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.