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Staff
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Last Active 01-10-23 11:58 am
Joined 04-30-01
Review Comments 752
| Top Albums Of 2006
Highlights from the alternative world. All des criptions come from relevant soundoffs. | | 1 |  | The Decemberists
The Crane Wife
Many associate major label debuts by indie bands as a form of selling out. They don't want the uniqeness of the band dumbed down for the masses, or even worse, they don't want to lose the indie chic of being a dedicated fan of a relatively obscure band. But for the Decemberists, their move to a major label has actually improved their sound. Although the minstrel tinged voice has predictably become more mainstream, the Decemberists feature some of their best songwriting yet, and perhaps more importantly, begin to show a breadth lacking in their previous albums. In the three part track "The Island, Come and See, The Landlord's Daughter", the Decemberists surprisingly display a classic rock influence, while the vocal melody in "When the War Came" sounds eerily like a Led Zeppelin song. While there are some typical Decemberist's songs on here like "Yankee Bayonet", they begin to branch out on song's like "The Perfect Crime", and display surprising musical skill in the process. All in all, the Crane Wife is not a story of a band selling out, but of a band growing up. | | 2 |  | M. Ward
Post-War
A crackling radio spits out snatches of Western tunes, accompanied by a cracked baritone. It's 'Post-War' by M. Ward, and it's an absolutely stunning album that feels both old and new at the same time. This isn't necessarily singer-songwriter folk; it heralds back to an older tradition (think Johnny Cash minus the country). In any case, it's superb. Check out 'Poison Cup' and 'Chinese Translation' especially. | | 3 |  | Midlake
The Trials of Van Occupanther
Midlake's music is instantly disorienting. Although other indie acts such as the Decemberists have freely adopted older musical styles, few have embraced these musical influences to the degree present on "The Trials of Van Occupanther." From the opening notes of Roscoe, the listener is transported back to 70's folk rock and perhaps even more confusingly, immersed in the lore of the late 19th century. Surprisingly, this odd approach is a stunning success. Each song feels handcrafted, and contrary to expectations, indie music, Steely Dan, and the Doobie Brothers work together in harmony. Highly recommended. | | 4 | | Office
Q&A
Office is one of those bands that sort of took me by storm. After sampling one of their tracks, 'Wound Up', I wasn't overly impressed. It was basically general indie pop rock, albeit with a nice hook and a fresh sound. I'm not quite sure what led me to check out the rest of the album, given the initial lukewarm impression. But I'm glad that I did -- 'Q&A' is an exceptional album in every sense of the word, possessing unique vocals and lyrical hooks, along with a very fresh type of indie sound, (think the Magic Numbers and some of the more whimsical and polished Belle & Sebastian tracks). Almost every track here is a quality listen, especially the atmospheric 'Q&A', the driving 'Oh My' and 'The Big Bang Jump!', to the technoish 'Busy With Other Things.' | | 5 |  | The Knife
Silent Shout
I don't normally like Electronic music. Although it's often shiny and brilliant on the surface, it usually disguises a shallow musical base that expires after about 3 listens. Fortunately, Sweden's The Knife have managed to break the mold by crafting a cohesive, fantastic album that sheds pop hooks for long lasting appeal. The synth tones here are simply beautiful, especially when contrasted with the apparent harshness of the vocals. Check out the first two songs and you'll be hooked. | | 6 |  | Grizzly Bear
Yellow House
At first listen, "Yellow House" is almost inaccessible. A dizzying maze of song structures and moods, it sounds as if Pink Floyd and My Morning Jacket combined and decided to go Indie. But if you can get past the initial audio barrage, you'll find a gem of an album filled with fantastic moments. The dazzlingly beautiful outro on 'Knife', the acoustic breakdown on 'On A Neck, On A Spit' and the climbing choruses on 'Lullabye' show that Grizzly Bear know exactly what they are doing. Highly recommended. | | 7 |  | Silversun Pickups
Carnavas
Ever heard of mixing indie with.... grunge? That's the approach the Silversun Pickups take to this album, and surprisingly, it works. The haunting, slightly Corganesque vocals and pounding rhythms are perfectly offset by indie song structures and melodies that would be catchy even in an indie pop context (albeit with some angst). I highly recommend this album - check out 'Lazy Eye', 'Well Thought Out Twinkles', 'Melatonin', and 'Rusted Wheel' | | 8 |  | Islands
Return to the Sea
Most bubble gum indie pop gets old after a few listens. Even though it's 'fun' in the beginning, it has little musical depth, and as a result, little staying power. Islands, the side project from the Unicorns, breaks this mold pretty well. Although the music is quintessentially 'happy', with calypso beats, high pitched humming, and bouncing rhythms, it's also sophisticating enough to remain interesting. Check out the beautiful 'Rough Gem' and you'll see what I mean. | | 9 |  | The Format
Dog Problems | | 10 |  | Regina Spektor
Begin to Hope | |
The Door Mouse
12.27.06 | The Amin. has spoken. I don't have any of these :P | morrissey
12.27.06 | Based on the albums I've heard (about half), this is a very solid list. I'll need to check out the other half stat. | John Paul Harrison
12.27.06 | Hello, Dog Problems. | FA
12.27.06 | Nice. 1,2,5 are all excellent choices | FA
12.28.06 | I'm available
haha just playin...but seriously M. Ward is amazing. I missed his concert earlier this year and was very disappointed in myself, but it landed on my first day of classes up at school.. | Kyle
12.29.06 | Great list.
Nice to see love for Regina and Silversun Pickups. | The_One
12.31.06 | Haha. I actually just went on iTunes and bought the M. Ward album for the hell of it. It's amazing.
Nice selection up here. I think I'll go and get the Decemberists album next month. | unrestrained
01.26.11 | Top albums
1. Metallica - Kill 'em All
2. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
3. Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season
4. Aba | omnipanzer
02.28.13 | Good list | pizzamachine
02.28.13 | lol mx doesn't make many lists | omnipanzer
02.28.13 | looks like 06' was a banner year at the MX house. | DoubtGin
03.02.13 | EXAMPLE LIST | MuhNamesTyler
05.14.14 | Follow this list or DIE | CommunistConrad
09.05.16 | EXAMPLE LIST [2] | Valkoor952
09.05.16 | I find your lack of Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist disturbing. | Tyler.
03.07.17 | Hey | Storm In A Teacup
03.07.17 | start working on the website and less doing all your papers and under studying and more important stuff. | MillionDead
03.07.17 | J Dilla's Donuts came out in 06. | Lord(e)Po)))ts
03.07.17 |
"I don't normally like Electronic music. Although it's often shiny and brilliant on the surface, it usually disguises a shallow musical base that expires after about 3 listens."
ive read some dumb things but | Frippertronics
03.07.17 | mx is full of surprises | BookoftheFallen
08.11.21 | The world needs more MX lists. |
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