Where's the Good Music, 2006?

[thedude110]

Am wondering if anyone else is finding 2006 as down a release year as I am. Maybe I got too much out of 2004 and 2005 (Arcade Fire, Antony and the Jonsons, Sufijan Stevens, etc.) -- I was really dissappointed by At War with the Mystics and even SFA's Love Kraft can't compete with Radiator.

So, I came across the following on Metacritic. Anybody picked these up, and if so, are they worth $10?

Bang Bang Rock & Roll (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/artbrut/bangbangrockandroll) by Art Brut (a 2005 release for the UK)
Through the Windowpane (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/guillemots/throughthewindowpane) by Guillemots
Scale (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/herbertmatthew/scale) by Matthew Herbert
Serena-Maneesh (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/serenamaneesh/serenamaneesh) by Serena-Maneesh
Return To Cookie Mountain (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/tvontheradio/returntocookiemountain) by TV on the Radio
The Drift (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/walkerscott/drift) by Scott Walker

Any other knock-out stuff I'm missing this year?

[PlaceofDis]

i haven't listened to any of those.... but...
there have been a few releases this year that i found to be great.

Muse - Blackholes & Revelations
Tool - 10,000 Days
The Mars Volta - Amputechture (comes out 9/12)
The Early November - The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path
36 Crazyfists - Rest Inside the Flames

Not all of those above are the greatest of all time, but i've given 'em all a go so far this year and they have all be on rotation for me. and i thing they are some of the better releases this year.

[Killyp]

Sarah maraneesh - that was reviewd on a blog I help run. Great album! For the full review go here

www.somersetsounds.com

[Tanglewood]

If you like Jack Johnson the release of Matt Costa's Songs We Sing is pretty good.

Songs We Sing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ACJHIY/ref=dp_return_1/102-7970767-3713740?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music) on Amazon

If you want to listen to him before possibly throwing money down, here's his myspace.

myspace.com/mattcostamusic (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=18631302)

If you like him and still don't want to put money down. He's an entire concert live for free from archive.org. Great quality!

Live at El Cid (http://www.archive.org/details/mattcosta2005-07-08) (July 28, 2005)

[viccles]

Hmmm last year was a much better year for music. Good releases by BEP and Gwen Stefani. I LOVE Hollaback Girl! :D

[Tanglewood]

I LOVE Hollaback Girl! :D

Drives nail into skull! ugh...I'm sorry but I enjoyed Gwen a lot better when she was with No Doubt specially Tragic Kingdom. Oh well I guess I can't live in the '90s forever.

[viccles]

Drives nail into skull! ugh...I'm sorry but I enjoyed Gwen a lot better when she was with No Doubt specially Tragic Kingdom. Oh well I guess I can't live in the '90s forever.

Funnily enough I never liked No Doubt. Well I didnt mind some of the late 90s stuff they did but I didn't really like their mid 90s stuff. I love Gwenny much more as a solo artist. (Yes I love mainstream music as if you couldn't tell)

[Tanglewood]

Funnily enough I never liked No Doubt. Well I didnt mind some of the late 90s stuff they did but I didn't really like their mid 90s stuff. I love Gwenny much more as a solo artist. (Yes I love mainstream music as if you couldn't tell)

haha...it's okay to like mainstream music its just that it was played no stop over here and I couldn't get away. Her other song what was it...Banana something drove me nuts.

Anyway I'm going to curl up in the corner with my Nickel Creek and go to bed.

[thedude110]

Muse - Blackholes & Revelations


Will check this out -- the reviews seem mixed, but they all seem passionate. Gotta be worth listening to.

[demajr]

I really have fallen in love with the Raconteurs record.

http://www.theraconteurs.com/

They have 2 songs you can stream for a sample.

[AJ Muni]

I was really never into Blink 182, But Angels and Airways is a great album.

[atari1356]

Matt Costa's Songs We Sing is pretty good.

Wow, great stuff... going to buy it. :)

[mannix87]

Am wondering if anyone else is finding 2006 as down a release year as I am. Maybe I got too much out of 2004 and 2005 (Arcade Fire, Antony and the Jonsons, Sufijan Stevens, etc.) -- I was really dissappointed by At War with the Mystics and even SFA's Love Kraft can't compete with Radiator.

So, I came across the following on Metacritic. Anybody picked these up, and if so, are they worth $10?

Bang Bang Rock & Roll (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/artbrut/bangbangrockandroll) by Art Brut (a 2005 release for the UK)
Through the Windowpane (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/guillemots/throughthewindowpane) by Guillemots
Scale (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/herbertmatthew/scale) by Matthew Herbert
Serena-Maneesh (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/serenamaneesh/serenamaneesh) by Serena-Maneesh
Return To Cookie Mountain (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/tvontheradio/returntocookiemountain) by TV on the Radio
The Drift (http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/walkerscott/drift) by Scott Walker

Any other knock-out stuff I'm missing this year?


TV on the RAdio's latest is fantastic! but it takes a while before they grow on you. same w/ Herbert's Scale; lot's on sampling and electronic sounds there. Overall, worth it.

I rely on Pitchfork for the news on good releases.

[thedude110]

Thanks, Mannix -- of the list, I think those are the two I'll probably pick up.

Does Pitchfork seem kind of uneven to you, or to give credence to people you think should just go away (i.e. Justin Timberlake)?

I've been hanging around Drowned in Sound and Cokemachineglow more lately but feel like I'm left with a lot more blindspots about releases than when reading Pitchfork or its ilk regularly.

Read: Living in Connecticut, I feel freaking out of the music loop.

[mannix87]

I'd have to agree that Pitchfork has its hits & misses but generally it's dead on. like it's recent review of Razorlight's new album -- boy, what a letdown that was.

D.I.S. is OK but I find it a bit behind when it comes to titles/artists w/ great buzz build-up; at least when compared to Pitchfork. of course, at the end of the day, you still have to rely on your own feel whether a certain song does it for you or not. regardless of whatever review it received :)

by the way, a friend of mine recently did a shoot of the Pitchfork music festival; here's a link to some of his work http://tao.emptyfortunecookie.com/shows/ you might want to check it out.

[TourBusLive]

These are a couple that I have enjoyed this year.

David Gilmour – On An Island
Ray Davies – Other Peoples Lives

[devilot]

...Matt Costa's Songs We Sing is pretty good.AH! I love Matt Costa!!! I went to his concert in SF a few months back (but er... had to leave before he even hit the stage :o) so I'm gonna give it another shot, end of this month in SF again!

Yay!

I saw Muse a month or so ago, and they performed a few songs from the new album, definitely want to buy the new album now. :D (Funnily enough, I didn't care as much for the last album.)

[spicyapple]

Woot. I'm loving Nelly Furtado's new album, even if it's popular. I personally don't equate obscure music with it being good, although I feel that's the "in" thing with most music snobs. There are some undiscovered gems out there, for sure!

[Macaddicttt]

What about Thom Yorke's solo album? (I think I spelled his name right...) I haven't heard more than one song off of it, but it's supposed to be good.

[displaced]

Out of curiosity, I just made a Year = 2006 smart playlist in iTunes...

Certainly been slim-pickings!

The new Muse album's pretty good, although I always find their recordings a little disappointing compared to their live stuff (they could sing Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini live and it'd still rock).

The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth is also pretty good.

Snow Patrol's Eyes Open I liked, too.

José Gonzàlez's Veneer is excellent, although I think that's 2005, strictly speaking.

Zero 7's The Garden was a bit bland, although the collaborations with José Gonzàlez are pretty good.

But, yeah, last year was really good. Arcade Fire are absolutely fantastic (can't wait for the next album... hope they appear at Glastonbury next year!), and The Go! Team brought many a smile.

[iGav]

It's all manufactured, acoustic, super-MOR, whiny, singer/songwriters over here at the moment... :rolleyes:

[Unspeaked]

You're right: this year's been horrible.

Art Brut is the only worthwhile band mentioned in this thread and, as you say, the album is actually from last year.

[Unspeaked]

Although, allow me to add, there's been some EXCELLENT reissues this year; maybe the record labels know new bands are putting out %@$#!* and are reaching back into the vaults...

[KappaH]

As mentioned in a previous post check out Angels & Airwaves. This year has not been great for music but I enjoy the entire Angel & Airwaves cd.

[Unspeaked]

Does Pitchfork seem kind of uneven to you, or to give credence to people you think should just go away (i.e. Justin Timberlake)?

Pitchfork's been a joke and doles out 10/10 ratings to flavour of the week bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah like they're going out of style. They're like a US version of NME.

Drowned in Sound is a little better, but still caters to the type of audience that cares more about a band's brand of jeans and how tight a lead singer's short is than the music itself (which, admittedly, is a close second).

[viccles]

Couple of good releases Sexyback by JT and London Bridges by Fergie

[BoyBach]

The Racontuers - Broken Boy Soldiers
The Guillemots - Through the Window Pane
The Hot Puppies - Under the Crooked Moon
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Wolfmother - Wolfmother

[gloss]

I like Muse's newest quite a bit, although I'm not a fan of their earlier work. Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood was fantastic. Broken Boy Soldiers by the Raconteurs was also good.

Art Brut is a fun listen, but the atonal vocals really wear on me after a while. I do appreciate a little well-targeted snarkiness, though.

[kristiano]

Thom Yorke
Arctic Monkeys
Dirty Pretty Things
Belle & Sebastian
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Morrissey
Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins
Nelly Furtado
Julie Roberts
Dixie Chicks
Stone Sour

I'm personally a bit disappointed by RHCP's release but thats my preference only.

[iGav]

Aidan Baker - The Sea Swells a Bit
Cat Power - The Greatest
John Wiese - Teenage Hallucination: 1992-1999
Juliana Hatfield - Made In China
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
Underworld - RiverRun Project

[Plymouthbreezer]

The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album, by Sufjan Stevens made me very happy - probably because I'm still in love with Illinois.

Can't wait for Sam's Town by The Killers out this October!

[Mike Teezie]

Wolfmother rocked, and Stadium Arcadium from RHCP I enjoyed.

Muse's latest is ok to me, but I know I'd like it more if I saw them perform it live.

Still on the fence about Zero 7's The Garden.

[nnick]

Futureheads

[NeoMac]

I was really never into Blink 182, But Angels and Airways is a great album.

I agree. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. AVA is a great album.

[NeoMac]

I have enjoyed

Keane's new album
AFI December Underground
Angel & Airwaves

[Sirus The Virus]

So far there's been..

Paul Simon - Surprise
Cat Power - Greatest
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse

There's been more too. This hasn't been the best year for music, but it's been pretty good.

[mannix87]

some new releases:

Kaki King - Until we felt Red
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Young & Sexy - Panic When You find it
if you're a Sufjan fan, he has new one out: Avalanche

[Jovian9]

What about Thom Yorke's solo album? (I think I spelled his name right...) I haven't heard more than one song off of it, but it's supposed to be good.

This is an excellent album.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway

[Chundles]

Stadium Arcadium - RHCP
Moo, You Bloody Choir - Augie March
Eyes Open - Snow Patrol
Cities - The Cat Empire
Little Cloud - The Whitlams
Doorways Of My Mind (Live) - Lior

[MosesSupposes]

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway
Enjoyed all of these. Especially Sparklehorse.
The new Stuart A Staples album, 'Leaving Songs' is pretty great if you're into more "mature" singer songwriters.

Also good:
Lansing-Dreiden - The Dividing Island <---if you can find this one, that is
Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
Wilderness - Vessel States

But I will say that compared to 2005, this year has lacked some of the awesome albums from returning bigger acts I like. Last year we had the new Super Furry Animals, Sleater-Kinney, Depeche Mode, Ryan Adams, Fiona Apple, Doves, Broken Social Scene, BRMC, and yes, Oasis. Haven't loved too many big '06 releases except The Strokes, Pearl Jam, Beth Orton and maybe Sonic Youth and Cat Power...New Muse, The Streets and Pretty Girls Make Graves are a little suspect

[decksnap]

Stadium Arcadium is great- and it grows on you... and grows and grows.

Return to Cookie Mountain is also a really good album.


Wolfmother and The Raconteurs were good but rather disposable.

[Lara F]

Hmm...guess it depends on your preferences, but these are albums I've liked from this year:

Delays - You See Colours
Gomez - How We Operate
Guillemots - Through The Windowpane
Keane - Under The Iron Sea
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
The Upper Room - Other People's Problems

And while technically 2005 these had 2006 US releases:

David Ford - I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused
Editors - The Back Room

[BoyBach]

I've finally found my first, proper "Album of 2006" contender: Lily Allen, 'Alright, Still.' I bought it this past weekend after some "You've got to listem to it!" nagging from my brother and I haven't stopped listening to it since - it's on iTunes at home, in my car's CD player and on the PC in work!

'Tis bloody brilliant - 'summery' pop music with some funny, wicked lyrics! :cool:

[it5five]

I've been pleased with 2006 actually.

Cat Power - The Greatest
TV On the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Kaki King - Until We Felt Red
Thom York - The Eraser
The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
M. Ward - Post-War
Xiu Xiu - The Air Force
The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

There's plenty more, but those are some of my favorites of this year.

[kgarchar]

As mentioned in a previous post check out Angels & Airwaves. This year has not been great for music but I enjoy the entire Angel & Airwaves cd.that cd is worth listening to if you enjoy the same exact song structure/thing over and over again(12 times)

that cd might have been the biggest let down of the year. and wow, live, they might be the most terrible thing ever. tom delonge has is so full of himself with this. he thinks his album is revolutionary. the idea is cool for maybe like, one song, but not for an entire album. when i saw them with taking back sunday, he was talking about the show being epic, because it rained.

sorry for my rant, it just annoys me why people love this band when there are HUNDREDS of other bands doing way more musically than this crap.

[SamJ]

Futureheads

yes.
:)

snow patrol eyes open is a great album

looking forward to the new decemberists album in the next few days.

[archurban]

I just bought Enigma new album 'posteriori' tonight through ITS. it's been a long time wait since 2001 LSD album. try out! it's really good.:)

[Dagless]

I raided my folks record collection so I couldn't care less for new music at the moment. Found the joys of ELO, Human League and Kate Bush. I always knew I'd get into their music. I just didn't think it'd be whilst I'm just 20!

"here comes mister night, creeping over..."

never been much a fan of new bands especially. Keane, Killers and all that? no ta. all dressing the same, all sounding the same (to the untrained ear). I don't want that. I want New Order!

[BurtonCCC]

The Format's "Dog Problems" is the best CD I've ever heard in my entire life.

Hellogoodbye's "Zombies! Aliens! Dinosaurs! Vampies!" or whatever the name is was also pretty good. Different from the S/T EP and a lot like the Parachute EP.

The Early November's triple-disc. The second disc is the best one.

Daniel.

[Mike Teezie]

I raided my folks record collection so I couldn't care less for new music at the moment. Found the joys of ELO, Human League and Kate Bush. I always knew I'd get into their music. I just didn't think it'd be whilst I'm just 20!

"here comes mister night, creeping over..."

never been much a fan of new bands especially. Keane, Killers and all that? no ta. all dressing the same, all sounding the same (to the untrained ear). I don't want that. I want New Order!

I did the same thing jimmi - now my iPod's chock full o' ELO. I like Yes as well. Just can't get into Todd Rundgren though.....

[c-Row]

The Muse album has some great tracks around the beginning (infact, the first four), but then it really lacks something to follow. Guess there is no point in trying to top Supermassive Black Hole. ;)

If you are disappointed by the Muse album, maybe you should try IAMX instead. Chris Corner's second solo album gathers some really great songs and shows that the Sneaker Pimps' singer gets some feet tapping on his own.

The Transit Kings album, Living In A Ciant Candle Winking At God, has been five years in the making, but it's a showcase of how to not sound outdated after such a long period of work. Imagine the talents of Alex Paterson (The Orb), Jimmy Cauty (The KLF), Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd) and Dom Beken, all rolled into 70 minutes of mindblowing music!

Then there is 2 Bit Pie, the latest incarnation of Fluke, including long-time members Mike Bryant and Jon Fugler, joined by Andy Gray and Syntax singer Jan Burton. Fugler does his rough trademark vocals, while Burton adds what has been lost since Syntax split after their first album (another recommendation, but not 2006). Great album!

My favourite album for 2006 so far, however, would be Hybrid's I Choose Noise. Mike and Chris manage to deliver a fresh hybrid (ahem) of both Wide Angle and Morning Sci-Fi, satisfying both the lovers of the epic string sections from their first album, and the (few but loyal) fans of Morning Sci-Fi's darker sound. Members of the mailing list also report that is seems to be the best choice to introduce new listeners to the Hybrid sound. Two thumbs up!


You should also keep an eye on Fatal (http://www.myspace.com/fatalmusic) (Andy Gray and Jan Burton among others) - there is some quality stuff coming from their direction.

[edcrosay]

Mars Volta - Amputechture
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Flaming Lips - At war with the Mystics
Artic Monkeys
Johnny Cash - American V

[Silencio]

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
MSTRKRFT - The Looks
Hot Chip - The Warning
Cat Power - The Greatest
The Knife - Silent Shout
Boards Of Canada - Trans Canada Highway
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
The Roots - Game Theory
Ellen Allien & Apparat - Orchestra Of Bubbles

A few nice treats, but not a totally mind-blowing year for music.

[miTunes75]

I have really enjoyed Evenescense's new album ... even prior to it's release :eek: .

Justin Timberlake: I didn't even know he HAD an album coming out until about a week prior. I hated it at first, but as I listened to it more and more, I have become hooked. He has great musical styles and wide ranges with how his music flows. Good album.

John Mayer's new one is another one to pick up. Other than that - no, it hasn't been that great of a year.