
Below are the best albums of 2006. The ones with pictures are the ones that I am sure I will be playing years from now, if not for the rest of my listening life.

GUILLEMOTS (London, England)-Through The Window Pane *****Stars
Huge, melodic, filled with melancholy, and absolutely beautiful. My favorite record of the year. Also includes my lyric of the year, "...And i still think of you on cold winter mornings, Darling, they still remind me of when we were at school; when they could never have persuaded me that lives like ours were in the hands of these eronious fools. And to those of you who moan your lives through one day to the next, Well let them take you next...Cos you live and be thankful you're here; see, it could be you tomorrow next year"

SOL SEPPY (England and NY)-The Bells Of 1 2 *****Stars
Delicate and soft without being weak. Gorgeous music with slightly odd dreamlike lyrics. A complete vision fully realized. I can't wait to hear what she does next.

MAX SEDGLEY (London, England)-From The Roots To The Shoots *****Stars
The sound of summer '06. Really melodic dance with a hint of early 90's house. If this doesn't make your ass groove, there's something wrong with your ass.

CAMERA OBSCURA (Glasgow, Scotland)-Let's Get Out Of This Country *****Stars
The poppiest album of the year with two of the most beautiful pop songs of the last ten years: "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" and "Let's Get Out Of This Country" - GREAT drums and strings. Oooh, the strings.

THE KOOKS (Brighton, England)-Inside In, Inside Out *****Stars
Catchy, clever, and hugely talented. Also, the funniest song title of the year, "Jackie Big Tits"...and the song doesn't come off as corny. Really, really, really good album.

THE LEGENDS (Stockholm, Sweden) - Public Radio ***1/2 Stars
Not really liked by critics, but who cares. Pop music made like this will always be welcome in my house. There's something about a lot of music from Scandinavia that has a melancholy and sadness to it. I grew up on the Arctic Circle, in Alaska, in a snow-bound village of 2,500 (Nome). I think it's the weather.

JOSE GONZALEZ (Sweden) - Veneer *****Stars
One of the most amazing voices and songwriters to appear in the last six years. He is mesmerizing in concert.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (France) - 5.55 *****Stars
Music and production by Air...lyrics by Jarvis Cocker and Divine Comedy...and a very good album.

ZERO 7 (London, England) - The Garden *****Stars
Nothing will ever compare to their first album, but that's situational for me (summer 2001, Phoenix, Arizona, right before 9/11, and the last 'long hot summer' I'll probably ever have). This is a great record, and they're one of the best concerts I've ever seen. A true band.

MAX RICHTER (Germany, England) - Songs From Before *****Stars
Filed in classical in some record stores, and in rock in others. In some compositions, Robert Wyatt reads passages from the writer Haruki Murakami. Impossibly beautiful in EVERY WAY.

HEAVY BLINKERS (Nova Scotia, Canada) - The Night And I Are Still So Young *****Stars
Summer-sunny Beach Boys-esque music from...hm...Nova Scotia. That's too simple a definition though. Call it: lush, pretty, solid, and as all great pop music should be, a little melancholy.

PET SHOP BOYS (London, England) - Fundamental *****Stars
Still relevant and brilliant songwriters after all these years. In 30 years time, they'll be appreciated in the same league as Lennon/McCartney, Simon/Garfunkel, et al. - as they should be right now.

BELLE & SEBASTIAN (Glasgow, Scotland) - The Life Pursuit *****Stars

DIVINE COMEDY - Victory For The Comic Muse ****Stars
Made the list for its clever lyrics, over-the-top orchestration, and the song "Die A Virgin."

TEDDY THOMPSON (England) - Separate Ways - *****Stars

SQUAREPUSHER (London, England) - Hello, Everything *****Stars
I finally get it! Really beautiful electronic album. He's a virtuoso bass player too.

THE FEELING (Sussex, England) - Twelve Stops And Home ***1/2 Stars
Channels Electric Light Orchestra and Wings for the 21st century, and that's a very nice thing.

THE UPPER ROOM (Brighton, England) - Other People's Problems ****Stars
English accents married with extraordinarily catchy melodies.

X-PRESS 2 (London, England) - Makeshift Feelgood - *****Stars
Ashley Beedle can do no wrong! Great 'dance' album...great 'ANYTHING' album. Collaborations with Tim DeLaughter and Kurt Wagner.

ALICE SMITH (NYC, US)- For Lovers, Dreamers, And Me ****1/2 Stars
Unbelievable voice who writes her own songs and arrangements. She's black and has a four-octave voice, but can't easily be pigeon-holed into "black" music. There's a little Broadway, rock, and r&b in her music...She's amazing!

TV ON THE RADIO (NYC, US)- Return To Cookie Mountain ****1/2 Stars
The coolest band right now...this minute.

TRIOSK (Australia) - The Headlight Serenade ****Stars
Jazzy electronic noodles.

THE YOUNG KNIVES (England) - Voices Of Animals And Men ****Stars
A little snotty.

EL PERRO DEL MAR (Gothenburg, Sweden) - El Perro Del Mar ****Stars
Her real name is Sarah Assbring, and her voice breaks a heart. When she sings, "...be bop-a-loo-la..." on 'Party', it's simultaneously sad and a little creepy.
LLOYD COLE-Anti-Depressant
YO LA TENGO - I'm Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
SONGS OF GREEN PHEASANT-Aerial Days
BENT-Intercept
BONOBO-Days To Come
SHAWN LEE-Soul Vista
SLEEPY JACKSON-Personality
THE RADIO DEPT.-Pet Grief
JUNIOR BOYS-So this Is Goodbye
THE FRATELLIS-Costello Music
THE PIPETTES-We Are The Pipettes
JEREMY ENIGK-World Waits
MIDLAKE-The Trials of Van Occupanther
THE OPEN-Statues
VOOM VOOM-Peng Peng
DAVID MEAD-Tangerine
KARIN PARK-Change Your Mind
THE RAPTURE-Pieces Of People We Love
ROBIN GUTHRIE-Continental
PETER, BJORN & JOHN-Writer's Block
SCISSOR SISTERS-Ta Da
KELIS-Was Here
ARCTIC MONKEYS-Whatever People Say I Am, That Is What I Am Not
*************************
11 BEST SONGS OF THE YEAR:
Trains To Brazil - Guillemots
Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio
Crazy - Gnarles Barkley
Young Folks - Peter, Bjorn & John
Sewn - The Feeling
Lost My Soul - Maps
Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura
She Moves In Her Own Way - The Kooks
Give It - X-Press 2 feat. Kurt Wagner
Ankle Injuries - Fujiya & Miyagi
Living Proof - Kelis
ALSO GREATS:
I've Been Waiting - Max Sedgley
I Don't Feel lIke Dancing - Scissor Sisters
I Feel It - Lorraine
Transatlantic Flight - Lorraine
In The Morning - The Heavy Blinkers
Put Your Records On - Corrine Bailey Rae
Funny Little Frog - Belle & Sebastian
Throw It All Away - Zero 7
Today - Zero 7
Roscoe - Midlake
Minimal - Pet Shop Boys
Other Side Of The World - KT Tunstall
Reena - Sonic Youth
Roads - Acid Casuals
Bowl Me Over - Acid Casuals
Party - El Perro Del Mar
All I Need - Voom Voom
The Sodom And Gomorrah Show - Pet Shop Boys
Black & White - The Upper Room
All Over This Town - The Upper Room
Maneater - Nelly Furtado
Glorious - Captain
At The End of The Sky - Darkel
Sometimes I Don't Get You - Yo La Tengo
Song For Sunshine - Belle & Sebastian
Supermassiveblackhole - Muse
Downtown/Slippery Dick - Peaches
Witchi Tai To - X-Press 2 feat. Tim DeLaughter
Pull Shapes - The Pipettes
He Knows The Sun - The Legends
Commercial Breakdown - The Sunshine Underground
Ramalama (Bang Bang) - Roisin Murphy
Shine So Bright - Teddy Thompson
I Should Get Up - Teddy Thompson
Count Souvenirs - Junior Boys
Your Mangled Heart - The Gossip
Thank You, Not Today - The Bluetones
Undiscovered - James Morrison
Here Comes The Rumour Mill - The Young Knives
Pretty In Panic - My Latest Novel
Young Idealists - Lloyd Cole
New Religion - Alice Smith
Pet Grief - Radio Dept.
1 2 - Sol Seppy
Bang Bang You're Dead - Dirty Pretty Things
Life Is A Musical - Outkast
BEST DEBUT
Alice Smith "For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me" (BBE). Also, James Morrison "Undiscovered." He'll be written off by music snobs as another James Blunt, but Morrison has REAL chops and great songs.

FAVORITE OLD SONG MADE ANEW: "Hong Kong Garden" - Siouxsie & The Banshees (Used in "Marie Antoinette")
Watching the French elite of the late 1700's dance to "Hong Kong Garden"...a perfect match of visuals and music.
BEST COVER VERSION
"Heaven" - Lorraine & "Let's Dance" - Futureheads
THING I LIKED BUT DIDN'T WANT TO
"An Other Cup" - Yusef
THING I WANTED TO LIKE, BUT DIDN'T
Joanna Newson - "Ys"
Ugh. Precious, dear, and irritating.
FAVORITE REDISCOVERED ALBUM
"Head On The Door" - The Cure (2006 remastered reissue)
"A Broken Frame" - Depeche Mode (2006 remastered reissue)
BEST ALBUM TITLE
Peaches, "Impeach My Bush"
BEST ALBUM COVERS:












