THE YEAR LOOK BACKS LOOK BACK

As the end of the year trots ever closer, like a labrador with a floppy duck in its mouth, the reviews and charts continue to gather on the interyweb. Amongst the latest is Berkley Place's guide to the Top 20 mash-ups and covers of the year.

The Arcade Fire doing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Maps is at number one, and there's some interesting things further down the list - The Walkmen having a go at The Drifters, Bloc Party's pioneers reworked by the Mystery Jets.

Ekko also offers the biggest let-downs of the year, including the disappointing Electric 6 effort which showed they were, after all, a one-joke act (although after that pointless cover of Radio Ga-Ga, did anyone really have high hopes for Senor Smoke?); The White Stripes (good call - Jack White is going to have to turn his ego-trip around next year or by the time we hit 2007, he's going to find it difficult to get a seat in a Acres The Bakers, never mind any respect) and at number one, Ryan Adam's Jacksonville Skyline - "I hope he's not moving into Easy Listening."

Oh, and there's a top fifty of the best songs of the year as well, topped off by Death Cab For Cutie.

There's a fair smattering of musical illustration for these charts, too, of course.

music 2005 blogs