BLOWIN' INDIE WIND WRMC 91.1 TOP 10 AIRPLAY 2005

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1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Iron & Wine - Woman King E.P.
3. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
4. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
5. Beck - Guero
6. Interpol - Antics
7. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
8. The Books - Lost and Safe
9. Low - The Great Destroyer
10. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Released September 14, 2004
Yeah, alright, so "Funeral" came out more than a year ago, but apparently that wasn't enough to keep the indie kids from playing it all the time on WRMC throughout 2005. There are enough crescendos, hooks and explosive choruses to leave you exhausted after only one song, and the music is emotional to the level of melodrama. Songs like the pounding "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and the pulsing "Rebellion (Lies)" show that the Arcade Fire can keep their large sound reigned-in, making sure "Funeral" never feels over-the-top. And there's even an accordion. Awesome. - BG

Iron & Wine - Woman King E.P.
Released February 22, 2005
Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) have progressed both in style and popularity so quickly that "Woman King" does not seem like it could possibly be the same musician that recorded "The Creek That Drank the Cradle" only three years ago. "Woman King" is an artfully cohesive album, despite critical vituperation of over-production. The title track resonates a similar urgency as "Our Endless Numbered Days," while the simultaneously depressing and inspiring lyrics of "My Lady's Houses" and the haunting whisper of "Jezebel" strongly bring to mind aspects of "The Creek that Drank the Cradle." - AL

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Released March 22, 2005
"Banquet," the single from Bloc Party's debut album "Silent Alarm" shows the band at its best. The disco-inspired dance beats and punk rock guitars combine for an unforgettable chorus. Unfortunately, many other songs suffer from the album's over-earnestness (guess what current event "Price of Gas" is about), and when the music lacks a melody comparable to the excellent opener "Like Eating Glass," vocalist Kele Okereke's oh-so-British yelp can be a bit grating. However, "Silent Alarm" shines more often than not. Songs such as "Helicopter" rock as hard as Bloc Party's UK brethren Franz Ferdinand, and ballads like "Blue Light" and "So Here We Are" show that Bloc Party is for lovers as well as dancers. - BG

The Books - Lost and Safe
Released April 5, 2005
"Lost and Safe" is a great example of when the experiments in experimental music go right. The Books is a collaboration between a guitarist, a violinist and their extensive sound sample archives, which range from telephone rings to bits culled from ancient radio broadcasts. On their third album the music sound much more musical, relying more heavily on instruments and vocals to create the melodies. The best track of them all, "An Animated Description of Mr. Maps," combines a heavy, crunching beat, a drawn-out description of an anarchist, and haunting vocals to create one of the most deeply layered songs of the year. Remember "active listening" from grade school? This album calls for it. - BG

Low - The Great Destroyer
Released January 25, 2005
Ah, Low. Fans have sleepily stuck with them for over a decade now, perennially adoring the band that stereotypically places the slow in "slowcore." "The Great Destroyer," however, deviates slightly from quintessential Low. Its sound is much larger, the production is much heavier and the sound effects are more plentiful. This album, Low's first release on Sub Pop, proves to be more commercially accessible with some tracks ("California"), while simultaneously remaining true to Low's minimalist approach on others ("Everybody's Song", "On the Edge Of"). - AL