(no subject)
2006 Top 10 Albums: (no order, fuck it's hard enough to actually narrow this shit down to 10, there was a lot of good stuff this year)
Psapp- The only thing I ever wanted I think this is my favourite album this year (favourite doesn't mean best though, I actually agree with the pitchfork reviewer about the slight flatness of the background especially when listening to the vinyl. )
Final Fantasy- He Poos Clouds If you've heard this album, and you know my tastes, you'll know why I like it, It's like an indie pop album filtered through the soundtrack from a silent film and shot back into the world. I fucking love this guy. I'm a sucker for chamber pop I admit.
Daedelus- Denies the Days DemiseThom Yorke's been getting the props on other critics lists for experimental electronica due to his being, well, Thom fucking Yorke, but if you ask me between the Eraser and this album, I think Daedelus has put forth the more compelling and interesting album and that's exactly why Denies the Days Demise is here and Thom Yorke is in the honourable mention section this time.
Gnarls Barkley- St Elsewhere It was a given that this would be here I suppose, it's a fucking good album, I don't think I can think of one song on there that's not strong. Plus they covered my all time favourite Violent Femmes song. The album actually occaisionally reminds me of Mike Patton's interesting but inconsistent 2006 release, Peeping Tom, only here everything succeeds.
Arctic Monkeys- Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not (I swear that this came out in 2005 but I guess it's just that I heard demos and all that last December as it wasn't actually released until Januarry) As loathe as I am to say anything nice about any band that Liam Gallagher extolls in print, goddamnit this was the catchiest album of the year. I know, it's popular, mainstream radio loves it and they're the band whom everyone was in the knobshine line over, but it is a really solid and welldone album and one should never poopoo a good assshaking.
The Knife- Silent Shout infectious danceable electro, I could get music elitest about why it's good, but I'll refrain.
Ed Harcourt- the beautiful lie very solid pop album from British singer-songwriter, I went on about this album earlier in the year in a post and it's managed to stand up nicely (though he'd be in honourable mentions I suspect if I'd actually gotten around to listening to the Tom Waits album I somehow missed noticing had been released. oops)
Kasabian-- Empire you occaisionally need some swaggering electro rock and roll in your life. I've been amused that most of the negative reviews for the album grouse that they're ripping off the wrong decade, but if everyone was on that 80s bandwagon... well the world can only have so many Neo-wave bands now can't it and it's already getting impossible to tell them all apart.
Jarvis Cocker-- Jarvis I pretty much love everything about Jarvis Cocker in general, except for the fact that his new 'look' can only be described as 70s era paedo chic to the point that I seriously find myself wondering if he's gone out and bought himself a nice retro brown full size conversion van with the little bubble windows on the sides and red shag carpeting in the back to drive about town in. I mean I loved back in the day when he mooned Michael Jackson at an awards show before it was totally the in thing to dis the 'king of pop' and I loved even more that he let out that back in the heyday of Pulp he used to pay impersonators to go out at gigs and do all the requisite Jarvis Cocker posturing that the fans all wanted because he was sick of it all and just wanted to do the singing. And I love how he started a really good band pretty much for the soul purpose of taking the piss of Fischerspooner. But anyway, about the album: When all is said and done with our generation and we start really taking a look at who the really important musicians of it were, who's really going to stand the test of time; Cocker is going to be among them. He's flat out one of the best songwriters in the last 20 years and if there was any doubt of that claim, you merely need to listen to this record.
Decemberists- The Crane Wife You can debate me on it all you like, but I don't think this album is as good as Picaresque or Castaways and Cutouts. There's something different and more tired about this record, but it's hard to pinpoint what it is because it's still a great album so it's hard to put my finger on what exactly I feel somewhat disapointed in with it. It continues to grow on me, though. The more interesting stuff are the tracks with the more 70s psychedelic tones to them like the perfect crime and the island:.... The more, I guess you'd call it traditional Decemberists fare is sort of missing that special Edwardian edge that really opened up the world that exists in Colin Meloy's songs in private cinema before your eyelids. Here it just seems like oridnary indiepop. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than most ordinary indie pop and the album was still one of the best of the year, it's just lacking that really special ambiance that elevates it over its contemporaries that I've come to expect from the Decemberists. I think they've outgrown the shanty-core, but are afraid to completely abandon the sound that got them the notoriety they deserve, or maybe they want to avoid being associated with it and are trying a little to hard to avoid going there for another album.. I'll be quite interested to see where the next album takes them.
Honourable Mentions:
Thom Yorke- the eraser
The Sleepy Jackson--Personality
Captain- This is Hazelville
archie bronson outfit- derdang derdang
tv on the radio- return to cookie mountain
brightblack morning light- s/t
guillemots- through the window pane
the dears- gang of losers
hot chip- the warning the album as a whole couldn't quite live up to the ridiculously addictive single
DeVothcKa- Curse your Little Heart EP
Best Concerts this year:
DeVotchKa Nov 29, Sokol Underground.
The Faint Dec 17 Sokol upstairs
the sad thing is I can't even remember another really good show this year, but then 2006 was not a year that I actually went to very many shows, more often I planned to go to shows and then sort of decided I couldn't be bothered at the last minute, if buying advanced tickets for 1% shows didn't result in paying a 'convienience charge' of 1/3 to 1/2 of the face value of the fucking tickets maybe I'd have gone to more shows, but when you're not forking your money over for the tickets until you get to the door, if you're me you're just as apt to just not feel like getting up off the couch and going out again once you're home. Seriously if buying online in advance cost me no more than the 2% that the credit merchants charge 1% to process my card or hell even 5% of the ticket value, I'd be all over it but 50% no fucking way, not unless it's a band I desparately want to see and think will actually sell out. And so far there's not a single 1% show through March that they've got up on their site that I've any interest in seeing. There are 2 I might go to for the hell of it, but mostly it's just blah. I hope that improves.
oh and 2006 featured not one but two Oingo Boingo tribute albums and holy shit neither of them sucked ass. Dead Band's Party had the bigger names with trendier pop punk ska bands, which really makes a bit of sense given the pioneering Boingo had in that SoCal ska-punk influenced sound. and Clear static did a cover of Dead Man's Party that I actully may like better than the original. Drink to Bones that Turn to Dust was actually the better album though, as it played less like a bunch of bands who play styles similar to what Oingo Boingo did basically making versions that sound quite similar to the originals but just not as good and more like what a real tribute album ought to be a diverse group of bands with wildly different sounds taking on one artist's work and showing how really great it is by it's malleability. On that album you've got alt-country people, hip hop people, indie rock people really reforming songs in a way that showcases them.
That's all I'm closing the books on 2006
Psapp- The only thing I ever wanted I think this is my favourite album this year (favourite doesn't mean best though, I actually agree with the pitchfork reviewer about the slight flatness of the background especially when listening to the vinyl. )
Final Fantasy- He Poos Clouds If you've heard this album, and you know my tastes, you'll know why I like it, It's like an indie pop album filtered through the soundtrack from a silent film and shot back into the world. I fucking love this guy. I'm a sucker for chamber pop I admit.
Daedelus- Denies the Days DemiseThom Yorke's been getting the props on other critics lists for experimental electronica due to his being, well, Thom fucking Yorke, but if you ask me between the Eraser and this album, I think Daedelus has put forth the more compelling and interesting album and that's exactly why Denies the Days Demise is here and Thom Yorke is in the honourable mention section this time.
Gnarls Barkley- St Elsewhere It was a given that this would be here I suppose, it's a fucking good album, I don't think I can think of one song on there that's not strong. Plus they covered my all time favourite Violent Femmes song. The album actually occaisionally reminds me of Mike Patton's interesting but inconsistent 2006 release, Peeping Tom, only here everything succeeds.
Arctic Monkeys- Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not (I swear that this came out in 2005 but I guess it's just that I heard demos and all that last December as it wasn't actually released until Januarry) As loathe as I am to say anything nice about any band that Liam Gallagher extolls in print, goddamnit this was the catchiest album of the year. I know, it's popular, mainstream radio loves it and they're the band whom everyone was in the knobshine line over, but it is a really solid and welldone album and one should never poopoo a good assshaking.
The Knife- Silent Shout infectious danceable electro, I could get music elitest about why it's good, but I'll refrain.
Ed Harcourt- the beautiful lie very solid pop album from British singer-songwriter, I went on about this album earlier in the year in a post and it's managed to stand up nicely (though he'd be in honourable mentions I suspect if I'd actually gotten around to listening to the Tom Waits album I somehow missed noticing had been released. oops)
Kasabian-- Empire you occaisionally need some swaggering electro rock and roll in your life. I've been amused that most of the negative reviews for the album grouse that they're ripping off the wrong decade, but if everyone was on that 80s bandwagon... well the world can only have so many Neo-wave bands now can't it and it's already getting impossible to tell them all apart.
Jarvis Cocker-- Jarvis I pretty much love everything about Jarvis Cocker in general, except for the fact that his new 'look' can only be described as 70s era paedo chic to the point that I seriously find myself wondering if he's gone out and bought himself a nice retro brown full size conversion van with the little bubble windows on the sides and red shag carpeting in the back to drive about town in. I mean I loved back in the day when he mooned Michael Jackson at an awards show before it was totally the in thing to dis the 'king of pop' and I loved even more that he let out that back in the heyday of Pulp he used to pay impersonators to go out at gigs and do all the requisite Jarvis Cocker posturing that the fans all wanted because he was sick of it all and just wanted to do the singing. And I love how he started a really good band pretty much for the soul purpose of taking the piss of Fischerspooner. But anyway, about the album: When all is said and done with our generation and we start really taking a look at who the really important musicians of it were, who's really going to stand the test of time; Cocker is going to be among them. He's flat out one of the best songwriters in the last 20 years and if there was any doubt of that claim, you merely need to listen to this record.
Decemberists- The Crane Wife You can debate me on it all you like, but I don't think this album is as good as Picaresque or Castaways and Cutouts. There's something different and more tired about this record, but it's hard to pinpoint what it is because it's still a great album so it's hard to put my finger on what exactly I feel somewhat disapointed in with it. It continues to grow on me, though. The more interesting stuff are the tracks with the more 70s psychedelic tones to them like the perfect crime and the island:.... The more, I guess you'd call it traditional Decemberists fare is sort of missing that special Edwardian edge that really opened up the world that exists in Colin Meloy's songs in private cinema before your eyelids. Here it just seems like oridnary indiepop. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than most ordinary indie pop and the album was still one of the best of the year, it's just lacking that really special ambiance that elevates it over its contemporaries that I've come to expect from the Decemberists. I think they've outgrown the shanty-core, but are afraid to completely abandon the sound that got them the notoriety they deserve, or maybe they want to avoid being associated with it and are trying a little to hard to avoid going there for another album.. I'll be quite interested to see where the next album takes them.
Honourable Mentions:
Thom Yorke- the eraser
The Sleepy Jackson--Personality
Captain- This is Hazelville
archie bronson outfit- derdang derdang
tv on the radio- return to cookie mountain
brightblack morning light- s/t
guillemots- through the window pane
the dears- gang of losers
hot chip- the warning the album as a whole couldn't quite live up to the ridiculously addictive single
DeVothcKa- Curse your Little Heart EP
Best Concerts this year:
DeVotchKa Nov 29, Sokol Underground.
The Faint Dec 17 Sokol upstairs
the sad thing is I can't even remember another really good show this year, but then 2006 was not a year that I actually went to very many shows, more often I planned to go to shows and then sort of decided I couldn't be bothered at the last minute, if buying advanced tickets for 1% shows didn't result in paying a 'convienience charge' of 1/3 to 1/2 of the face value of the fucking tickets maybe I'd have gone to more shows, but when you're not forking your money over for the tickets until you get to the door, if you're me you're just as apt to just not feel like getting up off the couch and going out again once you're home. Seriously if buying online in advance cost me no more than the 2% that the credit merchants charge 1% to process my card or hell even 5% of the ticket value, I'd be all over it but 50% no fucking way, not unless it's a band I desparately want to see and think will actually sell out. And so far there's not a single 1% show through March that they've got up on their site that I've any interest in seeing. There are 2 I might go to for the hell of it, but mostly it's just blah. I hope that improves.
oh and 2006 featured not one but two Oingo Boingo tribute albums and holy shit neither of them sucked ass. Dead Band's Party had the bigger names with trendier pop punk ska bands, which really makes a bit of sense given the pioneering Boingo had in that SoCal ska-punk influenced sound. and Clear static did a cover of Dead Man's Party that I actully may like better than the original. Drink to Bones that Turn to Dust was actually the better album though, as it played less like a bunch of bands who play styles similar to what Oingo Boingo did basically making versions that sound quite similar to the originals but just not as good and more like what a real tribute album ought to be a diverse group of bands with wildly different sounds taking on one artist's work and showing how really great it is by it's malleability. On that album you've got alt-country people, hip hop people, indie rock people really reforming songs in a way that showcases them.
That's all I'm closing the books on 2006