Top 10 Albums of 2006

Being the beginning of the new year (and a long night) I've decided to present my Top 10 Albums of 2006. I'll give you the reason why I like each album, and then I'll recommend a song to listen to if you want a taste of what the album is about. So here they are, my Top 10 Albums of 2006:

#10 - Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

These guys really brought the punk back to England. This album is what The Clash would sound like today; getting kicked out of nightclubs and wicked hangovers. When it came out it went right up the charts in the UK, and deserves respect for what it is, even if it asks you not to.

Try this: When The Sun Goes Down


#9 - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

It seems that whatever Jack White touches turns to gold. This was a break from his White Stripes duties, but the album certainly doesn't show any signs of a "side project". The raw aesthetic of this album feels like it was created and cut right in front of you, but rocks like it was carefully planned. A perfect combination.

Try this: Level

#8 - Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

I saw her in concert earlier this year and she honestly blew me away. She takes country and alternative music and mashes them together, and when you add her echoed Stevie Nicks-style voice, you get an album that is an amazing combination of expression, songwriting, and musicality.

Try this: Hold On, Hold On

#7 - The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

Portland's own! The most indie band you'll ever see on the Billboard charts put out their first big record label (Capitol) album this year and did Portland proud. They stuck to their indie roots while weaving a lyrical and melodic masterpiece through the tale of a woman and her bird. A brilliant album in whole.

Try this: The Crane Wife 3

#6 James Morrison - Undiscovered

This one album reinvented pop music for me. Granted it came from England, the place where pop was perfected in the 60s, but it hasn't come like this for a while. With great melodies and his amazing voice, this album doesn't have a bad song on it, and will most likely prove its title wrong very soon.

Try this: Wonderful World

#5 - Wolfmother - Wolfmother

If it takes Australians to remind us how to rock, so be it. Zeppelin should be so lucky to have a tribute band half as good as these guys. The whole album is full of amazing guitar riffs & vocals, psychedelically poetic lyrics, and an unrelenting pace; the elements metal was born on. A tribute to rock.

Try this: Joker and the Thief

#4 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

The band that brought us some of the 90's best alternative rock gives us 2 CDs of music that exemplifies their progression and adaptation musically. Beautiful ballads about marriage and settling down along side songs the same guitar anthems that have made us love them forever.

Try this: Snow (Hey Oh)

#3 - The Beatles - LOVE

I know this wasn't exactly a new album, but what George and Giles Martin did in the studio really did this music justice. It is a perfect tribute to the band and their legendary body of work. It's almost retrospective as if the songs are in honor of the band, and who better to honor them than themselves.

Try this: Strawberry Fields Forever

#2 - Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Classic Bob Dylan. A little bit older, a little bit wiser, but the man can still make music better than the rest. This album is just a fun ride top to bottom, and as it shows the breadth of Dylan's arsenal, it does it without breaking a sweat. Just like Dylan's always done it.

Try this: Thunder on the Mountain


#1 My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

I don't care what anyone says, this is the year's best album. It is absolutely epic; a theatrical masterpiece with dramatic ballads and rock anthems that blaze through the band's rise and fall with precision and reckless abandon all at once.

Try this: Welcome to the Black Parade

That's my list, now what do you think?