Top Ten in 2006

1. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
2. Joanna Newsom - Ys
3. Swan Lake - Beast Moans
4. Destroyer - Rubies
5. Danielson - Ships
6. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
7. Islands - Return to the Sea
8. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
9. Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
10. The Knife - Silent Shout

Explosions In the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

Release Date: February 20, 2007

Good ol' explosions in the sky.

Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

Release Date: January 23, 2007

This album pisses me off. The first 24 minutes are so sweet and brilliant, but the last song, which takes up a third of the entire album, is so sprawling and stupid that it leaves a bad taste.

Bloc Party - A Weekend In the City

Release Date: February 6, 2007

I just vomited. Haha, what did you expect me to say? To tell you the truth, I only listened to the first three songs. And then I vomited.

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Release Date: January 23, 2007

It's like they took that famous Shins sound and added and expanded on it...making a Super-Shins sound. Well worth the long wait, Kevin Spacey.

Swan Lake - Beast Moans

Release Date: November 21, 2006

Listen to it in the background and it's a mess. Pay attention to it, and every song is absolutely fucking mind-blowing. Met my impossibly high expectations.

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

Release Date: October 3, 2006

Just moved into andrew's elite group of favourite awesomest bands that he likes. Best album of 2006. Hands down. Only Swan Lake could possibly even come close.

Joanna Newsom - Ys

Release Date: November 14, 2006

The orchestral arrangements are ridiculously awesome and brilliant. She's 2 for 2. This baby is 5 songs, about 10 min. each. Top 10 for sure.

Hurry up and leak...

Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America and Swan Lake's Beast Moans better leak soon. Its lack of leakage is killing me. Do your job, you stupid internet.

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

Release Date: October 3, 2006

The 12 min. long track 2 is EASILY the best thing the Decemberists have ever done. Kinda serious, well for a Decemberists album.

Blood Brothers - Young Machetes

Release Date: October 10, 2006

Classic Blood Brothers level 15 billion insanity. I don't think it's hitting me like the last two did though.

Thunderbirds Are Now! - Make History

Release Date: October 3, 2006

Big letdown. The energy of Justamustache is gone, and that's what made that album so great.

Ratatat - Classics

Release Date: August 22, 2006

Background music.

The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

Release Date: August 11, 2006

John Darnielle still continues to make super sappy music without being emo. He's a genius. But anyways, it's another tearjerker as expected.

The Dears - Gang of Losers

Release Date: August 2006

Stripped down. Some good songs, some not so awesome. But it makes me miss the layers of sounds and strings that made the Dears so great in the first place.

The Hidden Cameras - Awoo

Release Date: August 15, 2006

Joel Gibb and friends just keep getting better at making gay folk church music. That's a good thing. Man, I wish that was a Grammy category.

MSTRKRFT - The Looks

Release Date: July 16, 2006

Jesse Keeler's (from DFA79) side project. If you like Daft Punk, DFA stuff (that other DFA), and synthetic handclaps (I like these the most), give this a try.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Release Date: July 11, 2006

Blippity bloop bleep blip bloop. Exactly what I expected.

The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes

Release Date (UK): July 17, 2006
Release Date (US): TBA

A girl group trio pulled straight from the '60s (and Phil Spector's ass), with synchronized hand waving, matching polka-dot outfits and everything. And you know what, it actually works. It's kinda fun.

The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off

Release Date: May 23, 2006

It's like the singer decided to make his best Dylan impression on this album. A little annoying.

Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche

Release Date: July 25, 2006

Outtakes and extras from the Illinois album. Wow, the b-sides from this album are better than 99.9% of all music out there these days. Suj-fan is a god.

The Futureheads - News and Tributes

Release Date (UK): May 29, 2006
Release Date (US): June 13, 2006

I'm sorry, I don't listen to gay music. Really, who still listens to this stuff?

Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds

Release Date: May 9, 2006

Owen Pallett ditches his violin in this one. Just kidding. He increases his instrument count by 800% on this album for some string-y, violin-y madness. I like.

The Stills - Without Feathers

Release Date: May 9, 2006

Meh.
Just remember, when you are listening to the Stills, you are listening to these guys.

Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Release Date: May 2, 2006

Holy Frog Eyes, Batman! Haunting. Slicker than previous work, still pretty bloody lo-fi. If Spencer Krug had a baby with Carey Mercer, it would be the same dude.

TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

Release Date: TBA

If you like TV on the Radio, you'll probably love this album. I sorta lost interest in these guys. Quick. And this album didn't win me back. Too bad.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

Release Date: March 28, 2006

Karen 0 doesn't orgasm as much in this one. Less screaming. Less POW! Solid from start to finish though. I think I heard an acoustic guitar in there somewhere.

Built to Spill - You In Reverse

Release Date: April 11, 2006

Back to the sound of Perfect From Now On. Means back to the sound of awesome.

Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops

Release Date: April 18, 2006

Less "spacey" as Nowhere. Still love it. I have a feeling critics will bash this album though.

The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

Release Date: April 18, 2006

Crazy reverse vocals everywhere. A little more simplistic. Will make up for the debacle that was Rehearsing My Choir. One of the best albums THE BEST album this year so far.

Islands - Return to the Sea

Release Date: April 4, 2006

ISLANDS, ISLANDS, ISLANDS!!! "Rough Gem" makes me dance. Favourite song this year.

The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics

Release Date: April 4, 2006

Great record. I don't think it has the same epic feel of Yoshimi, but still great overall. Not overly impressed, not disappointed.

Mogwai - Mr. Beast

Release Date: March 7, 2006

Rocks out hard. Back to what Mogwai does best.

Liars - Drum's Not Dead

Release Date (UK): February 20, 2006
Release Date (US): March 21, 2006

Fucking retarded. Take out the Halloween noises from Drowned and replace them with a bass drum and chanting. I've given up on these guys.