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The Post-Rockist Picks of ‘06 – Day One
The end of the year is upon us, and that can mean only one thing for a fledgling music review website: it’s obligatory list posting time! Surely, with so many lists of fine-tuned nuance and suspiciously similar taste floating about the internet these days, we would be remiss to pass on an opportunity to hop on the band-ranking bandwagon. What’s that I hear you say – ranking artists stinks of rockist elitism? Well, what can we say, we like making lists. It gives us something to talk about. Of course, with so much new music so readily available for easy, risk-free consumption, there are bound to be more good albums released and overlooked than we have time to process in this year-end crunch, which is basically a roundabout way of mentioning the inevitable list-making caveat that every list is necessarily incomplete, biased, and subject to change at a later date.
But enough of this blathering! You’re only here for one of three reasons: 1) recommendations for future music purchases; 2) confirmation of your superior musical tastes; and/or 3) samples of new music. Some of our contributors have been kind enough to share their personal “best of” lists, which will be posted over the next few days. Enjoy.
KIM’S PERSONAL PICKS FOR 2006
10) Nouvelle Vague – Bande A Part (buy)
“Dancing with Myself”
9) The Pipettes – We Are the Pipettes (buy)
“Judy”
“Don’t Know Why (You Stay)”
7) Suburban Kids with Biblical Names – #3 (buy)
“Funeral Face”
6) Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope (buy)
“Fidelity”
5) Heikki – Heikki 2 (buy)
“Don’t Ask Me Why”
4) I’m From Barcelona – Let Me Introduce My Friends (buy)
“We’re From Barcelona”
3) Hello Saferide – Introducing Hello Saferide (buy)
“My Best Friend”
Every time I feel like I’ve outgrown the “woman with an acoustic guitar” genre of music, I get sucked back in by a fantastic musician. Hello Saferide is the stage name for the Swede Annika Norlin. You’ve probably never heard of her, since she is virtually unknown in the United States. While Introducing Hello Saferide is a 2005 release in Sweden, the album was released in the USA in October, but practically impossible to get!as my copy has been in transit for the past two months. So, while technically a 2005 release, it is still #3 on my list because it is just!that!good. When I listen to Hello Saferide I feel like she’s my best friend. She has the ability to capture the mundane aspects of friendships and new boyfriends and makes me laugh and say, “I’ve totally felt that way, too!” Her music is my favorite to listen to on my walk home from work. It puts an extra bounce in my step.
2) Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country (buy)
“Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”
Let me tell you how much I liked this album: Once I had sufficiently listened to it, I immediately went out and purchased the other two Camera Obscura albums, devouring them. According to my audio scrobbler, Camera Obscura is my most listened to artist, beating out the Magentic Fields by over 100 plays!and I have eight Magentic Fields albums! As you can probably tell by my top 10 list, I love female vocals. Camera Obscura is poppy and infectious without being over-the-top. It is something you can listen to at work, at a party, in the car. The lyrics and sound is unoffensive, making it music for everybody to enjoy.
1) Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat (buy)
“Melt Your Heart”
It’s difficult to choose the song highlights for Rabbit Fur Coat because I feel like the album has to be taken as a whole. The music is more about religion, politics, and family than your standard album of love songs. It has a warm and tinny quality to the sound, reminiscent of Patsy Cline.
***
DAN’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2006
10) Thom Yorke –The Eraser (buy)
“Harrowdown Hill”
A lot of people couldn’t get used to hearing Thom Yorke alone without the power of his band behind him, but on subsequent listens The Eraser is just as moving as any Radiohead record. Gone is the epic intensity and instrumental depth that the band is known for, but Yorke sounds even more haunted as his vocals stand out starkly above the mix of laptop beats and sparse instrumentation. The Eraser is a lean piece of work that exists in an Orwellian black and white world where no one, besides Thom Yorke, stops to feel anything or even catch their breath.
9) The Strokes –First Impressions Of Earth (buy)
“Killing Lies”
The Strokes genuinely pushed themselves and made a surprisingly mature album with First Impressions Of Earth, but due to the early January release date it has been virtually overlooked in 2006. The other problem is that the Strokes are one of those bands that everybody loves to hate, despite the fact that they continue to write great songs and have one of tightest sounds in modern day rock and roll. First Impressions Of Earth is adventurous in its length, packaging, production, and songwriting. The Strokes have really gone outside of their comfort zone to try something new on this record, while remaining true to their roots and themselves.
Ghostface Killah – Fishscale (buy)
“The Champ”
During a skit near the beginning of Fishscale, Ghostface Killah’s boxing coach warns us, “He’s an animal! He’s hungry! You ain’t been this hungry since Supreme Clientele!” This sentiment captures the feel of Fishscale, which is an epic and soulful album where Ghostface gives us everything he’s got. His flow is creative, powerful, emotional, and hilarious at the same time, while the tracks bounce with soul samples and catchy beats, making for a very memorable and moving album.
7) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones (buy)
“Turn Into”
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs decided to approach their second album in an entirely different way than their first. For starters, the instrumention, with its acoustic guitars and quieter dynamics, displays a lot of subtlety that is hard to get used to at first since they are known to be such an explosive band. As Show Your Bones begins to enter your unconscious, you realize the depth of emotion and power the songs actually offer, and proof that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are just getting started.
6) Cat Power – The Greatest (buy)
“Living in Bars”
Cat Power’s The Greatest features Chan Marshall backed by some of the best Memphis sidemen in rock and roll history, which creates a brilliant combination of vintage and modern musical styles. The idea of a young artist working with players of the past is nothing new, but Marshall has crafted songs that fit perfectly with the style of these musicians. The album floats along so effortlessly with itss sexy, warm, hypnotic, countrified soul that it casts a spell you wish would never end. 5) TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain (buy)
“Wolf Like Me”
TV On The Radio is one of those bands that is very difficult to describe since they sound like they exist entirely in their own universe. Return To Cookie Mountain is their major label debut, yet it is completely uncompromising and totally unique with its layers of falsetto vocals and strange instrumentation. Each song plays like a bizarre short film, but as the album progresses you begin to realize how it all makes sense as a whole and stands together as a visionary piece of work.
4) Sonic Youth – “Rather Ripped” (buy)
“Do You Believe in Rapture?”
After losing honorary band member Jim O’Rourke, Sonic Youth have managed to tighten up their sound and play on their individual strengths, while working as a cohesive unit better than ever before. The songs on “Rather Ripped” seem almost pop since they are surprisingly catchy and instantly memorable, while never getting distracted with long guitar solos or noise breakdowns. Sonic Youth haven’t lost their lost of jamming, but this time they do it without overindulging, which makes for an extremely satisfying listen and quite possibly their best album.
3) Jolie Holland – Springtime Can Kill You (buy)
“Moonshiner”
Jolie Holland’s Springtime Can Kill You is not as immediately accessible as her last album, Escondida, but she managed to create a piece of work that exists entirely in her own bittersweey world. Holland sounds consistently haunted throughout the album, while singing spooky love songs that sound like they have been soaked in honey and moonshine. It’s a breakup album that you will play over and over again whether you are happy, sad, or most likely, both.
2) Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium (buy)
This is the year’s biggest surprise, since it is one of the very few double albums that actually works. Stadium Arcadium features 28 songs that compliment each other brilliantly and make up an album that is diverse and consistent, playful and beautiful, and ambitious without being pretentious. The Chili Peppers are at the top of their game.
1) Bob Dylan – Modern Times (buy)
“Beyond the Horizon”
Nothing else released this year came close to the undeniable power of Modern Times, which makes the case that Dylan is doing his best work at 65 years old. Dylan’s songs, as well as his backing band, are the strongest they have been in decades. Each song on Modern Times seems to have a great weight to it while Dylan senses the impending apocalypse and still takes the time to think about love and lust.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow…