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Drew Beringer’s Top Albums of 2006

Posted by Drew Beringer
AbsolutePunk.net Heart

This best of list was originally posted on AbsolutePunk.net in 2006. It has been brought over to Chorus.fm for posterity.

Top Albums of 2006

  1. Damien Rice – 9
  2. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
  3. The Hold Steady – Boys And Girls In America
  4. Deftones – Saturday Night Wrist
  5. Moneen – The Red Tree
  6. Thursday – A City by the Light Divided
  7. TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
  8. Fear Before The March Of Flames – The Always Open Mouth
  9. Underoath – Define The Great Line
  10. Misery Signals – Mirrors
  11. mewithoutYou – Brother, Sister
  12. Converge – No Heroes
  13. Brand New – The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
  14. Taking Back Sunday – Louder Now
  15. John Mayer – Contiuum
  16. Copeland – Eat. Sleep. Repeat
  17. The Lawrence Arms – Oh! Calcutta!
  18. Spitalfield – Better Than Knowing Where You Are
  19. Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead
  20. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
  21. The Early November – The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path
  22. Trophy Scars – Alphabet. Alphabets.
  23. Young Jeezy – The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102
  24. The Appleseed Cast – Peregrine
  25. Saves The Day – Sound The Alarm
  26. +44 – When Your Heart Stops Beating
  27. New Found Glory – Coming Home
  28. These Arms Are Snakes – Easter
  29. Set Your Goals – Mutiny
  30. The Hush Sound – Like Vines

A lot of good stuff came out this year, especially on the hip hop front. Clipse released one of the best hip hop albums of the new millennium, Deftones returned back to White Pony form, and Moneen and Thursday wrote two of the most personal and touching albums of 2006. But in the end, Damien Rice trumps it all. The way each song is orchestrated, the way he can have his voice completely own the song is amazing. 9is a brilliant follow up to O and is my favorite album of 2006.

Honorable Mention

  • Christina Aguilera – Back To Basics
  • Senses Fail – Still Searching
  • Boys Like Girls – Boys Like Girls
  • Norma Jean – Redeemer
  • Dashboard Confessional – Dusk & Summer
  • AFI – Decemberunderground
  • Latterman – …We Are Still Alive
  • Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
  • Gym Class Heroes – As Cruel As School Children
  • Heavens – Patent Pending
  • Rise Against – The Sufferer & The Witness
  • Park – Building A Better ______
  • Murder By Death – In Bocca Al Lupo
  • Muse – Blackholes and Revelations
  • The Killers – Sam’s Town
  • The Sounds – Dying To Say This To You
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
  • The Strokes – First Impressions Of Earth
  • This Is Hell – Sundowning
  • Unearth – III: In The Eyes Of Fire
  • Jay-Z – Kingdom Come
  • The Raconteurs – Broken Soldier Boys
  • P.O.S. – Audition
  • The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
  • This Providence – This Providence
  • Kevin Devine – Put Your Ghost To Rest
  • Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope
  • He Is Legend – Suck Out The Poison
  • Manchester Orchestra – I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child
  • Thom Yorke – The Eraser
  • The Roots – Game Theory
  • The Matches – Decomposer
  • The Transit War – Miss Your Face
  • Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds
  • The Format – Dog Problems
  • T.I. – King
  • Blood Brothers – Young Machetes
  • Meg&Dia – Something Real
  • The Forecast – In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen

This is the list of albums that I believe are worth checking out. Yes it’s a long list, big deal, so I like music.

Most Disappointing Albums of 2006

  1. Over It – Step Outside Yourself
  2. Head Automatica – Popaganda
  3. Alexisonfire – Crisis
  4. Gatsbys American Dream – Gatsbys American Dream

Was very excited to hear these four albums. Was immediately disappointed after hearing them.

Worst Albums of 2006

  1. Kevin Federline – Playing With Fire
  2. Yellowcard – Lights And Sounds
  3. Bleeding Through – The Truth

Oh dear God, these four albums were horrible.

Best New Band of 2006

  1. Set Your Goals
  2. Runner-Up: +44

Best Music Video of 2006

  1. MakeDamnSure – Taking Back Sunday

Best Lyrics of 2006

  1. Kenny Bridges – Moneen
  2. Craig Finn – The Hold Steady

Kenny wrote some of the most personal, beautiful, and agonizing lyrics of 2006.

Best Vocals of 2006

  1. Christina Aguilera
  2. Chino Moreno – Deftones
  3. Aaron Marsh – Copeland

Biggest Sellouts

  1. Panic! at the Disco

Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I did (and sometimes still do) listen to P!ATD debut. It’s catchy and fun. But anyone would be a fool not to notice and confirm how much this band has changed since 2005. We all know the details, so I’m not going to get into that, but this band is so far up their own asses it’s not even comical anymore.

Hardest Working Band of 2006

  1. My Chemical Romance

Many bands are worthy of this, and I know I’ll get some crap for choosing MCR, but they put so much effort into the whole package. The album artwork, the live show, the theatrics, staying after hours to sign for fans, and most importantly, their music, all show the hard work this band puts day in and out.

Best Record Label

  1. Equal Vision Records
  2. Epitaph

Second year in a row for me, EVR just keeps providing solid records year in and out, and hit a home run with the Dustin Kensrue and Damiera signings. Watch out for Dear and The Headlights as well and expect another big year from this great label in 07.

Most Overrated Band

  1. Brand New

Yes, Brand New is in my top 10, but the way some people talk about this album makes you think that it was Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John recording this.

Most Underrated Bands

  1. Spitalfield
  2. The Forecast
  3. The Lawrence Arms
  4. Jonah Matranga
  5. Unearth
  6. This Providence

These six bands are not talked about enough. This Providence isthe diamond in the rough on FBR’s roster, while Jonah is one of the most underrated songwriters of our scene. The Forecast are overlooked on Victory’s lineup, and Spitalfield is so amazing, it completely puzzles me how Victory missed the boat on that one.

Best (Catchiest Song) Single

  1. Honestly – Cartel
  2. Welcome To The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
  3. When Your Heart Stops Beating – +44

Yes, I know Cartel released that track in 2005, but it didn’t make a huge impact till this summer, and it was my favorite single of the year.

Best B-Side

  1. Demo 5 – Brand New

Demo, b-side, whatever. I love this song. Bad Brand New for not putting it on their new album.

Worst Single

  1. Graduation Day – Head Automatica

Band(s) Most Pimped By AP.net

  1. Over It
  2. The Format

Best Band Related DVD

  1. Every Time I Die – Shit Happens
  2. Jay Z – Kingdom Come

Best Movies of 2006

  1. 007: Casino Royale
  2. Jackass 2
  3. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
  4. Snakes On A Plane
  5. V For Vendetta

These are the only movies I saw in theaters this year, these are the only movies that really mattered to me.

Best TV Shows of 2006

  1. Scrubs
  2. The Office
  3. Entourage
  4. Grey’s Anatomy

The Next Big Thing(s) of 2007

  1. Armor For Sleep
  2. Self Against City
  3. The Hush Sound
  4. theAudition
  5. All Time Low
  6. Houston Calls
  7. Manchester Orchestra
  8. The Almost
  9. Boys Like Girls
  10. Dear And The Headlights

AFS is releasing their major label debut later in 2007 and they should explode with that. Self Against City and Houston Calls are going to save Drive-Thru. theAudition and ATL will make bigger waves in 2007, while Boys Like Girls are going to be the next band headlining huge clubs. Dear And The Headlights should make a nice splash on Equal Vision, while The Almost and Manchester Orchestra have huge potential.

Most Anticipated Releases of 2007

This is just a put together list of what albums I am excited for, no specific order and I’m sure I forgot many on the list. Also not counting albums I’ve heard already.

  • Fall Out Boy
  • Relient K
  • Against Me!
  • Explosions In The Sky
  • Bloc Party
  • Coheed & Cambria
  • Thrice
  • Emery
  • Motion City Soundtrack
  • Poison The Well 
  • Lifetime
  • The Fall Of Troy
  • Glassjaw
  • Every Time I Die
  • Modest Mouse
  • The Starting Line
  • Comeback Kid
  • Armor For Sleep
  • Alkaline Trio
  • The Bled
  • Bayside
  • Circa Survive
  • Bright Eyes
  • Dillinger Escape Plan
  • Jimmy Eat World
  • Paramore
  • Chiodos
  • Say Anything
  • Ted Leo
  • Norah Jones
  • Anberlin
  • From Autumn To Ashes
  • Rilo Kiley
  • Kanye West
  • Common
  • Talib Kweli
  • The Shins
  • The Good, The Bad, And The Queen

Best Songs of 2006

  • No It Isn’t – +44
  • Start The Machine – Angels & Airwaves
  • Fate Delivered – The Appleseed Cast
  • Five Minutes To Midnight – Boys Like Girls
  • Jesus – Brand New
  • Wamp Wamp ft. Slim Thug – Clipse
  • Grim Heart/Black Rose – Converge
  • When You Thought You’d Never Stand Out – Copeland
  • 9 Crimes – Damien Rice
  • Beware – Deftones
  • Decoration – The Early November
  • My (Fucking) Deer Hunter – Fear Before The March Of Flames
  • Dog Problems – The Format
  • Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
  • Serpent Sickness – He Is Legend
  • Watching You – Heavens
  • Wine Red – The Hush Sound
  • Beach Chair – Jay-Z Ft Chris Martin
  • Gravity – John Mayer
  • SexyBack – Justin Timberlake
  • Will This Be On The Test? – Latterman
  • Like A Record Player – The Lawrence Arms
  • Stuntin Like My Daddy – Lil Wayne and Birdman
  • In A Sweater Poorly Knit – mewithoutYou
  • Anchor – Misery Signals
  • The Day No One Needed To Know – Moneen
  • Mama – My Chemical Romance
  • Black Republican – Nas feat Jay-Z
  • Connected – New Found Glory
  • Mississippi Burning – Park
  • Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs
  • Fidelity – Regina Spektor
  • Echoes – Set Your Goals
  • …Listen – Spitalfield
  • Sundowning – This Is Hell
  • Harrowdown Hill – Thom Yorke
  • Autumn Leaves Revisited – Thursday
  • Assistant. Assistants. – Trophy Scars
  • Casting Such A Thin Shadow – Underoath
  • Bury Me A G – Young Jeezy

My favorites of 06, makes a hell of a diverse playlist.

Album of the Year

  1. Damien Rice – 9

A beautiful collection of 10 soul-bearing tracks make this my favorite album of 2006. Vocally, very few can carry a song like Rice can, and each crescendo of the piano and strings are precise and perfectly placed. As good as “O?” It’s way to early to tell, and shouldn’t matter anyways, because this album can stand on its own.

Song of the Year

  1. ”9 Crimes” – Damien Rice

Bring on 2007.

This article was originally published on AbsolutePunk.net