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Best Some Really Good Music From 2006
By Ned | December 20, 2006
(In alphabetical order, because that’s better than no particular order)
The Black Keys, “Magic Potion”
The formula is pretty simple here; there’s nothing really profound about the lyrics, and there’s no real technical wizardry going on in the background. In fact, the only thing even remotely innovative about the Black Keys is how simple they keep it. One guitarist, one drummer, and some really good, dirty blues.
The Decemberists, “The Crane Wife”
When I finished listening through this album for the first time, my first thought was, “Who the hell are you and what have you done with The Decemberists?” It sounded like they had completely abandoned everything that made them unique and interesting for a new, incredibly dull prog-rock frontier.
It took a good couple of months before the album really warmed up to me. The Decemberists really embarked into some unfamiliar territory here, but the core of their music - the whimsy, the literary references, the occasional burst of epic grandeur - they’re all intact. It was like listening to The Decemberists for the first time all over again - it takes a while to get used to, but it’s some really damn good stuff.
Flogging Molly, “Whiskey on a Sunday”
The other really good Irish punk band out there (besides the Dropkick Murphys) goes a little less punk and does some acoustic versions of some of their classic songs. Does it work? Hell yes. What in lesser hands could smack like a tired retread of old material instead sounds so good that I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the best album they’ve put out.
Greg Graffin, “Cold as the Clay”
Is there anything Greg Graffin can’t do? Seriously. The frontman of Bad Religion, one of the greatest punk bands of all time, and one of the few surviving punk bands that doesn’t suck, tries his hand at some folk music. While that sounds counter-intuitive, it works, maybe because Graffin manages to find the common ground between folk and punk - they both have their roots in the same kind of disgust with the established order and glorification of the little guy. Worth buying for the first track alone.
The Hold Steady, “Boys and Girls in America”
Not just my vote for greatest album of the year, but also one of my favorite albums of all time. These guys are absolutely incredible.
Mastodon, “Blood Mountain”
The eagerly anticipated follow-up to Mastodon’s last concept album about Moby Dick, this one is a concept album about climbing up a mountain. And something to do with some kind of sasquatch/cyclops hybrid that can see into the future. Or something. That’s all kind of beside the point, though. The point is that this album rocks, hard.
MC Lars, “The Graduate”
There’s something really appealing about the idea that some geeky smartass with a laptop can make his own one-man band. As it turns out, the result is pretty damn good, too. MC Lars has a great sense of humor, and he does a great job of skewering crunk, emo and Hot Topic in his search for sincerity and originality in today’s soulless music market. The fact that this album even exists is at least a good sign.
Mogwai, “Mr. Beast”
Instrumental bands generally annoy me. As somebody who plays guitar myself, I have a huge amount of respect for those who have truly mastered the instrument, but too often instrumental bands, or even just very instrumentally-based bands like The Mars Volta and Dream Theater strike me as being essentially soulless musical masturbation.
Mogwai’s not like that at all. The guys in this band are all clearly technically skilled, but they don’t seem to have the need to show off how awesome they are. None of the tracks on this album have that irritating “hey, check this out guys,” quality to instrumentals that pisses me off so much. Instead, they have actual, you know, soul.
Mr. Lif, “Mo’Mega”
Hard, uncompromising hip hop. Mr. Lif has a sharp eye for hypocrisy, and his political rants are some of the best in hip hop today. The lyrics, especially on “Brothaz” and “Collapse” deserve some really close attention, and songs like “Murs Iz My Manager” show off Lif’s sharp sense of satire.
Oh No, “Exodus into Unheard Rhythms”
Creating an entire album by sampling from only one artist sounds like an interesting idea in concept, but does it actually work? If you go by the name Oh No, then the answer is an extremely emphatic “yes.”
The Sword, “Age of Winters”
What? Another metal album? I’m as surprised as you are. But these guys are a throwback to classic metal, Black Sabbath-style. These guys just really appeal to the massive Dungeons and Dragons-playing nerd inside of me. The song “Winter’s Wolves” in particular makes me want to break out the twenty-sided die and start scoring critical hits.
The Thermals, “The Body, the Blood, the Machine”
Another band besides Bad Religion out there trying to prove that punk isn’t dead. That alone makes them really noteworthy - punk as a genre is more necessary than ever in today’s political climate, but more than any other genre it’s been pummeled into oblivion by the record labels. The point is, I’d really like to see these guys win in a fight against Green Day. That would be really intensely satisfying.
Anything I’m missing here?
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