In all honesty there are a lot of great records I�d like to talk about from 2006. I actually ended up making up two separate �Best of� lists. One was my list of favorite albums of the year for this website. Those albums have appeared in the staff list that Gregg generated and posted on site earlier this month. I also ran down this list in our final Americana Roots Roundtable podcast for 2006. It was a list of my favorite �Americana� albums for the year (even though it makes me cringe to call a Bob Dylan record �Americana�). So I got to thinking�if I stripped away all the industry catch words what were the finest musical releases for the year? That line of thought led me to my second list�comprised of the best damn records I heard last year�regardless of genre or marketing label, just my favorite records of 2006. That list begins here:
20. Wilco�Kicking Television (Nonesuch): I always have a hard time heaping a great deal of praise on live records. Don�t get me wrong the world is better place because of Neil Young�s Live Rust, Herbie Mann�s Live at the Village Gate, John Mayall�s Turning Point, and the Allman Brothers Band�s epic Fillmore Concerts just to name a few. But generally live albums fall short of the power of the live band/artist they attempt to capture. That is not the case with Wilco�s Kicking Television. Recorded live over four nights at the Vic Theatre in the band�s hometown of Chicago, this album captures a band that is clearly firing on all cylinders and the sound quality is so good you almost feel like you�re there�it�s at times intimate and in other moments nothing short of powerful. For Your Listening Pleasure: Misunderstood, Handshake Drugs, and Via Chicago.
19. Cat Power�The Greatest (Matador): Chan Marshall has never sounded so sultry, so soulful, or as strong as she does on The Greatest. Her voice fills the room with blue, smoky lights and the music is a 21st century Memphis midnight. Filled with horns, piano, and Marshall�s whispery growl�turn out the lights and close your eyes for this one. FYLP: Living Proof, Willie, and the title track.
18. Malcolm Holcombe�Not Forgotten (Self Released): This Asheville, NC-based artist scores big with his best album since his debut A Hundred Lies. I also think this is Holcombe�s most adventurous musical statement. The songwriting is top notch and the vocals are raw to the bone. Malcolm also mixes in some really nice, deep bluesy numbers for a change of pace. FYLP: Goin� Home, Not Forgotten, and Cryin� Dime.
17. Fred Eaglesmith�Milly�s Caf� (AML): One of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Canadian Fred Eaglesmith has had my ear for about seven years now. I think I�ve got just about every record he�s every released. His songs are a mix of Nebraska-era Springsteen and Steve Earle�s Guitar Town. Milly�s Caf� is a dusty slice of hard fought experience that deserves to be considered one of Eaglesmith�s finest works. FYLP: Kansas, Sign on the Wall, and Mrs. Hank Williams.
16. Avett Brothers�Four Thieves Gone (Ramseur): I wish I could see into the future. I would love to be able to see what these guys will be doing five years from now. Not only are the Avett Brothers one of the most exciting live acts around, their songwriting continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Seth and Scott Avett are truly on the cusp of an �it� moment every time they take the stage or put pen to paper. Four Thieves Gone captures the essence of this North Carolina trio in spades: flailing, soaring, and playing by one set of rules: their own. You can�t properly describe it, but you gotta love it! FYLP: Pretend Love, The Fall, and Talk on Indolence.
15. Graham Lindsey�Hell Under the Skullbones (Space Bar): This Wisconsin-based artist received heaps of praise for his debut album Famous Anonymous Wilderness and this, his follow-up album, finds Lindsey still pushing the envelope even further. With a voice comparable to a young Dylan and the songwriting talents to boot, Lindsey is definitely an artist to watch out for. FYLP: Matchbook Song, Brakeman�s Ballad, and Burn Me Down.
14. Gob Iron�Death Songs for the Living (Legacy Recordings): Jay Farrar. The name will be forever connected to the rise of alt-country. From his work with Jeff Tweedy in the seminal band Uncle Tupelo, to fronting his own band in Son Volt, as well as his fine solo work, Farrar is one of the touchstone artists of the last decade plus in terms of laying the groundwork for the rise of a new music genre. This time Farrar teams up with Anders Parker to present an album that not only celebrates, but shines a bright new light on the songs of folk tradition. FYLP: Silicosis Blues, Hills of Mexico, and Wayside Tavern.
13. Paul Burch�East to West (Bloodshot): Nashville-based singer-songwriter scores big once again (doesn�t he always) with his latest release East to West. With special guests Tim O�Brien and Ralph Stanley joining in, Burch is staking his claim as one of Music City�s brightest and most consistently brilliant stars. FYLP: Last Dream of Will Keene, I Will Wait for You, and Before the Bells.
12. Jeffrey Foucault�Ghost Repeater (Signature Sounds): I was won over by this record from the very first time I heard it. I love Foucault�s voice and I love the songs he writes. I really feel like this album has been grossly overlooked in 2006. Foucault has grown leaps and bounds since his last album Stripping Cane and the folks at Signature Sounds Records continue to discover and develop the careers of artists that deserve to be heard. FYLP: Title track, Mesa, Arizona, and One Part Love.
11. Wrinkle Neck Mules�Pull the Brake (Shut Eye): The Wrinkle Neck Mules from Richmond, VA easily take my favorite band award for 2006. Their blend of rock and country combined with solid songwriting made Pull the Brake a stage setting album for the coming year. Big things are on the horizon. And here�s a name for you to remember: Chase Heard. Just remember where you heard it. FYLP: Liza, Lowlight, and Okeechobee.
10. Hank III�Straight to Hell (Curb): The future of outlaw country is now and despite what has been written about another artist whose last name belongs to outlaw royalty, it�s Hank III who is the real deal. If you want proof just slide in Disc 1 of Straight to Hell. III plays it dark, sings it honest, and tells it like it is. If you decide to check out Disc 2�do so at your own risk. FYLP: Country Heroes, Pills I Took, and Not Everybody Likes Us.
09. Ray Wylie Hubbard�Snake Farm (Sustain): I like to think of Ray Wylie Hubbard as the reigning Godfather of Texas music. He combines blues, rock, and country to form a dark, greasy, gritty sound that is purely his own. With Snake Farm Hubbard continues to add to his already impressive recording and songwriting career that stretches back to the 1970�s. FYLP: Live and Die Rock N Roll, title track, and Mother Hubbard�s Blues.
08. David Rodriguez�Proud Heart (Recovery): My best new discovery of the year. The U.S. release of Proud Heart shines a light on an artist whose music reminds me of Texas greats Townes Van Zandt and Lyle Lovett. Re-issued some 11 years after its original release, Proud Heart has aged like a fine wine. The musical flavors remain rich and the flavor of the songwriting is lasting and true. FYLP: Out of Range, Simple Things, and Beautiful Rider.
07. Guy Clark�Workbench Songs (Dualtone): A songwriter�s songwriter. Guy Clark writes two kinds of songs: really good songs and great songs. His careers spans some thirty years but the albums come few and far between. When they arrive, they are nothing short of brilliant. Workbench Songs is a classic. FYP: Magdalene, Funny Bone, and Tornado Time in Texas.
06. Josh Ritter�The Animal Years (V2): I first became familiar with Josh Ritter when he released Golden Age of Radio back in 2002. When Hello Starling followed a few years later, it announced the arrival of a songwriter to be taken notice of. I have to admit that I came to The Animal Years a little late. It was on my list of albums to add to my collection but for some reason I never got a round to it. I�m so glad I finally did. If I had more time to listen to it, this record would probably have ended up higher on my list. But better late than never. �Thin Blue Flame� may be the best song I�ve heard all year long. FYLP: Girl in the War, Thin Blue Flame, and Wolves.
05. James Hunter�People Gonna Talk (GO/Rounder): Retro-soul at its very best! This album is tight, funky, and timeless. It�s amazing that these songs are all originals�they sound as if they could have been written and recorded in the late 1950�s. A hip shaker indeed! FYP: No Smoke Without Fire, title track, and Kick It Around.
04. Chris Knight�Enough Rope (Drifter�s Church): As I wrote earlier in 2006, Chris Knight is the working man�s poet. His songs are filled with lovers, cheaters, good ol� boys, and hard livers. Enough Rope is Knight�s fourth album to date, and possibly his best since his self-titled debut of the late 90�s. FYLP: Dirt, title track, and Williams�s Son.
03. Neko Case�Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti): Nobody, nobody, nobody sings it like Neko Case. I�ve been a fan of Neko�s since her early Bloodshot Record days and with each new release she continues to raise the bar. Fox Confessor may be the album that finally brings Neko and her considerable talents to a wider audience. It�s long overdue. FYLP: Star Witness, John Saw That Number, and Margaret Vs. Pauline.
02. M. Ward�Post-War (Merge): This was easily my favorite album of 2006 until the last couple months of the year (more on that in just a few). I have spent more time listening to this record than any other album released over the last 12 months. Post-War displays a more rockin� edge to Ward�s music but as always the songwriting is superb. Neko Case and Jim James of My Morning Jacket make guest appearances. To my ears, this one never grows old. FYLP: Title track, To Go Home, and Chinese Translation.
01. Bob Dylan�Modern Times (Columbia): Everything that needs to be said has already been said. I�ll add this. Over the last ten years Bob Dylan has been nothing short of brilliant. And in case you haven�t noticed we are closing on celebrating 50 years of Bob Dylan records. It almost feels like his second music career is just beginning. Modern Times is arguably one of Dylan�s 10 best albums. Some artists may never release ten records, but with Bob Dylan that means a whole lot. FYLP: Workingman�s Blues #2, Ain�t Talkin�, and Someday Baby.
That�s my not-so-brief look back at my favorite albums of 2006. I�ll be listening with my ear to the rail for the best that 2007 has in store for us all.
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