#10: Plans by Death Cab For Cutie
Anyone who wasn't familiar with Death Cab a few years ago became very aware when the television show The OC first hit the airwaves. The smash TV hit turned the band from a cult favorite into a mainstream phenomenon. While I bought both Plans and Transatlanticism this year, only Plans made the cut. What really propelled the disc forward was the addition of Directions, the long-form video which took each song on the disc and put a different director and video together with the song. A truly intriguing and incredibly unique combination made this disc into a favorite. Tracks like What Sarah Said and I Will Follow You Into The Dark became two of the top offerings from the disc. Overall, it was a disc that truly was a great combination effect that made for a great disc.
#9: A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds To Mars
A disc that certainly qualifies as one 2006's pleasant surprises, A Beautiful Lie was actually released in 2005. The Kill became one of '06's great alternative singles. However, this band and this disc is hardly a one-hit wonder. In fact, the new single, From Yesterday (And the 13-minute video that goes with it) is certainly another one of the disc's highlights. With infectious lyrics and some solid musical stylings, it was very easy to put 30 Seconds To Mars on this list.
#8: How To Save A Life by The Fray
A band that was seen on VH1 as a "You Oughta Know" feature, The Fray became the piano-driven hitmakers of the year. Their singles, Over My Head (Cable Car) and the title track, How To Save A Life, spoke volumes to masses of people and propelled sales of the disc and popularity of the band. However, as with all of the discs on this list, this is not a band that just has radio hits. Every track on this disc, from She Is to All At Once to Vienna, the band created a sound that touched the hearts of the people and lyrics that inspired. Truly one of the most inspiring releases of the year.
#7: All The Hits So Far...But Don't Expect Too Much by Bradley Hathaway
Embracing the "slam poetry" style, Bradley Hathaway is easily the least known name on the list. With a cult-like following, Hathaway has travelled nationwide on the Christian circuit, doing his poetry everywhere from coffeehouses to festivals. He brings with him an attitude you would not expect from a man of his stature. But, as he says, he doesn't want his "stick-figure frame" to mislead you...he is a Manly Man. This book/CD combo provides the poetry, his renditions and the background behind the poems. Poems like Manly Man and The Annoying Hardcore Dude Who Goes Too Far use a little humor to get a point across, while others like Silence and The Hug Poem take a more serious approach, touching on issues that many people face today. This was definitely a unique addition to the list, but a well-deserved one.
#6: Phantoms by Acceptance
Acceptance put together one of the catchiest discs on this list. While the music is typically rock/pop, the vocals and the lyrics especially made this disc a great offering. Tracks like Different and So Contagious offer listeners some great lyrics that really hit home. And that seems to be the mantra of this disc: Lyrics that make the song what it is. And that, at least in this case, is a welcome addition to the list.
#5: Backbreakanomics by Mars Ill
Before Mars Ill had to deal with a delay of over a year for the release of Pro*Pain (Which appeared on 2005's Top 25 Albums list and will also appear on this year's list thanks to the "official" release), they were making solid music to get to that point. Backbreakanomics is the previous release from Dust and manCHILD. And, not surprisingly, it is an impressive offering. Breathe Slow and Enterchange are just two of the incredible hip hop tracks on this disc. Backbreakanomics is simply more proof of the hip hop talent that is known as Mars Ill.
#4: Mockingbird by Derek Webb
Webb is truly one of the best songwriters in the music industry today. And on Mockingbird, he proved it. But, stepping away from the musical aspects (Which are great), what really makes this one of the best discs on this list is the man himself. Webb chose to offer this disc a free download online for a few months in 2006. Not just one or two songs, but the entire disc. He felt it more important to get his music out to the masses than to make money off of it. This is a rare occurence in the music industry today for any band that is actually signed to a label. And it truly deserved to be recognized. In some small and simple way, this is a way to recognize a talented and generous artist.
#10-#4
#3-#1