For what it's worth (not much), I just put together my top 10 list for Harp, and of course, I couldn't get it down to ten. Here are my 25 favorite records for this year with the usual caveats.
a) I haven't heard everything (Joanna Newsom, Hold Steady). b) There are a handful of really good records that I haven't spent enough time with (Roots, Decemberists, TV on the Radio, Yo La Tengo). c) I will probably change my mind or remember another one by the end of the day.
But anyway, here we go:
Top ten for 2006 1. Kelley Stoltz Beneath the Branches Sub Pop 2. Sonic Youth Rather Ripped Geffen 3. Mission of Burma The Obliterati Matador 4. Oneida Happy New Year Jagjaguwar 5. Califone Roots & Crowns Thrill Jockey 6. Bardo Pond Ticket Crystals All Tomorrow's Parties 7. Parts & Labor Stay Afraid Brah 8. Man Man Six Demon Bag Ace Fu 9. Current 93 Black Ships Ate the Sky Durtro 10. Wovenhand Mosaic Sounds Familyar
Just missed 11. Clogs Lantern Brassland 12. Shearwater Palo Santo Misra 13. Vetiver To Find Me Gone Di Cristina/Stairbuilders 14. Alejandro Escovedo The Boxing Mirror 15. Azalia Snail Avec Amour True Classical 16. Sadies In Concert Volume 1 Yep Roc 17. Heartless Bastards All This Time Fat Possum 18. M. Ward Post War Merge 19. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Etiquette Tom Lab 20. Dan Melchior Firebreathing Clones on Cellular Phones Plastic 21. Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies Merge 22. Eagles of Death Metal Death by Sexy 23. Espers II Drag City 24. Function The Secret Miracle Fountain Locust 25. The Nightingales Out of True Iron Man
My Trusted MOGs
is this top 10 in order?
i love the califone and sonic youth.
My Trusted MOGs
It is sort of in order, though there are a lot of places where there's not that much difference in how I feel about a whole bunch of records.
I love the Kelley Stoltz unreasonably. The next five I like almost exactly the same, very much but not as much as Kelley...then there's another tier that goes all the way down to the Sadies' Live album that I like unreservedly, but not as much as the first six. The remainder are records that I liked a lot, but maybe not all the songs or I had reservations about certain things.
I really try to shut out everything I know about what other people like when I do this. I'm not saying these records are or should be the most popular this year or that most people should listen to them. They're just the ones I liked the best...and I probably listened to 200-300 this year seriously enough to review or do an interview, so it's a good sampling if not absolutely complete.
My Trusted MOGs
thank you!
My Trusted MOGs
if ONLY the Strokes could release 10 albums every year... . .
My Trusted MOGs
if ONLY the Strokes could release 10 albums every year... . .
My Trusted MOGs
Solid list, Jen. Several artists in common with my own, which I really ought to revise soon.
My Trusted MOGs
Kaleb, crap, you're going to have to make do with that Albert Hammond, Jr. album ...
My Trusted MOGs
"rather ripped" blew me away too... a pleasant surprise indeed... your taste continues to intimidate...
My Trusted MOGs
I despise year end lists, but every other music fan I know seems perturbed that I'm not actively ranking my faves at this moment. However, I do think that Parts & Labor deserve all the love they can get.
Any thoughts on best live shows this year? Art Brut, Love Is All, M. Ward and Yo La Tengo are all on my list, but I've got four tough contenders coming up next week.
My Trusted MOGs
Oh, a clarification - I despise making best of year lists, not others' lists.
And Isis's latest - In The Absence of Truth would go nicely with Bardo Pond.
My Trusted MOGs
I haven't seen that many shows this year -- I had this deal where my husband was working nights and I couldn't go unless I brought my son or got a babysitter. OK, but given that, I'd say that Major Stars/Tom Carter was the best show I saw all year, followed by Man Man (twice), Be Your Own Pet, Stereolab/Espers and Six Organs of Admittance...oh, and the Brah showcase was right up there, too, even given the CMJ constraints of six bands, half an hour each.
I don't think I've seen Sonic Youth this year (though I saw Thurston solo)...no wonder it's an off year.
Isis...I'm sure I'd like that. I was also considering blowing off the Mooney Suzuki for Neurot's showcase, but my ears were already hurting by then and I thought it might be tempting fate.
Anyway, Jack, you're probably just tired of my list, what is this, the fourth or fifth time you've seen it?
My Trusted MOGs
Great list ... some of my favorites from this year, as well as some new ones I need to check out. I'm so happy to see Kelley Stoltz at number one. He is just brilliant, and that record is phenomenal. Plus, he's also a really nice guy. I'll be posting an interview with Kelley shortly.