Spitfire: Self-Help (5/5)

#1 Album of 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Goodfellow
Genre: Chaotic Mathcore
TRT: 33:31

This album was released in February, and it did not move down on my Top 10 for 2006 list for a second. The full on assault of chaos and fury are the perfect juxtaposition of previous Spitfire and Scarlet styles. John Spencer is one of the best vocalists in the genre, period. His writing and lyrical prowess have improved greatly since his time in Scarlet, and his placements are spot on throughout the record. I believe this album will stand the test of time, and remain a favorite for years to come.

01 Meat Market
02 Go Ape
03 Life and Limb
04 Dear John
05 Leap of Faith
06 U.V. I.V.
07 Great White Noise
08 Comfort (The Iceman Cometh)
09 Suicide Cult Is Dead
10 Kings of the Food Chain
11 Ohm Driver

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Daughters: Hell Songs (4.5/5)

#2 Album of 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Hydrahead
Genre: Experimental Grindcore
TRT: 23:08

No harsh vocals. That’s right, daughters has done the unthinkable, and I’m honestly surprised by the somewhat negative reaction from many fans. What else would you expect but something even stranger and weirder…and more disturbing than their last release? The music is every bit as intense as Canada Songs, but with longer songs comes more depth, and that’s always a good thing. I applaud Daughters for maturing their sound and not shying away from experimentation. And even though this record is sans screaming, the drunken Elvis style utilized is creepy as hell...songs...

01 Daughters Spelled Wrong
02 Fiery
03 Recorded Inside a Pyramid
04 X-Ray
05 First Snake Woman
06 Providence by Gaslight
07 Hyperventilation System
08 Crotch Buffet
09 Cheers Pricks
10 The Fuck Whisperer

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Genghis Tron: Dead Mountain Mouth (4.5/5)

#3 Album of 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Crucial Blast
Genre: Ambient Electro Grindcore
TRT: 31:29

When I first heard cloak of love, I was intrigued by it’s mashing together of ambient electronic beats, and digi-grind music. It was interesting, but more of a novelty item to amaze my friends with than an album to really listen to. Well that’s changed. With this release Genghis Tron has made the transition from "novelty act" to "force to be reckoned with". This band has created a genre all their own, bridging the gap between the The Number Twelve Looks Like You and Boards of Canada. This is an album to listen to all in one sitting, at high volume.

01 The Folding Road
02 Chapels
03 From the Aisle
04 Dead Mountain Mouth
05 White Walls
06 Badlands
07 Greek Beds
08 Asleep on the Forest Floor
09 Warm Woods
10 Lake of Virgins

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Mouth of the Architect: The Ties That Blind (5/5)

#4 Album of 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Translation Loss
Genre: Atmospheric Post-Metal
TRT: 66:07

You know those times when you’re listening to a cd, and the band does something so remarkably good and unexpected, you can’t help but grin like an idiot? The Ties That Blind is absolutely chocked full of such moments. I truly look like a moron, because I can not keep a smile off my face. Mouth of the Architect has gone above and beyond with this release. Cannot imagine how they can top this record, but dammit, I have a feeling they'll pull it off.

01 Baobab
02 No One Wished to Settle Here
03 Carry On
04 Harboring an Apparition
05 At Arms Length
06 Wake Me When It's Over

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mewithoutYou: Brother, Sister (5/5)

#5 Album for 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Tooth & Nail
Genre: Modern Progressive Rock
TRT: 45:24

mewithoutYou just keep building higher and higher upon the foundation they started with A to B Life. The music is what you would expect from the band, but somehow it’s more layered and complex than anything else they’ve done, and new things will continue to be discovered upon multiple listenings. The same goes with the lyrics. Aaron Weiss is a brilliant writer, and delivers more thought-provoking idea’s and intricate word pictures that require several listens for meaning to emerge. This album is a virtual collection of epiphanies waiting to happen.

01 Messes of Men
02 The Dryness and the Rain
03 Wolf Am I! (and Shadow)
04 Yellow Spider
05 A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains
06 Nice and Blue (Part Two)
07 The Sun and the Moon
08 Orange Spider
09 C-Minor
10 In a Market Dimly Lit
11 O, Porcupine
12 Brownish Spider
13 In a Sweater Poorly Knit

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Cursive: Happy Hollow (3.5/5)

#6 Album for 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Saddle Creek
Genre: Progressive Indie
TRT: 47:34

Writing a follow up album to such a landmark cd like the ugly organ is no easy task. Especially when one of the defining features of the cd, the cellist, parts ways with the band. But have no fear. To fill the gap left by Greta Cohn, Cursive adds a five piece horn section to the mix. And the result is quite satisfying. The music is solid and instantly likable, with lyrics that are deeper and more thought provoking than anything else this band has put out, chronicling life in a fictional somewhat backwards mid-western town called, yup, Happy Hollow. What will they think of next...

01 Opening the Hymnal / Babies
02 Dorothy at Forty
03 Big Bang
04 Bad Sects
05 Flag and Family
06 Dorothy Dreams of Tornados
07 Retreat!
08 The Sunks
09 At Conception
10 So-So Gigolo
11 Bad Science
12 Into the Fold
13 Rise Up! Rise Up!
14 Hymns for the Heathen

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The Knife: Silent Shout (4.5/5)

#7 Album of 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Mute
Genre: Dark Experimental Dancepop
TRT: 48:33

I discovered this gem late in 2006, and became obsessed. This is by far one of the most infectious albums I’ve heard in the last few years, and provides hours of deliciously catchy and quirky electronic beats with sinister overtones.

01 Silent Shout
02 Neverland
03 The Captain
04 We Share Our Mothers' Health
05 Na Na Na
06 Marble House
07 Like a Pen
08 From Off to On
09 Forest Families
10 One Hit
11 Still Light

EDIT: Apparently Blogger received a complaint regarding the download link in the post. it has been removed, and replaced with a link to google. sorry for any inconvenience.

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The Fiery Furnaces: Bitter Tea (4.5/5)

#8 Album for 2006


Year: 2006
Label: Fat Possum
Genre: Experimental Indie
TRT: 69:03

A delightfully experimental album. You never know what to expect from this brother and sister collaboration, and this album is full of surprises. This cd is more cohesive than 2004’s release Blueberry Boat, and there is not a single song on here that I skip while listening.

01 In My Little Thatched Hut
02 I'm in No Mood
03 Black-Hearted Boy
04 Bitter Tea
05 Teach Me Sweetheart
06 Waiting To Know You
07 The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry
08 Oh Sweet Woods
09 Borneo
10 Police Sweater Blood Vow
11 Nevers
12 Benton Harbor Blues
13 Whistle Rhapsody
14 Nevers Again
15 Benton Harbor Blues Again

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Norma Jean: Redeemer (4/5)

#9 Album of 2006

Year: 2006
Label: Solid State
Genre: Chaotic Hardcore
TRT: 41:42

Fans who felt let down by Norma Jean’s abrupt change in style from Bless the Child, Kiss the Martyr and last year’s O’ God the Aftermath shouldn’t write them off just yet. Redeemer is a masterful combination of catchy lyrical runs reminiscent of the former, and the technical skill and composition of the latter. A solid album through and through.

01 A Grand Scene for a Color Film
02 Blueprints for Future Homes
03 A Small Spark vs. A Great Forest
04 A Temperamental Widower
05 The End of All Things Will Be Televised
06 Songs Sound Much Sadder
07 The Longest Lasting Statement
08 Amnesty Please
09 Like Swimming Circles
10 Cemetery Like a Stage
11 No Passenger : No Parasite

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Kayo Dot: Dowsing Anemones With Copper Tongue [4.5/5]

#10 Album for 2006


















Year: 2006
Label: Robotic Empire
Genre: Experimental Progressive Post-Rock
TRT: 60:16

On this release, Kayo Dot combine post-rock sensibilities with elements of jazz and experimentation to create a lush and breath-taking journey through soundscapes that are as crushing as they are soothing. They have put together an album that, with a little patience, will enthrall you with it’s complexity.

01 Gemini Becoming the Tripod
02 Immortelle and Paper Caravelle
03 Aura on an Asylum Wall
04 _on Limpid Form
05 Amaranath the Peddler

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