They said their second album would be a masterpiece, and it is. Normally such braggadocio turns me off, but when the product more than lives up to expectations...

If you thought the album was a hoot, the live show's a hoot and a half. In person, Eddie Argos is more used car salesman than rock 'n' roll front man, but somehow, it works.

Abby White, music editor for Performing Songwriter magazine makes her picks for her favorite albums of 2006. 

Jesse Raya, Press Representative for The Pageant in St. Louis, picks his favorite shows for 2006. 

Nico Leone is the Music Director/Station Manager for KDHX in St. Louis. KDHX 88.1 FM is a non-commercial, listener supported community radio station offering a full spectrum music along with cultural and public affairs programming. KDHX is a 43,000 watt stereo station broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within an 80-mile radius of St. Louis, Mo.

The Current is an MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) station from St. Paul, MN  that broadcasts to parts of Minnesota and is available via the Internet. Known for offering true alternative music, in-studio performances by many of music's most talented, and a music staff that truly knows its stuff, the Current offers us several of their year end lists. Check out all their staff picks HERE.

TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, The Thermals, and the Futureheads

Hard-Fi, People in Planes and a Matador Sampler make the list. 

The Hold Steady, Mindy Smith, and Girl Talk.

The Blow, Long Blondes, The Pipettes, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, and Gnarls Barkley

You probably own some Roger Joseph Manning Jr. work and don't even know it. He's played keyboards on just about every major release in the past 10 years. Beck, Green Day, Johnny Cash, Fiona Apple-you name it, he's done it.

Beck, Thom Yorke and Wolfmother

2006 was a banner year for music. Cool sounds came from everywhere...big labels, small labels, or no labels at all (via MySpace, MP3s, etc.). Access to the sheer variety of music out there is no longer limited to a small number of adventurous listeners. You wanna check somethin' out these days, you can do it, compadres. And without a doubt, there's been a sonic buffet happening lately for the hungry music fan. In 2006, there was so much great stuff, I could've made a top 20 or top 25 list if I had to. But in keeping with tradition, here's my top 10 recordings that not only knocked me out musically, they also had some extra "edge" that made a difference to me personally. I've listed them in alphabetical order, not by any sort of ranking.

Arctic Monkeys, Beck, and the Killers

Nomeansno, Man Man, The Melvins, and Russian Circles.

The Fiery Furnaces, Tom Waits, and Beck.

The queen of indie rock dedicates an entire album to beautiful folkin' soul. The Watson Twins bring further depth to Lewis' powerful femininity, and the result is a triumphant throwback.

When she insists "C'mon, put a little love in your heart" on the penultimate track "Heart of Soul," you can't help but comply.

Picks including the lovely Joanna Newsom [photo: Todd Owyoung]

Two brothers from the hard rock town of Granite City, Ill., create pure rock 'n' roll raunch. Think Jet, only without the suck.

Sunderland's favorite sons did what their big brother Franz Ferdinand could not do on album #2: expand and adapt.

Men with running pants parked down below their buttocks, beating on kitchen appliances and singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

Euclid Records in St. Louis gives us a rundown of their top ten sellers for the year.

Picks including Son Volt, the New Riders, and Helen Stellar

iChannelmusic.com offers their top ten songs for 2006 including One Lone Car.