Greetings, and welcome to
FRL's favorite music of 2006. Thanks to the glory of
YouTube, this year you can sample a song from each album
below. If you want even more info about what's playing at
the FRL Studios, check out our page on Last.fm. So,
here we go, in reverse order:
30. The Flaming Lips - At War With the
Mystics
Not the finest hour for the Flaming Lips, but there
were still a few terrific songs on this album.
29. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's
Block
These Swedes sound like indie rock from the 60's, if
there had been such a thing.
28. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am
Dreaming
Who doesn't love a sunset rubdown?
27. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the
Gun
Ben Harper pulls off the double album gimmick of a
loud disc and a quiet disc remarkably well.
26. Sparta - Threes
Sparta sticks to their winning mixture of dueling
guitars and dueling vocals.
25. The Knife - Silent Shout
More Swedes!
24. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
A lovely pop album. Fun, light, seemingly familiar,
but still has an edge.
23. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We
Love
The first of two appearances on this list by producer
Danger Mouse. A solid followup to Echoes.
22. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I
Am, That's What I'm Not
These British kids took over the world back in
January. The album still holds up well a year later.
21. The Futureheads - News and
Tributes
Expect great things from this band down the road.
Solid second album.
20. Built to Spill - You In
Reverse
The first song, "Goin' Against Your Mind", is one of
the greatest songs of the decade. Sadly, the rest of the
album was a bit of a letdown.
19. Tool - 10,000 Days
Now, Tool knows how to bring it. If you don't know
what "it" is by now, then Tool is not for you.
18. Raconteurs - Broken Boy
Soldiers
Jack White proves he can succeed without Meg. Is it
possible he's the genius of the two?
17. Band of Horses - Everything All The
Time
Sounds like it was recorded in the airport bathroom,
but that turns out not to be a bad thing.
16. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like
That
Phoenix make good on their previous glimmers of light
on an amazingly tight pop rock record.
15. Justin Timberlake - Future Sex / Love
Sounds
In today's pop world, it just doesn't get any better
than the first half of this album. (The second half --
eh.)
14. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie
Mountain
TV on the Radio have sacrificed the grooves for their
wall of sound, but still sound like the future of
rock.
13. M. Ward - Post-War
A great album for those just looking for an acoustic
guitar and a hook.
12. LCD Soundsystem - 45:33
A single 45 minute song that is a cure for afternoon
lethargy.
11. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
This album shows why Danger Mouse is one of the
artists on the front page of this website.
10. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Sonic Youth have obviously stumbled upon the fountain
of youth.
9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your
Bones
Is there a better frontman than Karen O right now?
(That would be no.)
8. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
Tapes 'n Tapes were that indie band of 2006 that came
out of nowhere with a brilliant album.
7. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
There is nothing more to say about these guys that
hasn't already been said.
6. Beck - The Information
Beck is in that zone right now where he can do no
wrong. His performance on SNL this season was
incredible.
5. Editors - The Back Room
One of those albums that gets into your system and
you just want to listen to it every day.
4. Muse - Black Holes &
Revelations
Another album that will hook you and won't let
go.
3. Girl Talk - Night Ripper
Dozens of your favorite songs mashed into the party
record of the year.
2. Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Thom Yorke surprised everyone this year with a solo
album, and what a gift it turned out to be.
1. Beirut - The Gulag Orkestar
Who? Uh, "While it may sound like an entire Balkan
orchestra playing modern songs as mournful ballads and
upbeat marches, Beirut’s first album, Gulag
Orkestar, is largely the work of one 20-year-old
Albuquerque native, Zach Condon, and was almost
completely recorded at home. Horns, violins, celli,
ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines,
congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions (no
guitars on this album!) all build and break the melodies
under Condon’s deep-voiced crooner vocals, swaying
to the Eastern European beats that sound like
they’re being brought to you by a 12-member
ensemble."
Yes, it's that good.
