Jim’s Albums of the Year
10 The Dears, Gang Of Losers
Tight, sharp, and some of the best songs of their career. Criminally overlooked.
09 Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds
As far as song cycles about role playing games go, this album had all others beat, hands down.
08 Thom Yorke, The Eraser
Critics said it was monotonous and all sounded the same; we say it was sonically cohesive and hypnotic.
07 The Knife, Silent Shout
Music never sounded more new in 2006 than on this album. An album to listen to intently, dance to feverishly, and come down to blissfully.
06 The Society Islands, Kiss & Tell
A diverse collection of intelligent pop songs that never takes the easy way out; The Society Islands will draw you into repeated listens, each time revealing something new and exciting.
05 Junior Boys, So This Is Goodbye
Junior Boys managed to make a dark and complex record out of the sparest of sounds, and then fill the quiet with drama and tension.
04 Camera Obscura, Let’s Get Out Of This Country
Bubblegum pop that refuses to be thought of as ‘cute’. Unaffected shimmering beauty, and one of the best song titles of the year in “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”.
03 The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
As far as song cycles about Japanese folk tales goes, this had all others beat, hands down. An uncompromising move to the major leagues, and a step forward in musical evolution; The Decemberists put the world on notice with The Crane Wife.
02 Bishop Allen, All the 2006 EP-a-Month releases
It’s not fair to only highlight selected months. Bishop Allen’s sheer volume of output this year over the course of the (soon-to-be) twelve EPs released is enough to put most artists to shame; that each EP contained at least one great song (many had more than one) is a testament to their songwriting abilities.
01 Belle & Sebastian, The Life Pursuit
An early 2006 release that never once stopped sounding so damn brilliant. Belle & Sebastian released an album that, track after track, walloped you with their unique stylings, lyrical brilliance, and musical dexterity. The first five tracks provide a TKO punch that makes you want to get up of the matt and go back for another round. The Life Pursuit is the album Belle & Sebastian have been pursuing all their lives.
Matt’s Albums of the Year
10 Peter Bjorn and John, Writer’s Block
09 Danielson, Ships
08 Thom Yorke, The Eraser
07 Liars, Drums Not Dead
06 Fiery Furnaces, Bitter Tea
05 Man Man, Six Demon Bag
04 TV on the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain
03 Joanna Newsom, Ys
02 The Knife, Silent Shout
01 Swan Lake, Beast Moans
An interesting number 1 pick for an otherwise rather unexciting list. Why is this my number one? Because of the same reason that my number 2 ended up where it did – it sounds a whole lot like Kid A-era Radiohead. Between the haunting ambience, the swirling melodies, and the emotion that the album conveys, it is, by far, the best album of 2006.
Almost made the cut…
Annuals, Be He Me
Islands, Return to the Sea
Mew, And the Glass-Handed Kites
Jim’s Songs of the Year
25 The Oohlas “Small Parts”
24 The Awkward Stage “Heaven Is For Easy Gilrs”
23 Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton “Our Hell”
22 CSS “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex”
21 The Rapture “Pieces Of the People We Love”
20 TIE
The Futureheads Skip To The End
Sloan Who Taught You To Live Like That?
19 The Robocop Kraus You Dont Have To Shout
18 Tilly & the Wall The Freest Man
17 Beirut Postcards From Italy
16 The Changes On A String
15 Phoenix Long Distance Call
14 Final Fantasy Song Song Song
13 Junior Boys In The Morning
12 Thom Yorke Harrowdown Hill
11 Scissor Sisters I Dont Feel Like Dancin’
10 The Society Islands The Mill
09 Regina Spektor Fidelity
08 The Dears You And I Are A Gang Of Losers
07 The Decemberists The Crane Wife 3
06 Camera Obscura Lloyd, Im Ready To Be Heartbroken
05 The Knife We Share Our Mothers Health
04 The Elected Not Going Home
03 TIE
Amy Millan Skinny Boy
Muse “Map of the Problematique”
02 Belle & Sebastian The Blues Are Still Blue
Matt’s Songs of the Year
25 Voxtrot Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and Wives
24 Franz Ferdinand Fade Together [Avalanches Remix]
23 Islands Jogging Gorgeous Summer
22 Wolfmother Where Eagles Have Been
21 Thom Yorke Harrowdown Hill
20 Sonic Youth “Do You Believe in Rapture?
19 Midlake Roscoe
17 The Rapture Get Myself Into It
16 Nuh Uh This Is Embarrassing
15 Cee-Lo Ophidiophobia
14 Danielson Did I Step on Your Trumpet
13 Architecture in Helsinki It5 [33hz Remix]
12 Liars It Fit When I Was a Kid
11 The Killers When You Were Young
10 TV on the Radio Province
09 Peter Bjorn and John Amsterdam
08 Joanna Newsom Emily
07 The Knife We Share Our Mothers Health
06 The Pipettes Pull Shapes
05 The Decemberists O Valencia!
04 Swan Lake Are You Swimming in Her Pools?
03 The Fiery Furnaces Benton Harbor Blues (abridged/remixed)
02 Band of Horses The Funeral
I remain unimpressed by Everything All the Time – it sounds just like It Still Moves-era My Morning Jacket. Moves is my favorite MMJ album, but I still don’t like straight-up copying of styles. Regardless, this song is perhaps the most emotional that I’ve heard since anything off of Funeral way back in 2004 – from the soft crooning that starts the song to the breakdown about a minute in, this song does everything right to make you feel it.
01 Gnarls Barkley Crazy
Anyone who didn’t put this as their number one song of the year is either a) mad forgetful, b) listening to the radio too often, c) a fucking hipster who wants to pull his number one out of his ass, or d) deaf. This song was the song of 2006, no doubt about it. I don’t listen to the radio enough to get sick of songs, so here it is ranking as my number 1 of 2006.
Almost made the cut…
Oh No! Oh My! “I Love You All the Time”/”I Have No Sister”
Matt’s Reissues of the Year
05 Exploding Hearts, Shattered
04 John Cale, Paris 1919
03 Pavement, Wowee Zowee
02 Sebadoh, III
01 Maestro Echoplex, Last Night I Saw God on the Dancefloor
