My favorite albums, concerts, films, etc.. for 2006

I had this long introduction written out, but I decided to replace it. What I really want to say is:

ROCK!

Animal had it right all along.



My 15 favorite albums of 2006:

15. Union of Knives -
Violence and Birdsong

Favorite Track: Evil Has Never
"Even though you're well intentioned
One or two or three things you mentioned
Leave a taste familiar to me so
Even with a slight sarcastic
A ripple in a voice elastic
I could crack the slightest code of woe"

I've only heard 5 songs off of this Union of Knives album, but I love those songs so much that this album took a spot on my list. I had to bribe my friend Robyn to try and track down a copy of this cd during her very recent trip to London. That's how badly I want this album. I first heard of this Scottish band through goodweatherforairstrikes. Derek wrote: "File this under Could Not Possibly Be More Right Up My Alley," and I too found myself immediately hooked to this band. "Evil Has Never" is a great combination of britpop, electronica, dance beats, cool harmonies, and lyrics that are wonderfully aloof.

14. Bob Dylan -
Modern Times

Favorite Track: Spirit on the Water
"They brag about your sugar
Brag about it all over town
Put some sugar in my bowl
I feel like laying down"

I've never been a big fan of Bob Dylan's, because so much of what I enjoy about music is a person's voice. As we all know, Bob's voice has seen better days, and even in those "better days" his voice was all over the map. But I've never doubted the astonishing songwriting this man displays. "Modern Times" fits all the right pieces together to create something delicate, cohesive, brilliant, and maybe just a little sinister. "Spirit on the Water" lasts an eternity, but each passage of the song is its own little gem. Dylan's vocal performance is surprisingly tender in this song. (And to be honest, that's a sentence I never thought I'd write.) And the fact that he name dropped Alicia Keys and featured Scarlett Johansson in one of his videos shows me that man has a particular perspective on the here and now.

13. Paolo Nutini -
These Streets

Favorite Track: Jenny Don't Be Hasty
"You said you'd marry me
If I was 23
But I'm one that you can't see
If I'm only 18"

For such a young guy, Scottish singer Paolo Nutini has certainly found his niche, and it's not what one would expect. "These Streets" is filled with pop songs, but it's also filled with lovelorn lyrics, and a teenage sense of resignation. What regrets can this guy possibly have at 19 years old? I guess I had a couple at that age, but I was never able to articulate them with the kind of soulfulness that Nutini's voice embodies. A few of the songs are pretty pop-instinctual and harmless, but there's plenty of time for growth and experimentation. I'm excited to hear what he does for his next album. He's only been around the muisc world for a couple years, and I really hope that he doesn't do anything teenage-like to jeopordize his career. He was, after all, born in 1987. Damn.

12. Mew -
And the Glass Handed Kites

Favorite Track: Apocalypso
"Black waves come
And so fear me, December
Sinking
Waltz with me, courageously"


Mew is pretty new to me, but it's all good - clashing, clanging guitars bouncing off of one another, voices too high for their own good, cryptic lyrics, grand synthesizers, a strange and decidedly Danish sense of courageousness, a scary album cover - what's not to love? Mew's music reminds me of a child's imagination on drugs. And although they remind me of another great Danish band, Carpark North, Mew's music seems a little more optimistic and eager to discover new possibilities.

11. Guillemots -
Through the Windowpane

Favorite Track: Redwings
"As I drift into nowhere
Know that I loved you
But love was not enough to hold my grip
Can't you just feel my fingers slip
Into those oceans in the sky where people swim
Oceans in the sky calling me in
Oceans in the sky I tell myself
Though I'm not kidding anybody else
They know I'm leaving...
They know that I'm leaving this behind
So I'm leaving my best friend
Just for the hell of it
Just for the sake of it
But how much I loved you"

The Guillemots make ambitious music, and I respect so much of their effort, even if it doesn't always succeed. In many respects, this album encapsulates a jumbled mess of instruments, voices, and emotions. It often lacks consistency, but it overflows in urgency and honesty. Fyfe Dangerfield's voice belts, cracks, swoons, and whispers throughout the album (and in the case of the fourth track "Redwings" does all those things in one song). I felt compelled to quote that specific passage in "Redwings", because just reading the lyrics causes me to marvel at the ability for great songwriting to occur using very basic imagery and ideas. Not that that the theme of death is basic, but it is a common denominator, and it's a hard thing to sell in a song. The brilliance of this track is its ability to make you beg for more. It's one of the most perfect songs I've ever heard in my life, and in it, every instrument, voice, and nuance makes utter sense in the grand scheme of things.

And I just found out that David Tennant loves them, and he's the Doctor, so there you go. It stops with him...

10. Justin Timberlake -
FutureSex/ LoveSounds

Favorite Track: Lovestoned/I Think She Knows Interlude
"Those flashing lights come from everywhere
The way they hit her, I have to stop and stare
She got me lovestoned, man I swear she's bad and she knows
I think that she knows"

I don't even bother calling this album a guilty pleasure, because I no longer feel any guilt about loving it like I do. Justin Timberlake has made many strides since his N'Sync days, namely getting a better hairstyle, which I truly believe changed his entire career. And I say that with no underlying humor or sarcasm whatsoever. These days everything about him is streamlined and unapologetically power-suited. "Sexyback" is a ridiculous song, and yet, you can't stop singing it, can you? And you're also not able to control the urge to do the little shoulder groove with your friends in the car, just like JT and Timbaland do when they're performing. Or, is that just me and my friends? "Lovestoned/I Think She Knows Interlude" works magically, and it works for one reason - that weird and distant strumming electric guitar in the 'interlude.' What's it doing there? Why does it work so well, and more importantly, how is it working in the middle of an R&B+Pop track? I blame Interpol and JT's ability to listen to, and take inspiration from, music outside his own genre to inform this latest and best effort.

9. Cold War Kids -
Robbers and Cowards

Favorite Track: Hospital Beds
"I got one friend laying across from me
I did not choose him,
He did not choose me
We got no chance of recovery"

This Cold War Kids album came to me a very short time ago and I haven't looked back. I love everything about this album-the Spoon inspired grooves and clanging-racket guitars, the storytelling lyrics, and the boldness of the lead singer's voice and his ability to push his belting to the brink of no return only to reel us back in again. When I listen to this album I get the feeling of forward motion. It's not so much an evolution of song to song, but more like digging oneself out of a deep ditch before the walls cave in. And while all of this is happening, one somehow manages to keep up a sexy demeanor. Cold War Kids are this year's Wolf Parade for me - a nice and unlikely favorite. "Robbers and Cowards" is like a beautiful sunlight house situated in the middle of an industrial wasteland. And that was meant to be a compliment.

8. Keane -
Under the Iron Sea

Favorite Track: Leaving So Soon
"You're leaving so soon
Never had a chance to bloom
But you were so quick to change your tune
Don't look back, if I'm a weight around your neck
Cause if you don't need me, I don't need you."

People give Keane such a hard time for being so incredibly "nice." Since when was being nice a bad thing? Whenever I can, I try to judge the band on their live experience, and not just the studio album. I've been to many shows in the past few years, and Keane have consistently put on an incredible show. Tom Chaplin's voice is as angelic and captivating as his cherubic face would suggest. But what you aren't prepared for is the level of energy this three piece band emits. Chaplin's all over the place, Tim Rice-Oxley is practically jumping on top of his piano, and Richard Hughes...well, Richard is just amazing. I never understood why some people despise their music so much. It's beautiful britpop at its best, and in songs like "Leaving So Soon" and "Atlantic" I'm reminded of why I appreciate listening to serene melodies performed by an engaging band. Given all the personal (and ultimately public) troubles that plagued Keane this year, I can listen to the songs on the album and understand what Rice-Oxley was writing about when he penned a song like "Broken Toy"; it's a track that undoubtedly describes his protective and tumultuous friendship with Tom Chaplin, and the disappointment of loving someone and having that love thrown back in your face. Anyone who claims that they can't relate to that sentiment is a liar.

7. John Mayer -
Continuum

Favorite Track: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
"It's not a silly little moment
It's not the storm before the calm
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love we've been working on"

Nobody loves to hate/hates to love John Mayer more than I do. He really represents the Grey's Anatomy syndrome that I've been infected with this year, which is to say, I despise the fact that I can't stop watching or listening. "Continuum" isn't the best album out there, but it is John Mayer's best album, and it proves that a few commerically popular singers actually deliver on the promise of substantial talent. This guy knows how to write a love song, he knows how to play it, and he's beginning to realize that his own complacency only undermines his potential to achieve new greatness. "Vultures," "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," and "Gravity" really shine here. Mayer brings out the big guns with his blues-infused guitar licks and his soulful inclinations. He fully commits to these tracks, rarely sacrificing the lyrics or music to the demands of his own pop-legacy. My only complaint lies with his first single "Waiting on the World to Change" - it's a very neat and tidy segway between the old Mayer that radio has grown accustomed to, and the new thoughtful Mayer who is concerned with the dealings of the world. When this song comes on the radio in the car, I change the channel. So, whenever possible, I slip "Continuum" into the cd player, and skip that first track, heading straight for the gold, never looking back.

6. Mute Math -
Mute Math

Favorite Track: Stall Out
"Racing on a faultline
Bracing for a landslide
Conscious of every move getting harder
Has the race gone underwater?"

What can I say about Mute Math to convince you of how awesome they are? The lead singer Paul Meany plays a keytar. I can't think of anything more fantastic. But did I mention that Meany has an incredible voice, that many of the songs on this album are brimming with ambition, and that the quiet interludes provide respite for the rock-weary? Their music is delightfully straightforward, but at times it's also lush and atmospheric. Imagine yourself floating, and Paul Meany bringing you safely back down to Earth with his voice...They've been labeled as a Christian rock band, but they make very universal statements with their lyrics. Anyone who enjoys solid alternative/pop/rock music will love this album.

5. Arctic Monkeys -
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Favorite Track: From the Ritz to the Rubble
"Last night these two bouncers
And one of em's alright
The other one's the scary one
His way or no way, totalitarian
He's got no time for you
Looking or breathing
How he doesn’t want you to
So step out the queue
He makes examples of you
And there's nowt you can say
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
And you realize then that it's finally the time
To walk back past ten thousand eyes in the line
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
Instilled in your brain you've got something to prove"

I can listen to this entire album without skipping one single track along the way. That simple fact impresses me greatly. Perhaps these songs will become dated in a few years, (if they haven't already). They may be indicative of a very specific moment in time but the feelings the songs emote about the "right here-right now" are so young, angry, aggressive, reckless and (OMG!) fun. Arctic Monkeys manage to cram a short novel into each of their tracks and it's mindboggling. And in between all these bouts of verbal regurgitation, they've also managed to slip in some very cool machine gun-paced guitar licks. But the question is, where do you go when you've already reached the summit?

4. Thom Yorke -
The Eraser

Favorite Track: Atoms for Peace
"No more going to the dark side with your flying saucer eyes
No more falling down a wormhole that I have to pull you out
The wriggling, squiggling worm inside
Devours from the inside out"

I've seen this album criticized as a disappointment, called an intermediary project to fill up space until the next Radiohead album graces our presence, a triumph for a solo debut, a continuation of "Amnesiac" etc... To me this album signifies a deviation from the comfortable space of alienation and aggression that Thom Yorke dished out with "Hail to the Thief." "The Eraser" is still world-weary, suspicious, and cautious (wait, did I just say it was a deviation?) but it is all the more measured in its execution. Instead of running towards you, full force and screaming, "The Eraser" broods in the periphery, whispers ideas in your ear causing you to doubt. It's vulnerable, and surprisingly, lacks the embellishment that would normally distort Yorke's voice under the machinery of its making. "Atoms for Peace" is the best example of this bareness. Through his dispairing words, Yorke sings with melodic beauty best saved for a bedtime lullaby. It is however, a very grown-up song, with grown-up fears and desperate hopes for the future.

3.Midlake -
The Trials of Van Occupanther

Favorite Track: Roscoe
"1891
They roamed around the forest
They made their house from cedars
They made their house from stones
Oh, they're a little like you,
And they're a little like me
We have all we need
Thought we were due for a change or two
Around this place"

This album transports you to another time entirely. I'm unfamiliar with Midlake's previous work, but I'm sure they never could have anticipated the reverence this album garnered in 2006. It's a storybook full of folktales and memories of provincial times, hunting and gathering, traveling to lands uncharted, women and the thrill of the chase, the unquestioned trust of neighbors as friends, the fear of loss (and perhaps modernization). Piano parts ring throughout most of the melodies, but when the brash electric guitars enter, they arrive so seamlessly that you'd think they were natural sounds to those lost times. The first track on the album "Roscoe" is one of the best (if not the best) songs of the year, and its near perfection is uncanny. "Roscoe" brings together solid influences of rock music and creates a poignant statement about how music can be completely seductive without sacrificing intelligence.

2. The Duke Spirit -
Cuts Across the Land

Favorite Track: So Good To Hear
"I want to get those simple moves
That bind us and make it true
I'll always hang on a memory
We could just face forward only"

Wow. Who knew rock chick vocalist Liela Moss and the whole of The Duke Spirit could win over my heart by reminding me of the great early "Unforgettable Fire"-era U2 and "Bends"-era Radiohead? Holla! This album represents so much strength to me, and I think it comes from a strong female lead singer. Moss isn't a shy wallflower. She gets right in your face with her confidence, and the music that holds her up is just plain cool. Her voice follows the great traditions set forth by singers like Shirley Manson and PJ Harvey. Both those singers represent a chic and defiant rock persona, and both are skillful at evoking a depth of emotions, but never give way to sentimentality. "Cuts Across the Land" is brazen and raw. Many of the songs have fantastic subtle moments locked into them, and searching for that tender guitar part or that humming bassline is a pleasure. "So Good To Hear" is my favorite track because it provides a steady beat for my head to rock back and forth to. And isn't that what's most important?

1. Muse -
Black Holes and Revelations

Favorite Tracks: Assassin, Map of the Problematique
"Lose control at increasing pace
Warped and bewitched, time to erase
Whatever they say these people are torn
Wild and bereft assassin is born"

For the past few days I've been listening to "Classic Queen." (This story is going somewhere, I promise.) I've had this collection of Queen's hits for a while, and have always loved it, though I hadn't properly listened to it in about six years. For some reason, at 3:30 in the morning this past Saturday, I was lying in bed and thinking about Freddie Mercury. Almost everything in my room was turned off except one small lamp, and the only thing making noise was the hum of my computer and the clock ticking on the wall. I stared up at the ceiling and all I could think about was Freddie Mercury singing the words:

"Momma, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he's dead. Momma life had just begun, but now I've gone and thrown it all away. Momma, didn't mean to make you cry. If I'm not back again this time tomorrow, carry on. Carry on, as if nothing really matters. Too late, my time has come. Sent shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time. Goodbye everybody, I've got to go. Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth. Momma, I don't want to die, I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all."

Yeah, not the happiest thought at 3:30 AM. And yet I was happy. So happy in fact, that I started singing it aloud, by myself, which is kind of embarrassing to admit. I got out of my warm and cozy bed, dug out the cd from my shelf, placed it in my discman (remember those!), put my headphones on, and got back into bed. I listened to "Bohemian Rhapsody" about five times in a row. And then I listened to the entire cd. Several thoughts were running through my mind:

Wow, this is fucking genius. Freddie Mercury was one of a kind. His death was a huge fucking loss for humanity. His voice is like my best dream of the world. Brian May kicks ass in "Stone Cold Crazy." In one part of that song Freddie totally reminds me of Thom Yorke. ("They got the sirens loose, I ran right out of juice...") God, the production of this album is flawless. The sound is so full. I guess that's what older people are always complaining about when they compare LP's and digital music. I can't believe I used to have a major crush on Roger Taylor. What was that all about..."Under Pressure" is brilliant. Why did Vanilla Ice have to completely ruin that bassline... Freddie was such a showman. Matt Bellamy really takes after his stage presence. Hmm. I think I can find elements of every song on Black Holes and Revelations in Queen's music. That Matt Bellamy sure knows how to steal really well.

And that's when I said to myself, "Whoa. I did not just say that." (in my head) And then I proceeded to hit myself across the face.

Actually, I didn't hit myself. But I laughed because I said the same thing about Bellamy stealing from Rage Against the Machine. But of course, he doesn't steal-he borrows and then makes something different. You can hear the influences, because these musicians were heroes, still are. But the songwriting for "Black Holes and Revelations" comes straight from Bellamy's brain- full of his daft and spaced-out theories, overblown rock operas and space cowboy shootouts. And don't get me started on how sexy the whole thing sounds...

The three guys in Muse play their asses off to create something purely magical. And while Bellamy is in a class by himself as far as his vocals, guitar, and piano playing are concerned, he wouldn't be able to accomplish the height of these ambitions without the pure and unabashed talent of Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme, both of whom exhibit their fantastic skill and energy time and again. They all have to deliver the goods, all the time, for the madness of "Black Holes and Revelations" to succeed. What Queen represented to the 70's and 80's, Muse represents to the here and now. Their albums sound huge in and of themselves, but Muse's live performances are unreal (something I've attested to many times in this little blog of mine). The album is not without its hangups, but for me, no other album released this year exhibits the kind of blatant disregard for gravity that "Black Holes and Revelations" does.

I love that Muse play music that develops into grinding, bombastic, ridiculous, spectacular and passionate noise. A Muse experience is like no other, a barrage of controlled ferocity, where every note, step, and grand gesture floods the senses and causes delirium. (Well, at any rate, that's what happens to me.) I think that Queen are a great example of a band that used to let things shred on stage, and I feel as though Muse have a similar objective and spirit working for them. I love singer-songwriters, pop and alternative music, but at the end of the day, I want my rock music to do just that - rock me, knock me off my feet, cause me to weep, cause me to jump, cause me to be, for a while, other than who I am. Possessed, self-possessed, ascending without actually leaving the ground, elated and happy to be in the presence of something greater than myself. It all sounds suspiciously like religion. Perhaps that is what Muse represents to me. Because it takes a leap of faith to follow along with this beautiful insanity.


Other albums that made an impression: Pink "I'm Not Dead," Snow Patrol "Eyes Open," Damien Rice "9," Amy Winehouse "Back to Black," Lily Allen "Alright, Still," Tapes N Tapes "The Loon," Gnarles Barkley "St. Elsewhere," Jay Z "Kingdom Come," Benoit Pioulard "Precis," John Legend "Once Again"

My 10 Favorite Concerts of 2006

(Did you really have to guess as to which concert would be my favorite???)
As far as concerting is concerned, I am privileged beyond words. I thought last year was amazing. But this year trumped last year in almost every single respect. And the number one highlight? Besides being alongside Yetta, one of my best friends and partners in crime, it's very difficult to choose...but I'd say meeting Thom Yorke was up there as one of the best fangirl moments of my entire life. Click the links for my corresponding blog entries.

10.Coldplay - 3.2.06 Verizon Center, Washington DC
9.Snow Patrol - 9.10.06 9:30 Club, Washington DC
8.KT Tunstall - 3.5.06 Rams Head Tavern, Annapolis, MD
7.Dave Matthews Band - 8.6.06 Randalls Island, NYC, Night 2
6.Matt Nathanson - 10.26.06 Cutting Room, NYC
5.Damien Rice - 12.16.06 Lincoln Theatre, Washington DC
4.Keane - 6.23.06 Bowery Ballroom, NYC
3.Franz Ferdinand - 4.14.06 Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC
2.Radiohead - 6.1.06 Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
1.Muse - 8.6.06 Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC

Most Memorable Moment: Having two complete strangers become emotional or cry in front of me as a result of helping them get into the show. This is the power of Muse.

My 10 favorite Television Shows of 2006
10.Prison Break
9.House
8.Grey's Anatomy
7.Lost
6.Torchwood (BBC)
5.Family Guy
4.Spooks (BBC)
3.The Office (US)
2.Heroes
1.Doctor Who (BBC)

I love David Tennant and Doctor Who. For all its cheesiness, and over-the-top- yet-surprisingly-crude monsters, it keeps me coming back for more. And if you saw "The Runaway Bride" episode on Christmas, then you'll understand the depth of my love for this show when I quote this one perfectly David Tennant-delivered line:

"Her name was Rose."

Bloody Brilliant. And yes, sometimes I wish I was Bloody British.

My 5 Favorite Films of 2006

5.The Fountain
4.Casino Royale
3.The Science of Sleep
2.The Illusionist
1.The Departed


I don't think I need to say much about this film. It was an intricate, well-paced, finely acted, superior film. And did I mention violent? Very, very violent. Not...that...I particularly enjoy violence or anything... But I definitely enjoy Leonardo DiCaprio, so there you go.


My Favorite Podcast of 2006:

The Ricky Gervais Podcast

As far as I'm concerned, no other podcasts exist.

This has to be one of the best things to ever happen to the ipod, aside from a rechargeable battery that actually lasts longer than four hours. This podcast features the comedic genius (and the ultimate sex symbol! Hells yeeah!) Ricky Gervais and his two best mates, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington shooting the shit for a half-hour/hour segments. I've said it before (ad nauseum) and I'll say it again: this is some of the most entertaining shit I've ever heard. My favorite features include "Monkey News," readings from Karl's diary, general making fun of Karl, and Karl speaking nonsense. But what I live for in each podcast is the uproarious laughter of Ricky Gervais. It is completely infectious and unique. I'm sure there's someone in your life whose laugh makes you laugh. For me it's Ricky.

Standout R.G. Podcasts:

Series 1, Episode 4 (12.25.05) - The gang discuss giving charitibly during the Christmas Season. They debate the merits of giving a goat to needy families in Africa.

Series 1, Episode 8 (1.22.06) - This contains the very first reading from Karl's Diary. Fucking Priceless.

Special Edition Holiday Series, The Podfather Part II - Thanksgiving (11.22.06) - Karl discusses how he hates organized holidays and how he wishes calendars didn't follow the same format every year. They also ask Karl which six remarkable people he would take to a new planet if he had the chance. Just to let you know, one of Karl's choices is....Chef Jamie Oliver. This is probably one of the funniest podcasts of the entire series. You can download this holiday series for free right now. So GO!

If you don't listen to any of the albums I listed above, then at least do yourself a favor and get these podcasts. They brighten the darkest days. How's that for dramatic...

And what were my disappointments of 2006? Um...that would be the following: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Marie Antoinette, Smith (CBS), The Nine (ABC), and last but not least,

Sam's Town by The Killers: Nothing represented more suckitude in 2006 than this album. Wow. I'm really glad I was able to use that made-up word in the appropriate context for which it was originally conceived. Thanks C.

I hope all of you got some good loot for xmas. I came out like a bandit this year, considering that I'm not Christian and don't really celebrate the holiday. But it's always nice to give stuff to people, and to get stuff, and to be stuffed with yummy food, and to have your heart stuffed full of warmth. Even if it's temporary. The new year's coming, and my resolution will be to finish my dissertation, or at least a complete draft of it, and to go to twice the number of concerts. I think those are good and admirable goals. ;)