I write this not to show off about how cool my music collection is or how much better my taste in music is to yours, but rather to hopefully open people's eyes to bands who might quite easily have slipped by you but who shouldn't have.
It was a lot of hard work putting this list together, but not for the right reasons: this year hasn't been too great for me in terms of music. My original plan was to do a "Top 10", but anything good I could write about albums other than the five below would have been a lie.
And so on that pessimistic note, please enjoy, comment and link people to:
"JayGee's Top 5 Albums Of 2006"
5) Tenacious D – ‘The Pick Of Destiny’
(Epic Records, November ’06)
website: http://www.tenaciousd.com
It might seem strange to start off my Top 5 Albums Of 2006 with the new Tenacious D album because a) it’s a soundtrack, b) they’re a comedy band and c) I really didn’t like ‘The Pick Of Destiny’ when I first listened to it. However, it was a slow year.
I’m kidding. Anyone who passes off the D as a comedy band and their new album as just a soundtrack is a damn fool. Sure it takes the whole package to really appreciate it, but so what if you’ve got to go watch the film? You will be a better person for it anyway.
I read recently that “the funniest thing about Jack Black and Kyle Gass is that they’re actually good” and this person was spot on. Anyone who’s seen ‘School Of Rock’ (or, to a lesser extent, ‘Nacho Libre’) will know that JB is an amazing singer; and KG’s not just good on the guitar for a fat guy – he’s really good full stop!
‘The Pick Of Destiny’ shows Tenacious D progressing from their last album by writing more epic songs that aren’t lost in the sound of a big electric backing band this time; now the electricity compliments them perfectly. It also has an awesome guest performance by Meat Loaf, and it takes a lot for me to write “awesome” and “Meat Loaf” in the same sentence.
Tenacious D in 2007:
Give them a break: they’ve made a film and a new album, and are busy touring with a fantastic show! Remember that if Jack and Kyle want to record a new album they have to wait for Dave Grohl to finish whatever crazy project he’s working on to come drum for them too, so I think we can expect another long break before the next D album. However, watch out for the movie on DVD (including a lot of previously cut material, so I hear), and I’m pretty sure I saw people with cameras when we went to see them in Brighton this month…
4) Sick Of It All – ‘Death To Tyrants’
(Century Media Records, May ‘06)
website: http://www.sickofitall.com
I heavily contemplated leaving this album out of my Top 5, but when compared to the competition it hit me: this is one of the few releases this year that I’ve liked since the first listen. It managed to just beat Tenacious D because you don’t need to have watched a film to understand this album, you just need to have been angry with someone at some point in your life.
I was going to leave it out because it’s hard to find the right time to listen to hardcore punk, especially when it’s as heavy as this. When you can find the time to clear some space in your front room and run in circles doing windmills, though, this is the album you want to be doing it to.
To the untrained ear it may not sound any different from the rest of the hardcore on the market/the back of everyone’s hoodies, but if you’ve listened to Sick Of It All before this album then you’re already familiar with how much effort goes into every aspect of their songs, and how much they love doing it despite what the current trends are.
‘Death To Tyrants’ is a step into the darker divisions of Sick Of It All, and it depends on your point of view whether that’s a good thing or not. In mine, it’s a great thing.
Sick Of It All in 2007:
Initial promotion of this album has finished in the UK, however if you’re familiar with Sick Of It All’s touring history you know to expect them back before 2007 is over.
3) The Mountain Goats – ‘Babylon Springs EP’
(4ad Records, April ’06)
website: http://www.mountain-goats.com
As is so often the case with bands, I remained completely unaware of The Mountain Goats for most of their career (which has spanned fifteen years so far), but then why should I have heard them? They’re a relatively unknown folk/rock band that didn’t release an album in the UK until 2002’s ‘Tallahassee’.
When I did hear them though I was instantly hooked and they became one of my favourite bands after Vicki and I went to see them play at the Bush Hall in London just after the release of ‘The Sunset Tree’ last year.
This EP may seem like a strange choice for my Top Albums list (especially since it’s not technically an album) because soon after it was released, their tenth full length ‘Get Lonely’ hit the shelves. I feel, though, that ‘Babylon Springs’ better demonstrates who the Mountain Goats are and the music that they play: it has a much larger range of sound within just five tracks than the entire ‘Get Lonely’ album. This is not to put down ‘Get Lonely’ at all – it’s another wonderful album, just not quite Top 5 material.
The Mountain Goats in 2007:
If you’ve ever seen their full discography then I think you’ll agree with me when I say we can expect a lot more from The Mountain Goats next year.
2) The Draft – ‘In A Million Pieces’
(Epitaph Records, September ‘06)
website: http://www.thedraftband.com
This has been one of my favourite release of 2006 for many reasons: first because the Draft are three-quarters of Hot Water Music, second because they put on an awesome gig at the Underworld earlier this year, and third because I had such high expectations for this band, and ‘In A Million Pieces’ met them.
If you were a fan of Hot Water Music and liked the direction they were going with ‘The New What Next’ then this album will not disappoint you. If you haven’t heard Hot Water Music (what are you, dead?) but are intrigued by the Draft, then you should check ‘In A Million Pieces’ out anyway because it seems to appeal to anyone who likes their rock hard. ‘Nuff said.
The Draft in 2007:
The Draft will be returning to tour the UK in February supporting The Bouncing Souls. I highly recommend attending your local gig. A split EP with Samiam has also been announced for next year.
1) Bomb The Music Industry! – ‘Goodbye Cool World’
(Quote Unquote Records, June ‘06)
website: http://www.bombthemusicindustry.com
When I first downloaded Bomb The Music Industry!’s albums ‘To Leave Or Die In Long Island’ and ‘Album Minus The Band’ (for free from the band’s website, not through methods that would promote piracy!) I have to admit that I wasn’t too keen.
I blame a spate of temporary ignorance, however, because I went back to these albums a few months later and I suddenly got it: this is what music (more specifically ska punk) sounds like when your passion for it is completely unrestrained – songs so tightly packed with imagination and technique that they are fit to burst right out of your speakers and all over your lap.
It was a toss-up between this album and ‘Album Minus The Band’ (January ‘06) for my number one spot – so much so that I re-wrote this section three times – but ‘Goodbye Cool World’ won by a hair’s width. It was tracks like ‘King Of Minneapolis Pts. I & II’ and ‘Side Projects Are Never Successful’ that tipped the scales, not to mention that brilliant Tom Waits cover ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’.
If you’re into anything fast I suggest going to Bomb The Music Industry!’s website and downloading their entire discography right now. If you’re not a ska fan, don’t let that put you off because if you don’t own at least one album featuring Jeff Rosenstock then your life is seriously lacking. Besides, half the time you can’t hear the horns over the thrash guitar and drum machine.
Bomb The Music Industry! in 2007:
If you just missed them on the ‘Ska Is Dead’ UK tour in December then you should be kicking yourself really, really hard. It’s not often a friend brings Jeff here for free, so I think it’s very unlikely you’ll get to see Bomb The Music Industry! in 2007. However Jeff and Rick will be recording a lot of music this year to make up for it – expect a fourth album very early on, and then the infamous split EP with O Pioneers!!! on which Bomb The Music Industry! will be playing as many Regina Spektor covers they can without being sued.
2 comments:
I wouldn't have put the D on that list....
Is that my avatar???
you should update more often :)
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