I think its somewhat fitting that this, the 350th via//chicago post ever, will launch of my annual countdown of my favorite album's of the year. 2006 was an interesting year musically, in that there was plenty of great music to hear but no particular clear cut breakouts ala Arcade Fire and Bloc Party of previous years. Yes there were a lot of albums that I fell for over the last twelve months, but it was very difficult to come up with this list because there were few that I felt strongly dominated the rest of the field. Rather than one or two 'A+' albums towering above the rest, 2006 saw a whole slew of solid 'A' fighting for a position at the top of my list. In fact, at least as far as the top 13 or 14 albums are concerned, I could probably make a case for any one of them being my favorite on any given day or given mood. It was that kind of year, solid but not quite spectacular.
2006 was also a huge year for disappointments, whether it was tried and true favorites completely missing the mark (The Flaming Lips, The Stills, Pretty Girls Make Graves) or other bands making not bad records, but records that just don't quite live up to the standards we know they are capable of (Morrissey, Sleepy Jackson, Tool).
But thankfully, as is usually the case, there were plenty of records that I did enjoy for one reason or another throughout 2006 and here are fifty of them...
50. Everything All The Time - Band of Horses (Sub Pop) [buy it here]
Countrified (but in a good way), layered indie rock that calls to mind such classics as the Byrds and Neil Young.
Check Out: "The Funeral", "The Great Salt Lake"
49. First Impressions of Earth - The Strokes (RCA) [buy it here]
The Strokes grow up and stretch out on their third album, a minor disappointment after the first two stunners but nowhere near as bad as some would lead you to believe.
Check Out: "Heart In A Cage", "Ize of the World"
48. Pieces of the People We Love - The Rapture (Universal) [buy it here]
A much more enjoyable whole than Echoes, even if it does lack a full-out stunner like "House of Jealous Lovers.
Check Out: "Get Myself Into It", "Don Gon Do It"
47. (A) Senile Animal - Melvins (Ipecac) [buy it here]
The stoner/doom/heavy monstrosity hits back hard with double the percussion and ten times the massive, crushing riffs on this monolithic slab of metal-inspired mayhem.
Check Out: "Civilized Worm", "You've Never Been Right"
46. Public Warning - Lady Sovereign (Def Jam) [buy it here]
Jay-Z's unlikliest signee smacks these shores with her bratty brank of UK hip-hop, so good it doesn't matter how many of these singles you've heard before.
Check Out: "Love Me Or Hate Me", "My England"
45. FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake (Jive) [buy it here]
JTim, with some massive help from Timbaland, proves that Justified was no fluke as he catapulted two singles straight to the top of the charts from an album that could spawn about four more just as huge.
Check Out: "Sexy Ladies", "Chop Me Up"
44. Classics - Ratatat (XL) [buy it here]
The duo of Evan Mast and Mike Stroud churn out another thrilling album full of instrumental pieces fit to soundtrack the greatest film never made.
Check Out: "Wildcat", "Lex"
43. Trying To Never Catch Up - What Made Milwaukee Famous (Barsuk) [buy it here]
This Austin foursome overcomes an awkward name to present a polished batch of new-wave inspired pop that lands just east of Spoon.
Check Out: "Idecide", "Hellodrama"
42. Appreciation Night - Bound Stems (Flameshovel) [buy it here]
Chicago's own Bound Stems present an album full of off-kilter yet utterly engaging music that fuses pop melodies, found sound samples, and dissonant guitars.
Check Out: "Wake Up, Ma and Pa Are Gone", "Refuse The Refuse"
41. Game Theory - The Roots (Def Jam) [buy it here]
It's a shame Def Jam's publicity department completely dropped the ball with this album, because this one deserves to be heard by any rap fan - especially those quick to dismiss the Roots after two lukewarm albums. This is the best thing they've done since Things Fall Apart, for real.
Check Out: "In The Music", "Long Time"
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