Top Five of 2006 [Thus Far]

In No Particular Order:

Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday
"A cross-breed of Clem Snide, Devin Davis, Colin Meloy, and maybe a little Alec Ounsworth. I throw out those names not to say that Perkins is a lesser version of them, but rather their peers, and maybe occassionally their superior."
[Previously][Available Only at Select Shows]


¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me a Wall
"Casually strewn about are puzzling lyrics like “ninety-nine, two hundred and five,” making us wonder with what base-decimal system are we dealing. That’s not to mention some tricky time signatures, odd rhythms, and intriguing guitar lines. And as gimmicky as the whole titling-songs-as-numbers sounds, after a while it’s hard to imagine they’d be anything else. A rose by any other name isn’t as mathematical."
[Previously][Buy]


The Gaskets – Loose Change
"Pretty much the Gaskets, as seen on myspace, ruled the universe for 45 brief minutes Friday late night. For those willing to stick around, we were treated to intense, dancey, pop, sugary sweetness… the ideal music for kick-starting the weekend and boogying the night away. Guilty fun, without the guilt."
[Previously][Buy]


Tunng – This Is Tunng: Mother’s Daughter and Other Songs
"the perfect balance of minor and major keys, and of acoustic with a touch of scratch. And yet the electronic aspect rarely takes center stage, leaving that to the bareness of the guitar."
[Previously][Buy]


Man Man – Six Demon Bag
"Not that Man Man are actual pirates, but they aren't not pirates either."
[Previously NSFW][Buy]



20 Other Albums I Like:
6. Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming
7. O’death – Head Home
8. Voxtrot – Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP
9. Think About Life – Think About Life
10. Tapes ‘n Tapes – The Loon (2005)
11. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
12. Human Television – Look At Who You’re Talking To
13. Lily Allen – Alright Still Demos
14. Love is All – Nine Times that Same Song
15. The Stills – Without Feathers
16. Islands – Return to the Sea
17. Land of Talk – Applause Cheer, Boo, Hiss
18. Low Skies – All that Love
19. Sound Team – Movie Monsters
20. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
21. Slowlands – Never Was There a Town
22. Birdmonster – No Midnight
23. Spider – The Way to Bitter Lake
24. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
25. Gomez – How We Operate