Top 20 Albums of 2006

Friday, December 15th, 2006

2006 was a great year for music, especially when compared to 2005. In fact, I had such a hard time picking my 10 favorite albums that I have expanded my list to 20 this year.

With each record on the following list I have included a list of my favorite tracks, as well as some mp3s to download. If you like what you hear, I urge you to head on over to iTunes, Amazon or your local record store and support these great artists.

Fuzzy Lion’s Top 20 Albums of 2006:

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time 20. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
Best Tracks: “Our Swords” / “The Funeral” / “Monsters”
M. Ward - Post War 19. M. Ward - Post War
Best Tracks: “Post War” / “Eyes on the Prize” / “Rollercoaster”
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanter 18. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Best Tracks: “Roscoe” / “Van Occupanther” / “It Covers the Hillsides”
Damien Rice - 9 17. Damien Rice - 9
Best Tracks: “9 Crimes” / “Coconut Skins” / “Sleep, Don’t Weep”
Dears - Gang of Losers 16. Dears - Gang of Losers
Best Tracks:”Ticket To Immortality” / “You and I Are a Gang of Losers” / “Ballad of Humankindness”
Hem - Funnel Cloud 15. Hem - Funnel Cloud
Best Tracks: “He Came To Meet Me” / “Not California” / “Too Late To Turn Back Now”
Caroline - Murmurs 14. Caroline - Murmurs
Best Tracks: “Pink & Black” / “All I Need” / “Where’s My Love”
Bob Dylan - Modern Times 13. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
Best Tracks: “Spirit On the Water” / “Working Man’s Blues #2″ / “Nettie Moore”
Twilight Singers - Powder Burns 12. The Twilight Singers - Powder Burns
Best Tracks” “Bonnie Brae” / “Underneath the Waves” / “Dead To Rights”
Ill Lit - Tom Cruise 11. Ill Lit - Tom Cruise
Best Tracks: “Across Country” / “The Ghost of Presston Brown” / “Worth the Wait”
Rainer Maria - Catastrophe Keeps Us Together 10. Rainer Maria - Catastrophe Keeps Us Together
Best Tracks” “Catastrophe” / “Life of Leisure” / “Terrified”
The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun 9. The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun
Best Tracks: “Would You Come With Me” / “Fireflies In a Steel Mill” / “Not Going Home”
Gomez - How We Operate 8. Gomez - How We Operate
Best Tracks: “See the World” / “Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol” / “Girlshapedlovedrug”
French Kicks - Two Thousand 7. French Kicks - Two Thousand
Best Tracks: “So Far We Are” / “Also Ran” / “Basement D.C.”
Embrace - This New Day 6. Embrace - This New Day
Best Tracks: “Nature’s Law” / “Target” / “The End Is Near”
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass 5. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Best Tracks: “Mr. Tough” / “Black Flowers” / “Beanbag Chair”
Mates of State - Bring It Back 4. Mates of State - Bring It Back
Best Tracks: “Think Long” / “Like U Crazy” / “Running Out”
Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You 3. Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You
Best Tracks: “Breaking the Ice” / “Most Days” / “To Hold Your Tiny Toes”
Cat Power - The Greatest 2. Cat Power - The Greatest
Best Tracks: “Lived In Bars” / “Could We” / “Living Proof”
Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope 1. Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
Best Tracks: “On the Radio” / “Better” / “Hotel Song”

Caroline - Murmurs

Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

20060402_caroline_murmurs
One of the best albums of 2006 thus far has to be Caroline’s Murmurs. On first listen, I absolutely fell in love with it and immediately played the entire thing through for a second time.

With so many great tracks to choose from, “All I Need” is probably the best choice to showcase the magic of Caroline. The songs on Murmurs are pretty mellow with some ambient electronica behind them that bring to mind the type of music that a Cat Power meets Stereolab collaboration might produce.

Download “All I Need” here

, and visit Caroline’s MySpace page which features more of her glowing debut.