2006 Album of the Year
American Music Awards? Forget it. Grammy’s? A scam. Billboard? Fixed. Very rarely can money-greased industry insiders overlook the ties that bind them together in order to find the actual album of the year.
The Music Blog, an interesting Romanian source for a wide variety of musical exploration which I’ve been reading for a while now, had posted a poll earlier this year wherein the blog asked visitors to choose the album of the year from a short list that didn’t particularly appeal to me.
But what actually bothered me was I thought it was far too premature to select the 2006 Album of the Year when it was barely mid-April! But Mihai clearly felt enough good albums had been released by that point to make a winner clear. In my dissent, I’ve been secretly conspiring to find the real album of the year.
I had already discovered a little indie band in January which would make a strong candidate. Not wanting to be premature myself, I’ve been exploring all year both within my favorite genres and into styles I don’t much care for. From Serbia to Congo, Germany to Jamaica. It’s been an interesting auditory year.
When October rolled around, I thought a slamdunk winner might be The Decemberists. But their new album was a major disappointment in entertainment quality. I surmised the dismal failure in 2006 shows exactly how brilliant the production of Chris Walla (of DCFC fame) was on the hugely successful literary masterpiece, Picaresque, in 2005.
Honorable mention in the race to put out the best record of 2006 goes to Revolution Void, who really know how to jam! The new album Thread Soul is available free under a Creative Commons license. Fans of jazz, electronica, and/or lounge in a mature, ecletic mix will enjoy this release.
After listening to samples, I anticipate The Falling Star EP will be an excellent release from B! Machine near the end of the year. It may very well rank as third best when it’s finally released at the very end of the year. Synth aficionados can find it online; it won’t be in your local store.
“Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” was a killer debut from the Arctic Monkeys. It very easily ranks as the second best album of the year. I highly recommend it even though it was being hyped all year long. Critics? Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while, y’all.
What, then, sits upon the throne this year?
An unmatched, powerhouse recording I first discovered in June.
The album in its’ entirety is the true story of its’ author through a tumultuous time which none of us would care to live through, if we had any choice. While each song is more than capable of standing on its’ own merit for, it very much deserves to be heard as a whole piece as originally intended.
“We Collide” is an outstanding album released in the UK and Germany by a band called Mesh.
I could tell you all about the sophisticated blend of piano, electronica, rock, synthpop, and acoustical intruments all executed in dramatic, emotional, and deeply personal fashion. We could discuss genuine artistry, entertainment value, and levels of quality. But instead I’ll simply help you sample a tiny, little bit for yourself.
No Place Like Home
Room With A View
Crash
If that piques your interest, then you need to understand the songs work best as a continuous flow because a story is being told. You may find the album in local stores, if they import records from the UK. You can certainly buy the album online as well as the maxi-disc for the acclaimed song “My Hands Are Tied.”
November 23rd, 2006 at 9:42 pm
those links are blocked here at work but I’ll come back and check them tonight…I’m intrigued by the sophisticated blend of piano, electronica, rock, synthpop, and acoustical intruments all executed in dramatic, emotional, and deeply personal . Sounds like something I would love and my husband would refer to as more of my ‘weird shit’ :-)
Happy Thanksgiving to you, so very far from home!
November 23rd, 2006 at 11:04 pm
Thank you, Kyah. I know Thanksgiving has already passed in Canada, since ‘we’ have different schedules. Undaunted, I hope your coming weekend is nice. I am confident that not only will you like this album, but in all probability your husband will quickly come around.
This one is not to be denied.
November 25th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Ok, I came back and checked them out! You’re right. They’re good.
Kind of a blend of Enigma, Savage Garden and some 80’s group I can’t put my finger on.
:-)
November 26th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Hei, glad to see someone has heard of this band! I’ve got all their albums – munteanu.antonio@gmail if interested. Ciao!
November 28th, 2006 at 5:36 am
I was contemplating the top albums of the year recently and I must admit (being a huge sucker for Colin Meloy and his Decemberists) that the “Crane Wife” does snag album of the year for me. The prog-rock did take some getting used to, but the album grows on you quicker than Japanese weeds. And seeing the album performed live is bliss. The Decemberists are a musical wonder and the Romanian in me accepts their awesomeness.
November 28th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Kyah – Glad you nabbed it. I think you can sample the rest of the album on iTunes or at Amazon. Of course, if you wear an eye patch…
Toni – Multumesc for stopping by! I’m also glad to find another Romanian who sees the talent here. By now, I’ve sampled all the back catalogue. The previous album was also really strong.
Cristian – I wondered if you liked The Crane Wife. I think it probably appeals to fans of their earlier works. As for my tastes, I found the Decemberists to be quirky and vaguely interesting… until they knocked the ball out of the park with Picaresque, which was truly great.
Anyone! – I added an update about this year’s album from Revolution Void, which I accidentally left out of the original piece. These folks really know how to jam! Thread Soul is definitely worth a free download.
November 29th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Romerican,
Thanks for the mention, I really appreciate it!
If you like Thread Soul, check out my previous release, Increase the Dosage. It features guest performances by Seamus Blake (sax player for Mingus Big Band) as well as Matthew Garrison (bassist for Herbie Hancock).
URL: http://www.revolutionvoid.com/rv003/
Thanks again!
Jonah Dempcy
Revolution Void
PS: I was thinking about it, but I’m not sure what my favorite album of 2006 was. I’m listening to Brad Mehldau’s 2005 release “Day is Done” a lot, and it is really amazing, but that doesn’t count for this year. I guess the most surprising release (to me) was DJ Shadow’s album The Outsider, but I certainly wouldn’t say it’s the best. I’ll check out the other albums you mentioned and maybe I’ll find something I dig…
November 29th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Jonah,
Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully, more people will check out your two albums or other releases. I certainly think they should… for their own good.
In fact, I originally stumbled across you via Legal Torrents. After reading some news on Slashdot, I googled for legal torrents and found that site. I picked up a few things on Free Culture, some game, then headed for the music section. That was almost a year ago.
I scooped up a few things, but was mostly underwhelmed. The EpsilonLab folks had something decent, but it was Increase the Dosage that really impressed me. Of course, back then, I had no idea you were jamming with Mingusites and Hancockians. I just knew I liked it enough to spin it repeatedly for far longer than I care to publicly admit. Ultimately, I sadly (and incorrectly) mused that Revolution Void would probably never release a second recording.
In the past two weeks, I’ve been mucking around on Jamendo. Checking out synth, electronica, and finally jazz. What to my wondering eyes should appear? Why, Revolution Void with a new record is here!
I wish you all the best and will peep in from time to time. Seems to me you’ll be releasing some piano jazz later…
Thanks for the other ideas. I see there are previews for Day is Done and I’ve no doubt DJ Shadow will be easy to sample. If you do happen to circle back and read this, I highly recommend spending a half hour in awe.
December 6th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Enjoyed both post and comments a lot, thank you… all. Sean: Don’t let go,/ You’ve got the music in you.
December 16th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
I’ve finally found time to build my music list. Bash with grace :-) And where is the lost Tg-Mures post?