(Thursday, December 21)

Top 25 Albums of 2006 - Part 4 (of 4) : The Top 25 Albums of 2006

So here it is. The 4th and final part of this series of posts, and it is the big one. After finishing up the list and the details on each CD I am pretty proud of it, I don't think I would move or have any second guesses on any of the positions, every thing is it it's right place. All the titles/album pics are clickable to Amazon, so..

The Top 25 albums of 2006:

1.) Matt Costa - Songs We Sing

Number 1. The Numero Uno. Honestly, for the past 2 years I have always known what my number 1 record was going to be before I even started compiling the list. Keane was the sure winner in 2004. Last year I knew the second I picked up Cold Roses that it was going to be the best album of the year in 2005. This year was a little different. There was sooo much good music this year that honestly all of the top 6 albums on this list were in running for my album of the year. It was a hard decision but in the end, aided by last.fm, I decided to go with the CD that I just honestly got the most enjoyment out of all the way through. There is not a single bad song on this cd. Costa delivers one of the best 'entire albums' of the year in. Songs We Sing ARE the songs I sing. I find myself singing them when I am not listening to music, I find myself humming Behind the Moon while I get ready for work in the mornings. This CD is just pop golden goodness. The guitar is great, right after I heard Behind The Moon I knew I had to go look up the tab because it is so infectious. Sweet Rose could have been sung by some western crooner in the 50s on a black and white TV Variety show, or it could have been written by the Beatles in their Glass Onion years, or it could have been written by a skateboard pro that had a bad skateboarding accident, bummed his leg and wrote guitar songs in his hospital bed. Behind the Moon makes me tap my feet anytime I think of it. Wash Away sounds like darker CSNY. Songs We Sing (The Track) is the reason a lot of people listen to music. To just give them some familiarity with the singer, "it makes the day better". I am sure this album could very well be plastered all over every episode of the OC or One Tree Hill or Grays Anatomy and every other "soundtrack advertisement show" but it wouldn't matter. From the intro of the high electric guitar on Cold December to the last chant of Wash Away, after really going through the top 6, this was the right choice for album of the year. It is the best CD I bought in 2006.

2.) The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

I knew this album was going to be coming out big because I had heard a lot about the band on sites, but I got my first little taste of the band on a BBC show that was linked in on another great music blog and I was just blown away. I know everyone seems to compare them to Zeppelin all the time, and I don't necessarily know if that is the best way to describe them, but it is VERY 70s-ish throwback. AND IT IS DAMN DAMN GOOD. highlights are by far Store Bought Bones and Level. A Must have CD from 2006.

3.) Tom Petty - Highway Companion

Petty is pretty much a legend in the south. (I would say a better artist than Dylan and Cash, but thats me). His laid back style permeates into a lot of the surfer-esque music that you hear today (*points at Brushfire records*) and his storytelling ability is second to none. Knowing that though, if you had asked me last year if I thought I would rank a Tom Petty Album above artists like Thom Yorke, The Arctic Monkey's or Keane I would have laughed and said "not likely", but man this might be Petty's best album of all time imho. I liked Wallflower a lot, I do have some of his 80s albums, but honestly when I am in a Petty mood I usually play his greatest hits (*guily as charged*), this entire album is a greatest hits album from the future. Seriously, every song is superb and I think Petty is at his best storytelling and guitar. You must get this album if you don't have it. That is all.

4.) Under The Iron Sea - Keane

Here they are again, a familiar place (top 5). Keane's Hopes and Fears was actually my favorite album of 2004 and with great reason. It was something new (no guitar?!) and different and the lead vocals voice was amazing. Well the follow up was just as good. This album was very close to being my #1 again this year, the entire album flows and the tracks were arranged perfectly. I won't say that the album deviated very far from the sound that made Hopes and Fears so good, but it didn't need to. The lyrics are brilliant, the music second to none and the vocals are haunting.

5.) The Eraser - Thom Yorke

I had heard rumors for awhile about a Thom Yorke solo album which might come out before the new Radiohead album (*which is scheduled for 2007*) but still this album was kinda sprung on everyone very quickly. There were a couple of odd website with the Eraser like graphics that pop'd up and then boom it was in the stores. The album IS good, I don't think I like Yorke without Johnny G and the rest of the radiohead guys, but the CD is pretty good and sounds VERY radiohead like (think the Kid A/Amnesiac time frame). Harrow down Hill and And it Rained All Night are the highlights for me, Blackswan is also very good. I don't think that the song progression had the same tightness as a lot of Radiohead albums have, but the effects and dark mood are definitely present.

6.) Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

This is one of the CDs on the list that I don't know if I could sit down and just listen to one song, I feel like i need to listen to the entire album anytime I want to listen to it because it feels like it was meant to be that way. I really enjoyed the stories of Yoshimi and her robot ass kicking, but this album is just as good (if not better). The Lips have hit a new stride with last 2 albums. Highlights on the Album for me are Overtakes Me and Free Radicals.

7.) Muse - Black Holes and Revelation

Knights of Cydonia could actually be my favorite track of the year. I don't know what it is but it just rocks, as does this cd. Muse was #2 on my 2004 list with Absolution (another great album everyone needs to own) and this album could slightly be better (it was just in much stiffer competition this year). I don't really know how to classify Muse other than just Rock, it is a little space rock and a little hard rock, but regardless they are a band that I think has a long long career ahead of them. I have not disliked any of their albums they have ever put out, they are radio friendly and can pack a venue. Nope, not going anywhere for awhile.

8.) David Gilmour - On An Island

When I saw Gilmour had a new CD coming out I knew it would be more Floydish than any of the Water's solo CDs. It is Floyd, I honestly feel like this IS another Floyd CD. Even though I love almost every Floyd Album (we will be nice and leaver Piper and Saucerful out of this) I am not one of those people who want to see Floyd get back together. I think that the band has had their run and it was a truly glorious run, one that will have generations of listeners, but I do think it is over. However, I do enjoy seeing the solo albums come out, and I wouldn't mind if they sounded Floyd like at all, and Gilmour delivered. From the ethereal opening of Casterllorizon to the Title track to the end of the album Where we start I can just cut on this album and chill. Probably the best programming CD for me to come out in awhile. While I program I like to listen to music that makes me think, but also isn't overbearing in it's lyrics, but tells a lot with the music. This CD is the top of that list for me this year. A Must Own

9.) Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am

AS much as this CD sounds like that kinda brit-neopunk scene, this album was sooo much more. Honestly when I first started creating this list i knew this album would be towards the top, but in the end I am surprised to see it moved down so much, but I am confident in my top choices (even though I am listening to "Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But.." and it is making me second guess if it needs to be any more higher than it is. I would have to say it is probably the 2nd most infectious album this year (second only to Gnarls). Good Stuff.

10.) Ain't Nobody Worryin' - Anthony Hamilton

This year Anothony Hamilton has replaced Maxwell who receives the "Pure 100% Lady Killer" award for the year. Soulful voice, great lyrics and damn good music made this by far one of my favorite CDs this year. My brother actually first recommended one of his albums (XTC) to me a few years ago and since then I have probably at least listened to him at least one a week. Great artist, even though I know that the way I grew up and the way he grew up were vastly different, every time I hear Cornbread, Fish, and Collard Greens I feel like he is describing every Sunday night dinner I ever ate with my family growing up. Highlights on this album are Preacher's Daughter (the father sounds very much like how I have found reality to turn out sometimes) and Where Did It All go Wrong. Awesome CD, if you have never heard him pick up Soulife, but this is his second best and one of the best from this year.

11.) Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah

Along with the Kasabain CD this was an album I almost bought while we were over in the UK because it came out there earlier than it came out here (WTF is up with that if they are an American band?). Regardless I ended up getting it when we got back stateside and it is just as fun of a cd as their self titled CD was. Again this is probably another example of a band not really deviating from their first CD all to much, but hell they didn't need too. This CD always brings a smile to my face with its on-the-verge-of-cheese-abba-ish pop. Good times though.

12.) Counting Crows - New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall

I am sure you are asking: A live CD? With only 1 actual *new* song on it? What the hell is this doing on the list? The answer is, I don't really know I just liked it a bunch. Counting Crows have always been amazing live artists, I find myself listening to their live albums sometimes more than their studio albums (Across a Wire Vs. Recovering The Satellites). unfortunately I have never actually seen them live (ticket prices are insane now and with groups like this i would love to see them in a smaller venue if I am gonna get any enjoyment from it). This live album more than makes up for it though. it is a great album all the way through, the crowd is into it, but he still creates a new song out of an old song. Stellar album, if you have enjoyed ANY counting crows album pick this up. Good stuff.

13.) Nightcrawler - Pete Yorn

This is going to sound really mean, but there really isn't anything all to special about Pete Yorn's music from a musical stand point except the fact that he writes some of the most sincere lyrics of any artists today. Period. Splendid Isolation is one in my top 3 tracks this year, and defintly gets my coolest lyric of the year award with "lock the gates goofy, take my hand" (you need to listen to the song to get it). Although I would say that this album is not as good as musicforthemorningafter, I like the album as a whole better than Day I Forgot. Other highlights are Broken Bottle and his song about Jeff Buckley's death Bandstand in the Sky which he has been playing live for a few years, but this might be the first actual album release of it.

14.) Donovan Frankenreiter - Move By Yourself

I always wondered what prompted Frankenreiter's move from brushfire records (Jack Johnson's label) to Lost Highway Records (label of Ryan Adams, some Willie nelson etc) but it seems to have worked for him on this release in my opinion. This record has more soul I think than his self titled album, and I like it a lot more. The Hammond comes in a little cleaner and the record itself has a much much more laid back feel. The entire album is great, I would say that I think Move By Yourself and Beautiful Day are the highlights and even though they are the first and last songs, everything in the middle is great also.

15.) Love Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing - Keith Urban

Anyone who reads this blog probably knows that I have a pretty big disdain for today's country music. It seems like a lot of it is more about the photo opp than the actual music, every now and then an artists will come out with something original that will succeed and all of the rest of the country music industry follows suit, even if that means completely changing an artist. The artists don't care they are making money, hell more than half the time they don't even have to write. Urban isn't completely a singer songwriters (one my favorite songs of his of all time is Nobody Drinks Alone which was written by Matraca Berg and Jim Collins. Berg is quite possibly one of the best and most influential writers in country music and has written so many #1 songs for country music she ought to own half of Nashville), but Urban does write a decent portion of his own music, and does come across as sincere when he sings. The guy can also play some decent guitar. This CD probably would have been ranked higher except that I think the listen-ability starts to taper off towards the end of the CD, the first half being phenomenal and the second only being so so. This is probably the only neo-country CD you will see on the list, but it well deserves it's spot.

16.) Ray Lamontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black

Maybe it is just me, but i seems like this year LaMontagne's following just up and left him. He had a breakout year last year with Trouble (and rightfully deserved) but I think that this album was released this year without much fanfare, or at least not much that I heard about. The CD kinda snuck out in August and no one even knew about it till they started playing Three More Days on the radio. It is funny that started playing that as the single also, just because it seems to be the most upbeat song on the CD. The rest of the CD is kinda dark and brooding with lots of strings, but I really enjoy it. I don't know how much a lot of other people that only heard Trouble and went and picked it up will, but I am kinda glad he turned things around with this CD. Me and the wife saw him with Guster this year live and I honestly was not that impressed and probably wouldn't pay for another show specifically with just him, but still this CD was great and i hope he keep writing good music like this for awhile.

17.) Snow Patrol - Eyes Open

I really really wondered about this Snow Patrol album because I didn't know how it would change the band's music. I have seen where bands are on the cusp of breaking out before a new CD and then I don't know if it is the band (getting the taste of success) or the record company (getting the taste of an actual profit) that changes things up for the worse. Snow Patrol got some airtime on radio with a single on their last CD (final Straw) with the song Chocolate (great song). So I figure that they would get the push from the companies with this one as long as it was good music. And wow, was it. The whole CD is great. The only real bands that I have seen this kind of with are Death Cab and Snow Patrol as of late. Don't get me wrong playing on Gray's Anatomy and all those WB shows and all that jazz never hurts a band for popularity, but this CD could have done it by itself even if not appeared on those shows. By far, by far, by far Set Fire To The Third Bar is the best song ever recorded by them. Martha Wainwright's (Rufus' sister) voice is just amazing paired with Snow Patrol's lead singer. Every single other song on the CD is amazing also. I don't think there is one that I don't enjoy. My second favorite probably being Shut Your Eyes. I have always though that it was intentional that they put "Shut Your Eyes" at #4 and "Open Your Eyes" at #10 intentional to give songs 5-9 some type of meaning outside the song (a dream or songs from dreams or something? I don't know) but I have never really figured out what the tie/theme that binds them all together is. Must have CD for the year though.

18.) M Ward - Post War

I read about Post War on a lot of people's music blogs and decided to pick it up. The album starts off very catchy but then meanders into kinda folkish parts, but yet not. The album almost has the sense of a live recording because I hear stuff that sounds a little off, but gives the songs character. Since I am pretty sure it isn't recorded live it is honestly kinda a neat change of pace from most people who demand perfection from recording and like I said before it gives the music character (which it might not really need because of Ward's stellar lyrics)

19.) Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam

Back with a vengeance, I loved Vitaology but No Code, Binaural never really stuck to me. Riot Act was good but was more of a lyrically impressive album to me, this self titled CD just rocked. There are some of the more well written songs on the album, but each song almost could be its own single, and they are all kinda different from each other also. I have talked about it on here before (right side), but definitely worth the 12 bucks but don't pick up on itunes go buy it in the store, PJ (like Mars Volta) just always have great album artwork so make sure you get a physical copy.

20.) Gnarl's Barkley - St. Elsewhere

I am sure most people are going to be putting this CD extremely high on their lists and it is very well deserved if they do, I really enjoyed the CD as it was different than a lot of stuff i listen to and I also love Cee-Lo Green's voice. I think my favorite song on the CD isn't crazy but is Smiley Faces. Necromancing and Just a Thought are both great songs also. I am sure most people have at least heard Crazy if they don't own the whole album so I won't go into it too much.

21.)Jars of Clay - Good Monsters

Me and the wife were lucky enough to get to see these guys in concert at the beginning of the year and they played some of the new material and I was honestly blown away. I only had one other of the band's albums (Flood) which got really heavy airplay in the mid 90s, and the cd was great, but I just had not picked up any of their other cds since then until this one. To me, lyrically the album is introspective but is written for the listeners to help them be introspective as opposed to the band writing about themselves. The title track Good Monsters is a great example of that. They have the vocal harmonies, they have the music skills, i think everything just kinda came together for them on this cd. I am not sure how well it did in Christian Music circles (i have heard that Christian music is starting to move towards the same direction neo-country music has [towards the almighty $$$$]) but I think anyone can appreciate the cd.

22.) Zero 7 - The Garden

Zero 7 could quite possibly be the best mellow programming music known to man. While programming I don't enjoy listening to anything without lyrics, but I also don't want to have to be recounting the story the entire time I code with. Zero 7 is the perfect mix of ambient with non-ambient (if that even makes sense). I guess what I am trying to say is that the stories are there, just not shoved in your face if you want to listen to this in the background. The Garden is just as good (if not better) than When It Falls. This Fine Social Scene may be my favorite Zero 7 song of all time.

23.) Jose Gonzales - Veener

Want good guitar with an amazing voice? pick this CD up. Every time I put it on I feel like I am listening to Crosby Stills Nash and Young, except from one voice. The lyrics are great, the almost classical guitar sound gives each song draw, and I guess he couples his own voice on some songs because it gives you an odd "1 person in the room but 10 voices singing" feel. i honestly don't remember who suggested this album to me, but I am glad they did.

24.) Guster - Ganging Up on The Sun

One Man Wrecking Machine is Guster at their best. I have been following them since the bands inception (you have not heard anything till you have heard a cover of Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name Of with about 20 other people wondering if the lead singer really is about to jump off the stage into the bare concrete floor daring people to mosh. I really didn't hear a lot of fanfare around this album before it came out. Guster usually gets decent radio play here in Atlanta, and I would say with the last couple albums these guys probably have a little in the bank so they can experiment a little. This CD doesn't really deviate from their sound all too much though (and as I expected), but it just sounds so much more polished. It IS their best cd (better than Goldfly) and although if you had asked me 2 years ago if I thought less bongos would be better I would have scoffed, but these guys have changed my opinion with this album. I like a little Twang now with my Guster. (not Tang, but Twang).

25.) Josh Rouse - Subtitulo

Ever since a coworker introduced me to Rouse's Nashville last year I have gone and purchased his whole back catalog and some of his more Obscure stuff (DVD/stuff with Kurt Wagner), I still don't understand why he is not just all over the radio. Extremely good writing, and each album just seems to get better and better. Subtulio isn't as infectious to me as Nashville was, but as a whole to album seems like it has many different textures from the lazy sounds of Summertime to the 70s-esque It Looks Like Love The entire album is grandiose, but yet still that "cool" Rouse. I think a lot of it was written in Spain, Rouse's new adopted country. If you enjoy any of Rouse's previous albums and don't own this then you don't know what you are missing.