First Top Ten List of 2006

by Holly Burns

I decided that 2005 trumped 2006. Last year we had new White Stripes, Bloc Party, Kings of Leon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Gorillaz, etc....I'll give the top five below some credit, but I can't honestly say there were 10 albums that came out this year that I went nuts over.

This is what I've got:

1 - Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
(Best live band I have seen. Love Brendan Benson and Jack White together on the guitars in Level.)

2 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
(Karen O's voice is ridiculous. Although I love Fever To Tell, this is a close second.)

3 - Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
(Starts to sound a little like the Hives but love those brits. Not great live, but this is about the album, right?)

4 - Secret Machines - Now Here is Nowhere
(Love the rock anthems. And the drummer is nuts. Saw them in DC but better outdoors in Brooklyn.)

5 - Mogwai - Mr. Beast
(Looove the keyboard. Auto Rock and Emergency Trap...so good.)

6 - The Guillemots - Through The Window Pane
(Different from the rest of the UK bands..Trains to Brazil makes me happy. Want them to tour in the States.)

7 - Beck - The Information
(Don't get the Scientology..but love the Beck. Putting out 2 albums in 2 years makes some of these songs sound like Guero.)

8 - The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
(They are better now in their old age. Don't get the space rock stuff but love Wayne.)

9 - Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
(She is a little pop-ish but has a great voice. Loved her in Modern Girls w the Strokes - these songs are better.)

10 - The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
(Definitely not their best but Albert Hammond Jr. is amazing on the guitar. Love his solo on Vision of Division.)