I don't think I've ever listened to as much new music as I did in 2006. It has been almost overwhelming but I think that it just goes with the territory. I am (after all) a music blogger. And even though I was trying to make my list smaller than it was last year, I (again) couldn't whittle it down enough to make that happen.
So I present to you my top fifty albums of 2006 (in five parts), ranked (but not necessarily in absolute and unwavering positions) by purely subjective methods. Sometimes "because I like it" is reason enough for inclusion. Oh yeah, isn't my daughter just the cutest? Here's 50-41. Enjoy.
50. Built To Spill - You In Reverse (Warner Bros.)
MP3 | Conventional Wisdom
I've loved Built to Spill since I first heard There's Nothing Wrong With Love back in 1995. For me (at least) this feels like a return to form. It makes me feel young again. I needed a little bit of that this year.
49. Islands - Return To The Sea (Equator)
MP3 | Rough Gem
Having risen from the ashes of Montreal's The Unicorns, Islands will cut our hair when we're gone. Return To The Sea is full of fun, quirky, and downright catchy music that I'm sure my daughter will also love someday.
48. Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah (Umvd)
MP3 | I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
No! I am not embarrassed to put this on my list! And although I'm not much of a dancer (just ask my wife), there was no better music for dancing released in 2006. And as my friend Clay stated, "It’s the auditory equivalent of smoking crack."
47. Casey Driessen - 3D (Sugarhill)
MP3 | Snowflake Reel/Done Gone/Cheyenne
Modern fiddle music. Ya dig? ...read more.
46. The Draft - In A Million Pieces (Epitaph)
MP3 | Lo Zee Rose
In A Million Pieces is what Hot Water Music would sound like without Chuck. In other words, it is still powerful but a little less "gruff" and a little more straightforward.
45. Tim Hecker - Harmony In Ultraviolet (Kranky)
MP3 | Rainbow Blood
This is music that words can't describe. Hecker makes music that sounds like "Viewing the world through sleep filled eyes, everything soft and fuzzy, sometimes intense and ominous...but with a shimmering radiant warmth, making all of his sounds glow from within."
44. Flook - Haven (Flatfish)
MP3 | The Tortoise And The Hare
Who doesn't like nu-Celtic music with dueling flutes? Seriously though, melodic as fuck with virtuoso playing that is truly inspired and amazing.
43. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino)
MP3 | In The Morning
Downtempo electronic dance beats flutter around smooth breathy vocals. Easily some of the best electro-pop released all year.
42. William Elliott Whitmore - Song Of The Blackbird/Hallways Of Always (Southern)
MP3 | Black Iowa Dirt
William Elliott Whitmore is from Iowa and plays the banjo and the geetar. He sings songs you'd swear were 60 year old standards with a voice that is unforgettable. Jenny Hoysten accompanies him on Hallways Of Always.
41. The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude! (Slowdance)
MP3 | In A Steadman Spray
This is a mess of noisy and glitchy melodic indie rock music that is wonderfully dense. I've heard it aptly described as "Squarepusher meets Shellac." Listen for yourself.
3 Comments ↓
glad you found a spot for william elliott whitmore, a very fine disc, i would have built to spill and islands, a lot higher, loved both those records, look forward to the rest of the list
I'm glad to see Tim Hecker on here. And the Junior Boys, despite their being number 43.
shiiiit. i totally forgot about william elliott whitmore!
cant wait to read the rest of your list.
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