My Favorite Music From A Weird Year 2006
Warning: I've been really lazy lately and haven't felt like inserting any links or anything, so the 2 people that find this can enjoy it as is.
This music is the stuff that got the most play on my computer/iPod in the past 12 months. The bulk of the listening usually takes place over the summer and fall as the good albums begin to really emerge. I know there is probably definitely tons of other great music that I just haven’t heard yet and will discover in 2007. I know last year I didn’t really fall in love with The National until January, a month late to make my 2006 list. So in no particular order here are my most listened to albums of 2006. I haven’t edited this either so beware of grammatical and whatever else kind of errors may occur.
Start judging me now.
(No Particular Order)
M. Ward – Post-War
For me my favorite music each given year might only be loosely based upon how good the music actually is. Like Beat Radio this album became a symbol to me that stood for hope and love. The opening song of Daniel Johnston’s “To Go Home” rung in my ears as I returned from Alaska to the east coast. I feel like this is a traveling album about returning to something but then having to leave again. “Chinese Translation” is great story while “Poison Cup” is a tempting metaphor for love. If you’ve never listened to Ward before this is a good place to start and then dive into the back catalogue.
Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That
Who said Frogs don’t sing well? Is that racist? I had a line about French people as frogs in high school, so I’m using it in an adoring way. Whatever, this album is full of pop licks that will have any mainstream artist wishing they could steal a beat or guitar lick. I love this album and keep coming back to it over and over again. I thank iTunes free songs for introducing me to “Everything is Everything” off of Alphabetical. Listen to “Long Distance Call”, or “Consolation Prizes” now.
Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country
I listened to this album sporadically for a bit early in the summer and was originally confused by the name. A friend of mine has a band, Fell, which is on a record label called Camera Obscura. I find great joy in listening to this album from beginning to end. There is something about the organs, strings and beautifully sung lyrics. Listen to the self titled track or track 1, “lloyd, i'm ready to be heartbroken”.
Bishop Allen – Month An EP Project
Face it this project was extremely ambitious and with 20something days left in the year they are only 8 songs away. If we stick to the theme of albums/music being a symbol for something in your life this album supports the feeling of first coming to New York. I couldn’t stop listening to these EP’s in October when I first moved to Brooklyn. It doesn’t look like they are going to complete the last 2 EPs in 2006 but maybe we’ll have 2 to look forward to in 2007. Highlights include “Click Click Click”, “The Same Fire”, “Flight 180”, “The Monitor”, and many more.
Malajube – Trompe-L’oeil
I don’t know French but I got a hold of this one back in February thanks to trip to Montreal. I could listen to this album a hundred times and I still wouldn’t care what they’re saying because the music is so good. The music drives, rocks, and sounds like they are sticking it to some man. Maybe it’s a man that lets them have free medical care, and legalized marijuana but whomever it is I hope they make these guys want to make more music.
Pearl Jam
VS. was the first Compact Disc I ever purchased. In 1993 my family got a portable CD player and my brother and I had to fight over who got to use it on a flight to Colorado. More than ten(no pun intended) years later Pearl Jam is still producing high-quality albums. As far as I can remember these guys are the only band to still remain after the grungy 90s. This self titled album delivers everything a PJ fan has come to expect from Life Wasted to Inside Job and everything in between this album is 8th in a series of what I hope to be 50 great albums.
Beat Radio – The Great Big Sea
I’ve praised these guys a lot, maybe too much. I think it’s because I want everyone to hear music that I think is great. This music has become connected to a part of my life and I will never be able to listen to it without thinking of the past year of my life. Maybe it’s selfish of me to put this album on this list but I still think that Brian’s lyrics are poetic and the melodies of every song are viral.
Regina Spektor
Mid-September I discovered this album after gifting it to my girlfriend over iTunes. I don’t really know what Regina looks like but after listening to this album she is the cutest singer in existence. Her cadence and pronunciation on many lyrics has me smiling and then falling to my knees. Some people may think this album is too much pop for Regina compared to SK, but I think its gorgeous.
Honorable Mention:
Sufjan – Avalanche
Band of Horses
Decemberists
Cold War Kids
Islands The Little Ones – Sing Song EP
Lady Sovereign
That’s all I feel like writing right now. Hope this let you kill some time. What do you think?
This music is the stuff that got the most play on my computer/iPod in the past 12 months. The bulk of the listening usually takes place over the summer and fall as the good albums begin to really emerge. I know there is probably definitely tons of other great music that I just haven’t heard yet and will discover in 2007. I know last year I didn’t really fall in love with The National until January, a month late to make my 2006 list. So in no particular order here are my most listened to albums of 2006. I haven’t edited this either so beware of grammatical and whatever else kind of errors may occur.
Start judging me now.
(No Particular Order)
M. Ward – Post-War
For me my favorite music each given year might only be loosely based upon how good the music actually is. Like Beat Radio this album became a symbol to me that stood for hope and love. The opening song of Daniel Johnston’s “To Go Home” rung in my ears as I returned from Alaska to the east coast. I feel like this is a traveling album about returning to something but then having to leave again. “Chinese Translation” is great story while “Poison Cup” is a tempting metaphor for love. If you’ve never listened to Ward before this is a good place to start and then dive into the back catalogue.
Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That
Who said Frogs don’t sing well? Is that racist? I had a line about French people as frogs in high school, so I’m using it in an adoring way. Whatever, this album is full of pop licks that will have any mainstream artist wishing they could steal a beat or guitar lick. I love this album and keep coming back to it over and over again. I thank iTunes free songs for introducing me to “Everything is Everything” off of Alphabetical. Listen to “Long Distance Call”, or “Consolation Prizes” now.
Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country
I listened to this album sporadically for a bit early in the summer and was originally confused by the name. A friend of mine has a band, Fell, which is on a record label called Camera Obscura. I find great joy in listening to this album from beginning to end. There is something about the organs, strings and beautifully sung lyrics. Listen to the self titled track or track 1, “lloyd, i'm ready to be heartbroken”.
Bishop Allen – Month An EP Project
Face it this project was extremely ambitious and with 20something days left in the year they are only 8 songs away. If we stick to the theme of albums/music being a symbol for something in your life this album supports the feeling of first coming to New York. I couldn’t stop listening to these EP’s in October when I first moved to Brooklyn. It doesn’t look like they are going to complete the last 2 EPs in 2006 but maybe we’ll have 2 to look forward to in 2007. Highlights include “Click Click Click”, “The Same Fire”, “Flight 180”, “The Monitor”, and many more.
Malajube – Trompe-L’oeil
I don’t know French but I got a hold of this one back in February thanks to trip to Montreal. I could listen to this album a hundred times and I still wouldn’t care what they’re saying because the music is so good. The music drives, rocks, and sounds like they are sticking it to some man. Maybe it’s a man that lets them have free medical care, and legalized marijuana but whomever it is I hope they make these guys want to make more music.
Pearl Jam
VS. was the first Compact Disc I ever purchased. In 1993 my family got a portable CD player and my brother and I had to fight over who got to use it on a flight to Colorado. More than ten(no pun intended) years later Pearl Jam is still producing high-quality albums. As far as I can remember these guys are the only band to still remain after the grungy 90s. This self titled album delivers everything a PJ fan has come to expect from Life Wasted to Inside Job and everything in between this album is 8th in a series of what I hope to be 50 great albums.
Beat Radio – The Great Big Sea
I’ve praised these guys a lot, maybe too much. I think it’s because I want everyone to hear music that I think is great. This music has become connected to a part of my life and I will never be able to listen to it without thinking of the past year of my life. Maybe it’s selfish of me to put this album on this list but I still think that Brian’s lyrics are poetic and the melodies of every song are viral.
Regina Spektor
Mid-September I discovered this album after gifting it to my girlfriend over iTunes. I don’t really know what Regina looks like but after listening to this album she is the cutest singer in existence. Her cadence and pronunciation on many lyrics has me smiling and then falling to my knees. Some people may think this album is too much pop for Regina compared to SK, but I think its gorgeous.
Honorable Mention:
Sufjan – Avalanche
Band of Horses
Decemberists
Cold War Kids
Islands The Little Ones – Sing Song EP
Lady Sovereign
That’s all I feel like writing right now. Hope this let you kill some time. What do you think?
posted by Magomra at 12:23 AM
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