SO LAST YEAR: A 2006 round -up (pt.3)

SO LAST YEAR 21-30

21. Crying in Yur Face - AFX [Chosen Lords]
AFX, aka Analord, aka Aphex Twin, won back a few wavering fans with this compilation of his Analord 12"s, including myself, as shamefully I don't have a functioning record player so I have never heard the full versions. This collection was great though, parts of it even hinted back to other electronic acts like Kraftwerk and Orbital, rather than the more extreme music Aphex has been pushing forward with in the last decade. I'm told that some of the vinyl only stuff is well worth my attention, but for now 'Chosen Lords' is my fave electronic release of the year, and 'Crying in Yur Face' is my highlight from it.

22. (And I Was a) Boy From School - Hot Chip [The Warning]
Lest you think they were a one-hit, one-note repetitive wonder, here were Hot Chip with a more conventional song, a more melancholic take on indie-electronic pop which proved them as songwriters to watch as well. "I got, I got lost/ You said this was the way back" is the achingly sad bit at the end.

23. In The Morning - Junior Boys [So This Is Goodbye - Domino]
A slightly more funky, less chilled out release than many people were expecting, 'In the Morning' is the catchiest tune here, the one with the "too young" refrain. On first listen I found this new album a little bit disappointing after the highpoints of 'Last Exit', but I've given it a bit of time and it has crept up on me.

24. Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind - Yo La Tengo [I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass - Matador] link
Unfairly overlooked this year I think, despite a fun marketing campaign highlighting fans youtube vids and a fine album. Still it's not every band that opens their album with a 10 minute guitar groove and a pretty impressive one it is. They are a bit like the Fall to my ears, I just hear them and I instantly like it, so critical objectivity goes out the window with me and YLT.

25. Whoo! Alright - Yeah... Uh Huh - The Rapture [Pieces of the People We Love]
Proof that there is always one Rapture moment worth the price of admission. This nearly makes this old guy want to dance, but as they say in the lyrics "People don't dance no more/ They just stand there like this/ They cross their arms and stare you down and drink and moan and piss." That almost made me feel bad for a minute. Not quite another House of Jealous Lovers but close!!

26. Orchids - Califone [Roots and Crowns - Thrill Jockey] link
Only the second cover version included in this list (the original is by Pychic TV) A circling melody propelled along by guitar effects and all manner of acoustic instruments, this is just a lovely song, but there is something a bit spooked about it. "In the morning after the night/ I fall in love with the light" sets the tone. Former members of Red Red Meat (remember them?) I would love to hear more of their material as I only came across this on a Wire Tapper compilation.

27. Harrowdown Hill - Thom Yorke [The Eraser - EMI]
For a solo album, and one allegedly quickly assembled at that, 'The Eraser' was pretty good. 'Harrowdown Hill' is my fave track, a haunted piece of electronica and funk, and yet another song that intrigues me with the lyrics. It becomes clear what it's about when you realise that Harrowdown Hill was where government scientist David Kelly was found dead - "I can't take their pressure/ No one cares if you live or die/ They just want me gone/ They want me gone". A spooked song for a scary subject.


28. Breakfast In NYC - Oppenheimer [Oppenheimer - Bar None] link
I heard this in its demo form nearly two years ago and I'm still not bored with it. A great simple pop song. I must also mention the fab Skibunny mix of this tune, which is lurking around myspace somewhere.

29. I Love Creedence - Casiotone For The Painfully Alone [Etiquette] link
A charming little story song which makes me smile everytime I hear it. A tale of unrequited love told with lo-fi keyboards and the best understated baritone this side of the Magnetic Fields.

30. Springfield, Or Bobby Got A Shadfly Caught In His Hair - Sufjan Stevens [The Avalanche - Asthmatic Kitty]
Sufjan didn't grace us with a 'proper' album this year, instead we got 80 minutes of leftovers from the Illinoise sessions, and enough good tunes to make many contemporaries jealous. No real classics on here though this decent tune must have been close to making the cut for the main album. It is kind of annoying that even this guy's cast-offs have merit!