Best of 2006
	Well, 2006 has been an interesting year for rock music. Some people don't care what actual albums are coming out and say the album is "dead". Yeah right. Look at FAST& BAULBOUS' list for this year; he's heard more records than me and likes about 400 just from this year! I don't have whatever insane luxary some people have, really I try though. I've heard about 55 this year, some downloaded and some physically bought, and that was the most I have ever done for a "new" year. Anyways, I'm proud of what I got to hear, and there is plenty of goodness.      Some I never got to listen to, but will in the coming months: Decemberists, Bob Dylan, Lupe Fiasco, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Tom Ze, Scott Walker, Bonnie Prince Billy, Sparklehorse, unknown acts.      and of course some I could realy care less about: Gnarls Barkley, Muse, Thermals, Justin Timberlake, Clipse, most techno, metal and pop crap.      Yes, there was a lot of great music this year but it is getting harder and harder to categorize. Some great Latin acts like Escavedo and Calexico exist, while indie rock in all its forms and fashions is completely assimilated into our culture. Nice to hear good music on the radio sometimes (Hold Steady, Strokes, Band of Horses, Cat Power, Arctic Monkeys to name a few). As always, my lists will piss of some people and make some cheer, and no one will agree with me 100%. That's how it should be, but hopefully I can provide some insight into what consistent records existed this year. Feel free to send me your own lists (of anything) and I'll post them on this page. - Trevor e.y. Underrated Albums 10.Vessel States - Wilderness A huge jump forward in sound form the last record, Wilderness will soon be making awe-inspiring albums. This one is really good, and stand out songs like "Beautiful Arms" and "Fever Pitch" create a new kind of rock music out of their post-punk 80's influences. 9.Below the Branches - Kelly Stoltz Singer/songwriters seem to get overlooked a lot, especially people who recall 60's pop bands. Stoltz does all of this on his new record, but he does it so well and so often that it is always a joy to hear. He adds his own spin to Kinks-like pop, and there is nothing wrong with that in my book! 8.Diaries of Private Henry Hill - Blow Up Hollywood Maybe the most completely overlooked record of the year (I can hardly find any reviews of it) but thanks to a random CD sampler, I heard one song and was sucked right in. Journals from a soldier who died in the Iraq War set to Dark Side of the Moon era rock music? I like it! Though it might take some getting used to, Blow Up Hollywood's 3rd album makes a simple, elegant point to the antiwar movement here and it will touch you deeply. 7.Some Echoes - Aloha Prog pop? Does that sound scary? Much like Archer Prewitt's Wilderness album, this is pop music played in a very complicated way that is never uninteresting. This might be their forth record, but it will gain them a whole new crowd of fans. Truly a minor masterwork. 6.Gypsy Freedom - Wooden Wand Though Wooden Wand have wayyyy to mnay records of avant-hippie-jazz-folk for me to run through right now, I picked up their most recent one this year and was blown away. Lou Reed fronting an even more demented Jefferson Airplane is what this sounds like, with songs ranging from twenty minutes to one and a half. The album can be seen as one long confounding journey, but its a very entertaining and boundary pushing one that is worth seeking out and taking. 5.Blessing and a Curse - Drive by Truckers The Drive by Truckers have become an all-star band. In 2006, there is not a better old fashioned rock band around. When I first saw them play back in 2003 they were really good, but now they have the songs and following increased to epic like proportions. When I saw them this year, I wasn't really "blown away" or "surprised" but said to myself, "Yes, this band has got what it takes." I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us because this record right here expanded their style and range beyond what I thought was possible. It's still southern rock, and it's still damn great. 4.The Boxing Mirror - Alejandro Escavedo A fun record to listen to, that is for sure. What I love about this record is its versatility; you can play it for just about anyone and they will dig it. Escavedo and producer John Cale know their stuff, and it really shines through on this record. The sound of the desert pouring its heart out can be heard on the opening track, "Arizona", and that sets the tone for the whole record really. Consistent, fully realized records like this only come along so often, but its so great when they do! It got way overlooked this year too. 3.First Impressions On Earth - The Strokes This record got reviewed by everyone when it came out, but the reviews were so negative. It was almost like people were waiting for the band to make a wrong move and just couldn't wait any longer. Honestly, "Heart in a Cage", "You Only Live Twice", "Killing Lies", "Ize of the World" and "On the Other Side" are some of the best music of any band's career, and the same goes for at least ten songs on this record. Maybe it tries a little too hard and maybe it is not always perfect, but its is never boring or a complete failure; I like it just as well as Is This It. It might be popular, mainstream and catchy, but they change up their old formula pretty well in my opinion. Few band's today could be deemed the "only band that matters", but The Strokes constantly prove themselves worthy of this title. 2.Garden Ruin - Calexico Calexico's new album gets mixed responses because it is not the same ol' sixteen song, southwest sound all over again. You know what though, after four albums of the same style I personally am glad they tried something new! Look how successful it was too: you get the Calexico of old ("Yours and Mine", "Roka") mixed with a pop sound ("Brisbe Blue", "Cruel", "Lucky Dime") mixed with something else entirely ("Deep Down", "Letter to Bowie Knife", "All Systems Red"). It all adds up to one great, consistent album, and by toning down the song quantity and expanding the lengths, they have finally acheived their greatest album. 1.Return to Cookie Mountain - TV On the Radio All I'm going to say about this is I'm pissed off it kept getting "number 2" on the year end lists. This album appeared on the most best album lists of the year and easily made one of the largest impacts of any album released on a major label in a long time, but evaded the instant praise of its equal, Funeral and many others that were way too hyped up. Mark my words though, this is the only time in history Spin Magazine and Piero Scaruffi will agree on album of the year :) Just Right Albums These albums are all rightly praised enough, and here is my order of favorites 10.The Loon - Tapes n' Tapes 9.Damaged - Lambchop 8.The Greatest - Cat Power 7.Everything All the Time - Band of Horses 6.The Back Room - Editors 5.Gulag Orkestar - Beirut 4.Whatever People Say I am, That's What I am Not - Artic Monkeys (differing countries opinions balance it out) 3.Drums Not Dead - Liars 2.Boys and Girls of America - The Hold Steady 1.Ys - Joanna Newsom (nice to see challenging music so highly respected) Overrated Albums 10.Lisbon - Keith Fullerton Whitman This is a forty minute live ambient release, and it has been praised and praised for its genius. It has some moments of greatness I'll give it that, but in all it is just at times tedious. Yeah, it reaches two crescendos and each one is different. Who cares? It has been done before, it has been done better, and improvisation is just sometimes boring. Great ideas could be taken out of this, but "Lisbon" itself only achieves a 5 out of 8 from me. 9.Roots and Crowns - Califone Califone is a unique band, and on this release they kind of have the "hippie meets trip hop" vibe going on. When it works it is unforgetable, like on "The Orchids" and "A Chinese Actor", but even some of the best songs remind me of times gone by. "Black Metal Valentine" sinks into Yankee Hotel Foxtrot apeing, and too many songs on the second half just kind of float by harmlessly. Give us something different, or don't give us anything at all. On the bright side this might give Duli's older band, Red Red Meat, more publicity. 8.Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Neko Case I like this album, but it's no Blacklisted. Too many of these songs are half formed and make the stand outs really, well, stand out. "Maybe Sparrow", "Lion's Jaws", "Fox Confessor", "A Widow's Toast", "Margaret vs. Pauline".... I mean the mediocre songs are more prominent than the masterworks like "Star Witness" and "The Neddle has Landed". It adds up to good album for sure, but hardly a great one, and sure as hell not ALBUM OF THE FREAKING YEAR. 7.Rather Ripped - Sonic Youth Speaking of overrated....trust me. For me to say a Sonic Youth Album is overrated is saying something; they are my absolute favorite band. Under NYC Ghosts and Flowers, this is their worst record. Yeah there are some great songs like "Incinerate" and "Pink Steam" but again, no way is this album of the freaking year or any kind of significant release from the band. 6.So this is Goodbye - Junior Boys We were expecting another song like "Birthday" and we got "In the Morning". Well it's almost as good in a completely different way, but the album can't touch their debut. This is a really boring album, and having two or three upbeat songs on what is mostly a somber album destroys any sense of realness. Blah to techno once again...should I be surprised? 5.Destoryer's Rubies - Destroyer I doubt know why this guy bores me so much but he does. Few of the songs can hold interest for more than two minutes, but I don't really hate this one. I just don't like it. 4.I am not Afraid of You and I will Beat Your Ass - Yo La Tengo Oh dear god! This album pisses me off! The Ram reject "Beanbag Chair", the attempts at reclaiming I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One's past glory (besides the long album title) "Daphnia" and "Pass the Hatchet I think I'm a Dumbass", and the god-awful songs that no one should listen to called "Point and Shoot", "I Should Have Known Better", and "Watch out for me Ronnie". There are some good songs, but that is only like one-third of the record, which is easily their weakest one. Since Yo La Tengo can't seem to stop making hour long records, maybe they should just stop altogether if they're going to be this bad. Oh, and who the fu$% is "Mr. Tough"? 3.Sno Angel Like You - Howe Gelb Man, this was a great idea gone boring. "But I Did Not" yes that songs rules! Nothing else does though, and the gospel choir backing Gelb goes to squat. Not much else to say except don't waste your money here... 2.At War with the Mystics - Flaming Lips I've been pretty mean so far, but I am about to get vicious now. The Flaming Lips should be ashamed of themselves. Sonic Youth, Yo La, all the other bands on this list you know, better luck next time. But this absolute trash?!?! I have nothing good to say except that "The W.a.n.d." is a great song. Not that this album has gotten rave reviews, but what people are not saying is that it is one of the worst albums ever, which it is. Every, single, misbegotten, stupid, dumb, attempt at something stylish falls flat on it's face. This record makes me want to....kill an elephant. And then send it to the Lips and make them pay for the dead animal shipping. 1.Ships - Daneilson While the Lips might have made a one star record and got mediocre reviews, this guy got 5 star reviews. "Did I step on your trumpet or did I rip off Modest Mouse?" This kind of crap happens all the time: riding the bandwagon. A sound gets popular - indie rock. A guy knows somebody - Sufjan Stevens, who currently "is" indie rock. This guy gets guest stars to vocalize on his album because he could not have actually gotten noticed any other way, and now he gets rave reviews. Though the fanfare around Daneilson has calmed down, it ruled 2006 for a couple of months. I remember going to the record store and seeing this for sale up front: a kid asked, "Is this good?" and the clerk responded, "Oh, you didn't know? It got a 9.1 out of 10 on Pichfork.com; it rules." Not only is it trendy as hell, never forget people, the day you do not have your own opinions is the day you are no longer a true human being. Ships, and yes the hype surrounding it, represents everything that is wrong with rock music. Best Songs of 2006 Yes, those top two are really the best of the year by the same band. Hardly ever happens, but whatever. 10.Oneida - "The Adversary" 9.Calexico - "Deep Down" 8.The Strokes - "Heart in a Cage" 7.Wooden Wand - "Dread Effigy" 6.The Liars - "It Fit When I Was a Kid" 5.Joanna Newsom - "Only Skin" 4.Alejandro Escavedo - "Arizona" 3.Jose Gonzalez - "Heart Beats" 2.TV on the Radio - "Dirtywhirl" 1.TV on the Radio - "Wolf Like Me" Conclusion: I wrote last year that it would be interesting to see whether the term "independent" will become a bad word or not. Hah! This should be fun to rant about, eh? Yes, Independent has become a word that is tossed around way too much, akin to "alternative" in the 90's. It hilarious what people do with music, genre after genre, signifying nothing. But there are so many band's breaking through to major audiences that I have to applaud this change, and with so much connection between people, I think this has overall been a great year for music. There was a lot of garbage, but has that stopped you from watching your favorite show or going to see a good movie? Here is the thing: no one can take away great music from us -  the people who love it. Someone will always strive to make it and those will be the ones who don't lose faith. There was a lot of great music this year, and the numbers keep growing, the tastes keep changing, and in the end it might not be such a bad thing that "indie rock" (I said it! the bad word!) broke through to the mainstream.
		Readers List's Johnathan Carr from Muscle Shoals, AL 1.   Todd Snider - "The Devil You Know" and Cory Brannon - "12 Songs"     These were the two best written albums of the year by two artists at the peaks of their career.   2.   The Hold Steady - "Boys and Girls in America"     The Best Rock-n-Roll album of the year.  The third best written. 3.   The Drive-by Truckers - "A Blessing and a Curse"      The Best Rock-N-Roll Band in America managed to stay fresh with a new sound that is distinctly their own. 4.    Slaide Cleaves - "Unsung"      Best country album of the year 5.    TV On The Radio - "Return to Cookie Mountain"       This album took me a few listens to get into, but it sure was worth it. 6.    CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy      Sexy, cute, fun, weird, dancy techno! Who would have thought? 7.     Bob Dylan - Modern Times       He managed to make an album full of songs that would not be good enough to be on "Love and Theft" and still somehow be a great album.  Let us not forget that "Love and Theft" maybe Dylan's best album. 8.     Grizzly Bear - "Yellow House"       Some of the best productions and harmonies you've ever heard. 9.     Centro Matic-  "Fort Recovery" 10.    Arctic Monkeys - "Whatever People Say I am, That's What I am Not" Other Greats Cat Power - The Greatest The Drams- Jubilee Drive Alejandro Escavedo - The Boxing Mirror First Impression On Earth - The Strokes Everything All the Time - Band of Horse Chris Knight - Enough Rope