My Top 10 Albums of 2006
January 13th, 2007Because I’ve been busy, I’m going to be a little slow on my reflective 2006 posts. But 2006 was another great year for music and there are albums that I need to give some recognition to. In addition to being lucky enough to have heard these albums, I was fortunate enough to see a few of the artists perform live. Duke Spirit, Psapp and Juana Molina were easily among the best shows I saw in 2006.
The Duke Spirit – Cuts Across the Land
Think PJ Harvey’s first two albums and you’ve already got a good idea of what The Duke Spirit sounds like. It’s rock and roll with authoritative, sexy vocals. And they put on a solid set at Coachella last year despite one member of the band having an arm in a cast.
Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton – Knives Don’t Have Your Back
I love Metric’s albums and Emily Haines’ piano-driven solo album is just as solid. It’s quite possibly the saddest album of 2006 also. Each song is a bit more tortured and powerful than the previous. This is a powerful album and a totally captivating live performance.
Headlights – Kill Them With Kindness
On the album, Headlights sounds a lot like a slightly poppier Arcade Fire. Even better, some of the synth parts are straight out of late-80s’s Cure songs. Live, they’re a bit heavier on the guitar and you might find it hard to see how they’re any different than any other band touring right now. If you have doubts, check out this album.
The Isles – Perfumed Lands
The Isles sound like the second coming of the Smiths. No, seriously. And that’s about all you need to know about them. If you’ve been mourning Morrissey’s reluctance to reunite the Smiths, it’s time to move on and pick up this album by The Isles.
Juana Molina – Son
I had the good fortune to see Juana Molina perform twice in 2006, and she blew me away both times. Her combination of vocals, acoustic guitar and light electronics creates an environment that’s easy to spend time in. Son follows in the style of her previous two albums, and it’s easily to get lost in her music. Good songs for writing code to.
Maps – Start Something
I don’t know if they’ve decided on a name for this genre yet, but it’s probably something like indietronica or laprock. If you like Khonnor or The Postal Service this album is a pretty safe bet. Beats, keyboards and low-key vocals that are half sung, half whispered.
Mountaineer – When The Air is Bright They Shine
This album exists where folk and samba music meet. Think Arto Lindsay if he traded in his electronics for an acoustic guitar. This is a very easy album to listen to, understated and optimistic. Perfect music for a Sunday afternoon.
Nine Horses – Snow Borne Sorrow
This sort of reminds me of David Bowie’s “Outside” in the sense that it sounds like music from the future. Elements of electronica and jazz surround and support David Sylvian’s captivating voice. When I first got this album it was all I listened to for three days straight.
Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory – Tree Colored See
While I like both of these artists individually, there is something about applying Nobody’s beats supporting Mystic Chords’ acoustic guitar and mellow vocals. I suppose this falls into the folktronica camp of music.
Psapp – All I Ever Wanted
Psapp’s music is a playful combination of catchy melodies, toy sounds, keyboards, acoustic guitar and silky vocals over top. If it were a food, it would be a rich dessert. I had the good fortune to see them live with Juana Molina last year and I can say this: for all their delicate songs, Psapp are rowdy drunks.