25 ARTISTS TO WATCH IN 2005
So we're into spring already and just hitting you with a forecast feature for 2005? Well that's because we needed several months to assess all the upcoming albums of the year and declare some must-listens, outside of the obvious (no, really, Bloc Party will blow your angular-post-punk-loving ass away) and suspect (The Bravery? er, no) selections we've read elsewhere. By no means a complete, be-all-end-all collection, we at least present to you a diverse array of artists, from the startingly authentic soul of Sharon Jones to the manic depressive folk of Summer at Shatter Creek and freakish pop of ZZZZ, AK-Momo and Thunderbirds Are Now!
Such declarations of importance are likely to draw a groan here or fire-bomb there. So we welcome you to write diwedit@mac.com with 50 words on why we should have selected so-and-so. If we can rationalize your reasoning, DIW will send you a gift or two. Onto the self-important critic babble.
A Frames / AK-Momo / Black Lipstick / The Books / Daedelus and Busdriver / The Headphones / Heartless Bastards / Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings / Kaos / Maximo Park / Cass McCombs / Mu / The One AM Radio / Out Hud / The Sights / The Snake The Crosses The Crown / SNMNMNM / Regina Spektor / Summer at Shatter Creek / Thunderbirds Are Now! / Mia Doi Todd / M. Ward / William Elliot Whitmore / Patrick Wolf / ZZZZ
Daedelus and Busdriver
Back when they worked together as The Weather, Daedelus was a Dj with dementia and Busdriver was an MC with major meter issues. Not much has changed since, as both artists continue to remind us of what LA's hip-hop underground can and should stand for. The only difference lately is increasingly accessible Mush albums from each, including Daedelus' creaky IDM/rap/classical studies LP, Exquisite Corpse, and Busdriver's guest-guided (including Prefuse 73, Danger Mouse, and Daedelus) Fear of a Black Tangent.
AP