Best Albums of 2006 (What we were and you should have been listening to)
We here at CW pride ourselves in our innovative and creative ways to provide as much information as we can to you about worldly things. We’ve devised a never-before-seen approach to providing you with what we consider to be one of, if not the, most important information that the year 2006 had to offer. We give you the list of 2006’s 36 best albums, courtesy of the CW staff.
Those other blog lists got nothin’ on us…
36.It Takes Fifteen to Tango in My Book, What Book Do You Read? - American Watercolor Movement
Brian Wilson produced these guys, and the result is awesome in two good speakers. Haunting and striking vocals and well put together tunes leave you confused and intrigued.
Listen to: American Watercolor Movement – “Dresden”
35. A Girl Like Me – Rihanna
“SOS” was one of our summer fucking jams. “A Girl Like Me” contains lots of non-traditional samples that you can dance to. Anyone who tells you that Lady Sovereign is the only person who can save an over-done genre hasn’t heard enough of this record.
Listen to:Rihanna - “SOS”
34. Paparazzi Lightning - Ghostland Observatory
It’s very rare that one should be excited about an Austin band outright. Especially an electro band. But “Paparazzi Lightning” deserved attention. Some of the album’s most frenetic moments had us imagine a collision of Freddie Mercury and Electric Six.
Listen to: Ghostland Observatory - “Vibrate” (via EMC)
33. Beatific Vision – Brakes
These Electric Soft Parade and British Sea Power veterans didn’t do so hot with us the first time around with “Give Blood.” We’ve made a better connection with their sophomore material, especially with the Scott Eamon’s at times frenzied vocals.
Listen to: Brakes - “Porcupine or Pineapple”
32. Open Season (Soundtrack) - Various Artists
This may be the best film soundtrack since 1983’s Valley Girl. Of the 13 songs, all but four are by former Replacements front man Paul Westerberg. Don’t see the film (the animals beat the hunters), but do check out the soundtrack. The guy’s still got it.
Listen to: Paul Westerberg - Love You In The Fall
31. Hind Hind Legs - The Lovely Feathers
While they may be yet another Montreal band, they are not just another Montreal band. “Hind Hind Legs” is the very distinctive debut LP for The Lovely Feathers, with loud guitar, strained vocals and lots of kick.
Listen to: The Lovely Feathers - “Frantic”
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No Decemberists? What, didn’t we list Sunset Rubdown? And where the hell is Beirut? Read after the jump.
30. Beams - The Presets
Hailing from New Zealand, this electro duo glorified the dark electronic genre that grew oh, so popular this year. The album sounds very calculated and precise, but it’s always a dance party whenever it plays.
Listen to: Presets - “Girl and the Sea”
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29. American V: A Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash
Cash’s first Tupac-esque posthumous album is a great way for us to remember one of our fallen heroes. He always wore black for the poor and the beaten down, livin’ on the hopeless, hungry side of town. Doesn’t that count for anything, you ungrateful pricks?
Listen to: Johnny Cash - “Four Strong Winds”
28. Dreams - The Whitest Boy Alive
Erlend Øye’s latest project keeps on with his exploration of the non-electronic world, taking it to a more instrumentally inclined level than he had with Kings of Convenience. And he can still make you dance.
Listen to: The Whitest Boy Alive - “Burning”
27. Ta-Dah - Scissor Sisters
Less Bee Gees, Elton John and more Billy Joel, the oversexed kings and queen of the dance floor have calmed down some, but keep both their and our asses shaking.
Listen to: Scissor Sisters - Kiss You Off
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26. Hundred Miles Off - The Walkmen
The Walkmen latch together songs dripping with the sludge of emotions we’re all shouldering. That’s what makes The Walkmen so crucial– they’re endlessly relateable. Whether through the folksy garage opener “Louisiana” or the hardcore heavy “Tenleytown,” The Walkmen pierce the crust of mediocrity congealing over 2006.
Listen to: The Walkmen - “Louisiana”
25. Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain - Sparklehorse
It’s been five years since the last Sparklehorse album. But not even crippling blood loss could keep Mark Linkous down. If it takes another five years for the next one, we’ll take it.
Listen to: Sparklehorse - “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away”
24. Garden Ruin - Calexico
This band has been around for a while and their newest stuff is also fantastic. Great sounds on an album that changes enough to stay interesting.
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Listen to: Calexico - “Across the Wire”
22. We Are The Pipettes - The Pipettes
According to an unimpeachable source (Wikipedia), the band was formed based on the snarky and sarcastic commentary in “The Manual: How to Have a Number One the Easy Way.” The mix of The Chiffons, Go-Gos and Go! Team on “We Are The Pipettes” delivers the best example of manufactured pop/rock since *NSYNC and maybe as far back as The Sex Pistols.
Listen to: The Pipettes - “Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me”
21. Return To The Sea - Islands
This band has two guys from The Unicorns, and God damn it if we didn’t stop playing this for months. It’s an adorable album, but not is some lame ass girly way. No, this one is appealing regardless of gender.
Listen to: The Islands - “Don’t Call Me Whitney, Bobby”
20. The Eraser - Thom Yorke
Common folk who usually pay Yorke’s band no mind will tell you that this is just another Radiohead album. We give you permission to slap them over the head and then give them a copy of the most polished work that the lazy eyed Brit has done.
Stream: Thom Yorke - “Atoms For Peace” (via The Hype Machine)
19. The Greatest - Cat Power
What a voice. A fantastic album with a consistent and reliable tone all its own.
Listen to: Cat Power - “The Greatest”
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18. Hello Young Lovers - Sparks
There’s nothing inherently complicated about “Hello Young Lovers”: it’s unapologetically nonsensical with harsh arrangements and layered vocals. It also teaches us the valuable lesson of the romanticism in the metaphor, and you can’t go wrong with literary mechanisms.
Listen to: Sparks - “Metaphor”
17. Yellow House - Grizzly Bear
These guys rock pretty hard on their second album, but they do it quietly. This is a great record in a subtly and understatement and listening to it is like looking at a really great painting or something. We think it bucks a couple of the trends this year, which is also interesting.
Listen to: Grizzly Bear - “On A Neck, On A Spit”
16. Impeach My Bush - Peaches
DO YOU GET THE JOKE? HAHA. OK, LET’S FUCK.
Listen to: Peaches - “Boys Wanna Be Her”
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15. Six Demon Bag - Man Man
When we heard Man Man’s third album, we think pirates. Pirates who slosh their steins full of beer around while sometimes singing in falsetto. There is nothing wrong with falsetto singing pirates, either. In fact, it’s excellent.
Listen to: Man Man - “Engwish Bwudd”
14. Everything All The Time - Band of Horses
The Seattle quartet was signed to Sub Pop, had an appearance on the Letterman show and showed the ability to make the most cold-hearted verbose bastard at Pitchfork swoon. Four months later, one of the founding members takes off. Couldn’t take the indie kid pressure, we guess.
Listen to: Band Of Horses - “The Funeral”
13. Night Ripper - Girl Talk
Before this album came out, no mere mortal could even imagine a mashup this epic and masterful. From Weezer to 50 Cent, “Night Ripper” is the deckest shit this side of misshapes.
Listen to: Girl Talk - “Too Deep”
12. Show Your Bones - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Part of the allure in “Fever To Tell” was the supercharged raucousness that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs excel in. Or at least what they can also excel in. “Show Your Bones” gave us a look at how art rockers sort of do folk.
Listen to: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Cheated Hearts”
11. The Loon - Tapes ‘N’ Tapes
Solid rock music is always appreciated, and this album is just that. It came out earlier in the year, a life raft when the pickings were slim. We basically listened to it from February to June.
Listen to: Tapes ‘N’ Tapes - “The Illiad”
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10. So This Is Goodbye - Junior Boys
Amidst the impressive list of the indie electronic acts that were this year, Junior Boys’ second LP stands out on top. They get props just for covering Frank Sinatra. That, and “In The Morning” is the most addictive song of 2006.
Listen to: Junior Boys - “In The Morning”
9. Beast Moans - Swan Lake
We love it when Den Bejar is in other people’s bands, kind of like how mustard makes ham sandwiches and turkey sandwiches so good, but its fucking gross to eat all on its own. So when he teamed up with Spencer Krug, the results were pretty great. In other words, it’s got loads of fancy dijion mustard.
Listen to: Swan Lake - “The Partisan But He’s Got to Know”
8. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
The Decemberists’ major label debut lives up to everything they’ve done before and more. Renowned for their ability to craft a Dickensian story over three minutes, “The Crane Wife” shows just how deep they can get when they hold one tale out for 10 or 15.
Listen to: The Decemberists - “Sons And Daughters”
7. The Life Pursuit - Belle & Sebastian
This album induces bliss shivers. Pop that pops without getting your face all messy. “White Collar Boy” and “Song for Sunshine” hum out one-liners that adhere to your brain like yellow smiley face stickers.
Listen to: Belle & Sebastian - “Song For Sunshine”
6. Tower of Love - Jim Noir
Manchester native Jim Noir takes us back to the lazy summers of the 1960s, minus the beach blanket bingo and the bongs, had we actually been around in the 1960s. With Beach Boys sensibilities and tracks that sound like they sampled after school specials, there’s something classic about this one.
Listen to: Jim Noir - “I Me You I’m Your”
5. Paper Television - The Blow
We saw this young lady when she came through with Architecture in Helsinki, and she was just as memorable as they were. She’s fearless, quirky, intelligent and energetic, crafting these practically perfect pop songs, and she adding to them on stage. What’s the deal with the guy who makes the beats? We don’t know.
Listen to: The Blow - “True Affection”
4. Shut Up I Am Dreaming - Sunset Rubdown
Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Swan Lake) is pioneering and prolific. This record has some touches of Scritti Politti (which would have made this list if every track on their “White Bread Black Beer” sounded like the first one.) We guess if you didn’t like Wolf Parade, you won’t like this, along with things like kittens, babies and sunlight.
Listen to: Sunset Rubdown - “Us Ones In Between”
3. Cansei De Ser Sexy - CSS
CSS isn’t about substance. It’s about style. Sexy, Brazilian danceable style. And there are few things hotter than a lead singer named Lovefoxx seranading to you in Portuguese while the other girls rock out. Get down with your South-American self.
Listen to: CSS - “Alala”
3. Ys - Joanna Newsom
Epic.
Listen to: Joanna Newsom - “Monkey & Bear”
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2. Boys & Girls Of America - The Hold Steady
Chris Finn is a story teller, and now his tale is three albums deep and getting better. Every song on here is thick with color, reference and allusion. We’ve never been to the Twin Cities, but not only do we feel like we have, we feel like we know people there.
Listen to: The Hold Steady - “Citrus”p>
And finally…
1. Gulag Orkestrar - Beirut
This record was a product of a 20-year-old prodigy’s love of Eastern European folk music and his collaboration with members of Neutral Milk Hotel and A Hawk and a Hacksaw. No one has ever made the mandolin so fucking cool. This album will be good forever and is certainly the best of the year.
Listen to: Beirut - “Postcards From Italy”
All the glorious preceding text was provided by Joshua Goodman, Josh Kramer, Will Nolan, Molly Norris, Chester Soria and Greg Wasserstrom.
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I knew this list would be tops when I heard the podcast snippet. Thank you for recognizing the undeniable appeal of SOS-my karaoke anthem. The other stuff is swell as well.