Two thousand six, oh, what a year! From political powers shifting to crazy oil prices, this year has had a little bit of everything. On what was allegedly going to be an “off year” for music, 2006 has proven anything but disappointing. From bringing sexy back to “older” musicians like Bob Dylan bringing back their A-games, this year been eclectic to say the least. So, I suppose it’s about that time of the year where we hold up our contractual agreement of “year-end listimizing” and get to the good stuff.
Needless to say - it's been a long year. In fact, it was our first full year as a blog and to be honest that made it much harder to compile a list for 2006 than it was last year. Collectively, we've probably listened to over 150 albums, been introduced to hundreds of new artists (from abysmal to excellent), and seen more MySpace pages than Tom himself. Well, all of the tedious work – from hearing full albums to sampling MP3s – is about to pay dividends. Even though it might seem a little weird not seeing Sufjan atop the many lists circulating, it didn’t mean that 2006 packed a punch harder than that of Ali on Liston. So without further ado, here is our list of the 25 Best Songs of 2006:
UPDATE: After some issues with the servers we think we've reached a compromise, so the songs below should all work. However, older MP3s and a few others found on the front page may not work. Sorry for the inconvenience - we're working on it! Enjoy.
25.
SOUND Team - Handfull of Billions [MP3] Despite an ugly Pitchfork review, this song really stands out, even if it is derivative... like Talking Heads on industrial-grade speed clashing heads with a chain link fence.
24.
Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds [MP3] Again with the shitty Pitchfork review! Marc Hogan's bullshit couldn't mask the real presence this song unleashes on its listener... it's just a great rock song performed by some exceedingly talented musicians with more passion than most of the artists on this list.
23.
Hot Chip - Boy From School [MP3] This style of music isn't for everyone, but if dance/electronica is up your alley, Hot Chip does it best with this song. The beat, the vocals, the lyrics--everything is just perfect.
22.
Sunset Rubdown - Stadiums And Shrines II [MP3] I don't know how Spencer Krug manages four freaking bands at once, but Sunset Rubdown is by far one of his more impressive outfits. Wolf Parade fans will find this song more akin to their tastes, it really just fucking rocks.
21.
Man Man - Ice Dogs [MP3] It took me a while to really get into Man Man, but this song was really worth the wait. There are so many elements that make this a good song, but it's the eclectic irony of genres and influences that makes it great.
20.
Final Fantasy - This Lamb Sells Condos [MP3] I don't know why this album didn't catch on as much as his debut. "This Lamb" is easily the most chilling and disturbing song on this list, but still beautiful and as well orchestrated as one would expect from Owen Pallett.
19.
Thom Yorke - Atoms For Peace [WWW] Thom Yorke's easily got one of the best voices in rock and roll history, and he stretches it far on this song. The lyrics, not surprisingly, are brilliant and the chord progression leaves absolutely nothing to be desired... it's simply stunning.
18.
Band Of Horses - The Funeral [MP3] When I first heard this song I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It's impact has dimmed since then (particularly due to a pretty lousy rendition at P4k Fest '06) but it's nevertheless one of 2006's best-- an all around "feel-good" song, something we can never have too much of.
17.
Jeremy Enigk - Been Here Before [MP3] Jeremy Enigk has always been known for his emotional voice and style of music, but this gem on his latest solo album pushes the Enigk envelope. The somber song may fool you with it's simplicity at first, but when the organ kicks in 1/3 of the way through you suddenly realize why the instrument has a "holy" connotation behind it.
16.
The Format - Dog Problems [MP3] The title track from one of the best albums of 2006, The Format showcase every ounce of their ever-growing talent in this song. The symbolic/storytelling lyrics, superb melodies, and uncanny instrumentation in this one song puts a smile on my face every time.
15.
Regina Spektor - Fidelity [MP3] Ms. Spektor has the ability to not only make astounding music, but craft a delightful sound that is so intimate you'd almost swear she is singing to you and only you. Damn, I wish that was the case.
14.
The Panda Band - Eyelashes [MP3] Aussie band with a great indie-rock composition and equally great vocals. This is one of the best songs on one of the best releases of the year.
13.
Josh Ritter - Thin Blue Flame [MP3] If there was one epic song of 2006, this would be it. One of the more powerful songs of the entire year, Ritter was able to craft a dark 9-minutes of perfection so beautiful that it still leaves you wanting more.
12.
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 1 & 2 [WWW] I'd probably rate this song higher if CW2 wasn't attached at the end (good song, but weighs it down). Nevertheless, The Decemberists have once again created something brilliant, and the lyrics are some of the best of the year.
11.
Sufjan Stevens - Star Of Wonder [MP3] This really came out of nowhere as a late addition to our list. I'm honestly just stunned that everything Sufjan seems to touch turns to pure gold, even a half-baked Christmas album. If you haven't heard this song yet, now's the time to spend seven minutes falling in love with it.
10.
Arms - Tiger Tamer [MP3] Here it is, the most overlooked song of 2006. I posted on this track over the summer calling it "the best thing I've heard in a long time," and I still stand by that statement. It's got the wittiness of a Meloy tune, the thrash of Wolf Parade, and a kick-ass synth freakout at the end. What more could you want? Todd just signed to a European label and will be recording an album for a 2007 release. Look out world, don't say I didn't warn ya!
9.
Sleeping States - Rivers [MP3] I called this song the Song of November back when we first heard it a few weeks ago, and it's been getting me through a lot lately. It's one of those songs that I could (and did) put endlessly on repeat and I'd never get tired of it. Markland's voice is like that of Zach Condon or Final Fantasy but the music is unique enough to make his sound a lasting one. Look out for Sleeping States to be one of the shining stars of 2007!
8.
Islands - Rough Gem [MP3] Ah, good ol' indie-pop. No one did "cute and cuddly" this year like Islands did, but with a production team that included ex-Unicorns members and members of The Arcade Fire, this song surpasses the typical throw-away status of indie-pop and approaches the more meaningful status of music as "art."
7.
Lupe Fiasco - Hurt Me Soul [MP3] I don't really pretend to know anything about hip-hop, but for me this was the best rap song I've heard all year. Lupe's in the limelight for a reason, and this song tells the story. I've got a knack for progressive lyrics in hip-hop, and Lupe touches on a lot of things that someone like me can appreciate. If you're looking for impressive rhyming and lyricism, check out the final verse... might just be the most impressive and bad-ass rapping of the year.
6.
Arizona - Splintering [MP3] Ok, so yeah, I flipped out about Arizona a little while back, but for good reason. This is the song that got me hooked: a musically unique, vocally stunning, orchestrally interesting, and lyrically smart song, with a good old fashioned Modest Mouse-style freakout at the end. If you can't get into this song, it's your loss. Look for Arizona's Welcome Back Dear Children on our Best Albums list coming later this week.
5.
Grizzly Bear - Easier [MP3] The opening flutter of "Easier" that begins the album is entirely bewildering yet strangely comforting at the same time. While you're sitting there wondering what has come over you, you'll realize that the answer is simple: it's pure bliss. The song progresses with a decidedly strange, overbearing vocal harmony, a sonic representation of "follow the bouncing ball" from any number of your favorite Disney cartoons... and I absolutely can't get over how amazing that makes me feel. There's something about being barraged by a wall of harmonies that really smacks the stomach butterflies into action.
4.
Beirut - Postcards From Italy [MP3] It's hard to describe exactly what will happen to you when you listen to this song... for me, it's an indescribable, ethereal wave of emotion... like little footsteps dancing in perfect choreography on my diaphram...that slight shortness of breath you experience when standing before unsurmountable beauty. You're speechless, it takes you over, and by the end you're wondering if you'll ever feel something like that again. That's why this is one of the best songs I've heard this year. How the hell can something this amazing come from someone who's barely 5 years past puberty???
3.
Annuals - Complete Or Completing [MP3] I was wondering when 2006 would see it's first good waltz, and this one blew any expectation I had out of the water. This is probably the most musically interesting song I've heard all year. Pitchfork was entirely correct when they likened Annuals to BSS and The Arcade Fire, because this band deserves to be listed with the best. At 4:20 into the song, singer Adam Baker mutters the only two words I can think of to interpret what I'm thinking when I hear this song: "Oh God."
2.
Joanna Newsom - Cosmia [MP3] When I heard Joanna was recording a new album, the result was most certainly not what I had in mind. I was sure that TV on the Radio's sophomore effort shocked me the most, but when I heard "Cosmia" and the rest of Ys, I stood corrected, bewildered, entranced, enamored... this is THE most beautiful song of the year, and Van Dyke Park's ochestration, never too overbearing, makes the experience infinitely more enjoyable.
1.
TV On The Radio - I Was A Lover [MP3] Words cannot do this song justice, much less the album, so I'll stop right there and let it speak for itself.
We're always open to any comments and recommendations, and of course let us know if we should check out anything we missed! Thanks for reading everyone, stay tuned for our lists of Best Albums, EPs, b-sides and more throughout the week!
53 comments:
great list of songs, the funeral, postcards from Italy, Cosmia and Splintering are stunning songs. I like Complete or Completing, but Bleary-Eyed is my pick, also i hadn't heard the Josh Ritter track before, I'm going to buy the CD tomorrow. Did you consider This sentence will ruin/save your life?, that became my favourite song this year. Oh before i forget, Hospital beds truly rocks.
you are in a for a great suprise with the josh ritter album.
i really suggest everyone check out "William Fitzsimmons". some really nice iron & wine/soft electronics.
it seems like your account has been suspended. i hope nothing's wrong.
/martinsweden.
Yessss TVotR's I was a Lover is AMAZING. I adore it; the song completely sucked me into the album.
"Dog Problems" and Any Regina = great choices.
Please contact the billing/support department as soon as possible.
I heart Regina.
nice list......i'd add the strokes-you only live once......great song
great list... just last week I finally got into The Thermals, and have been listening to "Pillar of Salt" on repeat. Just my two cents.
i don't get it... where's justin timberlake's on this list?
Dog Problems on here got me into the Format. I'm from Phoenix and loved going to see nevergonnascore (Nate & Sam's former band) at the Nile when I was in high school (yeah, I still have my ngs t-shirt...red with a soccer ball so I felt like I could wear it to school).
I resisted the Format for a really long time because of loyalty to my pop-punk roots (that I don't deal too well with anymore). But they're really turned into pretty neat musicians. Thanks!
mine would include ola podrida-pour me another & christine fellows-vertebrae & inlets-pictures of trees; maybe the last two aren't the year's "best" but they are damn good
I see your having some bandwidth problems, fuck midway and go with dreamhost, much more bandwidth and very affordable. Hope that helps sweet list btw
Well, Band of Horses, Beirut, Sleeping States, and Islands are all right on track (though all should've been closer to #1); but c'mon dude, Grizzly Bear's "Knife", The Format's "She Doesn't Get It" and TVOTR's "Wolf Like Me" were so much better than "Easier", "Dog Problems" and "I Was A Lover".
Now for the rant....
Did you forget about Voxtrot???
I dunno, like, maybe "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" or "Soft & Warm" or "Rise Up In The Dirt" or "Missing Pieces" or "Raised By Wolves" or "The Start Of Something"!! Jeezuss Fucking Kryst man!
Or how about these fine selections:
Bedroom Walls - "In Anticipation Of Your Suicide" or "Kathy In Her Bedroom"
Bishop Allen - "The Monitor"
Blood Feathers - "Sea Legs"
Brown Recluse Sings - "Western Meadowlark"
Camera Obscura - "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" or "Let's Get Out Of This Country" or "Come Back Margaret"
Duels - "Pressure On You" or "What We Did Wrong"
Elf Power - "An Old Familiar Scene"
Human Television - "Ten Minutes"
Iron Hero - "Bomb Shelter"
Jim Noir - "Computer Song" or "In The Key Of C"
Let's Go Sailing - "All I Want From You Is Love"
Matthew Friedberger - "Pennsylvania Rock Oil Co. Resignation Letter"
Mezzanine Owls - "Coyote" or "Lightbulb"
Midlake - "Young Bride"
Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me"
MSTRKRFT - "She's Good For Business"
Neko Case - "Hold On, Hold On" or "Star Witness" or "Margaret vs. Pauline"
Oh No! Oh My! - "Farewell To All My Friends"
Okkervil River - "Love To A Monster"
Page France - "Antarctica (My Beloved Home)"
Peter, Bjorn And John - "Young Folks"
Phantom Buffalo - "A Bathing Suite For A Rich Girl"
Plus/Minus - "Steal The Blueprints"
Portastatic - "Sour Shores"
Ray LaMontagne - "Three More Days"
Rosewood Thieves - "Cold In The Country" or "Los Angeles"
Sea Wolf - "Black Dirt" or "You're A Wolf"
Sean Lennon - "Dead Meat"
Sébastien Schuller - "Weeping Willow"
Sonic Youth - Incinerate"
Sparkadia - "Up In The Air"
Sparrow House - "When I Am Gone"
Surferosa - "Wolf Riders"
The Ballet - "In My Head"
The Black Heart Procession - "Tangled" or "Not Just Words" or "The Letter"
The Cherry Tempo - "In Hindsight I Know"
The Futureheads - "Skip To The End"
The Legends - "Play It For Today" or "Lucky Star"
The Like Young - "For Money Or Love"
The Little Ones - "Lovers Who Uncover"
The Pine Club - "Last Frame Of The Film"
The Radio Dept. - "The Worst Taste In Music"
The Rapture - "W.A.Y.U.H."
The Starlight Mints - "What's Inside Of Me"
The Sunspots - "Carmen"
The Thermals - "A Pillar Of Salt"
The Vanity - "Traveler"
The Whip - "Trash"
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Turn Into"
The Zutons - "Secrets" or "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?"
Tim Williams - "Novel"
We Are Scientists - "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" or "It's A Hit"
Whitest Boy Alive - "Burning"
And "Cosmia"? -- WTF?!?
waaah me no likey when accounts are suspended :-(
^^^get a blog.
Hey. I dig your blog. I've started a podcast (much of which is gleaned from this blog and others) and I hope you'll check it out. Visit my website (under construction) to download:
www.whitemikesf.com
I hope to put these out every month or so. Let me know what you think.
Tracklist:
1.) Radiohead - Paperbag Writer
2.) Beck - Cellphone's Dead
3.) The Rub - Burn Egyptian Rubber
4.) QSO - Pushin On (White Mike edit)
5.) Ludacris - Satisfaction
6.) The Rolling Stones - She's So Cold
7.) The Rapture - WAYUH
8.) Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
9.) The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another
10.) Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT remix)
11.) CSS - Let's Make Love (Spank Rock remix)
12.) The Teenagers - Fuck Nicole
13.) Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends
14.) Laid Back - White Horse
15.) Prince - Erotic City
16.) Vanity 6 - Nasty Girl
17.) Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
18.) Justin Timberlake feat Clipse - Sexyback remix
19.) Justin Timberlake - My Love
20.) Hot Chip - Over and Over
21.) Big Daddy Kane - Warm it Up Kane
22.) Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Creator
23.) Yaz - Situation
24.) Roctakon - More of What I Needed
25.) The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
26.) Hollertronix - David Banner vs. Eurythmics
27.) Technotronic - Pump Up the Jam
28.) Lady Sovereign - Ch Ching (XXXChange Remix)
29.) JJ Fad - Supersonic
30.) Fergie - Fergalicious
31.) Spank Rock - Bump (Switch mix)
32.) The Presets - I Go Hard I Go Home
33.) MIA - 10 Dollar
34.) Jurgen Paape - Joe Le Taxi
35.) The Notwist - Pilot (Console Remix)
36.) Bjork - In Our Hands (Soft Pink Truth Mix)
37.) I-F - Playstation #1
38.) Ratatat - Gettysburg
TVOTR yes!!!
Donovan Woods? I love him.
love the top 5, except joanna
I prefer easier and i was a lover to knife and wolf like me actually
in reference to "your list is missing a lot" poster
best list yet.
excellent list, quite in keeping with IGIF's indie rock regulars.
I finally (please don't kill me) heard the whole Return To Cookie Mountain album today. I don't know why I've been wasting my time with stuff like Neko Case and Spank Rock, this album is AMAZING. Kudos on ur #1 choice.
btw your downloads don't work.
the forgotten band and song?
Guillemots - Trains To Brazil is an absolute masterpeice.
ritter track: thin blue flame
I love the inclusion of Josh Ritter... he's been missing from many lists this year and I'm glad you included him... but it is "Thin Blue Flame." :P
No Anathallo, though? :(
And I really don't get Beruit... I guess it's just me because everyone else is raving over him, but I don't really like his music.
Thank you for including Josh Ritter. I feel like his album was lost when everyone was putting together their best of the year lists -- it is stunning. My favorite album of the year.
songs aren't downloading. only getting a 4k thing.
Wow, it almost seems like you read my mind. A lot of these songs are on my list. Great minds, indeed!
BTW, it's "Thin Blue Flame" not "Thin Blue Line."
I agree with the bloke about "Trains To Brazil" by Guillemots... best song of the year.
Oh yeah, Arms still suck.
I personally think "Knife" is a better song than "Easier", and that "Emily" is better than "Cosmia". I also agree that "Wolf Like Me" is better than "I Was a Lover", but I personally have quite the hard-on for "A Method". I also don't think "Rivers" should have been up that high, it's just not that unbelievable.
Also, where the hell is Destroyer on here?
what about Casey Stratton's DIVIDE. Came across it on cdbaby (accidentally bought it but didn't return...) and fell in love with it!
my bad on the ritter typo. didn't mean to confuse anyone, so sorry if i did.
i don't even know how i managed to look over that one. god bless you proofreaders, each and every one.
long time reader, first time commentor. nice list. i don't agree with most of the songs as being "Best of 2006", but then again, it's your list, not mine. however, if you put up a blog, expect to get feedback (+ and -). damien rice, silversun pickups, my morning jacket, my latest novel, sia, and iain archer all had great standout tracks this year, not to mention standout albums. could probably name a few hundred more that deserve to be higher on your list.....still good stuff, a for effort...it's not easy picking out a top list. you should do a top list of all time. then you'd get some real feedback. would undoubtedly cause quite a ruckus. can you say weblog award 2007? guess it could go either way with posting a top list ever.....
Nice list...Agree with you that "I Was a Lover" is better than wolf. No Destroyer??
wow, i'm really enjoying reading all of these comments and opinions on this year in music. as for the numerous destroyer comments - trust me, i hear you!
keep in mind we still have to post the best albums of 2006 and i can all but guarantee destroyer will be making an appearance in the upper echelon.
the list of songs that we didn't have room to include would probably be just as noteworthy, especially since nearly all of the songs that didn't make the cut have been mentioned by someone thus far. telepathy, anyone?
wolf like me, all the way.
did anyone else think that the Colour Revolt released one of the best Ep's of the year which featured two absolutely incredible songs?
"Matresses Underwater"
"A New Family"
amazing music. anyone?
Very excellent list. Thanks for the tracks! "I Was A Lover" was in a dead heat with Destroyer's "Painter n Your Pocket" for my #1 song this year. Keep up the good work!
Lupe is doing his thing! I offer my music as well @ http://www.myspace.com/antithesisrecords
Jesse as is.
for fucks sakes, this is his personal list. anything starting with "the best..." is SUBJECTIVE. i think its a great list and whether or not all of the artists i would have had on there are represented, or the order of the songs is accurate in my opinion, it's still an excellent group of songs.
" I don't really pretend to know anything about hip-hop" clearly. anyone who puts lupe's dud into their top 10 doesn't know jack about hiphop.
man i'm so sick of hearing that. Lupe's food and liqour was a fantasic hip hop album, definitely my favourite hip hop release of the year.
also another band i've noticed not many people praising is
"The Most Serene Republic"
definitely work a look, they're on arts & crafts.
glad to see Arizona
anon, please tell us your opinion of the real hip hop artists, those who aren't duds. I'm tired of these anonymous posts of people who bitch but can't back it up with anything.
Wow umm so I don't really like Final Fantasy but that song title - "This lamb sells condos" - well if anyone lives in Toronto they will recognize it as one of those bus-stop stop signs. It's a pic of a bald guy's head on a lamb. Really weird, I remember laughing at it a year or two ago.
Tiger Tamer = pure fucking gold. I have that song stuck in my head all the time. Watching Arms live was a beautiful experience. Todd had the whole crowd really going, amazing to watch one man do so much with just a guitar and a vocal microphone. I think that once the tigers have been tamed, more people will be hip to what Arms is all about ;-)
I agree with the Lupe pick...I'm glad you didn't choose "Kick Push" like Pitchfork did--boring. But Hurt Me Soul, hell yeah. I disagree with choosing Annual's Complete or Completing over Brother, though. Brother, while far too short, is amazing.
I'm happy to see Grizzly Bear and Sleeping States made your list.
Overlooked Artist:
Midlake - "Young Bride"
"Young Bride" is beauty. If you've not heard the song, please check it out.
all you mooks need to smarten up and start listening to some real music.. all of these songs are pure poppycock!
You Philistines! How could you omit the incredibly popular "Steven Speilberg gets a hilarious prank phone call?" I have to agree with the mook before me -- it is high time to titivate the child around this wreck.
I love what you have written about Beirut's Postcards from Italy, and I cannot agree more. It has left me speechless and I couldn't find the words to describe it but you have simply taken them out of my mouth.
great list, I'm just sad there are no Strokes songs on here. First Impressions is an incredible album. and my choice for the list would be Vision of Division:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y7hMKvnauzY
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