the finest kiss

I know it’s a little late to be talking about best of lists for 2006, but I’m going to anyway. Seattle’s go-to website for indie music is Three Imaginary Girls. This site focuses on mostly music from the Pacific Northwest, giving us record reviews, interviews and a comprehensive concert calendar for Seattle. Each year they they do a poll for the best NW releases, and each year that I’ve lived here I’ve voted. With the Decemberists, Pearl Jam and Band of Horses all having records out this year I fully expected to see them 1-3 or at least in the top five. What I didn’t expect was to see Boat at number 1, but that’s exactly what happened. I don’t know if it’s because we’ere a bunch of contrarians up here, or we just appreciate the obscure, you gotta hand it to Pacific Northwesterners, or at least readers of the Three Imaginary Girls, they’re always out there looking for new music. I don’t know how many people voted in the pole, but I find it refreshing and a bit crazy that Boat beat out the likes of the Decemberists and Band of Horses. And no it’s not what you’re thinking, I only voted once!

Here’s the top 10

1 BOAT Songs - That You Might Not Like
2 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
3 The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed
4 Band Of Horses - Everything All the Time
5 The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
6 Built to Spill - You In Reverse
7 The Trucks - The Trucks
8 Math & Physics Club - Math and Physics Club
9 Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out
10 The Gossip - Standing In the Way of Control

Check out 11-50 at the Three Imaginary Girls

Every music geek loves to make up a good list, and I am no exception. I know, how predictable is that, eh? It seems like everybody with a blog is putting out a top whatever of 2006. It’s kinda cool, because inevitably you get turned on to something you totally missed in the past year. Largehearted Boy is keeping track of all these lists over here. Seeing how many lists there are is a little overwhelming, but overwhelming or not, I’m adding to the cacophony.

1. Blumfled - Verbotene Fruchte
Blumfeld have been around since the early 90’s quietly putting out superb records in their native Germany (with a one leaking out to the US, L’etat et Moi back in ‘95). This could be the best record they have made in their career. It has the familiar elements of the 50’s garage rock, but their sound has developed over the years to incorporate piano, keyboards and even prog-ish elements like in Atem und Fliesch. No matter the genre, Blumfeld like to sink their teeth onto a good riff and ride it, while Jochen sings in German, dropping in a English phrase here and there. Though the entire album is sung in German, language should not be a barrier to you listening to this record, cuz it’s the language of rock and roll that Blumfeld use!

2. The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams
You may have heard of Erlend Øye from his main band Kings of Convenience. Apparently Erlend got tired of the electronics, because this band consists solely of guitar, bass and drums. It’s a soup of American Analog Set, Steely Dan and Joe Jackson and is totally different from anything he’s done. It’s a soulful, funky, and anxious record with a simplicity you don’t find in a lot of stuff these days.

3. The Fine Arts Showcase - Radiola
Not really a band but a vehicle for Gustaf Kjellvander to amaze you. This is such a gentle melancholic record. It’s actually down right sad, but his soothing voice and pop hooks carry you through it. He’s a Swede that grew up in Seattle and now lives in London, and you can hear that excellent pedigree in his songs.

4. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
Kelley moved into an apartment that had an old abandoned piano in it. He decided to write the songs for Below the Branches on it and he came up with a masterpiece. It’s sparse, spartan, percussive yet has a warmth and playfulness to it that conveys his on stage personality. The songs are catchy as hell. Listen this a few times and you will be humming the songs throughout the cold winter months.

5. Figurines - Skeleton
The reviews I read most about these guys was that they were carrying the torch of grunge. But they are oh so much more than that. I hear a bit of Dire Straits, Elbow, a bit o’ country, a little Beach Boys, some Creedence and some emo. The Figurines defy the grunge categroization, by drawing on a lot of musical history for Skeleton. I wholeheartedly agree with the Danish government in giving them a grant to make this music!

6. The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea
On their third record, the voices of  Sasha Bell and Christopher Ziter has totally clicked, hearing them sing these songs will put a smile on your face. Think the Mamas & Papas, Free Design and the Byrds, or for a contemporary reference, Sweden’s Acid House Kings. Bell’s voice really makes this record a winner, her timeless voice just sounds divine. This jem is out there just waiting for you to pick up and give it a home.

7. Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You
I had nearly lost hope for these guys, their last record was a total snooze. But never lose hope (that’s what I say), they totally re-thought what they were doing and came up with beauty of a pop record. It still has that easy60’s SoCal sound, and Rachel Goswell’s not to be missed harmonies. This is hands down the best record in Mojave 3’s career(and the #7 best record of my year).

8. Brakes - The Beatific Visions
Leave it to UK band to put out the best war protest record of the year. Brakes record #2 surpasses their first by being a bit more refined, but still spewing loads of vitriol. The music is still a combination of punk, country and rock, but everything seems a bit more fleshed out this time. With the first lines of the record, ‘I woke up late and found my liberty lost, it had been written down in lore as a security cost’, you can tell that Eamon Hamilton is still good and mad at the U.S. government. He uses his anger as a muse throughout Beatific Vision to excellent effect. If you’re not mad as hell about the Bush administration and their bogus war, you will be after listing to the Brakes.

9. Human Television - Look at Who You’re Talking To
If you remember stuff by Dumptruck, the Feelies, the Bats and early REM and wonder why nobody makes records like that anymore, then this record may be the thing for you. It’s got jangling, chiming guitars and wistful lyrics that evoke that era, but put a modern day spin to it updating the sound with a bit of feedback and a nod to shoegazing. You’ll feel like your back in 1987… or 1992.

10. Babybird - Between my Ears there’s nothing but Music
Stephen Jones was somewhat of celebrity in his native England back in 1997 with his hit “You’re Gorgeous”. He was also very prolific, releasing 5 records in the span of a year. As it is in the UK the excitement died down and everyone moved on to the next latest thing. Jones kept recording sporadically under both the Baby Bird moniker as well his own name, but had been exceptionally quiet the last 3 years. This record combines the best of his early low-fi records with his later better produced, major label stuff. Between my ears reminded me how unique and catchy his songs can be.

You can keep reading (if you want). #’s 11 through 20 are availble after the leap! Continue reading The Best Long Players of 2006…