| Best Music Of 2006 |
| So basically, I'm sick of music. Not entirely, but at this point, indie rock bores me, and nearly all music that gets positive reviews in any mainstream publication (or indie rock website or blog) is uninteresting to me. So most of the music I'm interested in right now happens to be electronic, and a lot of it is by people I happen to be friends with (friend-rock!)... so with those biases out of the way, here's what I liked this year: #1. His Name Is Alive: Detrola: Silver Mountain Media I knew this would be my favorite album of 2006 last year, when I heard most of these songs on various limited releases/MP3s. Now that they've been released on a full-length with major label distribution, and the band has been touring more, more people are getting to hear their stuff, and I'm really excited, because as much as I love everything this band does, this really is their best album in 10 years. The songwriting and production is still completely top-notch and they remain as eclectic as ever, yet this album feels more focused than their last few, which makes it easier to recommend to newbies. I can't recommend this album enough!!! #2. Sally Shapiro: Disco Romance: Diskokaine Italo-disco lives, in Sweden! One of my longtime Internet buddies produced this, but that's not why I'm ranking this so high. I'm doing so because "I'll Be By Your Side" is one of my favorite songs in a long time, and the rest of the album is just as fantastic. #3. Girl Talk: Night Ripper: Illegal Art / Bone Hard Zaggin' 7": 333 Recordings While a few of the crazy laptop guys I've seen in someone's basement have managed to see some hype online, I'm pretty sure Gregg Gillis is the only one who's ended up headlining sold out shows and doing remixes for Beck and, um, Good Charlotte. Of course, an artist who samples nothing but easily recognizable pop songs might be a bit more accessible than, say, Dev/Null. To me, however, his music has the same sort of ADD headrush effect, and somehow alters my perceptions of how pop music sounds. Unlike his other two albums, this one has the continuous flow of his live show, and while both are great, I actually prefer the 7", and that approach on making 3 minute pop songs out of countless snippets of other ones. Either way, I'll probably enjoy this guy's stuff long after most of the songs he samples have been forgotten. #4. Captain Ahab: After The Rain My Heart Still Dreams: Death Bomb Arc As if the cover art didn't give it away, this is the most ridiculous album ever made; you've been warned. I've been kicking myself all year for being somewhere else in New Brunswick the night they played Machine's basement. #5. Burial: Burial: Hyperdub I didn't get into this album at first, because I was expecting it to be the definitive dubstep record, or something, and it's not. It goes far beyond that, or any other genre. Probably the best album to listen to on headphones walking through a cold, dark city at night. #6. Justice: Waters Of Nazareth EP: Vice/Ed Banger I know, I'm cheating with this one, since it's a re-release of a 12" from last year with some remixes tacked on. But hearing this French duo's insanely distorted, glitched-out house was certainly one of the highlights of the year for me, and I'll be absolutely heartbroken if they don't follow this up with a full-length that's ten times better. #7. Cardopusher: Hippie Killers Don't Mind Jah Conversations: Peace Off Full-length debut from a Venezuelan newcomer who likes to sample crappy mid-'90s alt-rock even more than Girl Talk does. #8. Toecutter: Toecutter: System Corrupt 2nd CD from some loony from Australia. You should be ashamed of breakcore! #9. Squarepusher: Hello Everything: Warp Unexpected comeback of the year. After years of mostly half-assed wankery, Tom Jenkinson actually makes MUSIC again. Please tell me Aphex and Mike P will release albums this good again... #10. Drop The Lime: We Never Sleep / Shot Shot Hearts EP: Tigerbeat6 Luca started the year off with an EP that ended up containing his last few breakcore-ish tracks, before completely moving on to a sound which contains elements of grime, techno, B-more house, and countless other genres, but really can't be described as anything else other than his own sound. It's all completely amazing, of course, and pretty much every other week I find out about a new 12" or remix or something that he's putting out (like the CD EP coming out on Broklyn Beats that will probably be out by the time you read this). #11. Rotator: Redux 12": Peace Off Another "kinda cheating" entry, as two of the tracks on here were released on a 7" 5 years ago. They're two of the best breakcore tracks ever, and the newer stuff is ridiculously great as well. I just hope there's a full length coming out soon... #12. Arthur Russell: Springfield: Audika Even more cheating, since this should probably be an "archival release" or something since it's all unreleased stuff from the '80s (save the DFA remix), but it's my list, I'll put whatever I want on it. Anyway, this is completely incredible dubby leftfield disco that I just can't get enough of. #13. About: Bongo: Cock Rock Disco Killer glitched-out laptop rock, several years in the making. Maybe if more indie-rock sounded like this I wouldn't be so bored of it! #14. Mathhead: The Most Lethal Dance: Reduced Phat The sort of mashed up breakcore Drop The Lime used to do, with a healthy dose of the grimy sound that the both of them DJ and produce as part of Trouble & Bass. Includes one of the best Aaron Spectre remixes ever. #15. NOMO: New Tones: Ubiquity Excellent sophomore album from Michigan's post-Afrobeat orchestra. A definite step up from their debut, with tighter arrangements and better sounding production. You still need to see them live, though, of course. #16. Charalambides: A Vintage Burden: Kranky Gorgeous album from the long-running psych-folk group that I never really was able to get into before. #17. Ceephax Acid Crew: Hardcore Esplanade 12": Bug Klinik Up until I heard Hello Everything, I'd been saying "Squarepusher's brother is officially better than him", but now I guess they're even. Still, Ceephax is incredibly underrated, and this 12" is super-fun 8-bit acid breakcore. #18. Drumcorps: Grist: Ad Noiseam/Cock Rock Disco Aaron Spectre's grindcore/breakcore project. Must be witnessed live to believe, but this album is also fantastic. #19. Genghis Tron: Dead Mountain Mouth: Crucial Blast Incredibly complex spazzy grindcore with synths and breakbeats and stuff. Also incredible live. #20. Wolves In the Throne Room: Diadem Of 12 Stars: Vendlus What do I know about doom/black metal? Absolutely nothing, that's what. That doesn't stop me from completely enjoying this album. Dark and brutal, yet somehow lovely, in some odd sort of way. Honorable Mention: The Field: Sun & Ice EP: Kompakt SebastiAn: Ross Ross Ross EP: Ed Banger Mr. Oizo: Nazis 12": F Communications Slepcy: We Are The Newest Battle Models: Cock Rock Disco Next Life: Electric Violence: Cock Rock Disco Mad EP: Not Afraid Of Spiders: Hymen Casiotone For The Painfully Alone: Etiquette: Tomlab Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit: Matador Johnny Boy: Johhny Boy: Wild Kingdom (this got old pretty fast...) Dan Deacon: Acorn Master: Psych-O-Path Lady Sovereign: Public Warning: Def Jam Bong-Ra: Stereohype Heroin Hooker: Ad Noiseam Enduser: Form Without Function: Hymen Enduser: Pushing Back: Ad Noiseam Maladroit: JUNGL: self-released (2005?) Maladroit: Evil Pink: self-released Maladroit/Capslock/Bit Shifter: Maladroit Shares Capslock With Bit Shifter: Ketacore Hypnoskull: Panik Mekanik: Ant-Zen Rokhausen: demo cd-r: self-released Drop The Lime & Mathhead: Trouble & Bass 12": AD AAD AT Pinch: Punisher 12": Planet Mu Venetian Snares: Hospitality: Planet Mu Venetian Snares: Cavalcade Of Glee And Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms: Planet Mu Various: The World Is Gone: XL Skream: Skream!: Tempa Junior Boys: So This Is Goodbye: Domino DJ Floorclearer: Roger's Massive Armpits 12": Death$ucker Uffie: Pop The Glock/Ready To Uff 12": Ed Banger DJ Mehdi: Lucky Boy: Ed Banger Kavinsky: Teddy Boy: Record Makers Zea: Insert Parallel Universe: Transformed Dreams Bonde Do Role: Melo Do Tabaco 12": Mad Decent General Malice: Final Takeover: N2O Boxcutter: Oneiric: Planet Mu Booka Shade: Movements: Get Physical Bit Shifter: Information Chase: 8bitpeoples Love Is All: Nine Times That Same Song: What's Your Rupture Zombi: Surface To Air: Relapse Country Teasers: The Empire Strikes Back: In The Red Terminal 11: Additions To Arsenal/Live In Slovenia: Phthalo Tim Exile: Tim Exile's Nuisance Gabbaret Lounge: Planet Mu Hunchback: Ugly On The Outside: Freedom School Wisp: Building Dragons 12": Terminal Dusk Wisp: Honor Beats: Sublight Mouse On Mars: Varcharz: Ipecac Parson: Tractor Pull: self-released James Kochalka Superstar: Spread Your Evil Wings And Fly: Rykodisc Stereolab: Fab Four Suture: Too Pure Storsveit Nix Noltes: Orkideur Hawai: Bubblecore Bizzy B: Science EP Vol. V: Planet Mu Bizzy B: Science EP Vol. VI: Planet Mu Loscil: Plume: Kranky Chihei Hatakeyama: Minima Moralia: Kranky Tim Hecker: Harmony In Ultraviolet: Kranky Keith Fullerton Whitman: Lisbon: Kranky The Advantage: Elf Titled: 5RC Archival Releases/Reissues/Comps/Etc.: Saturday Looks Good To Me: Sound On Sound: Redder v/a: Not Alone: Durtro Jnana Isolee: Western Store: Playhouse Razor X Productions: Killing Sound: Rephlex Coil: Musick To Play In The Dark 1 and 2 reissues: Chalice Daniel Johnston: Welcome To My World: Eternal Yip Eye Daniel Johnston: Yip/Jump Music reissue: Eternal Yip Eye v/a: 7" Up!: Crippled Dick Hot Wax Tortoise: A Lazarus Taxon: Thrill Jockey Jesus + Mary Chain: Psychocandy reissue: Rhino John Cale: Paris 1919 reissue: Reprise R.E.M.: And I Feel Fine: Capitol Broadcast: Future Crayon: Warp Tujiko Noriko: Shojo Toshi+: Editions Mego Wire: reissues: Pink Flag v/a: Check The Water: Leaf Les Trolls: Culture De L'Incoherence: Broklyn Beats v/a: Sacred Symbols Of Mu: Planet Mu v/a: Tectonic Plates: Tectonic v/a: New York Noise 2 and 3: Soul Jazz ESG: Come Away With ESG reissue: Soul Jazz v/a: Rio Baile Funk: More Favela Booty Beats: Essay v/a: White Cock 1-4: Cock Rock Disco |