HOBBY BOX'S TOP ALBUMS OF 2006 From roots rock veterans to blog-discovered newbies, so many seemed to get it right in 2006. It was also a year when there was something great going on in every sub-subgenre imaginable. Whether you're into psychedelic folk, art metal or indie dance, 2006 offer a stellar crop of albums to obsess over from beginning to end. Proof that any claims that the iPod is killing the album are completely bogus. 1. BELLE & SEBASTIAN The Life Pursuit Dear Catastrophe Waitress was a nice comeback for the archetypical twee pop band, but it's the back-to-back gems of The Life Pursuit that will forever solidify them as one of the most important bands in indie rock history. 2. MEW And the Glass Handed Kites Danish band Mew creates a world where aggressive riffs and soaring melodies artfully coexist on this collection of gorgeously dynamic hard rock fables. Never thought an album could simultaneously make me feel like a metalhead and a big wuss. 3. DESTROYER Destroyer's Rubies I used to think that too much Dan Bejar was a bad thing. His wandering vocal schtick grated on the nerves after a while. But on Destroyer's Rubies, he exhibits brilliant control, toning it down to let each impressively unique pop song glow. 4. THE DECEMBERISTS The Crane Wife Just listen to the epic track "The Island" and it's apparent what separates The Decemberists from most folk-inspired indie acts. Colin Meloy isn't the type of songwriter who'll ever rely on a single trick. He seems to enjoy to challenge of constantly reinventing roots rock. 5. CLIPSE Hell Hath No Fury The long delayed sophomore CD from Clipse turned out to be well worth the wait. At a time when there are few mainstream rap acts putting out memorable material, the Pharrell-produced album came to resuscitate life into hip-hop. 6. BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY The Letting Go Will Oldham's latest simmers with quiet intensity. A traditional folk rock album carefully furnished with abstract arrangements and harmonies. 7. ALOHA Some Echoes Semi-psychedelic Ohio band Aloha take ownership of their eclectic sound on this meticulously-designed progressive indie pop album. 8. GNARLS BARKLEY St. Elsewhere Try to forget about all the overexposure that made us sick of Gnarls Barkley by summer's end, then perhaps it'll be easier to remember how many of the album's tracks blew us away on first listen. 9. M. WARD Post-War Singer/songwriter M. Ward attempts a fuller sound on his fifth effort, resulting in a confidently-composed, rich roots rock album. 10. ESPERS II Psychedelica, post-rock and folk are all reimagined on the Espers' second full-length -- a mood-commanding and dreamlike experience. -- 11. BEIRUT The Gulag Orkestar 12. TV ON THE RADIO Return to Cookie Mountain 13. SNOWDEN Anti-Anti 14. GRIZZLY BEAR Yellow House 15. CALIFONE Roots and Crowns 16. GHOSTFACE KILLAH Fishscale 17. THE LIARS Drum's Not Dead 18. MIDLAKE The Trials of Van Occupanther 19. NEKO CASE Fox Confessor Brings the Flood 20. THE BLOW Paper Television 21. BEACH HOUSE Beach House 22. THE KNIFE Silent Shout 23. JUANA MOLINA Son 24. DANIELSON Ships 25. ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT Derdang Derdang -- 26. ISLANDS Return to the Sea 27. THE ROOTS Game Theory 28. JOSH RITTER The Animal Years 29. HOWE GELB 'Sno Angel Like You 30. HIS NAME IS ALIVE Detrola 31. MARGOT AND THE NUCLEUR SO AND SOS The Dust of Retreat 32. SCISSOR SISTERS Ta-Dah 33. MOGWAI The Beast 34. CSS Cansei de Ser Sexy 35. ASOBI SEKSU Citrus 36. BAND OF HORSES Everything All the Time 37. JOANNA NEWSOM Ys 38. CAT POWER The Greatest 39. THE EVENS Get Even 40. ROBERT POLLARD From a Compound Eye 41. JUNIOR BOYS So This is Goodbye 42. SWAN LAKE Beast Moans 43. EMILY HAINES AND THE SOFT SKELETON Knives Don't Have Your Back 44. PHOENIX It's Never Been Like That 45. JENNY LEWIS with THE WATSON TWINS Rabbit Fur Coat 46. EL PERRO DEL MAR El Perro Del Mar 47. CURSIVE Happy Hollow 48. CAMERA OBSCURA Let's Get of Out This Country 49. YO LA TENGO I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass 50. SERENA MANEESH Serena Maneesh See also: HOBBY BOX'S TOP SINGLES OF 2006 YEAR-END LISTS 1995-2005 tags: music | albums | best of 2006 posted on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 | [permalink]