A little late, but my favorites from 2006
Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
Um, a review said they sound like "A gun that shoots wolves". I can't agree with that simile, but I guess I've just thought a bit too much about what a wolf-shooting gun would sound like. It sucks when people hear a dark horse female and scream "PJ HARVEY!!!", like they are being so musically astute, but the sexy bass lines, as in "Trophy" mixed with the clearly voiced keening makes it almost impossible to speak of her without comparing her to PJ. A lot of the songs sound like outtakes from Dancehall at Louse Point, with the space becoming a point of dynamic tension. That said, a lot of the songs are more simply described as fucked up girl and her piano pleas for solace, like Unwoman or even Cat Power (oops, did I just compare somebody to booth PJ and Cat Power?)
The Hold Steady -- Boys and Girls in America
All I need is an anthem, and if that anthem is simultaneously a perfect piece of poetry and a jagged little piece of energy that makes me dance in my stilettos while spilling beer on my friends, then I think I've found a piece of musical heaven. At first I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this one as much as Separation Sunday, it seemed too open and lacking the clustered up fucked up energy that made "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" so incredible. But I'm always a sucker for a good pop hook and some story telling, not to mention group "whoaa-whoaas", so it definitely makes the list.
Midlake --- The Trials of VanOccupanther
I can't say much about this album, number one because my friend simply burnt me a copy and didn't write a tracklist and, number two, because I only listen to it late at night when I'm feeling really fucked up, so my experience of it is just obscenely subjective and way too personal to type out on a keyboard. "But wait!" you say "Isn't being obscenely subjective and overly personal what blogging is all about?" Sure, but tough luck to you and yours, I'm pretty sure it's just a damn fine record, and that's all I'm going to say about this one. And if I'm listing my favorites of the year, I couldn't honestly leave this off even if I'm not prepared to say anything about it.
Two Gallants --- What the Toll Tells
What the Toll Tells has everything to make it the ultimate drinking whiskey in your empty apartment album. But unlike so many other records that fill this space in a record collection Two Gallants have also made an album suitable to fucking it up in a bar, campfire whooping and wailing and a variety of other activities, most of which seem to be connected to the pursuit of drinking. With all the people out there sticking an alt in front of their country it's nice to hear an album that doesn't try and give a wink and a nod, aside from not being obnoxiously condescending a more straightforward approach also lets the songs get away with some lyrical country cliches "If liquors a lover you know Im a whore", and a variety of wife killin'balladry that under a less skilled songwriter would be cringe worthy, but come out reverberating with all the pathos that they carried the first and the third (but maybe not the 20th) time around.
Other notable albums
Emily Haines -Knives Don't Have Your Back
Most people don't seem to like this album, which is understandable, but a couple of Xanax might wake them up to the fact that this is a lesson to drown in.
Final Fantasy -- He Poos Clouds
Well, until that really obnoxious interview in Exclaim, where Owen Pallet sneered at all the people who thought Has a Good Home was a better album I would have claimed this to be one of my favorites of the year, but gross people leave a film on their work so I don't like it as much now.
Cat Power--The Greatest
I've always liked Cat Power, but it's definitely the back up band that takes this album to greatnss. Listening to it is like drinking a Terrence Mallick film.
Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Joanna Newsom --Ys
Um, a review said they sound like "A gun that shoots wolves". I can't agree with that simile, but I guess I've just thought a bit too much about what a wolf-shooting gun would sound like. It sucks when people hear a dark horse female and scream "PJ HARVEY!!!", like they are being so musically astute, but the sexy bass lines, as in "Trophy" mixed with the clearly voiced keening makes it almost impossible to speak of her without comparing her to PJ. A lot of the songs sound like outtakes from Dancehall at Louse Point, with the space becoming a point of dynamic tension. That said, a lot of the songs are more simply described as fucked up girl and her piano pleas for solace, like Unwoman or even Cat Power (oops, did I just compare somebody to booth PJ and Cat Power?)
The Hold Steady -- Boys and Girls in America
All I need is an anthem, and if that anthem is simultaneously a perfect piece of poetry and a jagged little piece of energy that makes me dance in my stilettos while spilling beer on my friends, then I think I've found a piece of musical heaven. At first I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this one as much as Separation Sunday, it seemed too open and lacking the clustered up fucked up energy that made "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" so incredible. But I'm always a sucker for a good pop hook and some story telling, not to mention group "whoaa-whoaas", so it definitely makes the list.
Midlake --- The Trials of VanOccupanther
I can't say much about this album, number one because my friend simply burnt me a copy and didn't write a tracklist and, number two, because I only listen to it late at night when I'm feeling really fucked up, so my experience of it is just obscenely subjective and way too personal to type out on a keyboard. "But wait!" you say "Isn't being obscenely subjective and overly personal what blogging is all about?" Sure, but tough luck to you and yours, I'm pretty sure it's just a damn fine record, and that's all I'm going to say about this one. And if I'm listing my favorites of the year, I couldn't honestly leave this off even if I'm not prepared to say anything about it.
Two Gallants --- What the Toll Tells
What the Toll Tells has everything to make it the ultimate drinking whiskey in your empty apartment album. But unlike so many other records that fill this space in a record collection Two Gallants have also made an album suitable to fucking it up in a bar, campfire whooping and wailing and a variety of other activities, most of which seem to be connected to the pursuit of drinking. With all the people out there sticking an alt in front of their country it's nice to hear an album that doesn't try and give a wink and a nod, aside from not being obnoxiously condescending a more straightforward approach also lets the songs get away with some lyrical country cliches "If liquors a lover you know Im a whore", and a variety of wife killin'balladry that under a less skilled songwriter would be cringe worthy, but come out reverberating with all the pathos that they carried the first and the third (but maybe not the 20th) time around.
Other notable albums
Emily Haines -Knives Don't Have Your Back
Most people don't seem to like this album, which is understandable, but a couple of Xanax might wake them up to the fact that this is a lesson to drown in.
Final Fantasy -- He Poos Clouds
Well, until that really obnoxious interview in Exclaim, where Owen Pallet sneered at all the people who thought Has a Good Home was a better album I would have claimed this to be one of my favorites of the year, but gross people leave a film on their work so I don't like it as much now.
Cat Power--The Greatest
I've always liked Cat Power, but it's definitely the back up band that takes this album to greatnss. Listening to it is like drinking a Terrence Mallick film.
Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Joanna Newsom --Ys