Best Albums of 2006
This was a good year in music for me. I certainly wasn't overwhelmed with choice but the ones I did buy are sure to be long-term staples of my collection. I was obsessed with each of the following albums:
5. Wolfmother, Wolfmother: Australian power rock trio channels Zep, Sabbath and Deep Purple and sound fresh and exciting while doing it. My favorite review of them praised them for being not so much retro as vintage. Check out their appearance on Letterman, doing their hit "Woman". And you can hear all their songs on their Web site.
4. The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers: Jack White of The White Stripes hooks up with a few of his favorite musicians for this excellent side project. The craftsmanship is fantastic -- dig the drum intro to "Yellow Sun" -- and the result is one of the most eclectic yet listenable albums of the year.
3. Ride the Blinds, Ride the Blinds: This San Francisco trio was my find of the year. For a band that still plays to crowds of 20 people in tiny local clubs, they produce some of the best rock and roll this side of the Rolling Stones. If you like the Allman Brothers, Creedence, the Stones, or Zep, you need to hear this band. For a free taste, check out the tunes on their MySpace page. And that's not even their best stuff.
2. The Black Keys, Magic Potion: This is the fourth album for the Akron-based blues-rock duo, and it may just be their best. While it lacks a "catchy" track like "10 a.m. Automatic" off their last album, the whole thing hangs together better than any of their previous efforts. These guys just rock the house through all 11 tracks, from the opening drum roll and guitar lick of "Just Got to Be" to the feedback-heavy shrieks of "Elevator". Streaming tunes here.
1. Ben Harper, Both Sides of the Gun: This is possibly Harper's best work in nearly a decade. Harper splits his first studio-recorded double CD with one disc of acoustic ballads and one disc of funk and rock-driven electric stuff. Highlights include the lush ballad "Picture in a Frame" and Zep-worthy guitar wankfest "Serve Your Soul".
5. Wolfmother, Wolfmother: Australian power rock trio channels Zep, Sabbath and Deep Purple and sound fresh and exciting while doing it. My favorite review of them praised them for being not so much retro as vintage. Check out their appearance on Letterman, doing their hit "Woman". And you can hear all their songs on their Web site.
4. The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers: Jack White of The White Stripes hooks up with a few of his favorite musicians for this excellent side project. The craftsmanship is fantastic -- dig the drum intro to "Yellow Sun" -- and the result is one of the most eclectic yet listenable albums of the year.
3. Ride the Blinds, Ride the Blinds: This San Francisco trio was my find of the year. For a band that still plays to crowds of 20 people in tiny local clubs, they produce some of the best rock and roll this side of the Rolling Stones. If you like the Allman Brothers, Creedence, the Stones, or Zep, you need to hear this band. For a free taste, check out the tunes on their MySpace page. And that's not even their best stuff.
2. The Black Keys, Magic Potion: This is the fourth album for the Akron-based blues-rock duo, and it may just be their best. While it lacks a "catchy" track like "10 a.m. Automatic" off their last album, the whole thing hangs together better than any of their previous efforts. These guys just rock the house through all 11 tracks, from the opening drum roll and guitar lick of "Just Got to Be" to the feedback-heavy shrieks of "Elevator". Streaming tunes here.
1. Ben Harper, Both Sides of the Gun: This is possibly Harper's best work in nearly a decade. Harper splits his first studio-recorded double CD with one disc of acoustic ballads and one disc of funk and rock-driven electric stuff. Highlights include the lush ballad "Picture in a Frame" and Zep-worthy guitar wankfest "Serve Your Soul".
Labels: ben harper, black keys, music, raconteurs, ride the blinds, wolfmother
