SO LAST YEAR: A 2006 round -up (pt.4)

SO LAST YEAR 31-40

31. Cosmia - Joanna Newsom [Ys - Drag City]
The more I listen to 'Ys' the more I think it was 2006's masterpiece. 'Cosmia' is probably the most accessible tune on it, as on first listen the rest of it left me stunned and puzzled in equal measures. The whole thing SOUNDS sublime (arranged by Van Dyke Parks, mixed by Jim O'Rourke, recorded by Steve Albini) and Joanna's vocals are more palatable as well, or is that just familiarity at this stage?

32. I Go to the Barn Because I Like the - Band Of Horses [Everything All The Time]
Former member(s) of the hugely under-rated Carissa's Wierd, although it is slightly more alt-country than shoegaze. It still captures that melodic melancholic feel that CW did so well. A single from the album 'The Great Salt Lake') nearly pipped this for inclusion but I went with this because it has that sadness that just hangs in the air after the track has ended.

33. What A Waste - Sonic Youth [Rather Ripped - Geffen]
I said earlier this was SY's conventional 'pop' song album, and this is the best of those. A catchy, noisy rocker of a tune that revisits the territory they mapped out with 'Goo' and 'Dirty' all those years ago. Actually the more I listen to 'Rather Ripped' the better it gets.

34. Woke Up New - The Mountain Goats [Get Lonely]
I actually only heard the new Mountain Goats album just after Christmas, so this is a bit of a last minute inclusion. This is one of those 'life-after-heartbreak' songs, your lover has left you and you are trying to evaluate your life. John Darnielle is a wonderfully consistent songwriter and this is up there with his best.

35. Glasgow Mega-Snake - Mogwai [Mr. Beast]
It was the first album I heard in 2006 and despite being a bit disappointed by their Belfast gig early in the year, I am still listening to Mr. Beast now. 'Glasgow Mega-Snake' is the standout track for me, mixing their simple melody with noise overload to great effect.

36. Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura [Let's Get Out of this Country - Elefant]
I like the idea of songs that answer an older song - in this case it's Lloyd Cole's 1984 hit 'Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?' and this even has sweeping 'Rattlesnakes' style string arrangements all over it. In retrospect 2006 was a great year for indie-pop with absolute gems like this being released.

37. Your Blood - Destroyer [Destroyer's Rubies - Merge] link
The Destroyer album is a real grower and it's one of my highlights of the year. Everytime you go back to it you hear something new. I love the lyrics on this song, and I love the way he tells a story. It reminds me a little of mid-70s Dylan though it never actually sounds like that, if you know what I mean.

38. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn And John [Writer's Block - Wichita] link
Mega catchy indie pop that I only heard courtesy of other people's end of year lists. I missed this lot when they played in Belfast last month, but if I had been more tuned in I would have gone. You'll be whistling this for ages when you hear it, infectious pop indeed.

39. Allen Died, April Five - Oppenheimer [Oppenheimer - Bar None] link
There isn't a lot of local music in this list, and while I saw a few promising local gigs I didn't hear many new releases. This is my favourite of the bunch, their debut album is a collection of short indie-pop songs, but this is the longest track on it which builds and builds on a simple melody. If anything connects the songs on this list, it's that lyrically I have no idea what they are about, and the same goes for this. For all the catchy pop songs on the album this is the one that intrigues me.

40. Bless Your Blood - Six Organs Of Admittance [The Sun Awakens - Drag City] link
I chose this track because Ben Chasny is mostly known as a guitarist and most of Six Organs music is instrumental, however on 'Bless Your Blood' Ben lets his acoustic and electric guitars chime and drone before adding his own vocals to the piece, making it even more spooked than the guiat textures had hinted at. This was the year that Six Organs made their best record and Ben Chasny became a name to drop in all the right circles. The future is very bright for this guy.