2006 LPs...

[The Boston Crab]

'Up WIth People' really is all that and more.

That scratchy guitar just shakes you up and dumps you on the ground while the 1-note 'riff' keeps you there...amazing song.

[Whirlybird]

Yes, it's a sentiment that does bear repeating.

They seem like an excellent live act:

2002 version of The Adversary, sadly the vocals are a bit too low:

[CaledonianGonzo]

Up WIth People' really is all that and more.

Man, that's fantastic.  It's completely new to me, and I've had it on a loop for the past 24 hours.  Good call, Whirlybird.

BTW, for future reference, how is Oneida pronounced?

Is it Oh-knee-da or One-idea?

So that I don't look like an idiot when saying it.

[trotsky assortment]

Just spotted there's a new deluxe version of Pavement's 'Wowee Zowee' out. That probably goes to the top of my list of things to buy next week. If they've given it as much love and care as the previous two album reissues, it'll be superb.

[Captain Crunch]

I've never heard of Oneida but won't people tend to confuse them with the far superior Unida?

So what are your favourite 2006 LPs?

Three really excellent new releases this year.  First, the latest Red Sparowes LP 'Every Red Heart Shines Towards The Red Sun'.  Have a butchers at the sodding tracklisting, the wags:

1. the great leap forward poured down upon us one day like a mighty storm,
suddenly and furiously blinding our senses.

2. we stood transfixed in blank devotion as our leader spoke to us, looking
down on our mute faces with a great, raging, and unseeing eye.

3. like the howling glory of the darkest winds, this voice was thunderous
and the words holy, tangling their way around our hearts and clutching our innocent awe.

4. a message of avarice rained down and carried us away into false dreams of endless riches.

5. "annihilate the sparrow, that stealer of seed, and our harvests will abound; we will watch our wealth flood in."

6. and by our own hand did every last bird lie silent in their puddles, the air barren of song as the clouds drifted away.

7. for killing their greatest enemy, the locusts noisily thanked us and turned their jaws toward our crops, swallowing our greed whole.

8. millions starved and we became skinnier and skinnier, while our leaders became fatter and fatter.

9. finally, as that blazing sun shone down upon us, did we know that true enemy was the voice of blind idolatry; and only then did we begin to think for ourselves.

Content is pretty much the same as the last album but considering how good that was, it's no bad thing.


Secondly, I with the stunning 'Between Two Worlds'.  Like Twilight, I are another Black Metal 'Supergroup' - line-up details here:

http://www.metal-archives.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=bd86b99f152a9240be17c9f0b79c9fcd

Their album is amazing, very classic with plenty of extensive fretwanking and growling.  No dips in quality either, smashing song after smashing song all the way.  Can't wait for the tour.


Lastly, 'Passover' by The Black Angels.  If I had to pick one album of the year it would be this; bought it a few months ago following a recommendation from a friend and I haven't had it off since.  Buy it today and thank me when you've scraped yourself up.

[Egyptian Feast]

Joanna Newsom's Ys is truly stunning. I wasn't sure about it from the advance reports - it sounded a little self-indulgent - but then Uncut had the shortest track, 'Cosmia', on their CD this month and I couldn't keep myself from playing it up to three times in a row. The rest of the album is unbelievable - this is a record I can imagine I'll still be playing in 10 years and I still won't have uncovered all it's little secrets. It's been compared a lot to Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle, which I hadn't heard of, but have just bought off eBay. I keep thinking of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks while I'm listening, not that they're all that similar on the surface, but both are quite freeform in structure, and both affect me in a way no other music does - they tap into something I can't understand, and I doubt the musicians do either. I've spent more than a decade listening to Astral Weeks and it still sounds as new and fresh as it did the first time I heard it. I've only had Ys for a couple of days, but I can see the same thing happening.

It hasn't been a bad year for albums, I reckon, but not spectacular. If I had to list my albums of the year, without including Ys, I'd go for:

New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
Matthew Friedberger - Winter Women
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Lily Allen - Alright, Still

I haven't heard the new Dylan yet, I'm sure it's great, but I was more excited about the return of New York Dolls, and thank God, it's a great album.

Re-issue of the year could only be Ween - Live In Toronto, Canada Featuring The Shit Creek Boys. It's a gorgeous limited double white vinyl reissue - my only qualm being the vinyl scratches very easily. The album itself is truly amazing - the 14 minute version of 'Fluffy' has to be heard to be believed. I'm a Ween nut, and I know all the songs on this LP inside out, but these 'country and eastern' versions breathe new life into them. The version of 'Push Th' Little Daisies' is just beautiful.

My live show of the year was Os Mutantes at the Barbican, no contest. I could scarcely believe it when I heard they'd reformed and I was shitting myself with excitement for the whole month leading up to the gig (they are truly the band of my dreams). I was scared to even cross the road in case something happened to make me miss it. Thankfully, they really did not disappoint, even though Rita Lee didn't show up. I was really hoping someone would release a DVD of this show, as I was in the front row and was caught by the camera going absolutely mental a couple of times. I really hope this was not a one-off.

[rjd2]

Jay Z is back which despite what he says he never actually really retired. Only the pretentious backpacking snob would not acknowledge Jigga undoubted brilliance as a rapper, much better than any other commercial rapper in the last ten years and yes I'm including Biggie, Nas, Snoop and Tupac although to be fair Pac's flow was horrendously crap. However a lot of Jay's albums did contain lot of filler designed with the intention of making sure that he gets maximum exposure on the air. I mean change Clothes and A Hard Knock Life shocking songs I think we can all agree. This album on initial listening is quite solid no track sucks to much even the obvious radio singles. I still can't find a classic track yet but heh it will probably be a grower.

[chand]

Heh, speaking of Jay-Z and backpackers, there's some cats on the Stones Throw board who are a little indignant about some alleged Madlib biting on Jigga's new record. Example:

...probably doesn't even own or know the O.G. loop sample either, jackin' Madlib's whole entire 'steez, that's definite "no!no!" shit for beat producers, he deserves a literal beatdown for that.

Can't see Madlib laying off the herb long enough to get worked up about it though.

[Toad in the Hole]

You lot are good round here.  Decemberists album is brilliant - O Valencia! is a great alt-pop song with a fantastic riff in particular.

The I'm From Barcelona album is also excellent.

[Why I Hate Tables]

The Bordellos album has come out.

It can be downloaded from

www.northernstarrecords.co.uk

I downloaded it, and it is worth the money. Apparently the British Brian Jonestown Massacre, but they sound alternately like Spiritualised, The Smashing Pumpkins, New Order and Clinic. Good live band too.

Some of you may remember their song Arthur Lee in the Great SIngles Thread. That's on there in a slightly updated mode.

It's a good album. One of Northern Starr's best sellers but then they are a small label.

[Ciarán2]

One or two recommendations...


Captain "This Is Hazelville"

Old fashioned mid 80s bedsitty studenty sensitive pop in the vein of Prefab Sprout, Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, and Deacon Blue. They remember to put tunes in, and they do the girl-boy counter singing thang which I happen to like.

Also;

Jamelia "Walk With Me" (Ace poppy album - good if you like your pop modern, shiny and witty).

Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out Of This Country" (Tremendous indie in the C86 tradition, packed with memorable tunes and starts off with one of the best singles of the year - "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken").

Oh, and that Bob Stanley compiled C86 compilation that's just been released looks good too.

[Why I Hate Tables]

New Bordellos video, by none other than me.

[actwithoutwords]

I maybe somewhat disconnected from the 'popular' scene these days. But did anyone really like Nelly Furtado's album this year? I have always disliked her intensely, but having been forced to listen to the new one at work for the last few weeks, there are some absolutely cracking tunes on it. Maneater, Promiscuous and All Good Things among them.
I will do a proper post in this thread in the next few weeks. Am in the middle of a staff-discounted beyond-my-means music binge at the moment.
I will only add that anyone who likes dance music or indeed krautrock should get the Fujiya and Miyagi album, which combines the two to fantastic effect.

[rjd2]

Well as someone who always had a soft spot for Nelly I thought Maneater and Promiscious were a tad disappointing, I mean the production was grand but that Timberland sound is all over the place these days. Her new one though even though it was co written with Chris Martin is lovely and doesn't sound like its trying to hard to appeal to the hippity hoppity poppy kids out their. She's also quite pretty as well but I digress.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

Gnarls, Peeping Tom, Deftones and Tool have all released grand albums this year. The best, by a distance, would be Tool I reckon.

Still, doesn't compare to music I've discovered this year. Those Rolling Stone guys are pretty good! As is Neil Young... and The Beatles rock band. Its a depressing situation when you have to go back to get into music.

[non capisco]

I fucking love most of the new Bluetones album. 'My Neighbour's House' and 'The Last Song But One' are especially lovely, easily the equal of previous high points like 'Are You Blue..' and 'The Fountainhead'.

I suppose they'll always be hampered by the Britpop albatross, but I saw them do a fantastic gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire the other week and what with Mark Morriss' dry little between-song asides ("we were here last year being recorded for a DVD but it seems someone forgot to press 'record' AND 'play' "), I kind of like them operating outside the margins as a 'we were sort of big once' secret.

[Glebe]

New Frank Black album.

And two new music videos......

(Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar.

Don't Get Me Wrong.