WHAT I REALLY LISTENED TO IN 2006

The selections on my year-end top ten only occupied a fraction of what I actually listened to this year. The following records were the ones that I got the most mileage out of in 2006, whether they were new releases, re-discoveries, or reissues.

JANUARY

Arsis A Celebration of Guilt Willowtip 2004

After a roughly three-year stint of a metal-free existence, I returned to the Dark Side earlier this year for reasons still unclear to me. Perhaps it was because I realized that unlike most other styles of popular music, there are still exciting and unexplored possibilities in metal, and I felt like I had missed out on a lot of underground bands pushing the envelope in ways that I had never imagined. Arsis threw my welcome home party, so to speak, and although this duo from my old haunt of Richmond, Virginia aren’t exactly redefining the genre, they sure as hell kick a lot of ass at what they do. On their Willowtip debut A Celebration of Guilt (2004), guitarist and vocalist James Malone blazes through fiery thrash riffs, churning death metal passages, and black metal nightscapes with a ravenous fury and precision, all the while reliable drummer Michael Van Dyne thunders along determinedly. Sounding like a less melodic, demon-seeded spawn of Carcass and At the Gates, I had this on a daily rotation for a good three weeks back in January.

“Return” – Arsis 4:42 (A Celebration of Guilt, Willowtip 2004)

FEBRUARY

Cocteau Twins Lullabies to Violaine 4AD 2006

To say that I was ecstatic upon the release of Lullabies to Violaine (2006), a four-disc collection of every EP and single during the Cocteau Twins‘ existence, would be a laughable understatement. “Euphoric lunacy bordering on institutionalization” would be a more apt descriptor. Diving into the material contained within this exquisitely-packaged box set is the closest I could ever get to returning to the womb. Sure, the completist in me quibbles about the absence of a few scattered compilation tracks and rarities, but these are immediately silenced at the sheer scope of this package: every glorious EP and single remastered by Robin Guthrie himself, spread out over a beautiful four-disc sleeve and a in-bound booklet, and coated in a strange rubbery texture that gives me shivers when I touch it. There was a blizzard during one weekend this past February when my wife was out of town at a wedding, and I spent the entire two days inside listening to this over and over again. Really, I’m unable to think of anything I could have ever wanted more than this, and I state with no exagerration that it made my whole year. Remarkably, these are already fetching prices of $100 or more on eBay; mine will have to be pried from my cold, dead hands.

“Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops” – Cocteau Twins 4:47 (Lullabies to Violaine, 4AD 2006)

MARCH

Meat Puppets Up on the Sun SST 1985

Upon emerging at the surface from my all-consuming Lullabies to Violaine dependency, I realized that I needed something more direct, grounded, terrestrial. The Meat Puppets, like Guided by Voices, are a band whose back catalogue I have always wanted to explore, so I figured back in early March that it was as good a time as any to start digging. Over the course of a few weeks I acquired everything from Meat Puppets (1982) to Huevos (1987) (Rykodisc did an outstanding job with these reissues), but it was their third release Up on the Sun (1985) that caught my ears the most. Fitting in snugly between the lo-fi sloppiness and charm of Meat Puppets II (1984) and the country-fried ZZ-Top caricatures on Huevos, I became captured by Up on the Sun’s sunny desert jams, the instrumental dexterity, and overall coyish weirdness. What I enjoy most about the record is Cris Kirkwood’s near-virtuosic bass playing, thumbing out lines of mind-numbing complexity with a sloppy, enthusiastic amateurishness, as if he suddenly realized that he was in way over his head here.

“Hot Pink” – Meat Puppets 3:37 (Up on the Sun, SST 1985)

APRIL

Ghostface Killah Fishscale Def Jam 2006

This one is obvious. I was listening to Fishscale (2006) pretty religiously for a month or so after its release, but what hip hop head wasn’t? I burned a copy for my car and I don’t think it left the CD player in there for at least a good two weeks. Even after that period of daily consumption, I would still play it sporadically over the summer, wondering why it hadn’t worn out its welcome yet. Hell, I just played it yesterday and heard lines that I hadn’t noticed before; I even got a brief spell of goosebumps during a moment on “Jellyfish.” Ten years ago, while nodding my head to Ironman (1996), I would have laughed dismissively if someone told me that I would be as utterly fascinated by Ghostface and his contradictions as I am now.

(See my Top Ten for a summary and an audio track.)

MAY

Slum Village Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1 Barak 1996

I had been trying to get my hands on a copy of Slum Village’s first LP for years, so not surprisingly, I was thrilled when I heard that Barak was reissuing it earlier this year. J Dilla’s passing back in February ignited a subsequent unofficial dissection and analysis of his catalog by many fans, with myself joining the fray as well. His producer’s log is pretty much one big highlight, with a few scant missteps here and there, but it’s the early, rawer material on Fantastic Vol. 1 (1996) that I really go nuts over. The entire album has the feel of little more than a polished underground demo, with the mix beautifully unbalanced and distorted, the levels questionable, and the wordplay loose and under-rehearsed (although given that the MC’s were spitting over nothing more than a click-track here makes it all the more remarkable). Most of the disc’s 24 tracks are little more than a minute long, either half-completed ideas discarded after a verse or a brief MC showcase acting as a segue. But the beats are irresistible: whip-cracking snares, thick tremelo’ed Rhodes licks, hissing hi-hats, noisy vinyl pops, awkwardly-truncated samples. In this author’s opinion, this was Jay Dee at his finest.

“Keep It On” – Slum Village 3:02 (Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, Barak 1996)

(See also this feature.)

JUNE

Herbert Scale K7! 2006

This was in not only in constant rotation during the month of June, but pretty much the entire summer. I’ve unintentionally written about Matthew Herbert more than anyone else here on the site, so I would be repeating myself by further elaborating on the genius that is Scale (2006). Trust me, it’s worth having.

(See this feature as well as my Top Ten for a summary and an audio track.)

JULY

El Michels Affair Sounding Out the City Fastlife 2005

My wife and I were planning on settling into our new house at the end of July, but since our closing date was the 15th, we figured we could save time and energy on the big moving day by trickling some boxes down in my car over the two-week interim. So every evening after work I would load up the back seats and trunk of my little Toyota with boxes, drive to Providence and unload, then head back to our Boston apartment. What was initially a monotonous chore of a drive became something I looked forward to in a way, mostly because of Sounding Out the City (2005). The idea of a group of white dudes trying to create the long-lost sequel to the Truck Turner (1974) soundtrack couldn’t be more off-putting to me, but El Michels Affair understand a crucial element to that dirty ’70s instrumental funk sound: fidelity. Eschewing a snazzy Pro Tools rig for an 8-track reel-to-reel makes all the difference in the world, and being the analog compression geek that I am, I drooled over this stuff without hesitation. Few records capture the vibe and ambience of cruising through I-95 traffic during the late-afternoon summer haze like this one.

“Musings to Myself” – El Michels Affair 3:13 (Sounding Out the City, Fastlife 2005)

(See also this feature.)

AUGUST

Hieroglyphics 3rd Eye Vision Hieroglyphics Imperium 1998

Being a creature of habit and fastidious organiziation, I nearly pulled my hair out by having all of my CDs and vinyl taped up in boxes for most of the month of August. During these few weeks, whenever I was itching for music, I would resort to blindly sticking my hand in an open storage box and listening to whatever I happened to grab. Hieroglyphics‘ 3rd Eye Vision (1998) wouldn’t have been my first choice, as didn’t make much of an impression on me when I picked it up six or seven years ago, but I could hardly be choosy with this kind of limited access to my archives. Such was the scenario of how this disc inadvertently became part of my daily routine, and the more I became acquainted with it, the more I gravitated toward it. I still can’t comprehend those backpackers who have built a shrine to this record, but as far as hip hop albums go, there are really no weak tracks here and it covers the basics rather nicely: first-rate production and plenty of variety from a group of skilled, but not quite mind-blowing, emcees.

“You Never Knew” – Hieroglyphics 4:33 (3rd Eye Vision, Hieroglyphics Imperium 1998)

SEPTEMBER

Gojira From Mars to Sirius Prosthetic 2006

To whet my appetite for the upcoming Mastodon record this past September, I would spin Gojira’s From Mars to Sirius (2006) as an appetizer; to my surprise, it became my main course. Few records matched the stark intensity of those dark, late-summer thunderstorms like this one, a monolithic slab of distorted sound that’s as beautiful as it is heavy.

(See this feature as well as my Top Ten for a summary and an audio track.)

OCTOBER

Andrew Hill Passing Ships Blue Note 1969

For some reason I am inevitably drawn towards jazz once the weather begins to cool and the sun progressively sets a little earlier each evening. Along with Herbie Hancock’s fine The Prisoner (1969), Andrew Hill’s Passing Ships (1969) got an extensive amount of plays throughout the month of October. There is a distinct autumnal quality to the sound of this particular group setting; the dark sonorities of the French horn, trombone, and tuba are somehow better suited for crisp air and quiet, tranquil evenings. Plus, it’s Andrew Hill, one of the most underrated and delightfully enjoyable players to listen to in the jazz canon, so it’s near-impossible to go wrong here. These previously-unissued tracks had to be reassembled and remastered from Blue Note’s dusty vaults, and the cloudy and somewhat askewed mix gives Passing Ships a charm that a crystalline Impulse! or Columbia session from the same period would lack. Even if you have only a passing interest in jazz, this would still have my highest recommendation.

(See also this feature.)

“The Brown Queen” – Andrew Hill 6:22 (Passing Ships, Blue Note 1969)

NOVEMBER

Dimmu Borgir Death Cult Armageddon Nuclear Blast 2003

At the beginning of last month, as it slowly began to dawn on me how much I despise my new job and accompanying commute, my neglected copy of Death Cult Armageddon (2003) somehow went from a rare, once-a-year listen to my daily soundtrack. There was something about my frame of mind that required a dose of pounding jackhammer beats, thorny walls of full-throttle distortion, and unintelligible inhuman shrieks for an hour each evening during my tedious drive home. The unbearably loud mass of sound emanating from my vehicle must have been quite the public menace as well. On occasion, while cuffed in gridlock, a few of my fellow commuters would stare at me as if I was one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse; when I would return their gaze, they would quickly look away in disbelief. It would have been all too easy to stick my tongue out at them and make devils’ horns with my hands, but Dimmu Borgir made me want to claw my way out of my car, crash down on the hood of their poor Mazda, and spew blood and fire all over their front windshield. Good stuff.

(See also this feature.)

“Progenies of the Great Apocalypse” – Dimmu Borgir 5:17 (Death Cult Armageddon, Nuclear Blast 2003)

DECEMBER

Channels Waiting for the Next End of the World Dischord 2006

I purchased Waiting for the Next End of the World (2006) when it was released in late August, but it took me a few months to finally get around to absorbing it. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something comforting and cozy about J. Robbins‘ guitar playing; in the case of his new band Channels, it was like seeing a high school friend for the first time in five years and immediately slipping into that same natural familiarity, as if hardly any time had passed at all. His immediately-recognizable tone discordantly slashes through the mix, but with an embracing warmth that’s inescapable. What you’ll find here won’t break any new ground for smartly-crafted guitar rock, but damned if Robbins and Co. haven’t honed it down to glorious perfection. (If you’d like to spread some of that holiday generosity, Robbins’ son Callum could use your help.)

See my Top Ten for a summary and an audio track.)

WHAT I’M MOST THANKFUL FOR IN 2006

eMusic (And my wife, of course.)

I know I resisted it for the longest time, but it was inevitable that I’d be eventually downloading music, burning it to a disc, listening to it, and here’s the catch: enjoying it. I’ve never thought less of anyone who kept their record collection on their hard drive – to each his own – but it was never really my thing. Call my tastes antiquated, but I take pleasure in the little things like artwork and well-written liner notes, the packaging and weight of the vinyl, even the smell of a record or the interior of a CD case. But ask anyone how many records they purchased during the year they bought their first house and see if the response is more than a meager handful. Desperate times call for desperate measures, friends, and my pesky little hangup about “tangible” music soon went the way of the dinosaurs.

So here are my two cents to the execs at eMusic: Don’t change. I know it’s wired into the DNA of every living organism, but try to resist any modifications or transformations whatsoever. We have a great relationship and I’d like it to stay that way. It’s only been a couple of years now, but I feel like we go back further than that. Remember that time when I absent-mindedly thought my downloads “rolled over” every month, and was furious when they were gone because I didn’t use them? You calmly explained how the downloads worked, gave them back to me, and with a quick pat on the head, sent me on my way. That was nice. Or remember the time I almost dropped $28 on that Brigitte Fontaine French import, only to see that it was available on your site with bonus tracks? Very cool. I love the simplicity of you, the easy navigability, the “Editor’s Picks,” the lack of pop-up ads for hideous overpriced T-shirts. Sure, you raised the fees last month, but you wisely retained your existing customers by adhering to their original rates when they signed up. For you, eMusic, I offer a simple proposal: you stay the same and I’ll continue to send anyone within earshot your way.

Finally, a huge thank you to those who have supported floodwatchmusic in one way or another over these past seven months of awkward gestation, especially my friend Laundro aka Mat – dude is my number one comment-leaver and kept me from turning this whole site into a sad exercise in procrastination. See you in ‘07…

Let the hate mail commence!

TEN OVERHYPED OR DISAPPOINTING RECORDS OF 2006

Clipse Hell Hath No Fury Re-Up Gang/Zomba 2006

2006 was one of the worst years for hip hop in ages (despite the backpackers’ retorts), so was hardly a surprise that Clipse’s long-awaited Hell Hath No Fury (2006) would garner as much acclaim as it did. It’s not as unlistenable as some have made it out to be, but I still don’t hear much to get excited about. A few of the Neptunes‘ beats are unique and well-constructed (”Ride Around Shining”), but I’ve heard better productions on Kool Keith’s recent material. Malice and Pusha T are passable lyricists, but are generally forgettable. Furthermore – and let’s not mince words here – the hooks are straight-up laughable, if not unbelievably wack (“Mama, I’m so sorry, I’m so obnoxious/I don’t fear Tubbs and Crockett” – are you kidding me?). And if you think that either of these dudes has ever sold anything more than a mixtape, you’re seriously deceiving yourself. Compared alongside a virtual multitude of rappers – notably Raekwon and Mobb Deep, who perfected this shit a decade ago – Clipse come across as hard as a flaccid penis and as genuine as professional wrestling.

The Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics Warner Bros. 2006

I remember long ago, back in the tenth grade at the height of my Flaming Lips obsession and subsisting on a daily diet of nothing but Hit to Death in the Future Head (1992), I decided to explore the back catalog of my then-favorite band. I was ecstatic when I found Hear It Is (1986) in used condition for only six bucks, but my joy was replaced by bewilderment and eventual disgust when I finally heard the record. Surely this wasn’t the same group, I thought. Such was my reaction to At War with the Mystics (2006) upon its release earlier this year. Subtle nuances, dynamics, clarity – the elements that give an album life – are lost in the full-frontal assault of the headache-inducing, kaleidoscopic sound of this record. And not to come across as miserly, but Wayne Coyne’s wide-eyed hippie-ideology lyrics are wearing dangerously thin nowadays. For years The Flaming Lips have been everywhere – festival headliners, late-night television appearances, surprise on-stage guests, subjects of a brilliant documentary – quite an impressive feat for a band who hasn’t released a decent record since the Clinton administration. Just food for thought. Wayne, would it kill you to take a vacation, for Christ’s sake? Step out of the limelight and spend a year or two getting centered before returning to the studio to craft a record as brilliant as Transmissions from the Satellite Heart (1993) or Clouds Taste Metallic (1995). Who knows, you might even have time to finish that outer-space Christmas movie you’ve been blathering on about for God knows how many years now.

Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere WEA 2006

A novelty and not much else, not to mention too cute for its own good (”Go-Go Gadget Gospel”); some of these selections are just flat-out dumb (”The Boogie Monster”), with little replay value whatsoever. Cee-Lo gives an impressive performance here, but the set pieces from Danger Mouse lack the subtlety and cleverness that made (his obvious predecessor) DJ Shadows’ sound collages so engaging. What made me crazy was that I couldn’t go anywhere this past spring without being assaulted with that song. Does the title make anyone else think of Phife Dog?

The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America Vagrant 2006

After a few uneventful years following the dissolution of Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould formed Sugar in early 1992. Their phenomenal debut, Copper Blue (1992) and its uglier little sister EP Beaster (1993) remain hallmarks of loud, straightforward, blue-collar guitar rock. With tracks like – wait, what? The Hold who? Oh, I don’t know. Some third-rate bar band, from the sounds of it.

Jay-Z Kingdom Come Roc-A-Fella 2006

Completely ill-advised and almost a total embarrassment, but to be honest, I’m not sure why Kingdom Come (2006) is even on this list. By principle, in order for one to be disappointed, expectations have to be considered. Did anyone actually expect this to be a sequel to The Black Album (2003) or The Blueprint (2001) v2.2? It’s anyone’s guess where Jay-Z found the time to record this bloated 17-track disaster, what with his presiding over Def Jam during the weekdays and donating millions to Katrina victims and Third World nations on nights and weekends. The beats here are limp, a far cry from Just Blaze and Dr. Dre’s usually high standards, and his delivery is sloppy and careless (save “Minority Report”). But mostly, Kingdom Come is utterly unnecessary, both in terms of Jigga’s effort and your hard-earned money.

Morningwood Morningwood Capitol 2006

Morningwood. Read it again – say it aloud if you like – Morning. Wood. That’s the level of maturity we’re talking about here. There are a slew of bands that I unquestionably loathe, but a select few, via the means of which I’m still unsure, manage to crawl inside every fiber of my being and offend my tastes in the worst way possible. With all the talent and ingenuity of a pile of nail clippings, these doucheheads inexplicably ascended to that level. Not since Muse have I ever wanted a group of “musicians” to suffer so much. In a perfect world, these four jackasses will be kidnapped in the middle of the night and airlifted to a remote glacier inside of the Arctic Circle, with only a bottle of hair gel and a map of Brooklyn to keep them alive.

OutKast Idlewild LaFace 2006

There is probably a worthwhile record buried in this excruciatingly overlong and unfocused release, but I gave up trying to piece it together. Andre and Big Boi really overextended themselves with this project, and despite some occasionally fine moments from each of them, I confess that I simply don’t have the consitution to sit this one all the way through. In short doses, however, Idlewild (2006) can be compelling – “Hollywood Divorce” and “Morris Brown” come to mind – but I’m hard-pressed to come up with another record this year that required so much work to listen to; just give my lazy ass Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) and I’ll be content.

The Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers XL 2006

“Oh, but you have to see their live show.” Fair enough, but we’re talking about a record here – in this case Broken Boy Soldiers (2006) – that bores me into an IV drip-assisted coma. Take “Steady As She Goes,” for example: tightly-wound guitars, booming distorted drums, those snotty vocals, loud in all the right spots. Sure, it’s catchy as hell, but I’ve heard this exact same song in some form or another ever since I started listening to rock music eons ago; one could hear it just once and recite it note-for-note. There’s no edge, no sense of reckless abandon as if the band is really onto something fresh, and there’s about as much depth here as a urine-contaminated kiddie pool. Jack White’s participation means less than a rat’s ass to me; dude’s guitar tone is pretty tasty, but I don’t think much more of him. Grow some balls, guys, stretch out and write a song with more than four chords, and then maybe you’ll begin to grab my ear. For now, The Raconteurs have all the aural excitment of a window fan.

TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain 4AD 2006

Not wanting to defiantly swim against the current of popular opinion, I’m going to blame my disappointment with Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) not on TV on the Radio, but myself (although in my defense, that atrocious cover doesn’t help matters). See, I want to “get it” like everyone else seemingly does with this band, but I’m just unable to cross that threshold. Their sound is one of the most original I’ve ever heard, they have a great ear for melody and arrangement, and this batch of songs holds up incredibly well dozens of listens later. But I find Dave Sitek’s production to be flatly overcompressed and somewhat antiseptic; there are some great moments in the mix here that are inexplicably relegated to the background. And Tunde Adepimbe’s vocals, unique as they are, actually begin to irritate me after three songs or so; there’s just no getting around them. I’ll admit I was impressed by Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004), but I don’t understand why people start shitting themselves silly at the first mention of Cookie Mountain. As far as the hype is concerned, I believe Jeff Weiss summed up my feelings precisely with this statement: “(They’re) everyone’s favorite band that no one ever listens to.”

Thom Yorke The Eraser XL 2006

Here’s Thom Yorke playing piano; let’s see if he can overprocess it to lifeless sterility. Oh, look! Thom programmed and quantized his first drum machine pattern (wink, wink Nigel Godrich)! Here’s Thom bludgeoning us over the head yet again with his tired, Orwellian, we’re-all-isolated lyrics like, “You will be dispensed with when you become inconvenient.” Eerie! Here’s Thom painfully striving to be original, trying his best to create a record that Matmos and Mouse on Mars could produce in their sleep. And here’s Thom reminding us of his indisputable self-importance, his desire to create visceral “art,” and the fact that his band is still the greatest in the whole world.

I can’t think of anything else I’d rather not listen to. Except maybe Morningwood.

On Friday: What I really listened to in 2006.

Since I occasionally cover new music here, I can’t help but feel slightly obligated to compile my version of the ubiquitous Year-End list, though I find it laughable that an alarming number of people take these kinds of things so seriously. I’d like to grumble that this site isn’t about “ranking” musicians, but that would be a flat-out lie (see: Categories), and when it really comes down to it, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned list? Specifically, I’m referring to the kind that provoke debates that drag on for hours, chock full of crocodile-tear laments regarding who was criminally left out and raging disputes on the merits of the artist at #31, all eventually resulting in both parties enganged in a virtual Pong-like state of existence: “Rakim.” “Biggie.” “Rakim.” “Biggie.” Et cetera.

Although I sincerely hope no one visits this site to discover some shit-hot new indie band on the cusp of international blogdom, I still make attempts to follow these crazy young kids today with their haircuts and electric guitars and their internets, but I’d say 95% of the time all I’m left with is a dulled indifference. I’m well aware of the theory that pop music is a cyclical refining and rehashing of ideas twenty years earlier – and there is a measure of truth to that argument – but what depresses me about artists these days is the absolute dearth of original ideas passing as novel ones. Perhaps my tastes have simply changed and I’ve yet to come to grips with them, or worse, maybe I’m just turning into that perpetually bitter, condescending dude whose presence at a party is a guaranteed buzzkill (I’ve been known to get belligerent after a few drinks and the words “Sufjan” and “Stevens“). I have yet to figure it out, but I’m digressing. And stalling. Onto the top ten.

TOP TEN RECORDS OF 2006

10. Shrift Lost in a Moment Six Degrees 2006

Critics lazily dubbed Lost in a Moment (2006) “trip-hop, except, you know, good,” which is part of the reason why the debut from Shrift flew under my radar for the better part of the year. When I got around to hearing this record, I was appalled that anyone could be ignorant and remiss enough to call this “trip-hop” when it most certainly is anything but. Normally, this kind of downtempo stuff isn’t really my bag, but there was something about Dennis Wheatley and Nina Miranda’s brand of icy exotica that I slowly found myself wholly engrossed in. During the course of its 50 minutes, Lost in a Moment veers from drugged Brazilian folk chants (”Snow Samba”) to bubbly club tracks (”To The Floor”) to eerie torch songs (the title track) all with a classy confidence that’s entirely refreshing. Wheatley is tasteful enough not to empty his bag of production tricks in one setting, instead choosing to decorate each track with subtly organic touches: swirls of wonderfully-recorded strings, a finger-picked acoustic guitar, the distant echoes of a choir. Miranda could have single-handedly spoiled the proceedings by oversinging, yet she is content to handle the delicate structures of each song as if softly pacifying a newborn to sleep. A beautiful and sadly-overlooked record that deserves way more exposure.

“Lost in a Moment” – Shrift 4:44 (Lost in a Moment, Six Degrees 2006)

9. Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass Matador 2006

I genuinely believed that Yo La Tengo could never set a wrong foot until 2003’s Summer Sun, a record whose only impression left on me was one of bored detachment. Had this Jersey trio that I had grown up with finally run out of gas? Not quite yet, judging from the roaring sound of opener “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind,” which, in a most welcome return, finds Ira Kaplan whipping his Strat into submission with a furious determination. I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (2006) is the usual eclectic grab-bag of styles from the group, but the atmosphere on this record is one of informality, a casual reception similar to watching the band rehearse their set list in the garage while sitting on an old mattress and drinking warm beer. This is Yo La’s best work since 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, a cozy, slightly overlong album that reaffirmed my faith in their abilities to create an unassuming, honest, and unpretentious collection of pop songs.

“The Race Is On Again” – Yo La Tengo 4:36 (I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, Matador 2006)

8. Channels Waiting for the Next End of the World Dischord 2006

Much like Yo La Tengo’s newest offering this year (above), this was completely unexpected. I was thoroughly unimpressed with Identikit (2001) and Channels‘ debut EP Open (2004) had little replay value. So how ecstatic was I when I reluctantly gave this record a chance, only to be floored by the return of J. Robbins‘ discordant fretwork, wife Janet Morgan’s solid bass and crucial backing vocals, and thunderous drumwork of Darren Zentek? Sure, it’s no Mission: Control! (1999) and it’s definitely not For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994), but Waiting for the Next End of the World (2006) finds Robbins reaching the plateau of the elder statesman, with consistency being the key word here. Although his output has become somewhat routine and not the least bit surprising, it still trumps 90% of that of his contemporaries, and his cadre of fans dutifully eat it up with fervor. And I’m perfectly content with being one of them.

“The Licensee” – Channels 3:17 (Waiting for the Next End of the World, Dischord 2006)

7. Mastodon Blood Mountain Reprise 2006

I had some serious reservations about the vocals on Blood Mountain (2006) and still do to a certain measure, but listening back, Mastodon still kicks so much ass that my complaints are reduced to mere footnotes in any final analysis. What’s so remarkable about this band is that they seem to combine all of the best and most distinctive elements of metal with a valiant ease: violently crushing riffage, mathy time signatures, prog-rock song structures, dual-guitar harmonizing, obscurely mystical and conceptual lyric content, and a supernaturally talented drummer who is just one of many reasons why Mastodon is so irresistibly captivating. Blood Mountain doesn’t quite reach the heights of Leviathan (2004), but it hardly sways the universally-accepted belief that they are without a doubt the most exciting band in metal today.

“Crystal Skull” – Mastodon 3:27 (Blood Mountain, Reprise 2006)

6. The Coup Pick a Bigger Weapon Epitaph 2006

Because of their subject matter, The Coup will likely continue to operate out of the niche they’ve settled in, a cozy alcove where conscious, politicized hip hop sweetly coincides with some of the funkiest party jams this side of The Mothership. The duo of Boots and Pam the Funkstress created their most infectious album yet with Pick a Bigger Weapon (2006), proof that there’s nothing wrong with inciting a revolution while dancing one’s ass off. Intelligent lyrics, gurgling basslines, slithering synths, plenty of handclaps, and entertaining skits (who would have thought?) all coexist on a record that’s unavoidably welcoming and likeable.

“Laugh/Love/Fuck” – The Coup 3:47 (Pick a Bigger Weapon, Epitaph 2006)

5. Gojira From Mars to Sirius Prosthetic 2006

From Mars to Sirius (2006) is one of those rare cases where an album’s cover perfectly summarizes the music inside. The bleak image of a whale circling a barren planet and its satellite moon is the ideal pictoral representation of the sheer gravity of this record, a lumbering mass of sound that treads over the terrain and obliterates anything in its path. Gojira, if anything, help me fill the void left by my beloved Godflesh, only with a more direct, immediate impact. Gargantuan riffs plod along endlessly under a suffocating sky, fueled by Mario Duplantier’s tasteful and reserved drumwork and brother Joe’s shredded, growling vocals. There is a serene, eye-of-the-storm beauty inherent in Gojira’s sonic maelstrom that a thousand doom metal bands would be hard-pressed to accomplish. Absolutely stunning.

“Ocean Planet” – Gojira 5:32 (From Mars to Sirius, Prosthetic 2006)

4. Sonic Youth Rather Ripped Geffen 2006

After Jim O’Rourke’s uneventful departure from Sonic Youth, I thought for sure that the group would return to the noisier, free-form experiments of A Thousand Leaves (1998) and NYC Ghosts and Flowers (2000). I was somewhat taken aback when I placed the needle on Side A of Rather Ripped (2006) and a relatively tame, streamlined guitar pop record emitted out of my speakers. Everyone’s kneejerk reaction was to mention something about Goo (1990) in their write-ups, but I fail to see any similarities there. Sonic Youth have deftly substituted their trademarked noise freakouts for hummable melodies, but otherwise, little has changed. Simply take Rather Ripped for what it is: a confident further step forward from the moody jams of Sonic Nurse (2004), and an impressive batch of twelve signature tracks that couldn’t have come from any other band. Sifting back through their discography and following the arc of progress, this record feels as natural as breathing. It’s comforting to know that as long as Sonic Youth is still around, guitar rock will continue to thrive.

“Reena” – Sonic Youth 3:47 (Rather Ripped, Geffen 2006)

3. Califone Roots & Crowns Thrill Jockey 2006

As a devout follower of this band, unarguably one of the most unique collectives working today, I knew before this was released that it would make my annual top ten. When frontman Tim Rutili’s previous group Red Red Meat disbanded, Califone’s first LP Roomsound (2001) had “one-time side project” written all over it; fast-forward to the present – a handful of studio albums, live soundtracks, and EP compilations later – and somehow there still hasn’t been the slightest misstep during the trajectory of their career. Comparisons are often inexplicably made to fellow Midwest natives Wilco, but these two purveyors of modern folk could hardly be more dissimilar, as Califone’s interpretation of Americana is a decayed industrial yard in Appalachia rather than a picturesque wheat field in Kansas. My only grumble with Roots & Crowns (2006) is that the production is a touch brighter than usual, but it hardly hinders the overall effect of this collection of rustic, back-porch hymns.

“Spider’s House” – Califone 3:49 (Roots & Crowns, Thrill Jockey 2006)

2. Ghostface Killah Fishscale Def Jam 2006

A smattering of thoughts gleaned from a cursory listen through Fishscale (2006):

• “9 Milli Bros.” is the most intense Wu-Tang wet dream longtime fans have experienced in quite a while. Just be nice to the crackheads.

• After receiving a foul-mouthed verbal assault from a child, Pretty Tony deduces that the chief problem with today’s youth is the lack of parental asswhoopings.

• Starks’ contempt for barbershops runs deep, likely attributed to an unfortunate UTFO fade once, the growing expense of a cut, and the fact that he’s going bald on top.

• There is an unidentified member of Theodore Unit who wears Capri pants.

• Based strictly on his hunger here, Raekwon could easily deliver a certifiable classic in 2007. Pete Rock’s production on “R.A.G.U.” is also his best in years.

• Ghostface Killah has achieved a level of visceral storytelling akin to Kool G Rap and is the most bizarre and fascinating personality in hip hop, only matched by Kool Keith in his prime.

“R.A.G.U.” – Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon 2:39 (Fishscale, Def Jam 2006)

1. Herbert Scale K7! 2006

This past June, I declared with a somewhat cheeky confidence that Scale (2006) would hold my vote as album of the year, but I don’t think I thoroughly believed it. Yet here it is, over six months later and it still resonates with the same graceful presence and elegant regality that it displayed upon first listen. Rich, expansive, and impeccably crafted, Scale couldn’t be a better introduction to Matthew Herbert’s quirky sound-world, a place where the snap of a broken potato chip holds as much importance as Dani Siciliano’s vocal lead. Longtime fans knew of the man’s knack for melody and orchestration, but few would have suspected the level and breadth of composition he achieved here: widescreen panoramas of dense electronic soundscapes, refined ’70s funk and disco, and color-saturated ’60s film music all congealed into a marvelous whole. It must be going on over a hundred listens now, and I’m still discovering tiny little gems of brilliance I’d never noticed before. Simply incredible and unrivaled in 2006.

“Moving Like a Train” – Herbert feat. Dani Siciliano 5:53 (Scale, K7! 2006)

On Wednesday: the most disappointing and overhyped albums of 2006.