Things have been a little quiet on the "Finger On The Pulse" front
of late.  With the holidays and other crazy adventures, I haven't
had as much time for producing the show of late, but there are some
new episodes in the pipeline.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share
some of the things I liked in 2005.  Let me know if I missed
anything that you loved.  I'm always on the lookout for the new and
obscure!

There were a lot of albums I enjoyed this year.  I'm highlighting 4,
and honoring another 16, and there are still a lot of other records
I enjoyed that aren't on these lists.  Given more time, I could
probably refine this to a proper ordering, but not tonight, I fear.

I know this list looks a bit cluttered with all the weblinks, but I
am trying to make it easy for folks to learn about artists they
don't know about.  So follow a link or two, or bug me about giving
you a mix CD.

___Top  4 Albums___
1. Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts - http://www.theemoreshallows.com/
2. The National - Alligator - http://www.americanmary.com/
3. M.I.A. - Arular - http://miauk.com/
4. Moggs - The White Belt Is Not Enough - http://moggs.com/


___The Next 16 (alphabetical)___
Aoki Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko - 28 - http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=167
Blood On The Wall - Awesomer - http://www.bloodonthewall.com/
Buttersprites - Buttersprites - http://buttersprites.com/
The Dead Science - Frost Giant - http://thedeadscience.com/
The Finches - Six Songs - http://finchesmusic.com/
Judith And Holofernes - Matanca - http://fadocore.com/
Konono No. 1 - Congatronics - http://www.crammed.be/konono/
The Lonelyhearts - Dispatch - http://www.thelonelyhearts.net/
Mi and L'au - Mi and L'au - http://younggodrecords.com/product.asp?P_ID=40
Okay - Low Road/High Road - http://myspace.com/okaytheband
Say Hi To Your Mom - Ferocious Mopes - http://www.sayhitoyourmom.com/
Summer At Shatter Creek - All The Answers - http://summeratshattercreek.com/
Sunset Rubdown - Snake's Got A Leg - http://www.globalsymphonic.com/
Various Artists Vice Recordings - Run The Road - http://vice-recordings.com/rtr.html
The Waxfire - Blueprints - http://waxfiremusic.com/
Why? - Elephant Eylash - http://www.anticon.com/a-why.htm

(Update 1/31/06: If I could add an album to the above, it would be Gravenhurst - Fires In Distant Buildings. Another record of note that I discovered too late: Jose Gonzalez - Veneer.)

___Best Live Performance____
The Arcade Fire, Great American Music Hall, January 2005
http://www.arcadefire.com/


___Best Music Festival___
Mission Creek Music Festival
http://mcmf.org/


___Best Acoustic Music Series (three way tie, all were rad!)___
Ace Of Spades at Mama Buzz
http://www.e14records.com/aos.html

Sunday Nights at the Rite Spot
http://ritespotcafe.net/

City Sessions at Club Waziema
http://citysessions.com/


___Best Album From 2004 That I Didn't Hear Until 2005___
S - Puking and Crying - http://www.suicidesqueeze.net/s_artist.html


___Most Eagerly Awaited 2006 Release___
Film School's new album.  See you at the record release party
on January 26 at Bottom Of The Hill!
http://www.filmschoolmusic.com/


___Best Film___
Me And You And Everyone We Know
http://www.meandyoumovie.com/


Thanks,
Sarah Gordon (sarahatfingeronthepulsedotorg)
Producer, Finger On The Pulse, featuring the Bay Area's Music Scene
1st & 3rd Sunday of every month at 9:30pm on SF Public Access 29
http://www.fingeronthepulse.org/