Top 10 (deluxe multimedia edition)
"Top 10 Albums of 2006 You Won't Agree With" would probably be a better title, but when it's 70+ degrees in mid-December, it's hard to be pessimistic. Oh wait--yes it is, the earth's going to explode. Anyway, here's my top 10, and because I love you all so much, I've made downloadable zip files of all the albums. Clicking on any of the titles will take you to a link on sendspace, where I don't think you have to sign up for anything, but if you do, it's free. As always, I encourage all of you give as much financial support to independent artists as possible. But sharing's still an unimpeachable virtue.
My major musical interests these days are metal on the one hand and ambient/drone/experimental/weird stuff on the other. Once you scroll down, it will become immediately apparent which one of these tendencies took the cake this year. At least in terms of new albums I heard in '06, the heavier ones were definitely the more memorable. And the likes of Sonic Youth, the Melvins, Cursive, Tim Hecker, and others who are popping up on numerous year-end lists will have to deal with the fact that I didn't hear their new works in time for them to make the list. Here we go...
#10#10#10
Antaeus - Blood Libels
In affairs of state, France has become notorious for being, well, a leetle Vichy-vashy. Its metal scene, however, is a much different story, especially if we're talking black metal. Antaeus is among a crop of bands that comprises one of the strongest national b.m. scenes in the world. Blood Libels represents a slightly new approach for a band who built its reputation by creating some of the most jagged, raw, violent black metal ever (see 2000's kid-tested-mother-approved Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan and 2001's De Principii Evangelikum. Uh, did I mention they're Satanic? Yeah.). Listening to snippets of all three albums, perhaps Blood Libels doesn't stray as much from previous works as my initial impression of it suggested (especially in the production department). But the most chaotic aspects have been shaved down to favor a sound that's more torpedo than cluster bomb. Sheer speed is the name of the game here; Antaeus is right up there with the likes of Immortal and 1349 in the hyper-blast elite. If there's one album you run screaming from this year, make it this one.
#9#9#9#9
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Ok, so it wasn't the follow-up I hoped for, but The Crane Wife is still a good album. I got into this motley crew last year with everyone else when Picaresque came out, which I picked as my second-favorite record of 2005. Most of what everyone loves about The Decemberists musically is present on this album, but it's somehow muted. As someone to whom lyrics have come to matter less and less (perhaps simply as a natural result of my increased interest in lyric-less music, and it may be just a phase...), I was really taken by the stories in Picaresque; there was something captivating about the characters Colin Meloy created. And the fact that said characters were usually cast in absurd and/or doomed scenarios probably played into my warped sensibilities. That's a big part of what's missing from The Crane Wife (the compelling protagonists, not my warped sensibilities, which thankfully remain intact). With the exception of the wonderful little "Shankill Butchers" (which echoes an earlier Decemberists ditty "A Cautionary Song" that would be a candidate for a spot on a favorite-songs-ever list if I were to assemble one), I just don't care about these characters. My response to the titular song-cycle doesn't go much beyond, "Dude finds a bird, marries her. Yawn." I much preferred the government paper-pusher who fell for a Russian spy in "We Both Go Down Together" or that dead baby in "Leslie Anne Levine." I know this is sounding like a pretty negative record review, but it's in the context of one of the best mainstream bands out there and up against a seriously amazing predecessor. You will have these songs caught in your head for days, and that will be a good thing. (Apologies to Erik G. and Cursive: I still haven't heard Happy Hollow, and I'm well aware of the possibility of a number of you chasing me through the streets with torches demanding that it be awarded the #9 spot. I and my special flame retardant bathrobe say, so be it.)
#8#8#8#8
Xasthur - Subliminal Genocide
With its roots in the forests of Scandinavia (ok, and in the actual cities too), black metal has taken a circuitous route to the point where a faction of its current ruling class hails from sunny California. Xasthur and Leviathan, one-man projects of take-this-Christian-name-and-shove-it dudes Malefic and Wrest, respectively, are widely recognized as top brass in the genre--Malefic for his perfection of the suicidally bleak approach and Wrest for his unorthodox creativity and copious output. Anyway, we're talking about Malefic here, though there's not much to expound on. It's vintage Xasthur: long, slow-to-mid-tempo songs featuring the most minor of minor-key guitar work topped with supremely tortured howling vocals soaked in reverb and distortion. Comparisons are being made to an early full-length of his that I've never heard (I just have a couple of more recent splits), but there's very little straying from the path of general despair ubiquitous in his releases. Contender for bleakest album of the year.
#7#7#7#7
Kylesa - Time Will Fuse Its Worth
Another rocker from this Savannah quintet, who now feature two drummers! I'm not sure what the consensus in the DC scene is about these guys, but a lot of the Richmond punks I know through Aghast seem to think they got boring after their first record. I strongly disagree. I didn't actually hear them on record until after I witnessed their mesmerising performance at Pointless Fest in '04. I've seen them at least three times since (they're coming through again in February), and their live performance always ranks somewhere between solid and fantastic. With hybridization more and more common in the punk scene and throughout music in general, a band can't stand out simply by claiming a crust/hardcore/metal/punk/southern rock pedigree. But Kylesa infuses that brutal stew with too many hooks not to stand out. You really have to see them live to fully experience the whole package, but this album is a great place to start if you want to check out their studio work. I'm listening to it again as I type: so. fucking. good. I had to take a quick break from typing to play some air guitar a minute ago. Oh, and the last track on the record is a double drum solo!
#6#6#6#6
Milanese - Extend
Look at me! I'm on a bandwagon! Weeee! Seriously though, as Pitchfork noted recently, dubstep finally seeped out of its UK underground and into the margins of the wider Western (if not global) indie world. Which means that people like myself who don't keep an ear to the dance floor can be in on the goodness. And so Milanese and Burial (see below!) in particular are getting regular airplay in my vicinity. Milanese represents the more bangin' end of the dubstep spectrum--Extend is populated with huuuuge beats throughout. Lots of vocals too, which work better in some songs than in others. "Mr. Bad News" is one of my favorite tracks of the year. If you saw me on the street rocking earphones in the past couple months looking like I was trying hard to suppress overt dance moves, there's a good chance I was listening to Milanese.
#5#5#5#5
Isis - In the Absence of Truth
Isis is an evolving band, and I like everything they've ever done. But allow me to reminisce for a moment. Oh, how I miss the buzzsaw riffing of "Hive Destruction;" the escalating suffocation of "Collapse and Crush" recalls an earlier moment in New England history when one Giles Corry demanded more weight and was obliged. And each of the two full-lengths that preceded Absence feature riffs that belong in the band's Heavy Hall of Fame. But Absence is a different animal. When I saw Isis perform a few of these songs before the album's release, I was truly disappointed by the lack of heaviness. I know that Isis can do other things well too, and I appreciate that. They've been one of the most impressive bands of the last ten years in my humble 0., and they didn't build that legacy on amped E-chords alone. The new album is more thoroughly melodic than previous works, but it's still damn good. Special props to Aaron Harris for being a perennially underrated drummer. He's had an immediately recognizable style since the first ep, and he stepped it up here. I'm lamenting my decision not go see these guys with Tool in October.
#4#4#4#4
Krisiun - AssassiNation
Ok, so I said this list was skewed heavy, and this here's the anchor. If the phrase "Brazilian death metal" sends you scampering, well then scamper. I'll just stay here with my nose turned up. At YOU. Anyway, this is one of the best death metal records I've heard. Three aspects stand out: the songwriting (if there were a metal Olympics, Krisiun wouldn't walk away with gold in the speed or tech categories, but they manage to write songs that are interesting throughout and don't rely on d.m. cliches); the great mix of tempos (plenty of blasting, but they never get stuck in a boring rut); and the production (full and smooth but also lively and not over-processed--such a *huge* factor, especially in the drum sound). And no unintelligible gurgling (though I'll concede that has its place): classic gruff Brazilian vocals round out the mix. A soundtrack to hostilities.
#3#3#3#3
Burial - s/t
Burial's debut album (released on Hyperdub, a label run by another notable dubstep head, Kode9) is drawing praise from all quarters, and deservedly so. Skittery, cavernous, dark--this record is for people who wince at the lack of subtlety in most Euro dance music but who also find IDM lacking in soul. Don't take my word for it, as I know jackshit about club music, but Burial is much more of a clear descendant of the UK garage genre proper than is, say, Milanese. The beats are heavy on clicks and clacks, and the songs are controlled and concise but still invested with emotional vibes, though not particularly uplifting ones. I don't like dub, and I tend not to like music associated with club culture (major exception: drum'n'bass), but I love this record.
#2#2#2#2
Tool - 10,000 Days
"Vicarious" and "Jambi," the first two tracks off this album, are by far my most-listened-to songs of the year. Like, by far. And if I were able to play my drumset regularly, I'd be playing along with them (or trying) regularly. Tool is a band I've heard bits and pieces of over the years, but I've never owned any of their records, and I'm not sure I'd ever heard one in its entirety until 10,000 Days. (I'm trying to remedy that now.) I should say that 10,000 Days is too long, contains too many drumless passages (for my liking), and is front-loaded. Maybe those factors should hamper it in a record of the year contest, but the things about it that I like I love so much, and it's been the go-to album on my iPod for as long as I've had it (or, "had" it . . . thnx ssx!). Everybody knows that Tool is mathy and proggy, but what's exceptional about them is that they use their mathiness in the service of great song-writing, and beyond the 5/4 or 9/8 time signatures (see "Vicarious" and "Jambi," respectively), they involve interesting (but never forced) polyrhythms within odd-time phrases. All of the instruments, including the vocals, are noteworthy on 10,000 Days. Listeners interested in the art of drumming especially need to pay attention to Danny Carey. Anyway, do yourself a favor and check out a couple songs. At the very least, you'll get a taste of what's been bouncing around between my ears on a regular basis.
#1#1#1#1
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Heaviness, mathiness, suicidal bleakness--move over, cuz killer riffs win the day. From my first listen to this album, I doubted it would be surpassed as my #1 pick, and--surprise, surprise--it wasn't. I reviewed it here earlier, but to briefly recap... soaring rock/post-rock/metal riffs assembled in a "dark metal" context with impeccable songcraft. Agalloch doesn't believe in handling catchy melodies and chord progressions with kid gloves: you will hear that guitar line again, and you will love it even more the second time. The vocals on A.A.t.G. will probably discourage many potential listeners, but hopefully those people are also generally discouraged by their own lameness, so that will tend to balance things out. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
See you next year, same time same place.
My major musical interests these days are metal on the one hand and ambient/drone/experimental/weird stuff on the other. Once you scroll down, it will become immediately apparent which one of these tendencies took the cake this year. At least in terms of new albums I heard in '06, the heavier ones were definitely the more memorable. And the likes of Sonic Youth, the Melvins, Cursive, Tim Hecker, and others who are popping up on numerous year-end lists will have to deal with the fact that I didn't hear their new works in time for them to make the list. Here we go...
#10#10#10
Antaeus - Blood Libels
In affairs of state, France has become notorious for being, well, a leetle Vichy-vashy. Its metal scene, however, is a much different story, especially if we're talking black metal. Antaeus is among a crop of bands that comprises one of the strongest national b.m. scenes in the world. Blood Libels represents a slightly new approach for a band who built its reputation by creating some of the most jagged, raw, violent black metal ever (see 2000's kid-tested-mother-approved Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan and 2001's De Principii Evangelikum. Uh, did I mention they're Satanic? Yeah.). Listening to snippets of all three albums, perhaps Blood Libels doesn't stray as much from previous works as my initial impression of it suggested (especially in the production department). But the most chaotic aspects have been shaved down to favor a sound that's more torpedo than cluster bomb. Sheer speed is the name of the game here; Antaeus is right up there with the likes of Immortal and 1349 in the hyper-blast elite. If there's one album you run screaming from this year, make it this one.
#9#9#9#9
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Ok, so it wasn't the follow-up I hoped for, but The Crane Wife is still a good album. I got into this motley crew last year with everyone else when Picaresque came out, which I picked as my second-favorite record of 2005. Most of what everyone loves about The Decemberists musically is present on this album, but it's somehow muted. As someone to whom lyrics have come to matter less and less (perhaps simply as a natural result of my increased interest in lyric-less music, and it may be just a phase...), I was really taken by the stories in Picaresque; there was something captivating about the characters Colin Meloy created. And the fact that said characters were usually cast in absurd and/or doomed scenarios probably played into my warped sensibilities. That's a big part of what's missing from The Crane Wife (the compelling protagonists, not my warped sensibilities, which thankfully remain intact). With the exception of the wonderful little "Shankill Butchers" (which echoes an earlier Decemberists ditty "A Cautionary Song" that would be a candidate for a spot on a favorite-songs-ever list if I were to assemble one), I just don't care about these characters. My response to the titular song-cycle doesn't go much beyond, "Dude finds a bird, marries her. Yawn." I much preferred the government paper-pusher who fell for a Russian spy in "We Both Go Down Together" or that dead baby in "Leslie Anne Levine." I know this is sounding like a pretty negative record review, but it's in the context of one of the best mainstream bands out there and up against a seriously amazing predecessor. You will have these songs caught in your head for days, and that will be a good thing. (Apologies to Erik G. and Cursive: I still haven't heard Happy Hollow, and I'm well aware of the possibility of a number of you chasing me through the streets with torches demanding that it be awarded the #9 spot. I and my special flame retardant bathrobe say, so be it.)
#8#8#8#8
Xasthur - Subliminal Genocide
With its roots in the forests of Scandinavia (ok, and in the actual cities too), black metal has taken a circuitous route to the point where a faction of its current ruling class hails from sunny California. Xasthur and Leviathan, one-man projects of take-this-Christian-name-and-shove-it dudes Malefic and Wrest, respectively, are widely recognized as top brass in the genre--Malefic for his perfection of the suicidally bleak approach and Wrest for his unorthodox creativity and copious output. Anyway, we're talking about Malefic here, though there's not much to expound on. It's vintage Xasthur: long, slow-to-mid-tempo songs featuring the most minor of minor-key guitar work topped with supremely tortured howling vocals soaked in reverb and distortion. Comparisons are being made to an early full-length of his that I've never heard (I just have a couple of more recent splits), but there's very little straying from the path of general despair ubiquitous in his releases. Contender for bleakest album of the year.
#7#7#7#7
Kylesa - Time Will Fuse Its Worth
Another rocker from this Savannah quintet, who now feature two drummers! I'm not sure what the consensus in the DC scene is about these guys, but a lot of the Richmond punks I know through Aghast seem to think they got boring after their first record. I strongly disagree. I didn't actually hear them on record until after I witnessed their mesmerising performance at Pointless Fest in '04. I've seen them at least three times since (they're coming through again in February), and their live performance always ranks somewhere between solid and fantastic. With hybridization more and more common in the punk scene and throughout music in general, a band can't stand out simply by claiming a crust/hardcore/metal/punk/southern rock pedigree. But Kylesa infuses that brutal stew with too many hooks not to stand out. You really have to see them live to fully experience the whole package, but this album is a great place to start if you want to check out their studio work. I'm listening to it again as I type: so. fucking. good. I had to take a quick break from typing to play some air guitar a minute ago. Oh, and the last track on the record is a double drum solo!
#6#6#6#6
Milanese - Extend
Look at me! I'm on a bandwagon! Weeee! Seriously though, as Pitchfork noted recently, dubstep finally seeped out of its UK underground and into the margins of the wider Western (if not global) indie world. Which means that people like myself who don't keep an ear to the dance floor can be in on the goodness. And so Milanese and Burial (see below!) in particular are getting regular airplay in my vicinity. Milanese represents the more bangin' end of the dubstep spectrum--Extend is populated with huuuuge beats throughout. Lots of vocals too, which work better in some songs than in others. "Mr. Bad News" is one of my favorite tracks of the year. If you saw me on the street rocking earphones in the past couple months looking like I was trying hard to suppress overt dance moves, there's a good chance I was listening to Milanese.
#5#5#5#5
Isis - In the Absence of Truth
Isis is an evolving band, and I like everything they've ever done. But allow me to reminisce for a moment. Oh, how I miss the buzzsaw riffing of "Hive Destruction;" the escalating suffocation of "Collapse and Crush" recalls an earlier moment in New England history when one Giles Corry demanded more weight and was obliged. And each of the two full-lengths that preceded Absence feature riffs that belong in the band's Heavy Hall of Fame. But Absence is a different animal. When I saw Isis perform a few of these songs before the album's release, I was truly disappointed by the lack of heaviness. I know that Isis can do other things well too, and I appreciate that. They've been one of the most impressive bands of the last ten years in my humble 0., and they didn't build that legacy on amped E-chords alone. The new album is more thoroughly melodic than previous works, but it's still damn good. Special props to Aaron Harris for being a perennially underrated drummer. He's had an immediately recognizable style since the first ep, and he stepped it up here. I'm lamenting my decision not go see these guys with Tool in October.
#4#4#4#4
Krisiun - AssassiNation
Ok, so I said this list was skewed heavy, and this here's the anchor. If the phrase "Brazilian death metal" sends you scampering, well then scamper. I'll just stay here with my nose turned up. At YOU. Anyway, this is one of the best death metal records I've heard. Three aspects stand out: the songwriting (if there were a metal Olympics, Krisiun wouldn't walk away with gold in the speed or tech categories, but they manage to write songs that are interesting throughout and don't rely on d.m. cliches); the great mix of tempos (plenty of blasting, but they never get stuck in a boring rut); and the production (full and smooth but also lively and not over-processed--such a *huge* factor, especially in the drum sound). And no unintelligible gurgling (though I'll concede that has its place): classic gruff Brazilian vocals round out the mix. A soundtrack to hostilities.
#3#3#3#3
Burial - s/t
Burial's debut album (released on Hyperdub, a label run by another notable dubstep head, Kode9) is drawing praise from all quarters, and deservedly so. Skittery, cavernous, dark--this record is for people who wince at the lack of subtlety in most Euro dance music but who also find IDM lacking in soul. Don't take my word for it, as I know jackshit about club music, but Burial is much more of a clear descendant of the UK garage genre proper than is, say, Milanese. The beats are heavy on clicks and clacks, and the songs are controlled and concise but still invested with emotional vibes, though not particularly uplifting ones. I don't like dub, and I tend not to like music associated with club culture (major exception: drum'n'bass), but I love this record.
#2#2#2#2
Tool - 10,000 Days
"Vicarious" and "Jambi," the first two tracks off this album, are by far my most-listened-to songs of the year. Like, by far. And if I were able to play my drumset regularly, I'd be playing along with them (or trying) regularly. Tool is a band I've heard bits and pieces of over the years, but I've never owned any of their records, and I'm not sure I'd ever heard one in its entirety until 10,000 Days. (I'm trying to remedy that now.) I should say that 10,000 Days is too long, contains too many drumless passages (for my liking), and is front-loaded. Maybe those factors should hamper it in a record of the year contest, but the things about it that I like I love so much, and it's been the go-to album on my iPod for as long as I've had it (or, "had" it . . . thnx ssx!). Everybody knows that Tool is mathy and proggy, but what's exceptional about them is that they use their mathiness in the service of great song-writing, and beyond the 5/4 or 9/8 time signatures (see "Vicarious" and "Jambi," respectively), they involve interesting (but never forced) polyrhythms within odd-time phrases. All of the instruments, including the vocals, are noteworthy on 10,000 Days. Listeners interested in the art of drumming especially need to pay attention to Danny Carey. Anyway, do yourself a favor and check out a couple songs. At the very least, you'll get a taste of what's been bouncing around between my ears on a regular basis.
#1#1#1#1
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Heaviness, mathiness, suicidal bleakness--move over, cuz killer riffs win the day. From my first listen to this album, I doubted it would be surpassed as my #1 pick, and--surprise, surprise--it wasn't. I reviewed it here earlier, but to briefly recap... soaring rock/post-rock/metal riffs assembled in a "dark metal" context with impeccable songcraft. Agalloch doesn't believe in handling catchy melodies and chord progressions with kid gloves: you will hear that guitar line again, and you will love it even more the second time. The vocals on A.A.t.G. will probably discourage many potential listeners, but hopefully those people are also generally discouraged by their own lameness, so that will tend to balance things out. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
See you next year, same time same place.
7 Comments:
you and yr walmart bathrobe and yr ernie from seasame street slippers and yr designer cup of coffee are gonna burn you heathen. BURN BURN BURN
Hey John, thanks for posting the albums, you're the greatest, etc. etc... the links for 9 and 10 are switched, though! I went to get the Crane Wife and sendspace offered up Blood Libels in its stead.
http://foldskool.livejournal.com/
I reviewed four albums that you reviewed here
get into it.
Emily, I'd like to say I did that on purpose - I really wish I had, actually - but it was a mistake. But tell me that Blood Libels doesn't rip. Eh? EH??
Erik, thanks for the counter-reviews. It's fun to get other perspectives. I'll read your other top reviews later (too fucking long! haha).
God bless Punk in Drublic.
I was googling for your blog (Scott had told me your top 10 were up)...did you know that the Houston Press has your number?
http://www.houstonpress.com/search/results.php?page=2§ion_base%5B%5D=news&keywords=Turkeys%20of%20the%20Year&
(Do a Ctrl+F for mundane)
I have heard of only 2 of your top 10. Do I fail?
Amy, I just posted the link! How's that for serendipity? My sister found the article a couple weeks ago the same way.
And no, you don't fail. I'm assuming the two were Krisiun and Antaeus...?
Uh, right about the 2 I knew! And I agree with you about Houston. I have had the misfortune to visit Houston twice in 2006. There are a few "nice" areas, but they are oil baron neighborhoods with ostentatious houses. And was there ever a city of that size with LESS public transportation?
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