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BotB – Drewl’s Top 10 Bitchin’ Albums

Wooly

Poor Seamus. I think he’s been reading too much Pitchfork. I actually thought 2006 was a great year for music. I got to listen to some fantastic new bands and meanwhile some of my favorite groups put out excellent new albums that I actually bought! Also 2006 may have been the first year my top 10 list hasn’t completely changed after 2 months; I may trade out one of these for Silversun Pickups’s Carnavas or the Hockey Night CD, but the list below contains the albums I picked in January as my favorite from the Year of the Dog.

My Top 10 Bitchin’ Albums of the Year

10 DanielsonShips Danielson - Ships
What We Said Then:

DanielsonDanielson, like the Fiery Furnaces, is an acquired taste for some. Either you love it or you hate it. But you’d be hard-pressed to hate the album’s single, ‘Did I Step On Your Trumpet?,’ which is sure to enter the indie lexicon as a slacker mea culpa for accidentally offending someone.

9 IslandsReturn to the Sea Islands - Return to the Sea
What We Said Then:

IslandsThe more I listen, the more I likey. Fans of Rhymin’ Simon era Paul Simon, the Elephant 6 collective, the soundtrack to Delicatessen, and even the Polyphonic Spree should enjoy this big time.

8 Band of HorsesEverything All The Time Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
What We Said Then:

Band of HorsesEverything All the Time came out in late March and I’ve been spinning the shit out of the CD ever since. It’s the perfect album for listening to just before bed, or while drinking tea after a satisfying meal. It’s good for the digestion and easy on the nerves.

7 Pigeon John…And the Summertime Pool Party Pigeon John - Pigeon John & the Summertime Pool Party
Pigeon John Pigeon John is unique for creating fun, sunny-day, buddy hip-hop. The tracks on …And the Summertime Pool Party, his 4th LP, are about enjoying life, talking up ladies, and “let[ting] the sun shine in” despite everyday difficulties. It’s the perfect Los Angeles soundtrack, perfect for a town that’s frequently sunny but laced with smog. The beats bop along coaxing your mouth into a smile, and Pigeon John’s delivery isn’t tough or bored; he sounds like your goofy buddy rhyming about your unemployed life.

6 The Flaming LipsAt War With The Mystics The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Flaming Lips I think for many people, myself included, the Flaming Lips have become a great go-to band. I don’t often buy multiple albums by artists, even those I really like, but experience has taught me that when a Flaming Lips album comes out, the purchase will be well worth it. And Wayne, Michael, and Steven (and Dave) put out another awesome album in 2006. At War with the Mystics is weird, weirder yet if you read Wayne’s liner notes, but mostly full of pop genius. You can relax when you listen to this one; there’s no need to think about how Mystics will compare to Yoshimi or The Soft Bulletin; just enjoy. And back to those lyrics and the liner notes: they’re weird, but actually profoundly meaningful.

5 Belle & SebastianThe Life Pursuit Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Bonus Tracks)
What We Said Then:

Belle & SebastianAn album chock full of sensitive lads reflecting on girls and the local vicarage. What’s great about this album, though, is that it has so many appealing songs on it….I’ve yet to listen to the album less than twice in one sitting and I always end up with a different song stuck in my head.

4 Archie Bronson OutfitDerdang Derdang Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang
What We Said Then:

Archie BronsonGahbless those twangy guitars and persistent bass lines, those crashing cymbals and frequent yelps. Whenever I listen to this album, I wonder why more singers don’t just bark when they have nothing better to say.

3 The Fiery FurnacesBitter Tea The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
What We Said Then:

Fiery Furnaces…at first listen though the recent Bitter Tea just didn’t hold up. But I worked at it, listening diligently, trying to figure out the difference between “Nevers” and “Nevers Again”; and then I heard the brilliance. Bitter Tea is a sophisticated morsel. Inhale the aromas. Let it mingle on your palate.

2 Electric PresidentElectric President Electric President - Electric President
What We Said Then:

Electric PresidentElectric President produces tasty soundscapes with notes of preciousness, like the Notwist fronted by Kermit’s nephew Robin…Isn’t this the stuff of a better life?

1 Baby DaylinerCritics Pass Away Baby Dayliner - Critics Pass Away
What We Said Then:

Baby DaylinerAt first listen, I thought, okay, it’s sorta like Har Mar. But the songs are much more polished and really catchy. Critics Pass Away is one of the few albums that my wife (who loves herself some hip-hop) and I can appreciate together. And it actually may prove to be one of my favorite albums of the year.

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. My dear brother, you should know by now that I can’t read. I have a room full of monkeys reading music blogs for me. And I didn’t think the Year of the Dog was a bad year for music, I just thought the most promising things I heard were single tracks as opposed to entire albums.

  2. If I may be so bold. Some solid albums circa dog year:

    10. Oneida – Happy New Year
    9. Howlin’ Rain – s/t
    8. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
    7. Darker My Love – s/t
    6. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldier
    5. Trail of Dead – So Divided
    4. Comets on Fire – Avatar
    3. Brightblack Morning Light – s/t
    2. Silversun Pickups – Carnavas
    1. Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory – Tree Colored See

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