It’s that time of year again, when popular demand (one nagging e-mail from some bloke in Chile) dictates that I reveal my favourite albums of 2006. Innovations this time round include links to Wikipedia (just click on the artist names), and high-tech, lo-fi, broadband-friendly audio streams showcasing personal favourites from each album. Enjoy. Or otherwise.
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20. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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19. The Hold Steady Boys & Girls In America Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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18. Chris Knox & The Nothing Chris Knox & The Nothing Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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17. Beirut Gulag Orkestar Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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16. Midlake The Trials of Van Occupanther Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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15. Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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14. Joanna Newsom Ys Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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13. Various Artists Tropicalia: A Brasilian Revolution In Sound Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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12. Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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11. Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome – The Seeger Sessions Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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10. Ray Lamontagne Till the Sun Turns Black Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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9. Ali Farka Toure Savane Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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8. Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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7. Ghostface Killah Fishscale Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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6. Flaming Lips At War With The Mystics Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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5. Sparklehorse Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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4. Juana Molina Son Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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3. Lily Allen Alright, Still Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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2. Dr. Octagon The Return of Dr. Octagon Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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1. Lila Downs Entre Copa Y Copa Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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Previously:
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
nice list. however, i’ll be the first one to deride you for not including a favourite album of mine. in this case it’s mogwai. but i only say that cause i’m a massive fanboy and have nothing better to do than slating people for not adding them to their top twenty albums of 2006. now where did i put my stanley knife to carve their names into my skin?
I will, at this point, say: “Yay! Yay for Sparklehorse!”
A big “yay” for Juana Molina, Ali Farka Toure and Beirut.
A big “huh?” for the Flaming Lips. (Gave it yet another go this week. Still a nope from me.)
And I really must, must give a listen to Joanna Newsom, Hold Steady, Midlake and the new Yo La Tengo.
Haven’t heard any of ’em. Barely heard _about_ them.
Tom Waits 4evah! :D
Interesting list Frase- that Yo La is way good from a patchy band and I’d put the Monkeys higher (it’s ageing well). Ghostface Killah passed me by, largely because of the crappy sleeve I think, and I know nowt about Lila Downs.
Personally I just love that Brightblack Morning Light album, even if they are hippies that live in a tent (but only in the summer. When it gets chilly they move in to a drum over a garage). I just admire people who think ‘now, can the horn section come in at 7 minutes fifty seconds?’. I mean, did they forget they were there? Or did they turn up late?
Best singles?- The View ‘Wasted Little DJs’, Jarvis Cocker’s ‘Running The World’ and Hot Chip ‘Boy From School’ for me.
Thanks, Fraser.
Happy new year!
Good lord, we actually have an album in common on our ‘best of year’ list , but again you have a desperate lack of real ball breaking head pounding earth shaking gut busting heavy metal.
1) Black Holes & Revelations – Muse
All the self restraint of Pink Floyd on an unlimited budget.
2) Gypsy Punk Underdog World Strike – Gogol Bordello
Paaaarty!
3) Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys
Britain’s best punk band ?
4) Costello Music – The Fratellis
The very essence of infectious pop-rock.
5) Blood Mountain – Mastodon
The kings of sludge metal give it some woaaaaargh!
6) Birthing The Giant – Cancer Bats
Its like a gonzo cross of Black Sabbath and Lynyrd Skynyrd with a dollop of Sepultura.
7) Valor Del Corazon – Ginger
So it’s Wildhearts lite.
8) A Matter Of Life And Death – Iron Maiden
The oldest metalheads in town put out a decent album.
9) Care In The Community – Babar Luck
Brit Asian new wave indy folk punk whatever.
10) Liberation Transmission – Lostprophets
The boyos hit the big time.
Good call on the Chris Knox album. Not many in the UK I would guess.
Cool stuff hope Airs latest appears in your 2007 edition