Albums You Should Buy in 2006

So, are you excited for a new year of great music? My appetite has already been whet by a few recent and forthcoming releases that I need to pick up...

Bearsuit - Team Ping Pong (Fantastic Plastic Records)

Bearsuit's first full-length release, Cat Spectacular, was a great accomplishment. But what you might not know is that it was in fact their second full-length album. Their first, In Charge of Meats, was never released because the label went belly-up shortly after the album was recorded. It took years of wrestling, but now Bearsuit finally has the opportunity to release much of that music as Team Ping Pong, including some of their very catchiest songs like "Hey Charlie Hey Chuck" and "Stop What You're Doing What You're Doing Is Wrong."

Film School - Film School (Beggars Banquet)

If you have the four-song EP Alwaysnever, then you know exactly why I'm looking forward to this release so much. If you don't, well here's "Activated" to get you started! Film School's music is lush and as cinematic as the name implies. Also of note, one of the band members has an excellent solo album as well, n.Lannon's Chemical Friends.

Lilys - Everything Wrong Is Imaginary (Manifesto Records)

The wait between 1999's Kinks-y The 3-Way and 2003's eclectic Precollection was a difficult one for me to endure, but this time I had at least a somewhat shorter waiting period as the new album is set for release in February. I have full confidence in Kurt Heasley's ability to churn out the catchiest of indie psyche-pop, so I'm sure it'll be worth the wait once again.

The Twin Atlas - Sun Township (Tappersize Records, available at www.thetwinatlas.com)

Okay, it came out in October of 2005... but if I haven't picked up their record yet, you probably haven't either. This is the Twin Altas's fifth full-length album since 2000, along with two rarities collections. Their prolific nature is impressive, especially considering the reliability and profiency of the tunes they crack out each time. If you haven't picked up on them yet, get cracking in 2006!

Albums You Can Swear By

Boone picks his favorite albums from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. He hopes to write about each album in depth sometime before he bites the dust.

60s

The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (Capitol, 1966)
The Beatles: Abbey Road (Capitol, 1969)
The Beatles: The Beatles AKA The White Album (Capitol, 1968)
The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man (Columbia, 1965)
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1964)
Miles Davis: In A Silent Way (Columbia, 1969)
Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited (Columbia, 1965)
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (Columbia, 1966)
The Doors: The Doors (Elektra, 1967)
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland (MCA, 1968)
Love: Forever Changes (Elektra, 1967)
Lee Morgan: Search for the New Land (Blue Note, 1964)
The Mamas and the Papas: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (Dunhill, 1966)
The Mothers of Invention: We're Only in It for the Money (Rykodisc, 1968)
The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet (ABCKO, 1968)
Van Morrison: Astral Weeks (Warner Bros., 1968)
The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico (Verve, 1967)
The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle (Date, 1968)

70s

David Bowie: The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (RCA, 1972)
David Bowie: Low (Virgin, 1977)
Jackson Browne: Jackson Browne (Asylum, 1972)
The Clash: London Calling (CBS, 1979)
Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True (Columbia, 1977)
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970)
Nick Drake: Pink Moon (Island, 1972)
Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks (Columbia, 1975)
Serge Gainsbourg: Historie de Melody Nelson (Philips, 1971)
Gang of Four: Entertainment! (Warner Brothers, 1979)
Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (Qwest, 1979)
Led Zeppelin: IV (Atlantic, 1971)
Joni Mitchell: Blue (Reprise, 1971)
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (Capitol, 1973)
Pink Floyd: The Wall (Columbia, 1979)
The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (Virgin, 1971)
The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones, 1972)
Bruce Springsteen: The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (Columbia, 1973)
T.Rex: Electric Warrior (Reprise, 1971)
T.Rex: The Slider (EMI, 1972)
Television: Marquee Moon (Elektra, 1977)
The Who: Who's Next (Decca, 1971)
Neil Young: On the Beach (Warner Brothers, 1974)

80s

Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique (Capitol, 1989)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Get Happy!! (1980, Columbia)
Brian Eno & David Byrne: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (Sire, 1981)
Guns N' Roses: Appetite for Destruction (Geffen, 1987)
Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade (SST, 1984)
Joy Division: Closer (Qwest, 1980)
Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime (SST, 1984)
Pixies: Doolittle (4AD/Elektra, 1989)
The Police: Synchronicity (A&M, 1983)
R.E.M.: Murmur (IRS, 1983)
The Smiths: Hatful of Hollow (Sire, 1984)
The Smiths: The Queen is Dead (Sire, 1986)
Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (DGC, 1988)
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. (Columbia, 1984)
U2: The Joshua Tree (Island, 1987)
Violent Femmes (Rough Trade, 1983)
Tom Waits: Rain Dogs (Island, 1985)
The Vapors: New Clear Days (Captain Mod, 1980)
XTC: Skylarking (Geffen, 1986)

90s

Air: Moon Safari (Astralwerks, 1998)
Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes (Atlantic, 1992)
Tori Amos: Under the Pink (Atlantic, 1994)
Tori Amos: Boys for Pele (Atlantic, 1996)
Belle & Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister (The Enclave, 1996)
Jeff Buckley: Grace (Columbia, 1994)
Built To Spill: Keep It Like a Secret (Warner Bros., 1999)
Counting Crows: August and Everything After (Geffen, 1993)
Motorpsycho: Timothy's Monster (Bird Cage, 1996)
Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West (Up, 1997)
Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Merge, 1998)
Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral (Nothing/Interscope, 1994)
Nirvana: Nevermind (DGC, 1991)
Nirvana: In Utero (DGC, 1993)
Outkast: Aquemini (LaFace, 1998)
Pavement: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Matador, 1994)
Radiohead: OK Computer (Capitol, 1997)
Radiohead: The Bends (Capitol, 1995)
R.E.M.: Automatic for the People (Warner Bros., 1992)
Sigur Rós: Ágætis Byrjun (Bad Taste, 1999)
The Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream (Virgin, 1993)
The Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Virgin, 1995)
Elliott Smith: Elliott Smith (Kill Rock Stars, 1995)
Elliott Smith: Either/Or (Kill Rock Stars, 1997)
Elliott Smith: XO (Dreamworks, 1998)
Sublime: Sublime (MCA, 1996)
U2: Achtung Baby (Island, 1991)
The Verve: Urban Hymns (Virgin, 1997)
Weezer: Weezer (DGC, 1994)
Wilco: Summerteeth (Reprise, 1999)

00s

Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker (Bloodshot, 2000)
Ryan Adams: Cold Roses (Lost Highway, 2005)
Animal Collective: Sung Tongs (Fat Cat, 2004)
The Arcade Fire: Funeral (Merge, 2004)
Badly Drawn Boy: The Hour of Bewilderbeast (Twisted Nerve/XL Recordings, 2000)
Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow (XL, 2005)
Bright Eyes: Lifted... (Saddle Creek, 2002)
Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek, 2005)
Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People (Paper Bag,2002)
Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts, 2005)
The Clientele: Suburban Light (Merge, 2000)
The Comas: Conductor (Yep Roc, 2004)
Death Cab For Cutie: Forbidden Love EP (Barsuk, 2000)
Death Cab For Cutie: The Photo Album (Barsuk, 2001)
The Decemberists: Castaways & Cutouts (Kill Rock Stars, 2003)
The Elected: Me First (Sub Pop, 2004)
Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador, 2001)
Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank the Cradle (Sub Pop, 2002)
Matthew Jay: Draw (Capitol, 2001)
Modest Mouse: The Moon & Antarctica (Epic, 2000)
Moonbabies: The Orange Billboard (A Hidden Agenda Record, 2004)
Radiohead: Kid A (Capitol, 2000)
Bill Ricchini: Ordinary Time (Megaforce, 2002)
The Shins: Oh, Inverted World (Sub Pop, 2001)
Sodastream: Looks Like a Russian (Tugboat, 2000)
Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)
The Strokes: Is This It? (RCA, 2001)
Sun Kil Moon: Ghosts of the Great Highway (JetSet, 2003)
Kanye West: The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
The White Stripes: White Blood Cells (Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2001)
Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop, 2005)
The Wrens: The Meadowlands (Absolutely Kosher, 2003)

Cut the Chord's Top 20 CDs of 2005!

As always, Boone and Patrick switch off who gets to do the Top 10 CDs of the year and the other does the 10 alternates. This year, it's Boone's turn for the top ten. So without further ado...

BOONE'S TOP 10 CDs of 2005

1. Ryan Adams – Cold Roses (Lost Highway Records)


I've already written enough about this album. My first review was about the same length as In Cold Blood. With that said, I'm going to try and keep this short. Cold Roses is fucking brilliant and if you don't agree with me I'll kill you.

2. Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)


Broken Social Scene crystallize their sound, push the envelope, and throw in a free EP of goodies that puts most band's actual albums to shame. This is even better than the critically acclaimed You Forgot It In People. How can you not worship at the altar of an album whose closing ten minute epic, "It's All Gonna Break," begins with the line "when I was a kid you fucked me in the ass" and still manages to work in something as beautiful as "the sound of your heart is a god I can trust."

3. Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop Records)


Are Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug indie's answer to Lennon and McCartney? This powerful debut album alternates between each of the duo's tunes, creating a cohesive whole without sacrificing the individuality of the two songwriters. There's no filler here, just one memorable song after another. Did I mention that they're even better live?

4. Bright Eyes – I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek Records)


When I heard this for the first time last January, I was fairly certain it would be at my number one spot come year's end. But shit happens, right? Still, this is a wonderful piece of work. Oberst's writing grows by leaps and bounds with each release. "Land Locked Blues," originally titled "One Foot in Front of the Other" when I first heard it, is as impressive as some of Dylan's work. The companion album, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, though not as tightly focused is worth owning as well.

5. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty Records)


The Superman controversy made headlines. Copies with the Man of Steel on the cover were selling on Ebay for a hundred bucks a pop the day it was released. The second in Sufjan's insane 50 states plan. This big, sprawling, American masterpiece is his finest effort to date.

6. Devendra Banhart – Cripple Crow (XL Recordings)


As ambitious as Sufjan's Illinois, Banhart's 22 track epic about innocence, community, and peace is one of the year's most satisfying listens. As the Sgt. Pepper-inspired cover indicates, Banhart has left his bedroom, opening his arms to an impressive backing band and variety of musical styles without compromising the singular vision he achieved on Rejoicing in the Hands. A monumental work.

7. Bill Ricchini – Tonight I Burn Brightly (Transdreamer Records)


If you haven't heard of Bill Ricchini I feel deep pity for you. Ordinary Time is one of my favorite albums of all time. If you like the Beatles, Elliott Smith, Big Star, etc, you'll love Bill's work. Tonight I Burn Brightly is his sophomore album and if songs like "Eugene Hill" and "Close the Door" don't touch your heart then you simply don't have one.

8. The Spinto Band – Nice and Nicely Done (Bar/None Records)


A perfect pop album. Nice and Nicely Done is endlessly addictive. With a little radio play "Oh Mandy" could be the biggest hit of the year. Untouched by hipster bullshit, the Spinto Band have made a heartfelt album that, in a perfect world, would be listened to by every teen across the country. Geek rock hasn't been this good since Weezer released their first album.

9. Tiger Lou – The Loyal (V2 Music)


Stockholm's Rasmus Kellerman, who blew my mind with his Trouble & Desire EP and debut album Is My Head Still On, returns with the dark concept album The Loyal. In the album's press release, Rasmus reveals an interesting tidbit about the album's recording: "All the vocals consists of two takes, one in the left speaker and one in the right, a method that was brought to my attention by the late Elliott Smith. It creates a very eerie and panoramic feeling that works really well with the songs and theme of the album." This is definitely one of the year's most atmospheric albums. A wonderful achievement.

10. Rogue Wave – Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop Records)


Although less intimate than their first album, Descended Like Vultures proves that Rogue Wave is an indie rock band to be reckoned with. They're louder, the hooks are bigger, and the studio sheen is at the same level as the last two Death Cab albums. This is great stuff. I'm sure you'll be hearing it on an upcoming episode of The O.C. Damn that show.

Also... Kanye West's Late Registration, Sun Kil Moon's haunting Modest Mouse covers album Tiny Cities, Animal Collective's Feels, Spoon's Gimme Fiction, Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, The Constantines' Tournament of Hearts, Death Cab For Cutie's Plans, The Long Winters' Ultimatum EP and M. Ward's Transistor Radio.


PATRICK'S TOP 10 CDs of 2005

1. Mazarin – We’re Already There (I & Ear Records)


Mazarin’s first album since 2001, and it’s their most solid album yet. Frontman Quentin Stoltzfus combines pop melodies with shoegazer sensibilities for a dense trippy delight. If I can travel from Virginia to Brooklyn just to see them play five songs in a coffee bar, then the least you can do is give them a listen.

2. The Kingsbury Manx – The Fast Rise and Fall of the South (Yep Roc Records)


North Carolina’s Kingsbury Manx have been releasing solid albums for years and where have you been? Have you been listening to Cut the Chord when they keep telling you to buy them? No! So get the fuck out there and get started with this one!

3. The Clientele – Strange Geometry (Merge Records)


The members of the Clientele may not have been alive in the ‘60s, but they never seem to have left it. From the first moments of “Since K Got Over Me” you get transported into a time when “pop music” wasn’t a shameful thing at all.

4. The Joggers – With a Cape and a Cane (Startime International Records)


I think I read a review of this CD which mentioned “counter-clockwise beats” and I thought, oh man, that nailed it. The Joggers add an element of the bizarre that keeps their music addictively off-kilter in a way I haven’t heard since the Dismemberment Plan.

5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released, available at Insound.com)


Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are having a ball performing a sort of Playschool version of Talking Heads songs. Their self-released record has been a huge success for them and will hopefully inspire other bands to break away from the corporate stranglehold on the music industry.

6. The Decemberists – Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)


It might not have the stand-out tracks of the first two albums, but Picaresque is the most solid track-for-track album yet for this, the most literate band in indie rock.

7. Ghosty – Grow Up Or Sleep In (Future Farmer Recordings)


Ghosty has been around for six years, but this is their first full-length album, and it packs a wallop. This is the kind of mature textured rock that blows people away when you slip one of the songs onto their mix CDs. Here, try using “Big Surrender.”

8. Luke Temple – Hold a Match for a Gasoline World (Mill Pond Records)


After the very first listen, I found myself still humming Luke Temple’s music and wanted to give it a second listen as soon as possible. Think of a combination of Sufjan Stevens’ whimsicalness and Sondre Lerche’s charm.

9. Levy – Rotten Love (One Little Indian Records)


Boone loves this album too. Lush and sincere … think of something in between Coldplay and the Strokes, but more fun than either of those bands have been lately. In a perfect world, “In the Woods” would be the radio hit of the year, with all the girls singing along to “don’t tell me that you love if you don’t know why!”

10. Cass McCombs – PREfection (Monitor Records)


If Badly Drawn Boy had listened to the Smiths a whole lot more, he would have turned out more like Cass McCombs, and as a result, I would still be listening to Badly Drawn Boy. This is a great piece of reverb-laden pop beauty.

Also… Antony and the Johnsons' I Am a Bird Now, Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm, Pernice Brothers’ Discover a Lovelier You, self-titled albums by both Headphones and The Cloud Room, Andrew Bird’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Metropolitan's The Lines They Get Broken and the two EPs by Math and Physics Club.