Bradley's Buzz

Top Albums Of 2006

Well it's the new year, another year gone down the drain, and now that I'm back at work, that means only one thing - that's right, I'm back to blogging. So as promised or threatened, however you view it, here is my list of the ten best albums released in the past year.

10. Cute Is What We Aim For - The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch
The more I listen to this album the more I like it. As I talked about before these boys have a silly sense of humor about themselves and their surroundings. In "Risque" they ask us 'what's a crush to do when he can't get through' and the uber cool lines of "The Fourth Drink Instinct" make it a mixed CD staple plus the other songs are just as infectious.

9. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
A tad more poppy than Dear Catastrophe Waitress, but not too poppy that it isn't a Belle & Sebastian staple. With keen tracks like "The Blues Are Still Blue" and "Sukie In The Graveyard," it's yet another example of the witty and catchy world of rock these days. If only more bands were this interesting there wouldn't be such a cess pool of slime on the charts.

8. Miss Derringer - Lullabyes
This was a last minute addition as I had never heard of the band or the album until this past Saturday when they were the opening band for Blondie at the Key Club. That's right I went to another Blondie show, so what? Anyhoos, the band was awesome, the songs a combo of Blondie, the Shangri La's and the Western influenced guitar sounds of Concrete Blonde, this band was great live and just as good on record. A collection of snappy bitchy songs and uber cool ballads, Miss Derringer is a band of outlaws full of angst and talent. Snappy and fun the best cuts include "Don't Say I Told You So" and "Better Run From Me" and did I mention Clem Burke of Blondie plays drums on here?

7. Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots
This is the 3rd incarnation of this album but after a few releases of demo, We Are Pilots was reworked and remanufactered and finally released on a major label. Luckily for all of us Shiny Toy Guns and their electro rock was worth the wait. The bitch fest of "Don't Cry Out", the collective dance track in "Le Disko", the moody "When They Came For Us" and the catchy "You Are The One" make this a full on great album. I've had it on constant rotation all week.

6. Scissor Sisters - Ta Dah
Despite some not so great reviews and even my own reveiew where I had to admit this sophomore album doesn't stand up as great as the band's debut, I have been listening to it non stop for a while now. If the songs didn't immediately grab me at the time of release, they are doing so now. Even the fairly silly songs that no one wants to admit they like have taken on a new life in my stereo. If you haven't listened to it in a while I suggest you go back with a new outlook and you may find yourself humming and singing along after all.

5. Lily Allen - Alright Still
Fun and bitchy, light and carefree, Lily Allen is a complete riot full of spit and vinegar and some downright catchy pop songs. From the disdain and love of her London in "LDN" to her disdain and love of every single person she seems to have ever met, there isn't a bad song on the set.

4. Josie Cotton - Movie Disaster Music
Another collection of pop but not the glossed up pop of Lily or even the Josie of yesteryear, this time we get elements of goth, moody electronics and excellant delivery in interesting lyrics. Where her last album in 1993 seemed a tad heavy handed, Movie Disaster Music captured the fun and free spirit of Josie's early 80's material with her rather pissy outlook on the ways of the world. Two things so very close to my own musical heart. Plus "Creeps" and the opening "Rabbit Hole" are probably two of the very best songs she's ever done.

3. Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control
Sometimes I am so out of the loop it's frightening. When I saw the video for the title cut of this album on Logo, I thought I had discovered the next big thing in punk alternative music only to find Gossip has been around forever and ultra talent lead singer Beth has been on the fringes of every cool alterna player for years. Well better late than never I guess, cause this is one hot killer album. Not a bad song between the hard rock ravings to the heart felt ballads, Gossip was my inspiration when I first started working on my last Swivek album and this album will forever me one of my all time favorites. There is a new video up on the band's My Space page for the song "Jealous Girls" which just happens to be my favorite track on the album.

2. Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
Okay, from super cool punk to a more mainstream move, you may laugh at my strange tastes but this album so reminiscent of 70's California rock like the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt will stand the test of time when it's all said and done. The Dixie Chick's tales of heartache, revolt and the path back after the huge backlash from Natalie Maine's off the cuff remark about that idiot who runs our country. Taking The Long Way combines all three women's role in their band's history, and their personal lives. Opening with the awesome lines, "My friends from high school married their high school boyfriends/ moved into houses in the same zip code as their parents/ but I could never follow..." something I can completely relate to. The main single "Not Ready To Make Nice" puts all of their feelings on the table and you can't help but root for the girls to win. The essence of the entire album is one of survival and standing up for what you believe in. Including a beautful ballad "Lullaby" (How long do you want to be loved? Is forever enough?) to the ending track of earnestness "I Hope", this album has only recently been taken out of The Leivas' car stereo after months and months of being played over and over. Incidentally, it was replaced by the Dixie Chick's previous album Home.

1. P!nk - I'm Not Dead
I am probably the only person in the world who put together one of these lists and even bothered including P!nk let alone making her the number one album of the previous year. But it's true I'm Not Dead, was the album that prompted me to start writing about the music I was listening to. From the single "Stupid Girls" and the super cool video depicting the women who would rather play hooch than president opens up this collection of a hundred different musical genres. From the political folk of "Dear Mr. President" probably the most important song of 2006, to the fun trancing rock of "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" and the modern tones of music found in "Long Way To Happy", this album has something for everyone and most importantly, P!nk is talented. She can sing circles around those beeatches you find on the CD racks and when she sings she actually sings and talks about things that are important, but that's not to say she doesn't have her moments of hilariousness, "U + Ur Hand" was a big hit in the UK and the lyrics telling off some jerk at a bar is classic P!nk. If you haven't already, get this album right quick and we can sing and dance together until we see what treasures the year 2007 will reveal in music.

posted by swivek @ 11:29 AM