My 10 Favorite Albums of 2006

2006 has come to an end which means it is time to run down what I liked and disliked this year in music. Today I’m going to grace you with my top ten favorite albums of 2006. Tomorrow, or the next day I’d like to list the most disappointing album for the year, and well as some other favorites from the year. Lets count down from 10.



10. How Strange, Innocence
Explosions in the Sky –
Putting this album on my list was a bit of a tormentor for me. The version of this album that is currently in my possession was in fact released this year, but it is a re-issue. The music on this album is 6 years old, but because it was never officially released I decided to list it. Why I like this album: It’s Explosions in the Sky, how do you not like this band? The songs are so well crafted in the way they grow, climax and then die. EITS are a band that knows how to do instrumental music well. Instrumental music as a whole will be a big part of this list. Including this album, 4 of the 10 have either no lyrics or very limited lyrics.
Standout Tracks: “Glittering Blackness” “A Song for our Fathers”



9. Palmless Prayer/ Mass Murder Refrain
MONO & World’s End Girlfriend –
As I just mention instrumental music meant a lot to me this year, and this was one of the year’s best. The album as a whole starts off very subdued and sounds like it could be a movie score. It isn’t until about half way through the third track that you notice MONO’s presence, and after that it is only again on the fifth and final track that you notice them again. The fifth track (no titles; all songs are names Trailer 1-5) however is one of the most beautiful tracks MONO has ever contributed. That one track is better than anything of their latest album. World’s End Girlfriend isn’t any slouch either. You can hear his (WEG is one guy) influence on MONO, the music is much more somber than previous MONO solo outings.
Standout Tracks: “Trailer 3” “Trailer 5”



8. First Impression of Earth
The Strokes –
I’ve got a feeling this is an album that will be left off many lists this year, if for no other reasons than the fact it was released so early in the year. The album came out a year ago tomorrow (January 3) in the US, but was actually released in 2005 in a few countries. I didn’t forget about it though. I think this album is excellent. After I heard the first Strokes album I told anyone that would listen “this band won’t last, they have one sound.” I was wrong. The band has completely reinvented themselves for this album. This album sounds less like the second album, than the second album sounded like the first. There have always been guitar solos in Strokes’ songs, but never like this, the band sounds like a real rock band, not some one hit garage group. Everyone in the band plays, and sounds, better than they did on any previous album. You may prefer the lo-fi sound of their earlier albums, but this is my favorite Strokes album.
Standout Tracks: “Ask me Anything” “Ize of the World”



7. Up Close and Personal* & Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars**
South
“Adventures…” is a studio album, and “Up Close…” is a compilation of tracks from the bands first three albums (including “Adventures”), live tracks and unreleased tracks. Both albums came out this year, and I don’t see one as being better than the other, but I couldn’t justify giving them two spots on the list. “Adventures…” is a great album, obviously one of my favorites from this year, but compared to the bands last album, “With The Tides,” this album is a giant turd. WTT is one of the best (and least appreciated) albums of the last 10 years, which will most likely make any future release by this band look weak in comparison. The studio album is too polished, and sounds like an attempt to keep up with Coldplay, Doves or Elbow … 4 years ago. “Up Close & Personal” features the band striped down and playing mostly live songs. The songs that I was forced to skip on the studio album, shine and demand to be repeated when performed live. Not only that, but perhaps the best New Order cover I’ve ever heard is included. Not only that, but as an added bonus a live DVD is included.
Standout Tracks: “Bizarre Love Triangle*” “Keep Close*” “A Place in Displacement**” “What Holds Us**”



6. St. Elsewhere
Gnarls Barkley –
If you haven’t heard at least one track of this album, you must be living in a cave, or maybe you’re deaf, in which case hopefully you’ve seen a video or two. “Crazy” was without a doubt the top 40 song of the summer, if not year, but there is more to this album than that one song. I bought this CD on a whim, aside from “No Way Out” by Puff Daddy & the Family, this is my first R&B or rap album, but it’s not. I was expecting an R&B album, but I got something much more diverse. There are a lot of guitar and bass driven rock songs. Not only is this one of my favorite albums of the year, but also this is one of the best rock albums of the year. I think the best part of this album is the oddball subject matter for the songs. This album features songs about the pleasures of Necrophilia and Feng Shui. I bought this album thinking I’d regret it, but the only thing I regret about this album is that I didn’t buy it sooner. PS: The last minute or so of the song “Just a Thought” is probably my favorite 60 seconds of music this year.
Standout Tracks: “Necromancer” “ Storm Coming” “Gone Daddy Gone” Transformer”



5. At War With the Mystics
The Flaming Lips –
The world’s greatest one hit wonder strikes again. Overall this album is weak by Flaming Lips standards, but is nonetheless a solid album. If I had purchased this album and the first two tracks had been left off, this album would probably be 2 spots higher on my list. I really don’t know what to say about this album. You either get The Flaming Lips, or you don’t. This album is on par with their last three albums, which were both awe inspiringly good. Steven Drozd sings lead vocals for the first time on a track off this album, “Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung.” This album also features what may be my all time favorite Flaming Lips song, “Mr. Ambulance Drive.”
Standout Tracks: “The Wizard Turns On…” “The W.A.N.D.”



4. Just Like the Fambly Cat
Grandaddy –
As you probably know this is the bands swan song. There is no more Grandaddy. That doesn’t mean you won’t be hearing their music anymore, it just won’t be by a band called Grandaddy. In case you didn’t know, Grandaddy is the creative offspring of one guy, Jason Lytle. Yes there are other band members, but Grandaddy is Jason Lytle. This album would end up on my list for no other reason than the fact it has my favorite album cover of the year. I’m not sure what it is supposed to mean or signify, but I like it. The music is typical Grandaddy. Odd and irreverent. The music is solid, and the lyrics are zany. In a previous post I paid my respects to Logan Whitehurst, a man who would have been the perfect opening act for Grandaddy. Sadly that will never happen. This is one of those albums that I just like, and I can’t really explain why that is.
Standout Tracks: “This Is How it Always Starts/ Shangri La [outro]” “Skateboarding Saves me Twice”



3. You Are There
MONO --
This album is amazing. Every year I make a list like this (this is the first year I’ve posted it online, however), and what I notice is that there is always an album of two that stick with me year after year, and this will be one of those albums. MONO is unique is the way they keep getting better. Yes, I know bands don’t always come out of the gate strong and then fizzle, but MONO came out of nowhere to blow us away, and then has repeated that feat again and again. I love every track on this album. Like EITS, MONO knows how to do instrumental, so well in fact they are probably the best instrumental band touring today. Up until about a month ago I would have told you this was the best album of the year, you see who changed my mind in a minute. The band truly explodes with this album. The band plays faster, slower, louder and quieter than ever before. If asked my favorite type of music I will say instrumental because of this band. There were other instrumental acts (GY!BE) that I enjoyed before I ever heard of MONO, but none of them pulled at me emotionally like MONO does. The members of MONO say more to me with pure music than any other musician could ever say with lyrics. The music is uncluttered and pure. There is no pretense, there is no wit, there is nothing but music stripped to its core.
Standout Tracks: “The Flames Beyond the Cold Mountain” “A Heart has asked for the Pleasure” “Yearning” “Are You There?” “The Remains of the Day” “Moonlight” (all of them)



2. Saturday Night Wrist
Deftones –
My second favorite album cover of the year, and my second favorite Deftones album cover, the self titled was absolutely bitchin’. The Deftones hold themselves to a higher standard than most. They don’t settle for anything but the best, and that is what they produce. Their last three albums are the three best metal albums this century. While recording this album the band repeatedly stated this would be their heaviest album ever, which it is not. In fact it is probably the least heavy album they’ve put out, and I love it for that. I cannot stand the bands first two albums; they’re un-listenable because they’re too heavy (a sentiment I know will turn many a Deftones fan against me). This albums is more in line with White Pony than anything else they’ve done. My definition of a bad Deftones song is any song in which Chino decides it in necessary for him to scream the lyrics, by that standard this should be the bands best album. I think there might be 2 songs where Chino pulls that nu-metal crap on us, but it doesn’t suck on this album. I went back and listened to the last two albums, and yes I still hate when he screams on those albums, but it works this time. Do I want him to do more of it? No. Am I going to skip the tracks? No. The biggest problem I have with this album is the song “Pink Cellphone.” It isn’t really a song. Sure there is a beat and a melody, but there isn’t anything that would make it something you could listen to more than once or twice. It’d like the Radiohead track “Fitter Happier” but with the worst lyrics ever and an annoying hip hop beat. This isn’t only the worst Deftones song ever, but might be one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. If you don’t believe me go look up the lyrics on line and read the last verse aloud. Aside from that, it is an excellent album. It’s the first Deftones album I’ve tried to get non-metal fans to listen too.
Standout Tracks: “Cherry Waves” “Mein” “Xerces”



1. Mr. Beast
Mogwai –
I saw this band open for The Cure a little over two years ago. I’m pretty sure they had just put out “Happy Songs For Happy People” and I thought to myself that this is a band that is jaw dropping live, but sucks in the studio. This album changed that for me. This is Mogwai’s best album. This is the album I wanted the band to make that day I saw them. There isn’t a track to complain about on this album. It is solid from end to end. My problem with the bands earlier releases is they were too wussy. There was no meat to them. The were more ambient than instrumental (this is an album I’d consider instrumental even though there are vocals on a couple of tracks). This album is heavy even when it isn’t being loud. There is gravity to the songs. The vocals add an excellent touch. It is the vocals that are probably the biggest improvement on this album. You can finally understand Stuart Braithewaite (or is it Barry Burns?). His voice is clear and deep. When he’s sung in the past I couldn’t tell if it was English, gibberish or perhaps Gaelic he was using, but now I can not only tell it is English, but I can decipher the actual words being used. I didn’t want to buy this album originally. I’d been burnt by previous Mogwai releases, disappointed with each one, but this one is different. I don’t care that I bought it 6 months after it came out, I still love the album. I’m just glad I bought it in time to put it on this list. I’m done typing, time to go listen to this album,
Standout Tracks: “Friend of the Night” “Folk Death 95”