|
 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.
View The Current's Top 89 Albums for 2006 (PDF file)
Barb Abney, Host 9a-noon CST
I
wouldn't want one of my favorites to be the last picked for kickball, so
grouping by release date seemed fair...
We are Scientists - "With Love
and Squalor"
FINALLY... I met and interviewed these guys in early 2005
and was getting impatient for their full length! What a blast to see play live.
Good banter and ALOT of energy!
Mates of State - "Bring It Back"
I've been crazy about this husband and wife duos harmonies since they
released the "All Day" EP. Saw them play a festival gig this summer and they
played off of each other so well on stage.
The Twilight Singers -
"Powder Burns"
Okay, I'm biased, Greg Dulli is my favorite male vocalist
EVER! I have seen him play with either Afghan Whigs or Twilight Singers (or the
secret Gato Negro show) at least 20 times! I love that with each album you can
expect more cameo appearances from a who's-who list of his musically inclined
friends!
Radio 4 - "Enemies Like This"
When you think of this
band you don't think of "acoustic sets" but they did just that when I
interviewed them earlier this summer. It was awesome! They mentioned my son
during the interview, so this would be his choice for #1 band of the year! You
simply MUST see them live to appreciate the incredible percussion!
Apollo Up - "Chariots of Fire"
I've been following this band
since the release of their debut back in 2003. All of that touring and playing
has paid off. The new album is hard rocking and slickly produced without making
them sound like a "studio band". They can deliver live as well! And no, there
isnt a cover of the Vangelis tune on the album. But if you ask nicely theyll
perform it!
Camera Obscura - "Lets Get Out Of This
Country"
I'm a little late to the game on this band. I enjoyed
"Underachievers Please Try Harder" from a couple of years ago. This album
grabbed me at the first track. I can put it in the CD player and just hit play
and go.
Heartless Bastards - "All this Time"
This band cannot
be pigeonholed! When you see them, they are very courteous and relatively quiet
people. Once they hit the stage it's all about rockin! Do they sound indie? Yes.
Bluesy? Yes. Garage rock? Yes. And they've been doing quite a bit of touring, as
well!
Birdmonster - "No Midnight"
A friend saw these guys at
SXSW and couldn't say enough about them. I got the disk and have had it in my
personal "Heavy Rotation" since. An impressive debut!
The Hourly
Radio - "History Will Never Hold Me"
These guys are just starting to get
some national attention and have recently begun filming their first video. Not
bad for a group of guys who hit my radar late last year when they sent a CD into
the station I used to work for as part of our unsigned show. These days they
have been signed to Kirkland records and did some touring with CYHSY and
Stellastarr* earlier this year.
Bound Stems - "Appreciation
Night"
I'm betting that this band will be on many a top 10 list out in
the blogoshpere this year. They're relatively new on the scene. The Chicago
quintet has been getting A LOT of blog love since they released their "The Logic
Of Building The Body Plan" EP last year, and people have been chomping at the
bit for their full length!
Steve Seel, Host noon-3p CST
1.
Neko Case - "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood"
Okay, many people
suspected Neko might knock it out of the park with her proper follow-up to
"Blacklisted," but I don't know how many folks thought she'd knock it clear into
the next county. I think I may have been ready to proclaim this one "CD of the
Year" the MOMENT it came out. "Margaret Vs. Pauline" is an instant classic, and
her version of "John Saw That Number" is spellbinding. Peerless.
2.
TV On the Radio - "Return to Cookie Mountain"
The sound of modern
creative rock music for thinking people circa 2006. Genre-hopping, intra-ethnic,
and just plain captivating ... plus, a guest cameo from Bowie. Letterman summed
it up after their performance on his show recently: "Well heck, that's all ya
need right there."
3. P.O.S. - "Audition"
This local
tour-de-force wont win over EVERY "hip-hop-curious-but-not-sure-where-to-start"
listener, but it sure could get a lot of em, given the chance. Its got bracing
rhymes and pitch-perfect vocal contributions (Slug? Sure. Craig Finn?
Brilliant!), but for me, at least half of what made this one was P.O.S.'s beats
and backing tracks -- some of the most finely-crafted and musically appealing
I've ever heard. Brooding but wonderful.
4. Band of Horses -
"Everything All the Time"
Tony Lopez coined the term "yelp rock" this
year to define the panicky, high-pitched sound of the likes of Arcade Fire
vocalist Win Butler, and felt that Band Of Horses' Ben Bridwell could be the
genres new standard-bearer (in a positive sense). Sure, he sounds like that guy
from Supertramp at times -- but his voice absolutely works, soaring above those
chiming indie-rock guitars and drums. And the songs are super-melodic and even
occasionally moving, especially in the case of "Funeral."
5. Tortoise
& Bonnie Prince Billy - "The Brave and The Bold"
Here's one that
caught us all by surprise. A totally weird and unlikely collaboration yielding a
disc of correspondingly weird and unlikely covers. The groups version of Elton
John's "Daniel" is easily worth the price.
6. J. Dilla - "J. Dillas
Donuts"
From the confines of his hospital room, DJ and producer Jay Dee
literally created a masterpiece on his deathbed with nothing but a laptop, LPs
and tons of samples. One of the best instrumental hip-hop records ever? Maybe,
maybe not. But certainly an achievement -- odd, creative, and totally
entertaining.
7. The Replacements - "Don't You Know Who I Think I
Was? The Best of The Replacements"
That's correct, few of us actually
need to hear many of these songs again. But on the odd chance that the jaded
15-year-olds of the world whove never heard 'em might hear 'em here first, it's
a worthwhile collection. The Twin Tone and Sire stuff together for the first
time. Frustration and exhaustion and beauty. Step right up.
8. The
Flaming Lips - "At War With The Mystics"
Wayne Coyne and company get
their mojo back after the comparative blandness (save for a couple of standout
moments) of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." Watch their documentary, "The
Fearless Freaks" and THEN listen to this CD and you just might cry from the
beauty of it all. Plus! Continued proof that prog rock is alive and well and
living inside indie quirk-rock.
9. Guillemots - "Through the
Windowpane"
The bands EP "From the Cliffs" had a couple of us wondering
if the implied promise would materialize, and it sure as hell did. Whoa, watch
this band.
10. The Avett Brothers - "Four Thieves Gone: The
Robbinsville Sessions"
Finally, a disc that few noticed (sadly) but which
might go under the header "Charmer of the Year." A whoopin, hollerin,
good-natured time from a seriously underrated band.
Honorable
Mentions: Joseph Arthur, "Nuclear Daydream;" Destroyer, "Destroyers Rubies;"
Tom Waits, "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards;" Juana Molina, "Son;"
Heartless Bastards, "All This Time;" Ali Farka Toure, "Savane;" Thom Yorke, "The
Eraser;" M. Ward, "Post-War;" The Bird & The Bee, "The Bird & The Bee;"
The Lemonheads, "The Lemonheads"
Mary Lucia, Host 3p-7p CST
First and
foremost, I am not a top ten list type of person. I think they are pretentious
and they generally bum me out.
1. M Ward - "Post War"
2.
Belle and Sebastian - "The Life Pursuit"
3. The Lashes - "Get
it"
4. The Flaming Lips - "At War With the Mystics"
5. Tim
O'Reagan - "Tim O'Reagan"
6. Joseph Arthur - "Nuclear
Daydream"
7. Michael Franti & Spearhead - "Yell Fire"
8.
Ol' Yeller - "Good Luck"
9. Primal Scream - "Riot City
Blues"
10. Prince - "3121"
Mark Wheat, Host 7p-11p CST
I
love to make end-of-year lists but always have a very hard time ranking them in
any order. Trying to compare music in terms of quality seems futile; the
connection to music is too personal.
1. Hold Steady - "Boys and Girls
in America"
The Hold Steady are #1 because I love the fact that they
represent the local community and have such national success. The record rocks
me harder than any other and the lyrics amaze me, pure poetry.
2.
M.Ward - "Post-war"
M.Ward taking the next big step, finding his voice
and lyrics to be as strong as his awesome guitar playing. It's a perfectly
rounded release.
3. Bonnie Prince Billy - "The Letting
Go"
Bonnie Prince Billy for writing some of my fave lyrics and for being
an astounding in-studio guest. He's a song collector who made me feel like he
could play anything as we sat there talking, a first.
4. Joanna
Newsom - "Ys"
Joanna mesmerizes me, gorgeous lyrics and a miraculous
musical endeavor.
5. Kimya Dawson - "Remember That I love
You"
Kimya with wise yet simple lyrics; she has the ability to divide
people between loving it and hating it. Thats a power I envy.
6.
Califone - "Roots & Crowns"
Califone is the best example of a type
of prog-folk that is the style of music that I have appreciated the most this
year.
7. Skalpel - "Konfusion"
Skalpel is the groove that I
want to relax to at home most, with a quality addition of the remixes of their
debut on CD 2 showing a generous spirit.
8. The Decemberists - "The
Crane Wife"
The Decemberists thankfully proved my prediction of 06 true,
that prog rock would return ...to reclaim the positive aspects of that genre;
literate, symphonic conceptual pop songs presented with bravado...hurrah!
9. P.O.S. - "Audition"
P.O.S. for his open minded and
inclusive community spirit, eye popping lyrics and deft production.
10.
Flaming Lips - "At War With the Mystics"
As a long time fan, even
though I like previous albums more, The Flaming Lips must be on there because
they provided my #1 moment of the year; Wayne coming to our booth at the State
Fair and then working so hard to get the show on that night after the heavy rain
and providing magical live entertainment to a guy who doesn't get out as much as
he used to because I have the best job in the world.
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