Russ Hockenbury
11/08/06, 02:52 PM
The good, the bad, and the ugly of 2006:
Top Releases of 2006
30. Rookie of the Year - The Goodnight Moon
29. Street Dogs - Fading American Dream
28. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
27. Burns Out Bright - Save Yourself A Lifetime
26. Russian Circles - Enter
25. Takota - The Ivory Tower
24. Across Five Aprils - Collapse
23. Engineer - Reproach
22. Sleepaway - Sleepaway
21. None More Black - This Is Satire
20. Cale Parks Illuminated Manuscript
19. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
18. Gasoline Heart - You Know Who You Are
17. Fucked Up - Hidden World
16. The Format - Dog Problems
15. The Hope Conspiracy Death Knows Your Name
14. Owen - At Home With Owen
13. Folly - Resist Convenience
12. ActionReaction - 3 Is The Magic Number
11. Moneen - The Red Tree
10. Headlights Kill Them With Kindness
9. The Forecast - In The Shadow of Two Gunmen
8. Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Dust of Retreat
7. The World Inferno Friendship Society Red-Eyed Soul
6. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Broom
5. Call It Arson The Animal Strings Album
4. Set Your Goals - Mutiny
3. husband&wife Operation: Surgery
2. New London Fire I Sing The Body Holographic
1. The Never Antarctica: A Storybook Record
Concept albums are quicky becoming cliche, but The Never's take on a country boy that finds a nuclear bomb and has to return it to the city is something special. The orchestral pop is sure to please both fans of Paul Simon and the more indie credible Rilo Kiley. The North Carolina act paints lush sceneries befitting the Roald Dahl-like illustrations and kiddie-lit poetic verse of the accompanying storybook. It works.
The What Comes Up Award: (Got old fast)
Hit The Lights This Is A Stick Up, Dont Make It Murder
The Mark Hoppus Vs. Tom Delonge Trophy:
Mark, barely. Frankly though, Ill be shocked if were still talking about either of their current bands five years from now.
Top Metal/Hardcore Albums of 2006
The Hope Conspiracy Death Knows Your Name
Folly Resist Convenience
Engineer - Reproach
Fucked Up - Hidden World
Biggest Disappointments
Saves The Day Sound The Alarm
Brandtson Hello, Control
The Transit War Miss Your Face
Latterman We Are Still Alive
Saves The Day get weirder and less appealing to me with every release. Brandtson 2.0 may finally get the band the recoginition they have so long deserved, but Hello, Control alienated many of their most loyal fans. Talk about a sophomore slump, Miss Your Face was a huge step back from the irresistably catchy without being dumb, Ah! Discordia. Latterman was a victim of their own hype. No matter how good We Are Still Alive could've been it wouldn't have been able to live up to No Matter Where We Go's surprise success last year.
Best Label:
Polyvinyl
So what if that Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin disc was a re-release. Even if we have to technically leave that one out of the mix, the Illinois-based label still put out stellar discs from Headlights, Owen, Cale Parks, and The Like Young. It's no wonder those pretentious music blogs worship the compass as they do.
Youre Getting Annoying:
Sufjan Stevens
You can't walk without tripping over this guy in the indie music world these days. Everything Sufjan releases is so epic. I mean, a 5 disc Christmas release with a 42 page booklet? Only Mel Gibson is more deluded in his own sense of grandeur.
If You Only Watched One TV Show in 2006, I Hope It Was This One:
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Charlie Kelly is the best TV sitcom character to come along in a few years, Danny Devito is funny again, and all those Hopeless Records stickers on the walls of Paddy's Pub make for one helluva drinking game.
What the Hell happened to?
1. Webzines
2. Eisley Darringer
3. Lobster Records
The webzine is dying and in its place the music blog is arriving. Personally, I can't stand blogs because I think they are too much about the bloggers and not enough about the things people claim to be blogging about (music, politics, etc.). Webzines, just like the print zine (which is all but dead) were started out of a love for the music and wanting to impact the scene in some way. In other words, keep hope alive.
Most Anticipated Releases for 2007:
1. Bayside
2. Lifetime
3. A Day To Remember
4. Langhorne Slim
5. Drew Danburry
6. Look Mexico
If You Love These Bands, Then You'll Love:
American Football - Look Mexico (http://www.myspace.com/lookmexico)
Pedro The Lion - husband&wife (http://www.myspace.com/husbandwife)
Les Savy Fav - Foreign Islands (http://www.myspace.com/foreignislands)
Worst Band Breakup:
The Like Young
Best Band Reformation:
Liars Academy
Thanks and here's to a great 2007!
Top Releases of 2006
30. Rookie of the Year - The Goodnight Moon
29. Street Dogs - Fading American Dream
28. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
27. Burns Out Bright - Save Yourself A Lifetime
26. Russian Circles - Enter
25. Takota - The Ivory Tower
24. Across Five Aprils - Collapse
23. Engineer - Reproach
22. Sleepaway - Sleepaway
21. None More Black - This Is Satire
20. Cale Parks Illuminated Manuscript
19. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
18. Gasoline Heart - You Know Who You Are
17. Fucked Up - Hidden World
16. The Format - Dog Problems
15. The Hope Conspiracy Death Knows Your Name
14. Owen - At Home With Owen
13. Folly - Resist Convenience
12. ActionReaction - 3 Is The Magic Number
11. Moneen - The Red Tree
10. Headlights Kill Them With Kindness
9. The Forecast - In The Shadow of Two Gunmen
8. Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Dust of Retreat
7. The World Inferno Friendship Society Red-Eyed Soul
6. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Broom
5. Call It Arson The Animal Strings Album
4. Set Your Goals - Mutiny
3. husband&wife Operation: Surgery
2. New London Fire I Sing The Body Holographic
1. The Never Antarctica: A Storybook Record
Concept albums are quicky becoming cliche, but The Never's take on a country boy that finds a nuclear bomb and has to return it to the city is something special. The orchestral pop is sure to please both fans of Paul Simon and the more indie credible Rilo Kiley. The North Carolina act paints lush sceneries befitting the Roald Dahl-like illustrations and kiddie-lit poetic verse of the accompanying storybook. It works.
The What Comes Up Award: (Got old fast)
Hit The Lights This Is A Stick Up, Dont Make It Murder
The Mark Hoppus Vs. Tom Delonge Trophy:
Mark, barely. Frankly though, Ill be shocked if were still talking about either of their current bands five years from now.
Top Metal/Hardcore Albums of 2006
The Hope Conspiracy Death Knows Your Name
Folly Resist Convenience
Engineer - Reproach
Fucked Up - Hidden World
Biggest Disappointments
Saves The Day Sound The Alarm
Brandtson Hello, Control
The Transit War Miss Your Face
Latterman We Are Still Alive
Saves The Day get weirder and less appealing to me with every release. Brandtson 2.0 may finally get the band the recoginition they have so long deserved, but Hello, Control alienated many of their most loyal fans. Talk about a sophomore slump, Miss Your Face was a huge step back from the irresistably catchy without being dumb, Ah! Discordia. Latterman was a victim of their own hype. No matter how good We Are Still Alive could've been it wouldn't have been able to live up to No Matter Where We Go's surprise success last year.
Best Label:
Polyvinyl
So what if that Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin disc was a re-release. Even if we have to technically leave that one out of the mix, the Illinois-based label still put out stellar discs from Headlights, Owen, Cale Parks, and The Like Young. It's no wonder those pretentious music blogs worship the compass as they do.
Youre Getting Annoying:
Sufjan Stevens
You can't walk without tripping over this guy in the indie music world these days. Everything Sufjan releases is so epic. I mean, a 5 disc Christmas release with a 42 page booklet? Only Mel Gibson is more deluded in his own sense of grandeur.
If You Only Watched One TV Show in 2006, I Hope It Was This One:
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Charlie Kelly is the best TV sitcom character to come along in a few years, Danny Devito is funny again, and all those Hopeless Records stickers on the walls of Paddy's Pub make for one helluva drinking game.
What the Hell happened to?
1. Webzines
2. Eisley Darringer
3. Lobster Records
The webzine is dying and in its place the music blog is arriving. Personally, I can't stand blogs because I think they are too much about the bloggers and not enough about the things people claim to be blogging about (music, politics, etc.). Webzines, just like the print zine (which is all but dead) were started out of a love for the music and wanting to impact the scene in some way. In other words, keep hope alive.
Most Anticipated Releases for 2007:
1. Bayside
2. Lifetime
3. A Day To Remember
4. Langhorne Slim
5. Drew Danburry
6. Look Mexico
If You Love These Bands, Then You'll Love:
American Football - Look Mexico (http://www.myspace.com/lookmexico)
Pedro The Lion - husband&wife (http://www.myspace.com/husbandwife)
Les Savy Fav - Foreign Islands (http://www.myspace.com/foreignislands)
Worst Band Breakup:
The Like Young
Best Band Reformation:
Liars Academy
Thanks and here's to a great 2007!