Top of 2006

[barneystorm]

I was just joking, really. It was mostly in reference to that freaking ginormous list of bands where the actual top 20 looked like the snobby scene kid's list of Things I Listen To In Order To Spite The Mainstream, Whether I Actually Like It Or Not. In fact, I have to side a little with Ooga's underappreciated take on it...

Aaah..that would be my list..the person who said this to you a couple of messages up

Mate, I had The Backstreet Boys in my 'best of' list when they released 'Millennium' (Still think it's one of the best pop albums of all time too!!) so go for it- What is someone elses is 'obscure' is someone elses 'sell out pop star'! Anyone if you like it, that's all that counts..if someone elses musical snobbery means they look down their noses at your list, then that is THEIR problem, not yours!!! I've discovered tons of great new music I never even knew existed through these end of year lists..go on..Make that list

Thanks for calling me a 'Snobby Scene Kid' .. at 47 years old, i'll take that as quite a complement!!

You know I thought this was a music forum, so very sorry for posting something that might introduce you to something new to listen to that may have passed you by.......feck me-I won't bother any more, I'll just leave you to threads about...........nothing.... or American kids chucking an odd shaped ball around and having the cheek to call it FOOTball....

[Spectre1982]

Don't post annoying reviews/lists like that..   I'm not sure what your username is because I didn't even look, but that isn't cool.  Who's going to read all of it?  You're not that important you son of a bitch.

I don't get it, does it intimidate you? Let's see.

The Top 40

40.
The Black Angels - Passover

B
The first full-length release by this Texas group sounds much like a 60's era psychedelic rock revival. Unlike some other recent retro groups (The Darkness and Wolfmother come to mind), The Black Angels are able to conjure the past without sounding insincere. The album connects America's current political struggles to those faced in Vietnam, which casts something of a shadow on the mood of the album. Still, the incessant drumming and droning guitars push the album forward providing ample opportunity for head bobbing and foot tapping.
Note: The logo used by The Black Angels is a stylized photograph of Nico
Song Highlights: Young Men Dead, Better Off Alone, Black Grease, Bloodhounds On My Trail
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

39.
Sparta - Threes

B
The other half of the disbanded group At the Drive-In releases their third album. Being the offspring that received all of the striaght-forward rock genes, Sparta finally sound like they've come into their own with their aggressive emo-rock.
Song Highlights: Taking Back Control, Erase It Again, Untreatable Disease
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

38.
The Knife - Silent Shout

B
Silent Shout is as cold and inorganic as anything you'll hear this year, but this electronica album is alien and creepy in a way that tugs at your curiosity.


Note: The Knife shunned touring and live performances in general until 2006, six years after they began making music together.
Song Highlights: We Share Our Mother's Health, Neverland, Marble House
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

37.
Tool - 10,000 Days

B
This is Tool at it's most progressive and the album maintains their reputation for musicianship with intricately constructed songs. Unfortunately it doesn't always "wow" you the way this band can, but that's just a consequence of the song writing approach in which most of the pieces are longer than six minutes and use every minute to make its mark. If you are looking for that Tool sound circa Undertow, read on to the top 10.
Note: The album cover and booklet for 10,000 days are all 3 dimensional images that can be viewed using a pair of stereoscopic lenses that are also part of the cover.
Song Highlights: Vicarious, Jambi, The Pot
Links: Homepage - Last.fm

36.
Audrey - Visible Forms

B
The debut album by this Swedish quartet. The music contains a range of sounds: shimmery pop, delicate instrumental melodies, and somber tones. Cellist and keyboardist Emelie Molin adds a lot of dimension to the music, including vocals.
Note: All four women in the band share vocal duties.
Song Highlights: Views
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

35.
Jeniferever- Choose a Bright Morning

B
Sweden’s Jeniferever create one of the most beautiful albums of 2006 with their debut Choose a Bright Morning. The music swells and fades with post-rock and ambient tones, with singer Kristofer Jönson’s voice accenting appropriately. The album opens with the wonderful “From Across the Sea”, which is sure to capture you for the entire journey. Also of note is the album’s colorful fold-out artwork.
Song Highlights: From Across the Sea
Note: This, the band's first full length album, comes a decade after the band first formed.
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

34.
The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude

B
Fans of The Velvet Teen's 2004 album Elysium will likely tell you that, among other things, they enjoy the album for it's slow building elegance and instrumentation--qualities that are on full display throughout all thirteen minutes of the song Chimera Obscurant. On their latest disc, you won't find a song even half as long as that, nor will you find the grandiose piano playing that pervades the formerly mentioned Elysium. Instead, Cum Laude cuts to the chase with a sometimes frenetic urgency to the music, and trades piano for loops and sequences a la The Helio Sequence. All in all, it makes for a really good album in it's own right--just as long as the listener is prepared for a very different texture.
Note: Judah Nagler sang "Return Our Lives" for the musical collective Neverending White Lights.
Song Highlights: Tokyoto, Noi Boi, In a Steadman Spray, Building a Whale
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

33.
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

B
Begin to Hope is a singer/songwriter album abundant in playful piano and lush vocal melodies. It's enchanting because so much of Spektor's personality shines through, quirks and all.


Note: Regina lived in soviet Russia until moving at the age of 9 in 1989.
Song Highlights: Fidelity, On the Radio, Better
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

32.
Thursday - A City By The Light Divided

B
Thursday returns from a brief hiatus and shows that the time off hasn't dulled their edge. A City By the Light Divided hits with the raw energy that has made them the standard bearers of the so-called "screamo" genre, yet maintains the steady refinement that they've shown from album to album. The disc starts with a nod to the now classic album Full Collapse ("car crash came and car crash went"), but show just how flexible they've grown on tracks like "Sugar in the Sacrament", "The Lovesong Writer", and "At This Velocity", a song that seems to epitomize their growing versatility.
Song Highlights: Counting 5-4-3-2-1, At This Velocity, Telegraph Avenue Kiss
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

31.
Lacuna Coil - Karmacode

B
This Italian metal band combines heavy rock riffs with melodic vocals led by metal-diva Cristina Scabbia. This is how Evanescence should aspire to sound as they grow as songwriters.


Song Highlights: Our Truth, Closer, To the Edge
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

30.
Joanna Newsom - Ys

B
Joanna Newsom's beautifully orchestrated album is unusually epic for a singer/songwriter album, with its 5 songs clocking in at over 55 minutes. Whether her voice is backed by an ensemble of strings or just the gentle plucking of her harp, the result is whimsical and charming.
Song Highlights: Only Skin
Links: Homepage - Last.fm

29.
Agent Sparks - Red Rover

B
It was a sad thing to the band Audiovent break up after a couple of great albums, but all of their potential has new life in the band Agent Sparks. It is the creation of former Audiovent bassist Paul Fried and guitarist (and now vocalist) Ben Einziger, who join forces with vocalist/keyboardist Stephanie Eitel and drummer George Purviance. The music of Agent Sparks bears minimal resemblance to Audiovent's turn of the century southern California rock; instead using the harmony of their two vocalists lead a combination of indie rock and pop punk.
Note: Red Rover was produced by the older brother of Ben Einziger and step-brother to Paul Fried, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger.
Song Highlights: Waving By, Face the Day, Polly Ann
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

28.
Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

B
Sparklehorse's first album in five years is electronically infused downtempo folk-rock. Most notably attractive are the two opening tracks, but the album remains pretty as the album progresses and the songs are stripped down to their most primitive.
Notes: Dangermouse and Tom Waits (on piano) collaborated with band founder Mark Linkous for the making of this album.
Song Highlights: Don't Take My Sunshine Away, Getting It Wrong, Shade and Honey
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

27.
Zero 7 - The Garden

B
After releasing two jazzy downtempo albums, Zero 7 release a jazzy uptempo album. With more pep and reliance on it's assortment of guest vocalists than ever before, the music and the wonderful mood it creates are still at the heart of Zero 7's sound.


Notes:José González adds vocals to four songs on The Garden.
Song Highlights: This Fine Social Scene, The Pageant of the Bizarre, You're My Flame
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

26.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

B
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs release an album that shows growth from their previous in all the right places as the songs are generally catchier and more interesting.
Song Highlights: Gold Lion, Fancy, Way Out, Cheated Hearts
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

25.
Hundred Year Storm - Only When It Is Dark Enough Can You See the Stars / Hello From the Children of Planet Earth

B
Hundred Year Storm's existence has been relatively low-key thus far, with their self titled EP from last year and two full length releases in 2006 going largely under the radar. It's surprising given how inviting their music can be. The second song from their first album, "Someday You'll See", has the kind of sound that would fit right in on top 40 playlists. That's not to say that this band is strictly radio friendly either, as they have a likeness for explorative instrumentals, sometimes highlighted with audio clips (on this album they lay Martin Luther King Jr's final speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop", over top of the song "Mental"). Their second album of 2006, Hello From the Children of Planet Earth, picks up right where the first left off. All in all, these two albums make for a great post-rock introduction.
Note: Several tracks from each album were recorded for their self-titled EP released in 2005.
Song Highlights: Someday You'll See, Consider This, Mental, 00:01, Pilot's Last Broadcast
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

24.
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

B
Indie hip-hop beatmaker Dangermouse made a huge breakthrough this year with Cee-lo Green as Gnarls Barkley, and their album St. Elsewhere has been a buzzworthy success with several hit singles. The album is easily the most lively, soulful, and fun hip-hop album to be released in 2006.
Song Highlights: Crazy, Smiley Faces, Gone Daddy Gone, Just a Thought
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

23.
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Knives Don't Have Your Back

B+
Emily Haines, full-time vocalist/keyboardist of Metric and part-time contributor to Broken Social Scene, returns to focusing on her own solo work with Knives Don't Have Your Back. Haines' voice is as beautiful as ever and serves as the focal point for the music, with piano and an assortment of support players providing the backdrop. The music is melancholy and the lyrics sobering, but its honesty is endearing.
Song Highlights: Dr. Blind, Our Hell, Detective's Daughter, Winning
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

22.
Maritime - We, The Vehicles

B+
The second album released by former members of the now disbanded groups The Dismembement Plan and Promise Ring. The group has taken their indie-punk and emo roots and created a fun indie-pop album that reflects the growth and maturation of it's members.
Song Highlights: People, the Vehicles; German Engineering, Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts,
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

21.
The Static Age - Blank Screens

B+
The third album by this new england band. Much like Mute Math, this band has revived the flavor of early 80’s dance/pop-punk reminiscent of The Police and given it a modern spin. It is an album accented by electronic sounds, yet retains a warmly organic feel. In general the album is full of great drum beats and a killer guitar licks, particularly on the standout track Trauma.
Notes: The Static Age is taken from the Misfits album of the same name.
Song Highlights: Trauma, Skyscrapers, Cherry Red
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

20.
Dropping Daylight - Brace Yourself

B+
Brace Yourself, title of the debut album by Minneapolis’s [/i]Dropping Daylight[/i], may also appropriately serve as notice that this band is loaded with potential for a mainstream breakthrough. At their core, Dropping Daylight are a fairly straightforward rock band. What makes their album special are the extremely catchy melodies of keyboardist/vocalist Sebastian Davin. The keyboard parts in particular add a unique sound to their up-tempo rock sound.
Notes: The band was originally named Sui Generis, latin for unique. The name was changed due to it's obvious pretentiousness.
Song Highlights: Brace Yourself, Waiting Through the Afternoon, Answering Our Prayers, Apologies
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

19.
Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat

B+
The closing chapter on Grandaddy's career is a collection of everything that has made them notable over the past decade. Crisp, distorted guitars give way to spacey, dreamy, electro-laced pop. Jason Lytle warbles on about the road the band has traveled and where it leads, with some lamenting of where it might have gone. The final track closes the bands career beautifully and with some sadness as Lytle sings, "I'll never return... I'll never return to Shangri-la."

Song Highlights: Jeez Louise, Disconnecty, Rear View Mirror, Campershell Dreams
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

18.
The Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops

B+
The Secret Machines return with the follow-up to their debut album, Now Here is Nowhere. This new offering, much like the first, is filled with Pink Floydian psychedelesism layered over droning, huge sounding rhythm guitars. The quality of the music is evident quickly and has enough melody to get you humming along on the first listen through.
Song Highlights: Daddy's in the Doldrums, All at Once (It's Not Important), Lightning Blue Eyes
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

17.
Opus Däi - Tierra Tragame

B+
Opus Dai are an alternative rock band risen out of the ashes of the group OHM. Their avante-rock approach and wide reaching musical and cultural influences make their debut album a soaring and inspirational experience.
Song Highlights: Rain, Sora, Firefly
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

16.
The Dears - Gang of Losers

B+
Don't worry guys and gals, things aren't that bad for The Dears. In fact, this Montreal sextet have been widely praised since their 2003 release No Cities Left. Their newest release Gang of Losers is more of a straightforward indie rock album than its elegant precursor, but is for the most part equally enjoyable.
Song Highlights: You and I are a Gang of Losers, Whites Only Party, Hate Then Love, Fear Made the World Go 'Round
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace


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15.
In Reverent Fear - Stomacher

B
Stomacher is the second album by In Reverent Fear, a band from Concord California. The band blends an array of sounds, with guitars that sound heavy one moment and airy the next, and with smooth vocals that command the listeners attention.
Song Highlights: The Greatest Love, Twin, Nurse Katie, Ride the Black Horse
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

14.
TV On the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

A
TV on the Radio have been one of the most highly regarded new groups since the release of their Young Liars EP in 2003. Their major label debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes in 2004 furthered their reputation as avante-rock pioneers. While that album showed off their ability to write impressive music buzzing with electronic psychedelia, there still seemed to be something special about that first EP. Return to Cookie Mountain is something special too, finally harnessing that magic for a full length disc. Amazingly enough for an album with so much of it's atmosphere stemming from it's production, the band actually sounds better live.
Notes: TV On the Radio have been a favored band of David Bowie for several years, prompting his collaboration on the track Province.
Song Highlights: Province, I Was a Lover, Wolf Like Me
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

13.
The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine

A
With the spirit of emo, and the patience and vision of post-rock, The Appleseed Cast's Peregrine is a well crafted and refined album by a veteran group with experience in both genres. Instrumentally, the band shows a willingness to keep it's full force in reserve for most of the album, while instead relying on gentle and beautiful guitar play to lead the music towards each satisfying climax.
Note: Peregrine contains perhaps the best rock track of 2006 with February
Song Highlights: February, Mountain Halo, Sunlit and Ascending, An Orange and a Blue, The Clock and the Storm
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

12.
The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

A
Nobody else makes pop music sound quite so interesting and captivating as The Fiery Furnaces. As usual, the music on Bitter Tea is complicated and difficult with Matthew Friedberger indulging in Zappa-like excursions, and it makes for a challenging album to follow the first time through. Eleanor Friedberger's quirky lyrics and bubbly delivery are equally distinctive, and help to anchor the listener to the melody (as long as they're not being played backwards).
Song Highlights: Nevers (vocals forwards mix), Benton Harbor Blues (shortened mix), I'm In No Mood, Bitter Tea, Teach Me Sweetheart
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

11.
The pAper chAse- Now You Are One of Us

A
One of the most unique releases of 2006 comes from The pAper chAse. Singer, guitarist and principle songwriter John Congleton is the mastermind behind the creations of this unusual group, which sounds like a strange cross between Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Modest Mouse at their most odd. Strangely catchy melodies emanate from this odd contraption of discordant piano and twisted guitar rhythms, with paranoid, neurotic lyrics so absurd that they’re impossible to take at face value. The over-the-top nature of the songs makes them fun though, and eventually this strangely glorious album begins to make perfect sense.
Note: John Congleton also produced The Appleseed Cast's Peregrine
Song Highlights: The House is Alive and the House is Hungry, We Know Where You Sleep, The Kids Will Grow Up to Be Assholes, Wait Until I Get My Hands On You, You Will Never Take Me Alive, You're One of Them Aren't You?
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

10.
Cire - Wholesale Buyout

A
Cire is intelligent rock created by blues guitarist Eric Johanson. Drawing comparisons to Tool and A Perfect Circle in terms of tone and structure, Cire's guitar driven rock is intended for more than just it's killer sound. It is equally important as a vehicle for Johanson's intellectual lyrics. Inspired by philosophy, psychology, science and current events, Johanson aims at stimulating the mind with his thoughts on Big Brother, tyranny, religion, and so on, all by way of Johanson's smooth vocals. On Catastrophe he declares, "There's reason to fear catastrophe, but it's not from overseas / It's in D.C. and on Wall Street and hiding behind your TV screen." Wholesale Buyout is a must-listen for anyone seeking challenging music and thought-provoking lyrics.
Note: Johanson has also crafted a masterpiece in 2003's Adrenalogical, and another acoustic wonder last year with Emptyself
Song Highlights: Catastrophe, Highly Specific, Brand X Misery, Together We'll End This All
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

9.
Katatonia- The Great Cold Distance

A
Katatonia have been around for nearly 15 years, with this their seventh full-length album. I was first impressed by Katatonia in 2001 after the release of Last Fair Deal Gone Down, and they continue to be a leaders in the metal genre. Admirably versatile, the band makes use of melodic vocals and electronic elements to compliment it's melancholic sound. One of the most impressive aspects of The Great Cold North is the almost telepathic level of cohesion between bandmembers. Though there is a high level of complexity to the music, it meshes so very well.
Note: Originally, singer Jonas Renkse sang in harsh growls and screams typical of many forms of metal, but was forced to adopt a more melodic tone after suffering problems with his voice, forever changing the band's songwriting approach.
Song Highlights: Leaders, Deliberation, Soil's Song, July
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

8.
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

A
Muse return to the spotlight after turning out two near-perfect albums, 2001's Origin of Symmetry and 2003's Absolution. It would be difficult to say that new album Black Holes and Revelations has matched or surpassed these works, so we'll throw out any comparisons to them and focus on what it is: a fine, solid album in it's own right. The disc features songs that play off of the band's established strengths, like the catchy pop tune "Starlight", featuring Matthew Bellamy's outstanding voice and adept piano playing; or "Exo-Politics", driven by hard, aggressive guitars. Other songs show the band pushing their borders in new directions, with the slinky single "Supermassive Black-Hole", or the space-cowboy epic "Knights of Cydonia". All of these songs work very well on the album and help to add to the band's reputation as one of the top bands of today. The one complaint about the album would be the presence of an unusual number of filler-type tracks for a Muse album. For me personally, songs like "A Soldier's Poem" and "Hoodoo" sound too much like old territory to be terribly interesting. Luckily, they're mere stepping stones to the many great moments on this album.
Note: Matt Bellamy's lyrics are typically drawn from his interest in science, the future, theology, the supernatural, and conspiracy theories.
Song Highlights: Starlight, Supermassive Black-Hole, Map of the Problamatique, Exo-Politics, Assassin, Knights of Cydonia
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

7.
The Mars Volta - Amputechture

A
For going on five years, the Mars Volta have been one of the most talked about--and indeed promising--bands in music. Their first full length, Deloused in the Comatorium, was released to an audience craving their passion for creating challenging and interesting rock, and it went on to be a major success while relying almost completely on word of mouth promotion. The follow up, Frances the Mute, was another ambitious undertaking, but ultimately fell short while providing an almost impenetrable listening experience. However, on their third album Amputechture, the Mars Volta deliver on all of the buzz with their most consistent and engaging release. It's every bit as creative and artistic as the two previous, but finally gives a sense that all of the dots have been connected.
Note: The theme of religion as social sickness is intricately woven into Amputechture's lyrics and song structures.
Song Highlights: Meccamputechture, Viscera Eyes, Vicarious Atonement, Day of the Baphomets
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

6.
Incubus - Light Grenades

A
Incubus illuminate with their fifth album, Light Grenades. The band's style has consistently managed to bend and twist into new forms without totally warping from album to album, each of which has delivered on the band's characteristic intensity and soul. From early on, as far back as their SCIENCE era metal days, it was evident that there was something special about this group. Though the band has matured considerably since then, the band continues to make music with a unique touch, particularly in the realm of mainstream rock. Mike Einziger is chiefly responsible for making Incubus one of the most consistently interesting alternative groups with his guitar work. Still able to let loose a rocking riff, he has fine-tuned his playing over the course of five albums and stands as a highly dynamic songwriter, which is in full effect on A Kiss to Send Us Off, an album highlight. The most obvious element of the bands success has always been singer Brandon Boyd's vocals, and once again he is front and center with his surfer-poet musings and smooth delivery, guiding the song Dig to what should be an inevitable hit. The rhyhthm section of Ben Kenney on bass, Jose Pasillas III on drums and DJ/multi-instrumentalist Chris Kilmore  provide the backbone for songs like the title track and the album climax, Pendulous Threads. Overall, the band is as tightly knit and focused as they've ever been, and it makes for a great album.
Song Highlights: A Kiss to Send Us Off, Anna Molly, Light Grenades, Pendulous Threads
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

5.
Mute Math - Mute Math

A
If you didn't know better, you might think The Police had reunited. Not so. Mute Math are fresh on the scene, but on their first full length album they bear the traits of a savvy, seasoned group. Their debut album has a rich, classic sound dripping with melody, yet leaves enough room for a fair amount of electronic innovation and spacey noodling. After a brief build up, the album is in full swing on "Typical", setting the tone for the album. "Chaos" follows soon after, another bouncy upbeat tune that brought the burgeoning band a lot of attention as their first single. The band cuts you loose to drift through the dreamy "Stare at the Sun" and into the jamming of "Obsolete". The mood is again airy on the beautiful "You Are Mine", but Mute Math manage to stay grounded by Darren King's skillful drumming. Clearly, there is no mystery surrounding their sudden explosion onto the rock scene in 2006.
Song Highlights: Typical, Chaos, Noticed, Stare at the Sun, You Are Mine
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

4.
Placebo - Meds

A
For over a decade, Placebo has walked the line between the periphery and outright stardom. The band has maintained a unique, edgy style irrespective of passing fads, and Meds is no different. Brian Molko's instantly recognizable croon is framed by an ever expanding array of sounds: bombastic guitars on the song "Infra-Red", a trip-hop vibe for "Space Monkey, a haunting piano melody on the song "In the Cold Light of Morning", an addictively jagged melody for "One of a Kind", and so on. Allison Mosshart of The Kills and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. add to the flavor of the vocals for the title track and "Broken Promise", respectively. Fans of the band's previous work and new listeners alike should enjoy this immensely.
Song Highlights: Blind, Infra-Red, One of a Kind, Space Monkey
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

3.
Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist

A
The latest album by the Deftones, Saturday Night Wrist, is an album that epitomizes their ability fuse new sound with the considerable arsenal of sonic weapons at their disposal. Their strengths begin with the loud thrash metal/punk intensity that was unleashed on their first LP Adrenaline and perfected on it's follow-up Around the Fur, and are augmented by the assimilation of atmospheric experimentalism, the likes of which made White Pony a surprising and refreshing hit. The self-titled album that followed appeared to be somewhat of a retreat (though with it's bright spots), but the Deftones have once again established that they can push boundaries while exercising their mastery of the genre they helped to define.
Song Highlights: Kimdracula, Combat, Xerces, Cherry Waves, Pink Cellphone
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

2.
Ever We Fall - We Are But Human

A
The three piece group Ever We Fall release a flawless emo album with their debut, We Are But Human. It's fun and upbeat without being trite or repetitive, as guitars drift back and forth between power-pop riffs and intricate finger work. The vocal performance is outstanding, building towards several anthemic moments throughout the album.
Song Highlights: Youth Like Tigers, No Sleep For Dreaming, State Bird: The Mosquito, No Words to Describe, My Dog the Senator
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

1.
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third

A+
The Dark Third is the place between waking and dreaming, a transition phase where the domain of the slumbering gives way to reality. It's exactly the kind of surreal landscape that Pure Reason Revolution find themselves with their first full-length album, which conceptually explores these kinds of contrasts throughout the album: quiet and loud, light and dark, hot and cold, the real and the imaginary. The album opens with Aeropause (which is literally the name for the region between a planet's atmosphere and outer space), an astrally inspiring piece that fades in with bass before being joined by guitar and piano. The album moves seamlessly from this opener to the next song and onward towards its most notable moment, the climax of the twelve minute single The Bright Ambassadors of Morning. Pure Reason Revolution's The Dark Third creates layers of rich rock guitar with lush pop melody and beautiful male and female vocals. The songwriting is well grounded in structure and melody, but shines with dramatic changes in tempo and mood. Much like Mew's superb 2005 release And the Glass Handed Kites, it is creative and intelligent enough for fans of progressive music, yet well rooted and catchy enough to appeal to those who typically aren't. For such an ambitious undertaking, it is executed to near perfection and stands as the most enjoyable and impressive release of 2006.
Song Highlights: Aeropause, Goshen's Remains, Apprentice of the Universe, The Bright Ambassadors, The Exact Colour, Voices in Winter, The Twyncyn
Links: Homepage - Last.fm - Myspace

[barneystorm]

Great list- a few in there I had just off my list and plenty more for me to go at too!

[Ooga]

To the God that posted that lengthy trail of shit above...

Don't post annoying reviews/lists like that..   I'm not sure what your username is because I didn't even look, but that isn't cool.  Who's going to read all of it?  You're not that important you son of a bitch.
:x

Who the fuck died and made you king of what to post??...see what that thread is called?? Here's me thinking this was a forum where we posted..what the hell we liked

go away and troll elsewhere you annoying little twat

Oh, lighten up, barneycupcake.

A few days ago some crazy hip-hopper got pissed because I told him I didn't like Jay-Z.  What does that tell you?

I'm not the one that needs to lighten up.

Do you get pissed when you watch spoof movies?

Anyway, I wouldn't say that my opinion on your lengthy post is "trolling."  If anything, those lengthy posts are annoying because there are tons of reviews for everything on the internet and it's just a bunch of crap that people like me (who may just want to see what albums/etc. people chose) have to scroll through.  Most reviews for most things are usually written around the same things.  Posting 10 reviews with the same words and ideas is the same as posting 10 videos of the same music video on YouTube, y'know?  If you can't see how it might annoy some people then that is your problem.

Are you mad because someone posted against your method of reviews?  That's nothing to get mad about.  Calling people out and name-calling is the perfect response, eh?  Oh, and why would you talk about the threads that are created here (like that lame football comment you made) immediately after you called me out on my opinion of your post?  You are full of contradictions, "mate."

[Knifeboy]

Christ Ooga.. Are you some sort of retard?

[barneystorm]

[quote="Ooga"][quote="barneystorm"]

I'm not the one that needs to lighten up.

Do you get pissed when you watch spoof movies?

What? are you trying to say 'oh I was only kidding'-if so - bollocks - there was nothing 'remotely' ironic in your post that could be taken in a jokey way

Anyway, I wouldn't say that my opinion on your lengthy post is "trolling."  If anything, those lengthy posts are annoying because there are tons of reviews for everything on the internet and it's just a bunch of crap that people like me (who may just want to see what albums/etc. people chose) have to scroll through.  Most reviews for most things are usually written around the same things.  Posting 10 reviews with the same words and ideas is the same as posting 10 videos of the same music video on YouTube, y'know?  If you can't see how it might annoy some people then that is your problem.

OK, so how many of those albums have you even heard of, never mind seen a review of. OK, you aren't interested, but others maybe-after all, someone else started the thread.

Are you mad because someone posted against your method of reviews?  That's nothing to get mad about.  

No I'm mad because on a music forum, under a thread for 'Best Albums Of 2006' you decide that people shouldn't post their thoughts and opinions on that particular subject. If you aren't interested what the fuck are you doing reading it...that's absolutely textbook trolling

Calling people out and name-calling is the perfect response, eh?  

Let's just visit YOUR original post then eh? (and I quote)

"You're not that important you son of a bitch."

Stones??  glass houses??

Oh, and why would you talk about the threads that are created here (like that lame football comment you made) immediately after you called me out on my opinion of your post?  

You didn't post an 'opinion' you had a rant-you made it personal-I responded in kind.

You are full of contradictions, "mate."

And you are full of shite *mate*

[Ooga]

I'm mad because on a music forum, under a thread for 'Best Albums Of 2006' you decide that people shouldn't post their thoughts and opinions on that particular subject.

That's not what it is at all.

I already stated that it's the length of the post.

Let's just visit YOUR original post then eh? (and I quote)

"You're not that important you son of a bitch."

Stones??  glass houses??

Once again, the answer is no.

I say, "you son of a bitch" in a joking manner quite often.

[penguinintheroom]

i'm enjoying this...skimming through lists...not sure i have a good enough idea of everything out this year, but will try soon.

[Gnomad]

Why is this a debate? Everyone shut the hell up and get back on topic.

[barneystorm]

Suits me fine, that's all I ever wanted to do!!

[kata rokkar]

ANYWAY!

i forgot a few Honorable Mentions and EPs I enjoyed this yr....

Jonah Matranga - There's A Lot In Here (CD/DVD): The sound is crappy, but overall this record is perfect for 'background' music for a record store or sunday morning. His live performance isn't fully represented through the CD. The DVD on the other hand, rocks! I can't wait until the new record.

Jonah Matranga/Frank Turner Split EP - Frank Turners covers of The Lemonheads and 'You are my Sunshine' turn out great and Jonah's Billy Bragg and Babybird emotional covers fit well in this great 12" vinyl.

Damien Rice - 9: very slow moving and poignant. Actually very enjoyable as well. Too bad it's almost exactly like O.

Saves the Day - Sound the Alarm: it's aight....fast moving and fun, but nothing like their earlier material.

[Ars Sycro]

I forgot all about this. I'm gonna try to do a more full review of each later and link to it.


20 From First To Last - Heroine
19 The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia...
18 The Sleeping - Questions And Answers
17 Thursday - A City By The Light Divided
16 He Is Legend - Suck Out The Poison
15 A Static Lullaby - A Static Lullaby
14 The Dear Hunter - Act I: The Lake South, The River North
13 The Falcon - Unicornography
12 Gatsby's American Dream - Gatsby's American Dream
11 Moneen - The Red Tree
10 Portugal. The Man - Waiter: "You Vultures"
09 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - So Divided
08 Blood Brothers - Young Machetes
07 Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
06 Heavens - Patent Pending
05 Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me
04 Rise Against - The Sufferer And The Witness
03 Rx Bandits - ...And The Battle Begun
02 mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister
01 Brand New - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me

Added after 29 minutes:

Just keep checking http://joshieforyou.livejournal.com/80339.html until I have them all up.

[noresolution]

...And the Battle Begun is quality.  But I liked the Resignation more.

[One Second Clubber]

Just wondering if you left Kaddisfly off for a reason Ars...

...did you consider it an '06 release even though it was released this Feb?

[Ars Sycro]

Set Sail is an 07. And 4 Seasons was only an EP.