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.

For those of you that won’t be catching Sigur Rós when they make their second go-around of the United States early in ‘06, here’s a lovely example of just what you’ll be missing. This show was recorded on 11-25 in Torino Italy and is one of the best sounding Sigur Rós live bootlegs I’ve ever heard.

Tracklist:
01. Takk…
02. Glosolì
03. Ny Battery
04. Saeglopur
05. Njósnavélin
06. Gòng
07. Andvari
08. Happipolla
09. Með Blóðnasir
10. Olsen Olsen
11. Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása
12. Svo Hljótt
13. Heysatàn (Cut)

Download MP3s: Part 1 | Part 2

Brady’s Almanac
is hosting mp3s of Sigur Rós’ show from Boston’s Opera House on
September 15th. I had the opportunity to see Sigur Rós when they played
NYC’s Beacon Theater and it was perhaps the best show I’ve ever seen in
my life.

You can download the tracks individually from Brady’s Almanac for a limited time, or grab them here.

Tracklist:
1. Takk / Glosoli
2. Ny Batteri
3. Saeglopur
4. Vaka
5. Gong / Andvari
6. Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa
7. Hoppipolla / Med Blodnasir
8. Hafssol
9. Smaskifa
10. Popplagio

Scenestars is streaming Sigur Rós’ latest album Takk….
On first listen, I am already in love, although it’s not surprising
considering Sigur Rós is one of the best bands on the face of the
planet.

The album will be released September 13 on Geffen Records.

Sigur Rós will be playing New York City’s Beacon Theater on September 12 & 13.

NME.com has posted a few details on Sigur Rós’ new album, scheduled to be released in September with an MP3 single coming in August.

The
album, which is as of yet untitled, will feature 11 songs, 9 of which
have never been heard live. The majority of the songs will be sung in
Icelandic.

Download “Starálfur” by Sigur Rós here.

More mp3s can be found on their official site.

Sigur Rós will be embarking on a world tour this summer and making
stops in the US mainland starting September 6th in Atlanta. (They will
be in Honolulu on August 8, which is coincidentally enough, my
birthday, so if you’re strapped for present ideas, a trip to Hawaii to
see Sigur Rós would be an idea!) They will be hitting the Beacon
Theater in NYC for two nights: September 12 and 13.

The complete tour schedule can be found here.