I admit defeat: There are too many interesting bands out there for one person to ever have any hope of listening to them all.. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can tell you about my latest discovery, The Christina Finelli Recovery Project, whom I discovered only due to the disorganization of Record and Tape Traders.

The solo project of one Minneapolis-based Jonny Dirge, The Christina Finelli Recovery Project is instinctively thrown into the pseudo-folk singer-songwriter category. With his yelping vocals and dynamic guitar, the comparisons to early Bright Eyes or an angrier Iron and Wine come to mind.

Recorded by himself to an Otari 8-track in a Vermont mental hospital over a period of two days, the debut album Solitary tells the true story of a pair of lovers in the nineteen seventies who were forbidden to contact each other. Let's just call them R & J, shall we? Well, in an effort to be together for eternity, they made a suicide pact that involved jumping off the bridge spanning the Queechee Gorge. At the last moment, R decides not to jump and watches as J plummets to her death. R is now in a Vermont psychiatric hospital, unable to deal with the loss of his love.

The record is currently only available in the Baltimore area at Record and Tape Traders, but I recommend picking up a copy and keeping an eye out for The Christina Finelli Recovery Project to roll through town. This is one artist that I look forward to seeing more from.

Now onto the part of the column that I know everyone is expecting/dreading: My Buy or Die list of 2005. With everything from Sri Lankan influenced hip-hop to folk songs about Illinois, there is something for everyone. My top ten, in no order:

M.I.A - Arular

Personally, I like the 2004 released Diplo remix disc better, but I didn't want to leave the Sri Lankan- by-way -of-London fireball off this list. If you haven't seen her live, I can't recommend it enough. Her energy is contagious.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise

It's just wonderfully clever, poignant and ambitious songwriting about the second state in Stevens' Fifty States project. I'm excited to hear the next one.

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Better than (the over-hyped) You Forgot It In People. Much more polished and accessible, I think this is the CD that will take this Canadian super-group places.

Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn

Most critics preferred the down home style of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, but I love this mix of Conor Obert's soulful songwriting with the added force of the electronic instruments.

Iron & Wine / Calexico - In the Reins EP

This turned out to be exactly what I'd expect from these two bands I can't praise enough. Together, they're like chocolate and peanut butter: the perfect combination.

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

Yes, it's strange and takes some getting used to. But Banhart is one of the most interesting musicians out there, however and this album is a nice introduction to his quirky freak-folk.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cold Roses

He's back! Adams is back in form with this charming alt-country release and I couldn't be more thrilled. It's his best work since Heartbreaker and I hope he maintains the quality that he found here.

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

They're one of the few bands that are actually worth the hype. Kele Okerke is a remarkable lead singer, causing girls to swoon and boys to freeze with envy. No, they're not really creating anything new, but they take their influences and use them to their catchy benefit. Good stuff.

The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

They sound like nothing else out there. They use the word 'hoodrat' multiple times in the record. You'll get their songs stuck in your head for days.

The Decemberists - Picaresque

This is the most accessible Decemberists release yet and somehow they still manage to be inventive and magical. It's easily my favorite release from one of my favorite bands.