2006 in Review

In writing this round-up, I'm shocked at the dearth of material released in 2006 I deemed worthy for my iPod. I spent the early years of this here new millennium telling people how I thought we were in a Golden Age of new music, thanks to the internet, indie labels, and availability of affordable recording gear. But I have officially changed my tune. 2006 was a terrible year for music. Just a bunch of rip-offs and "artists" with little more than a ripped-off sound and a haircut. Seems that promising "indie scene" has settled into various ruts.

Still, I didn't go a whole year without listening to music, so here's what I liked, and a few nasty words for that which I didn't.

-----

Favorite 2006 Albums

Apples in Stereo (2007)
It doesn't officially come out til the Spring of '07, but through the magic of the computron tubes, I have heard it, and it is awesome. I've always liked these guys, but I've found their records to be filled with filler and unnecessary cutesy interludes. They haven't changed the formula, but they've tightened everything up and written a great batch of songs. I hope this is the record that really puts these guys on the map. Run out and get it in a few months.

Reigning Sound - Live at Goner Records
We haven't had a proper Reigning Sound disc in a few years. In late 2005 we got "Home for Orphans," a weak odds-n-sods comp, and "Live at Maxwells," a weak live set. Hopefully Mr. Cartwright is taking his time perfecting a work of true genius. But in the meantime, we inexplicably got yet another live record. "Live at Goner" is vinyl-only and only sold through Goner Records. The good news is it's a far superior record to "Live at Maxwells." The sound is better, the band sounds lively yet relaxed, and there's a great selection of obscure covers to tide fans over until...who knows when.

Fratellis - Costello Music
I know nothing about these guys, except there's three of them and they look like filthy degenerates. But this is a great record. TOO great, perhaps, coming from some nobodies who just seemed to pop out of nowhere with this collection of tight, complex, well-crafted songs. Plenty of Cheap Trick and early Joe Jackson hooks to go around, and the songs are catchy enough to love at first listen, but deep enough to invoke repeated listenings. Lately it seems Pop/Rock is hard to do properly (see: OKGO, Click Five), but these guys make it seem effortless. More like this, please.

Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
A bunch of Belle & Sebastian also-rans who got left behind when B&S moved to blue-eyed soul? Maybe. Well, they were until this year. This is a great record by any measure, but coming from Camera Obscura - who didn't seem to have an original or inspired thought in their heads - it's shockingly great. Very satisfying to see a band grow up and find themselves....kinda like bands used to do until the corporate machine demanded fully-formed groups hatched from 18-year old clueless kids. Kudos, guys.

Mutiny - Co-op Brewery
Folk-punk? Australian Celtic? This is the best record of its kind I know of since The Pogues went to hell.

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Might be their best record ever (still a toss-up between 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' and 'If You're Feeling Sinister'). Deep, catchy, perfectly-crafted. But despite loving the LP, I just don't listen that often. B & S Burnout?

Honorable Mentions

Ted Leo & Pharmacists - Shake the Sheets
If I had bothered to listen to it before January 3, 2007 it would probably be in my favorites list.

Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah
Not my thing, but it's an unconditionally great album. Too bad they can't get the time of day in The States.

Harley Poe - In the Dark
They play music that sounds almost exactly like vintage Violent Femmes, and they aren't afraid to admit it. Zero points for originality, but it still sounds great. Still, two things keep this from being anything more than a pleasant novelty: the singer needs to wean all the Billie Joe out of his system; and the Zombie/Murderer/Vampire/Lesbian lyrics cease to be funny after the second or third song. Seriously - that's all they sing about.

Albums not from 2006 I Enjoyed in 2006

Yeah, I didn't really like that many '06 releases, and frankly, the way music is digested and disseminated nowadays with these here crazy internets, I don't know how important it is anymore what year an album is from. I certainly "discovered" a metric tonne of great stuff from years past I wouldn't have if not for those durned internets. And here they be:

King Khan & BBQ Show
A great Rock n' Roll/R n' B record the way it's supposed to be done. White Stripes (and Black Keys and whoever) really killed the duo thing for me, but these guys do it the way it should be done. The way it shoulda been done all along. Stripped-down Rn'B-inspired gems that don't take themselves too seriously. Hard to figure how two guys with barely any musical ability beyond power chords between the two of them coulda make such great...dance music, but they done did it. Apparently they released a new record in '06 as well. Gonna have to get it. (Oh, and if you want to buy this record - and you SHOULD - don't dilly-dally, as Amazon and Goner seem to stock it irregularly. Knowing Goner, it could be a one-run thing and forever gone. r.)

Jack O. & The Tearjerkers - Don't Throw Your Love Away
I feel bad for Jack Yarber. He's the Sonny to Greg Cartwright's Cher. He's the Andrew Ridgely of Garage Rock. He's one half of the legendary Oblivians/Compulsive Gamblers duo, yet everyone knows it's Greg's songs that really shine. Which is not to say Jack doesn't do some good stuff. He does, and this record is proof (and so is the Cool Jerks' 'Cleaned a Lot of Plates in Memphis,' which you should own). "Still Got it Bad" and "Flash Cube" show off his melodic Memphis Rn'B side, while the opener, "Ain't Got no Money" and "Dope Sniffin' Dog" pound through your head the way you'd expect. Throw in a superb cover of The Valentinos' "Lookin' for a Love" and you've got half a great record. And that's the problem. Yarber churns out a lot of filler, and as he and Greg have gotten more...tasteful the further they get away from their Oblivians days, it becomes obvious he just isn't the songwriter or singer Cartwright is. He writes some good stuff, but he doesn't seem able to fill up a whole record, and that's a shame. What's worse, I find myself wishing Greg were singing. Jack, you gotta quit the fake gritty voice thing. Not everybody sounds like Tom Waits. Sing it in the voice God gave ya! Still, this made my list because I listened to it so damn much this year. I just wish I didn't have to skip so many songs.

Art Blakey - Indestructible
I never paid much attention to Art Blakey. In my younger days as a Jazz student, I eschewed Modern Jazz for more traditional Bop. Actually, "eschewed" might not be the best word. More like "sneered at." And somehow, at some point, I got it in my head that Art Blakey was some kinda flake like Ornette Coleman or later Coltrane. I don't know. Maybe some of his stuff is, but I've found I really, really like Blakey's 60s material. I've also discovered a trumpeter I can get behind in Lee Morgan.

Various - Rockin' Doo Wop 1954-1964
I have no idea when this came out. I got it this year, and it's the best Doo-Wop compilation I've ever heard. You won't know any of the songs, but it doesn't matter. If you only own one Doo-Wop CD, own this one.

Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain
I wrote a couple long-ish posts about Dwight and this record a few months ago, so I'll try to be brief. The guy's still got it. Hell, the guy may have it now more than he ever did, and that's saying a lot when you consider how freakin' awesome his first two records were. He may not have the buzz or airplay he once did, but he's the best Country singer and songwriter alive today. Period. Get this record.

2006 Records That Were Not Nearly as Good as Everyone Seems to Think

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Snooze-fest!

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
You mean people actually listen to this because they WANT to? What's that you say? Oh, they listen to it to be "cool." Gotcha. Bloop-bloop, beep-beep, man.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Look, guys, I know she's cute. I know she's got a great voice, and I love what she does with New Pornographers. But her own music sucks. Deal with it.

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
Wow. Neko Case without the great voice.

Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
I really want to like her. I can only "begin to hope" she'll give me a reason some day. (Ha! I kill me.)

And practically everything on Pitchfork/Stereogum's year-end Best of list. I haven't heard all those records all the way through, so I won't comment on them. But I guarantee you most of them suck out loud.

2006 Worst Thing Ever Award

Joanna Newsom
Pretty rich girl from the Bay Area plays harp. Pretentious idiots looking to out-pretentious everyone else glom on to her, despite the fact none of her "music" can be considered "good." Or even "music." I can put up with a lot of peoples' lousy taste, but if you tell me you like Joanna Newsom, I walk away. Because I know you're a prick.

Record I Could've Really Used in 2006

Something from Rocket From the Crypt. (R.I.P.)

Record That Came Out in 2006 I Can't Believe I Haven't Heard

Riverboat Gamblers - To the Confusion of Our Enemies
I need more friends who buy new CDs.

The "OMG! WTF?" 2006 Award

Elvis Costello
"The River in Reverse!?" OMG! "My Flame Burns Blue!?" WTF? Are you TRYING to destroy your legacy?

Best Songs of 2006

Robbie Fulks - Fountains of Wayne Hotline
Funny as hell and as usual from Mr. Fulks, dead-on right.

Fiery Furnaces - Police Sweater Blood Vow
Despite great respect for them, I never could get into these guys. Yet this song is an absolutely amazing essay on the disorientation of distance and longing. Heartbreaking and head-scratching.

Sing Me Spanish Techno - New Pornograpehrs
Such a beautiful, uplifting and melancholy song. Don't ever watch the video.

Oh Sweetheart - Shout Out Louds
Kind of a departure for them. Maybe they should ditch the neo-garage for this kind of melodramatic pop full-time. (OK, this was issued in 2005 on a singles comp, so not really 2006. I don't care. I love this song and I'm writing about it. You can't stop me.)

I Wish That I Could See You Soon - Herman Dune
I don't know what's in the water over there in the Nordic region, but I wish we were drinking it here. Funny. Imaginative. Bouncy. A must-hear.

This Life - La Rocca
Nothing Earth-shattering here - just a solid pop song that won't leave my head or speakers. So why is such a thing so rare? I don't know, but thank the Gods I found this one. (P.S. Guys, your website is tres 2001 and difficult to navigate and not as clever as you think. Just give us the info. Don't get cute, OK? And speaking of cute, lose the straggly Shag n' Scoob beards. Can we all agree to kill the shitty Federline beard in 2007? Please?)

Hamoa Beach - Gomez
Why doesn't someone tell them (and Nada Surf) they were supposed to give it up in the 90s? Why do they insist on releasing great songs nobody notices?

When You Get What You Want - Annette Funicello
Yeah, it's a song cut out of a 1968(?) movie. Yeah, the lyrics are kinda weak. But the hook is unforgettable and the melody is haunting.

Are You in My Blood - David & The Citizens
Again with the Swedes. Not sure who these guys are, but everything I've heard from them over the last 3 or 4 years has been amazing. Be their friend on MySpace!

Chatterbox - David Mead
The guy's an amazingly talented songwriter. I don't know why I refuse to buy any of his CDs. It's almost like a fun game at this point. Learned of Mr. Mead from Jefito at Jefitoblog.com. You go visit now.

New Legs - Lampshade
I know nothing about this band. I seem to be saying that a lot. I'm at the point in my life where I don't care where they're from, who's in the band, what label they're signed to or what they look like (unless there's a hot chick). This is a remarkable song and that's enough for me. (P.S. They're from Iceland or Sweden or something.)

Try to Understand - LuLu
To me, 60s Brit Girl music is one of those things that SHOULD be better than it is. Who better to put on a false face of defiance and croon in a sweet whisper about the bleakness and unattainable triumph of love? Yet, most of it is routine and flat. This song rises above genre and time, from the opening powerful, punchy piano declaration to LuLu's desperate howl in the chorus fade-out.

That's the Way the World Has Got to be - Chris Lucey
Some lost "genius" record from the late 60s California hippie scene. The other tracks I've heard are just the kind of crap you'd expect from a lost California "genius" in the late 60s. But this song is something to be treasured for your lifetime. Went to Amazon to get the CD. Hesitated and the price went from $12 to $50 in an eye-blink.

Prince - Fury (SNL Live version)
Damn, he was amazing performing this on SNL. The studio recording lacks any of the guitar punch in lieu of mealy synth chords. Prince! How could you screw this up!?

Lowlife - Scanners
Just a lil' pop ditty. Doesn't really sound that much different than the other cascading waves o' indie crap out there. Except for one thing. This song has a melody. Kids, there's more to songwriting than playing 1/8th note downstroke power chords in a 1-4-5 pattern. Really. We used to call it "melody." And if your song consists of nothing more than 1/8th note downstroke power chords in a 1-4-5 pattern, you're gonna need a melody in the vocal line - which is the part most "bands" forget. Hell, I've got low standards. I don't even require interesting lyrics, as pretty much everything has already been said (better), and the "real" lyricists who try so damn hard (pointing at you, Neko Case) to be "meaningful" are just embarrassingly bad. Oops...ranting. But yeah, this song has a nice little melody - in the vocal and guitar line - and a fairly real performance. That's all it takes to make my list in 2006. Why is that so hard?

Biggest Loads of Crap of 2006

The Killers
Seriously, guys. You're over.

Every band that sounds like The Killers.
Seriously, guys. They're over.

Not as Bad as I Feared Award

Guillemots
Spacey, trippy, cold but endearing. Avoids all the Beach Boys cliches (barely) and most importantly, stays interesting, unlike most of the bands doing this nowadays (Yeah, looking at you Sigur Ros).

Hope for 2007

Alice Rose
Be their MySpace friend and download their excellent demos. The sound is crappy, but the songs are solid. Hope to see them put out a CD in 2007 (if they haven't already) and get some buzz.

Portastatic
I know, they're an indie blog favorite and an obvious pick, but that doesn't mean they're not good.

Postmarks
I don't like the kind of music they do - lilting melodies that try really, really hard to be meaningful and pretty - but I like their music anyway. That says something, I think.