One interesting feature that this process highlights is the constant shifting in my musical preferences and styles from year to year, and yet from month to month. This may seem obvious, but it is only when you lay it all out in front of you in this way, that you can truly see the journey's, moods, feelings and memories that have led you to where you are now. I strongly implore everyone to do this, and I also strongly implore everyone to see the Spotisfaction (http://www.spotisfaction.com/) website and point out the playlists and reviews up there. So, here's my 2005 playlist, more to follow. Enjoy!2005 1) Blur - Out Of Time 2) The Strokes - The Modern Age 3) Supergrass - Your Love 4) The Futureheads - Meantime 5) Kaiser Chiefs - Na Na Na Na Na 6) Franz Ferdinand - Jacqueline 7) Athlete - Tourist 8) Doves - Black And White Towns 9) Kubb - Somebody Else 10) Kanye West - Touch The Sky 11) Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc 12) Hal - Don't Come Running 13) Hard Fi - Tide Up Too Tight 14) The Subways - Mary 15) The Magic Numbers - I See You, You See Me 16) James Blunt - High 17) Coldplay - White Shadows 18) Maximo Park - Graffiti 19) Guns N' Roses - Paradise City 20) Turin Brakes - Asleep With The Fireflies 21) Mcfly - I Wanna Hold You 22) Foo Fighters - Up In Arms 23) Mylo - Need You Tonite 24) N.E.R.D. - Rock Star 25) Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Feel Good On The Dancefloor 26) Radiohead - Optimistic 27) Jack Johnson - Banana Pancakes 28) Faithless - Salva Mea 29) Ben Folds Five - Julianne This is the soundtrack to my life = 2005January - April 2005, in many ways, was the year that I started to seriously get intomusic, and started to make my finger on the whim of popular andcontemporary music. I had been given Blur's Think Tank album forChristmas, so 'Out Of Time' marks the place where I put my coremusical preferences to one side, and embraced new bands and sounds. Thisresulted with me acquiring Is This It? by The Strokes, an album I'dbeen recommended by many, and with it 'The Modern Age' of my bed for music had dawned. I had also been given Supergrass' self titled album for Christmas, and the path 'Your Love'was on a playlist of mine while studying in my sixth form common roomone cloudy January afternoon. Part of my new exploration into new musicinvolved me subscribing to NME every week, so naturally, I quickly gotinto some of the fresh new exciting bands of the time, Kaiser Chiefs ('Na Na Na Na Na'featuring on an NME cover CD prior to the band's debut album release)and The Futureheads. I was a bit late to the party with Franz Ferdinand,only getting into their debut album whilst walking over Cleeve Hill,during the February half term. With both Athlete's Tourist and Doves'Some Cities being released in 2005 amidst my transition, my ears werequickly filled with these two inspiring albums, subsequently making bothbands instant favourites.April - July After having seen Kubb on Top Of The Pops that year, I bought their album, based entirely on the one 'Someone Else'. I first heard an exclusive work of 'Feeling Good Inc'on Radio 1 in the course of 2005 whilst on an Archaeology feild trip,and it's lighter sound somehow fitted my head space at the time.Similarly, I heard Hal's debut album being played in HMV whilst browsingone day, and felt that it suited my taste and wit at the time quitewell. Plus, it sounded different and lonely in charm, and still doestoday. Hard Fi's Stars Of CCTV and The Subways' Young For Eternity bothcame out on the same day, and despite listening to both religiously thatweek, Hard Fi tended to get more of an affect. This happened to be thesame week as the London bombings, so Hard Fi's gritty urban talesattitude made more experience in that bit in time. Having seen The MagicNumbers opening for Doves earlier in the class in Birmingham, I boughttheir debut album, and again, couldn't stop listening. I rememberwalking to establish in mid July listening to James Blunt's first album, andenjoying the track 'High' more than the rest. The summer of 2005also saw the number of X & Y by Coldplay; a album that had builtsoo much hype, especially to me, as I pre-ordered a copy, and thenbought another copy on the day of release. When headlining the PyramidStage at Glastonbury that year, during the performance of 'White Shadows', Coldplay seemed at the top of their game, and as a viewer, I had chills.August - October I spent the summer holidays of 2005 babysitting my parents house, Acrobat' and 'Grafitti'fast became my two favourite tracks on the collection, and many asummer's day was spent walking through the park listening to the album.My mate Rob had a house party whilst his parents were also away, sonaturally, a crowd of us got immensely drunk and sang 'Paradise City'by Guns N' Roses at the ace of our voices until the neighbours turnedup. Ahhhh, good times! The next morning's hangover was soundtracked by Turin Brakes' 'Asleep With The Fireflies', still arelaxing anti-headache tune to this day. Having been a fan of Mcfly'sfirst album, I bought Wonderland on the day of it's release, and Iremember buying a pair of black jeans, whilst listening to the album.Following my constant listening to Foo Fighters' In Your Honour albumover the summer, I bought The Color And The Shape, and quicklypreferred it, and with it, 'Up In Arms'. Once back at college, I was listening to Mylo's Destroy Rock And Roll album a lot, and loved the slow groove of 'Wishing You Tonite'.I tended to listen to that album, and N.E.R.D.'s first two releasesaround this time, usually whilst playing marathons on Grand Theft Auto:San Andreas. Ahhhh, good times!October - December In a weird way, the half term at the end of October in 2005marked another huge turning point in my life for the following reasons:my musical tastes and preferences were good to be changed forever, and Igot my hair cut. On the Mon of that week, the 'I Bet You Feel Well On The Dancefloor'single was released, and launched the Arctic Monkeys as one of thefastest selling and mos popular bands of all time. But it was thesingles B-sides, 'Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts' and 'Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick'with their underrated charm that still stand out stronger for me. Thissingle, and all of it's sounds mean allot to me as that Monday was theday I got my hair cut for the 1st time in 2 years. At the time, my newhair resembled Alex Turner's circa 'I Bet That You.', sothe track itself also fast became a favourite. Another huge influence onmy musical mind throughout 2005 was Radiohead. Prior to 2005, I alwayssaw Radiohead as a diverse, pretentious and inaccessible band. However,after getting into The Bends, and then Ok Computer, and then Pablo Honeyrespectively, They fast became one of my favourite ever bands. Duringthat now seminal half term week, I bought Kid A, and my whole perceptionof the band altered forever. The track 'Optimistic' alwaysreminds me of that time as that was, and yet is, my favourite track ofthe entire album. This detail also marks my 18th birthday. Thus,started my enchantment with dance music, but more on that in years tocome. For my birthday, I was given Jack Johnson's album In BetweenDreams, which I didn't listen to an awfully lot, but tracks like 'Banana Pancakes' and 'Breakdown' stood out. A crowd of us went to see Faithless play at Birmingham NIA at the end of 2005, and as well as loving 'Salva Mea'live, it was likewise one of the most played as I listened to the ForeverFaithless compilation during that time. And finally, the conclusion of2005 was also a significant time for me as I got my first girlfriend,Lucy. Aside from all the usual mixed and confused feelings and thoughtsthat happen to a guy when they get going out with a girl, I quicklyfound that Lucy loved Ben Folds Five when I played them to her,therefore all the remainder of that relationship insecurity crap flew out thewindow. Anyway, she loved the way Folds sang the words "Being awake never felt like this before" in 'Julianne'. Even to this day, that course and lyric always stand out, almost as atestament to that relationship, but also to my passing over the wholeof 2005. My eyes had been opened, in more ways than one. Nuff said!
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