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Earlier in the day, you’ll have read all about the CDs that the hecklerspray cats deemed – in all their heavenly glory – to be the best of 2005. But that’s not the end of things, oh no…

In our short lifespan, we’ve made a bunch of friends. And, crucially, these friends know their shit. So we’ve asked them what their best CDs of 2005 are, too. Who are these friends? Some are in bands, some are managers, all are jolly good eggs. What have they chosen? Read on…

Liz, Ladyfuzz
Ignoring my possible biasedness… the one
record that gets my heart racing everytime I hear is definitely still
Silent Alarm by Bloc Party (CDs). Its amazing how it managed to touch and
influence so many people. And it does literally make me feel my heart
starting to race with its drums and energy.

Jennifer Gentle:
Alessio – Valende by Jennifer Gentle (CDs). I don’t
want to seem big-headed but I really didn’t have enough time (or money)
to buy new albums this year, and what I heard wasn’t that exciting…
while I like a lot our music!
Marco – I’m not really up to date – I don’t buy many CDs,
so I’m not in a position to say what’s the best album of 2005. I bought
and loved a couple of Ace Records compilations, one dedicated to
novelty hits of the late 50’s /early 60’s and another one based on
classic Halloween pop songs from the same era. Great stuff, bizarre and
funny.

Marco, Sillyboy Entertainment:
I bought many reissues (Can, Cure,
Funkadelic) and loved them all. The Soul Jazz compilation called New
Thing is simply fantastic: I’m a big fan of artists like Archie Shepp,
Sun Ra, Albert Ayler. Among the new releases I liked the Kelley Stoltz
EP, High On Fire is a great metal band and Residual Echoes did a good
album too: the last Supergrass has its moments. Also, I think that the
last Barbra Streisand (CDs) album is a monument to the pop art of Barry Gibb
(not kidding!)

Carl Morris, My Kung Fu Label Manager
The standout tune of 2006
must surely be the boundary-busting 1 Thing by Amerie (CDs). It’s rare that I
can pinpoint that amazing "wow-what-on-earth-is-this" personal moment
for any tune, but it happened on the dancefloor with relentless
percussive pressure and sweet soul vocals. Uncovering the pedigree, it
all made sense – Rich Crazy In Love Harrison at the controls,
mangling a classic Meters drum break – a latter day trouble-funking
feeling for a proto-diva steeped in the DC tradition. It’s the kind of
monumental tune that makes you afraid to buy the album in case it’s not
quite as great. Why not bump it in your jeep once Sony figure out their
copy protection system? Other new stuff we’ve liked in the office
includes: Isolee, Josephine Foster, Mugison, Junior Boys, Super Furry
Animals…

Z Berg, The Like
BRMC’s Howl (CDs)… I’m very hesitant to say I like anything new.  I have a fear of new; I can’t wear anything unless it has a few holes. But I really like this record. A lot. It just gets me.

Devin Davis
This is a tough one.. I was going to say A Ghost Is
Born. But then I realised that it came out last year! How time flies.
Well… I suppose I’m not going to be the only one to answer with this,
but I guess I would have to say the best CD of the year (and now vinyl
album) would have to be Illinoise (CDs). Sufjan Stevens has such a wisdom for great
vocal melodies. I’m truly sucker for big gang choruses too… and that
doesn’t even comment on the lyrics, which are so pleasantly vivid
with great storytelling and development of characters and settings. AND
there is some ‘rock’ sprinkled in there too… some noise… which
seems to be kind of absent from a lot of what some consider to be
‘folkie’ music. Great album.

Sam Smith, Mother And The Addicts
My knowledge of
contemporary music is gleaned from the weekly two minute flick through
the NME in the newsagents. Disco Blood by Shit Disco. I’m going to
stick in a single for this and it’s one by some fellow Glasgow based
non-locals and it’s rather splendid. What’s more, it comes with a very
good remix by Clor. Both versions really jolly up the dance floor.

Oppenheimer:
Shaun – The Chalets – Check In (CDs) – great pop
from a fantastic Irish band. We’ve played with them a couple of times
and they’re great live.
Rocky: Nanook Of The North (CDs) - bubbly electronica
& sweet Scandinavian vocals. Gorgeous songs with warm soundscapes.
It was the soundtrack to most of my year, I bought it after reading a
two line description in a magazine. It’s not very often that you get
completely blown away when you take a chance like that, but it really
happened this time.

Thomas Bartlett, Doveman
The bands I’m most excited about
right now are The National and Cocorosie, and I love their new albums,
but it was two double-CD sets that gave me the most pleasure this year:
The Eels‘ Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (CDs), and Keith Jarrett’s
radiant but almost unfathomably deep and dark recording of live solo
piano improvisations, Radiance.

Tomorrow: everyone gets to blab about their best movie of 2005. But that can wait – now we want to know what CDs rocked your world in 2005. Leave your comments below, and see you tomorrow…