Top 10 Minnesota Albums of 2005

1. I Self Devine, Self Destruction (Rhymesayers)

2. Atmosphere, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (Rhymesayers/Navarre)

3. Low, The Great Destroyer (Sub Pop)

4. Mint Condition, Livin' the Luxury Brown (Image/Cagedbird)

5. Charlie Parr, Rooster (Little Judges)

6. Stephanie Says, Sex, Socialism and the Seaside (Grimsey) (Nice MPR piece here.)

7. Birthday Suits, Cherry Blue (Nice & Neat Records)

8. Kill the Vultures, Kill the Vultures (JIB)

9. Irv Williams, Dedicated to You (Ding-Dong Music)

10. Halloween, Alaska, Too Tall to Hide (East Side Digital)

Top 20 Local Songs of 2005:

1. Low, "Monkey," from The Great Destroyer (Sub Pop)

2. Atmosphere, "Pour Me Another," from You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (Rhymesayers/Navarre)

3. I Self Devine, "Ice Cold," from Self Destruction (Rhymesayers)

4. Trama, "Praise God," from Tramagnum the Album (K.E.P.)

5. Kill the Vultures, "The Vultures," from Kill the Vultures (JIB)

6. Mint Condition, "Luxury Brown," from Livin' the Luxury Brown (Image/Cagedbird)

7. Soviettes, "Multiply and Divide," from LP III (Fat Wreck Chords)

8. Halloween, Alaska, "Drowned," from Too Tall to Hide (East Side Digital)

9. Medida, "People," from Yoni, Now That's What I Call Copyright Infringement! Volume One (self-released)

10. Desdamona, "I Don't Stop," from The Ledge (self-released)

11. Terry Eason, "Like Me More," from The Aching of the Household Fly (Gojohnnygo.com/www.jamrecordings.com)

12. Kanser, "Look Love," from Self Titled (Interlock)

13. Ernie Rhodes, "The Works (Get Movin')," from The Orbital Effect (Modern Day/Dialogue Elevaters)

14. Birthday Suits, "Twin Cities Bridge Is," from Cherry Blue (Nice & Neat Records)

15. Contac, "Set It Off," from Anutha All Nighta (Lazyeye Entertainment/ATM Recordings)

16. Boy Girl Boy Girl, "Freak Accident," from Sugar Skull Maker (Spinout)

17. Aphrill, "Schoolyard Bullies," from Various artists, Twin Town High Vol. 7, 2005-2006 (Pulse/Copycats)

18. Cecil Otter, "Mom Song," from False Hopes (Doomtree)

19. American Head Charge, "Loyalty," from The Feeding (DRT/Nitrus)

20. Sims, "Dreamsleep," from Lights Out Paris (Doomtree)

30-Plus More Local Albums Worth Hearing:

Soviettes, LP III (Fat Wreck Chords)

Trama, Tramagnum the Album (K.E.P.)

Vicious Vicious, Don't Look So Surprised (The Redemption Recording Co.)

Extreme Guitar Orchestra, Live! (self-released)

Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs, Last Album (self-released)

Electropolis, Electropolis (Innova Recordings)

Cheap Cologne, Something Random (Broke-Ass Records)

Various artists, Twin Town High Vol. 7, 2005-2006 (Pulse/Copycats)

Various artists, Beaner's Central One Week Live Volume III (self-released)

Plain Ole Bill, Student of the Old, Teacher of the New School (self-released)

Various artists, TC Electropunk Vol. 2 (self-released)

Paul Westerberg, Besterberg: The Best of Paul Westerberg (Rhino)

Little Black Books, Only One Name (In My Little Black Book)

Ant, Melodies and Memories 85-89 (Rhymesayers)

Atmosphere, Headshots Se7en [reissue with label sampler] (Rhymesayers)

Chris Koza, Exit Pesce (self-released)

Happy Apple, The Peace Between Our Companies (Sunnyside/Universal)

The Deaths, Choir Invisible (Go Johnny Go/Elephant Park)

Matt Jennings, Two Become One

Impaler, Habeas Corpus (Root of All Evil)

Mark Mallman, Seven Years (EGT)

Omaur Bliss, Omaur Bliss

Slug (with Murs), Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet (Rhymesayers)

Various artists, The Best of Smoke-Free Saturday Nights Vol. 2

Various artists, The Bootlegs: Celebrating 35 Years at First Avenue

Various artists, City Pages Picked 2 Click (Copycats)

Various artists, Music of China

Various artists, 4th Annual Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop (Copycats)

[This list in progress through early January; sorry the graphics and labels are incomplete...]

Three Albums that Aren't Local, but They're Almost Local, and They're Really Good:

1. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (French Kiss)

2. Bob Mould, Body of Song (Yep Roc)

3. The King of France, The King of France (Echo Label)

Top 5 Local Live Acts of 2005:

1. Atmosphere
2. Eyedea and Friends (with Mazta I, Carnage, Desdamona, J.T. Bates, etc.)
3. STNNNG
4. Maria Isa
5. Brother and Sister

More Minnesota Top 10s and Updates: Lindsey Thomas's Top Ten in City Pages (singles and live acts here). Chris Bahn's Top 10 in the Onion. DUNation's local and national Top 10s. David de Young with How Was the Show's Top Ten and more. Andrea Myers's Top 10. More Top Tens at MusicScene.org. Modern Radio thread on best live shows of 2005. Riemenschneider's half-year list from the Star Tribune in June. Radio K's Top 77 of 2005 (coming in '06). The Current's Top 50 albums poll (lots of local music here). Rex's rolling catch-all 2005 list roundup. The Star Tribune's local music critics poll. All the critics' Top 10s. Riemenschneider's Top 10. Raihala's Top 20. Andrew Olson's Top Local Songs of 2005 in the Duluth Reader Weekly.