Top 100 Albums of 2006

Although 2006 may not have had the substantial amount of powerhouse classic albums that land years like 1967 or 1991 in the pop history books, it was still a good year for those who had ears, just like every other year. Something should be noted before you go on. In today's technologically advanced world, albums that are not yet available for sale in the U.S. can be easily attained and their initial overseas release date is even viewed as global, as seen by the placing of Lily Allen's Alright, Still on many critics' lists. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm not in a hurry to hear an album which I know is slated for a U.S. release. I still don't believe in downloading full albums because I am a sucker for liner notes and album art and all the other stuff that comes with the packaging. Also, something feels artifical and incomplete when I look at a CD labeled with my own handwriting in permanent marker. Moving back to the initial point, I go by whatever the American release date is, which is why you see such stars of last year like Art Brut and Saint Etienne on my 2006 list, and which is also why Lily Allen and K-Os may be on this list next year. The Pipettes are fine because they don't have an American release date that I'm yet aware of. On with the list, no?



1. Van Hunt-On The Jungle Floor
(Experimental soul, funk and rock remniscent of peak-era Prince.)



2. Herbert-Scale
(Goes from floor thumping house numbers to delicate electronic ballads. Never once do you question the direction and choices that Matthew Herbert makes.)



3. The Plastic Constellations-Crusades
(One of the best American rock bands that you've never heard of but should know ups the ante on their first record with French Kiss with more near perfect arrangments that cause you to sing along every time.)



4. Caroline-Murmurs
(A heartbreaking voice blended with warm electronic soundscapes. "Where Is My Love?" brings out the lonely 6th grader in me everytime.)



5. Tilly And The Wall-Bottoms Of Barrels
(Takes the best parts of Wild Like Children and expands on their sound while never losing the charm that has earned them their fanbase.)



6. Ghostface Killah-Fishscales
(Not a McCovey Cove home run, but a home run, nonetheless.)



7. Los Amigos Invisibles-Superpop Venezuela
(The Instant-Party album of the year.)



8. The Roots-Game Theory
(Excellent recovery from the merely decent Tipping Point, and with more studio wizardy and whiplash inducing beats.)



9. Joi-Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb
(A 2004 album that wasn't available for sale until 2006. It couldn't have come sooner. Joi doesn't shy away from her leftfield approach to R&B, but the songs detailing her break up with Big Gipp give the album unexpected depth.)



10. The Positions-Bliss!
(The sweetest indie pop album of the year.)

11. The Knife-Silent Shout
12. What Made Milwaukee Famous-Trying To Never Catch Up
13. Corinne Bailey Rae-Corinne Bailey Rae
14. Mates Of State-Bring It Back
15. Camera Obscura-Let's Get Out Of This Country
16. The Pipettes-We Are The Pipettes
17. T.I.-King
18. Goldfrapp-Supernature

19. Psalm One-Death Of Frequent Flyer
20. Cibelle-The Shine Of Dried Electric Leaves
21. Justin Timberlake-FutureSex/LoveSounds
22. Mosquitos-III
23. Kudu-Death Of The Party
24. Kelis-Kelis Was Here
25. Malajube-Trompe L'oeil
26. Muse-Black Holes And Revelations
27. Beck-The Information
28. Danielson-Ships
29. TV On The Radio-Return To Cookie Mountain
30. Magneta Lane-Daggers Out

31. Final Fantasy-He Poos Clouds
32. Ratatat-Classics
33. My Chemical Romance-The Black Parade
34. Saint Etienne-Tales From Turnpike House
35. The Divine Comedy-Victory For The Comic Muse
36. Yo La Tengo-I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
37. Scissor Sisters-Ta-Dah
38. High Contrast-Fabriclive 25
39. Robin Thicke-The Evolution Of Robin Thicke
40. Asobi Seksu-Citrus
41. Jenny Lewis-Rabbit Fur Coat
42. Belle & Sebastian-The Life Pursuit

43. Hello Stranger-Hello Stranger
44. Junior Boys-So This Is Goodbye
45. Caural-Mirror For Eyes
46. Arctic Monkeys-Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am
47. Neko Case-Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
48. The Gossip-Standing In The Way Of Control
49. Be Your Own Pet-Be Your Own Pet

50. Eliot Lipp-Tacoma Mockingbird
51. Cold War Kids-Robbers And Cowards
52. Clipse-Hell Hath No Fury
53. The Eames Era-Double Dutch
54. Ghostface Killah-More Fish
55. Pink Nasty-Mold The Gold
56. Nas-Hip Hop Is Dead
57. The Sounds-Dying To Say This To You
58. Girl Talk-Night Ripper
59. Nellie McKay-Pretty Little Head
60. Smoosh-Free To Stay

61. Elizabeth Harper-Elizabeth Harper
62. Mary J. Blige-The Breakthrough
63. Rodrigo y Gabriela-Rodrigo y Gabriela
64. Jolie Holland-Springtime Can Kill You
65. Apollo Nove-Res Inexplicata Volans
66. Heartless Bastards-All This Time
67. Joanna Newsom-Ys

68. Wax Tailor-Tales Of The Forgotten Melodies
69. Pit Er Pat-Pyramids
70. Diddy-Press Play
71. Soul Position-Things Go Better With RJ and AL
72. Bridge Club-The Scorched Capsule
73. Serena-Maneesh-Serena-Maneesh
74. Tartufi-Us Upon Buidings Upon Us
75. Rafter-10 Songs
76. The Quiet Ones-Nite You Surprised Me
77. Art Brut-Bang Bang Rock & Roll
78. Cursive-Happy Hollow
79. CSS-Cansei De Ser Sexy

80. Slavic Soul Party-Bigger
81. Destroyer-Destroyer's Rubies
82. P.O.S.-Audition
83. What Four-What Four
84. Mohair-Small Talk
85. Peaches-Impeach My Bush
86. Cat Power-The Greatest
87. Polyphonic The Verbose-Abstract Data Ark
88. Grandaddy-Just Like The Fambly Cat
89. The Grates-Gravity Won't Kill You
90. Modill-Midnight Green
91. Couch-Figur 5

92. The Hylozoists-La Fin Du Monde
93. Bitter:sweet-The Mating Game
94. Frida Hyvonen-Until Death Comes
95. The M's-Future Women
96. Tally Hall-Welcome To Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
97. The Decemberists-The Crane Wife

98. Earmint-Another Early Evening
99. South-Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars
100. Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down Quartet - Duper Sessions

And the rest of the best...

The 1900's-Plume Delivery
Ad Astra Per Aspera-Catapult Calypso
Bananarama-Drama
Basement Jaxx-Crazy Itch Radio
The Blow-Paper Television
Calexico-Garden Ruin
Coppershot-Issues
Dave Chappelle's Block Party Soundtrack
Dynasty Electric-Black Box
Jimmy Edgar-Color Strip
El Perro Del Mar
Elin-Lazy Afternoon
Liberty Ellman-Phiuchus Butterfly
Espers-Espers II
Gene Ess-Sandbox and Sanctum
Field Music-Field Music
The Fiery Furnaces-Bitter Tea
Flying-Just-one-Second Ago-Broken Eggshell
The Format-Dog Problems
Frequencey-Frequency
Nelly Furtado-Loose
The Futureheads-News And Tributes
Lisa Germano-In The Maybe World
Gnarls Barkley-St. Elsewhere
Grand National-Kicking The National Habit
Guillemots-From The Cliffs
Habana Abierta-Boomerang
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton-Knives Don't Have Your Back
Wayne Hancock-Tulsa
His Name Is Alive-Detrola
Hypatia Lake-...and we shall call him Joseph
In Ink Please-Formica Table For Two
Kaki King-...Until We Felt Red
Lady & Bird-Lady & Bird
Lady Sovereign-Public Warning
Love Arcade-Love Arcade
Love Is All
MC Lars-The Graduate
Midlake-The Trials Of Van Occupanther
Miss Violetta Beauregarde-Odi Profanum Vulgus Et Arceo
Motor-Klunk
Oppeneheimer-Oppenheimer
Beth Orton-Comfort Of Strangers
Outkast-Idlewild
Puffy AmiYumi-Splurge
Susheela Raman-Music For Crocodiles
Rick Ross-Port Of Miami
Shout Out Out Out OUt-Not Saying/Just Saying
Brisa Roche-The Chase
Royce-Tuff Love
Scream Club-Life Of A Heartbreaker
Secret Machines-Ten Silver Drops
Sergio Mendes-Timeless
Sing Sing-And I
Skerik's Syncopated Septet-Husky
Alice Smith-For Lovers Dreamers And Me
Sound Team-Movie Monster
Sparks-Hello Young Lovers
Regina Spektor-Begin To Hope
The Sword-Age Of Winters
Tahiti 80-Fosbury
Thievery Corporation-Versions
Think About Life-Think About Life
Tiga-Sexor
The Tyde-Three's Co.
Urbs-Tourjours le meme film
(The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope-From Where You Were To How You Got
There
The Veronicas-The Secret Life Of...
Viva Voce-Get Yr Blood Sucked Out
Jody Watley-The Makeover
Thom Yorke-The Eraser
Zero 7-The Garden