For someone like me, music plays what can be called an important role in my life. This isn't because I'm a musician, or because I'm a complex robot from the future designed by NASA to run on a certain input of musical vibrations into a data-port in the main control panel in my back each day, or... anything like that. In fact, I'm not a robot at all... :-\. Uh...Anyway, here we go. My top-list for 2006. Of course you know that there's way too much good stuff each year for everything to make it onto a top-list like this... so keep in mind that I'm just focusing on the albums that really grabbed me... shook me..... went through my pockets.... took all my possessions, pummeled me mercilessly... abandoned me in some kind of ditch... and left me there to die choking on my own bloody, pulpy musical enjoyment. So........... yeah. Ahem. Here goes.(Oh, this was going to include a lot more than 10 albums, but in a fit of apathy and despair, I'm just posting about these. There are like 40 other albums that I was considering.. and that I wanted people to know that I listened to and enjoyed... but I just don't really even care anymore.. haha... I'm just not motivated. ........So yeah, I guess music isn't actually that important to me after all.)Top Albums of 200610. Rocky Votolato - MakersI know most people would disagree with me, but I really think that Ganging Up on the Sun is by far Guster's best album to date. The music is both catchy and sophisticated, and the vocals are fun and smooth, as always. There's really not a single track on this album that disappoints me, so... yeah, that's why it's on my list.8. The Format - Dog ProblemsDespite the fact that it's about a break-up, this album's instrumentation is just saturated with high spirits. In fact, I think that's a lot of what makes Dog Problems such an interesting listen for me. Ruess's vocals just seem so sad, so depressing and dark... while the music itself is expansive, happy, even celebratory. The combination is unique, and it works. The other cool thing is that the title track contains the word "postmodern," which just makes it all so much better in a vague, bohemian sort of way...7. Joshua Radin - We Were HereAfter the first five seconds of listening to this album, I knew I would like it. That's right, folks... that's the kind of person I am. I develop those kinds of biases regularly while listening to music, and I'll be honest... I don't care. I don't listen to albums just waiting for them to screw up. I give them the benefit of the doubt. Granted, there are plenty of albums who do screw up for me... but We Were Here isn't one of them. I for one really like Joshua Radin's airy vocals and slow, easy guitar playing. The background cello and piano are great too--being two instruments that I just find myself really generally liking. Who cares if the lyrics are emo and offer nothing more than sad break-up lamentations? There's a fleeting quality to Radin's melodies that works really well, in my opinion... and it's enough to make me really love this album.6. Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi LightningGhostland Observatory is such a cool name for a band. It always reminds me of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum for some reason... even though I've never actually listened to that band's music. Anyway, Ghostland Observatory seems to me like a less progressive, more party-music-y Mars Volta. Aaron Behrens' high, screaming vocals (which I found myself liking by the end of the album) are bound to come off as either really fun or really annoying to most listeners, but what I love about Paparazzi Lightning is the awesome instrumentation. Some parts of the album just strike me as really inspired... but, really, this is just another one of those albums that I'd describe as "fun"... I know, terribly unoriginal, but oh well.5. Anathallo - Floating WorldMy friend Matt introduced me to Anathallo, for which I am thankful. Initially, of course, I tried shrugging it off, minimizing my opinion of them so as to convince Matt that I was somehow vaguely too good for both him and his new musical discovery, "so take that, Matt! Bastard.” That didn't last too long due to my dreadfully low capacity for stoic persistence, and I now submit to this band's musical genius. Anathallo makes brilliantly complex music... it almost sounds like they wanted to put poetry to music without sacrificing the poetry itself... and to do so required exactly the kind of risk and daring that you see on this album. Floating World is good stuff, but, in fact, I didn't really start to appreciate it until I saw Anathallo live—a great experience that I would recommend to anyone. The other thing that really made me love Anathallo was reading the lyrics to the song “Hoodwink.” Seriously, folks... how can you not love a line like, “I'm off in a distant place where I can be the signifier, not that which is signified”?... Not to mention the last few lines, “We couldn't rest, with this awful sense of duty hanging off of our chests. Peeled away. We had to get back to where the grip of our own hands could lift us from the failures in the eyes of men, to form our scales and weigh our works, good again.” This is great stuff, people. Trust me. I'm an English major. I know.4. Chris Garneau - Music For TouristsIt might seem like I'm cheating by including an album whose official street release isn't until January 23, 2007. But Chris Garneau's debut, Music for Tourists, has been on sale on Absolutely Kosher's site since October, so... I think I'm allowed to include it. Even if it hadn't been available, though, I think I definitely would have found a way to include Garneau in my 2006 wrap-up one way or another. Why? Because he's just that good. I'll prove it: I downloaded the album in full (yes, illegally) and, upon listening, immediately purchased it online. That's saying something. Chris Garneau is being heralded by some as the next Sufjan Stevens—and I think he deserves the praise, even though it's basically opening him up for an onslaught of polarized criticisms over the next year or so (and to be honest, I would describe him more as... Rufus Wainwright meets Joshua Radin, actually). And while there are some things about him I don't like—most of which are non-musical, such as his promo photos (which do seem like he's trying too hard to be like Sufjan--see http://a800.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/l_b406eb1ca0a9231be84251d21d7270d7.jpg) and the way he writes in virtually all lower-case letters on his site (which so many great musicians do for some reason... it's not that big of a deal, but still... it's time for something new, don't you think?)—his music is incredible. His gentle vocals and slow, impeccable melodies make his music seem less expansive and playful than Sufjan's at times, which can be both good and bad, of course, depending on your mood. But even while somber, Garneau retains an overwhelming beauty in his music, creating an atmosphere on this album that is both fragile and engaging. The lyrics, unfortunately, seem somewhat traditional—Garneau can't take as many risks as Sufjan, can't incorporate long lines and trains of thought in his music, simply because it doesn't seem upbeat enough to sustain them. But that doesn't change the fact that the music itself is beautiful. So definitely give Chris Garneau a listen if you can appreciate the softer side of music—because he masters it well. I for one will be following his work from now on... because I honestly think this guy might be going places.3. Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down Quartet - Duper SessionsI thought they stopped making this kind of music with that Billie Holiday guy! Har har! No but... man oh man... this album sounds like it was just lifted right out of the 30s or 40s! Or 50s! Whenever the Jazz Age was. Was there a Jazz Age? Wait, I think I'm thinking of that movie... Ice Age 2. What? I know what you're thinking... "Adam, now you're just being goofy! We want a music review, not you being GOOFY!" Yeah? Well. Duper Sessions is just a great album with laid-back, piano-centric jazz and light vocals, offering a refreshing detour from what you usually hear when you listen to jazz music, so... Just listen to it.2. Eric Bachmann - To The RacesWhen my friend Jeremy first heard Eric Bachmann in my car, he said it reminded him of Bob Dylan... and he was totally right. I hadn't thought of it before, but Bachmann definitely has a Dylan-like quality to his singing voice... except that it's much harder to get tired of Bachmann's, in my opinion. To the Races is a great folk album with the kind of impeccable melodies that I can't get enough of. There's sufficient risk in the album too (I don't know how else to put it): background vocals, violin, and piano all find their way perfectly into the album where you least expect them... Bachmann could have just as easily made a good acoustic album without these elements, but the fact that he integrated them with such prowess really gives him a lot of points in my book. The other thing that makes this album so good in my opinion-and this might not be fair-is that it was virtually all I listened to while reading a very good book (The World to Come, by Dara Horn) this year... and so now whenever I hear it, that whole music-contains-memory thing kicks in, and I get the same feelings I had while reading that book... which were very good, magical, aspiring feelings... so yeah.1. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from Illinois AlbumAnother sprawling musical tour de force from my main man, Sufjan Stevens. The Avalanche didn't get nearly as much critical praise as Illinois did, which I guess is to be expected. It's pretty much universally agreed that it's not as good as Illinois—but, personally, I think it is. I won't say it's better, but... well, the way I see it is: it's Sufjan Stevens... so it's gotta' be good. Yeah, call me a blind, crazed, bandwagon-surfing fan-boy... but seriously, until Sufjan starts to really suck (and I mean really)... I'm going to love him. He's got a unique, powerful approach to music... just about every song he makes is somehow... well... Huge. Not necessarily in terms of instrumentation or volume (although that certainly applies to some of his music)... but every song he makes just has this immensity to it... this kind of magical, mammoth quality that it's hard to put your finger on. He just has this amazing ability to make music that makes the listener feel that there must be some incredibly human (or divine) story behind every song, offering a rare glimpse into the pathos of human life, interaction, and spirituality. The Avalanche is no different. It's beautiful, it's expansive, it's orchestral... it builds up, it slows down... it's fun, it's somber, it's intimate, it's brilliant... it's... well... it's Sufjan!(And yes, I know, it's technically a b-sides album and not really valid for a top-list, but seriously, screw you. I don't care.)...I wasn't going to do this, but why not. Here's the list of other albums, from highest to lowest, that I was thinking about including on my list if I had had the time (but I'm not going to link them, I'm too lazy):American V: A Hundred Highways – Johnny CashFewer Moving Parts – David BazanAnd Now That I'm in Your Shadow – Damien JuradoGarden Ruin – CalexicoAmputechture – The Mars VoltaTime Without Consequence – Alexi MurdochPear/Sister Pinecone – Page FranceSome Echoes – AlohaHappy Hollow – CursiveUnder an Hour – MenomenaAt War With The Mystics – The Flaming LipsThe Zookeepers Boy EP – MewSæglópur - Japan Only Tour EP – Sigur RosThe Life Pursuit – Belle and SebastianBlack Holes and Revelations – MuseBring Me The Workhorse – My Brightest DiamondNew English EP – Ambulance LTDII – EspersThe Letting Go – Bonnie ‘Prince’ BillyHalos + Lassos – Half-Handed CloudThe Crane Wife – The DecemberistsStadium Arcadium – Red Hot Chili PeppersShips – DanielsonWorld Waits – Jeremy EnigkInto the Blue Again – The Album LeafGo When the Morning Shineth – Don PerisMeek Warrior – Akron/FamilyA Prospect of Freedom – Create(!)So Divided – And You Will Know Us...Centuries Before Love... – Stars of Track and FieldWe Are the Pipettes – The PipettesMute Math – Mute MathGipsy – Wooden Wand and the Vanishing VoiceEverything all the Time – Band of HorsesCast Away the Clouds – Rose MelbergZombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! - HellogoodbyeMovement – Letting Up Despite Great FaultsYs – Joanna NewsomReturn to Cookie Mountain – TV on the RadioPretty Little Head – Nellie McKay---Top Artist Discovery of 2006Page FranceMy friend Jeremy is who initially exposed me to Page France this year by burning me a copy of Hello, Dear Wind. And oh how I appreciate that. Page France quickly climbed the ranks to being in my top five, perhaps even my top three (or two) bands. Their music is just amazing and I love it.Top Songs of 2006 (From Any Year)That is... songs that I loved a lot this year.8. Chris Cornell - You Know My NameThis song, being the main title song used in the new Bond movie this year, is pretty effin' cool. Of course it's much cooler hearing it when it's set to an awesome animated sequence of a Bond silhouette kicking ass, but yeah. I just really like this song. "Arm yourself 'cause no one else here will save you" - great message, too! :-\7. Of Montreal - Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other GamesI put this song on a mix CD for a friend because of how fun it sounded (and I needed something fun/goofy to balance out all the quieter stuff I had already put on)... but this song is more than just fun and goofy. Sure, its sound is really great and upbeat... but what really makes this song for me is the chorus (I guess it's the chorus): "Let's pretend we don't exist, let's pretend we're in Antarctica" -- there's just something really profound about that. Seriously. That's some Buddhist shit right there.6. Calexico - Landing FieldThis song has got amazing piano chord progressions. And I am just all about amazing piano chord progressions. It's such a gentle and humble song... even down to the lyrics, which I love: "I'm ready to come down, I'm ready to come down..." -- Just brilliant!5. mewithoutYou - In A Sweater Poorly KnitAs you may have noticed, I did not include mewithoutYou on my top-list. That's because, for the most part, I can't stand Aaron Weiss's vocals. Sorry. They just don't do it for me... at least, not in louder, more upbeat songs (I think it works a lot better in softer songs like the "Spider" tracks on the Brother, Sister album). I can definitely tolerate it when it comes to this song, though... simply because of the amazing instrumentation and background vocals that make it seem like it's from the movie Edward Scissorhands or something. Seriously, there's just something really magical about those certain parts throughout the song (incidentally, the parts where Aaron Weiss isn't singing.... haha). Also, I can't help but love the lyric "the trap I set for you seems to have caught my leg instead."4. Sufjan Stevens - Majesty, SnowbirdI first heard this song at the Tower theater in Philadelphia when I went to see Sufjan live. He introduced it as being a melody that's been in his head for the past ten years. Such an introduction is only warranted when the song is amazing, of course... and Majesty, Snowbird is amazing. It's both majestic and... uh... snowbirdy! No but uh... yeah, this song is just great. I can only hope Sufjan records a high-quality version of it sometime soon... something tells me it'll be even better.3. Rogue Wave - EyesI first heard this song on the TV show Heroes... and it was really cool right away. I mean, the great thing about songs on TV shows is that... if they're put at the right spots/montages, both the show and the song can benefit. I think that's the case with Eyes. Whenever I hear it, I really get this strange sense of appreciation that either is due to solely the quality of the song itself, or is helped by, again, that music-contains-memory thing, with me recalling the cool feeling of watching that particular part of Heroes (which is a pretty good show, by the way. I recommend it). But I do highly recommend this song, too... so here's a link to it: http://heero002.podomatic.com/enclosure/2006-11-08T07_46_08-08_00.mp32. Chris Schlarb - Twilight and Ghost Stories (Excerpt)This song, found on the Mews Too compilation, is just a beautiful, beautiful song. It's short and it doesn't have any vocals, but that doesn't matter. There's a feel to it that just makes it... intensely... heartfelt. Listening to this song inspired me to write some stuff this year, so that's a big part of why I love this song and of why I have an emotional connection with it (as gay as that might sound).1. Regina Spektor - Ghost of Corporate FutureThis song might just be one of my favorite songs of all time. The sound is perfect, of course, but the lyrics are what really make it for me. It's so lighthearted and yet there seems to be a real wisdom underlying the words. Just.... ugh, yes! I HIGHLY recommend this song. Seriously.