film - Notes On A Scandal

5/5

When I was in grades 5 & 6, we had a hottie substitute teacher who looked a lot like what Cate Blanchett looks like in this film. I flirted with her but nothing came of it, of course.

Dame Judi Densch plays Barbara, an old, stern teacher, who is single and lonely. Cate Blanchett is Sheba, the new hottie art teacher, married with two kids. The two bond as the older one looks out for the new one. One of the students, a 15 year-old, develops a crush on the art teacher and when their affair is chanced upon by Barbara, she agrees to keep it secret from the school headmaster so long as Sheba ends the relationship...with the hope and expectation that Sheba will increase the closeness but also intimacy, of their growing friendship.

Barbara is creepy with increasingly unhealthy obsession for Sheba, perhaps based on lesbian feelings and is exacerbated by her loneliness, having only an old cat as her companion. Judi Densch is excellent in this role. Cate Blanchett is also strong. Her character is a bit bored with her marriage and when the student takes a fancy to her, it sets off a fire within that has been dormant for a while. Bill Nighy played the role of Sheba's husband, a former teacher of his, twenty years her senior (and in real life, too) and showed that he is also superb at playing drama, in addition to his recent comedic roles.

Notes On A Scandal doesn't have the over-the-top feel of say, Single White Female, another film in which one woman becomes obsessed with another, and that is a plus. You can tell it wasn't a slick, overly calculated Hollywood film. This isn't a feel-good film by any means, but it provides insight into human vulnerability and the unbalanced minds of those who would prey upon it.

film - The Good German

Made with vintage film equipment in order to give it an authentic 1940's look, The Good German is a bleak, humorless, black & white film centered around the Potsdam conference at the close of WWII, in which Russia, Britain and the US negotiate with each other to clean up the war with treaties, etc. Returning to Germany, Captain Jacob 'Jake' Geismer played by George Clooney chances upon a former lover Lena, played by Cate Blanchett. The Americans are very interested in German missile technology and the hunt is on to gather up German rocket scientists to whisk them away to the US, even if it is necessary to hide their roles in participating in the Holocaust. Lena is tied into this and is anxious to leave Germany.

Kudos for the look of the film but it failed to gain traction with me since it felt slow and I didn't really care much for the characters. The Lena character was also not very appealing with her sour demeanor. She's obviously unhappy and either carrying a heavy burden or has had her spirit defeated due to the daily struggling to survive the war as a hooker with very important secrets to keep. Man-boy Tobey Maguire shows up early on as a military driver flush with money from his black market dealings but he didn't seem credible as the current lover of Lena. The IMDB claims that Blanchett studied Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman in order to play Lena, but we just don't gain enough insight into her character to want to care for her.

George Clooney's character also didn't have the depth of passion needed to inject fire into the strained relationship between the Captain and Lena.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, who was nominated twice in 2000 for an Oscar for both Traffic and Erin Brockovich, and won Best Director for Traffic, this film was daring but ultimately not a triumph. He's had mixed success as a director, having arrived on the scene with 1989's Sex, Lies and Videotape. Solaris was another one of his films starring George Clooney but while I liked it, it wasn't well received. The two "Ocean" films starring Clooney and today's Brat Pack have also disappointed, but Soderbergh remains an unpredictable director, willing to take chances, and his films, by and large, do not resemble one another.

film - Pan's Labyrinth

3/5

A fairytale for adults, not as visually arresting a Harry Potter film, but full of allegory as it tries to tell two seemingly unrelated stories. However, I found it to be more thought-provoking than entertaining.

The first story is about a young girl and her pregnant mother who travel to a military outpost in the 1944 Spanish Civil War, to be with her step-father, a grim, cold and violent Captain in the army. The rebels are in the hills and the arrogant Captain insists that his wife give birth at the military post, because he believes a child should be born wherever the father is. There's nothing but subtle hostility between the Captain and his step-daughter.

Enroute, the mother's car stops in the middle of a forest and the young girl encounters a stick-figured insect who she imagines is a fairy.


"Goat Awaits" - the next Slayer album cover


At the fortress, the girl follows the fairy into the nearby ancient labyrinth which has a winding stone staircase that goes deep underground. In this dusty, gothic setting, she encounters another magical creature, a talking goat-like creature (Pan) who hands the girl a book containing a series of tests to prove that she is still some magical princess and not a human. The Pan creature is frightening in appearance, looking not unlike the imagery satantic heavy metal bands use for their album covers.

The other frightening creature that you may have seen looks a bit like a naked, emancipated 6 ft tall alien with eyes that it places in the palms of its hands to see. It's a killer of children and isn't really explained. When he walks around with his fingers splayed around his face, it's as if he is saying, "Peek-a-boo. I see you."


"Peek-a-boo. I see you."


The war story and the fantasy story are not immediately inextricably linked to one other. If you think about it long enough, you can find ways, strong or weak, to justify in your mind the fantasy story informing the military story of good rebels, horse-back riding soldier bad guys and informants, and therein lies the films fault or genius, depending on what you took away from the it. Visually, the film doesn't tred too far into the over-the-top stylings of what we have seen from Tim Burton, thankfully.

European Commission endorses open source

By Richard Thurston, ZDNet UK
16 January 2007 08:55 AM

The European Commission has issued a ringing endorsement of open-source software, producing a confidence-boost for businesses considering the deployment of Linux and other free software.

In a lengthy report into business deployments of open-source software, published in full late last week, the Commission said that in "almost all cases" savings would be made by switching from proprietary to open-source software.

The bold findings come in stark contrast to assertions by Microsoft that Linux savings are a myth.

The Commission's work is based on detailed analysis of open-source projects in six European Union countries.

"Our findings show that, in almost all cases, a transition towards open-source [produces] savings in the long term cost of ownership," said the report, which was authored by academics at the United Nations University in Maastricht, Netherlands.

Microsoft has attempted to persuade IT professionals and businesses that Windows can be cheaper than Linux, through its Get The Facts campaign. Get The Facts cited examples where Microsoft's software had offered a cost advantage over open-source software.

The EC report also issued encouragement for organisations considering the free Open Office applications suite.

"Open Office has all the functionalities that public offices need to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations," the report said. "Open Office is free and extremely stable." It added that users were as productive with Open Office as they were with proprietary software.

But the report issued two notes of caution. Firstly, it said that short term costs would be higher for organisations migrating, even partially, to open source, largely because of the initial cost of training. Secondly it said some workers may feel undervalued if they are required to work with free software.

The European Commission has taken several strides towards encouraging the development of open-source software.

In October, it granted UK£2m towards a project, called SQO-OSS, to test the quality of open-source software. And just days before, the Commission extended its open-source Web portal, the Open Source Observatory, to develop interoperability between applications.

Richard Thurston reported for ZDNet UK from London

Some best-song lists by Tony J Neal

Tony J Neal is an amazing fountain of knowledge when it comes to things like music and films. He's also a writer of novels and screenplays and is hopefully going to create a killer comedy film one of these days.

I'm posting his list of the best songs of the 2000s as well as the best songs of 2006 so that I look up as many of the bands who I am not familiar with, as possible.

01. Writing To St.Peter- Mojave 3
02. Shampoo Suicide- Broken Social Scene
03. Someday- The Strokes
04. Caroline- Flotation Toy Warning
05. Silent Sigh- Badly Drawn Boy
06. Farewell/Goodbye- M83
07. Constellations of a Vanity- Nectarine No. 9
08. Apples and Oranges- Dogs Die in Hot Cars
09. Wake Up- The Arcade Fire
10. The Third Unattended Bag on the Right- Brave Captain
11. Cruise- The Red House Painters
12. Everything Hits at Once- Spoon
13. Relative Ways- And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
14. Take Another Look- Gaslight Radio
15. Modern Music- Black Mountain
16. Anyone Can Have a Good Time- Owls
17. Up With People- Lambchop
18. Evangeline- The Angels of Light
19. You Can Have it All- Yo La Tengo
20. Paper Moon- Whiskeytown
21. Hotcha Girls- Ugly Casanova
22. The Rat- The Walkmen
23. Last Playboy in Town- Bluebottle Kiss
24. Density- Sam Prekop
25. Jesus Etc.- Wilco
26. Nowhere Again- Secret Machines
27. 1983- Incredible Moses Leroy
28. Last Parade- Sleep Station
29. From Now to Never- Sparta
30. Exterminator- Primal Scream
31. Kit and Holly- Echoboy
32. Sassafrass- The Helio Sequence
33. Farewell Transmission- Songs: Ohia
34. Thought I Was- Rainer Maria
35. Everybody's On a Ride- David Kilgour
36. So Begins the Allabee- Of Montreal
37. Layin' a Strip For the Higher Self- The Bad Plus
38. Ajetrius Berylais- Sigur Ros
39. The Bad Arts- Destroyer
40. Wipe Those Prints and Run- Beulah
41. Distortions- Clinic
42. OX P Ox<>
43. Noisy Summer- The Raveonettes
44. Shut Your Eyes- The Shout Out Louds
45. Move On- Marbles
46. Satin in a Coffin- Modest Mouse
47. Shake Me Baby- Junior Senior
48. This Dust Makes That Mud- Liars
49. Tryin Whinin- The French Kicks
50. Sick and Sore- Sorry About Dresden
51. The War is Over- Black Heart Procession
52. Pink India- Stephen Malkmus
53. Piss Diary- The Kingsbury Manx
54. Still Life- Russian Futurists
55. Non-Zero Possiblilty- At the Drive-In
56. All My New Best Friends- Six By Seven
57. Stars- The Clean
58. Huddle Formation- The Go! Team
59. The Colony Room- The Sea and Cake
60. Women's Realm- Belle & Sebastian
61. Dirigable- Poem Rocket
62. Love You Hardcore- The Kiss Offs/Yesterdays Horoscope- Black Lipstick
63. Younger Body- Koufax
64. The World May Never Know- Dr. Dog
65. Rose and Licorice- Oneida
66. The Wasp- Palaxy Tracks
67. Stay Where You Are- Ambulance LTD
68. The Greatest Mistake- Handsome Boy Modeling School
69. Hold On- Do Me Bad Things
70. Sleep All Summer- Crooked Fingers
71. So Weit Wie Nocht Nie- Erlend Oye
72. Life in L.A.- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
73. Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me- The White Stripes
74. Tragic Monsters- Les Savy Fav
75. The Ballad of Sin Eater- Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
76. The Fake Headlines- New Pornographers
77. A Rose- Quickspace
78. Even Somber- Dalek
79. King's Dominion- Black Eyes
80. How a Resurrection Really Feels- Hold Steady
81. This Home on Ice- Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah
82. Lincoln's Eyes- Mercury Rev
83. Sycamore- St. Etienne
84. Echo's Answer- Broadcast
85. A Stone- Okkervil River
86. The Staunton Lick- Lemon Jelly
87. King's Crossing- Elliott Smith
88. Our Time- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
89. Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand
90. Stream X Sonic Subway- Sonic Youth
91. Could Well Be In- The Streets
92. Grave's Disease- Matt Pond PA
93. Broadway- Low
94. Failure- Kings of Convenience
95. Plea From a Cat Named Virtue- The Weakerthans
96. Song For Nico- The Warlocks
97. Down in the Street- The Twilight Singers
98. Po' Boy- Bob Dylan
99. Anytime- My Morning Jacket
100. Sometimes It Hurts- Tindersticks
101. Turn My Way- New Order
102. Have a Nice Day- Stereophonics
103. One Note- Ikara Colt
104. Harbour- Moby
105. Blackeyed- Placebo
106. 7 September 2003- The Elected
107. I'll Believe in Anything- Wolf Parade
108. The Purple Bottle- Animal Collective
109. Look Out For Traffic- Vue
110. Radio #1- Air
111. Ivanka- Imperial Teen
112. El Sol- Zwan
113. On the Busmall- The Decemberists
114. Bona Fide Treasure- The Charlatans
115. How I Nearly Lost You- The Others
116. Prom Night at Hater High- The Long Winters
117. She Said We Could Make It- Offcutts
118. I'm Not Ready For it Jo- Moneybrother
119. Only One Beer- The Not
120. Drum Solo- The Roots
121. Rats and Rats For Candy- The Blood Brothers
122. Fistful of Love- Antony & The Johnsons
123. Up in the North- Fiery Furnaces
124. Enter Laughing- Electrelane
125. To Be Young- Ryan Adams
126. Eagles of Death Metal
127. Maingirl- Quasimoto
128. Indictment- Antibalas
129. Pair Back up Mass With- Howling Hex
130. Going For the Gold- Bright Eyes
131. Santa Marie- Devendra Banheart
132. What's Golden- Jurassic 5
133. Beehiver II- Serena Maneesh
134. Horroscopic Amputation Honey- Califone
135. Laughs Per Minute- Fingers Cut
136. Late Century Dream- Superchunk
137. Sovay- Andrew Bird
138. Every Time She Turns Round It's Her Birthday- Manitoba
139. So Here We Are- Bloc Party
140. Almost All Day- The Waxwings
141. Thirteen Grand- The Wrens
142. Strange Ways- Madvillain
143. NY Pie- Brakes
144. Return to Oz- Scissor Sisters
145. That Man Will Not Hang- Mclusky
146. Maybe You Can Owe Me- Architecture in Helsinki
147. Walk the Moon- Belasco
148. Airport- Karate
149. Build a Bridge- The Redwalls
150. Vibravox- Fugu
151. Endless Supply- Pernice Brothers
152. Streets of Love- The Rolling Stones
153. Fix Up, Look Sharp- Dizzee Rascal
154. Success- The Oranges Band
155. The Right Hand- The Natural History
156. Another One Goes By- Mazarin
157. It's Summertime- Flaming Lips
158. Deep Space 9mm- El-P
159. I've Got You and You Got Me- New Buffalo
160. Jetsetter- Ed Harcourt
161. End of the World- The Cure
162. Center of the World- Portastatic
163. You Can't Hurry Love- The Concretes
164. Turn a Square- The Shins
165. One Turn- Acetone
166. Rainbow- The Superimposers
167. 2 Up 2 Down- Alfie
168. Big Boat- M. Ward
169. Paris Sous La Niege- Mellow
170. The Counterfeiters- The Trouble With Sweeney
171. I Met a Girl- Wheat
172. Taper Jean Girl- Kings of Leon
173. Baby, I've Got Time- The Blue Van
174. Since I Left You- The Avalanches
175. Streamline Train- Tav Falco's Panther Burns
176. Small Science- Imitation Electric Piano
177. Crestfallen- +/-
178. Love is All- The Rapture
179. Sparrows Over Birmingham- Josh Rouse
180. Black and White Town- Doves
181. Right About Now- Scolohofo
182. Pink Love- Blonde Redhead
183. Back on a Roll- Super Furry Animals
184. Release- Blackalicious
185. A Terrible Noise- Kid Million
186. If You're Ready- Future Pilot AKA
187. A Loan Tonight- Dandy Warhols
188. Spanish Song Bird- Keren Ann
189. One in Six Children Will Flee in Boats- Frog Eyes
190. The Second Week of Summer- Settlefish
191. Quickie Gone B.B.- The Realistics
192. Swamp Buggy Badass- Quintron
193. No Weather- Stellastarr*
194. Chasing Heather Crazy- Guided By Voices
195. Let's Kill Music- Cooper Temple Clause
196. Starlite- Young Heart Attack
197. Harsh Distractions- Beautiful Skin
198. Little Girl- Death From Above 1979
199. Everything You Can Think- Tom Waits
200. Brave New World- Richard Ashcroft
201. Moment in Time- Weird War
202. Baby, I'm Hurtin- The Chap
203. Another Number- The Cribs
204. Apache County- Abilene
205. Killjoy- The Czars
206. Three in the Morning- Chicago Underground Quartet
207. Copy of a Copy- National Eye
208. The Kill- Fugazi
209. Rock and Roll Ft. Dagha- Edan
210. I Don't Care About Nobody Else- The Blam
211. Disco Infiltrator- LCD Soundsystem
212. God Killed the Queen- Louis XIV
213. Miss Direction- Love as Laughter
214. Grace- Supergrass
215. Magellan Was a Fellon- The Fire Show
216. Long Time Coming- Delays
217. Lucky You- The National
218. I Can Make You a Star- The Ponys
219. It Ended on an Oily Stage- British Sea Power
220. AIDS in Africa- Cass McCombs


2006:



01. Not Going Home- The Elected
02. Only One Bullett- Some By Sea
03. Enough to Choke Air- Candy Bars
04. The Drowning End- Helvetia
05. Song For Sunshine- Belle & Sebastian
06. Conceived- Beth Orton
07. Stadiums and Shrines II- Sunset Rubdown
08. The Road is Long- Stuart A. Staples
09. Conventional Wisdom- Built to Spill
10. East MC's- Masta Killa
11. Van Occupanther- Midlake
12. New Day- The Mirrors
13. Do You Believe in Rapture- Sonic Youth
14. Tiger Stripes- Kite Flying Society
15. Black Sand- Ghostigital
16. Beehiver II- Serena- Maneesh
17. Fake Tales of San Francisco- Arctic Monkeys
18. Mr. Tough- Yo La Tengo
19. Spirit on the Water- Bob Dylan
20. All the Young Children on Crack- Television Personalities
21. Evening Sun- The Strokes
22. Origin Song- Semifinalists
23. IMC- Spank Rock
24. Power Doesn't Run on Nothing- The Thermals
25. Satellite- Young and Sexy
26. Wrongfully, I Rested- My Latest Novel
27. The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven- The Black Angels
28. L.G.F.- The Red Krayola
29. Star Witness- Neko Case
30. Wanted- Loose Fur
31. Krakken- The Acid Casuals
32. We Ride Skeletal Lightning- The Blood Brothers
33. But Officer I Was Just Doing My Job- The Hard Ons
34. Little Brother- Grizzly Bear
35. Monumental- Wilderness
36. Johnny Guitar- The Nice Boys
37. He's In a DeepDeep Lake- Film School
38. Some Dreams Can Kill You- East River Pipe
39. Somerville- Pernice Brothers
40. Time Loss/Gain- Oppenheimer
41. Clockwork- Augie March
42. Daylight- Drive-By Truckers
43. Emptyhead- They Shoot Horses Don't They
44. Release Me on the Floor- Figurines
45. Toe the Line- Deadstring Brothers
46. Carraboro Woman- Eric Bachmann
47. Turn the Radio Off- Love is All
48. My Johnny- Karl Blau
49. Dust in Hands- Water Lily
50. Blue Day- The Heartless Bastards
51. Trains to Brazil- Guillemots
52. Pyramid- Wolfmother
53. How Can We Get Free- Pink Mountaintops
54. European Oils- Destroyer
55. First Song- Band Of Horses
56. Blue Veins- The Raconteurs
57. Glue- Envelopes
58. When You're Away From Me- Favourite Sons
59. Oceans- The Format
60. Runnin' Around- New York Dolls
61. 10 Years and Seperating States- Watashi Wa
62. End Up Like This- Jurassic 5
63. Nice Actress- Tom Verlaine
64. After It All- Cat Power
65. You're Not Supposed To- Field Music
66. Pseudo-Bread- Boris
67. Big Shot- Pistolita
68. Wave Goodbye- Kelley Stoltz
69. Just Like You Want- Crystal Skulls
70. Brandy Alexander- The Walkmen
71. Dona Sumeria- Mission of Burma
72. Superior- Elliott Brood
73. Love Your Shotgun- Be Your Own Pet
74. Dart For My Sweetheart- Archie Bronson Outfit
75. Massive Times- The Hold Steady
76. Goin On- The Flaming Lips
77. Then I Close My Eyes- David Gilmour
78. In Front of the House- Human Television
79. Gain- B. Fleischmann
80. Diamond Times- Great Lakes
81. Wild One- Polysics
82. Up With People- Oneida
83. The Deep End- Steve Wynn
84. Mexican Blue- Jolie Holland
85. The Animal World- Grandaddy
86. Work Alone- The Sleepy Jackson
87. White Lips Kissed- Mew
88. Water of the Gods- The Changes
89. When I Look in Your Eyes- Outkast
90. Black Carpet Magic- Lilys
91. First Time I Saw You- Euros Child
92. You Are Free- Joseph Arthur
93. Little Lovers So Polite- Silversun Pickups
94. I Was a Lover- TV on the Radio
95. A Tried and Test Method- The Longcut
96. ShowYoAss- The Coup
97. I Can't Decide- Scissor Sisters
98. The Sound- The Rapture
99. O Valencia- The Decemberists
100. Nefi + Girly- Asobi Seksu
101. Game Theory- The Roots
102. The Great Pagoda of Fun- Donald Fagan
103. 357- The Minders
104. Down By Your Fire- Catfish Haven
105. What Am I Living For- Van Morrison
106. I Wish I Was- The Twilight Singers
107. Dudley- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
108. Careless Lies- Clear Static
109. The Wheels-Horse Stories
110. The Small Hours- White Birch
111. Psychological- Pet Shop Boys
112. Analyse- Thom Yorke
113. Beautiful Mind- Golden Smog
114. Los Cucumberos- Stardust Five
115. Just a Thought- Gnarls Barkley
116. Signifying Wolf- Bonnie "Prince" Billy
117. Into Oblivian- Lisa Germano
118. The Most Worth Tin Cans- Maps and Atlases
119. Flying- Beggars
120. Tears For Affairs- Camera Obscura
121. Another Black Feather- Dayna Kurtz
122. La La- Cortney Tidwell
123. Long Distance Call- Phoenix
124. Sometimes I Feel So Lonely- Primal Scream
125. Love and Space- Akron; Family
126. So This is Goodbye- Junior Boys
127. Dead Queen- Espers
128. Another Day, Another Night- Psychic Ills
129. Red Weather- The Duke Spirit
130. Within You- Ray LaMontagne
131. Girls in the Back- White Rose Movement
132. And Them- The Ladies
133. Chicago- Portugal, The Man
134. Coming Apart- Our Lady of the Highway
135. Gentlemen Overboard- Lenola
136. Modern Inventions- The Submarines
137. Grey Days- The Concretes
138. Cossacks Are- Scott Walker
139. Big Bang- Cursive
140. Valerie- The Zutons
141. Cheer It On- Tokyo Police Club
142. A Window- Radio Dept.
143. Hey I, Wait I- French Kicks
144. Girl That Speaks No Words- The Infadels
145. Pull Shapes- The Pipettes
146. When Romance is Dead- The Beautiful South
147. Knives Of Summertime- Sparklehorse
148. Come Home- Aloha
149. Eyes Open- The Gossip
150. Nothings Meant to Last- Brookville
151. Fuzzbomb- The Exploders
152. Safety in Speed- P.O.S.
153. In Our Tree- Motorpsycho
154. Central Heating in the Summer Season- The Playwrights
155. I'll Bring the Sun- Jason Collett
156. Benton Harbour Blues- Fiery Furnaces
157. El Paso Song- Arab Strap
158. Vicarious Atonement- The Mars Volta
159. Your Old Street- Headlights
160. Just Drums- Tapes 'N Tapes
161. Don't Speak- Eagles of Death Metal
162. Skeleton- Willard Grant Conspiracy
163. Parade- Pretty Girls Make Graves
164. Alcohol- CSS
165. You Said it Before- Mojave 3
166. Number 1- Goldfrapp
167. The Thin White Line- Afterhours
168. Rise and Fall- Boom Boom Satellites
169. These Points Balance- Gregor Samsa
170. I'll Send My Face to Your Funeral- His Name is Alive
171. Opposing Walls- AIDS Wolf
172. Shoplifter's Union- Fine Arts Showcase
173. To Go Home- M. Ward
174. Tricycle- Psapp
175. Lucifer's Memory- Comets On Fire
176. The Longing Song- Jen Cloher
177. Space Moneky- Placebo
178. When the Going Gets Dark- Quasi
179. Waste of Space- Delays
180. Sad Old World- Frank Black
181. Here in California- Dave Alvin
182. You Can't Have Me- Clearlake
183. Ten Thousand Lines- Electric President
184. We Can Never Say Goodbye- The Open
185. They Live in the Sky- William Orbit
186. Memphis Moon- Magnolia Electric Co
187. Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol- Gomez
188. Take Hold Fire- Mr. Lif
189. Half Dead- Mountain Goats
190. Invincible- Muse
191. We Share Our Mothers' Health- The Knife
192. Jogging Gorgeous Summer- Islands
193. Blood Music- Deadboy & the Elephantmen
194. Fireflies- Rhett Miller
195. Lucille- M. Craft
196. Some You Give Away- La Rocca
197. Bandwagoneering- The Dears
198. Champion- Professor Murder
199. Gentry Cove- Dirty Pretty Things
200. One of Us is Gonna Die Young- The Ark
201. New Year's Kiss- Casiotone For the Painfully Alone
202. Un Brin De Fierte- Prototypes
203. Fall to Pieces- Razorlight
204. The Latest in Company Brides- Weather Machines
205. Anymore- The Cat Empire
206. The Admiral- White Whale
207. You're the One- The Black Keys
208. Out of the Angels- Amusement Parks on Fire
209. Skip to the End- The Futureheads
210. Include Me Out- dEUS
211. Raoul- The Automatic
212. Stormy Weather- Spindickle
213. It's All Over- Broken Family Band
214. Kids Pushing Kids- Danielson
215. Black Feather Wishes Rise- Brightblack Morning Light
216. Shut Your Eyes- Snow Patrol
217. Soiree- Gerling
218. I Want You to Know- Secret Machines
219. Time- Cassette
220. You May Be Blue- Vetiver
221. Girls From the Ghetto- Ronnie Spector
222. Inside Outside- The Grates
223. Writings on the Wall- The Album Leaf
224. Algorithim of Desire- Measles, Mumps, Rumbella
225. Everybody- Basement Jaxx
226. Can't Con an Honest Jon- The Streets
227. Jenny- I'm From Barcelona
228. Future Women- The M's
229. Up in the Air- Sekiden
230. Yours and Mine- Calexico
231. Vision Valley- The Vines
232. Kingdom of the Worm- Motorhead
233. Rhino Stomp- Starlight Mints
234. Sleeping in the Lion's Mouth- Thunderbirds are Now!
235. Tonight- The Whitlams
236. Rosetta Stoned- Tool
237. Why Won't You- The Rogers Sisters
238. Get Someplace Else- Blood Meridian
239. Waves of Grain- Two Gallants
240. Nematode- Charlemagne
241. Offpoint- Crush Kill Destroy
242. Sing, Little Birdie- Shearwater
243. Motor Skills- The Apparitions

Top 113 songs of 2006
113. Waste of Space- Delays 3:57
112. I Want to Know- Secret Machines 5:02
111. Ten Thousand Lines- Electric President 5:32
110. Don’t Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)- Eagles of Death Metal 2:48
109. Tearing Up the Oxygen- Martime 3:56
108. Seven Minutes in Heaven- His Name is Alive 3:56
107. Eyes Open- The Gossip 2:11
106. Benton Harbor Blues- The Fiery Furnaces 7:23
105. Friend of Time- Brightblack Morning Light 6:30
104. Phenomena- Yeah Yeah Yeahs 4:16
103. When the Going Gets Dark- Quasi 4:05
102. Tresher’s Flail- Be Your Own Pet 2:08
101. What Am I Living For- Van Morrison 3:57
100. Girl That Speaks No Words- Infadels 4:19
99. No Love at All- Big Black Snake- 3:20
98. Another Black Feather- Dayna Kurtz 4:19
97. Safety in Speed (Heavy Metal)- P.O.S. 4:17
96. Blood Music- Deadboy and the Elephantmen 3:36
95. Parade- Pretty Girls Make Graves 2:43
94. Tears For Affairs- Camera Obscura 4:04
93. Still In All the Glitter- Lilys 3:52
92. 10 Years and Seperating State- Watashi Wa 4:45
91. In the Red- Bright Channel 2:49
90. Valerie- The Zutons 3:56
89. Just Drums- Tapes ‘n Tapes 3:45
88. Cloche- The French Kicks 4:26
87. Jolson and Jones- Scott Walker 7:48
86. Sometimes I Feel So Lonely- 5:21
85. Skeleton- Willard Grant Conspiracy 9:22
84. Intimate Secretary- The Raconteurs 3:30
83. Jogging Gorgeous Summer- Islands 2:47
82. Another Day Another Night- Psychic Ills 8:09
81. Stomp- Ol’ Dirty Bastard 2:46
80. Pull Shapes- The Pipettes 2:59
79. Mary Shut the Garden Door- Donald Fagen 6:34
78. Hey Hey- Prussian Blue 2:46
77. 11:11- Film School 6:48
76. Me and My Shadow- Blackmail 3:30
75. And Them- The Ladies 3:24
74. The Most Trustworthy Tin Cans- Maps and Atlases 3:58
73. Arbuckle’s Swan Song- Ambulance LTD 2:52
72. The Wheels- Horse Stories 3:16
71. By My Rocket Comes Fire- Nick Harper 4:42
70. Dead End Day With Ceaser- Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice 21:21
69. Tomorrow- The Concretes 3:44
68. Just a Thought- Gnarls Barkley 3:43
67. Tighten It Up- The Bamboos 3:55
66. Girls in the Back- White Rose Movement 3:32
65. Number 1- Goldfrapp 3:25
64. If I Lie Down- Aloha 3:42
63. Careless Lies- Clear Static 3:41
62. El Paso Song- Arab Strap 3:58
61. Blackout- Boris 4:49
60. 1001 Pleasant Dreams- Mission of Burma 3:49
59. Ramblin’ Man- Isobelle Campbell & Mark Lanegan 3:29
58. The First Song- Band of Horses 3:43
57. Nothing to Do But Dream- Jolie Holland 7:24
56. The Deep End- Steve Wynn 7:28
55. Chicago- Portugal, The Man- 4:13
54. Then I Close My Eyes- David Gilmour 5:28
53. Thanksgiving Day- Ray Davies 5:11
52. Mr. Nichols- Coldcut 5:47
51. I’ll Bring the Sun- Jason Collett 3:35
50. Gravity’s Gone- Drive-By Truckers 3:36 A Blessing And A Curse
49. After It All- Cat Power 3:31 The Greatest
48. Gain- B. Fleischmann 4:44 Humbucking Coil
47. Forgotten Places- Alif Tree 4:51 French Cuisine
46. European Oils- Destroyer 4:55 Destroyer's Rubies
45. Big Shot- Pistolita 3:22 Oliver Under the Moon
44. On the Other Side- The Strokes 4:40 First Impressions of Earth
43. Pyramid- Wolfmother 4:29 Wolfmother
42. L.G.F.- The Red Krayola 5:07 Introduction
41. Wild One- Polysics 3:12 Now Is the Time!
40. Last- Wilderness 5:14 Vessel States
39. Satellite- Young and Sexy 4:00 Panic When You Find It
38. Just Like You Want- Crystal Skulls 3:36 Outgoing Behavior
37. In Front of the House- Human Television 3:18 Look at Who You're Talking To
36. Krakken- Acid Casuals 3:54 Omni
35. Goin’ On- The Flaming Lips 3:40 At War with the Mystics
34. Northern Lights- Ghostdigital 3:11 In Cod We Trust
33. Star Witness- Neko Case 5:17 Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
32. You’re Not Supposed To- Field Music 2:37 Field Music
31. Birdies Singing- Kelley Stoltz 3:19 Below the Branches
30. Hard to Beat- Hard Fi 4:34 Stars of CCTV
29. Brandy Alexandeer- The Walkmen 2:32 A Hundred Miles Off
28. Slow Down Joe- Karl Blau 5:56 Beneath Waves
27. Nice Actress- Tom Verlaine 3:14 Songs and Other Things
26. How We Can Get Free- Pink Mountaintops 7:31 Axis of Evol
25. Up With People- Oneida 7:50 Happy New Year
24. Some Dreams Can Kill You- East River Pipe 5:20 What Are You On?
23. The Ruling Class- Loose Fur 3:35 Born Again in the USA
22. Toe the Line- Deadstring Brothers 3:42 Starving Winter Report
21. Conventional Wisdom- Built to Spill 6:21 You in Reverse
20. Release Me on the Floor- Figurines 5:48 Skeleton
19. Do You Believe in Rapture- Sonic Youth 3:11 Rather Ripped
18. IMC- Spank Rock 2:33 YoYoYoYoYo
17. Glue- Envelopes 4:36 Demon
16. All the Young Children on Crack- The Television Personalities 3:01 My Dark Places
15. Emptyhead- They Shoot Horses Don’t They 2:55 Boo Hoo Hoo Boo
14. Young Men Dead- The Black Angels 5:32 Passover
13. Fake Tales of San Francisco- Arctic Monkeys 2:58 Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
12. Origin Song- Semifinalists 3:10 Semifinalists
11. Wrongfully, I Rested- My Latest Novel 4:43 Wolves
10. Van Occupanther- Midlake 3:16 The Trials of Van Occupanther
9. Stadiums and Shrines II- Sunset Rubdown 3:57 Shut Up I Am Dreaming
8. Beehiver II- Serena Maneesh 4:45 Serena Maneesh
7. The Running Song- The Ghost is Dancing 3:34 Ghost Is Dancing
6. New Day- The Mirrors 4:38
5. Enough to Choke a Cold Air- Candy Bars 4:53
4. Conceived- Beth Orton 3:24 Comfort of Strangers
3. Only One Bullett- Some By Sea 8:57 On Fire! Igloo
2. Song For Sunshine- Belle and Sebastian 4:06 The Life Pursuit
1. Not Going Home- The Elected 4:45 Sun, Sun, Sun


The first selection of albums of 2006 almost didn't look too promising. However, after many deletions, returns, selling back used, and sifting through some crappy hardcore, emo, metal...rap got off to a horrendous start, a couple major disappointments (Jenny Lewis, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness), 30 albums still remain in folder #1 (there are 10 folders total right now). Among these are some of the years best, 14 must-owns, and the #1 song of the year still.

Many of these can be heard on my MySpace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

1. The Elected Sun, Sun, Sun

File Under: Way better than Rilo Kiley, this album features build-ups for and perfect placements for some of the year’s best music including the #1 song of the year Not Going Home (as of October 14, no one’s come close).
Rating: 9.6
Hit songs: Not Going Home (100 #1 Song of the Year), Biggest Star (98), Did Me Good (97)
See also: Rilo Kiley

2. Belle & Sebastian The Life Pursuit

File Under: Indie pop returns with darker songs for, by far, their best album to date.
Rating: 9.4
Hit songs: Song For Sunshine (100), Mornington Crescent (100), We are the Sleepyheads (87), The Blues are Still Blue (86), To Be Myself Completely (85)

3. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

File Under: Mega-hyped rock/dance punk betters Franz Ferdinand
Rating: 9.3
Hit songs: Fake Tales of San Francisco (97), Riot Van (95), I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor (90)

4. Television Personalities My Dark Places

File Under: The Raveonettes, weird rock & pop.
Rating: 9.1
Hit songs: All the Young Children of Crack (96), My Dark Places (95), She Can Stop Traffic (93), You Kep Me Waiting Too Long (90), Velvet Underground (83)

5. The Strokes First Impressions of Earth

File Under: Velvet Underground, Television, Pixies- the bands 2nd best album.
Rating: 9.1
Hit songs: On the Other Side (94), Evening Sun (93), You Only Live Once (91), Razorblade (86), Red Light (85), Juicebox (85), Fear of Sleep (84) Heart in a Cage (80)
See also: Is This It (10.0)

6. Built To Spill You in Reverse

File Under: Idahoans best album ever
Rating: 9.1
Hit songs: Conventional Wisdom (99), Wait (93), Just a Habit (90), Goin’ Against Your Mind (86), Wherever You Go (86)

7. Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

File Under: Fine mix of indie, pop, & country that shold have sold 15 million copies
Rating: 9.0
Hit songs: Star Witness (96), Lion’s Jaws (88), Maybe Sparrow (86)

8. Loose Fur Born Again in the USA

File Under: 2nd collaboration between Jeff Tweed & Jim O’Rourke
Rating: 8.9
Hit songs: The Ruling Class (94), Wanted (91), Hey Chicken (86)
See also: Wilco, Sonic Youth

9. Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies
File Under: David Bowie, The Broadway Musical Rent
Rating: 8.8
Hit songs: European Oils (93), A Dangerous Woman Up to a Point (89), Water Colours into the Ocean (85)
See also: Streethawk: A Seduction (9.3), This Night (9.3), The New Pornographers.

10. Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics

File Under: Picks up where Yoshimi left off
Rating: 8.7
Hit songs: Goin On (92), Vein of Stars (86), Free Radicals (85), The Wizard Turns On (85), My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (84), It Overtakes Me (80)

11. Pink Mountaintops Axis of Evol

File Under: Jesus & Mary Chain, Black Mountain
Rating: 8.6
Hit songs: How We Can Get Free (94), Slaves (90)

12. Film School Film School

File Under: Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver- 2006 style
Rating: 8.6
Hit songs: He’s a DeepDeep Lake (86), Pitfalls (86), 11:11 (86), Sick of the Shame (86), On & On (85), Like You Know (85)

13. Cat Power The Greatest

File Under: Cat Power, for newcomers- bittersweet alternative soft-rock.
Rating: 8.5
Hit songs: After It All (92), Could We (92), Empty Shell (87), The Moon (83), Lived in Bars (80)
See also: Moon Pix (9.6)

14. Band of Horses Everything All the Time

File Under: A much darker version of The Shins
Rating: 8.4
Hit songs: First Song (92), Wicked Gil (85), Monsters (83)

15. Islands Return to the Sea

File Under: The Unicorns, Danielson, The Beach Boys
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: Jogging Gorgeous Summer (86), Tsuxit (86), If (85), Swans (82)

16. Isobelle Campbell & Mark Lanegan Ballad of the Broken Seas

File Under: The Mendoza Line + both aritists previous works.
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: Ramblin Man (91), It’s Hard to Kill a Bad Thing (91), Dusty Wreath (88)

17. Portugal, The Man Waiter: "You Vultures!"

File Under: At the Drive-In, Sunny Day Real Estate, We Vs. The Shark
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: Chicago (91), Waiter (85), Marching With 6 (81), AKA M80 The Wolf (80)

18. The M’s Future Women

File Under: The definition of indie-rock
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: Future Women (85), Never Do This Again (84), Shawnee Dupree (83), Plan of the Man (81), Mansion in the Valley (80), Underground (80), Going Over It (80)

19. Euros Child Chops

File Under: Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci leader’s new band
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: First Time I Saw You (91), Costa Rita (84), Circus Time (81)
See Also: Introducing Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci

20. White Birch Come Up for Air

File Under: Lambchop, Pink Floyd, My Morning Jacket
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: Small Hours (92), Strom-Broken Tree (83), All other songs get an 80.

21. Deadboy & The Elephantmen We Are Night Sky

File Under: A heavier version of Guided By Voices
Rating: 8.2
Hit songs: Blood Music (85), Stop I’m Already Dead (83), Kissed By Lightning (81), What the Stairs Have (80),

22. Rhett Miller The Believer

File Under: The Replacements, Ryan Adams, The Kinks
Rating: 8.1
Hit songs: Fireflies (85), The Believer (82), Help Me Suzanne (80), Meteor Shower (80)
See also: The Old 97’s

23. Horse Stories Everyone's a Photographer

File Under: The Elected, Beulah, Josh Rouse
Rating: 8.1
Hit songs: The Wheels (90), Lies (85)

24. Electric President Electric President

File Under: The Decemberists, Beulah, Palaxy Tracks
Rating: 8.0
Hit songs: Ten Thousand Lines (90), Snow on Dead Neighbors (83), Hum (81)

25. Mates of State Bring It Back

File Under: The Partridge Family, Rainer Maria, Of Montreal
Rating: 8.0
Hit songs: For the Actor (84), Think Long (83), Fraud in the 80’s (81), Beautiful Dreamer (80)

26. Calexico Garden Ruin

File Under: Mexican-tinged country veterans
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Yours and Mine (81), All Systems Red (80), Smash (80)
See Also: 2003’s Feast of Wire (8.4) is band’s best album and Fade (98) from 2000’s Hot Rail is their best song ever.

27. Danielson Ships

File Under: Architecture in Helsinki, Daniel Johnston, Pet Sounds
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Kids Pushing Kids (84), Bloodbook on the Half Shell (83), My Lion Sleeps Tonight (80)
See Also: 2001’s Fetch the Compass Kids is the bands’ best album (9.2)

28. Clearlake Amber

File Under: Brit-rock, heavier than Elbow or Doves.
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: You Can't Have Me (88), No Kind of Life (85)

29. Slideshaker- In the Raw

File Under: Black Keys, The Stooges, Tex Ritter
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: The Last Straw (83), Bones (80), Unfortunate Son (80), Her Sun Going Down (80), No Love Lost (80)

30. Mogwai Mr. Beast

File Under: Post-rock, with more rock than previous albums
Rating: 7.8
Hit songs: We’re No Here (85), Friend of the Night (81), I Chose Horses (80)

31. National Trust Kings and Queens

File Under: Electro-dance rock w/ a taste of soul
Rating: 7.7
Hit songs: Secrets (81), Show and Tell (80), New Sexy Touch (80)



Best song list:

1. Not Going Home- The Elected
2. Song For Sunshine- Belle & Sebastian
3. Conventional Wisdom- Built to Spill
4. Fake Tales of San Francisco- Arctic Monkeys
5. All the Young Children on Crack- Television Personalities
6. Star Witness- Neko Case
7. The Ruling Class- Loose Fur
8. On the Other Side- The Strokes
9. How Can We Get Free- Pink Mountaintops
10. European Oils- Destroyer
11. First Song- Band of Horses
12. The Small Hours- White Birch
13. After It All- Cat Power
14. Goin On- Flaming Lips
15. The Wheels- Horse Stories
16. Chicago- Portugal, The Man
17. First Time I Saw You- Euros Child
18. Ramblin’ Man- Isobelle Campbell & Mark Lanegan
19. He’s In a DeepDeep Lake- Film School
20. Ten Thousand Lines- Electric President
21. You Can't Have Me- Clearlake
22. Jogging Gorgeous Summer- Islands
23. Blood Music- Deadboy & The Elephantmen
24. Fireflies- Rhett Miller
25. Future Women- The M’s
26. We’re No Here- Mogwai
27. Kids Pushing Kids- Danielson
28. For the Actor- Mates of State
29. The Last Straw- Slideshaker
30. Yours and Mine- Calexico
31. Secrets- The National Trust

FOLDER #2:

This one had much less to be sold back or deleted, but there wasn't quite as many superior records as the previous account. Many albums feature a couple great songs, but on whole...not as good as the couple songs. 31 albums made the cut.

Many of these can be heard on my MySpace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

1. They Shoot Horses Don’t They Boo Hoo Hoo Boo

The Scoop: Highly original experimental rock w/ heavy bass & complex rhythm structures
Rating: 9.3
Hit Songs: Emptyhead (98), Big Dot (94), Seeds (93), Apple (90), Lowlife (88), Three (86), Words (85)…everything on the CD is superb.
WARNING: Playing this in a work environment that normally plays Michael Bolton or Matchbox 20 could lead to dismissal, random drug testing, and/or loss of friends.

2. East River Pipe What Are You On?

The Scoop: Genre defying, mellower, laid back, soft alternative rock- Steely Dan, King Missle, Elliott Smith- ?
Rating: 9.2
Hit Songs: Some Dreams Can Kill You (98), Crystal Queen (93), Trivial Things (90), Druglife (90), Life is a Landfill (89), Shut Up and Row (85), The Ultrabright Bitch (84)

3. My Latest Novel Wolves

The Scoop: Mellow/dark rock with excellent violin pieces; Tindersticks, Brave Captain
Rating: 9.1
Hit Songs: Wrongfully I Rested (99), The Hope Edition (93), Ghost in the Gutter (89)

4. Kelley Stoltz Below the Branches

The Scoop: Driving infectous pop- the basics, but perfectly executed & richly layered
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Wave Goodbye (94), Birdies Singing (94), The Sun Comes Through (87), Words (86), Winter Girl (84), No World Like the World (84)

5. Figurines Skeleton

The Scoop: Mountain Goats meets The Strokes
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Release Me on the Floor (96), Silver Ponds (90), Rivalry (90), I Remember (89), The Wonder (80)

6. Acid Casuals Omni

The Scoop: Super Furry Animals band members mesh Pink Floyd w/ Zero 7. Mostly instrumental
Rating: 8.7
Hit Songs: Krakken (98), If I’m a Selt, You’re a Sunt (95)

7. Young and Sexy Panic When You Find It

The Scoop: Alt country meets experimental pop featuring best song on this guide
Rating: 8.7
Hit Songs: Satellite (99), Conventional Lullabies (85), Your Enemy’s Asleep (81)

8. The Concretes In Colour

The Scoop: Swedish pop outfit goes soft & country w/ success; Cat Power, Neko Case
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Grey Days (90), Tomorrow (90), Sunbeams (86), Change in the Weather (81)

9. Lilys Everything Wrong Is Imaginary

The Scoop: Pyschadelic pop bands gets noisy
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: Black Carpet Magic (90), Knocked on the Fortune Teller (88), A Diana’s Diana (81), With Candy (81), Still All the Glitter (80)

10. Donal Fagan Morph the Cat

The Scoop: Solo outing from Steely Dan frontman
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: The Great Pagoda of Fun (88), Mary Shut the Garden Door (87), Brite Nitegown (85), H Gang (84), Security Joan (82)
See also: Steely Dan Can't Buy a Thrill (10.0), it's wise to own the whole Steely Dan Box Set: Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980

11. Polysics Now Is the Time!

The Scoop: Japanese schizo noise-pop
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Wild One (93), The Next World (87), Toisu (85), Tei Tei Tei (81)

12. The Ladies They Mean Us

The Scoop: Alt hard rock; is to drumming what Primus was to bassists.
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: And Them (90), Non-Threatening (87), Mandatory Psycho Freakout (87), Nice Chaps Buddy (80)

13. Van Morrison Pay the Devil

The Scoop: The man who once recorded the greatest album in history records sort of a country album.
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: What Am I Living For (88), Till I Gain Control (86), Big Blue Diamonds (83), all tracks score between 75-82.
See also: Astral Weeks (10.0- the greatest album in history) also, Moondance (9.8), His Band & Street Choir (9.8), Veedon Fleece (9.5), Hard Nose the Highway (9.3)

14. His Name is Alive Detrola

The Scoop: Heavily experimental music also influenced by the likes of The Carpenters
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: I’ll Send My Face to Your Funeral (88), Seven Minutes in Heaven (87), Mama Don’t You Think I Know (86), Get Your Curse On (82)

15. B. Fleischmann Humbucking Coil

The Scoop: Mostly instrumental, easy listening/accesible indie rock w/ electronic & analog instruments.
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Gain (94), Aldebaran Waltz (83), Broken Monitors (81).

16. Arab Strap Last Romance

The Scoop: Tindersticks, Califone, Calexico
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: El Paso Song (90), No Hope For Us (88), Chat in Amsterdam (86), Dream Sequence (80)

17. Pistolita Oliver Under the Moon

The Scoop: Cream of the crop from the Saves the Day genre boasting two 5-star songs
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Big Shot (96), Oliver Under the Moon (91) Big Shot should be a #1 on radio stations that play Fall Out Boy

18. William Orbit Hello Waveforms

The Scoop: Electronica; Zero 7, Massive Attack
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: They Live in the Sky (86), Surfin’ (85), Fragamosia (85), Who Owns the Octopus (81)

19. AIDS Wolf The Lovvers LP

The Scoop: Hardcore no-wave noise rock; The Coughs, Blood Brothers, Ex-Models, Daisy Chainsaw
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Opposing Walls (89), Panty Mind (84), Vampire King (84), The Hat Collectors (84)
Notice: This is some people’s worst nightmare and many will consider this the worst album ever.

20. Dayna Kurtz Another Black Feather

The Scoop: Soft rock w/ superb slide guitar work; Josh Rouse, M. Ward
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Another Black Feather (90), Right For Me (83), All Over Again (81)

21. Some By Sea On Fire! Igloo

The Scoop: Emo, but with one spectacular song
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Only One Bullett (100)

22. Clear Static Clear Static

The Scoop: Indie rock influenced by 80’s pop; O.M.D., Wham!,
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Careless Lies (92), Love Rockets (83)

23. The Gossip Standing in the Way of Control

The Scoop: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, X-Ray Spex, Detroit Cobras
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Eyes Open (83), Keeping You Alive (82), Dark Lines (81), Fire With Fire (80)

24. The Open Statues

The Scoop: Pleasure Forever, DeathCabForCutie, Elvis Costello, Doves
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Forever (88), We Can Never Say Goodbye (87), Seasons of the Change (83)

25. The Weather Machines The Sound Of Pseudoscience

The Scoop: Emphasize “rock” in college rock.
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: The Latest in Company Brides (85), Last Stop (85), Modern Text on Love (83)… all tracks score between 75-85.

26. The Ghost is Dancing Ghost Is Dancing

The Scoop: Artsy noise emo like And You Will Know Us used to make
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Running Song (100)

27. Morrissey Ringleader Of The Tormentors

The Scoop: Slower music from ex-Smiths frontman
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero (90), Dear God Please Help Me (83)

28. Ray Davies Other People's Lives

The Scoop: The lead singer for The Kinks
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Thanksgiving Day (100)

29. Prince 3121

The Scoop: This cat wore a Raspberry Beret while driving a Little Red Corvette through Purple Rain in 1999. All the while, you didn't have to rich to be his girl.
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Satisfied (88), Lolita (86), Fury (85)

30. Broken Family Band Balls

The Scoop: The Decemberists, Clem Snide, The Walkmen
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: It’s All Over (88), The Booze & the Drugs (87), For Milton Tapes (87), I See How You Are (83), Come On Home (82)

31. The Infadels We Are Not the Infadels

The Scoop: The Music, Happy Mondays, “Madchester”
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Girl That Speaks No Words (92), Can’t Get Enough (81), Murder That Sound (80), Jagger ’67 (80)

32. Quasi When the Going Gets Dark
The Scoop: Northwest alt-rock ala 764-HERO, Modest Mouse
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: When the Going Gets Dark (89), Alice the Goon (85), Poverty Sucks (80), The Rhino (80)
See also: The Curse of Having it All (100) from 2001’s The Sword of God is by far the bands best song.
See also: Sleater-Kinney (Janet Weiss)

33. Coldcut Sound Mirrors

The Scoop: Electronic/Hip-hop w/ numerous guests
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Mr. Nichols (99)

34. Measles, Mumps, Rumbella Fantastic Success

The Scoop: The Cure, Talking Heads, Gang of Four
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Algorithim of Desire (87), Apples to Echoes (87), Hallow Bodies (86)

35. Pretty Girls Make Graves Élan Vital

The Scoop: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Siouxse & the Banshees, AFI
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Parade (88), The Nocturnal House (84), The Magic Hour (80)

36. Crush Kill Destroy Metric Midnight

The Scoop: The Cure, The Smiths, Wire; but with long songs 6-11 minutes
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Off Point (83), Walter Mondale (83), Metric Midnight (81)
Notice: This is available used for a penny- easily worth that price!

37. The Rogers Sisters The Invisible Deck

The Scoop: New-wave/dance rock/post-punk 06
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Your Littlest World (85), Why Won’t You (85), Sooner or Later (81), The Conversation (80)

38. The Ark State of the Ark

The Scoop: The Bravery, Spoon, New Order, 70’s pop hits.
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: One of Us Is Gonna Die Young (86), This Piece of Poetry is Meant to Do Harm (81).

39. Grandaddy Just Like the Fambly Cat

The Scoop: The band who once avoided the Sophtware Slump
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: The Animal World (89), Disconnecty (86), Campershell Dreams (85)
See also: Under the Western Freeway (9.4)

40. Buzzcocks Flat-Pack Philosophy

The Scoop: Old school punkers who influenced a few albums on this list returns.
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Wish I Never Loved You (84), Soul Survivor (84), Reconcilation (80)
See also: Singles Going Steady (9.6)

41. Corrinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae

The Scoop: Soul/R&B
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Till It Happens to You (85), Enchantment (84), Butterfly (83)

42. Prussian Blue- The Path We Chose

The Scoop: Top 40 Pop with one incredibly good song
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: Hey Hey (100)

43. Big Black Snake- Between the Devil and the Big

The Scoop: Country/Pop/Jazz
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: No Love at All (98)

44. Monoland- Ben Chattice

The Scoop: Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, A Silver Mt. Zion
Rating: 7.3
Hit Songs: B Suct (80), Levitate (80), Sessna (80)
Notice: Currently unavailable on amazon

Best song list:

1. Satellite- Young and Sexy
2. Wrongfully, I Rested- My Latest Novel
3. Krakken- Acid Casuals
4. Some Dreams Can Kill You- East River Pipe
5. Emptyhead- They Shoot Horses Don’t They
6. Release Me on the Floor- Figurines
7. Big Shot- Pistolita
8. Wave Goodbye- Kelley Stoltz
9. Gain- B. Fleischmann
10. Wild One- Polysics
11. Careless Lies- Clear Static
12. Black Carpet Magic- Lilys
13. The Great Pagoda of Fun- Donald Fagan
14. What Am I Living For- Van Morrison
15. Another Black Feather- Dayna Kurtz
16. The Animal World- Grandaddy
17. Grey Days- The Concretes
18. Girl That Speaks No Words- The Infadels
19. El Paso Song- Arab Strap
20. And Them- The Ladies
21. I’ll Send My Face to Your Funeral- His Name is Alive
22. Opposing Walls- AIDS Wolf
23. When the Going Gets Dark- Quasi
24. It’s All Over- Broken Family Band
25. Forever- The Open
26. Parade- Pretty Girls Make Graves
27. One of Us is Gonna Die Young- The Ark
28. They Live in the Sky- William Orbit
29. The Latest in Company Brides- The Weather Machines
30. Eyes Open- The Gossip
31. Why Won’t You- The Rogers Sisters
32. Algorithim of Desire- Measles, Mumps, Rebulla
33. Offpoint- Crush Kill Destroy
34. Soul Survivor- Buzzcocks
35. B Suct- Monoland

Moving into spring, even though Sonic Youth continued their output of quality material, the year still lacked that one great CD. The Elected & Belle and Sebastian was battling it out for the top spot still. And, Serena-Maneesh and Love is All finally made it into stores.

However, there were still lots of albums coming in with at least one really great song on it. By this point, a 100 best songs of the year mix mp3 would have sounded nice already. Unfortunately, radio still sucked and none of them were ever played.

Many of these can be heard on my MySpace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

1. Sonic Youth Rather Ripped

The Scoop: By far the best band formed after 1980. In an ideal world, Sonic Youth would be first ballet Hall of Famers in 2007. Nobody else formed in 1982 has even come close to matching this bands output. Career wise, Sonic Youth flat-out smokes The Cure, The Smiths, Minutemen, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, and anybody else you can think of that was great in the 80’s (don’t even bother comparing to Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Bananarama). Furthermore, all those other great bands from that period no longer exist and wasn’t ever as good as Sonic Youth to begin with. An album this good is merely a testament as to how great the career of Sonic Youth has been.

Rating: 9.3
Hit Songs: Do You Believe in Rapture (100), Incenerate (91), The Neutral (90), Turqouise Boy (89), Or (86), Sleepin Around (85), Rats (84).
See also: Daydream Nation (10.0), A Thousand Leaves (10.0), Experimental Jet Set (9.9), Sister (9.8), Washing Machine (9.8)

2. The Mirrors- Osmosis

The Scoop: Italian indie band with one-of-a-kind vocalist and the perfect band to fit that sound. Similar to what makes Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah so great, although they sound nothing alike.
Rating: 9.2
Hit Songs: New Day (100), Please Don’t (97), Innocently Asked (90), Lucy Pay (85), What You Need to Make You (81)
NOTE: Currently unavailable on amazon- sounds nothing like the band The Mirrors who is available.

3. Serena-Maneesh Serena Maneesh

The Scoop: My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Broken Social Scene
Rating: 9.1
Hit Songs: Beehiver II (99), Don’t Come Down Here (92), Her Name is Suicide (86), Your Blood in Mine (82), Candlelighted (80), Chorale Lick (80)
NOTE: Limited release in 2005- made numerous best of 2005 lists and rightly so.

4. Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers

The Scoop: Features what should have been the #1 pop hit in the world- corporate radio really squandered this one. Can someone please explain how whatever is currently #1 on top 40 radio more worthy of the top slot than Conceived?
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Conceived (100), Heartland Truckstop (85), Countenance (83)

5. Envelopes Demon

The Scoop: Off-kilter experimental pop
Rating: 8.7
Hit Songs: It Is the Law/Glue (99), Sister in Love (84), Audrey in the Country (82), Sotnos (81), Your Fight is Over (80), Massmouvement (80), I Don’t Like It (80)

6. Crystal Skulls Outgoing Behavior

The Scoop: Indie pop/rock band with unique vocalist
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Just Like You Want (93), The Cosmic Door (88), Heavy Sleeper (87), Hey It’s Easy (86), Sedate & Satisfied (85), Outgoing Behavior (80)

7. Love is All Nine Times That Same Song

The Scoop: Shoegaze Blondie maybe
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Make Out Fall Out Make Up (98), Turn the Radio Off (90), Used Goods (85), Felt Tip (83)
NOTE: This had a limited release in 2005 and made many best of 2005 lists.

8. The Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers

The Scoop: Jack White, Brendan Benson, The Greenhornes collaboration features more Beatles style rock than one would expect. Great results, better than Satan, and anything by the other members.
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Blue Veins (93), Intimate Secretary (90), Level (87), Call it a Day (82)

9. Drive-By Truckers A Blessing And A Curse

The Scoop: Southern rockers are back
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Gravity’s Gone (96), Daylight (90), Aftermath USA (84), World of Hurt (80)

10. Elliott Brood Ambassador

The Scoop: 16 Horsepower; angst-driven alternative blue-grass.
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Superior (93), Wolfgang (85), President (85), Twill (84), Johnny Rook (82), My Friend (81)

11. Steve Wynn ...Tick...Tick...Tick

The Scoop: Ex-Dream Syndicate frontman returns and shows no sign of age.
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: The Deep End (95), Your Secret (83), All the Squares Go Home (82), Cindy, It Was Always You (80), all other songs score between (75-80)

12. Psychic Ills Dins

The Scoop: Hawkwind meets My Bloody Valentine
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Another Day Another Night (91), I Knew My Name (90), Electric Life (89), January Rain (80)
WARNING: This album has a few “songs” that merely serve as intros to other actual songs- take heed of this when listening to 30 second samples.

13. The Coup Pick a Bigger Weapon

The Scoop: Political hip-hop that sounds best on the laidback soulful numbers.
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: ShoYoAss (87), Head of State (84), I Just Wanna Lay in Bed (82), The Stand (81)

14. Goldfrapp Supernature

The Scoop: More upbeat danceable numbers than past efforts
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Number 1 (88), Fly Me Away (86), You Never Know (85), Let It Take You (80), Koko (80)

15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones

The Scoop: NY trio return with a less noisy, more pop oriented effort
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Phenomena (89), Dudley (87), Warrior (85), Fancy (81)

16. Gregor Samsa 55:12

The Scoop: Low, Tram, the ultimate hangover album
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: These Points Balance (89), Young and Old (88),

17. Fiery Furnaces Bitter Tea

The Scoop: Ultra-talented duo ditch Granny for backwards effects; pop-experimentalism
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Benton Harbour Blues (90), Waiting to Know You (89), Bitter Tea (89)

18. The Duke Spirit Cuts Across the Land

The Scoop: PJ Harvey on blues/country/punk.
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Red Weather (91), Lion Rip (86), Love is an Unfamiliar Name (80)

19. P.O.S. Audition

The Scoop: Underground rap featuring many notable guests such as The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn.
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Safety in Speed (91)

20. Watashi Wa Eager Seas

The Scoop: Doves, Elbow, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Dream Academy
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: 10 Years and Seperating States (90), Courtyard (80), 2:57 (80)

21. Two Gallants What the Toll Tells

The Scoop: Imagine Neutral Milk Hotel on Saddle Creek playing long songs.
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Waves of Grain (81), Some Slender Rest (80), Age of Assassins (80), Long Summer Day (80), The Prodigal Son (80), Threnody in Minor B (80).

22. Jason Collett Idols of Exile

The Scoop: That California sound: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: I’ll Bring the Sun (92), Almost Summer (89), Tinsel & Sawdust (80)

23. Boom Boom Satellites Full of Elevating Pleasures

The Scoop: New Order, Happy Mondays, The Music, Primal Scream
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Rise and Fall (88), Ride On (87), Back in the Night (83), Let it All Come Down (83)

24. Secret Machines Ten Silver Drops

The Scoop: Follow-up strays from Road to Nowhere.
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: I Want to Know (86), Alone Jealous & Stoned (83), Faded Lines (80), All at Once (80)

25. Delays You See Colours

The Scoop: Indie act featuring male vocalist who resembles Stevie Nicks.
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Waste of Space (89), Take Your From Your Sleeve (86)
ALSO: Best song from last album, Long Time Coming (99) is featured in a jewelry store commercial.

26. Afterhours Ballads for Little Hyenas

The Scoop: Ecclectic indie
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: The Thin White Line (89), Sparkle (84), Juda’s Blood (81), The Ending is the Greater (80).

27. Willard Grant Conspiracy Let It Roll

The Scoop: Brooding alt-country
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Skeleton (91), Lady of the Snowline (81), Dance With Me (80)

28. Charlemagne Detour Allure

The Scoop: Alternative pop duets
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Neamtode (86), Fave Unknown (83), We Are Making Light (82), In the Fuselage (80)

29. Fine Arts Showcase- Radiola

The Scoop: Echo & the Bunnymen, Guided By Voices, Psychadelic Furs
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: PartII/Frida & I (83), Shoplifter’s Union (82), Chemical Girl (82), All songs score between 75-80

30. Minor Majority- Reasons to Hang Around

The Scoop: Gram Parsons, America, Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: There Will Come Another (84), No Particular Girl (80), As Good As it Gets (80), Let the Night Begin (80).

31. The Apparitions As This Is Futuristic

The Scoop: Pop-punkish band with Neutral Milk Hotel-ish tendencies
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: Motor Skills (81), She Burned Out Their Eyes (80), Electricity + Drums (80).

32. Slow Runner No Disassemble

The Scoop: Weakerthans, Adam Green,
Rating: 7.0
Hit Songs: Redneck Bar (80), The Sea is Never Full (80)

BEST SONG RANKING:

1. Conceived- Beth Orton
2. New Day- The Mirrors
3. Do You Believe in Rapture- Sonic Youth
4. Beehiver II- Serena-Maneesh
5. Glue- Envelopes
6. Gravity's Gone- Drive-By Truckers
7. Blue Veins- The Raconteurs
8. Make Out Fall Out Make Up- Love is All
9. The Deep End- Steve Wynn
10. Just Like You Want- Crystal Skulls
11. Superior- Elliot Brood
12. 10 Years and Seperating States- Watashi Wa
13. Safety in Speed- P.O.S.
14. I'll Bring the Sun- Jason Collett
15. Another Day, Another Night- Psychic Ills
16. Benton Harbour Blues- The Fiery Furnaces
17. Red Weather- The Duke Spirit
18. Skeleton- Willard Grant Conspiracy
19. ShowYoAss- The Coup
20. Number 1- Goldfrapp
21. Waste of Space- Delays
22. These Points Balance- Gregor Samsa
23. Dudley- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
24. Rise and Fall- Boom Boom Satellites
25. The Thin White Line- Afterhours
26. Nematode- Charlemagne
27. Shoplifter's Union- Fine Arts Showcase
28. I Want You to Know- Secret Machines
29. Waves of Grain- Two Gallants
30. There Will Come Another- Minor Majority
31. Motor Skills- The Apparitions
32. Redneck Bar- Slow Runner

Moving into early summer... This section gives us several great albums and a few songs worthy of top 10 of the year. On a personal level, I was unemployed for a month during this period and was faced with an uncertain future and was unhappy with several aspects in my life. As a result, I favored darker music even more and Not Going Home by The Elected became more than just the #1 song of the year.

Many of these can be heard on my MySpace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

1. Semifinalists Semifinalists

Category: Experimental pop
Rating: 9.4
Hit songs: Origin Song (99), Show the Way (97), Upstream (91), From Several To Many (90), HWY 101 (85), Let’s Kill This (83), The Chemicals That Wait (83), DC (83).

2. Sunset Rubdown Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Category: Wolf Parade’s other band
Rating: 9.3
Hit songs: Stadiums & Shrines II (100), I’m Sorry I Sang…(93), Us One’s In Between (89), Tracks 5-8 (88).

3. Midlake The Trials of Van Occupanther

Category: Psychadelic/folk
Rating: 9.1
Hit songs: Van Occupanther (100), We Gathered in Spring (93), It Covers the Hillsides (86), Branches (86), Head Home (86), Bandits (83), In this Camp (81)

4. Mission of Burma The Obliterati

Category: Post-punk
Rating: 9.0
Hit songs: Donna Sumeria (94), 2wice (91), 1001 Pleasant Dreams (90), Careening With Conviction (88), Nancy Reagan’s Head (85), Period (85), Let Yourself Go (84)

5. Deadstring Brothers Starving Winter Report

Category: Alt. country/southern rock + Exile on Main Street
Rating: 8.9
Hit songs: Toe the Line (99), All Over Now (90), Moonlight Only Knows (89), Talkin’ Born Blues (88), Lights Go Out (83)

6. Water Lily- 13th Floor

Category: Indie
Rating: 8.8
Hit songs: Dust in Hands (96), Friday Afternoon (89), Spiral (89), Ocean (85), The Stooge (80)
NOTE: This band’s greatest strength is their ability to write excellent outros to their songs. Therefore, these tunes must be heard in their entirity to be appreciated. Risk the 99 cents, download Dust in Hands, listen to it in full, then buy the album. Unfortunately, it may be hard to find for it isn’t even available here- visit my myspace page and the song is on my playlist.

7. Jolie Holland Springtime Can Kill You

Category: Folk
Rating: 8.8
Hit songs: Mexican Blue (93), Nothing to Do But Dream (89), Stubborn Beast (86), Adieu False Heart (83), Mehitabel’s Blues (83), not a bad moment on the CD really.

8. Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere

Category: Hip Hop/soul- Danger Mouse + Cee-lo
Rating: 8.7
Hit songs: Just a Thought (90), St. Elsewhere (89), Necromancing (85), The Boogie Monster (83), Crazy (80(now a major hit)), Gone Daddy Gone (80(remake of the Violent Femmes classic)), Storm is Coming (80).

9. The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off

Category: NYC post-Strokes experimental garage rock
Rating: 8.7
Hit songs: Brandy Alexander (95), Another One Goes By (92), Tenley Town (84), Always After You (84), Good For You’s Good For Me (83), This Job is Killing Me (80)
See also: Both of The Walkmen’s first two albums get a 9.5
See also: Jonathan *Fire Eater
See also: Mazarin “We’re Already There” (9.4) from 2005- it contains the original version of Another One Goes By (100) which was one of the best songs of last year. Unfortunately, it went unnoticed. Kudos to The Walkmen for recognizing that and doing their part.

10. Field Music Field Music

Category: Experimental pop
Rating: 8.6
Hit songs: Your Not Supposed To (95), Test Your Reaction (90), I’m Tired (84), Trying to Sit Out (82)

11. Karl Blau Beneath Waves

Category: Indie psych pop boasts one massive hit.
Rating: 8.6
Hit songs: My Johnny (99), Crashing Waves (88), Ode to Demons (82), Dark Magical Sea (81)

12. Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet

Category: Experimental post-punk + X-Ray Spex
Rating: 8.6
Hit songs: Tresher’s Flail (90), Bunk Trunk Skunk (88), Love Your Shotgun (86), Let’s Get Sandy (85), Ouch (81), Wildcat (81), Bicycle Bicycle (81)

13. Tapes ‘N Tapes The Loon

Category: Indie
Rating: 8.5
Hit songs: Just Drums (86), Crazy Eights (86), Manitoba (86), 10 Gallon Ascots (86)

14. David Gilmour On An Island

Category: Pink Floyd
Rating: 8.5
Hit songs: Then I Close My Eyes (94), On an Island (87), Smile (85), All others get between 78-84.

15. Eagles of Death Metal Death by Sexy

Category: Rock and roll
Rating: 8.4
Hit songs: Don’t Speak (88), I Gotta Feeling (87), Poor Doggie (87), Eagles Goth (83), I Like to Move in the Night (81), Solid Gold (81)
See also: 2004’s Peace Love Death Metal (9.5), Queens of the Stone Age

16. Maps and Atlases

Category: The Joan of Arc category or The Mars Volta lite
Rating: 8.3
Hit songs: The Most Trustworthy Tin Cans (88), Songs For Ghosts to Haunt To (87), Every Place is a House (86), Big Bopper Anthems (83)
NOTE: Currently not available on amazon. For more info check out: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

17. The Zutons Tired of Hanging Around

Category: Indie
Rating: 8.1
Hit songs: Valerie (91), Oh Stacey (87), Secrets (81), It’s the Little Things We Do (80), I Know I’ll Never Leave (80)

18. White Rose Movement Kick

Category: Post-punk/new-wave/dance punk
Rating: 8.1
Hit songs: Girls in the Back (94), Alsatian (89)

19. Motorpsycho Black Hole/Blank Canvas

Category: Post/punk + Classic rock + Stoner rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit songs: In Our Tree (86), Coalmine Pony (82), L.T.E.C. (80), Over ten songs that score between 77-80.

20. Placebo Meds

Category: Indie
Rating: 8.0
Hit songs: Space-monkey (85), Broken Promise (83), Infrared (81), Because I Want You (80)
See also: 2001’s Black Market Music (9.2)

21. The Black Keys Chulahoma

Category: Blues
Rating: 8.0
Hit songs: Meet Me in the City (90), My Mind is Ramblin’ (80), Have Mercy on Me (80)
NOTE: If you’ve never heard The Black Keys before, the rating may be higher. If you really love this album and would like to hear a few more exactly like it, check out any of their other albums. The Big Come Up remains the best (9.2). Also, this is an EP.

22. Shoplifting Body Stories

Category: Alternative hard rock/punk
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Talk of the Town (85), Claude Glass (85), Illegalists (84), Untrust/Trust (81)

23. Devics Push The Heart

Category: Mazzy Star, The Cranberries category
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Moments (84), City Lights (83), A Secret Message For You (80), Song For a Sleeping Girl (80)

24. Black Wire Black Wire

Category: The Thunderbirds Are Now!/post-Fugazi category
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Both Your Houses (85), Attack! Attack! Attack! (81), The Face (80), Smoke & Mirrors (80)
Note: A 2005 release.

25. Cassette- Welcome Back to Earth

Category: Cream of the wimpy-pop crop
Rating: 7.9
Hit songs: Time (86), Love With the Light On (83), Alle the Star (80), Your Star (80)
CAUTION: Playing the song ‘Time’ around certain people could result in harassment, ridicule, and maybe even an assbeating.
NOTE: This is not the rapper Cassette.

26. Vetiver To Find Me Gone

Category: Acoustic rock
Rating: 7.8
Hit songs: You May Be Blue (81), Maureen (81), I Know No Pardon (80)

27. Tool 10,000 Days

Category: Progressive metal
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Rosetta Stoned (81), Jambi (81)

28. The Drones Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By

Category: Blues punk/hard rock
Rating: 7.7
Hit songs: The Freedom in the Loot (82), The Best You Can Believe In (82)
Locust (81)
Note: A 2005 release.

29. Beirut The Gulag Orkestar

Category: Festive music
Rating: 7.7
Hit songs: Postcards From Italy (81), The Bunker (80)

30. The Feeling Twelve Stops and Home

Category: Power Pop
Rating: 7.1
Hit songs: Anyone (80), Love it When You Call (80)

31. Orson Bright Idea

Category: Power pop
Rating: 7.1
Hit songs: Already Over (81), The Okay Song (80)

Song rankings:

1. Stadiums and Shrines II- Sunset Rubdown
2. Van Occupanther- Midlake
3. My Johnny- Karl Blau
4. Origin Song- Semifinalists
5. Toe the Line- Dead String Brothers
6. Dust in Hands- Water Lily
7. You’re Not Supposed To- Field Music
8. Brandy Alexander- The Walkmen
9. Dona Sumeria- Mission of Burma
10. Then I Close My Eyes- David Gilmour
11. Girls in the Back- White Rose Movement
12. Mexican Blue- Jolie Holland
13. Tresher’s Flail- Be Your Own Pet
14. Valerie- The Zutons
15. Just a Thought- Gnarls Barkley
16. The Most Worthy Tin Cans- Maps + Atlases
17. Don’t Speak- Eagles of Death Metal
18. In Our Tree- Motorpsycho
19. Just Drums- Tapes ‘N Tapes
20. Space Monkey- Placebo
21. Meet Me in the City- The Black Keys
22. Both of Your Houses- Black Wire
23. Time- Cassette
24. Moments- Devics
25. Talk of the Town- Shoplifting
26. You May Be Blue- Vetiver
27. Freedom of the Loot- The Drones
28. Rosetta Stoned- Tool
29. Already Over- Orson
30. Postcards From Italy- Beirut
31. Anyone- The Feeling

Moving into summer, the power of the internet came into effect. Many of the CD's listed came from the two friends I met right here on amazon. My friend in Australia hooked me up with several great albums from some excellent Aussie bands who are not getting enough love in the U.S. And, my dude from North Carolina, whom I've now met in person (in Cleveland @ the Cuyhoga festival), turned me onto Kite Flying Society, who found him on myspace. Had it not been for them, not for sites like amazon & myspace, I would have missed out totally, and the world would have stopped spinning and we'd all be dead. Close call there.

As for myspace...I had read the review for Candy Bars in Magnet magazine, but the CD was not available @ my store- Shake It Records in Cincinnati, nor on amazon. So, I had to purchase the CD on myspace. I had bought CD's in the past directly from the label with mixed results. But Candy Bars, my God, this is one great CD! This record should be owned by everybody and they should be selling out arena- yes they are THAT good. Enough to Choke Air, about the #3 or so song of the year, is currently a tune on my own myspace page:

http://profile.myspace.com/tonyjneal

Check it out, then buy the CD, then play the CD for 10 of your friends, and do your part in the attempt to have Candy Bars outsell Michael Jackson's Thriller. Somebody has to.



1. Candy Bars On Cutting Ti-gers in Half and Understanding Narravation

Category: Neurotic depressive insomniacs with dark music and hushed vocals. Somewhat reminiscent of The Auteurs great album After Murder Park, but better.
Rating: 9.8
Hit Songs: Enough to Choke a Cold Air (100), Violets (100), You Were Always a Horse (93), The Basque Country (92), The Birthday Song (91), Lovesong Lake (91), Works Cited (91), The Flood in Your Home Town (90)
DEAR AMAZON: Please put a photo and song samples for this album and maybe even link it to other pages. It is far too good to be going this unnoticed.
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.myspace.com/candybars

2. Helvetia The Clever North Wind

Category: Experimental art pop/lo-fi
Rating: 9.3
Hit Songs: The Drowning End (100), Laughter and the Art of Forgetting (88), Songs of the Ancient (87), Viva the Decline (84), Now and Formerly (83), Floaters (83), Gladness (83), all others score between 77-80

3. The Black Angels Passover

Category: Jesus & Mary Chain + Secret Machines + Nebula
Rating: 9.3
Hit Songs: Black Grease (97), The Prodigal Son (95), Sniper at the Gates of Heaven (92), Call to Arms *bonus track* (92), Young Men Dead (91),

4. Kite Flying Society- Where’s the Glow

Category: Psychadelic pop
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Tiger Stripes (100), When Clouds Collide (98), Love and Seagulls (89), Pieces (86), Groundflower (83)
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.myspace.com/kfsmusic

5. Boris Pink

Category: Japanese avant-garde noise punk
Rating: 8.8
Hit Songs: Pseudo-Bread (95), Blackout (91), Afterburner (91), Tracks 2-4 (87 each), Electric (81)

6. Oneida Happy New Year

Category: Art punk expermentalists
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Up With People (93), You Can Never Tell (87), Tell Your Parents (86), The Misfit (86)

7. Spank Rock YoYoYoYoYo

Category: Hip Hop, experimental
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: IMC (100), Far Left (91), Bump (86)

8. Wolf Mother Wolfmother

Category: Rock; Black Sabbath, The White Stripes
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Pyramid (96), Apple Tree (91), White Unicorn (89), Tales (85), Witch Craft (85), Woman (82)

9. The Exploders Exploders

Category: Part garage rock/ part experimental rock/pop
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: Fuzz Bomb (100), Stepping Out (87), Hugh’s Lullaby (85), Cowboy Jim (85), Everybody Knows (83)

10. Tom Verlaine Songs and Other Things & Around

Category: Television- More guitar virtuso than Marquee Moon
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Nice Actress (95), The O of Adore (85), The Suns Gliding! (85), Documentary (81), The Earth Is in the Sky (80)
See also: Television- Marquee Moon (10.0) & Adventure (9.7)

11. Hard Ons Most People Are a Waste of Time

Category: Art punk
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: But Officer I Was Just Doing My Job (96), What Would Stiv Bators Do (85), Knowing My Luck...(83), Crack (82)

12. Stardust Five Stardust Five

Category: World rock
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Last Orders/Nightwatchman (88), Los Cucumbros (88), Everybody Loves
You Baby (87), Mi Camion Mi Casa (85), Road To The North (83)

13. Auggie March Moo, You Bloody Choir

Category: Acoustiic-rock/Elbow
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Clockwork (95), The Baron of Sentiment (88), The Honey Month (83)

14. Thom Yorke The Eraser

Category: Electronic Radiohead
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Analyse (87), The Eraser (86), Cymbal Rush (83)

15. Espers II

Category: Psychadelic Folk
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Dead Queen (87), Widow’s Weed (86)

16. Giant Drag Hearts and Unicorns

Category: Indie, rock, punk
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: High Friends In Places (88), This Isn't It (83)
*Partial 2005 Release*

17. The Pipettes We Are the Pipettes

Category: Sex crazed girl pop
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Pull Shapes (91), Tell Me What You Want (85), Sex (81) Most songs score around an (80) and deal with sex of some sort.

18. Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of This Country

Category: Girl-group rock 2006
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Tears For Affairs (89), The False Contender (83), Razzle Dazzle Nose (83), Lloyd, I’m Read (82)

19. Spindickle- Two Strings From Home *Aussie import*

Category: Outlaw acoustic alternative rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Stormy Weather (88), After Yourself (87), Smarter Than Me (86), Daddy’s Gun (85), Man on a Cross (82), Outlaw (80), Sunny and Fine (80), Hey Lady (80).

20. Gerling 4

Category: Hip Rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Soiree (85), Turning The Screws (82), Good Timing (81), Auf Wiedersehn (81), Big Game (80), Getaway Car (80), I’m Doin Okay (80)

21. The Cat Empire Cities

Category: Jazz-punk, ska, swing revival
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Anymore (84), Song For Elias (83), Siente (83)

22. The Vines Vision Valley

Category: Modern Rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Anysound (81), Vision Valley (81), Nothin's Comin' (80), Futuretarded (80), Dope Train (80), Don't Listen To The Radio (80)

23. Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea- Dead Wood Falls *Aussie import*

Category: Folk/Acoustic/Aussie Cat Power
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: The Longing Song (86), Dead Wood Falls (85), Red Room (85)
For more info: http://www.myspace.com/jencloherandtheendlesssea

24. French Kicks Two Thousand

Category: NYC Post-Strokes art rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Hey I Wait I (88), Basement: D.C. (84), Cloche (83), Also Ran (83)
Also check: One Time Bells (9.6)

25. The Grates Gravity Won't Get You High

Category: Yeah Yeah Yeahs style rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Inside Outside (83), Sukkafish (83), Lies (83), Howl (81)

26. Aloha Some Echoes

Category: Prog pop
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Come Home (85), Your Eyes (83), Brace Your Face (81)

27. Beggars- S/T *Aussie import*

Category: Alt. Country/Contemporary Folk
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Flying (89), It’s Not You (84), I Didn’t Mean to Make You Cry (80)
FOR MORE INFO: http://www.myspace.com/beggarsthe

28. Brightblack Morning Light Brightblack Morning Light

Category: Non-retro Psychadelic-ish music in the mold of Acetone
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Black Feather Wishes Rise (86), Star Blanket River Child (84), We Share Our Blanket With the Owl (81)

29. The Whitlams Little Cloud

Category: Country rock + Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Tonight (84), Been Away Too Long (83), Second Best (83), Year of the Rat (83), The Curse Stops Here (80), Fondness Makes the Heart Grow Absent (80)

30. Sekiden- Sound Instincts Up in the Air

Category: Twee pop
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Up In The Air (86), Artificial Sweetener (85), Save Our Suburb (83), Compass Or A Map (81), Missin Yr Kissin (80)
NOTE: The actual album is Sound Instincts which is not available yet in the U.S. The band is from Australia and there are many great bands from Australia, many bands on this guide are from Australia.

31. Shearwater Palo Santo

Category: Jeff Buckley-ish
Rating: 7.6
Hit Songs: Sing, Little Birdie (83), Going is Song (81), La Dame et la Lincorne (80), Palo Santo (80)

32. We Are Scientists With Love and Squalor

Category: Pop-punk/Dance-punk
Rating: 7.0
Hit Songs: Textbook (80), Callbacks (80)
ABOUT MY CATS: Two of the kittens (the ones on each end) shown on the album cover look a lot like my two cats did when they were younger.

1. Enough to Choke a Cold Air- Candy Bars or Violets
2. The Drowning End- Helvetia
3. Fuzz Bomb- Exploders
4. Tiger Stripes- Kite Flying Society
5. IMC- Spank Rock
6. Black Grease- The Black Angels
7. Clockwork- Augie March
8. But Officer I Was Just Doing My Job- Hard Ons
9. Pyramid- Wolfmother
10. Nice Actress- Tom Verlaine
11. Psuedo-Bread- Boris
12. Up With People- Oneida
13. Tears For Affairs- Camera Obscura
14. Los Cucumboros- Stardust Five
15. Pull Shapes- The Pipettes
16. High Friends In Places- Giant Drag
17. Dead Queen- Espers
18. Analyse- Thom Yorke
19. Stormy Weather- Spindickle
20. Hey I Wait I- French Kicks
21. The Longing Song- Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea
22. Black Feather Wishes Rise- Brightblack Morning Light
23. Soiree- Gerling
24. Up in the Air- Sekiden
25. Flying- Beggars
26. Come Home- Aloha
27. Anymore- The Cat Empire
28. Tonight- The Whitlams
29. Inside Outside- The Grates
30. Vision Valley- The Vines
31. Sing, Little Birdie- Shearwater
32. Textbook- We Are Scientists

This is the best selection of albums yet, featuring the possible #1 & #2 albums of the year. There had been better individual songs previously, but there are some very strong whole albums listed here. Plus, Eric Bachmann, Outkast, and some others released great albums on my birthday.

#1 Ghostigital is an extremely adventurous record and may downright get under the skin of many people. It is to 50 Cent what Sonic Youth is to Dan Folgerberg. Use extreme caution!

For #2, no caution is really necessary at all. Not saying it's sugary, wimpy, or vanilla (after all, the title itself is threatening), simply put, the new Yo La Tengo is so extremely good, anybody who appreciates quality music has to like it. The record incorporates about 7 or 8 different styles of music and plays those styles as well as they've ever been played. Indeed a masterpiece.

Many of these can be heard on my MySpace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal


1. Ghostigital In Cod We Trust

Category: Hip hop/extreme avant experimental jazz/noise rock
Rating: 9.8
Hit Songs: Black Sand (100), Good Morning (99), Green Lounge (99), Northern Lights (98), besides Not Clean (65), all other songs get around a 90.

2. Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Category: Everything good about music
Rating: 9.8
Hit Songs: Mr. Tough (100), Black Flowers (98), I Feel Like Going Home (98), Beanbag Chair (97), The Story Of (92), Pass the Hatchet (90)- the entire albums consists of Hit Songs.

3. Bob Dylan Modern Times

Category: If you’ve never even heard of Bob Dylan, now might be a good time to make a serious reflection on your life, analyze everything you’ve ever done since birth, regret all of it, and consider making serious changes. Also, there’s another band called The Beatles that made a couple of albums too.
Rating: 9.5
Hit Songs: Spirit on the Water (100), Working Man's Blues #2 (93), Beyond The Horizon (90), Nettie Moore (86), Ain’t Talkin’ (85).
A Quote: A friend of mine declared he does not include Dylan in any year-end list because it’s inappropriate to compare such a legend with Mates of State and Clear Static.

4. Heartless Bastards All This Time

Category: Blues rock w/ an amazingly talented vocalist/Bonnie Raitt, good, with Tim Buckley singing ability
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Blue Day (99), Came a Long Way (96), Searching for the Ghost (85), No Pointing Arrows (84), Brazen (83), All This Time (82).

5. Archie Bronson Outfit Derdang Derdang

Category: Very cool Rock and roll/Jesus & Mary Chain/BMRC
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Dart For My Sweetheart (94), How I Sang Dang (92), Cherry Lips (90), Rituals (89), Dead Funny (89), Jab Jab (88), Kink (87), Got to Get (86)

6. Eric Bachmann To the Races

Category: Acoustic rock from Crooked Fingers leaders, ex-Archers of Loaf
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Carrboro Woman (98), Lonesome Warrior (91), Man O War (88), Liars And Thieves (87)- all other songs are pleasantly enjoyable

7. TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)

Category: Hip new-wave rock + shoegaze ambience
Rating: 8.8
Hit Songs: I Was a Lover (90), Dirty Whirl Wind (89), Wahs The Day Away (89), Tonight (89), Province (88), Hours (86), Blues From Down Here (83)

8. Human Television Look at Who You're Talking To

Category: College Rock
Rating: 8.7
Hit Songs: In Front of the House (92), On and On (90), Bonus Track (88), I Laughed (88), People Talking (88), I’m Moving On (86), Such a Trip (86).

9. Outkast Idlewild

Category: R&B/Hip-Hop/Broadway
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: When I Look in Your Eyes (92), Life is a Musical (88), Mutron Angel (86), A Bad Note (86), Greatest Show on Earth (85), PJ & Rooster (84), Idlewild Blue (83), Chronomentrophobia (82), Makes No Sense At All (80)

10. The Red Krayola Introduction

The Category: Prog/Experimental/Folk that’s been doing this since 1966.
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: L.G.F. (100), When She Went Swimming (89), It Will Be Delivered (89), Psy Ops (87), Swerving (86), Vexations (85), Greasy Street (80)
NOTE: John McEntire (The Sea & Cake, Tortoise) is the greatest drummer ever. He raises the bar of this record several notches not only with his superb drumming, but he also recorded, mixed, and produced the CD as well.
See also: Hurrican Fighter Plane to hear when this band was once peered with such greats as 13th Floor Elevators and Captain Beefheart.

11. Jurassic 5 Feedback

Category: Rap
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: End Up Like This (95), Red Hot (89), Gotta Understand (87), Work It Out ft. Dave Matthews (85), Get It Together (82), Future Sound (80)
NOTE: Critics have been harsh on this CD and I have no idea why.

12. Grizzly Bear Yellow House

Category: Experimental art folk
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Litle Brother (97), Knife (89), Lullabye (86), Easier (85)

13. Guillemots Through the Windowpane

Category: Radiohead, Travis, Trembling Blue Stars
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Trains to Brazil (95), Annie Let’s Not Wait (84), If the World Ends (82), Made-up Lovesong (80)

14. The Longcut Call & Response

Category: The Walkmen, early REM, a dash of U2
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: A Tried and Tested Method (92), Holy Funk (88), Lonesome No More (85), Spires (83)

15. The Sleepy Jackson Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird)

Category: Indie/ A mix of Destroyer & The Shins
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Work Alone (91), God Lead Your Soul (88), You Needed More (85), You Won't Bring People Down In My Town (83), Play A Little Bit For Love (81), How Was I Supposed to Know (81)

16. Pet Shop Boys Fundamental

Category: Could list a bunch of trendy new bands in this category or simply state: 80’s influenced modern rock from a band that made 80’s modern rock in the 80’s.
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Psychological (94), Luna Park (85), Indefinite Leave To Remain (85), Minimal (83), Casanova in Hell (80)
How Sweet It Is: So nice to do an album, 15 years after your singles collection was released, not change a single thing, and being in the same genre as what is actually currently cool. Funny that Night Ranger never enjoyed such luxury.

17. The Roots Game Theory

Category: Rap
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Game Theory (87), Long Time (86), In the Music (85), Don’t Feel Right (83)

18. Silversun Pickups Carnavas

Category: Modern Shoegaze
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Little Lovers So Polite (94), Lazy Eye (86), Common Reactor (84), Dream at Tempo 119 (81)

19. New York Dolls One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This

Category: Sylvian surprisingly still rocks even w/out Johnny Thunders & David Johansen.
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Runnin Around (97), Plenty of Music (89), Dancing On The Lip Of A Volcano (86)
NOTE: This was a very pleasant surprise.
See also: New York Dolls S/T (10.0), Too Much Too Soon (9.9)

20. Ray LaMontagne Till the Sun Turns Black

Category: Acoustic Alternative/R&B/Soul
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Within You (90), Empty (88), Gone Away From Me (87), Barfly (86), Till The Sun Turns Black (85), Gone Away From Me (82)

21. The Format Dog Problems

Category: Indie pop
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Oceans (99), She Doesn’t Get It (92),

22. Frank Black Fast Man Raider Man

Category: Ex-Pixies vocalist slowly approaching “legend” status.
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Sad Old World (85), Terrible Ways (84), Golden Shore (83), Wanderlust (83), In the Time of My Ruin (83), Highway to Lowdown (81), Sevendays (80)
NOTE: Disc 2 is better than Disc 1.

23. Golden Smog Another Fine Day

Category: Replacements-influenced alt/country
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Beautiful Mind (92), Another Fine Day (87), 5-22-02 (82), Cure For This (81), I Can (80), Never Felt Before (80)

24. Sparklehorse Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

Category: Indie
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Knives of Summertime (85), Morning Hollow (85), Getting It Wrong (84), Shade and Honey (83), Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain (80- can only be listened to in the AM hours), Some Sweet Day (80)

25. Radio Dept. Pet Grief

Category: 80’s influenced modern rock
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: A Window (91), What Will Give? (89), Sleeping In (88), Every Time (84)

26. Mountain Goats Get Lonely

Category: Contemporary folk
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Half Dead (86), Moon Over Goldsboro (84), Wild Sage (82), New Monster Avenue (80)
See also: The Sunset Tree (9.1)

27. The Futureheads News and Tributes

Category: The Cure/Post-Strokes rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Skip to the End (84), Yes/No (84), Thursday (83), Return of the Beserker (82), Fallout (81)

28. Muse Black Holes and Revelations

Category: Post-Radiohead prog rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Invincible (88), Starlight (83), Take a Bow (83), Supermassive Black Hole (82)

29. Beautiful South Superbi

Category: Indie rock/folk
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: When Romance is Dead (90), There is a Song (86), The Next Verse (84), Tears (81), Manchester (80)

30. Bonnie “Prince” Billy The Letting Go

Category: Modern folk/experimental
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: The Signifying Wolf (92), Love Comes to Me (83), Cold and Wet (81)

Song ranking:

1. Black Sand- Ghostigital
2. Spirit on the Water- Bob Dylan
3. Mr. Tough- Yo La Tengo
4. L.G.F.- The Red Krayola
5. Oceans- The Format
6. Little Brother- Grizzly Bear
7. Trains to Brazil- Guillemots
8. Blue Day- The Heartless Bastards
9. Carraboro Woman- Eric Bachmann
10. A Tried and Tested Method- The Longcut
11. When I Look in Your Eyes- Outkast
12. Runnin’ Around- New York Dolls
13. End Up Like This- Jurassic 5
14. Dart For My Sweetheart- Archie Bronson Outfit
15. Psychological- Pet Shop Boys
16. In Front of the House- Human Television
17. Little Lovers So Polite- SilversunPickups
18. Work Alone- The Sleepy Jackson
19. I Was a Lover- TV on the Radio
20. Signifying Wolf- Bonnie “Prince” Billy
21. Beautiful Mind- Golden Smog
22. Within You- Ray LaMontagne
23. When Romance is Dead- Beautiful South
24. A Window- Radio Dept.
25. Game Theory- The Roots
26. Invincible- Muse
27. Sad Old World- Frank Black
28. Knives of Summertime- Sparklehorse
29. Half Dead- Mountain Goats
30. Skip to the End- The Futureheads

FOLDER #7: This folder features an excellent assault on religion- #1, a couple excellent hip-hop records, and several albums that would be ideal for a radio station that targeted music fans over the age of 25 or people into classic rock. Some of these tunes can be heard on my MySpace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

Enjoy!


1. The Thermals The Body, the Blood, the Machine

Category: Art punk/Experimental Pop
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Power Doesnt Run On Nothing (93), Back to the Sea (89), I Might Need You to Kill (89), every song is hitworthy- a concept album that attacks Christianity & religion.

2. Masta Killa Made in Brooklyn

Category: Rap/Hip Hop
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: East MCs (100), ENY House (88), Brooklyn King (86), Then & Now (85) Older Gods Part 2 (84) all others flow nice and score at least 80.

3. Oppenheimer Oppenheimer

Category: Electro-pop/experimental/ 80’s influenced synth pop.
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Time Loss / Gain (99), Nine Words (90), Don’t Call Me (85), Breakfast in NYC (85), This is Not a Test (84)

4. The Minders It's a Bright Guilty World

Category: Prog Pop
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: 357 (94), Glittering Dream (86), Red Admirals (85), Savour All the Days (85)

5. Brookville Life in the Shade

Category: Airy electro-pop
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Nothings Meant To Last (93), Crawling in Circles (87), Missed You Again (86), Up On The Wire (85), Slow Motion Replay (83)

6. Cortney Tidwell Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up

Category: Alt Pop/Folk/country
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: La La (90), Missing Link (89), Don’t Let the Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (89), I Do Not Notice (84)

7. Scott Walker The Drift

Category: Very Experimental Rock from someone aged 63.
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Cossacks Are (88), Clara (87), Jolson And Jones (87)

8. The Avett Brothers Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions

Category: Alt. country/bluegrass/folk- somewhat ironic
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Famous Flower of Manhattan (100), Gimme a Kiss (85), Left on Laura, Left on Lisa (81), Colorshow (81)

9. Cursive Happy Hollow

Category: Experimental emo
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Big Bang (89), Dorothy at 40 (84), Flag and Family (83), Bad Sects (83)

10. CSS Cansei de Ser Sexy

Category: The Go! Team category
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Alcohol (89), Let’s Make Love…(83)

11. Ben Harper Both Sides of the Gun

Category: Indie/acoustic rock/R&B
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Waiting For You (85), Sweet Nothing Serenade (85), Engraved Invitation (85), Better Way (83), Crying Won’t Help You Now (83)

12. Tokyo Police Club A Lesson in Crime

Category: Art Rock/Experimental Punk
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Cheer It On (89), If It Works (89), Shoulders & Arms (85), La Ferrassie (84)

13. Mr. Lif Mo' Mega

Category: Rap/Hip-hop
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Take Hold Fire (87), Long Distance (87), Collapse (86), Brothaz (81), Lookin’ In (81)

14. Phoenix It's Never Been Like That

Category: Indie Pop
Rating: 8.2
Hit Songs: Long Distance Call (88), Consolation Prizes (86), Rally (84), Sometimes in a Fall (82)

15. Dave Alvin West of the West

Category: Alt. Country- sincere
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Here in California (89), Down on the Riverbed (85), Tramps and Hawkers (84), California Bloodlines (82)


16. Headlights Kill Them with Kindness

Category: The Strokes meets Stereolab/Broadcast
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Your Old Street (85), Words Make You Tired (84), TV (82)

17. The Playwrights English Self Storage

Category: Progressive Brit-Rock
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Central Heating in the Summer Season (87), Leave it for the Archaeologists (84), Where the Stress Falls (83), 21st Century Kaspar Hauser (81)

18. Primal Scream Riot City Blues

Category: Bluesy Rock, no electronics on album
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Sometimes I Feel So Lonely (88), Dolls (87), We’re Gonna Boogie (83), Country Girl (81)
NOTE: This record takes some getting used to if you are a fan of this band- sort of a step backwards-more like Give Up But Don’t Give Out, which is not a bad album.
See also: Screamdelica (9.8), Extrmntr (9.7)

19. Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways

Category: The Johnny Cash category
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: On The Evening Train (86), I Came To Believe (86), If You Could Read My Mind (86), God's Gonna Cut You Down (83)
NOTE: Technically shouldn’t count as 2006.

20. State of Ohio- S/T

Category: Fugazi style punk
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Indistinct Chatter (86), Wasted in a Vase (85), Slow Runner (84), No Smiling Bastards (83), Safety (81)

21. The Twilight Singers Powder Burns

Category: More Afghan Whigs than previous Twilight Singers
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: I Wish I Was (92), Bonnie Brae (84), Dead to Rights (83), Candy Cane Crawl (82)

22. Dirty Pretty Things Waterloo to Anywhere

Category: Modern Rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Gentry Cove (86), If You Love a Woman (85), Last of the Small Town Playboys (85)
See also: The Libertines

23. Amusement Parks on Fire Out of the Angeles

Category: Modern Shoegaze
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Out of the Angels (85), A Star is Born (85), No Lite No Sound (84), To the Shade (83)

24. The Black Keys Magic Potion

Category: Blues-rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: You’re the One (85), Strange Desire (85), Black Door (84)

25. Magnolia Electric Co. Fading Trails

Category: See Gomez
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Memphis Moon (85), Don’t Fade on Me (83), A Little at a Time (83)

26. Gomez How We Operate

Category: The category of modern music that would be extremely popular if radio stations didn’t assume everybody over the age of 30 liked Soft Rock.
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol (85), Hamoa Beach (83), See the World (81)

27. Psapp The Only Thing I Ever Wanted

Category: Electro- pop
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Tricycle (86), Hi (85)

28. Mojave 3 Puzzles Like You

Category: Dream pop- different from previous releases or Slowdive
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: You’ve Said It Before (88), Breaking the Ice (87), Big Star Baby (83)

29. Our Lady of the Highway About Leaving

Category: The Decemberists category
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Coming Apart (86), Parable of Strength (85), Several others score over 80.
NOTE: The actual album title is Beauty Won’t Save Us This Year, but it’s not available here yet.

30. dEUS Pocket Revolution

Category: Prog-pop/indie rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Include Me Out (84), Nothing Really Ends (84), Nightshopping (82), Sun Ra (81), 7 Days, 7 Weeks (80)

31. The Automatic Not Accepted Anywhere

Category: Dance/Hardcore
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Raoul (86), Recover (84), Keep Your Eyes Peeled (81)

32. The Paper Chase Now You Are One of Us

Category: Brash, off-kilter indie rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: You're One of Them Aren't You? (85), At The Other End Of The Leash (83), The Kids Will Grow Up to Be A-holes (80)

33. Razorlight Razorlight

Category: The Ted Leo & the Pharmacists category
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Fall to Pieces (86), Who Needs Love (85), LA Waltz (84), In the Morning (83), America (81)

34. Snow Patrol Eyes Open

Category: Indie/Brit-rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Shut Your Eyes (83), Chasing Cars (83), Hands Open (81), Open Your Eyes (81), You’re All I Have (80)

35. White Whale WWI

Category: Indie/art-rock/prog
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: The Admiral (85), King’s Indian (84), Fidget & Fudge (84), O William (80)

36. The Album Leaf Into the Blue Again
Category: Ambient indie rock
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Writings on the Wall (84), The Light (82), Always For You (80)

37. Basement Jaxx Crazy Itch Radio

Category: Dance/DJ
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Everybody (81), Take Me Back to Your House (81), Hush (80)

38. Blood Meridian Kick Up the Dust

Category: Alternative Bluesy rock
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Get Someplace Else (83), Kick Up Dust (82), Let it Come Down (80)

39. M. Craft Silver and Fire

Category: Not too much different than M. Ward
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Lucille (87), I Got Nobody Waiting For Me (86), Snowbird (80)

40. The Starlight Mints Drowaton

Category: Indie Pop
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Rhino Stomp (85), Rosemarie (84), 17 Devils (80), Drowaton (80)

41. La Rocca The Truth

Category: Indie
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Some You Give Away (84)

42. I’m From Barcelona Let Me Introduce My Friends

Category: Twee pop
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Jenny (85), Oversleeping (85), Rec & Play (83)

43. The Drams Jubilee Dive

Category: A mixture of everything- meaning everybody should find some bright spots
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Unhinged (85), You Won't Forget (84), Make a Book (84), Truth Lies Low (80)

44. Motorhead Kiss of Death

Category: Heavy metal legends
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Kingdom of the Worm (84), Be My Baby (83), Under the Gun (81)

45. Ronnie Spector Last of the Rock Stars

Category: Girl group extradoinaire- AKA Ronnie Ronette- who has influenced Jesus & Mary Chain & The Raveonettes (covers Raveonette’s Ode to L.A.)
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: All I Want (84), Girls From the Ghetto (84), There is an End (81)

46. The Streets The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living

Category: British alt. rap
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: All Goes Out the Window (83), Can’t Con an Honest Jon (82), Two Nations (82)
See also: A Grand Don’t Come For Free (9.5)

47. Thunderbirds Are Now! Make History

Category: Pop-abstract/angular punk
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Sleeping In The Lion's Mouth (85), Panthers in Crime (82), The Veil Comes Down (81)

48. Ladyhawk Ladyhawk

Category: Indie rock
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Advice (83), Teenage Love Song (82), Sad Eyes/Blue Eyes (81)

49. Lambchop Damaged

Category: Alt everything but rock
Rating: 7.7
Hit Songs: Fear (83), Paperback Bible (82), A Day Without Glasses (81)
See also: Nixon (9.9), How I Quit Smoking (9.3)

50. The Divine Comedy Victory for the Comic Muse

Category: Atl. Country- ironic
Rating: 7.5
Hit Songs: Count Grassi’s (86), Light of Day (81), Lady of a Certain Age (80)

Proof that no matter what happens, the music is still good. This is a great selection of albums and what launched 2006 into the status of "a good year for music". Many of these songs can be heard on my myspace page @ http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal

1. The Nice Boys The Nice Boys

Category: Punk/Rock…New York Dolls + The Undertones
Rating: 9.7
Hit Songs: Dugong Along (99), Teenage Nights (99), Johnny Guitar (98), Another Girl (95), Ain’t That Beat (94)
See also: The Exploding Hearts (9.6)
NOTE: This could potentially end up as a 10.0. These songs are unbelievably good. For those who thought The Strokes- Is This It was the perfect rock record (me), or those who hated them just because and have wanted to cite something else as the perfect rock record, here is your album!

2. The Blood Brothers Young Machetes

Category: Aunt Harriet’s worst nightmare
Rating: 9.4
Hit Songs: We Ride Skeletal Lightning (97), 1, 2, 3, 4 Guitars (96), Set Fire to the Face on Fire (96), You're the Dream Unicorn! (90), Rat Rider (88)

3. Stuart A. Staples Leaving Songs

Category: Extremely dark acoustic rock
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: The Road is Long (100), Which Way The Wind (93), One More Time (90), Pulling In To The Sea (87), Goodbye To Old Friends (81), That Leaving Feeling (80)
See also: Tindersticks II (9.8), S/T (9.1)

4. Dr. Dog Takers and Leavers

Category: A mix of The Beatles, Phish, Daniel Johnston…the band who made the 4th best album of 2005.
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Die Die Die (99), Goner (98), I've Just Got To Tell You (93), Livin a Dream (88)
NOTE 1: This is an EP. If there were a full-length, it would be in the running for #1 album of the year.
NOTE 2: I still can’t believe how horrendous Pitchforkmedia’s review of their last album was- perhaps the most inaccurate review of an album ever. Somebody in charge should have stepped in and insisted that reviewers who listen to the albums and have at least ample music knowledge. The real rating of Easy Beat is 9.8

5. Prototypes Prototypes

Category: French experimental dance rock
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Danse Sur La Merde (91), Un Brin De Fierte (90), about 10 other songs score between 85-90

6. The Pernice Brothers Live a Little

Category: Indie Pop/Country/Folk/Rock- Wilco, Gram Parsons, Archer Prewitt
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Somerville (100), Grudge (90), How Can I Compare (87), PCH One (85)

7. Asobi Seksu Citrus

Category: Shoegaze Pop/My Bloody Valentine
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Lions And Tigers (90), Nefi + Girly (90), New Years (89), Red Sea (88), Mizu Asobi (88)

8. The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America

Category: Rock and Roll
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Chillout Tent (93), Chips Ahoy (91), Same Kooks (89), Massive Nights (85), Southtown Girls (85)

9. Favourite Sons Down Beside Your Beauty

Category: Modern Rock/Former experimentalist/
Rating: 8.7
Hit Songs: When You’re Away From Me (98), Pistols & Girls (91), The Tall Grass (89), The Things That We Do to Each Other (85)
See also: Rollerskate Skinny- Horsedrawn Wishes (10.0), Kid Silver- Dead City Sunbeams (9.9)

10. Scissor Sisters Ta-Dah

Category: The Bee Gees w/ attitude & explicit lyrics
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: I Can't Decide (100), Ooh (87), Everybody Wants The Same Thing (86), I Don't Feel Like Dancing (83), Intermission (81)

11. Wilderness Vessel States

Category: Modern PIL
Rating: 8.6
Hit Songs: Monumental (99), Last (88), Beautiful Alarms (87), Gravity Bent Light (85), The Blood Is On The Wall (81)

12. Joseph Arthur Nuclear Daydream

Category: Indie/Singer-Songwriter
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: You Are Free (91), Woman (88), Slide Away (89), Nuclear Daydream (85), Automatic Situation (80)

13. The Decemberists The Crane Wife

Category: For those new to the scene or have been away awhile, The Decemberists now have their own category, Neutral Milk Hotel… progressed
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: When The War Came (86), Yankee Bayonet (85), Sons and Daughters (85), Summersong (85), The Crane Wife 1 & 2 (85), The Island (85)

14. The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love

Category: Modern Dance Rock/The Cure
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: The Sound (98), Callin Me (88), Live in Sunshine (88), Pieces Of The People We Love (82), First Gear (81)

15. The Mars Volta Amputechture

Category: Progressive punk/metal
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Vicarious Atonement (94), Viscera Eyes (87), El Ciervo Vulnerado (86), everything else gets around an 80…some long songs with great moments.

16. Lisa Germano In the Maybe World

Category: Mellow/dark/depressive Mazzy Star, Cat Power
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Into Oblivion (92), Moon in Hell (88), Except For The Ghosts (85), The Day (83), A Seed (80)

17. Catfish Haven Tell Me

Category: Lo-fi southern indie rock-more My Morning Jacket meets Guided By Voices- not Kings of Leon nor Drive-By Truckers
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: If I Was Right (95), Crazy For Leaving (89), Down By Your Fire (88), All I Need is You (84), Tell Me (82)

18. Great Lakes Diamond Times

Category: Indie Rock
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Diamond Times (98), Precious and Reckless (89), Eagle and Swan (85), The Pinks and the Purples (82), The Moon and the Lunatics (80)

19. The Changes Today Is Tonight

Category: A cross between Brian Eno & The Strokes
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Water of the Gods (95), Modern Love (86), The Machine (83), Her, You and I (82), Twilight (80)

20. Comets on Fire Avatar

Category: Hard rock/acid rock/stoner rock/ Deep Purple
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Lucifer’s Memory (88), The Swallow's Eye (85), Sour Smoke (85), Dogwood Rust (83), Hatched Upon the Age (81)

21. Mew And the Glass Handed Kites

Category: Modern shoegaze rock
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: White Lips Kissed (91), Circuitry Of The Wolf (84), Chinaberry Tree (83), An Envoy To The Open Fields (80)

22. Junior Boys So This Is Goodbye

Category: Electro/Synth Rock
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: So This Is Goodbye (90), FM (88), When No One Cares (87), The Equalizer (86)

23. M. Ward Post-War

Category: Acoustic Rock/Indie Folk
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Chinese Translation (85), Requiem (84), To Go Home (84), everything this guy’s ever written has been at least decent with some brilliant gems throughout.
Best album: 2001’s End of Amnesia (9.2)

24. Lenola Sharks & Flames

Category: Indie rock/pop
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Gentleman Overboard (90), Impossible (86), Standing Still (83), Water on the Floor (80)
NOTE: Technically a 2003 release, but was unavailable and re-issued here just recently

25. The Submarines Declare a New State!

Category: Indie Rock/90’s influenced/Psychadelica
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Modern Inventions (91), Hope (85), Vote (83), This Conversation (83)

26. The Long Winters Putting the Days to Bed

Category: Indie rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Pushover (85)
Also: Prom Night at Hater High (100) should have been a massive hit in 2003.

27. The Dears Gang of Losers

Category: The Doves/Elbow category
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Fear Made The World Go 'Round (86), Bandwagoneers (85), Ballad Of Humankindness (85), Find Our Way to Freedom (81)

28. Matthew Freidberger Winter Women\Holy Ghost Language

Category: This cat plays for The Fiery Furnaces
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: There’s so many of them (a double CD) + so much Fiery Funaces (one this year, one last, + a 40 minute “EP”. The quality of the music here is extraordinary, however, I am currently experiencing Fiery Furnaces overkill. I am putting this excellent record on hold for 2 months.

29. Akron/Family Meek Warrior

Category: Noise Folk/Experimental (#1 hit song Love & Space incorporates gospel)
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Love and Space (93), Gone Beyond (81), Blessing Force (80)

30. The Knife Silent Shout

Category: Dark synth pop
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: We Share Our Mothers' Health (88), Neverland (84), Forest Families (80), Like a Pen (80)


31. Professor Murder Professor Murder Rides the Subway

Category: New Rock
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Camron’s New Color (88), The Mountain (84)

32. A Pacific Model- Divisions

Category: Airy Electro Pop
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Alpha Centauri (87), Slow Silent (84), Gathering Data (83), Anniversary (80)

33. Casiotone For the Painfully Alone Etiquette

Category: A cross between Eels & Suicide
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Nashville Parthenon (85), Holly Hobby (85), New Year’s Kiss (84), Cold White Christmas (81)
AND: Album Cover of the Year Award!!!

34. Bound Stems Appreciation Night

Category: Quirky experimental pop…they have a song called “Risking Life and Limb for the Coupon,” with lyrics and that is the chorus. Enough said.
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: This is Grand (87), 55 Cross St (85), Excellent News, Colonel (84)

35. The Lemonheads The Lemonheads

Category: College rock/indie
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: No Backbone (84), Poughkeepsie (82), Black Gown (81)

36. Final Fantasy He Poos Clouds

Category: Symphonic pop/classical
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: The Pooka Sings (84), If I Were a Carp (80)


Song rankings:

1. The Road is Long- Stuart A. Staples
2. I Can’t Decide- Scissor Sisters
3. Somerville- Pernice Brothers
4. Monumental- Wilderness
5. Dugong Along- The Nice Boys
6. Die, Die, Die- Dr. Dog
7. When You’re Away From Me- Favourite Sons
8. Diamond Times- Great Lakes
9. The Sound- The Rapture
10. We Ride Skeletal Lightning- Blood Brothers
11. Water of the Gods- The Changes
12. If I Was Right- Catfish Haven
13. Chillout Tent- The Hold Steady
14. Love and Space- Akron; Family
15. White Lips Kissed- Mew
16. Into Oblivian- Lisa Germano
17. Vicarious Atonement- The Mars Volta
18. You Are Free- Joseph Arthur
19. Lions And Tigers- Asobi Seksu
20. Danse Sur La Merde- Prototypes
21. Modern Inventions- The Submarines
22. So This Is Goodbye- Junior Boys
23. We Share Our Mothers' Health- The Knife
24. Camron’s New Color- Professor Murder
25. Lucifer’s Memory- Comets on Fire
26. Gentleman Overboard- Lenola
27. When The War Came- The Decemberists
28. This is Grand- Bound Stems
29. Alpha Centauri- A Pacific Model
30. Chinese Translation- M. Ward
31. Fear Made The World Go 'Round- The Dears
32. Nashville Parthenon- Casiotone For the Painfully Alone
33. Pushover- The Long Winters
34. The Cross and the Switchblade- Matthew Freidberger
35. The Pooka Sings- Final Fantasy
36. No Backbone- The Lemonheads

Many of these came courtesy of my mate in Australia and remain unavailable in the U.S. or listed as a high priced import. However, there is some great music here that should be a lot bigger than it is. Some of these artists can be heard on my mspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/tonyjneal


1. Dolly Rocker Movement- Electric Sunshine

The low: 60’s influenced psych/pop/blues/rock/country featuring stellar harmonica riffs…Syd Barrett, 13th Floor Elevators, Clinic, Brian Jonestown Massacre
Rating: 9.2
Hit Songs: Sorry (99), Will I See My Star (98), Walk the Light (98), Stream Train Blues (95), Sunflower (92), Sunday Mourning (91), all others get over an 80 as well.
NOTE: 60’s sounding music is not anywhere near my favorite kind of music and I’m still giving it a 9.2. If this type of music is your preferred sound, this is the best band making this music and fans of this should give this record a 10.0. They flat out smoke Brian Jonestown, Beachwood Sparks, Marmoset, The Coral and anybody else who claims to be psychadelic. And unfortunately, the record remains unavailable aside from a few obscure places.

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/thedollyrockermovement

2. Poly & the Statics- Daydreams

The low: Modern rock in the mold of The Strokes or Ted Leo- but with soul
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Symphony (100), Lucky (99), Lemonade (89), Buceta (87)

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/polyandthestatics

3. My Disco Cancer

The low: Gang of Four, Wire, Shellac- nothing like Panic at the Disco
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Administer A Prosthetic Dream (100), Always Measure Wait (93), Calling Cure (92), Pale (85), Perfect Protection (83), St. (83)

4. Sodastream Reservations

The low: The Australian Belle & Sebastian- should already be huge
Rating: 8.9
Hit Songs: Twin Lakes (93), Warm July (92), Anti (89), Don't Make A Scene (88), Firelies (86), Tickets To The Fight (84)

5. Roly Skender- Electric Umbrella

The low: Indie rock/alternative
Rating: 8.8
Hit Songs: Free (100), Back Where it Started (94), In Your Heart (90), The Picture (89), It Comes Around (84), Draw Me In (83)


6. Snowman- S/T

The low: Jagged angular experimental rock
Rating: 8.8
Hit Songs: Cocaine Goldrush (99), Swimming With Sharks (91), Viva La Fever (89), The Black Tide (83), Wormwood (80), Red River (80)

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/snowmanempire

7. I Heart Hiroshima 3 Letter Word for Candy

The low: Art-rock/punk/experimental
Rating: 8.8
Hit Songs: London in Love (95), Bubblegum Gun (90), Neutron Popsong (85), I Feel It (85)
NOTE: 5 song EP, would be in running for album of the year if full-length

8. Macromantics Moments in Movement

The low: Hip (as in trendy or cool) Hip-Hop/ Dizzee Rascal if he were a hot babe
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: Darkside of Dallas (90), Love Thyself (85), Bandwagon (85), Locksmith (feat. Sage Francis) (85), Scorch (83), Moments In Movement (80)
!!!! PREDICTION TO BECOME REALLY HUGE!!!!

9. Marissa Nadler Ballads of Living and Dying

The low: Acoustic folk/extremely good acoustic playing/singing
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: Hay Tantos Muertos (91), Box of Cedar (88), Birdsong (87), Fifty Five Falls (84)

10. Dan Bull Nothing Bad Again

The low: Alt pop/The Beatles/The Shins/Apples in Stereo- but more rocking
Rating: 8.5
Hit Songs: Still Pray (90), Hey (89), The Letter (85), Like My Style (84), Nothing Bad Again (80)
Note: 5 song EP

11. Erase Errata Nightlife

The low: Noisy no-wave dance pop/ mix The Thermals, The Gossip, The Go! Team, The Rapture, James Chance
Rating: 8.4
Hit Songs: Beacon (91), Rider (90), Cruising (90), Dust (86), Another Genius Idea From Our Government (83)

12. Special Patrol Special Patrol

The low: Indie/Red House Painters plugged in
Rating: 8.3
Hit Songs: Chasing Emily (90), Walkin Down My Street (88)
See also: 2004’s The Golden Mean (8.7) featuring Paint Your Name (100)

13. Lowrider- S/T

The low: Blue-eyed soul mixed with the likes of Gomez & Calexico
Rating: 8.1
Hit Songs: Tracks 2, 3, 9, 10 (85)
NOTE: My friend is Australia burnt me this CD and unfortunately it did not include the track titles. The CD is currently unavailable and I have had a difficult time finding more information on them (Yahoo & Google searches have led me to websites about cars). It’s a good album and definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a big fan of Gomez or Calexico and into soulful melodies. If interested, drop me a message and I’ll send a track or something.

14. Emily Haines Knives Don't Have Your Back

The low: Former member of Metric, also for fans of Stars, Lisa Germano, or Feist
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Nothing and Nowhere (94), Our Hell (84), Winning (84), Reading in Bed (84)

15. Fourth Floor Collapse Occupation

The low: 3 song EP from outstanding Aussie indie band who has recorded one of the best songs of the 2000’s/ closest comparison would be The Bogmen
Rating: 7.5
Hit Songs: Dreams And Revelations At Nine (90), Turn Your Face Towards The Sun (88), Occupation (80)
NOTE: Don’t think a 7.5 is bad… a 7.5 is about as high as a 3 song EP can score
See also: 2003’s In From the Cold (9.1) featuring the song Sun (100).

16. Casanovas All Night Long

The low: L.A. Guns, Jet, The Datsuns, Young Heart Attack, early Motley Crue
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: I Don’t Want You Back (88), Shame On You (86), Too Much (83), All Night Long (80)
Also Noteworthy: Contains a cover a ZZ Top’s I Thank You

17. Catherine Feeny Hurricane Glass

The low: Airy adult/alternative: Kristen Hersh, Beth Orton
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Touch Back Down (87), Hush Now (86), Mr. Blue (83), Forever (81), Hurricane Glass (80)

18. Jet Shine On

The low: Blues rock band following the enormous success of Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Rating: 7.8
Hit Songs: Come On Come On (87), Skin and Bones (85), Bring It On Back (84), Holiday (82), Shiny Magazine (81), Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (80)
NOTE: Okay, so we’re all burned out on Are You Gonna Be My Girl, and sure we can all name some bands who play this exact same kind of music, play it better, played it first, and rightfully deserved more popularity, but let’s face it, Jet is a decent band and way better than 99% of everything else on mainstream radio. I mean, it’s Jet or another Creed sound-alike.

19. Gotye Like Drawing Blood

The low: Indie
Rating: 8.0
Hit Songs: Only Way (89)

20. Darling Downs How Can I Forget This Heart of Mine?

The low: Acoustic/Alt. Country/Bluegrass/Soft Rock
Rating: 7.9
Hit Songs: Still Falls the Rain (87), Deep Deep Blue (86), Loverslain (81), All Fall Down (80), In That Jar (80)

21. Jump 2 Lightspeed Spooky Fun

The low: Indie pop/college rock/The Go-Betweens
Rating: 7.6
Hit Songs: The U.F.O. Song (84), Talk To Myself (84), Through The Grass Of Our Minds We Play (80)

22. My Brightest Diamond Bring Me the Workhorse

The low: Dark gothy operatic/Faith and Disease
Rating: 7.6
Hit Songs: Freak Out (88), Golden Star (85)

23. The Fumes S/T

The low: Blues rock
Rating: 7.5
Hit Songs: La Grande (88), In the Wood (85), The Dogs (85)

24. Nathan Gaunt- Headlights on the Hill

The low: Mostly acoustic soft alternative
Rating: 7.4
Hit Songs: Broken Circles (86), White Lies in Paradise (83)

25. Owen At Home With Owen

The low: Alternative soft rock
Rating: 7.4
Hit Songs: Use Your Words (83), A Bird In Hand (83)

26. Mountains in the Sky Accipio Parts I-V

The low: Progressive rock, but hip
Rating: 7.4
Hit Songs: Part 3 (88), Part 2 (83), Part 4 (83) Part 5 (83)
NOTE: This is an EP, total runtime is 21 minutes. It’s basically one song, but broken down into 5 parts and each part is it’s own track. Part 5 actually contains the best music, but is very short and doesn’t stand well on its own. Part 3 is very good and does go well on its own too. In other words, you don’t necessarily HAVE to listen to the entire 21 minutes at once to get enjoyment. If only Rush and Yes were this courteous.

27. Hellogoodbye Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!

The low: Quirky, eccentric pop/punk
Rating: 7.3
Hit Songs: Oh, It Is Love (87), All Time Lows (83), Stuck to You (80)

28. Love Outside Andromeda Longing Was a Safe Place to Hide

The low: Progressive girl rock/Porcupine Tree meets Sheryl Crow
Rating: 7.1
Hit Songs: A Room Full of People (89), A pretty girl for a power game (80)

29. Kate Havernick Melankton

The low: Atmospheric/classical/chamber pop
Rating: 6.0
Hit Songs: So Meg (80), Unlike Me (80)
NOTE: While my personal rating may not be too high, I do highly recommend this CD for certain people. Fans of Kate Bush or Bjork may give this CD a 9 or higher. It should get overall good reviews and may even make some year end top10 lists.

30. Bertie Blackman Black

The low: That bridge that intersects Siouxse & Avril
Rating: 6.2
Hit Songs: Television (80), Don’t Give It Away (80)

31. Kimya Dawson Remember That I Love You

The low: The girl from Moldy Peaches
Rating: Better than Adam Green’s solo albums
Hit Songs: Tire Swing (81), 12/26 (81), Better Weather (80), The Competition (80)
NOTE: The Moldy Peaches album was really good. However, a lot of these songs border on senseless tripe and even the hit songs grow weary after a few listens. Adam Green’s albums are completely unlistenable. I think the two should get back together.

32. Stefy The Orange Album

The low: Pop, 80’s influenced, Eurythmics
Rating: This was reviewed somewhat positively in CMJ
Hit Songs: Cover Up (80)

THE WELL EXCUSE FOR NEVER HEARING THIS ONE PICK:

Flake Music When You Land Here It's Time to Return

The low: This is THE SHINS! You know, how The Walkmen used to be Jonathan Fire Eater.
Rating: 9.0
Hit Songs: Mieke (98), Vantage (95), Untitled 2 (93), Untitled 3 (91), many others
NOTE: This was originally released in 1997, and then re-released in 2002 after The Shins got big (how is skipped passed me until now is a mystery). However, it could get big again being as The Shins release is coming out so late. It’s actually better than either of The Shins albums.