I have no lists to post at this point, mind.
\\ Jazzwise Magazine \\ the UK’s leading jazz magazine have announced JAZZWISE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2006
New Releases Top 10
1 Branford Marsalis Braggtown Marsalis Music
2 Soweto Kinch A Life In The Day Of B19 Dune
3 EST Tuesday Wonderland ACT
4 Tomasz Stanko Lontano ECM
5 The Bennie Maupin Ensemble Penumbra Cryptogramophone
6 Finn Peters Su-Ling Babel
7 Joe Lovano Streams of Expression Blue Note
8= Kenny Garrett Beyond the Wall Nonesuch
8= Andrew Hill Time Lines Blue Note
10 John McLaughlin Industrial Zen Verve
Reissues & Archive Top 10
1 Miles Davis Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions Prestige
2 Weather Report Forecast Tomorrow Columbia Legacy
3 Miles Davis The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 Sony/BMG
4 Gil Evans Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions Blue Note
5 Mike Westbrook Citadel/Room 315 BGO
6 John Coltrane Fearless Leader Prestige
7= Thelonious Monk/John Coltrane Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings Riverside
7= Steve Reich Phases Nonesuch
8= Ray Charles Pure Genius Rhino/Atlantic
8= Jelly Roll Morton Complete Library of Congress Recordings Rounder
Individual writers lists in the new issue of Jazzwise now on sale.
The Observer Music Monthly is on sale this Sunday with The Observer newspaper.
On their promo website they have already listed the OMM 20 best albums of the year. [Strange, why have they reduced it to only a best 20 when last year they did a top 100. How the heck can you scope a year with only 20 selections !] List presented below:
OMM—best 20 albums of the year
1. Arctic Monkeys—Whatever people say...
2. Ali Farka Toure—Savane
3. Tom Waits—Orphans
4. Lambchop—Damaged
5. Amy Winehouse—Back to Black
6. Bob Dylan—Modern Times
7. Lily Allen—Alright, Still
8. Ghostface Killah—Fishscale
9. Jarvis Cocker—Jarvis
10. Joanna Newsom—Ys
11. The Killers—Sam’s Town
12. K’naan—The Dusty Foot Philosopher
13. Mastodon—Blood Mountain
14. Bellowhead—Burlesque
15. Michael Wollny—[em] II
16. Cat Power—The Greatest
17. The Feeling—Twelve Stops and Home
18. Burial—Burial
19. The Young Knives—Voices of Animals and Men
20. Bruce Springsteen—We Shall Overcome
Rock-A-Rolla’s Top 30 Albums Of The Year.
30 Acid Mothers Temple—Starless & Bible Black Sabbath
29 Jazkamer—Metal Music Machine
28 Jamie Saft & Merzbow—Merzdub
27 Oxbow—Love That’s Last
26 Grief—Alive
25 Ghostdigital—In Cod We Trust
24 OOIOO—Taiga
23 The Residents—Tweedles
22 Unearthly Trance—The Trident
21 Made Out Of babies—Coward
20 Yellow Swans—Psychic Secession
19 Current 93—Black Ships Ate The Sky
18 Slayer—Christ Illusion
17 Wizardzz—Hidden City
16 Boris—Pink
15 Subtle—For hero, For Fool
14 Wolf Eyes—Human Animal
13 Whitehouse—Ascetici-sts
12 Converge—No Heroes
11 Kayo Dot—Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue
10 Isis—In The Absence Of Truth
09 Jesu—Silver
08 Liars—Drum’s Not Dead
07 Zombi—Surface To Air
06 Dub Trio—New heavy
05 John Zorn—Moonchild
04 Othrelm—Behold The Arctopus
03 Peeping Tom—Peeping Tom
02 Sunn O))) & Boris—Altar
01 Melvins—(A) Senile Animal
Decibel Albums Of the Year
1. Mastodon—Blood Mountain
2. Battle Of Mice—A Day of Nights
3. Converge—No Heroes
4. Nachtmystium—Instinct: Decay
5. Cult of Luna—Somewhere Along the Highway
6. Jesu—Silver
7. Celtic Frost—Monotheist
8. Enslaved—Ruun
9. Tragedy—Nerve Damage
10. Gojira—From Mars to Sirius
11. Agalloch—Ashes Against the Grain
12. Burst—Origo
13. Isis—In the Absence of Truth
14. Akercocke—Words...
15. Taint—The Ruin of Nova Roma
16. Craft—Fuck the Universe
17. The Hope Conspiracy—Death Knows Your Name
18. Napalm Death—Smear Campaign
19. Planes Mistaken for Stars—Mercy
20. Iron Maiden—A Matter of Life and Death
21. Suffocation—s/t
22. Fucked Up—Hidden World
23. Dragonforce—Inhuman Rampage
24. Jucifer—If Thine Enemy Hunger
25. Killswitch Engage—As Daylight Dies
26. Katatonia—The Great Cold Distance
27. Unearthly Trance—Trident
28. Goatwhore—A Haunting Curse
29. Scott Walker—The Drift
30. Genghis Tron—Dead Mountain Mouth
31. Made Out of Babies—Coward
32. Engineer—Reproach
33. Lamb of God—Sacrament
34. Boris—Pink
35. Kylesa—Time Will Fuse Its Worth
36. Protest The Hero—Kezia
37. Cretin—Freakery
38. The Sword—Age of Winters
39. Mogwai—Mr. Beast
40. First Blood—Killafornia
NME Albums Of Year
50 The Kooks—Inside In / Inside Out
49 Absentee—Schmotime
48 Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly – The Chronicles of A Bohemian Teenager
47 Wolfmother – s/t
46 Semifinalists – s/t
45 Bob Dylan – Modern Times
44 Isobel Campbell And Mark Lanegan – Ballard of The Broken Seas
43 Beck – The Infromation
42 The Automatic – Not Accepted Anywhere
41 The Gossip – Standing In The Way of Control
40 Midlake – The Trials Of Van Occupanther
39 The Young Knives – Voices Of Animals and Men
38 Metric – Live It Out
37 Be Your Own Pet – s/t
36 Datarock – Datarock Datarock
35 Forward Russia – Give Me A Wall
34 Albert Hammond Jr – Yours To Keep
33 The Bronx – s/t
32 Lily Allen – Alright, Still
31 The Sunshine Underground – Raise The Alarm
30 Cat Power – The Greatest
29 The Spinto Band – Nice and Nicely Done
28 Morrissey – Ringleader of The Tormentors
27 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – s/t
26 Jarvis – That Jarvis Cocker Record
25 Mogwai – Mr Beast
24 Secret Machines – Ten Silver Drops
23 The Knife – Silent Shout
22 The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics
21 The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
20 The Streets – The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
19 The Longcut – A Call And Response
18 The Rapture – Pieces of The People We Love
17 The Futureheads – News and Tributes
16 Amy Whinehouse – Back To Black
15 Thom Yorke – The Eraser
14 TV on the Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
13 PANIC! at the disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
12 The Killers – Sam’s Town
11 Howling Bells – s/t
10 My Chemical Romance – Welcome To The Black Parade
09 Kasabian – Empire
08 The Strokes – First Impressions of Earth
07 The Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home
06 Gnarls barkley – St. Elsewhere
05 CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy
04 Hot Chip – The Warning
03 Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
01 Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
09 Kasabian – Empire
WAHT
Uncut Albums
1. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
2. Scritti Politti – White Bread, Black Beer
3. Comets On Fire – Avatar
4. Joanna Newsom – Ys
5. Neil Young – Living With War
6. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
7. Midlake—The Trials Of Van Occupanther
8. Hot Chip – The Warning
9. Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche
10. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
11. Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics
12. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – The Letting Go
13. Lindsey Buckingham – Under The Skin
14. Cat Power – The Greatest
15. Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light
16. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Solders
17. Ali Farka Toure – Savane
18. CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy
19. Beck – The Information
20. Burial – Burial
21. Vetiver – To Find Me Gone
22. Espers – Espers II
23. Ghostface Killah – Fishscale
24. Howlin’ Rain – Howlin’ Rain
25. Scott Walker – The Drift
26. TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
27. Yo La Tengo – I’m Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
28. Tom Waits – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers And Bastards
29. Oakley Hall – Second Guessing
30. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
31. Mastodon – Blood Mountain
32. Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
33. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
34. Granddaddy – Just Like The Fambly Cat
35. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
36. Scissor Sisters – Ta-Dah
37. Outkast – Idlewiled
38. Lilly Allen – Alright, Still
39. Lambchop – Damaged
40. Joan As Policewoman – Real Life
41. Jenny Lewis – Rabbit Fur Coat
42. Donald Fagen – Morph The Cat
43. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome
44. Kasabian – Empire
45. The Walkman – A Hundred Miles Off
46. Band Of Horses – Everything All The Time
47. Gnarls Barkley – St Elsewhere
48. Muse – Black Holes & Revelations
49. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Persuit
50. Drive-By Truckers – A Blessing And A Curse
Anyone have the Mojo list?
Found it
MOJO:End of Year Lists: 2006
Albums
1. Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
2. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
3. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
4. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: Seeger Sessions
5. Archie Bronson Outfit – Derdang Derdang
6. Vetiver – To Find Me Gone
7. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
8. James Hunter – People Gonna Talk
9. Midlake – Trials of Van Occupanther
10. Cat Power – Greatest
11. Morrissey – Ringleader of the Tormentors
12. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
13. Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
14. Scritti Politti – White Bread, Black Beer
15. Young Knives – Voices of Animals & Men
16. De Rosa – Mend
17. Who – Endless Wire
18. David Gilmour – On an Island
19. Beatles – Love
20. Joanna Newsom – Ys
21. Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
22. Espers—II
23. Bert Jansch – Black Swan
24. Kelley Stoltz – Below the Branches
25. Belle & Sebastian – Life Pursuit
26. Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light
27. New York Dolls – One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This
28. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas
29. Comets on Fire – Avatar
30. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor
31. Graham Coxon – Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
32. Fionn Regan – End of History
33. Elton John – Captain & the Kid
34. Bonnie Prince Billy – Letting Go
35. Jerry Lee Lewis – Last Man Standing
36. Lindsey Buckingham – Under the Skin
37. Zutons – Tired of Hanging Around
38. J Dilla [Jay Dee] – Donuts
39. Guillemots – Through the Windowpane
40. Thom Yorke – Eraser
41. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
42. Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World
43. Kasabian – Empire
44. Ali Farka Touré – Savane
45. Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae
46. Simple Kid – 2
47. Flaming Lips – At War with the Mystics
48. Sparks – Hello Young Lovers
49. Lily Allen – Alright, Still…
50. Amp Fiddler – Afro Strut
Reissues
1. Various Artists – Complete Motown Singles Vol 5: 1965
2. Various Artists – Forever Changing: Golden Age of Elektra
3. [Fania reissue series]
4. Jam – All Mod Cons: Deluxe Edition
5. Arthur Russell – First Thought, Best Thought
6. Wire – Chairs Missing
7. Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
8. Jake Thackray – Jake in a Box: EMI Recordings 1967–1974
9. David Axelrod – The Edge: 1966–1970
10. Gil Evans – Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions
11. Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional
12. Captain Beefheart – Doc at the Radar Station
13. Bert Sommer – Road to Travel
14. Karen Dalton – In My Own Time
15. REM – And I Feel Fine: Best of the IRS Years 1982–1987
16. John Cale – Paris 1919
17. Darondo – Let My People Go
18. Big Youth – Screaming Target
19. Johnny Cash – Personal File
20. Vince Martin – If the Jasmine Don’t Get You… the Bay Breeze Will
World
1. Ali Farka Touré – Savane
2. Vinicio Capossela—Ovunque Proteggi
3. K’Naan – Dusty Foot Philosopher
4. Dengue Fever – Escape from the Dragon House
5. Lobi Traoré Group – Lobi Traoré Group
6. Rachid Taha – Diwan 2
7. Holden (Chile)—Chevrotine
8. Dominique A – Horizon
9. Toumani Diabaté – Boulevard de l’Indépendance
10. Etran Finatawa – Introducing…
Reggae Reissues
1. Various Artists – Life Goes in Circles
2. Sound Dimension – Jamaica Soul Shake: Vol 1
3. Horace Andy – Natty Dread a Weh She Want
4. Various Artists – More Pressure: Straight to the Head
5. Various Artists – Studio One Scorcher: Vol 2
6. Stanley Motta, Ivan Chin & Ken Khouri – Take Me to Jamaica: Story of Mento
7. Various Artists – Ska Bonanza: Studio One Ska
8. Prince Far I – Silver & Gold: 1973–1979
9. Various Artists – Dynamite! Dancehall Style
10. Augustus Pablo – Meets Lee Perry & the Wailers Band: Rare Dubs 1970–1971
Americana
1. Howe Gelb – Sno’ Angel… Like You
2. Greg Brown – Evening Call
3. Hayes Carll – Little Rock
4. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
5. Kelly Joe Phelps – Tunesmith Retrofit
6. Josh Ritter – Animal Years
7. Handsome Family – Last Days of Wonder
8. Vetiver – To Find Me Gone
9. Johnny Dowd – Cruel Words
10. OX—Dust Bowl Ballads
Folk
1. Bellowhead – Burlesque
2. Tim Van Eyken – Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves
3. Waterson-Carthy – Holy Heathens & the Old Green Man
4. Tunng—Comments of the Inner Chorus
5. Nic Jones – Game, Set & Match
6. Seth Lakeman – Freedom Fields
7. Téada – Inné Amárach (Yesterday Tomorrow)
8. Jim Moray – Jim Moray
9. Jackie Oates – Jackie Oates
10. Show of Hands – Witness
Soundtracks
1. Bruno Spoerri – Glücks Kugel
2. Miklos Rozsa / Walter Schumann – Lost Weekend / Night of the Hunter (2 on 1)
3. Ennio Morricone – Chi l’Ha Vista Morire?
4. Brian Easdale – Red Shoes
5. Sven Libaek – Inner Space: Lost Film Music of…
6. Chico Hamilton – Film Music of…
7. Jean Yatove – Girl in the Bikini
8. Bruno Nicolai—Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte
9. Richard Thompson – Grizzly Man
10. Clint Mansell – The Fountain
Urban
1. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor
2. Roots – Game Theory
3. Ghostface – Fishscale
4. HKB Finn – Spoken Herbs
5. John Legend – Once Again
6. OutKast – Idlewild
7. Gnarls Barkley – St Elsewhere
8. Blade – Guerilla Tactics
9. Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators – Keep Reachin’ Up
10. E-40 – My Ghetto Report
Blues
1. Watermelon Slim—& the Workers
2. Various Artists – Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
3. Michael Powers – Prodigal Son
4. Guy Davis – Skunkmello
5. Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials – Rattleshake
6. Joe Louis Walker – Playin’ Dirty
7. Otis Spann – Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
8. Little Junior Parker – 1952–1955
9. John Lee Hooker – Boogie Man
10. Boo Boo Davis – Drew, Mississippi
Jazz
1. Wolfgang Muthspiel – Bright Side
2. Alcyona – Around the Sun
3. Martijn van Iterson – Whole Bunch
4. Benjamin Herman – The Itch
5. Tony Kofi – Future Passed
6. Triosk – Headlight Serenade
7. Scott Hamilton & Alan Barnes – Zootcase
8. Finn Peters – Su-Ling
9. Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau – Metheny/Meldau
10. Neil Cowley – Displaced
Underground
1. Wolf Eyes – Human Animal
2. Om – Conference of the Birds
3. Whitehouse – Asceticists 2006
4. Alexander Tucker – Furrowed Brow
5. Yellow Swans – Psychic Secession
6. Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voices – Gipsy Freedom
7. Xasthur / Leviathan—Xasthur / Leviathan [split CD]
8. Hototogisu –Chimärendämmerung
9. Growing – Color Wheel
10. Jazkamer – Metal Music Machine
DVD of the Year: Devil & Daniel Johnston
Track of the Year: Gnarls Barkely – Crazy
Woman of the Year: Amy Winehouse
Trend of the Year: YouTube
Q Albums Of 2006
1. Artic Monkeys – Whetever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
2. Muse – Black Holes & Revelations
3. Razorlight – Razorlight
4. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Stadium Arcadium
5. The Killers – Sam’s Town
6. Keane – Under The Iron Sea
7. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
8. Kasabian – Empire
9. Scissor Sisters – Ta Da
10. Gnarles Barkley – St Elsewhere
11. The Kooks – Inside In/Inside Out
12. Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae
13. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
14. The Feeling – Twelve Stops And Home
15. Shack – The Corner Or Miles And Gil
16. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
17. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
18. Snow Patrol – Eye Open
19. Neil Diamond – 12 Songs
20. Guillemots – Through The Window Pain
21. Midlake – The Trials Of Van Occupanther
22. Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
23. Pet Shop Boys – Fundamental
24. Jarvis – Jarvis
25. Damien Rice – 9
26. James Morrison – Undercovered
27. Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
28. Elton John – The Captain And The Kid
29. Jet – Shine On
30. Outkast – Idlewild
31. Paul Simon – Surprise
32. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
33. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
34. The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics
35. Orson – Bright Idea
36. Justin Timberland – Futuresex/Lovesounds
37. Cat Power – The Greatest
38. Neil Young – Living With War
39. Tv On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
40. The Strokes – First Impressions Of Earth
41. The Automatic – Not Accepted Anywhere
42. The Zutons – Tired Of Being Alone
43. Lambchop – Damaged
44. Hot Chip – The Warning
45. David Gilmore – On An Island
46. Afx – Chosen Lords
47. Morrissey – Ringleader Leader Of The Tormenters
48. Christina Aguliera – Back To Basics
49. John Legend – Once Again
50. The Twilight Singers – Powder Burns
51. Graham Coxon – Love Travels At Illegal Speed
52. Scritti Politti – White Bread Black Beer
53. The Beatles – Love
54. Tom Waits – Orphans…
55. Nelly Furtado – Loose
56. Jack Johnson & Friends – Sing-A-Long And Lullabies..
57. Lilly Allen – Alright, Still
58. Badly Drawn Boy – Born In The Uk
59. Sparklehorse – Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain
60. Joan As Police Woman – Joan As Police Woman
61. Sway – This Is My Demo
62. Jamelia – Walk With Me
63. Lostprophets – Liberation Transmission
64. Plan B – Who Needs Actions When You Got Words
65. Soloman Burke – Nashville
66. Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine
67. Shakira – Oral Fixation Vol.2
68. The Vines – Vision Valley
69. The Sleepy Jackson – Personality…..
70. Primal Scream – Riot City Blues
71. Secret Machines – Ten Silver Drops
72. Beyonce – B’day
73. Willy Nelson – Songbird
74. Belle & Sabastian – The Life Pursuit
75. Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye
76. Ghostface Killah – Fishscale
77. Burial—Burial
78. Espers – Espers II
79. Get Cape, Wear Cape. Fly – Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager
80. Vetiver – To Find Me Gone
81. Tom Petty – Highway Companion
82. Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope
83. Wolfmother – Wolfmother
84. Meatloaf – Bat Out Of Hell Iii: The Monster Is Loose
85. Anthony Hamilton – Ain’t Nobody Worryin’
86. Mogwai – Mr Beast
87. The Magic Numbers – Those The Brokes
88. The Young Knives – Voices Of Animals And Men
89. Css – Cansei De Ser Sexy
90. Adrian Sherwood – Becoming A Cliché
91. David Kitt – Not Fade Away
92. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – The River In Reverse
93. Iron Maiden – A Matter Of Life And Death
94. Duke Special – Songs From The Deep Forrest
95. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
96. Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
97. Boy Kill Boy – Civilian
98. The Like – Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking
99. The Concretes – In Colour
100. Matisyahu – Youth
re: Mojo, good use having 15 different lists when your main one is such utter bullshit
OMG and then I saw the Q list :-(
At least Q had Shack in it, and OM made the underground Mojo list. That should be in everyone’s main list though. Definitely top 5 stuff that.
What’s in your list, Louis?
Q: Awful
Mojo: Bland
those Mojo spotlight genre lists are selected by individuals and not aggregated
Kerr, I don’t actually have an extended list. I’ve heard some of lots of the artists named, but I only like to judge whole albums when I’ve heard them several times in their entirety. What I can tell is when something is going to be shite no matter how many times I’ll hear it, and by extension which artists will continue to produce bad music barring some sort of Hollis-esque revelation.
1) The Secret Machines—TSD (great!)
2) Isis—ITAOT (great!)
3) The Mars Volta—Amputechture (great!)
4) The Fiery Furnaces—Bitter Tea (pretty damn good!)
5) Jesu—Silver (pretty damn good!)
6) Mogwai—Mr. Beast (horribly disappointing!)
are the only albums from this year that I’ve thoroughly dissected, analysed, and judged. A more interesting list would be my top PURCHASES of the year, now that’d take some real thinking...
This doesn’t mean that I’ve heard little of the other releases. Thing is, almost everything from, say, the upper reaches of the Q list that I have heard has been diabolical.
Stuff from this year that I still really want to buy because I WILL think it is awesome: Mastodon’s album, that Boris album, maybe TV On The Radio...and doubtless a load of stuff that’ll crop up in years to come.
You NEED both OM albums.
and Zombi.
And Scott Walker, Converge.
Did you get the Red Sparowes album?
...which takes us neatly onto my PURCHASES!
Yes, ‘At The Soundless Dawn’ was bought a month ago...and wonderful it is too! Cheers for the tip!
Best track = erm, probably the 11-minute one in the middle.
out of all the normal shit on those lists, just about the only album i might want to hear would be the fiona apple album. go figure.
any list with no kylesa equals no credibility with me.
The Kylesa album probably wasn’t out when Decibel or Rock-A-Rolla lists were compiled.
btw Louis you might like Rock-A-Rolla
Also if you like Isis/Neurosis check out the Cult Of Luna album(s)
no, kylesa made decibel’s list. i hadn’t heard it yet though, so i didn’t vote for it.
i was gonna vote for kylesa and converge anyway, despite not having heard them. i should have.
The vinyl of the Kylesa is just out, but I can’t afford it :(
I’m not sure Louis would like Converge, but that album is sooo great.
yah, it’s great. lotsa good stuff this year.
lotsa good stuff this year.
and none of it on the NME list!
I doubt there will be much great on the Kerrang/Metal Hammer/Rock Sound lists also.
Perhaps Comets On Fire will make it on the Kerrang one, lets hope Stevie has an influence.
I really hope My Chemical Romance doesn’t win the Kerrang one, But i’d be surprised if it didn’t. Unless theres some other big Lame-o album out .
These lists are so much useless spooge.
what these lists really lack is some pussy
Allmusic’s Most Crushworthy Bands of 2006:
I really hope My Chemical Romance or Panic! wins the Kerrang one, But i’d be surprised if it did. Theres big Lame-o albums out like Mastodon.
were they too ashamed to print the top 50?
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/12/omms_50_best_albums_of_the_yea.html
In the new Observer Music Monthly, the magazine’s critics make their pick of the 30 best albums of 2006. Here’s that list, plus the 20 bubbling under, a list of the 10 best compilations of the year, and the names of those critics.
OMM’s 50 best albums
1. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not—Arctic Monkeys
2. Savane—Ali Farka Toure
3. Orphans—Tom Waits
4. Damaged—Lambchop
5. Back To Black—Amy Winehouse
6. Modern Times—Bob Dylan
7. Ys—Joanna Newsom
8. Fishcale—Ghostface Killah
9. Jarvis—Jarvis Cocker
10. Alright Still—Lily Allen
11. Sam’s Town—the Killers
12. The Dusty Foot Philosopher—K’Naan
13. Blood Mountain—Mastodon
14. Burlesque—Bellowhead
15. [EM] II—Michael Wollny
16. The Greatest—Cat Power
17. Twelve Stops and Home—The Feeling
18. Burial—Burial
19. Voices of Animals and Young Men—The Young Knives
20. We Shall Overcome—Bruce Springsteen
21. Ringleader of the Tormentors—Morrissey
22. Skinny Grin—Acoustic Ladyland
23. At War With the Mystics—the Flaming Lips
24. St Elsewhere—Gnarls Barkley
25. Boulevard de ‘independence—Toumani Diabate’s Symettric Orchestra
26. The Drift—Scott Walker
27. YoYoYoYoYo—Spank Rock
28. The Warning—Hot Chip
29. One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This—The New York Dolls
30. The Eraser—Thom Yorke
31. Broken Boy Soldiers—The Raconteurs
32. The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living—The Streets
33. 12 Songs—Neil Diamond
34. White Bread Black Beer—Scritti Politti
35. B-Day—Beyonce
36. The Gulag Orkestar—Beirut
37. Superfinos Negros—Free Hole Negro
38. Crazy Itch Radio—Basement Jaxx
39. Ta-Dah—Scissor Sisters
40. Standing in the Way of Control—The Gossip
41. Black Holes and Revelations—Muse
42. Fundamental—Pet Shop Boys
43. The Opera Circuit—Micah P Hinson
44. Comment on the Inner Chorus—Tunng
45. Kingdom Come—Jay-Z
46. To Find Me Gone—Vetiver
47. Futuresex/lovesounds—Justin Timberlake
48. This Is My Demo—Sway
49. Riot City Blues—Primal Scream
50. Love—The Beatles
The 10 best compilations
1. Good For What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows 1926-’37—Various
2. Kitsune Maison Vol 3—Various
3. African Pearls 1: Congo, Rumba on the River—Various
4. Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys—Various
5. Strange Folk—Various
6. London Is The Place For Me 3—Various
7. North By North West: Liverpool & Manchester from Punk to Post-Punk & Beyond 1976–1984—Various
8. Pop! Justice 100%—Various
9. From the Closet to the Charts: Queer Noises 1961-’78—Various
10. Like A Daydream—Various
Jim DeRogatis’s Best of 2006
1. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll
2. Lily Allen, Alright, Still
3. Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere
4. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
5. Lupe Fiasco, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor
6. Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat
7. Neil Young, Living with War
8. Peaches, Impeach My Bush
9. The Dresden Dolls, Yes, Virginia…
10. Rhymefest, Blue Collar
11. Cursive, Happy Hollow
12. Beck, The Information
13. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat
14. Van Hunt, On the Jungle Floor
15. The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers
16. Mission of Burma, The Obliterati
17. Tom Petty, Highway Companion
18. Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
19. Secret Machines, Ten Silver Drops
20. Album Leaf, Into the Blue Again
Greg Kot’s Best of 2006
1. TV on the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain
2. Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury
3. Mission of Burma, The Obliterati
4. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat
5. Midlake, The Trials of Van Occupanther
6. Ghostface Killah, Fishscale
7. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll
8. Girl Talk, Night Ripper
9. Parts and Labor, Stay Afraid
10. Lupe Fiasco, Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor
11. M. Ward, Post-War
12. Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
13. Love is All, Nine Times that Same Song
14. Rhymefest, Blue Collar
15. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
16. Mastodon, Blood Mountain
17. Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere
18. Tom Waits, Orphans
19. Lily Allen, Alright, Still
20. Cursive, Happy Hollow
(Isn’t Parts & Labor the band that C. Weingarten plays in?)
SPIN’s Top 20 Albums of 2006
TV on the Radio—Return to Cookie Mountain
Gnarls Barkley—St. Elsewhere
Arctic Monkeys—Whatever People Say That I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Ghostface Killah—Fishscale
My Chemical Romance—The Black Parade
Joanna Newsom—Ys
Cat Power—The Greatest
My Morning Jacket—Okonokos
Clipse—Hell Hath No Fury
Beck—The Information
The Decemberists—The Crane Wife
Hot Chip—The Warning
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins—Rabbit Fur Coat
T.I.—King
Lady Sovereign—Public Warning
Editors—The Back Room
Neko Case—Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
The Streets—The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
The Raconteurs—Broken Boy Soldiers
Lupe Fiasco—Food & Licquor
SPIN’s Top 20 Singles of 2006
“Crazy”—Gnarls Barkley
“When You Were Young”—The Killers
“Ain’t No Other Man”—Christina Aguilera
“Welcome to the Black Parade”—My Chemical Romance
“Wolf Like Me”—TV on the Radio
“Hustlin’”—Rick Ross
“Ridin’”—Chamillionaire feat. Krazie Bone
“Steady as She Goes”—The Raconteurs
“Smile”—Lily Allen
“Rise Up with Fists!”—Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
“Kick, Push”—Lupe Fiasco
“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”—The Artic Monkeys
“Cheated Hearts”—Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Notorious”—Turbulence
“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”—Scissor Sisters
“Vans”—The Pack
“The Funeral”—Band of Horses
“Silent Shout”—The Knife
“Trains to Brazil”—Guillemots
“Be Gentle with Me”—The Boy Least Likely To
Anybody heard the dancehall reggae artist on the Spin (Charles Aaron) singles list, Turbulence? Should I have bought his cd when I saw for $7 on sale at Tower?
Rolling Stone: The 100 Best Songs of the Year. (with “listen” links)
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006/1
1. crazy—gnarls barkley
2. steady as she goes—the raconteurs
3. ridin’—chamillionaire
4. what you know—t.i.
5. vans—the pack
6. thunder on the mountain—bob dylan
7. smile—lily allen
8. wamp wamp (what it do)—clipse with slim thug
9. dimension—wolfmother
10. ooh la la—goldfrapp
11. world wide suicide—pearl jam
12. read my mind—the killers
13. free radicals—flaming lips
14. ghetto story—cham
15. miss murder—AFI
16. you only live once—the strokes
17. welcome to the black parade—my chemical romance
18. ain’t no other man—christina aguilera
19. get myself into it—the rapture
20. the long way around—dixie chicks
21. sexyback—justin timberlake
22. tell me baby—red hot chili peppers
23. fidelity—regina spektor
24. how can a poor man stand such times and live—bruce springsteen
25. when the sun goes down—arctic monkeys
26. province—tv on the radio
27. capillarian crest—mastodon
28. level—the raconteurs
29. smiley faces—gnarls barkley
30. over & over—hot chip
31. the clock—thom yorke
32. do it to it—cherish
33. chill out tent—the hold steady
34. when you were young—the killers
35. summersong—the decemberists
36. SOS—rihanna
37. strange apparition—beck
38. gin & milk—dirty pretty things
39. dance, dance—fall out boy
40. incinearte—sonic youth
etc etc...
M E H
Is asking why Mojo have a Woman Of The Year on their list but not a Man Of The Year going to be a really silly question?
(also, does *anyone* actually care about end of year lists, other than as an excuse to go “woah, the collective writers of every magazine ever are a bit dull and pander to their readers a bit”?)
(Isn’t Parts & Labor the band that C. Weingarten plays in?)
if so, your band is aces, chris.
does *anyone* actually care about end of year lists, other than as an excuse to go “woah, the collective writers of every magazine ever are a bit dull and pander to their readers a bit”?
people are just fascinated by lists esp. music lists. but i’m not seeing much constructive discussion/criticism following the lists so far, not that i’m sure there could really be any anyway. but i could be being far too cynical here. it would seem weird for there to be no EOY-list acknowledgement on ILM at all given circumstances.
i’d be theoretically interested, at least temporarily, in collation of numerous polls to form one mega poll...except we know the results would be fairly tedious unless you ignored the mainstream rock press, and that their lists are all more or less the same.
Jackin’ Pop seems more interesting by design (as does/did P&J) and the discussion around that might be better depending on who is involved and the range of electorate (in terms of location, tastes, agendas, politics etc.), and if enough excitement/enthusiasm comes through in the documentation/presentation (which i think it will tho it may be hard for some to relate to of course, being critic-led as it is). i assume most people are more curious about this than the magazine lists?
Are these lists pretty much the most consensus-less/all-over-the-place they’ve ever been?
Not that that’s a bad thing.
There’s still a fair bit of blog/internet hype consensus in these.
There seems to be a broad but definite consensus re fave rap and indie-rock and metal. There’s less input in non-rock and non-rap categories unfortunately. The Beat Magazine’s poll of its writers who are into traditional reggae, afropop, Caribbean, Brazilian and Latino sounds will not be out till after the year. I can’t find the Global Rhythms, Songlines, or fRoots best-of lists online (I do not know if they are out yet). There are non-English publications that likely have lists out now as well.
Phil did a pretty good Global Rhythms list, I’ll find it somewhere and post it. Super heavy on the African stuff if I recall correctly.
here it is, from the magazine
1. Ali Farka Touré, Savane
2. Thomas Mapfuno, Rise Up
3. Cibelle, The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves*
4. Mariem Hassan, Deseos
5. Nuru Kane, Sigil
6a, 6b. Marisa Monte, Universo Ao Meu Redor/Infinito Particular
7. Rosa Passos, Rosa
8. Patrice Larose-Julia Sarr, Set Luna
9. Gigi, Gold and Wax*
10. Nomo, New Tones
*also probably on my list
That Julia Sarr cd is not bad. A tad too restrained at times but otherwise impressive. I have prior Gigi cds but not the latest. She’s married to Bill Laswell isn’t she?
Have you seen any country music lists?
Savane seems like this year’s number one crossover “world music” title. Remarkable consensus on that one.
I don’t think Songlines put their list out yet.
I had a quick look at Kerrang in smiths today but they didn’t have the Albums of year list(that’s next week) they did instead have the readers poll results. My Chemical Romance won Best Album/Worst Album, Best Band/Worst Band etc categories.
jesus, but these lists are so dull dull dull. there really isn’t much to say, is there, other than “corny indie fuxxx”?
the only list i ever really expect to be surprised by is the Wire one but even those are getting predictable—bet i could guess half of the top 50 right now and be mostly on point.
Baltimore City Paper list here: http://www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=13025
what a fuckin’ great-ass list!
OMFG RuPaul.com is blocked by my workplace!?!?! Bullshit!
Exeunt ubiquitous indie louse Jim O’Rourke
I know the dude’s got a few extra pounds, but “exeunt”??
Exeunt persued by a year end list
Nice intro Jess:
“A bad year for hip-hop? People kept saying that throughout the last 12 months, but you’d never know it to look at the results of our 2006 Top 10, with no less than six rap albums placing. Maybe hip-hop really is the last populist genre in town worth a damn. That certainly seems to be true among many critics; none of ours seemed too interested in stumping for Sugarland or Hinder or Rascal Flatts or any of 2006’s chart-topping non-rap. (Whether that’s evidence of a hip-hop bias or the fact that all that stuff, like, really sucks is up to you.) And even the populist part is up for debate, given that many of our hip-hop picks were, well, commercial flops. Commercial flops on major labels and by artists whose names your rap-hating uncle might even recognize, but nonetheless.”
Here’s the short version that I put up in public.
These lists aren’t even good corny indie fuxxxx lists. No Grizzly Bear, no Mew, no Final Fantasy, etc ...
i’m surprised the obliterati by mission of burma isn’t getting more year end luv.
are the individual ballots for the baltimore paper posted on the website? i didn’t see the link...
i dunno what’s goin on with that tbh. they should be.
really, this is the only worthwhile thing i published all week:
Lil Wayne: A rapper with this much spunk coming out his mouth.
Cash Money CEO Birdman probably spent a lot of time on his knees
even edited down that still makes me well up with tears ever time i read it
that’ll help your rep in the gay community j!
(I’m so sorry)
i am so sad this had to get cut:
In the words of Bay Area hip-hop critic Oliver Wang, Lil’ Wayne “sounds more confident as an MC [and] wields a genuinely impressive array of different styles”. It’s obvious Weezy is feeling Wang on this
When Ethan’s on his game, his shit is tightly packed.
okay meta-question for everyone
how important is “diversity” (artists/genres/styles) on one’s individual list? how does this relate to how you view and/or judge someone else’s list?
“...a Hot Boy ... regularly beating off the competition with such force ... he’s feeling a little testy.”
Dying here
in answer to your question matt, in the words of the apple jacks kids, “we eat what we like.”
well yeah duh me too. but still.
plus i hate those fuckin kids, they’re all condescending to the referee / deejay / DJ / video director / whoever. show some compassion to the clueless authority figures, you little shits, or your goose is gonna be cooked and proper.
dude every fool knows it doesnt taste like apples. first rule of fight club shit, right there.
again, I should really googleproof my name.
first rule of fight club is Have Sex With Helena Bonham Carter dumbass
That’s a good question, Matt. Usually, I try to just list the albums that I’ve listened to the most during the year, which have a fair amount of diversity as it is, but I’m also not immune to bumping something up to make the top 10/top 20 if it makes my list a little more diverse, genre-wise.
And I never put more than one song by the same artist on a singles list. If it’s a “featuring” performance, then sure, but otherwise no. I put “SexyBack” on my Stylus list but am considering replacing it with “My Love” on my Idolator ballot. But I wouldn’t want to list them both, because then that opens up more room for novelty country acts and dance-punk 7-inches.
Tha Helena Bonham Carter II
helena b. carter / and the b is for busty
I am so impressed with that article that I’m going to email it out to people. And I’m never that douche with the shitty fwds.
Yeah, the individual BCP ballots will be much more revealing, I’d wager – they usually are; Marc Masters’ picks are always the biggest treat, IMO.
Goofy as it sounds, I’m heartened when I see folks’ top ten lists and they’re all over the place genre-wise, particularly when loaded with stuff I’ve never heard of. (Mind, my own Top Ten for 2006 ain’t like that at all – it’s heavily weighted towards noise stuff, but usually my picks are more varied.)
Ghost was in my running 10 for a while but got pushed out by better stuff. The T.I. was sort of perfect but somehow it wasn’t, and it’s tough for me to articulate why exactly – maybe it’s an age thing? I think the 17 year old me would have loved it but the 29 year old me just admired it yet couldn’t embrace it. Newsom I heard too late but even if I’d heard it sooner I didn’t rate it that high. The Hold Steady I don’t “get,” and the others I never heard in their entirety.
I’ll go on the record right now and postulate that Ghost and the Hold Steady will make the BCP 2007 Top Ten without breaking a sweat.
maybe i’ll issue a “no hold steady” rule next year
Jess if yr gonna do that, start a “no soyo” policy too
(no soyo = “no sonic youth”)
haha i was just informed that ethan’s review was read over the mic at a gay bingo night at one of the local gay clubs
could you post the unedited one?? i can’t believe you couldn’t find space for the wang line.
I would like to state my appreciation of the sacrifice made by people in this thread in cutting and pasting those horrible lists. I salute you guys and gals!
Coming out on the hit single “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy”, Birdman knew he had a banger on his hands. After the departure of B.G., Juvenile, Turk, and producer Mannie Fresh, the Cash Money CEO probably spent a lot of times on his knees in thanks that Weezy is still around.
But Wayne is still a Hot Boy, albeit one who likes to get his grown man on. He’s eager to prove he’s far from a little squirt, and he likes to rub it in constantly. Weezy’s been beating off the competition for so long now it’s understandable if he’s feeling a little testy. A rapper with this much spunk coming out his mouth doesn’t need to spend any more time boning up on his skills.
Sometimes his spunk dominates the album so much that it seems Birdman gets the shaft. Fortunately Stunna still has a little thug in him, and he knows when to just sit back and let Weezy do his thing. As president of Cash Money, Baby has been feeling Wayne for years now, and while his previous albums are hardcore classics, he really blows himself away on this one.
In the words of Bay Area hip-hop critic Oliver Wang, Lil’ Wayne “sounds more confident as an MC [and] wields a genuinely impressive array of different styles”. It’s obvious Weezy is feeling Wang on this, as he bounces from naked emotion to popping shots in the span of a single track. He never lets you forget he’s sitting on 20 inches, but when the lyrical rim jobs wear out he’s ready to lay himself bare on an emotional tribute of “Like Father, Like Son”. Weezy is a man who will bend over backwards for a hot line, and fleshes out his long arcs with violent thrusts of short diction, while never leaning on rhyming words that merely resemble each other—no homophones.
The New Orleans rapper brings it uncut on “Over Here Hustlin”, proving he knows how to handle the white stuff. These two aren’t just about pumping crack though—rhymes like “call my bullets some lumps, I put ’em deep in ya neck” would be a mouthful for anyone. Stunna goes even harder on “Leather So Soft”, while “Army Gunz” illustrates this pair still knows how to cock and squeeze. On “All About That” the self-described “Fireman” continues to bring the flames over imitation Just Blaze production which shows Birdman and Wayne know how to handle spitting on organs. My only complaint is that the pair blow their load early on, and the second half of the album goes down in the process. But don’t worry, there’s still enough hotness here to make sure you keep coming back.
the original is way funnier but there was just no room and i had to make it at least look like a real review rather than a string of gay jokes
even though it’s, you know, a string of gay jokes
i resent the implication that my writing is more than just a string of gay jokes
omg lol
this is how i imagine you two end your work day after publishing something like that:
where’s this from:
Nice intro Jess:
“A bad year for hip-hop? People kept saying that throughout the last 12 months, but you’d never know it to look at the results of our 2006 Top 10, with no less than six rap albums placing. Maybe hip-hop really is the last populist genre in town worth a damn. That certainly seems to be true among many critics; none of ours seemed too interested in stumping for Sugarland or Hinder or Rascal Flatts or any of 2006’s chart-topping non-rap. (Whether that’s evidence of a hip-hop bias or the fact that all that stuff, like, really sucks is up to you.) And even the populist part is up for debate, given that many of our hip-hop picks were, well, commercial flops. Commercial flops on major labels and by artists whose names your rap-hating uncle might even recognize, but nonetheless.”
i can only imagine how hard it must’ve been to jack lyrical rim jobs.
ethan, i can’t believe you wrote that, but i’m so so so glad you did
i was totally swallowing it until i got to ‘spiting on organs’
i was totally swallowing it
: )
where’s this from:
— friday on the porch (l...), December 14th, 2006
From the linked Baltimore City Paper music year in review thing up a few threads...
okay, the individual BCP ballots are up on that page, if people didn’t already know
Oh, ok, DJ Martian had it already. Sorry!
What’s the Robert Ashley thing? (I will now hunt around for information, but if any of you have actually heard it, please talk.)
Seconded.
That Wire list gets pretty boring beyond the top ten.
Are Volcano The Bear still going? Goodness.
I’d like to hear that Little Annie album ‘cos Jackamo is yet another unacknowledged ’80s classic.
good to see that Niobe album getting in somewhere.
What’s that like then? (there’s always good stuff on Tomlab)
I liked Voodooluba a whole lot, I wasn’t sure about what I heard of “White Hats” though, sounded a bit tame & over-refined on the surface.
Going to try and forget I really wanted to go check out Carla Bozulich live and had to spend the evening in the fucking pub (again)!! w/long time friend who flat out refused to go do anything exciting that night. nngh.
Billboard’s “Pop 100 Songs,” from their just-out yr. end issue. Pretty sure this isn’t online...too lazy to type in all the “featured” artists.
1. Promiscuous (Nelly Furtado)
2. Temperature (Sean Paul)
3. Hips Don’t Lie (Shakira)
4. Bad Day (Daniel Powter)
5. Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield)
6. Sexyback (Justin Timberlake)
7. Over My Head (Cable Car) (the Fray)
8. Buttons (Pussycat Dolls)
9. Check On It (Beyonce)
10. SOS (Rihanna)
11. I Write Sins Not Tragedies (Panic! At the Disco)
12. You’re Beautiful (James Blunt)
13. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)
14. Ridin’ (Chamillionaire)
15. Me & U (Cassie)
16. Run It! (Chris Brown)
17. StickWitU (Pussycat Dolls)
18. Move Along (All-American Rejects)
19. Ain’t No Other Man (Christina Aguilera)
20. London Bridge (Fergie)
21. Where’d You Go (Fort Minor)
22. Unfaithful (Rihanna)
23. Dance, Dance (Fall Out Boy)
24. Grillz (Nelly)
25. Everytime We Touch (Cascada)
26. Dirty Little Secret (All-American Rejects)
27. Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson)
28. So Sick (Ne-Yo)
29. Because of You (Kelly Clarkson)
30. Be Without You (Mary J. Blige)
31. Lips of an Angel (Hinder)
32. What’s Left of Me (Nick Lachey)
33. Far Away (Nickelback)
34. Gold Digger (Kanye West)
35. Photograph (Nickelback)
36. How to Save a Life (the Fray)
37. Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
38. Savin’ Me (Nickelback)
39. My Humps (Black Eyed Peas)
40. Dani California (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
41. Too Little, Too Late (JoJo)
42. Shake That (Eminem)
43. (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me (Sean Paul)
44. Don’t Forget About Us (Mariah Carey)
45. Ms. New Booty (Bubba Sparxxx)
46. Laffy Taffy (D4L)
47. Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down (Fall Out Boy)
48. I’m n Luv (Wit a Stripper) (T-Pain)
49. My Love (Justin Timberlake)
50. Do It To It (Cherish)
51. Beep (Pussycat Dolls)
52. It’s Goin’ Down (Yung-Joc)
53. Snap Yo Fingers (Lil Jon)
54. Money Maker (Ludacris)
55. There It Go! (The Whistle Song) (Juelz Santana)
56. Smack That (Akon)
57. U and Dat (E-40)
58. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
59. We Be Burnin’ (Sean Paul)
60. Pump It (Black Eyed Peas)
61. Call Me When You’re Sober (Evanescence)
62. When I’m Gone (Eminem)
63. What Hurts the Most (Rascal Flatts)
64. One Wish (Ray J)
65. Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It (Dem Franchize Boyz)
66. Sexy Love (Ne-Yo)
67. For You I Will (Confidence) (Teddy Geiger)
68. Yo (Excuse Me) (Chris Brown)
69. Hate Me (Blue October)
70. It It’s Lovin’ That You Want (Rihanna)
71. Chain Hang Low (Jibbs)
72. Gallery (Mario Vasquez)
73. Show Stopper (Danity Kane)
74. Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts)
75. Hung Up (Madonna)
76. Bossy (Kelis)
77. Right Here (Staind)
78. Soul Survivor (Young Jeezy)
79. So What (Field Mob)
80. Stupid Girls (P!nk)
81. Girl Next Door (Saving Jane)
82. Rompe (Daddy Yankee)
83. L.O.V.E. (Ashlee Simpson)
84. Gimme That (Chris Brown)
85. I’m Sprung (T-Pain)
86. Let U Go (Ashley Parker)
87. Stars Are Blind (Paris Hilton)
88. Get Up (Ciara)
89. Feel Good Inc. (Gorillaz)
90. What You Know (T.I.)
91. Waiting on the World to Change (John Mayer)
92. A Public Affair (Jessica Simpson)
93. Luxurious (Gwen Stefani)
94. Do I Make You Proud (Taylor Hicks)
95. Deja Vu (Beyonce)
96. Stay Fly (Three 6 Mafia)
97. Fergalicious (Fergie)
98. Jesus, Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood)
99. Beverly Hills (Weezer)
100. Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day)
Quick thoughts:
Had no idea Sean Paul and Nickelback were so popular in 2006... Surprised there is only one Nelly Furtado... Four of these for sure will make my Top 10 (#5/#15/#22/#41), possibly two others (#20/#92)... Number/percentage of these I haven’t, to my knowledge, heard: 33.
BUTTONZ :D
So these are songs that made a dent on the Pop 100 chart then? Does anyone actually care about this chart (as opposed to the Hot 100)?
It’s also entirely possible that #1, #3, and #9 will sneak into my Top 10.
I need to relisten to “Buttons”—first thing I’ve even tolerated by them, but it did sound really good.
Jaymc, you might be right—I don’t know what the difference is. It’s possible I just frittered away 20 minutes of my life typing up the wrong chart!
I’m pretty sure those are the top performers on the Pop 100, rather than any indication of preference.
xpost, yada yada
According to the intro in that section, the Pop 100 reflects “accumulated radio and sales points, based specifically on BDS and Soundscan, respectively.”
So anyone got the Kerrang top 20 albums of the year then?
various people associated with 6 Music’s top 5 singles of the year lists:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/top100/celebs.shtml
rather amused that Arctic Monkeys SOTY is ‘Put Up Your Hands Up For Detroit’ and that Jupitus digs Camille and CSS
Carl Wilson from that ongoing Slate dialogue between Jody Rosen, Ann Powers and Jon Caramanica:
“I became sure 2006 would be ”the day the rockism died“—to trump Jody’s list of lame anthems—the moment a brilliant young Torontonian who helps run one of the world’s best indie labels told me what he was currently into: early Hall and Oates. (I’m setting aside their new Xmas album for him.)
This is what SoulSeek, iTunes, and their kin have wrought. Along with the existing music industry, what’s vanishing are the genre prejudices, sham distinctions between fake and real, and other myths that have been brain-sucking parasites on rock talk since the 1970s.
A decade ago, would you have found even two, let alone four critics in this kind of exchange who’d praise in the same breath an aesthete like Joanna Newsom, a sweaty popthlete like Justin Timberlake, and a whole lot of quick-witted make-believe drug dealers? Now anti-rockism writers reign at most credible publications. Even indie juggernaut Pitchfork has shed some blinders. It’s the age of anything goes: When a blogger last spring joked that the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt would be collaborating with Snoop Dogg, I got e-mails from friends who couldn’t wait to hear the track.”
http://www.slate.com/id/2155532/entry/2155755/
Ha, but did any of them put Disney High School Musical and Rascal Flatts in their top 10 albums list? I kid. I guess popism does not mean having to like the biggest selling cds of the year (Jess Harvell touched on this way upthread in his Baltimore City Paper best-of intro).
The Westlife rehabilitation is a very long way away from happening.
the paris hilton wars revealed just how superficial a lot of supposed anti-rockism is
What Paris Hilton wars? You like her, no one else does. Some war.
...and yet i beat you all!!
(lots of other people like her anyway. tom, frank, dave moore, cis, tim f, lots of people i know.)
LOL @ Paris Hilton Wars.
It’s not a competition Lex. Grow up.
also variously referred to as the paris riots, paris is burning, let them snort coke
Finally someone’s sticking up for rich white people.
It’s Nuremberg 1933 all over again.
oh yeah, i think ian penman coined PARIS 69 as well :D
“oh yeah, i think ian penman coined PARIS 69 as well :D”
yes well, you can’t rely on penman can you?
Paris didn’t even make the poptastic kerrang list.
Dude from Fall Out Boy wanking off into a webcam whilst overdosing on anti-depressants > One Night In Paris
haha, lovely paris still makes alla y’all very angry!
“haha, lovely paris still makes alla y’all very angry!”
when do i get to be ANN COULTER?
An ominous warning to all sensitive souls, this absurd song was reputedly spurred by a flippant comment by Geoff Travis. Morrissey took a trite “You just haven’t earned it yet, baby” and grafted it to a rather over-zealous lyric, bringing the phrase onto several different planes. The avuncular chide is enforced by the occasional “my son”, bringing up grand images of a cigar-sporting pork-pie-hat manager type wagging a fat finger.
It is absolutely typical of Morrissey’s lyric writing to bring a fairly innocuous phrase and load it with meaning—describing a “glass ceiling” of life itself, not just the world of pop music.
The versions on this album and Louder Than Bombs are slightly different in production.
Lex has centipedes in his vagina.
01 Ghostface Killer—Fishscale
02 Hot Chip—The Warning
03 The Knife—Silent Shout
04 TV On The Radio—Return To Cookie Mountain
05 Clipse—Hell Hath No Fury
06 Ellen Allien & Apparat—Orchestra Of Bubbles
07 The Hold Steady—Boys And Girls In America
08 Lil’ Wayne & DJ Drama—Dedication 2
09 Junior Boys—So This Is Goodbye
10 Joanna Newsom—Ys
11 Booka Shade—Movements
12 Guillemots – Through the Windowpane
13 Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
14 T.I. – King
15 Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
16 Justin Timberlake – FutureSex / LoveSounds
17 Asobi Seksu – Citrus
18 Grizzly Bear – Yellow House
19 Pet Shop Boys – Fundamental
20 Lindstrøm – It’s a Feedelity Affair
21 Thomas Mapfumo – Rise Up
22 Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country
23 Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
24 Liars – Drum’s Not Dead
25 Tom Zé – Estudando o Pagode
26 Annuals – Be He Me
27 Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming
28 Scott Walker – The Drift
29 Scritti Politti – White Bread, Black Beer
30 The Roots – Game Theory
31 Monkey Swallows the Universe—The Bright Carvings
32 Thom Yorke – The Eraser
33 J Dilla – Donuts
34 Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
35 The Game – The Doctor’s Advocate
36 Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra – Boulevard de L’Independence
37 Marit Larsen – Under the Surface
38 My My – Songs for the Gentle
39 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
40 The Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
41 Burial – Burial
42 Amy Diamond – Still Me Still Now
43 Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
44 Joan as Police Woman – Real Life
45 Califone – Roots and Crowns
46 Espers – II
47 Alan Jackson – Like Red on a Rose
48 Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
49 Final Fantasy – He Poos Clouds
50 Benoît Pioulard – Précis
I fucking hate that Knife record.
yeh we know
(I’ll bite) didn’t you say you only listened to it once?
Haha, no- not quite. My reaction to it was strongly negative after one listen and has remained as strong. I own two copies! (Bought one and a couple of months later their PR sent me one.) I can’t listen past the first track. I’ve tried to get it a dozen times, as has my girlfriend. The vocals are fucking hideous and the music’s flat and lifeless. No tunes, no melodies, no headtwisting sonics. I’ve disliked it from the off. It just strikes me as the most vapid, vile hipster shit ever.
“No tunes, no melodies, no headtwisting sonics”?? that’s perverse!
It’s not flat, you just need to turn on your bass channel *winky*
as for hipster, nah. I don’t think the Knife are that zeitgeist, medium trendy but certainly no Justice, Ratpure or Joanna’s Newone. And there’s plenty of substance in there, even in the lyrics (imho obv.)
my gf really likes the knife. i basically agree with nick. am a little warmer toward them but not much. i think justice and rapture’s hipster moment has passed a bit?
(repeating myself) it didn’t click with me straight away though, I think it’s quite an easy record to dismiss, and in tbh, if you don’t like it, probably not that worth persevering with if you don’t get what it’s going for after 6 or 7 listens.
I am being lazy with those comparisons yes. COuld think of hipper. I’m always behind the curve though.
“most vapid, vile hipster shit ever” to me probably Sufjan, Decemberists, Destroyer, CocoRosie etc :/ I don’t think I’m coming at this from the same angle as Nick really...
A lot of Knife-hatas can’t get past her voice but I’ve found it a problem or something that ‘ruins’ the production which I think is generally great.
Far from flat and lifeless I find the music very detailed, rich in tone and full of ‘life’. I don’t know what is meant by ‘no tunes’—nothing that gets in your head? nothing to sing along to? The album has plenty of this. No melodies? I’m confused here too because I thought these were also evident. No headtwisting sonics? WTF? Again they are all over the recording and if nothing else the one main characteristic.
NOT found it a problem obv.
Worth mentioning just because this would normally be something blocking me. There are lots of vocalists out there who ‘spoil’ the music/songs for me. I’m not sure how Dreifjer gets away with it but I think part of it is just the appreciation that it’s something fucking different, independent and pro-synth.
my pal, your pal luisterpaal with a best of year selection :)
One major problem with the Paris Hilton record is that it is awful.
What kind of list could someone make that WOULDN’T be ripped to shreds by some major segment of the ILM population? Too exotic, too bland, too esoteric, too tokenist, too rockist, too popist...
ok i know the paris hilton unwar is dead but i just wanted to say that i’ve come to realize that “nothing in this world” is a truly fucking great song.
Lots of boring lists in today’s NYT.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/arts/music/24sann.html
I don’t know Shearwater from Kalefa Sanneh’s list.
Sanneh and Ben Ratliff both listed Alan Jackson. Ratliff also listed
TENGIR-TOO: ‘MOUNTAIN MUSIC OF KYRGYZSTAN’ (Smithsonian Folkways) which ain’t exactly a Pitchfork-style selection. He also likes his jazz pianists—Bebo Valdes and Gonzalo Rubalcaba both made his list.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/arts/music/24ratl.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/arts/music/24pare.html?ref=arts
Pareles’ lone non-English language release was a Marisa Monte effort, and his lone rap cd was Ghostface Killa’s.
http://latinmusic.about.com/od/cdtoppicks/tp/TP01Salsa.htm
From Tijana Ilich:
A salsa top 10 [with no Michael Stuart].
1) Victor Manuelle—Decision Unanime
2) El Gran Combo / Gilberto Santa Rosa—Asi Es Nuestra Navidad
3) Oscar D’Leon—Fuzionando
4) India—Soy Diferente
5) Charlie Cruz—Mas De Mi
6) Andy Montanez—Salsa Con Reggaeton
7) Tito Nieves—Hoy, Manana Y Siempre
8) Son De Cali—Mas De Mi
9) Gilberto Santa Rosa—Directo Al Corazon
10) Tiempo Libre—Lo Que Esperabas
I don’t know who Tijana Ilich is, but based on what I’ve seen of her reviews, I think she has awful taste. Asi Es Nuestra Navidad came out last year.
He also likes his jazz pianists
he better — he’s the jazz critic. (well him and nate chinen, but ratliff’s a staffer, so he’s basically the jazz beat guy.)
and that tengir-too disc really is pretty great. i got a promo copy of that smithsonian set, and the other two are good too, but that’s the highlight.
I wouldn’t really consider Bebo Valdes primarily a jazz pianist. His orientation seems pretty classical, and a lot of what he plays is Cuban dance music, which isn’t necessarily jazz.
Here’s a Boston Globe contributor’s top 10
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2006/12/17/the_best_cds_of_2006/?page=6
Siddhartha Mitter
1. Ali Farka Touré, “Savane
2. Patricia Barber, ”Mythologies.“
3. Kekele, ”Kinavana.“
4. Mina Agossi, ”Well You Needn’t.“ Backed by just drums and bass, the Paris-based, French-African singer distills standards and her own quirky compositions to a rhythmic rare essence. A powerful stage presence, she makes deconstruction funky.
5. Toumani Diabaté’s Symmetric Orchestra, ”Boulevard de l’Indépendance.“
6. Heather Headley, ”In My Mind.“ A striver’s ethic pervades in Headley’s songs of love, loss, and spirituality; this is grown-folks R&B
7. Cassandra Wilson, ”Thunderbird.“
8. Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri, ”Simpático.“
9. Kudu, ”Death of the Party.“ East Village... electro-pop... collage.
10. Sean Jones, ”Roots.“ ...gospel side of jazz... from a young New Orleans-raised trumpeter
Descarga.comhas posted its end of the year list (actually two main lists, this year, split between the two individuals who write the blurbs for the CDs). The lists definitely leave me scratching my head. Of course, I haven’t heard all these CDs, but based on previous descarga.com lists, I’m not convinced I would be wowed if I would.
(Whoops name change left over from last night.)
I am not going to copy the names out, because anyone not interested enough to click on the link will not be interested.
not surprisingly
I have heard just one of these,
want to hear the rest
not that I would know
the difference between WOW
and just MEH or EW
That Haydee Milanes album sounds like it would be your type of thing.
i know, right?
problem with this music: i have never actually SEEN any of it at any store I go to, and i ain’t got the scratch to be buying it online, and i ain’t never seen any editors getting it for me to try to write about. actually, that is more a problem for me/
I was just reading somewhere else about that ex-Yerba Buena guy that Watrous includes in his list—I’m definately intrigued
I’ve heard the PEDRO LUIS FERRER which is acoustic, sorta-folky but still rhythmic and poppy...But I do not know most of the salsa listed, especially by the other Descarga writer
I was supposed to be entranced by the last PLFerrer album but I wasn’t really. It was really good but never went into OMG GENIUS category for me. Plus it was weird that the promo sheet talked about how the vegetarian song was a protest song about Castro’s Cuba and its lack of meat but the lyrics did not indicate that at all, they read like ‘yay veggies they are awesome’. I have to admit that I’m a little worried abou the whole political thing about Cuban salsa [see also: Pitbull’s El Mariel]
My un-informed comments:
8 Y MÁS!: Juega Billar (Haven’t heard it. Audio clips sounds okay, but it’s more of the same New York retro cover stuff that I tend to avoid these days)
BENEDICT & THE MAGIC BAND: Swing Sabor 3 (Bought it. Didn’t really like it very much, though it’s okay and it does kind of remind one of an early 70s Willie Colon sound at times.)
ALBERTO CAICEDO: La Voz De Colombia—Gerardo Rosales Presents: Alberto Caicedo (Don’t know it.)
MAMBORAMA: Directamente Al Mambo (Haven’t liked the other Mamborama I’ve heard, and didn’t like the samples or sample tracks or whatever that I heard from this—BUT, as I’ve said ad nauseum, I don’t like timba very much, and that’s basically what this band does.)
OCHÚN: En El Año De Ochún (Don’t know it. Don’t like the samples I checked out.)
LEFTY PÉREZ: Salseros Unidos (Haven’t heard it, don’t really know him. Have heard some not so pleasant things about him.)
REAL CHARANGA: Real Charanga (I think I checked some samples from this and said nah, but it’s charanga after all and I tread carefully in that style.)
LITTLE JOHNNY RIVERO “PEQUEÑO JOHNNY”: Pasos (Bought it. Wanted to like it, tried to like it, ultimately found I didn’t like it.)
ROBERTO ROENA Y SU APOLLO SOUND: Sr. Bongó (Haven’t heard or really heard much about. Roena has to compete with his own reissued Fania albums. I think I would rather get those before trying something like this, although I wouldn’t mind hearing it. He’s made some great music in the past.)
TELMARY: A Diario (Don’t know it.)
AFRICANDO: Ketukuba (This didn’t really sound like my thing from the millisecond clips I checked, but I would like to hear it. I don’t think the African artists involved do music I would ordinarily be that interested in.)
LOS ASES DE LA TIMBA: Aquí Están Los Ases (More timba. I’m hoping someone will eventually hook me up with a copy of this, since it’s one of the more talked about timba releases this year, and maybe I would find something I’d like—but I’m not about to just buy it.)
IGNACIO BERROA: Codes (I think I checked some of this out and it was too jazzy.)
DESCEMER: Siete Rayo (Don’t know it.)
MIGUEL ANGA DIAZ: Echu Mingua (One of my favorite albums from the last few years, as mentioned before.)
PEDRO LUIS FERRER: Natural (I’m not interested in this. I suspect this is a case where knowing Spanish is more of a necessity.)
PEDRO GIRAUDO: Desconsuelo (Don’t know it.)
EL GRAN COMBO: Arroz Con Habichuela (Bought it. I really like the title track and “No Te Detengas A Pensar.” Still kind of making my mind up about it.)
HAYDÉE MILANES: Haydee (Don’t know but the audio clips sound nice, if more Matt’s territory than mine.)
FRANCISCO MELA: Melao (Don’t know it.)
GOZA PEPILLO: Inter-Activo (Don’t know it. I think I managed to track down some audio samples and it was nothing like the description in descarga.com, but I might be imagining that since I can’t remember what it did sound like.
GONZALO RUBALCABA: Solo (Haven’t heard. Won a Lammy. I think maybe the only album on this list that did.)
x-post:
I have to admit that I’m a little worried abou the whole political thing about Cuban salsa [see also: Pitbull’s El Mariel]
What do you mean?
the staticmultimedia.com countdown begins:
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/content/music/features/feature_1167281582?info=music
RS: i’m just a little skeeved out by the whole miami republicuban thing (sorry if this treads on anyone’s toes), i can’t get with the ‘yay for death of castro and genuflect to g.o.p. politicians so we can reclaim our glorious homeland’ message, can’t relate, wondering about the politics involved, don’t know anything about it though, should-nuff said anything, carry on
Not trying to be dense, but I’m still not sure how that relates to some of the material on these lists, especially since some of it is from Cuba itself. Maybe you are suspicious of people in the US embracing Cuban music that contains criticisms of Cuba’s political situation?
Miami definitely has a history of really extremist activity (including violence, threats of violence, and vandalism) from some elements of the anti-Castro crowd of Cuban exiles. There was a pretty famous/infamous Los Van Van show there in the 90s where anti-Castro crowds just pelted attendeees with bottles and whatnot.
RS see above when I said I had only heard one of these albums, then see where I say I don’t know what the politics of the rest of them are, and am curious. I did hear the Pitbull album and really liked it, but it’s creepy to me how he’s all looking off wistfully into the distance...into the golden past.... That is all I mean. Enlighten me.
I haven’t heard the Cuban ones either because I don’t listen to most of that contemporary Cuban cr—stuff. Los Ases De La Timba is just a supergroup including of some of the most popular singers in Cuba currently, very contemporary. Mamborama is an American band in a similar vein (working with some musicians who live in Cuba). I don’t know too much about the poppier stuff being mentioned. This doesn’t answer your question, but what I’m saying is that these are Cuban artists in Cuba so it’s not like they are likely to have the same politics as the Miami crowd (although, sure, they may be criticizing the Cuban government in subtle ways).
yeah it’s just hard to know without looking everything up who is who
i also dont know how political salsa dance music is ever going to be
furthermore, we’ve already made more of this than it’s worth, sorry for the bandwidth crime
furthermore, we’ve already made more of this than it’s worth, sorry for the bandwidth crime
Agreed (though at least it’s a change from posting goddam lists lists lists! not that I don’t enjoy that).
Hey Matt, Geoff Himes is raving about Anthony Hamilton in the Washington Post Weekend Section best-of lists published today. I never picked up that most recent Hamilton cd. Speaking of roots tastes I saw No Depression magazine at Borders with their year-end list (Dylan won of course). I’m curious now about the Jon Dee Graham cd that did well in the No D poll and I think was in Himes list also. He’s an Austanite who used to be in the True Believers with Alejandro E.
RS, Have you heard that Eddie Palmieri duo disc with someone whose name I’ve forgotten that made the Jazz Times poll??
Alright I’m out the door...
Last December’s Anthony Hamilton album, in my opinion, was disappointing. I much prefer Anthony David’s The Red Clay Chronicles, which is more like AH’s Comin’ From Where I’m From
Steve (or do you prefer “cornyrocker”?), I haven’t heard that album. I generally don’t check out Palmieri’s strictly Latin jazz recordings, unless someone burns me a copy or I download something. I didn’t even like Listen Here!, which of course got very good reviews from many directions.
Steve is fine. I’ll have to check out Anthony David further (the allmusic sound samples and your plug both have me interested). Oh, re-reading Himes’ entry on Hamilton I see he was emphasizing the live shows he saw him do at S x SW and in Baltimore. The W. Post let their critics include both live faves and cds.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/28/AR2006122800338.html
12/22 No Depression mag ballots
Is Chuck Eddy posting on the sandbox? I think it would be amusing to see him comment on some of the No Depression mag contributor tasteful Americana choices (although he might agree w/ more than a few of ’em)
the staticmultimedia.com countdown begins:
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/content/music/features/feature_1167281582?info=music
Now there’s a shit list. Editor Hickman prescribes an enema for indie rock, and then goes to list Secret Machines as number 26. Maybe he should have spent less time with Howard Stern and more seeking out something better. Instead he found Nelly Furtado. She made my list too . . . at #421.
THE TOP 10: Latin CDs
Ed Morales
December 31, 2006
In 2006, reggaetón mania persisted, this time in the form of duets featuring star MCs and major salsa and pop performers, leading to the long-awaited urbanification of Latin music. Also key this year: Calle 13’s debut (released last year and on the 2005 list) and the massive Fania catalog re-release, which rejuvenates the classics of the ’70s.
1. Brian Lynch and Eddie Palmieri, “Simpático.” Lynch and Palmieri’s coterie of jazz and Afro-Caribbean players are among the best New York has to offer. Released independently, “Simpático” is at once a thoughtful, reverential treatment of “la música” as it is forward-looking and edgy.
2. Los Cocorocos. Gallego’s intro says it all: Los Cocorocos is a new identity with roots in the old, and there’s nothing strange about being a fan of both salsa and reggaetón. Despite its “pairing of the stars” format (Tego Calderón and Victor Manuelle; Don Omar and Gilberto Santa Rosa), Los Cocorocos avoids pop commercialism by being one of the most “real” salsa records of the year.
3. Marisa Monte, “Universo Au Meu Redor.” The superior of her two simultaneously released albums, “Universo” succeeds in re-envisioning ancient and obscure sambas with a post-pop precision. Her voice is as seductively commanding as ever, and her sense of tradition makes her delivery convincing.
4. Tego Calderón,
“El Subestimado/The Underdog.” Give Calderón props for refusing to surrender to conservative reggaetón formats, and making the connection between blues, funk, rap and reggaetón.
He’s so universal that even when he’s boasting, he has the one-love feel of Marley. But he’s Boricua to the bone.
5. Ray Barretto, “Standards Rican-ditioned.” Recorded with a tight-knit group of New York all-stars (David Sanchez, Papo Vazquez and the late Hilton Ruiz), Barretto’s last CD (he died in February) proves that the Afro-Latino tradition is one of jazz’s crucial inner strengths.
6. Sergio Mendes, “Timeless.” A strongly executed marriage between hip- hop and Brazilian classics with the help of Mendes fan will.i.am. Besides the obvious triumphs (Jorge Ben’s “Mas Que Nada,” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Surfboard”), there are some unexpected gems featuring dance-hall rapper Mr. Vegas and ... Justin Timberlake!
7. El Gran Combo, “Arroz con Habichuelas.” All of their albums are one long greatest hits list, but this one has a renewed vigor that makes you wonder why anyone ever said salsa was dying. The new single, “No Hay Manera,” jumps immediately into tropical overdrive, and there’s never a reason to look back.
8. Don Omar, “King of Kings.” The shifts in tempo and style can be disorienting, but the breadth of what Omar tries to accomplish is impressive. Producer Eliel creates a thunderous momentum to the dance tracks, while ballads like “Muñecas de Porcelana” show Omar’s potential to transcend the genre.
9. Aterciopelados, “Oye.” Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago reunite to produce an affecting piece of nuevo psychedelia. More explicitly political than ever, the songs seem like the perfect antidote for troubled times, and Echeverri’s voice has never been better.
10. Alejandro Sanz, “El Tren de los Momentos.” Sanz is so eager to prove he’s a real artist that he’s getting edgier than some alternative acts. His duet with Shakira is even more satisfying than “La Tortura,” and his collaboration with Residente Calle 13 with Juanes on guitar is destined to become a progressive pop
classic.
Los Cocorocos is not bad overall, and yet there’s not even one track that really grabs me in a strong way. It’s certainly not one of my picks for album of the year. (That’s coming, oh faithful readers! I am waiting for a couple more CDs—one box set actually—to arrive, before I put together my year end list. I should really hear that new Marcel Khalife CD, too, because I think it’s probably going to turn out to be his best instrumental work.)
The new El Gran Combo is pretty good and there is some shifting around going on. In particular, the vocals seems exceptionally strong on this. I think it’s a better album overall than their last one, but there’s no track that’s quite as classic as “El Matrimonio.” At least, I don’t think so—although the title track has really insinuated itself into my consciousness.
Even mentioning that Sergio Mendes/will.i.am record = no credibility
I thought you liked Ed Morales. :(
(You may be right about the Sergio Mendes album. I have no idea what it sounds like.)
I do like Ed Morales! But I reserve the right to call him on some lazy bullshit like that. My hackles are also raised because he really liked that boring-ass Marisa Monte album. It was okay but it was no #3 AND HE KNOWS IT.
Let me tell you something about that Marisa Monte album! I didn’t hear it. I heard it was pretty good but probably overrated because so little Brazilian music filters up to US critics. I bet that Eddie Palmieri album is boring too. It’s not really a very good list.
So can you give us a peek at your 2007 list so far?
what me? my list so far is pretty lame, as I haven’t heard very many things. you can see it in about an hour...on my blog narf narf...
Matt, the only hardliners in Miami as dogmatic as the ones you mentioned a few posters ago are 65 and over, so no worries. Besides, Clinton did a pretty expert job of kowtowing to them too.
When are Grooves or De:Bug publishing theirs? :(
i dont know about Groove but De:Bug only does individual writers lists (not all of which are about music) and a reader poll
Alf: I know what you mean about Clinton, yo, that shit pissed me off to no end. I don’t want to get into a whole political thing, because you’re right up in that situation and I only know what I read in the papers, and see in the ballot results; are you saying that the vast majority of the Cuban-American community is politically independent?
More importantly, is there any politics to Cuban-American salsa music?
There isn’t all that much Cuban-American salsa to begin with, I don’t think. Maybe I underestimate the number of bands on independent labels, but I can’t think of many major Cuban-American salsa acts (even considering timba a sub-category of salsa).
Brainwashed.com: 2006 Readers’ Poll Finals.
So how do all these reviewers get new music straight from Cuba? Isn’t there some kind of, um, stupid-ass U.S. boycott on?
I don’t know what reviewers do or don’t get (descarga.com isn’t a real publication, just a distributors), but the boycott doesn’t prevent Cuban made CDs from being sold in the US. Whether they are imported directly from Cuba or not, I don’t know. But you can go to cduniverse right now and order CDs released on Cuba’s state label.
And it shouldn’t be a problem at all for Cuban music released on labels outside of Cuba.
Brainwashed: Current 93, lol. Then again, I haven’t heard it and maybe I should.
Polarized attitudes about Cuba abroad have their basis in the personal experiences and meanings that the revolution holds for various groups. People either love present-day Cuba with a passion because of what it represents to them (an alternative to capitalism, concern for the poor and disenfranchised, a symbol of all that should be criticized in the United States) or despise it because of the intense pain the revolution has caused them (harassment, jailings, loss of property, severed family ties). Researchers find themselves caught in this uncomfortable context from the outset. Pro-Cuba advocates have shouted at me merely for raising issues of limitations on personal freedoms. They assert that heavy-handed policies of media control are not the government’s fault, that they represent a logical response to external aggression. Similarly, exiles often become antagonistic as soon as they find out that I travel regularly to the island and dismiss out of hand any criticisms I might raise about prerevolutionary Cuban society. Authors attempting impartiality thus walk a tightrope between constituencies and, despite their best efforts, usually fail to please anyone.—Robin Moore’s Music & Revolution, quoted on www.timba.com.
This seems very wise
From now on I will not care,
just the music maaaaan
I doubt there will be much great on the Kerrang/Metal Hammer/Rock Sound lists also.
I never actually saw the Metal Hammer/Rock Sound lists.
The Beat (afropop/caribbean/‘world’) never publishes their list till March or later