in a great year for music, this was probably my favorite. it was a tough choice, but i think seeing and hearing these songs live this past summer at starlite really clinched it. tremendous atmosphere to these songs. forboding, catchy, well produced, lots of good ideas. and probably my favorite song of the year, “no cars go”. great follow up to my favorite record of 2004, funeral. this band might be the new radiohead when it comes to unique and essential records.
2. Blitzen Trapper-Wild Mountain Nation 
If you want a fun album with all kinds of genres mixed together, this was it. you’ve got some punky stuff, some alternative, some indie pop rock, and some country/folk, all with unique twists. I can listen to this anytime, any day.
3. Radiohead-In Rainbows 
boy, anytime you dont pick a radiohead album #1 on a yearly list, its almost like, what went wrong? nothing really, in fact i probably haven’t given this album its proper due. I think i’m awaiting the standard release before i give it a 2nd go round as far as what i really think of it. theres no denying that its good, but its probably more on par with amnesiac than kid a or ok computer but thats certainly no knock. there isnt a bad track on the thing and it has at least 3 or 4 really solid highlights. i dunno, i guess it just seems like its more par for the course than new ground for a band that built itself on always evolving.
4. Okkervil River-The Stage Names 
I’d call this a personal surprise choice for a year end top list. it took me some time to warm up to this one. i really enjoyed the opening track but at first i thought the record overall to be kinda slow for my taste. subsequent listens though really opened my ears to what is really a lot of great catchy and well written songs. i especially enjoy the beach boys cover at the end. Highly recommend this one.
5. Modest Mouse-We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank 
If you are a modest mouse fan then its a must own, i think its better than their last album (and probalby their best work since the Moon and Antartica). also Dashboard is easily a top 3 song of this year. For whatever reason i think i like this more than a lot of people did but i just dont see what there isn’t to like on here.
Honorable Mention: Spoon-Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, The Pomonas-Good Cop, Good Cop
he Most Difficult Fan in the World to be:
Currently listening to: Sigur Ros-()
The KC Royals/KC Chiefs/Kansas State Wildcats fan.
Consider the past 20 years, which would be about the time i’ve followed all of these teams pretty closely and with a good amount of emotion.
First the Royals…
well no playoffs the past 20 seasons, 1 winning season in the last 13, and set major league baseball all-time futility records with 4 100-loss seasons out of 5, including 3 in a row from 04-06. Basically, I’ve never seen a “good” royals team…the only decent teams i’ve seen were in 1994 which of course ended in a strike just after the royals had won like 16 straight games and that improbable 2003 season where KC blew a 7 game division lead at the all star break and barely finished above .500. Along the way the royals have set all kinds of “worst bullpen ever” and “worst team ERA ever” and “most blown saves” type marks and also managed to lose 19 games in a row back in 2005. Brutal. But at least I never really had my heart broken with the royals, its hard to when you expect so little and never play in any big games. I will always be a diehard royals fan, but lately i find myself only making it to a few games each summer when i used to go to 10-15 games easily. If nothing else, it makes for an entertaining listen to see how the royals can find new ways to lose. There is some hope i guess with the dayton moore regime, but i’m not holding my breath.
The Chiefs…
Back in the 90s the Chiefs were consistently getting into the playoffs and one of the leagues better teams. Unfortunately though they were coached by Marty Schottenheimer who ruled the regular season and always fell apart in the playoffs. In fact KC has not won a playoff game since 1993 when Joe Montana led the chiefs all the way to the afc championship game in buffalo which they of course lost. I believe this “no playoff wins” streak is the longest in the nfl.
3 times the chiefs have had 13-3 seasons with homefield throughout the playoffs but lost their first round home games(95, 97, 03). The worst loss was the 95 game, the “Lin Elliot” game which KC lost 10-7 to the colts in a brutal cold game in which Elliot missed at least 3 chippy FG’s.
Since 97 KC has only made the playoffs twice (03, 06) and this year they look to be one of the worst teams in the nfl with no real hope for the future. I have long since given up my emotional tie to this team (after marty left i called it quits with my emotional investment) even though i still follow them.
Kansas State Wildcats
This takes everything to a whole new level. The royals have actually won a world series (although i was 4 and have no recollection), and the chiefs a superbowl (1969) so there is at least some past history of success to admire and fall back on. With KSU though, no dice. Kansas State has never won a National Championship in anything involving athletics, mens or womens, ever. http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/champs_listing1.html
In fact, out of the 6 BCS football conferences (big 12, big 10, pac 10, acc, sec, big east), only KSU, Virginia Tech, Mississippi, Mississippi St., Pittsburg, and S. Florida have not won a title in anything. So right out of the gate there is no history to fall back on. But its so much worse I dont even know where to begin. It will take another post, i’ll finish this later.