OK, my number one spot was technically released in 2005, but never hit the States until 2006. And OK, I bought an import late in 2005. And OK, there were a very few places that stocked the import version last year in limited qualities. Regardless, it still beats anything that came out this year or last, hands down. For me anyway. This album totally killed me, and I still listen to it compulsively, so for me, they were the band of 2006. And they're the best and loudest live band I've seen in ages. And if Pazz & Jop doesn't count an album until it's released in the states, why should I?

1. Serena-Maneesh - Serena-Maneesh
2. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America
3. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
4. Mission Of Burma - The Obliterati
5. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (and the Helen Lundeberg/Eyeliner 7")
6. Nina Nastasia - On Leaving
7. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
8. Uzeda - Stella
9.The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth
10. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam - yeah, I liked about half of it. Maybe 3/4.

Just had a very productive day listening to cricket, doing washing, watching season 2 of The Wire and finalising my albums of 2006, so here goes...

Joanna Newsom - Ys
Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar
Scott Walker - The Drift
Wolf Eyes - Human Animal
Celtic Frost - Monotheist
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Om - Conference Of The Birds
Comets On Fire - Avatar
Xasthur/Leviathan - Split
Yellow Swans - Psychic Secession

Reissues

This Heat - Out Of Cold Storage
Steve Reich - Phases
Arthur Russell - First Thought Best Thought
Dead C - Vain, Erudite & Stupid
Th' Faith Healers - Peel Sessions
Bee Gees - Studio Albums 1967-68
Dead Moon - Echoes Of The Past
Sebadoh - Sebadoh III
Third Eye Foundation - Collected Works
Richard Harris - My Boy

hip priest wrote:Th' Faith Healers - Peel Sessions

Oh yes !!!!!

As far as new records, this has mostly been a year of runners up. The new Uzeda and Mission of Burma records are good, but most often they would be runner's up. The Silkworm ep and Bottomless Pit tour ep are great as well but since neither of them are complete full lenghts, I have trouble considering them the best records of the year. But, they are really, really good.

My favorite record this year was probably a bunch of demos that my friends in a local band called The Mark recorded with the drummer from my old band. But this hasn't been released and probably less than 30 people have heard it.

Really, nothing new I've purchased this year has compared to the older records I bought for the first time this year: Tejas, Gasoline Alley and Every Picture Tells a Story, Cosmos Factory and Willie and the Poor Boys, Schmillson. Those records have affected me more than pretty much anything released this year.

Converge - No Heroes
Young Widows - Settle Down City
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Boris - Pink
Melvins - A Senile Animal
Tv On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You....
Russian Circles - Enter
Nathan Fake - Drowning In A Sea Of Love
Del Rey - Pyramid For The Living
Mumakil - Customized Warfare

Jose Luis Perales wrote:The Knife - Silent Shout
Junior Boys - So this is goodbye
Belle and Sebastian - The life pursuit

yeah, those three.

i like belle and sebastian but i thought "the life pursuit" was horrible.

i cannot pick ten, but in addition to what has already been mentioned...

the Holy Sons "Warm Coals" record is really great as well

Boduf Songs

uhm...

is this it?

lame.

Even though this is a top ten list, I'm going 'no particular order'.

Sunn/Boris - Altar
Zombi - Surface To Air
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
Murder By Death - In Bocca Al Lupo
Isis - In The Absence of Truth
Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
Jesu - Silver
The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
Young Widows - Settle Down City (I guess that came out this year, I was unaware)

Those are the best new records I've heard this year.

Mates of State - Bring it Back
The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
The Gossip - Listen Up
Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and the Opera Circuit
Man Man - Six Demon Bag
Islands - Return to the Sea
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Georgie James - Demos at Danceplace (EP)

Brightblack Morning Light - s/t
Califone – Roots and Crowns
Harmony in Ultraviolet – Tim Heckler
Comets on Fire – Avatar
Scott Walker – The Drift
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
Jesu – Silver
Man Man - Six Demon Bag
Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
ISIS – In the Absence of Truth

& the Buddha Machine