2005 was another great music year and this list was nearly impossible to keep slim. You can see my definite pop leanings: I wasn't afraid to let a radio hit or mass popularity ruin a good tune. (Maybe that's the definition music maturity!) I probably listened to the pop stuff (and softy soft) more than the sonic accidents (and like 2004, I had a cheat. Clarkson's song technically was a 2004 release but I listened to it mostly in 2005. So did Blender, which named it the best song of the year. But the Arcade Fire for me actually was more of a January 2006 band - yes, I was chronically late - so maybe it could end up on next year's list!)

Yet so many songs in 2005 make for a tough mix! I'm not sure the whole of this mix holds together as well as 2004 just because there is so much to synethesize. I gave it a shot. I was tempted to lead off with the "Like-a-Rolling-Stone" length Iron & Wine 9 minute opus as the lead but then realized this would be more of a High Fidelty-type gambit and perhaps scare listeners away. So it's near the end, followed by one tune off My Morning Jacket's hailed "Z' which I never got into for some reason. But this one song "Gideon" made me think of the future so it seemed a fitting year-ender. Enjoy!

This mix is posted at Apple's iTunes music store or you can listen to 'me for free (once, I think) at Rhapsody (coming!)

	Junior Kickstart	The Go! Team	Thunder, Lightning, Strike
	British mash-ups of old soccer tunes....crazy fun and a rousing opener.
	Lyla	Oasis	Don't Believe the Truth
	There are tons of songs about girls named Ruby but none about Lila, until this tune (even thought they spelled it the Arabic way.) Close enough, and one for Lila!
	Twin Killers	Deerhoof	The Runners Four
	Sludgey pop with Japanese female singer adding the unlikely flavor.
	E-Pro	Beck	Guero
	Beck as the new Dylan? Is there anything he does that someone doesn't like?
	The End	Ryan Adams & the Cardinals	Jacksonville City Nights
	I'm a big defender - what does it matter how prolific he is if its all good? I did enjoy this disc the best of his 2005 three.
	Window	Fiona Apple	Extraordinary Machine
	Worth the wait. Not sure why she is not a megastar.
	Since U Been Gone	Kelly Clarkson	Breakaway
	A karoeke staple forevermore!
	Gamble Everything For Love	Ben Lee	Awake is the New Sleep
	Think like last year another Ben takes my favorite record award of 2005! The prize - an invaluable buy this link.
	Politic Amagni	Amadou & Mariam	Dimanche a Bamako
	Blind Malian couple sing western-ready African melodies.
	Sitting, Waiting, Wishing	Jack Johnson	In Between Dreams
	You know this list is uninfluenced by the critical consensus when such a piffle strum-a-long appears! But this definitely rated in terms of my overall listens.
	The Mixture	Ike Reilly Assassination	Junkie Faithful
	Two great singles off this record; this white boy rap fits better in this mix.
	Cookie Jar	Mark Mulcahy	In Pursuit of Your Happiness
	Yes, loved by Thom Yorke and myself - but I was there first, back at the El N Gee club (RIP) in New London in 1986!
	Save Me a Saturday Night	Neil Diamond	12 Songs
	Rick Rubin tried to do for Diamond what he did for Johnny Cash and on some cuts, it worked.
	Landed	Ben Folds	Songs for Silverman
	Another one where I feel like I need to beg forgiveness. But try to stop singing along.
	Video	Aimee Mann	The Forgotten Arm
	Her release basically ignored but I attribute this to being too good...I fell for this whole concept album about a junkie couple.
	Heard 'Em Say	Kanye West	Late Reigstration
	My weakness for crossover rap again revealed.
	The Trapeze Swinger	Iron & Wine	In Good Company (soundtrack)
	Friend Heather turned us on to this one and from this song, we got all his back catalog. That meaningful.
	Gideon	My Morning Jacket	Z
	Hail the beards in 2006!