I'm such a blogger - poser. I sorta forgot about this whole thing. Mostly because no-one read it in the first place, but i don't care. It's a nice place to come back to every now and then. I'll have to be more diligent moving forward.
So, I'm no music aficionado or anything, but in the last year and a half, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of music that I had been ignoring for some time. Getting married, having kids, being in grad school and working have all contributed to my lack of connectedness in the music world. Thanks to friends like McKinley, Woodard, Janous and Peel I've been able to get re-connected to my old passion of finding and listening to really good music that isn't the typical mainstream BS.
In any case, here's my track list for my best of 2006 CD. Take it or leave it, it's what I'm listening to and really enjoying at the moment. These aren't necessarily in any order, or have any great lyrical value. I just really like listening to each. Some have better stories than others, some are just fun to listen to, and some are good representatives of a greater album. Hope you enjoy.
Roscoe by midlake
Easy favorite for one of the best songs of the year by most blogs and music enthusiasts. These guys are from Denton, TX and have a sound that's reminiscent of a Fleetwood Mac meets something cool from the 80's sound. The intro reminds me of the "MASH" theme song. There's something hauntingly familiar about their songs. They make me think of small Irish rural farming towns at the turn of the century with stone barns on overcast days. Their album "Trials of Van Occupanther" is easily my favorite album of 2006. PS-- These guys look like what Mike Kuhn and Nate Woodard would look like if they were in a band.
Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela
Thanks to Janous, I learned about these guys only weeks ago. I haven't even heard their whole album, but what I've heard is amazing. They're actually Latinos living in Ireland or something like that. She has a very flamenco guitar style while he jams faster than anything I've ever seen. Check out the video of them performing live..
Sukie in the Graveyard by Belle and Sebastian
The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian is probably my second favorite album of the year. I listened to their stuff in the past and never really liked it, but for some reason all of a sudden, I really do. They're clever, talented musicians with Scottish accents and alltogether kind of silly, a perfect combination for me. Here's a video of them performing this live...
Online by Gnarls Barkley
Even though I refused (for way too long) to believe the hype that this album could be a best of 2006 (especially after being worn out on "Crazy", I finally listened to it in full and it's actually really good. My daughter and I have a game we play to this song oddly enough. It's only 1:48 minutes long, but it's got a great groove and something I wanted to squeeze in to give "St. Elsewhere" the props it deserves.
Postcards from Italy by Beirut
Quirky, polka sounding, sometimes accordion based music isn't normally on the top of my play-list, but there's something strangely clever and pleasant about Beirut. Wikipedia classifies his sound as "gypsy-folk-pop". Hmm. I'd qualify this as one of the better songs on the album, but the entire album "Gulag Orkestar" is really nice to listen to. I don't know much about the one-man band. But you can learn more here.
Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn and John
These guys are a bit wack, but they're Swedish, what can you expect? This song is pretty quirky. It annoyed the hell out of me at first, but now I can't get it out of my head. I don't think their whole album is that good, but this song is fun. Check out the music video of this song. It actually made me like the song even more...
Panic Open String by Calexico
It never occurred to me to listen to Calexico without Iron and Wine, but I did this year, and "Garden Ruin" is actually a pretty good album. I saw them perform on ACL Concert Series on PBS and I was amazed by their musicianship. This song is kind of chill, but i like it. Sorry, don't have much more to say, it's just a nice song to listen to. Sue me!
Summersong by The Decemberists
"The Crane Wife" is a great album. I still like "Picaresque" better, but I'm looking forward to seeing this show live in April. This song is more of an homage to the album. It's not my favorite song or anything, but it has a nice sound. (again, sue me)
That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! by Sufjan Stevens
By far my favorite artist in a long time. I'm so mad I missed his concert in STL. Just about everything he does is gold. "Illinois" in 2005 is one of the best all time albums in my opinion, and "Seven Swans" before it was pretty solid. I know this song is probably several years old, but it showed up on his 2006 Christmas Music compilation. It's vintage Sufjan: melancholy and soft, but it has powerfully conflicted themes of trying to enjoy the holidays amidst the turmoil that is family chaos. I identify with this song more than just about any other Christmas song sadly. It ends with an uplifting, and somewhat convicting sentiment as he convinces himself "In time, the Lord will rise... In time the Lord will rise!" Great reminder when life's circumstances suck.
Game Theory by The Roots
I admit it. I'm a new Roots fan. This title track really takes a turn at :56. Be patient. It gets good! Many critics are saying this is their best album yet! Hoping to see them live in March. The song is part of a huge mix, so it ends really abruptly. Sorry about that. Never really got into their stuff before. Questlove was featured frequently on Dave Chapelle which is where I first started listening to him. He even did an awesome skit with Dave and John Mayer on the ways different races respond to music. It's hilarious. I would've posted it, but Comedy Central sued You Tube for posting their stuff, so they had to take it down. Bastards!
Song for You by Alexi Murdoch
Would've never heard of this Nick Drake-sounding chap, but thanks to Zac I'm a big fan. Great chill out album, that really does sound like the late great Nick Drake from the 60s-70s. This song makes me think of my wife. She probably hates the song, knowing how keenly receptive I am to her sensitivities, but in any case it's got a sweet melody with a calming overtone.
The Blues Are Still Blue by Belle and Sebastian
Another great example of a song that I now like better after seeing the video. Very clever, and spritish and finally a video I don't feel like I have to repent after seeing. From "The Life Pursuit"...
Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic) by The Raconteurs
Friends from Detroit, Jack White, The Greenhornes and Brendan Benson got together to form "The Raconteurs" and they've made a pretty big mark all of a sudden. The original of this song is great, but I really like the acoustic version too. Not as many people have heard this version. I love the herky-jerky strum pattern in the intro that's carried out thru the song. I think Brendan Benson's poppy-ness is what got me interested in this. I'm not really a huge fan of The White Stripes (sad to say) or The Greenhornes on their own, but putting em all together, I really like their sound.
Silver City by Ghostland Observatory
Ok, so this is a blatant rip-off of McKinley's "Best of 2006"
Multiply (In a Minor Key) by Jamie Lidell
Woodard introduced many of us to the original in 2005. This remix came out last year on a separate EP. At first I hated it, because it was different, but I really like how completely different the song sounds and I actually like it a lot now. Can't get it out of my head.
The Iliad by Tapes 'n Tapes
I had to pick just one song from Tapes N' Tapes "The Loon". "Cowbell" is a great song, but for some reason, I like this one better. Very strange but cool sound. It's a mysterious message filled with mythical undercurrents (code for, I have no idea what this song is about) but my favorite lyric is the chorus: "The Burning Sighs of Sirens Lies". huh?
Rootless Tree by Damien Rice
Damien Rice's sophomore debut long-awaited follow up from "O" is an album called "9". It was one of the most disappointing albums of the year. Mostly whiny, depressing music. This song however is a great paradox demonstrating what can only be the echoes of this guy's bipolar back and forth between whisper quiet and angry screaming. I like the song because it sounds like a nice little radio song for the first 30 seconds and then the chorus is him screaming "FU! FU!". Warning, it's explicit, but that doesn't mean it's not a good song.
Chips Ahoy! by The Hold Steady
It took awhile for me to like "The Hold Steady". Josh "the dirt" Lang convinced me to give it a listen. It's actually pretty good. This song is about a horse named "Chips Ahoy" i guess. I don't really care, it's just kind of a cool sounding rock and roll song.
Young Bride by midlake
This is my favorite song by midlake (earlier mentioned). This song is actually a lot more depressing than I thought. Looks like it's about a young wife with some horrible bed ridden illness. Watching the video for this helps me understand why I visualize what I said about "Roscoe" above. For other terribly depressing, but amazing sounding songs, reference Sufjan Stevens "Casimir Pulaski Day" about his girlfriend who died of bone-cancer. Sheesh! What a pick-me-up! Check it out. These guys are incredible...
The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberists
