It’s that time of year (actually a little early this year), for me to put out my traditional lists of my fave records and movies of the year. I haven’t seen THAT many movies yet so let me begin with music. So this would be pop/rock records I listened to a lot this year and nothing more than that.
1) Scott Walker-“The Drift” (a VERY difficult album but the most interesting of the year for me.) Given that Scott is now 63 years old, he completely amazes me. This record listened as a whole is quite an experience. Dark, sparse songs about current events all deconstructed and abstracted. This isn’t navel-gazing, it’s his response to all that’s going on in the world, and it ain’t very pretty. Even his voice is a hollow shell of it’s former beauty.
2) TV On The Radio-“Return To Cookie Mountain”
3) Destroyer-“Destroyer’s Rubies”
4) Jesu-“Silver” ep
5) Erase Errata-“Nightlife”
6) Mew-“And The Glass Handed Kites”
7) Neko Case-“Fox Confessor Brings The Flood”
Grizzly Bear-“Yellow House”
9) Ellen Allien & Apparat-“Orchestra Of Bubbles”
10) Deerhoof-“Friend Opportunity”
11) Gétatchèw Mèkuria + The Ex-“Moa Anbessa”
12) Juana Molina-“Son”
13) Yo La Tengo-“I’m Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass”
14) Califone-“Roots And Crowns”
15) Joanna Newsom-“Ys”
16) Matmos-“Roses And Teeth For Ludwig Wittgenstein”
17) The Heartless Bastards-“All This Time”
18) The Futureheads-“News And Tributes”
19) Tom Waits-“Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards”
20) Band Of Horses-“The Funeral”
21) Across Tundras-“Dark Songs Of The Prairie”
22) Espers-“Espers II”
23) Phoenix-“It’s Never Been Like That”
24) Lily Allen-“Alright Still”
25) Jose Gonzalez-“Veneer”
26) Mr. Lif-”“Mo’ Mega”
27) Be Your Own PET-s/t
28) Brightblack Morninglight-s/t
29) Silversun Pickups-“Carnivas”
30) The Coup-“Pick A Bigger Weapon”
31) Ali Farke Toure-“Savane”
32) Cibelle-“The Shine Of Dried Electric Leaves”
33) The Archie Bronson Outfit-“Derdang Derdang”
34) Comets On Fire-“Avatar”
35) Sunn0))) + Boris-“Alter”
36) Planning To Rock-“Have It All”
37) The Evens-“Get Evens”
38) Tunng-“Comments Of The Inner Chorus”
39) The Long Blondes-“Someone To Drive You Home”
40) White Whale-“WWI”
41) Belle & Sebastian-“The Life Pursuit”
42) Sparklehorse-“Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain”
43) OOIOO-”Taiga”
44) Seachange-“On Fire With Love”
45) Cat Power-“The Greatest”
46) Field Music-“Field Music”
47) Portastatic-“Be Still Please”
48) Serena Maneesh-s/t
49) Of Montreal-“Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”
50) The Black Keys-“Magic Potion”
51) Spank Rock-“YoYoYoYoYo”
52) Mission Of Burma-“The Obliterati”
53) Ghostface Killah-“Fish Scale” + “More Fish”
54) Salif Keita-“M’Bemba”
55) M Ward-“Post War”
56) Pissed Jeans-“Shallow”
57) The Walkmen-“A Hundred Miles Off” + “Pussycats”
58) The Hidden Cameras-“Awoo”
59) Voxtrot-“Your Biggest Fan” ep
60) Asobi Seksu-“Citrus”
61) Grinderman-s/t
62) What Made Milwaukee Famous-“Trying To Never Catch Up”
63) Oneida-“Happy New Year”
64) The Sleepy Jackson-“Personality”
65) The Mountain Goats-“Get Lonely”
66) Akron/Family-“Meek Warrior”
67) Cold War Kids-“Up In Rags” ep
68) Jolie Holland-“Springtime Can Kill You”
69) Clipse-“Hath Hell No Fury”
70) The Pernice Brothers-“Live A Little”
71) J Dilla-“Donuts”
72) Growing-“Color Wheel”
73) Land Of Talk-“Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss” ep
74) The Dears-“Gang Of Losers”
75) Future Of The Left-their my space songs
76) Robert Pollard-“From A Compound Eye + “Normal Happiness”
77) Tall Firs-“Tall Firs”
78) The Little Ones-“Sing Song” ep
79) Beach House-“Beach House” ep
80) Human Television-“Look At Who You’re Talking To”
81) The Liars-“Drum’s Not Dead”
82) …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead-“So Divided”
83) Danielson-“Ships”
84) Hot Chip-“The Warning”
85) Nouvelle Vague-“Bande A Part”
86) The Decemberists-“The Crane Wife”
87) Camera Obscura-“Let’s Get Out Of This Country”
88) Dappled Cities Fly-“Granddance”
89) Vetiver-“To Find Me Gone
90) The Fiery Furnaces-“Bitter Tea”
2) TV On The Radio-“Return To Cookie Mountain”
3) Destroyer-“Destroyer’s Rubies”
4) Jesu-“Silver” ep
5) Erase Errata-“Nightlife”
6) Mew-“And The Glass Handed Kites”
7) Neko Case-“Fox Confessor Brings The Flood”
Grizzly Bear-“Yellow House”9) Ellen Allien & Apparat-“Orchestra Of Bubbles”
10) Deerhoof-“Friend Opportunity”
11) Gétatchèw Mèkuria + The Ex-“Moa Anbessa”
12) Juana Molina-“Son”
13) Yo La Tengo-“I’m Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass”
14) Califone-“Roots And Crowns”
15) Joanna Newsom-“Ys”
16) Matmos-“Roses And Teeth For Ludwig Wittgenstein”
17) The Heartless Bastards-“All This Time”
18) The Futureheads-“News And Tributes”
19) Tom Waits-“Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards”
20) Band Of Horses-“The Funeral”
21) Across Tundras-“Dark Songs Of The Prairie”
22) Espers-“Espers II”
23) Phoenix-“It’s Never Been Like That”
24) Lily Allen-“Alright Still”
25) Jose Gonzalez-“Veneer”
26) Mr. Lif-”“Mo’ Mega”
27) Be Your Own PET-s/t
28) Brightblack Morninglight-s/t
29) Silversun Pickups-“Carnivas”
30) The Coup-“Pick A Bigger Weapon”
31) Ali Farke Toure-“Savane”
32) Cibelle-“The Shine Of Dried Electric Leaves”
33) The Archie Bronson Outfit-“Derdang Derdang”
34) Comets On Fire-“Avatar”
35) Sunn0))) + Boris-“Alter”
36) Planning To Rock-“Have It All”
37) The Evens-“Get Evens”
38) Tunng-“Comments Of The Inner Chorus”
39) The Long Blondes-“Someone To Drive You Home”
40) White Whale-“WWI”
41) Belle & Sebastian-“The Life Pursuit”
42) Sparklehorse-“Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain”
43) OOIOO-”Taiga”
44) Seachange-“On Fire With Love”
45) Cat Power-“The Greatest”
46) Field Music-“Field Music”
47) Portastatic-“Be Still Please”
48) Serena Maneesh-s/t
49) Of Montreal-“Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”
50) The Black Keys-“Magic Potion”
51) Spank Rock-“YoYoYoYoYo”
52) Mission Of Burma-“The Obliterati”
53) Ghostface Killah-“Fish Scale” + “More Fish”
54) Salif Keita-“M’Bemba”
55) M Ward-“Post War”
56) Pissed Jeans-“Shallow”
57) The Walkmen-“A Hundred Miles Off” + “Pussycats”
58) The Hidden Cameras-“Awoo”
59) Voxtrot-“Your Biggest Fan” ep
60) Asobi Seksu-“Citrus”
61) Grinderman-s/t
62) What Made Milwaukee Famous-“Trying To Never Catch Up”
63) Oneida-“Happy New Year”
64) The Sleepy Jackson-“Personality”
65) The Mountain Goats-“Get Lonely”
66) Akron/Family-“Meek Warrior”
67) Cold War Kids-“Up In Rags” ep
68) Jolie Holland-“Springtime Can Kill You”
69) Clipse-“Hath Hell No Fury”
70) The Pernice Brothers-“Live A Little”
71) J Dilla-“Donuts”
72) Growing-“Color Wheel”
73) Land Of Talk-“Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss” ep
74) The Dears-“Gang Of Losers”
75) Future Of The Left-their my space songs
76) Robert Pollard-“From A Compound Eye + “Normal Happiness”
77) Tall Firs-“Tall Firs”
78) The Little Ones-“Sing Song” ep
79) Beach House-“Beach House” ep
80) Human Television-“Look At Who You’re Talking To”
81) The Liars-“Drum’s Not Dead”
82) …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead-“So Divided”
83) Danielson-“Ships”
84) Hot Chip-“The Warning”
85) Nouvelle Vague-“Bande A Part”
86) The Decemberists-“The Crane Wife”
87) Camera Obscura-“Let’s Get Out Of This Country”
88) Dappled Cities Fly-“Granddance”
89) Vetiver-“To Find Me Gone
90) The Fiery Furnaces-“Bitter Tea”
Nice list. I can’t argue with much of it.
Solid line-up. I’ll have to revisit that Scott Walker album – it’s almost too haunting for me to listen to regularly, and too intense to listen to casually.
Deerhoof and Of Montreal come out next year.
Todd,
The Drift is not dissimilar to reading poetry in the sense that its just abstract words on a page if you arent ready for it…but when you ARE in the receptive mood for what its saying—it hits you. Yet its so personal, and more a confrontation with something mysterious, something one doesnt understand rather than anything as banal as a recognition of your own views within it.
Its hard to listen to. Give it time.
I dont know if its great music, but it is interesting in an era where there is so little that falls under that moniker.
Its something I cant even put on best of-mixes, for its sui generis.
K,
While its true that the Deerhoof and Of Montreal are slated for 2007, I have been listening to these releases so much this month that I feel it is justifiable to include them in the music I have been listening to most.
Perhaps I should be more purist about these things but really…when it hits my eardrums, thats when it enters my consciousness. Release dates be damned.
really enjoyed your list. i have heard everything on here except your number one choice, which i will find asap. thanks.