Top fifty of 2006 part one (50-41)

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Snowflake Reel/Done Gone/Cheyenne

Modern fiddle music. Ya dig? …read more.

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.

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.”

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.

In The Morning

Downtempo electronic dance beats flutter around smooth breathy vocals. Easily some of the best electro-pop released all year.

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.

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.