in review.

well folks, 2006 is on it's last few days, so i figured i would do a little sum up of some of my highlights of the year. enjoy!

music

the most part, i found i got deeper into music that had been released prior to this year, but there were actually some really solid albums released this year.

joanna newsom - ys


this album is pretty hard to digest, but the more time you spend with it, the more it grows on you. i really couldn't stand "milk eyed mender", due to her extremely strange voice. it's funny how this album made me fall in love with that voice, and i can definitely say that "milk eyed mender" has become one of my favourites. the songs on this album are just incredible. the fact that jonanna newsom preforms these songs live makes the record, and her, even more amazing. if you take the time to get into this record, you won't be disapointed.

hot chip - the warning


i won't lie to you: i heard this album for the first time probably two weeks ago. i read about it in someone's year end review, and i felt compelled. let me tell you how glad i was that i stumbled upon it. this record is frustratingly catchy. the first time i heard "over and over" i thought, it's alright, but i don't see what the hype is about. of course, i couldn't get the song out of my head for the next few days. every time i listen to this record it gets more and more amazing. so danceable; so catchy.

tv on the radio - return to cookie mountain


of course, every magazine/webzine/blog/whatever will put this one in their top whatever of the year, but it's for a good reason. a brilliant follow up to a brilliant debut, "return to cookie mountain" has this appeal to the average ear that it seems most "indie" bands can't quite figure out. tvotr can write a dense, dark, creative album, and still have a video that gets played on MuchonDemand.

the knife - silent shout


straight up, this album is messed up. it's downright scary. the atmospheric quality about it gives it this mental picture of a barren, frozen wasteland, inhabbited by strange, dancing people with bird masks on their faces. i guess the promo pictures for the record help with that, but still. like joanna newsom, this one might be a bit of a stretch for your average person, but it's so rewarding.

camera obscura - let's get out of this country


for the record, i LOVE to fall asleep to this album. there are some great, upbeat pop songs on this record, but it's the slow, lamenting, love songs that really knock me out. "country mile" has to be the saddest song that's ever been recorded. of course, the belle and sebastian comparison happens all the time with camera obscura, but i'd have to say i'd listen to "let's get out of this country" over "the life pursuit" any day. i love both bands, and both albums, but every song on this record is a gem.

so that was five of my favourites, but here were some others that were occupying my headphones:

the album leaf - into the blue again
band of horses - everything all the time
voxtrot - mothers, sisters, daughters and wives ep
the decemberists - the crane wife
cat power - the greatest
tokyo police club - a lesson in crime ep
be your own pet - s/t
junior boys - so this is goodbye

thanks to everyone who made 2006 great. see you next year!

Jamison.