What are your favorite albums of 2006?

[mvd]

I'm using a strict cutoff of albums from only 2006 for my list, but if you want to include albums released in late 2005, I'm not going to mind. If you haven't gotten a chance to post your list yet, now is your chance - and if you posted before, you have an opportunity to make changes and are welcome to post again.

My top 20 follows. I know that on certain days I'll wish I included some other albums in my list, and I'll likely buy more 2006 albums, but this is a good sample. I included quick descriptions of what the albums sound like. Albums are not in order except for The Dixie Chicks. Some CDs might equal Taking The Long Way musically, but it is such a bold comeback.

Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way (#1 ALBUM) (southern rock, power pop, country)
The Corrs - Home (Celtic and pop)
Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country (girl group pop, Belle And Sebastian)
The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea (indie pop)
Neil Young - Living With War (60s protest)
Nina Gordon - Bleeding Heart Graffiti (Aimee Mann mixed with pop/rock)
Damone - Out Here All Night (Avril, 80s hard rock)
Belle And Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (60s and 70s rock)
The Charade - A Real Life Drama (indie pop, jangle pop)
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (The Smiths, indie pop)
Josh Ritter - Animal Years (folk/rock)
The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America (Counting Crows, The Replacements)
Alison Ray - Downside Up (Avril, Melissa Etheridge)
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (alt-country)
Indigo Girls - Despite Our Differences (punk-tinged folk/rock)
Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me (The Beatles, The B-52s, R.E.M.)
Hem - Funnel Cloud (art-pop)
Candice Accola - It's Always The Innocent Ones (Avril, American Hi-Fi, Jewel - album released only on iTunes for now)
The Format - Dog Problems (The Clash, Ben Folds, power pop)
Thea Gilmore - Harpo's Ghost (Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Sheryl Crow)

Some honorable mentions:

Those Transatlantics - Knocked Out (New Pornographers, The Cardigans, My Morning Jacket)
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (The Beatles, Sonic Youth)
Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (indie pop)
Lillix - Inside The Hollow (new wave, pop/rock)
Susan Cagle - The Subway Recordings (Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow - this album has top 20-type music, but does have background noise)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go (traditional folk mixed with some Sigur Ros and his own personality)
Ellery - Lying Awake (The Cranberries, Sarah McLachlan)
The Weepies - Say I Am You (Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls)
Veruca Salt - IV (Joan Jett, Cheap Trick, Hole)
The Wreckers - Stand Still, Look Pretty (Dixie Chicks, country/pop)
Alexz Johnson - Songs From Instant Star 2 (Damhnait Doyle, pop/rock)
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Green Day, power pop)
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity (The Sundays, Black Sabbath)
The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home (Blondie, Pulp, Elastica)
Gomez - How We Operate (indie pop, All Music Guide lists Pavement)
Cat Power - The Greatest (Memphis soul sound, alternative rock)
Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler (power pop, Bruce Springsteen)
Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac (alt-country, folk, pop/rock)
Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope (Fiona Apple, The Strokes, Billie Holiday)
Persephone's Bees - Notes From The Underworld (dance/pop, Fleetwood Mac)
Slumber Party - Musik (psychedelic pop)
Tom Petty - Highway Companion (classic rock)
Paul Simon - Surprise (classic rock)
Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You (Jayhawks)
The Randies - Saw The Light (power pop, No Doubt)
Ingrid Michaelson - Girls & Boys (indie rock)
Leigh Nash - Blue On Blue (Sixpence None The Richer, Eisley)
Jennifer O'Connor - Over The Mountain... (update of the old Liz Phair sound)
Elton John - The Captain And The Kid (classic rock)
Ripley - Outtasite! (The Pretenders, power pop)
Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls (Joni Mitchell, Suzanne Vega, other folk/rock and a slight country influence)

Unfortunately, couldn't hear the whole albums from Vince Gill, M. Ward, Silversun Pickups, Band Of Horses, and more.

These sound like the best R&B/hip hop albums:

Corrine Bailey Rae - self-titled
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Beyonce - B'day
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

All in all, a good year for the kinds of music I like.

[Broken_Hero]

1. hmm....

One Nation Underground, by ILL Nino(I think its an 06 cd)

10,000 Fists, by Disturbed...


hmmm, hmm....damn....I haven't boughten/listened to much new music in a very long time...

The only cds I remember buying last year was...

One Nation Underground-ILL Nino

10,000 Fists-Disturbed

Superman Returns Soundtrack

Smallville, the Metropolis Mix-various artists

Napolean Dynamite Soundtrack

American Idiot-Green Day

Out of Exile-AudioSlave

hmm...my memory is swiss cheese, but thats about all the new cds I got last year...

[mvd]

2. Hi petersond!

How have you been?

Green Day made my 2005 list - great album. I would have put The Veronicas in my list, but I put them in my 2005 list, so I made them ineligible for my 2006 one.

[Broken_Hero]

3. Hey mvd,

I'm doing better, just getting over an illness...but recovering well. I've been so far out of the music loop, I'm embarrassed...I use to be ontop of it all, getting new cds, finding new groups, and pushing the better groups onto my friends/others...now, I'm shocked I missed a Mudvayne cd, that came out...gasp, like two years ago! I'm slipping big time...

I do have to give a nod to Kelly Clarkson, and the new evanescene...a friend of mine sent me some of their newer music/cds, and I'm impressed...

[mvd]

4. Glad you are feeling better

Now you can enjoy the warm winter.. but this weather is just too unnatural!

Don't worry - right now I have plenty of time for music. Hopefully, you will catch up. I'm surprised you go for Kelly and Evanescence - I also do, especially Kelly. :hi:

[Broken_Hero]

5. I like a lot of groups,

my taste in music is pretty...wide actually. I heard Kelly Clarkson before on the radio, just didn't know it was her...when I got the cd, I was like...oh, thats WHO sings that song!...:D

I have some music channels on your cable, but the heavy metal station sucks...all it is, is Death Metal...all the screaming, guttural stuff, which I really don't care for...I wish they would split the genre up, just have Heavy Metal, than Death metal...I cannot stand listening to music, where the lead singer...well, doesn't sing...I do like the heavy tunes though, but when the guttural growling kicks in...bleh, its like getting a 2x4 to the head...

My tastes, have started gravatating to country...my wife likes country, and I'm mightly impressed with Alison Krauss and Union Station, and The Dixie Chicks...very talented bands...some of the best picking I've ever seen(Union Station).

[mvd]

7. Oh I agree completely about metal

I find Metallica, System Of A Down, and Ozzy to be very listenable - but I just can't stomach these nu-metal and death metal bands.

Your taste is getting as varied as mine.. the only styles I dislike are rap, death metal, pure techno, some A/C, opera, and very corporate country.

[Broken_Hero]

9. The genre's I dislike, which I know I'll get flamed for are

1. Jazz, can't stand it...

2. The blues, hate it...

3. Death Metal, hate it

4. Pop Country....I cannot believe the universe didn't implode when this crossing of genre's happened...

Thats about the only genre's, which I dislike...I like just about everything else...

Most everything else is okay, you just have to find the diamond's in the rough...I believe, the last metal band I got into was Shadow's Fall/Chimaria...An online friend told me to get some Bloodsimple, Mastodon, Cradle of Filth, and a few others...

I got Bloodsimple, Cradle of Filth, and Mastodon in 05, and I hated them all...death metal crap...the music was excellent, hard, and fast...the lead singer killed it.

I'm really leery of getting new music now, unless I listen/see it online, or tv....youtube.com has been my friend though, I got a few book marks of video/song threads, from the Lounge, and I do plan on investing in some of the rec's...

[mvd]

10. I have to disagree about jazz, blues, and..

some pop/country (pop/country has The Wreckers, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Garth Brooks - all of whom I'm a fan of.)

Some good places for finding new music are review sites, discoveringartists.com, iTunes, cdbaby.com, myspace.com, and yes - youtube. I have just started looking at youtube.com.

[Broken_Hero]

13. when I say pop country

I mean...Rascal Flatts, and Shania Twains new schtick primarily....

[mvd]

15. Rascal Flatts is really boring

Agree there. But I admit I find Shania entertaining. I also can't stand the jingoistic stuff.

[Broken_Hero]

18. :)

I'm more a fan of Shania's older stuff then, I didn't care to much for her new poppy sound....I'm a big Jewel fan too, and I fear her latest two cds, are going to delve into the pop/dance/techno scene...although, I do like dance/techno, I'm just use to Jewel's tender voice, and acoustic guitar....:D

[mvd]

19. Jewel's new one is somewhat of a return to her old stuff

It has more pop in it, but not as much of the dance stuff. You might like it. I love "Only One Too" and "Goodbye Alice In Wonderland."

[Broken_Hero]

21. I'll have to check into it

the last cd of hers I got was in....damn...2000, or 2001...Spirit, I think it was 2000...man, I've been out of the loop way to long....

Other groups I'm interested in are The Corrs(heard good stuff about them)...

[mvd]

23. Oh, I just love the Corrs!

I would start with Forgiven Not Forgotten or Home, their most Celtic album. I am also a huge fan of their more poppy stuff though.

[Broken_Hero]

24. thanks for the rec's, I got this thread bookmarked

:D

[mvd]

25. You're welcome!

:hi:

[LanternWaste]

27. I'll go you one better...

I'll go you one better...

I think the the BlackCrows were the world's last rock n roll band-- everything since has been either bubble gum pop or trendy angst-ridden pop.

AND (!)... I think there have been only four top-40 tunes released in the last sixteen years that have any merit and talent behind them.

[mvd]

29. I have a completely different philosophy

I have standards, but no music snob here.. never will be.

[mvd]

30. I guess..

I have a lot of indie and lesser known pop in my list, but I like a lot of the current stuff.

Best A/C album might be Lisa Palleschi's Released. Pretty songs and substantive lyrics.

[LanternWaste]

34. I certainly hope you're not implying

I cerntainly hope you're not implying that I'm a snob. Far from it. People like what they like and dislike what they dislike. Personal taste and preference does not a snob make...


:)

[mvd]

37. I wasn't sure - your taste just reminded me of what snobs think

Glad to know you don't see yourself as above me just because I like and also love some modern, mainstream stuff.

[bigwillq]

6. 'Back to Basics'

by Christina. AWESOME! :bounce:

My fave of the year!

[Strawman]

8. Not alot

Gettin' old. These were the only 2006 albums I bought and liked.

Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock N' Roll
Electric Six: Senor Smoke
KT Tunstall: Eye to the Telescope
The Lemonheads: The Lemonheads

[mvd]

14. The Lemonheads s/t is a very good power pop CD

I also like KT Tunstall. Had to stop listing at some point - sure, there are others that deserve to be mentioned.

[Strawman]

16. I disliked everything after It's a Shame About Ray until this new one

Lovey was my favorite, I hated Come On Feel the Lemonheads but this latest one is really, surprisingly sublime.

[Initech]

11. Here's my top 20 in order:

20.

19.

18.

17.

16.

15.

14.

13.

12.
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

11.

10.
Isis - In The Absence Of Truth
9.
The Roots - Game Theory
8.

7.

6.

5.
Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain
4.
Mars Volta - Amputecture
3.

2.
Tool - 10,000 Days
1.
Beck - The Information

Some honorable mentions:

[speedoo]

12. You omitted nearly all my favorites. Boo.

Bob Dylan - Modern Times (my #1)
Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
Diana Krall - From This Moment On
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning
T Bone Burnett - The True False Identity
Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
Paul Simon - Surprise
Bruce Springsteen - Seeger Sessions

[mvd]

17. I'll give Bob credit

It's a lively CD for his age - very well done.

[speedoo]

20. "for his age"??!!

I'm sorry, but Bob does not need any handicaps. From anyone.

Modern Times is a great album, one of his best ever.

[mvd]

22. I meant it as a compliment

Some artists, like Bob Seger have lost it. Dylan's album can compete with his older stuff, though it's not my #1 album of his.

[speedoo]

26. What's your #1 Dylan album?

I'm curious. I don't know what mine is, honestly. Both Modern Times and Love and Theft are certainly among my favorites.

[mvd]

28. Hmmm.. hard to choose

It's between Blood On The Tracks and The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan I guess.

[speedoo]

31. Two good ones.

I listened to Freewheelin last night. That's his best acoustic album, IMO.

[graywarrior]

45. MODERN TIMES!!!!

Sheeeee-it, that CD tops em all.

[Maven]

32. You mentioned a few of mine already

My top 3 favorites of 2006:

- Neko Case -- Fox Confessor
- The Knife -- Silent Shout
- Brazilian Girls -- Talk to la Bomb

Others I liked:

- Mute Math (self-titled)
- The Mars Volta -- Amputechture
- Yo La Tengo -- I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
- Wolfmother (self-titled)
- Tokyo Police Club -- A Lesson in Crime
- Todd Edwards -- Odyssey
- Thom Yorke -- The Eraser
- Tegan and Sara -- So Jealous
- Copeland -- Eat, Sleep, Repeat
- Jeremy Enigk -- World Waits
- Home Video -- No Certain Night or Morning
- Beck -- The Information
- Honeycut -- The Day I Turned To Glass
- Silversun Pickups - Carnavas

[Maven]

40. Oh, major oversight

- Asobi Seksu -- Citrus

"Thursday" is one of the most incredible songs in recent memory.

[mark414]

33. i used to be able to make great year end lists

but in the last couple years i just haven't been paying attention...

but a few from this year that killed:

band of horses - everything all the time
the thermals - the body, the blood, the machine
mastodon - blood mountain
j. dilla - donuts (RIP)
peanut butter wolf presents: chrome children

and i have a sweet spot for that gnarls barkley record too...

[Mojambo]

46. That Thermals record is SO good.

It was my absolute favorite of 06.

[Omphaloskepsis]

35. Does downloaded in 2006 count.?

[mvd]

38. Sure

I'm asking for albums, and they don't have to be on CDs.

[Spider Jerusalem]

36. My top ten...

The Knife - Silent Shout

Tom Waits - Orphans: Bawlers, Brawlers and Bastards

CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

Nouvelle Vague - Bande A Parte

Brazilian Girls - Talk To La Bomb

Zero 7 - The Garden

Gnarls Barkley - St Elsewhere

Hot Chip - The Warning

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Proposition original soundtrack

[BarenakedLady]

39. mine

Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Ok go - Oh no
The Fray - How To Save A Life
Zox - The Wait


Actually some of them may be from 2005...:shrug:

[mvd]

42. I thought I could count on you for another BNL vote

:toast:

[Kat45]

41. Didn't hear that many full albums, but there are two I loved:

Buckcherry - 15
Army of Anyone (self-titled)

[ghostsofgiants]

43. I'm too lazy to narrow it down or organize it, so...

Complete with genre, because I am bored.

Portugal. The Man - "Waiter: You Vultures!" (Indie rock)
Alexisonfire - "Crisis" (Post-hartcore/screamo/whatever)
Thursday - "A City By The Light Divided" (Post-hardcore)
Cancer Bats - "Birthing The Giant" (Hardcore/Metalcore)
Cursive - "Happy Hollow" (Indie rock/punk)
The Mars Volta - "Amputechture" (Prog/post-hardcore)
The Coup - "Pick A Bigger Weapon" (Hip-hop)
Mission of Burma - "The Obliterati" (Post-punk/indie rock)
The Blood Brothers - "Young Machetes" (Post-hardcore/battle royale featuring cats)
Head Automatica - "Popaganda" (Power pop)
Pistolita - "Oliver Under The Moon" (Indie rock)
Brand New - "The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me" (Indie rock/emo)
Moneen - "The Red Tree" (Post-hardcore/emo)
Pretty Girls Make Graves - "Elan Vital" (Indie rock)
Matchbook Romance - "Voices" (Post-hardcore/emo)
Arctic Monkeys - "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (Indie rock/garage punk)
Boysetsfire - "The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague Years" (Post-hardcore)
The New Amsterdams - "Story Like A Scar" (Indie rock)
Murder By Death - "In Bocca Al Lupa" (Indie rock)
Rise Against - "The Sufferer And The Witness" (Punk)
My Chemical Romance - "The Black Parade" (Emo/punk/whatever)

Normally I'd try to narrow it down to a top 10 and even rank it as such, but fuck that. I've probably missed some stuff too.

Honourable mention goes to Every Time I Die's "Gutter Phenomenon." It came out in '05 but I only discovered it in September of '06, and it kicks ridiculous amounts of ass.

[mvd]

44. Hi, primate

Don't worry too much - there is stuff I should have mentioned, and I've already felt bad that I didn't include other albums in my top 20. I had some vitual ties, so I could have gone either way. Thanks for including descriptions like I did.