Album of the year:: Friday, December 29, 2006 ::
Here it is. The final countdown: the 40 albums of 2006 that I consider my favorites, listed in reverse order, counting down to No. 1. (With a podcast of selections from the top 10).
Several from my mid-year list of the top 11 are still in the hunt, although some of them have shuffled spots to make room for newer, better stuff. The second half of 2006 saw the release of some pretty good music. Will The Life Pursuit, by Belle and Sebastian, still top the list? Or will they have been dethroned by another, more excellent work? Have a look. Keep in mind that this list, like all the others on the Internet, is subjective -- the likes and tastes of one music fan. Feel free to disagree with my picks, and to sound off in the comments below.
Also, I'm too tired, not to mention too sick, to link to all these albums. It's just too much effort at the moment.
40. Kudu - Death of the Party. Danceable electrofunk. (Not that I dance much.)
39. The French Kicks - Two Thousand. They aren't really French, but they do kick.
38. Yusuf - An Other Cup. After 28 years, the Cat is back.
37. Scanners - Violence Is Golden. Nice blend of mostly dark, moody postpunk.
36. The John Doe Thing - For the Best of Us. An old punk still has some of it.
35. The Be Good Tanyas - Hello Love. Don't tell my brother, but I do like some country.
34. Swan Lake - Beast Moans. One of the better side projects of the year.
33. The Fondas - Runaway Bombshell. Garage rock from Motown.
32. Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners - Sev7en. Another old punk who still has it.
31. The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads. They're back.
30. Hard Fi - Stars of CCTV. Decent Britpop along the lines of Franz Ferdinand, et. al.
29. The Buzzcocks - Flat Pack Philosophy. More old punks.
28. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche. A pit stop on his 50-state tour. Only 48 states to go.
27. Frida Hyvonen - Until Death Comes. Lovely voice, from Sweden.
26. Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals Starvation League - The Longest Meow. Bobby Jr. and a bunch of his friends record in an old church in a single day, using some of Bobby Sr.'s old reel-to-reel tape.
25. The Beatles - Love. Does this really count? The so-called "fifth Beatle," George Martin, and his son play around with holy scripture, remixing a bunch of Fab Four stuff.
24. Prototypes - Prototypes. Electropunk from Paris. The French are our friends again!
23. The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics. Another strong outing by the Lips.
22. Wolfmother - Wolfmother. Wolfmother takes you back in time to the '70s with Led Zepp-inspired heavy rock.
21. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati. One of the best postpunk returns with a majestic comeback.
20. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country. Beautiful vocals, shimmery pop from Scotland.
19. The Futureheads - News and Tributes. Tributes, indeed -- to the Clash, Big Country, U2 and more influences.
18. Bob Dylan - Modern Times. No. 1 on a lot of lists, but not so great IMHO. Still, it's Bob Dylan.
17. The Bottle Rockets - Zoysia. Fine southern rock with a political message.
16. The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes. Retro girl group. Amazing sound, prettier than the Pussycat Dolls.
15. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Long title, good tunes.
14. Paul Simon - Surprise. I think I've said enough about this.
13. Macon Greyson - Translate. Great rock, discovered too late.
12. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers. Jack White's side project was almost as good as the hype.
11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. One of the sweetest voices around.
10. Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller. Just good, solid pop that makes me feel happy.
9. Drive By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse. Mostly a blessing. The Truckers' best yet.
8. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways. What can I say? Even in death, Johnny Cash is the man.
7. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll. Making fun of the art and music world, and laughing all the way to the bank.
6. The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Believe the hype.
5. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America. Infectious rock and roll. Plus, I don't think he sounds a bit like the Boss.
4. Asobi Seksu - Citrus. Stellar in any language.
3. Cat Power - The Greatest. Lovely, soulful white woman blues. The Memphis sound lives.
2. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit. Oh, no! B&S have been dethroned!
1. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon. This one just kept growing on me. A weird mix of sounds and songs, but in the end, it works. At least for me.
Click here to get your own player.
So, there you have it. What did I miss? What did I screw up? Just how far off base was I with these picks? Do your worst.
Tags: music, music lists, best music of 2006, CD of the year, lists, 2006, best CDs, podcast, podcasting, mp3Labels: 2006, best CDs, best of 2006, music, music lists
:: Andrew 10:51 + ::
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Still more of the music year in review:: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 ::
I'm still a sick pup, but daytime TV sucks (at least until the bowl games begin) so I might as well blog, no? If I'm less coherent than usual, credit the fever. Or the meds.
Anyhoo. On to today's end-of-year installment: comeback of the year, best male artist, best female artist, best rock CD -- all with accompanying podcast.
Comeback of the year
2006 was the year of the geezer, what with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, the former Cat Stevens, et. al., all releasing new albums. Many of those releases were outstanding (well, I never listened to the Springsteen one, but I heard it was good) and any of these old-timers have a legitimate shot at this coveted honor. But in the final analysis, the comeback kid is none other than:Paul Simon, Surprise
A surprisingly good album, considering how Simon fell from grace after 1986's brilliant Graceland release. (On some fansite discographies, 1990's The Rhythm of the Saints isn't even catalogued; that's how dreadful it was.) But Simon returns to Graceland form with this album. And thanks to some brilliant production work by Brian Eno, the album features all kinds of swamp things crawling around the soundscape. I still have issues with the album art, though.
This album has become a fascinating obsession for one blogger, who is finding all kinds of hidden ideas within Surprise's lyrics.
Runners up:Yusuf, An Other Cup
Twenty-eight years after his last album as Cat Stevens, Yusuf is back, preaching his views on Islam in a spiritually provocative album. (Stevens converted in the '70s and changed his name to Yusuf Islam, which he has since shortened to merely Yusuf.) There's a lot to like about this CD, but in today's politically charged climate in which so many followers of Islam are being lumped in with the fringe elements that are causing a global ruckus, it's doubtful that An Other Cup is getting a fair hearing. Whether you agree with Yusuf's spiritual beliefs or political point of view, you can still appreciate Yusuf's mellow, tranquil vocals, even as he's singing an homage to Allah.
The Lemonheads: The Lemonheads
When I was a kid, I would gorge on the candy version of Lemonheads. Then sometime in the mid to late '80s, along came a power-pop/hardcore band out of Boston that appropriated the sweet candy name for themselves. I wasn't really listening to power pop or hardcore back then, so I couldn't tell you much about them. I think they had a song on the radio one year. And then, in the mid '90s -- poof! No more sonic Lemonheads. Apparently ,front man Evan Dando got caught up in a drug-induced haze. Now, he's apparently out of it, and the Lemonheads are back with a self-titled CD that is, if not great, decent. It's full of flavorful, chiming guitars, if you like that kind of thing (I do). Lemonheads fans everywhere should rejoice.
Best male artistJohnny Cash: American V: A Hundred Highways
Just when you thought that Johnny Cash in the twilight of his career could get no finer than his 2002 release, American IV: The Man Comes Around, along comes this posthumous offering from Cash and light-handed producer Rick Ruben. American V: A Hundred Highways is the fifth and final release in the legendary musician's American series, and it is even more powerful and more touching than any of the previous four releases. It's obvious that Cash was in a race with "Doctor Death" when cutting this album, and that makes it all the more poignant. The vocals are strained and sparse, and that's the way Rubin and Cash both wanted them. This collection of mostly covers is the sound of a man who has lived hard, but well, and who is ready to meet his maker.
Runners up
Paul Simon, Surprise
See above.Ben Kweller: Ben Kweller
At first, I was skeptical. In an earliler review, I poked fun about how young Ben Kweller looks on this album cover. But don't let that youthful appearance keep you from checking out his sound. It's good stuff, and Kweller has been around the music business for longer than you'd think. He was 12 -- yes, 12 -- when he fronted the alt-grunge band Radish. With this self-titled album, he plays all the instruments, he wrote all the songs, and he sings them. Groovy stuff that reminds me of some of the best pop-rock of the '70s.
Best female artistCat Power, The Greatest
2006 was the year of the Cat for Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, who wooed and won our hearts all year long with this early '06 release. Sultry is the adjective that comes to mind when I think of how Marshall's voice sounds. And with The Greatest, she enlists the help of several "Memphis sound" musicians to give this a special appeal. Cat Power delivers more soul with this than with her past offerings. Overall this is a worthwhile effort that goes down smooth as a shot of Southern Comfort.
Runner up:Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Paging Patsy Cline... Alt-country darling Neko Case seems to be channeling Patsy at times. But Case's own unique, saccharine vocals draw me in like a Siren's song. It's hard to believe she's the same singer who also performs with the power-pop band the New Pornographers. With Fox Confessor, The vivid, earthy lyrics recount episodes of tragedy, love lost, fingers lost in canning factory incidents -- every song is a story wrapped within a poem, beautifully arranged.
Best rock CD
I'm not the rocker I once was. But every once in a while, like when I'm vacuuming, I still love to rock out. This year, the definitive rock album was:Wolfmother, Wolfmother
AH-WOOOOOO! These guys from Down Under make no bones about their influences. Led Zepp, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Jethro Tull and a ton of other metal and prog rock acts from the '70s come blasting thick and heavy from the speakers when you put this bad boy on play. (Yes, that is some White Stripes flavor at the beginning of track one, but stick with the Wolfies and you'll soon hear a young Ozzy wannabe cannibalize Jack White.) So what if it's derivative? It rawks, and that's all that matters. Turn it up to 11 and enjoy.
Runner up:The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America
For those of you who get tired of Craig Finn's vocals -- think Springsteen when he forgets to take his Sudafed -- get over it. The Hold Steady is here to stay. These erstwhile alt/indie punkers cranked out a flat-out rocker with Boys and Girls in America. Influenced more by Patti Smith than Springsteen, the songs are still prose-poems. But the solid rock is more reminiscent of the Allman Brothers, Thin Lizzy and old-school punk than the Boss. This is the Hold Steady's third album, and it's their best yet.
Coming next installment: my top 40 favorite albums of the year.
Click here to get your own player.
Tags: music, music lists, best music of 2006, CD of the year, lists, 2006, best CDs, podcast, podcasting, mp3Labels: 2006, best CDs, best of 2006, music, music lists, music reviews
:: Andrew 14:02 + ::
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The year in music: best music video:: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 ::
I don't get to watch music videos very much these days. (Not that MTV or VH1 ever show them much anymore.) When I do catch one, it's usually while I'm eating my morning oatmeal and channel surfing before I leave for work. But there were a few times in 2006 when an MTV or VH1 offering would catch my eye.
My favorite music video of the year seems to be a consensus top pick all around the blogosphere.
OK Go, "Here It Goes Again" (YouTube)
The camera never moves in this fun flick of the four OK Go guys performing some sort of synchronized workout on eight treadmills. The camera doesn't have to move, since the guys and their treadmills do all the work. A fun one to watch.
Honorable mentions:
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Musically, "Dani" is a blatant rip off of Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance." Visually, though, it's a fun tribute to the history of rock and roll. The Peppers play dress-up, appearing first as a rockabilly-era Elvis, then the early Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, the Sex Pistols, the Misfits and more in this sojourn from rock's roots to the present day. How many different performers can you spot?
Panic! at the Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
An elaborate, theatrical costume production, a dreamlike Fellini flick populated by droogs from Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. And the song isn't bad, either.
Picks from other bloggers:Blogs are for Dogs' best videos of 2006 The top 50 music videos of the year, according to DoCopenhagen Pitchfork's top 25 music videos All the finalists for the antville Music Video Awards for 2006 The Best That I've Seen: Top Six Music Videos of 2006, from evangelical outpost Director File's top 10 music videos
Tags: music, music lists, best music of 2006, music videos, music video of the year, lists, 2006Labels: 2006, best of 2006, music, music lists, music video, video
:: Andrew 09:57 + ::
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Coming soon: the 2006 bloggedies
As promised, I'll soon join the herd of bloggers who have nothing of substance to say but who feel compelled to say it anyway. Yes, I'm about to post my end-of-year "best of" music lists.
Over the coming days, through the end of 2006, I'll be sharing my picks for the best albums of 2006 in the following categories.Favorite music videos of the yearStay tuned for lists and accompanying podcasts.
The year's most fun albums
The year's ugliest album art
Best album title
Best album in a language I can't understand
Best "roots"/country rock album
Best album by old punks
Biggest disappointments
Most overrated
Female artist of the year
Male artist of the year
Comeback artist of the year
Album of the year
Tags: music, music lists, best music of 2006, CD of the year, lists, 2006, best CDsLabels: 2006, best CDs, best of 2006, music, music lists, music reviews
:: Andrew 11:51 + ::
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Simon Dawes, 
