Hey Guys,

Thought this might serve as a useful compliment to the Best of Year Album/Song for those actually looking for insights on what to check out next.

Basically, just break down any album you feel like in the following manner...

Album-Artists
Reminds of...
Must Tracks
Also worth Checking out...
Definitely skip.
Any personal impressions...

The one thing I ask is that we try to leave the disagreements out of this thread, just give your own assesment of the album in question...ideally the only post we're seeing here other than album breakdowns is a request from someone for insight on an album not yet posted.

To get things started, I'll go first

Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer
Reminds of - Ziggy Stardust Era Bowie, if had become obsessed with Dylan and Jackson Browne
Must Tracks - Rubies, 3000 Flowers
Also Check Out - Painter in your Pocket, Watercolors in the Ocean, Sick Priests Last Forever
Skip - None
Assessment - Stream of Consciousness lyrics, Light, almost cocktail hour jazzy feel, this album has great flow. Favorite of 2006 to date.

The Boxing Mirror - Alejandro Escovedo
Reminds of - Stripped down Los Lobos
Must Tracks - Break this Time, Evita's Lullabye
Also Check Out - The Ladder, Castro & Polk, The Boxing Mirror
Skip - Arizona
Assessment - Deeply, deeply personal committed effort but highly inconsistent musically...the best tracks are stunning, but another third entirely forgetable. While Los Lobos comparisons inevitable, runs in a broad range of unconnected styles from country to classic rock to latin folk to disco to outright metal.

I'll do one.

The Best Party Ever by The Boy Least Likely To
Reminds me of- Architecture in Helsinki, Flaming Lips, hapiness.
Must Tracks- Be Gentle With Me, I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star, The Battle Of The Boy Least Likely To, Hugging My Grudge
Also Check Out the rest of the album.
Assessment- Top 3 of the year so far for me. Fun pop songs with banjos, harmonicas, toy instruments and high vocals. The lyrics are smart and funny and these songs make me happy.

Everything All of the Time - Band of Horses
Reminds of: My Morning Jacket, Sparklehorse, Neil Young/Crazy Horse, Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev Southern rock
Must tracks: "The Funeral," "The Great Salt Lake"
Also check out: "St. Augustine," "The First Song," "Wicked Gil," "Our Swords"
Skip: None, really...
Assessment: Good, solid debut from a band that contains two former members of Carrisa's Wierd-- the music is in the relatively new tradition of Southern art rock-- from Neil Young down to My Morning Jacket.

Fort Recovery - Centro Matic
REMINDS ME OF - Pastoral Sun Kil Moon, dirgey Neil Young crunchy guitars at times. It's an album that has the same stucture of Sun Kil Moon's Ghosts of the Great Highway, has some great rockin tunes along with some great melodic mellow tunes. A mature indie rock band. Plus Will Johnson has the best voice in the biz today.
MUST TRACKS - Triggers and Trash Heaps, I See Through You, Covered up in Mines, Patience for the Ride.
ALSO CHECK OUT - Will Johnson's solo album (Singer for Centro-Matic) 'Vultures Await'. And the side project/alter-ego experimental band South San Gabriel which is all the same members of Centro-Matic with Will singing here as well.
DEFINITELY SKIP - TAKE A RAKE.
ASSESSMENT - When Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers names Fort Recovery the best album of 2006 back in late 2005, in fact calling it one of his favorite albums of this decade, I had to take notice.

Twilight Singers: Powder Burns

Reminds Me Of: Afghan Whigs, Screaming Trees, American Music Club, Neil Young's more personal stuff ("The Needle and the Damage Done")

Must hear: "Bonnie Brae" and "I'm Ready"

Also good: "Forty Dollars" "There's Been an Accident"

Skip: Nothing. It's all good.

Assessment: A deeply personal record about addiction. A slammin' rock record. One of the best live shows you'll see. Barring some big hitters in July through December, a sure-fire Top Five for me. Presently my favorite record of 2006.

The Avalanche - Sufjan Stevens
Reminds of - 'Illinois'... obviously. But I personally think it's catchier.
Must Tracks - "Henney Buggy Band", "Mistress Witch From McClure"
Also Check Out - "Dear Mr. Supercomputer", "Springfield"
Skip - "The Avalanche", "Kaskaskia River", "The Vivian Girls"
Assessment - I think all the tracks on The Avalanche are great. I'm not particularly sure why most of these tracks didn't make Illinois. Henney Buggy Band will stick in your head like nothing from Illinois, and I feel like these songs are more focused and run on less. Also, almost every track is essential, unlike some of the 'cute' little filler tracks on Illinois.

Return To The Sea - Islands
Reminds of - The Unicorns, but more focused and serious. They still have a sense of fun, but the parts of Who Will Cut Our Hair? that weren't particularly cute seem to be gone. They're more streamlined and mature.
Must Tracks - "Rough Gem", "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby"
Also Check Out: "Swans", "Ones"
Skip: "Where There's A Way, There's A Whalebone"
Assessment: Fun and carefree at times, this album is not as adventurous or daring as The Unicorns. It still has a sense of humor, though, as is evident in the Whitney/Bobby title. A new maturity is evident, particularly in "Ones". The lyrics are strong, and the melodies don't go away for a long time.

Eagles of Death Metal -Death by Sexy

Reminds Me Of: Kiss, Ween, Queens of the Stone Age, ZZ Top

Must Hear: "I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)", "Don’t Speak (I Came To Make A Bang)", "Poor Doggie"

Also Good: "I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)", "The Ballad Of Queen Bee And Baby Duck", "Bag O’ Miracles"

Skip: "Shasta Beast"

Assessment: One of my biggest surprises of 2006. A terrific ode to 70s stoner rock that's fun but smart enough not to become a parody (a la The Darkness). Also don't let the name fool you, there's no death metal being played here. Along with Margot and the Nuclear So-and-sos, the most misleading band name of the year.

If you need something to crank to while you're drinking a six-pack of Old Milwaukee and working on your El Camino, this is for you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: EricG75,

Espers - Espers II

Reminds me of: Ummm...Espers I

Must Tracks: "Mansfield and Cyclops," "Widow's Weed," "Children of Stone"

Skip: "Moon Occults the Sun"

Assessment: I don't like this one as much as the first Espers album, which was excellent. It's got more instruments, more psychedelic elements, and more complex arrangements, but it's not as immediate, and the songs just aren't as strong. Several of the songs go on for too long. Still, this is a solid release. Probably will be top-20, but not top-10 for me by the end of the year.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
Reminds me of: Ummm...Espers I

Gee, that helps. Do you mind describing it for people unfamiliar with Espers?

Dark, psychedelic folk music with harmonizing female and male vocals. The album has 7 songs, but it's over 40 minutes long.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Gee, that helps. Do you mind describing it for people unfamiliar with Espers?

Psychadelic British Isles Folk (albeit American). Good stuff. The songs might be a little overlong, but you'll be hard-pressed to notice as arrangements come and go.

Let me try this with HOWL by BRMC:

HOWL-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Reminds of-Us and Us Only era Charlatans UK, The Band Bob Dylan
Must-HOWL, Sympathetic Noose, The Line
Also worth it-Ain't No Easy Way, Promise, Gospel Song
Skip-NONE
Personally, this is almost a complete departure from their Jesus and Mary Chain influenced work. Lord knows where they will go from here, and that is a good thing.

You Am I: Convicts

Reminders: The Replacements, Star Spangles, Nuggets garage rock, some glam metal and hard rock.

Must: "It Ain't Funny How We DOn't Talk Anymore", "Secrets"

Analysis: Another solid rock record by this underappreciated (in America) Australian rock band. Rock songs with melodies and heart, but not afraid to teach the guitar a few lessons along the way. Not their best record (go with #4 Record or Hourly, Daily) but a fine addition to the body of work.

Sounds interesting pE. Where is their stuff available? Do they have an American label, or do you have to import their stuff?

quote:

Originally posted by Crowdiggs:
Let me try this with HOWL by BRMC:

HOWL-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

This is sorta breakin' the rules, but I LOVE this album. The only thing which I'll add is that it's actually very comparable to their earlier albums in the songwriting department. It just kinda sounds like an unplugged version of their previous, and for those who didn't notice, they've always had plenty of gospel references. Shutting up now.

PS- Crowdiggs, you should be able to find You Am I's awesome #4 Record at a store or on the net for cheap used, but yes, the new one's an import.

Asobi Seksu - Citrus

Sounds like: you know, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive, umm, Serena Maneesh

Must: "Thursday," "Red Sea"

Also: "New Years," "Goodbye," "Strawberries"

Skip: I advise against it, but "Nefi+Girly" and "Exotic Animal Paradise" are not the best. Just plain old good.

Assessment: Freaking awesome. Gorgeous, huge, highly melodic. They do tremendous builds and change pace expertly. Good blend of pop and experimentation.

quote:

Originally posted by dubs:
Asobi Seksu - Citrus

Sounds like: you know, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive, umm, Serena Maneesh

Must: "Thursday," "Red Sea"

Also: "New Years," "Goodbye," "Strawberries"

Skip: I advise against it, but "Nefi+Girly" and "Exotic Animal Paradise" are not the best. Just plain old good.

Assessment: Freaking awesome. Gorgeous, huge, highly melodic. They do tremendous builds and change pace expertly. Good blend of pop and experimentation.

I agree. That album came out of nowhere and kicked my bum.

YOU IN REVERSE - Built to Spill

Reminds of - Latter Day Crazy Horse/Neil Young efforts like Ragged Glory.

Don't Miss - Goin Against Your Mind, Conventional Wisdowm.
Also Check Out - Liar, Mess With Time, The Wait.
Skip - Saturday.

Impressions - Very Good but definitely not great Jam Album that's a bit oxymoronic in that it's best moments are it's least Jammy and most structured. Most of the songs not listed here basically function as a one or two minute setup to extended soloing that concludes each of these often 6 to 7 minute tracks. Not a top ten of the year contender, but a solid contender for one of the next twenty spots. Easy background album.

Another look at ESPERS II

ESPERS II

Reminds of - Sandy Denny led Fairport Convention tracks/ 60s Medieval sounding folk-rock.
BEST TRACKS - Dead Queen, Cyclops and Mansfield
Also Check Out - Everything else
Skip - Nothing.
Impressions - A meeting halfway between Fairport Convention style sixties folk-rock and modern Drone Folk along the lines of Six Organs of Admittances...Songs are all very slow/delicate/long and dark...for some will only work as background filler...but the instrumentation, though gentle and spacious feeling, is actually quite dense in subtle, subtle ways, and the Sandy Denny styled female vocals are nothing short of breathtaking.

Son - Juana Molina
Reminds of: "Kid Amnesiac" Radiohead, Brian Eno musically, her voice is like that of the late Mary Hansen (of Stereolab) and Joao or Bebel Gilberto
Must tracks: "La Verdad," "Rio Seco," "Micael"
Also check out: "Un Beso Llega," "Yo No," "Las Culpas"
Skip: Nothing.
Assessment: A super-relaxing bit of liquid, South American synth pop, essentially-- folktronica, if you want to get fancy with things. One of my three favorite records of '06 so far. I once listened to this record four times in a row.