Best of 2006

Here is a list of my favorite songs and albums of 2006. I did not comment on all of the albums individually, but I will say that while my love for each of these albums varies from "Somewhat" to "Intense", the only ones I can't live without are the top 5. This strikes me as odd because as much as I cared for some of these albums at one point, only five will probably be timeless?


Favorite Songs of 2006 (That were not included on a Top 20 Album)


Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before The Lights Come On
Black Walls - Levitation Goggles
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
Camerata - The Golden Years
CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
Field Music - You're Not Supposed To
The Futureheads - Skip To The End
The Never - Cavity
Oh No Oh My - I Have No Sister
Oxford Collapse - In Your Volcano
Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks
Sound Team - Your Eyes Are Liars
Tiny Steps - Did You Get It All?
Voxtrot - Mothers, Daughters, Sisters & Wives
The Word Play - Long Winded
Zoos Of Berlin - Coliseum


Favorite Albums of 2006


20. Danielson - Ships
19. Thom Yorke - The Eraser
18. Cursive - Happy Hollow
17. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
16. Emily Jane Powers - Apple Blossom
15. Cat Power - The Greatest
14. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
13. The Walkmen - Pussycats Starring The Walkmen
12. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Broom
11. Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
10. Gamenight - Simple Starts In The Mind
09. The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude
08. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
07. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
06. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

05. The Long Winters - Putting The Days To Bed

I have a thing for blandness sometimes. I listened to this album a few days before it came out and it did not register with me in any way. But I kept listening to it and eventually, I started to become really attached to it. Maybe it was the familiarity. It's really just straight forward three piece pop-rock band with some solid hooks and excellent production.

04. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

This album has the most beautiful, pristine sounding guitars. The opening chords of "The First Song" sound like waves of crystal clear ocean water crashing on shores of white sand. I think of this every time I hear this album and it immediately calms me and I feel like I'm on vacation. I also associate the album, specifically the song "Monsters," with Nat Mons' trip home from Indiana when I actually was on vacation, having a really nice moment, so one could see why I love this album.

03. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

Poor, poor foresight in the comments section: http://iibasilicaii.livejournal.com/35879.html

02. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

This album is epic and sprawling in every way I can imagine while maintaining boundaries of good taste. I will probably love this album forever because of its diversity. After 6 months of listening to this album, I still barely understand it and my favorite song changes upon each listen. They have also become one of my favorite bands over their last four albums.

01. Maritime - We, The Vehicles

I feel like if ever there was an album made specifically for me, this has to be it. It has everything I love about music: warmth, sadness, rhythm; it just sounds good. I have discovered that the parts in music I value above all else are chord structure and melody and how they intertwine. Melodically, this is almost perfect. I said earlier this year that I think it's probably my favorite album since 2003, and I'm pretty sure I believe this is true. It makes me feel nostalgic for times in my life when this album didn't even exist, and I've come to associate those moments with this music, which is a little weird. I had heard that this was supposed to be a big improvement on Glass Floor which sparked my interest, but I knew immediately the first time I heard it that it was a perfect album for me. I felt this way the first time I heard "The City" by The Dismemberment Plan, which was the first and maybe the only truly mind-blowing experience I've had from hearing a song. My mind wasn't necessarily blown when I first heard We, The Vehicles, but I instantly fell in love and I think it's saying quite a bit for me to even mention something in the same league as that song. I think if ever something should be elevated to those ranks, this album is it.