34. Pat Green, Cannonball
Somewhere between country and rock — country-rock? — Pat Green’s latest burst onto the scene with its combination of slick production and guitars that refuse to quit. “Feels Like It Should” anchors an album that is chock full of tracks that swing with an audacious swagger.
33. Roseanne Cash, Black Cadillac
One of the best albums of her storied career, Roseanne Cash deals with the deaths of her father — Johnny Cash — and stepmother — June Carter Cash — by exploring her faith and her relationship with those who have already passed. This is a dark ride, but it’s not a frightening one because Cash’s melodies are more than sufficiently engaging.
32. Ray Davies, Other People’s Lives
I’m a bit surprised that this disc ended up this low on the list because I spent much of the first half of 2006 listening to it. Perhaps its position is oddly symbolic of Davies’ career. Never appreciated as much as the frontmen of some of the 1960s iconic bands were, Davies’ makes the listener work a bit, but the ultimate payoff is immense.
31. Goldfrapp, Supernature
At some point, music fans are going to realize that great dance records are not necessarily creations of a talented producer. The incredibly talented Alison Goldfrapp’s third album is one that you should buy and then play for as many people as you can. You’ll find that people will gravitate to this album even though they might not know who Goldfrapp is. The only downside to this disc is that you’re likely to hear the tracks show up in commercials and movies for the next five years, which might dampen some of your enthusiasm for them.
30. CSS, Cansei de Ser Sexy
One of the best dance albums of the year, Cansei de Ser Sexy is the brainchild of a cheeky Brazilian sextet whose sole purpose appears to be to get everyone in the world on the dance floor. Their music cannot be defined easily — it combines elements from so many different styles and merges them into a melange that leans heavily on the style and allows what substance there is to occur organically.
29. Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
It is difficult to live up to overwhelming hype, and yet, Arctic Monkeys managed to do so on their Domino debut. This band knows how to write songs that make you want to move your feet and the disc exudes indie cool, even though they’ve hit the big time on this disc. The album is both literate and witty and this is one hell of an auspicious debut. Don’t buy into the hipster backlash; the haters wish they could be as good as these guys are.
28. Cold War Kids, robbers & cowards
An indie band with a healthy dose of rootsy soul, Cold War Kids’ major-label debut surfs a wave of bravura musicianship and powerful-but-not-self-important singing from frontman Nathan Willett. Powerful drumming propels many of the tracks and you’ll find yourself moving your feet. This band will be huge and in a few years, the catalog sales of this album will be through the roof.
27. Amusement Parks on Fire, Out of the Angeles
The group’s self-titled 2005 debut was one of my favorite album of last year, and this disc, which flew under the radar of many of the most astute tastemakers — likely because it was never released in North America — continues in that vein, providing the listener with more loud, fuzz-drenched guitar rock that cannot easily be categorized. So long as you can deal with that fact, you’ll find much to enjoy on this underappreciated sophomore set.
26. Cadillac Jones, The Big Takedown
This jazz funk soundtrack to a never-made film (believe that story if you truly want to) is a welcome surprise. Fans of 1970s blaxploitation soundtracks should snap this disc up post haste. The swagger is palpable, and though it’s more than a bit derivative at times — I’m looking at you “Narq” — it’s also the grooviest disc of the year.
25. Beirut, The Gulag Orkestar
Between this album and the Lon Gisland EP, Beirut makes a compelling argument for being the most exciting group in the currently hot-in-Brooklyn gypsy folk rock movement. Many will argue that the sound is an acquired taste — it is likely not going to be embraced by top-40 radio anytime this century — but few will debate the quality of the musicianship. Perhaps the most amazing part of this disc is the fact that it’s essentially the work of one person, 19–year-old Zach Condon. who is joined by Jeremy Barnes. If you have family from Eastern Europe over, pop in this disc and watch their eyes light up. They don’t have to know that you’re the hippest cat on the block.
24. Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor
It’s hard to live up to the hype and this writer would have been shocked if Food & Liquor lived up to the hype, simply because it was so deafening. That is not to say that this is a bad disc — far from it. It is a great hip-hop disc, an impressive debut that is deep without being overwhelming. The disc suffers slightly because the artist is so easygoing. While nobody is arguing that Lupe Fiasco needs to be a thug, the disc lacks both a monster hit and the equally-sized attitude that would propel it into the top 10.
23. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll
They may end up being a one-hit wonder, but Art Brut’s debut is exhilarating as any album released in 2006. The group focuses on the banalities of day-to-day life in much the same way that The Streets’ Mike Skinner does. By spinning the ordinary into a series of memorably funny events, the group manages to make people forget — if only for the duration of a given song — that there isn’t much there there. It’s geeky, it’s ironic, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
22. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat
Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis makes a splash on her solo debut with a country-tinged pop album that begs to be played over and over and over again. Lewis understands how to craft a song and her voice often veers over to the realm of haunting. Whether singing original material or covering the work of others — as she does on Rabbit Fur Coat with her take on the Traveling Wilbury’s “Handle With Care — Lewis is a compelling crooner who deserves to be entirely more popular than she already is.
21. Roddy Woomble, My Secret Is My Silence
Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble’s solo debut is nothing short of stunning. Though less hyped than Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s solo debut, this disc is stronger than The Eraser because the vision feels more complete. Woomble is a terrific songwriter and, though I will never encourage him to quit his day job since Idlewild is one of my favorite bands, if Woomble ever decides to ditch the band and go it alone, he will be regarded as one of the best in his field.
20. Bernard Fanning, Tea & Sympathy
If you weren’t familiar with Roddy Woomble, you likely won’t recognize Bernard Fanning’s name. Fanning is the frontman for Australian rock legends Powderfinger — a band whose sales total in the millions Down Under but who haven’t made a tremendous impact in North America — and his solo debut is magnificent, chock full of lyrics that ache with beauty. The disc does not rock as hard as Powderfinger does; a fact that serves to highlight Fanning’s immense talent even more. He manages well even without Powderfinger’s wall of sound.
19. Various Artists, What It Is: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves
Though reissues and compilations are usually verboten on this list, I’ll make an exception for this exceptional four-disc set of tracks from well-known artists like Earth, Wind & Fire and Wilson Pickett, and lesser known acts like Macondo and United. The unifying theme here is a collection of songs rich in magnificent beats. Expect some of the more savvy producers to grab this collection and sample beats from the majority of the tracks. This is an incredible collection that provides a wonderful education for those whose knowledge of funky soul music is limited.
18. The Beatles, Love
Call it a Beatles album for a new millennium. This project, conceived and created by former Beatles producer George Martin and son Giles Martin is more than just a situation where a knob twirler breaks up parts of songs and pastes them back together in various mixes. Love is a visionary deconstruction and rearrangement of the tracks that not only works as a soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil production, but also as stand alone piece that reinforces the genius of The Beatles’ deep catalog (as if anyone needed that.)
17. Bob Dylan, Modern TImes
When music historians write the definitive book on the career of Robert Allen Zimmerman, they will be forced to address the late-career renaissance that produced a body of work as relevant, important, and impressive as anything he did as a young man. While the newer discs — Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times –– have not produced the hit singles that his earlier efforts did, they will still be regarded among his best works –– angry, sharp, often-political, and profound. Modern Times is one of several indictments of the Bush administration released in 2006 and it proves that age has not snuffed Dylan’s fire.
16. Booka Shade, Movements
Acclaimed producers who find success working with the material of others and who then produce their own original compositions tend to layer too much sound onto their original works; the electronic beeps serve as a security blanket and are often there because they can be. The artists who restrain themselves find the most success. Accordingly, it is not surprising that Movements is such an accomplished record. Producers Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier realized that tracks like “Darko” and “Take A Ride” made strong statements thanks to their strong melodies and velvety beats. Not just for dance fans, Movements is a disc that belongs in the library of any fan of great music.
15. Editors, The Back Room
An album that survived both the pre-release hype and the inevitable post-release hipster backlash, Editors’ The Back Room deserves credit simply for being a survivor. But why stop there with the accolades? This is a magical disc that embraces the listener and is propelled by tracks like “Blood,” “Fall,” and the hit single “Munich.” Far from a one-hit wonder, The Back Room will likely be looked back upon as harbinger of things to come from a band with a long career ahead of it.
14. David Ford, I Sincerely Apologize For All the Trouble I’ve Caused
Ballsier and deeper than James Blunt’s Back to Bedlam (to which I’ve seen this disc compared more than a few times), Ford’s first disc since splitting from Easyword, I Sincerely Apologize For All the Trouble I’ve Caused is often heartbreaking in its beauty. Ford lays himself bare on tracks like the eight-minute-plus “Laughing Aloud” and “Katie.” The inspired songwriting is supported by tempered melodies on a disc for which David Ford has nothing to apologize.
13. Tapes ‘n Tapes, The Loon
Inspired lunacy. If you’re looking for a two-word description for this band, that’s as good a quick explanation as any. But it’s a subtle madness, one that is hidden by creamy melodies and which manifests itself in the same jangly way that Pavement rode to indie rock stardom. Though the songs, taken individually, are shallow, undemanding affairs, when arranged with other tracks of the same ilk, they congeal to form a tasty musical stew that makes a strong argument that it’s more important to sound good than it is to be profound. Who am I to argue?
12. The Zutons, Tired of Hanging Around
More polished than the raggedly brilliant Who Killed the Zutons?, the group’s sophomore set, Tired of Hanging Around, is an energetic, blues-rock blast whose songs manage to be both dark and utterly charming. The tracks are marked by frontman David McCabe’s rapier wit. You’ll want to dance around the room when you listen to this disc, but you’ll be better served if you lower the top on the convertible, hit the open road, and turn up the volume as loud as it will go.
11. Elan, Together As One
Executive producer Tony Kanal worked with reggae legends Sly & Robbie, Fatis, Steve “Lenky” Marsden, Tony Kelly, and Cutty Ranks on this impressive debut that mixes spirituality and social consciousness with accessible reggae beats, Elan’s Together As One should be required listening for all frat boys who think that the genre started and ended with Bob Marley. Elan honed his chops while he performed as the Wailers’ frontman from 1997 to 1999 and this release is true to its roots and does not forsake its roots in the hopes of making a quick buck.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the record. Take it easy, gary (from Cjones)
Posted by: Gary Kurz | April 13, 2007 at 08:37 AM