I'm Going To Call 2005 The Best Year For New Music In, Well, Years.

I've been rifling through hundreds of CD's since January of this year, through pre-release samplers, pilfered pre-release versions of albums sent to me by friends and acquaintances in the music industry, and just stuff that hans't made it out of the gate yet. Not since I was a teenager have I been so consumed with the incredible quality of new recordings that I've been in contact with this year. Could it be because I'm getting to hear so many great new things so far ahead of the game, I feel a sense of empowerment? I don't think so, really.

2005 has been an exceptional year for new full-length recordings from a number of established artists and innumerable indies I've had the pleasure to hear. The year is only halfway over with, which means I've got six more months of gems to look forward to from a number of places.

Add to that our local music scene in Memphis being burgeoning and strong, I can't help but think I'm the proud owner of the luckiest set of ears in the world right now.

Over the course of the next few days, I'm going to try to compile a bunch of my personal favorites from the year in that "Stream And Listen" column. I'm starting off the foray with an album that will be on my top 10 list come years end, a band from the UK called Editors with their debut album, The Back Room. I wrote about it on Scenestars, but I don't think my words alone could do justice to the record. Hearing it, it's as if someone unearthed an amazing Echo and the Bunnymen record that was never released. Check it out for yourself.

I've got to get some sleep, I know there must be something I have to do tomorrow that I haven't done. Goodnight.