Another year, another 30,000-40,000 CDs that I heard only a fraction of (though, most all those that rose to the critical/social/populist surface). Some observations:

The THERMALS and DEERHOOF are still ridiculously over-hyped by ignoramuses. Neither made my list. Not even close. There was too little innovation and too much THE STREETS and THE FLAMING LIPS lacked the panache and depth I might have otherwise expected from them.

The music scene grew ever more democratic, resulting in more good music but less cohesive full albums (remember those?).Maybe A&R people do serve an important role in the process of album making. Pretentious hipsters continued to act too cool for “last year’s cool thing”, missing great music in the process. Think: SNOW PATROL.

Masterpieces? Perhaps. Maybe not. However, the following gems rose to the top of the heap in a largely unremarkable year in music, album-wise.

The list…

1. REGINA SPEKTOR - Begin to Hope.

Russian immigrant makes great in NYC. If not quite a masterpiece, it may very well be her masterwork. Ms. Spektor crafted no less than ten great songs and there’s not a weak song on this baker’s dozen. This would have made Irving Berlin proud and kept me feeling all sorts of human. Her 2006 version of  “Samson” is as sweet a song as has ever been recorded.

2. FAITHLESS – To All New Arrivals
(Import. US release plans unclear, if at all))


Someday this London trio will be recognized as one of western music’s greatest contributions. They outsell MASSIVE ATTACK for good reason. Despite an uneven, poorly arranged disc that’s hardly their best effort, Sister Bliss, Rollo (Dido’s brother) and Maxxi Jazz create music that’s leaps and bounds ahead of most others.  The best here is some of the most poignant, heartfelt and politically astute downtempo and dance music on the planet. Sadly, mean-spirited assholes (“critics”) often knock them for giving a fuck. Guess it’s cooler to flip fans off than to ask us to ponder the wonder of a toddler’s world, the ridiculousness and beauty of our world, or the death of a cherished one, as is done here. CAT POWER, DIDO and others are featured on an album that launches with “If I don’t get out of this, I just want you to know that I really, really love you”.

3. THE  ALBUM LEAF - Into the Blue Again


Magical, beautiful, under-appreciated and enthralling. A profound understanding of musicality and in some ways this year’s best album. San Diego’s ALBUM LEAF (aka Jimmy LaValle) offers more electronic pop songs and compositions that encompass the best of the 70’s synth revival and a sophisticated yet gloriously harmonious world so familiar to ENO, LENNON-McCARTNEY, the mellower side of APHEX TWIN, MARUMARI, LAURIER ANDERSON, MOZART and co-conspirators, SIGUR ROS. Great lyrics, too. Will he ever live down his HUMMER commercial sellout, though? I hope not. HUMMERs suck.

4. THE KNIFE - Silent Shout

OK, parts of this may well be pretentious and recycled but if you do it this well and with the same breathe of freshness as Thomas Dolby did 20 years ago, the result is incredibly interesting and satisfying music. Ugh!: several tracks work much better as remixes by others. Had this Swedish duo spent more time collaborating with these same folks in-studio, they might have assembled the year’s best. Still…dark, deep and fairly fascinating if you open up and really listen to this electronic pop.

5. THOM YORKE - The Eraser


Sure, if RADIOHEAD’s lead man had done it right, his would have been the top effort of the year. Of course, as The Manchester Guardian sums up perfectly: “Eraser never really kicks into gear and sounds almost exactly as one might expect, but it’s still pretty great stuff.” And, if you missed it, the lyrical work is as brilliant as ever, as exemplified by “Harrowdown Hill” (the location in Oxfordshire where Senior Weapons Inspector Dr. David Kelly’s body was found in 2003). Yorke called it "the most angry song I've ever written in my life”. Listen closely and be transfixed.

6. DRESDEN DOLLS - Yes, Virginia


Yes, they’re a goofy, silly, even absurd pair at times. Yes, they can be a bit overbearing. And, Yes, Virginia, I admit it: that’s half the fun. This is a great energy and sincerity-filled collection of rock/pop/folk/ vaudeville/whatever! ORIGINAL from start to finish. All modern cabaret should be this good. (Sadly, it almost universally sucks). From ballads about masturbating to mind-blowing romps over commercialism and “progress”, this is smarter than anything ARTIC MONKEYish or STROKES-inspired. Hrumph!
 
7. BT - This Binary Universe (tie)


Admittedly, Trance music’s matron of annoyance blew my mind with this collection of seven electronic/classical/jazz-laced symphonies, apparently inspired by parenthood (as was the case with the latest set from FAITHLESS. See #2). This is TANGERINE DREAM meets BRIAN ENO for a little West Coast electronic grandiosity that you, your mom and even your grandma could love…because it’s beautiful and harmonically delectable.

7. JOANNA NEWSOM - Ys (tie)

She’s the snooty, brainy annoying kid at the back of the room with the funny voice. And, she’s damn talented. Ys five (yes five) tracks of classical pop and early-American standards-influenced groundbreaking music all run 7-17 minutes in length and demand focused listening. Bursting with refreshing creativity and intellectualism. That sometimes-unbearable squeak should prove less of an issue as Ms. Newsom utilizes many different vocal stylings.  Ys was engineered by studio master Steve Albini, arranged by Van Dyke Parks and produced impeccably by Jim O’Rourke. The track “Sawdust and Diamonds” is an instant classic. Bravo.

8. PSAPP - The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Tie)


Whimsical and brilliant. Electronic without taking synth cues from the 1970s, 80s or 90s. Imagine an arty EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL playing up LAMB and HOLLY_GOLIGHTLY with a sunburst of Judy Collins brightness and Doris Day’s playfulness thrown in., too. The music bed is “Toytronica” –electronic music made with synths and founds objects such as toys. The result sounds like African-influenced, sophisticated, music box electronic music made by white people with BETTIE SERVEERT-like Scandinavian vocal butter scat sung and crooned over it all. It’s kid-happy music from London with much more depth than one might catch on first or second listen. Oh the ingenuity!

8. MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND - Bring On The Workhorse (tie)


This all sounds so familiar yet completely new, at the same time. Does this mean that MBD has a penchant for writing classics? If I describe MBD -AKA Shara Worden- as a bit of JOAN BAEZ, a little NINA SIMONE, a smattering of BILLIE HOLIDAY, DIDO, PORTISHEAD and SARAH MCLACHLAN, you still just need to listen for yourself. The arrangements are top-notch, the songwriting is fresh enough and Sharah knows exactly how to use violin, viola and cello to create epic pop/rock/contemporary modern music. No surprise she spent a year as one of SUFJAN STEVENS’ marauding bandmates.

9. NEKO CASE - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (tie)


I imagine this is sort of what Patsy Kline might have sounded like had she been born forty years later and experienced the intensities of Pacific Northwestern life. This is among the best of a spate of solid releases that fell under the “Americana” umbrella in 2006. It was the most original of that lot and it was blessed with the sweetest and most addictive voice. Oh, that voice, that melodic execution. With enough mystery and tension to satisfy the artist within and plenty of twang and history to satiate any Grand Ole’ Opry buff, this is great United Statesian songwriting from start to finish.

9. CAT POWER - The Greatest (tie)

Though hardly all that original, Chan Marshall (CAT POWER’s essence) deserves props for such a convincing effort that, like NEKO CASE’s Fox Confessor harkens back to a very different USA. Marshall captures 1940’s and 5o’s Memphis and convincingly and respectfully makes herself and her stylings a part of the scene. This is a collection that grows on you with every listen, even if it doesn’t clobber you at first. The Greatest illustrates that when she puts the substances down long enough and focuses, Chan Marshall can be a serious force in American Music. This is especially well illustrated on the title track, clearly more about Marshall than the remarkable talent surrounding her for these recordings.

10.The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America

Something about Minnesota - maybe the bitter cold, maybe the civility, hell, maybe the education system- results in music far grittier and more real and believable sound than one might otherwise expect. Yes, they call Brooklyn home now, but their music clearly is NOT rooted in that Borough. Trust me.  Lead singer Craig Finn’s SPRINGSTEEN-meets-SOUL ASYLUM-ish songs and delivery come with enough conviction and a similar level of songwriting skill to The Boss that this very solid set was the one that alit blue collar USA, Boomers and Jersey lovers everywhere, and deservedly so. When Finn sings “Lost in fog and love and faithless fear, I’ve had kisses that make Judas seem sincere” it hits you hard: this is distinctly Northern United Statesian rock.

If I only had more room:

Only 10 (ok, 13) can make my Top Ten. Had I more room, these titles might have been there, in this order:

SNOW PATROL - Eyes Open

Hipsters will roll eyes at praise of Northern Ireland’s SNOW PATROL as uncool (even though just two years ago these same jerkoffs were heaping praise on them). Fact is, Eyes Open was one of the most solid releases of the year and, perhaps the tightest, most well thought out pop rock set. Writing good pop nuggets isn’t easy. And the Martha Wainwright collaborated track “Set Fire to the Third Bar” is simply beautiful, “Cool”, or not.

BOB DYLAN - Modern Times

Dylan: what a clusterfuck. I must admit this CD grew on me. On the one hand, there’s no denying Dylan’s real talent and musical abilities, even if it’s often ill measured by knee-jerk critical adoration. On the other hand, his voice is, ummm, an acquired taste and much of this sounds like it should be credited to Leonard Cohen, a multitude of 1950’s
R & B and Rock ‘n’ Roll acts, or even a younger Dylan. Still, it is somewhat his, musically, and entirely his lyrically. He’s still got whatever it is he’s always had.

DAMIEN RICE - 9.

Similar to his previous effort, perhaps, but it gorgeously picks up where David Gray left off when that Welshman’s gut softened with stardom. Who cares that it’s all melancholy songs of love and longing?! The track “9 Crimes” (featuring fellow Irish vocalist Lisa Hannigan) floors.

KAKI KING - Until We Felt Red

Thanks to Autumn Pincus and Ryan Crump for introducing me to this guitar virtuoso who blends funk, pop, classical, flamenco, honky-tonk into a heavy electronica and ambient swirl that’s an impressively fluid collection, complete with the Atlantan’s sweet vocals. And the closing track “Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers” is a masterpiece.

JUNIOR BOYS - So This is Goodbye.

Nothing new here. The cheesy synth pads harken back to the mid 1980’s (why anybody’d really want to back to then, is beyond me, but…) and the vocals sound generically like they’re from the same period. However, these Brooklyn boys make it all feel fresh enough that it works. Good hooks, too. Can’t wait to here what they sound like when they grow up.

THE DECEMBERISTS - THE CRANE WIFE

It seems Decemberists leader Colin Meloy and his crew have as many detractors as fans. In interviews and lyrics, Meloy seems largely unaware of the tumultuous times in which he lives. His upper-crust approach to songwriting can come off as sheltered white-boy. That the writer of “When the War Came” -one of 2006’s best anthems-
seems oblivious to our current blood-filled reality is strange, considering he sings largely of crime, war and violence. Still, in a year short on good full albums, there’s no denying how solid Crane’s Wife is. The EMERSON LAKE & PALMER meets SPIRIT OF THE WEST style and solid, well-crafted, finely produced songs are a bit addictive and often bittersweet. PDX, OR’s best offering of the year, from what I heard.

I AM ROBOT AND PROUD - Electricity In Your House Wants To Sing

Toronto electronic composer Shaw-han Liem creates warm, melodic music that’s often stunning. It’s like APHEX TWIN without the dirtiness and aversion to major-key melodies. These beautiful pieces are like pop songs for a new millennium. If only commercial radio would wake up and pop music fans would grow their tastes…

And, some honourable mentions:

ADEM - Love and Other Planets Sweet

soothing and comforting post-rock songs from the former FRIDGE multi-instrumentalist.If Chris Martin put out an arty, eclectic, bouncy album complete with his trademark introspection and sweetness, it might sound something like this. Makes for a nice morning tea.

LULLATONE - Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous

Listen for more of this Japanese-American minimalist, melodic downtempo duo in ’07 (hopefully). Like their other music, this just-released dreamy, at times music-box-like collection is somehow all the more beautiful when one realizes it’s largely created on toy instruments and simple synths. Gorgeous, yet cute.

OF MONTRÉAL - Satanic Twins

This Georgia collective may not know how to finish an arrangement or produce their own material with even a hint of freshens, but those recruited to make this re-mix collection sure do. Building on the seeds that OF MONTRÉAL plant but never seem to water to maturity, this takes material that many of us find annoyingly immature and turns it into best remix CD of ’06. Seattle’s IQU re-do “Forecast Fascist Future” into something epic and amazing.

TV ON THE RADIO - Return to Cookie Mountain

Avant-garde rockers TVOTR are red-hot at their best. At their worst, they sound like David Bowie clones with a little 70’s Peter Gabriel eclecticism thrown in. No wonder Bowie, ever-the narcissist, loves them so. Still tracks like “Wolf Like Me”  and “I was a Lover” stood on their own legs enough to allow Cookie Mountainto stand out as intelligent and somewhat inventive.

GOO GOO DOLLS - Let Love In

They still do it well, perhaps better than anyone else in the USA. Simple, consistent, sincere bright pop-rock. Go Buffalo!
Beth Orton- perhaps the best “slapped together in a jiffy” major release of the year.

NELLIE McKAY - Pretty Little Head

How does one describe this New Yorker-with-deep-British-roots wellspring of talent? She does it all: Doris Day kitsch, Broadway musicals schlock, beautiful ballads, white girl rap/hip hop, pop, flamenco-laced jazz, standards with more than a little social commentary (one song takes Columbia University to task for their torturous animal experimentations. Some of it’s dorky, some of it’s cool and/or classy and some is over-the-top kitsch but, strangely, all TWENTY-THREE tracks are decent or much better.

THE ROOTS - Game Theory

The veteran vegetarian Hip Hoppers of Philly put out the strongest Hip Hop CD of ’06, stylistically. Packed with 13 tracks that incorporate R&B, acid jazz, soul, blues, funk, rap, rock and even a little electroclash, this arty, funky pop/hip hop is exemplifies how substance and style should mesh. This flows.

CALIFONE - Roots and Crowns

Not baby boomer folk music. Rather, a blend of eclectic acoustic softness, world-beat, the BEATLES White Album’s funkiness, BECK’s key influencers and some electronic “foundstuff”.  Oscillates between successful melodic experiments and American folk-pop niceness.
 

SPARKLEHORSE - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

2006’s award for best late 60’s BEATLES-esque album – though some of this has as much in common with the early melancholy of TOAD THE WET SPROCKET. Mark Linkouse continues to add shine to his SPARKLEHORSE.

Sweden to PDX to Arizona!
Those watch out for in ’07:

JENIFEREVER –With any luck, this Swedish band, a guitar-centered SIGUR RÓS of sorts, will see their Choose A Bright Morning CD released in The States. Check them out at: www.myspace.com/jeniferever

STARS OF TRACK AND FIELD –One of Portland, OR’s very most-talented acts sees widespread release of ‘06’s limited release Centuries before Love and War. This could be TEARS FOR FEARS/ GARFUNKEL influenced electronic/analog trio’s big year. Hear them at: www.myspace.com/starsoftrackandfield and check out their fabu website, too.

SURROUNDED BY NINJAS –Another PDX act to keep an eye on are the grossly under-appreciated duo that are SBN. As they bring greater cohesion soul, house and funk to their arty, classical and jazz influenced electronic meanderings and compositions, their next release might just be the one that puts them on the map and international dance floors. Listen here: http://www.surroundedbyninjas.com/listen.htm

MENOMENA –And X’s third PDX, OR  “pay attention!” goes to this “experimental” and often clowning-around trio. They’ll release their next album on Seattle’s Barsurk Records which should open up a much-deserved wider audience to their hyper-intelligent and original orchestral swoops that sound more influenced by FLOYD, DANNY ELFMAN and PETER MURPHY than anything silly. www.myspace.com/menomena

THE LYMBYC SYSTEM –from Phoenix, will release their debut CD on Mush records soon and it deserves your attention because early tracks I’ve heard are pretty gorgeous, mixing downtempo sweetness with an ARCADE FIRE-like understanding of grooves. Some of their music is posted at: www.myspace.com/thelymbycsystym