Austinist's Top 25 Albums of 2005

While scores of wonderful albums from already well-established indie acts like Broken Social Scene, Of Montreal and The Decemberists were all but predestined for greatness this year, others seemed to appear from nowhere. Case in point: Sup Pop phenoms Wolf Parade, emerging from Montreal with a series of cameos in various compilation albums that left American fans in a rabid frenzy before finally dazzling us with their debut LP, Apologies to the Queen Mary; or South London art-rockers Art Brut, who've yet to release Bang Bang Rock 'n' Roll in the states but nevertheless sold out nearly the entirety of their first-ever tour of the East Coast last month.

2005 also saw Austin-based institutions making it big, nationally - our friends were simultaneously thrilled that Spoon made Time magazine and sad that the Central Texans were probably lost to us henceforth, while local label Misra Records put out album after heartbreaking album from the likes of Phosphorescent, Great Lake Swimmers and Flotation Toy Warning.

Some records were, in retrospect, bittersweet: Jens Lekman's unassailably beautiful collection of b-sides and unreleased tracks in Oh You're So Silent Jens had us eager and hopeful for the Swedish singer-songwriter's promised third LP in 2006; we were devastated to hear that he'd since lost focus and is, as of this writing, contemplating an end to his brief musical career. On the other side of the spectrum, Andrew Bird put out yet another symphonic masterpiece, Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Notable among the more surprising releases we'd predicted would flop were Franz Ferdinand's sophomore effort, You Could Have It So Much Better, and Death Cab for Cutie's Atlantic-issued Plans; both preserved - if not magnified - each band's signature sound and showcased an increasing maturity of songwriting talent. All in all, it was a magnificent year for music.

In the end, of course, the albums we chose are but a reflection of our own particular tastes and moods over this past year, and hardly an indication of any national zeitgeist. Had we more time and energy, we'd love to include so many of the bands we didn't add to this list - Vashti Bunyan, New Pornographers, New Order and many more - but, as we rapidly approach the cusp of the new year, our minds are focused on other matters. That being said, we're thrilled to present you with Austinist's Top 25, with accompanying downloads so that you might also share in our enthusiasm.

Enjoy! -- The Editors