http://www.timleemusic.com
When you strip rock’n’roll down to the basics, what it comes down to is great songs and shiny riffs. That’s exactly what we have here. Tim Lee did not forcefully try new sounds or topics, or to reinvent the wheel… He simply refreshed the main ingridiences of rock’n’roll and packed them up on this lp without any additives. Southern thing.
The rest of the album chart and other charts are in the comment area…
2. The Moaners – Dark Snack
themoaners.com
Furious fem duo, drums plus guitar. You can’t get much minimal than that, except that the songs are grand. They write and play straight from the heart and their live shows are unforgettable. You can also learn a lot from these wise women.
3. Chris Whitley & The Bastard Club – Reiter In
chriswhitley.com
Sadly, Chirs Whitley died last year. But it wasn’t after he recorded what’s easily one of his best albums ever. Together with his European backup band Whitley cranks up a series of covers and manages to squeeze songs by The Stoogies, Willie Dixon, Flamin’ Lips and Gary Numan – all on one disc. Add to that an equal amount of originals too. Those amplified dobro riffs are so mighty that can raise dead.
4. Howe Gelb – Sno’ Angel Like You
Howe’s website
It’s time to remember this wonderful soulful album from last winter now when the new winter just started. Hear Howe redo several Giant Sand and Rainer standards with the Voice of Praise Gospel Choir. It’ll take you somewhere else.
5. Eagles of Death Metal – Death By Sexy
eaglesofdeathmetal.com
Eagles of Death Metal are arguably the biggest surprise for me this year. It’s no secret that they are one of the best bands live you could hear in the past couple of years, but the news is that they were able to channel the entire energy into a wonderful CD. Sometimes you can listen to rock’n’roll, but sometimes you can also have great time and laugh at it at the same time.
6. Hellacopters – Rock And Roll Is Dead
hellacopters.com
These Swedish guys were around for some time teaching the world how to rock with honest energy and sweat. On this album their songwriting and twin guitar attacks are taken to perfection. It will stay a classic.
7. My Buddy Moose
I have to be a little personal here. These four guys from Croatia grew up on the very same magazines and the very same radio shows that I did and if I knew how to write songs, I would probably want to sound exactly like they do. This is an exciting collection of great rock songs with couple of fenders, drums and some mandolin. Despite the fact that they sing in English, have about 0% influence of indigenous Croatian music – these folks somehow managed to publish for a local major company.
8. Varsity Drag – For Crying Out Loud
bendeily.com
When you listen to old Lemonheads albums, Ben Deily’s songs stick out as more mature works of arts than Evan Dando’s songs. Still, you won’t hear people giving a lot of credit to Deily. This year when we have an opportunity to hear returning albums of both guys, somehow Deily’s direct and confessional approach takes his new band a few positions above the new Dand’s album on this list.
9. Monstrous – Mother Nature’s Slaves
monstrous website
It’s like Kurt Cobain, Marc Bolan and George Harrison met up in heaven and started up a band. Excellent effort by newcomers from Portland OR.
10. Bellrays – Have A Little Faith
thebellrays.com
With this serious and energetic album, The Bellrays confirm themselves as a top contender this year. Imagine Ramones fronted by Aretha Franklin with Lou Reed as a lyricist…
11. Afterhours – Ballate per piccole iene
afterhours.it
This album came out in Italy last year and this year it came in the USA in English language version. It was produced by Greg Dulli and when he took his Twilight Singers to their US tour, he also brought Afterhours along to open for them. This album possesses a rare suspense to it and the sound is both very chic and retro at the same time.
12. T Bone Burnett – The True False Identity
http://www.tboneburnett.com/
Legendary singer/songwriter and producer returned this year with a flawless album that also contained my favorite lyrics this year: “Somebody stole my identity and I feel sorry for him”.
13. Phillip Roebuck – Fever Pitch
http://philliproebuck.com/
Phillip Roebuck is a one man band who bangs on a drum mounted on his back while strumming a banjo on the front side. But this is not your everyday bluegrass banjo – this is so twisted and original, that it will not leave you cold hearted.
14. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
http://www.bobdylan.com
Another masterpiece from an old master.
15. Leather Uppers – Bright Lights
http://www.theleatheruppers.com/
Incredibly fun record from Canada’s finest garage monsters.
16. The Lemonheads
http://www.thelemonheads.net/
Dando falls short behind his old companion Daily this year, but this album that he made with a new line up consisted of Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson of the Descendents/All still keeps the flame burning bright.
17. Holy Curse – Wear Your Fricken Seat Belt
http://www.holycurse.net/
Double LP for a French outfit is full of crunchy riffs and it ends with an incredible tribute to The Stooges on the last track.
18. The Rubes – Mutiny To A Revolution
My absolute Utah favorites are The Rubes. In a uniquely relaxed atmosphere, this album brings out a shitload of hits, including glam anthem “Trash” and the greatest “softie” this year “Make Up”.
19. Viva Voce – Get Yr Blood Sucked Out
http://www.vivavoce.com/
Surprisingly playful album for this Portland pair.
20. Robyn Hitchcock – Ole Tarantula
http://www.robynhitchcock.com/
Former boss of the Soft Boys returns this year with a new ad-hoc band The Venus 3. The result is one his catchiest records since the early 80s.
21. The Drones – Gala Mill
http://www.thedrones.com.au/
Great Australian band at their finest.
22. Mojomatics – Songs For Faraway Lovers
http://www.mojomatics.com/
Here’s another Italian band on the list. Regretfully, I heard this one right after I closed down the Lighthouse. Still the album is one of the finest neo-blues LPs this year.
23. Red Union – Black Box Recorder
http://www.redunion.info/
Serbian red rockers rule. They call proletariat to rise armed with crispy guitars and great vocal harmonies.
24. Nicholas Alan – A World Like Ours
http://www.nicholasalan.com/
L.A. singer songwriter debuts on as catalog number 001 on a new LA indie label recalling some of the best Prefab Sprout, Brian Wilson and Steely Dan moments.
25. The Mad Dukes – Sing And Play For You
http://www.themaddukes.com
Talented singer/songwriter Kim Simpson from Austin TX, gathered a new band for this wonderfully written power-pop album. Simpson’s live accoustic appereance last year at the Lighthouse is the absolute highlight in the Utah period of my radio show.
Singles, EPs and other short forms
1. Soviet Valves – Fun, Safe And Anonymous
valves’ website
It almost seems that the life-time of this Australian band was as short as their very brief songs. Right after this EP appeared, Soviet Valves disappeared – with their members taking different turns and locations around the globe. But it was sweet while it lasted. Two guitars and vocals with a sense of urgency take the title of the best single this year.
2. The Limes – Rock’n’Roll Heart
download this 4 free
French label Nasty Product put out this great collaboration between two Memphis legends – Jack O and Harlan T Bobo as a great 7”. It’s a swampy boogie played from the heart of rock’n’roll.
3. Sonic Chicken Four – Don’t Let Me Down
download this 4 free
Another Nasty Product – this time from Perpignan, France.
4. Jack Oblivian – black boots
Jack O’s single that announced his sophomore project with the Tennessee Tearjerkers.
5. The Black Keys – chulahoma
http://www.theblackkeys.com/
Key’s regular CD Magic Potion didn’t find its place on this year’s list, even though I like it a lot. But, the EP of Junior Kimbrough covers made it.
6. Final Solutions – Return to the Motherland
Some Memphis dudes with covers of Yugoslav punks Pekinska Patka sounded pretty solid on this EP.
7. J Retard – Hammer I Miss You
Glam effort from this Memphis garage luminary.
8. The Who – Wire And Glass
Their newest rock opera works better in this abbreviated form.
9. Blanche – What This Town Needs
http://blanchemusic.com
Very catchy single by these Detroit balladeers.
10. The Twilight Singers – A Stitch In Time
http://www.thetwilightsingers.com/
With Mark Lanegan behind the mic.
Comps and reissues
1. Warfrat Tales
2. Keats Rides A Harley
The first two positions are shared by these two overlooked comps. They contain two reissues of the early 80s Los Angeles bands. You can find Urinals, Last, Gun Club and many others on some of their rarest and earliest recordings. It’s a real archeorockical treasure and a must in every self-respecting record collection.
3. spirit – the original potato land
Finally – the original Potato Land sessions all in one with all its hidden beauty and mistakes.
4. Tom Waits – Orphans
Triple pleasure of Wait’s lost recordings in past 25 years. The third disc is a bit of a stretch, but the first two are absolutely flawless.
5. Rainer – 17 Miracles
raineroftucson.com
Germans know what’s good – they gathered 15 old and two new songs for a compilation that celebrates the genius of Rainer Ptacek – the best dobro player from Tucson AZ.
6. Dead Moon – Echoes of the Past
Unbelievable 2CD set compilation by these North-Western legends. And now we hear they decided to split…
7. Death By Salt
All you need to know about Salt Lake City is here. It might pleasantly surprise you how many good bands are hiding in the valley of Mormons behind a wall of ridiculously high mountains.
8. George Brigman – Jungle Rot
Psychedelic relic discovered.
9. The Replacements – Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was
A nice “best of” with two excellent new tracks.
10. Dom Mariani – Popsided Guitar
All you need to know about the Australian powerpop master. Years of work gathered on a double CD set. And then go digging for full lengths.
Blast from recent past, discovered this year
1. The Limes – We Are The Limes
This 2003 hidden gem came to my attention only after I hear their this year’s single. Absolute masterpiece only available as a free download at… http://www.wearethelimes.com (but if you like it, consider sending a few bucks at the assigned address)
2. and 3. River City Tanlines, Heartless Bastards
Positions 2 and 3 are reserved for two wonderful bands who had their debuts last year, I heard them only this year. Both bands also had new albums in 2006, but the old ones were soooo much better.
4. Ghetto Ways – Solid Brown
Short and lethal.
5. Backbiter – Time Again
A record I like to hairbang to.
Unsigned, CD-Rs and other DIY projects
Derek Deprator – Medicate
Our favorite dobro player in drag is still unreleased. Check him also with a new band Square Casanovas.
Freebooting Profiteers singles
These English dandies put out a series of exciting self-released singles and distributed them all over the place, an intensive Internet campaign included. “Supercool Supercruel” is one of the catchiest songs this year.
Miyuki Furtado Demo CD
On this demo CD Miyuki is reverent to his glam influences. You need to hear what he did to Tom Petty on his cover of “Refugee”.
Salvador’s Army
Chris Burdett, a former drummer of Anastasia Screamed switched from drums to bass on his new project.
Double Negative
A group of “old” punks from Raleigh, NC gathered in a band this year and recorded a series of fantastically old-fashioned hard core recordings. It was a huge local success, Ryan Adams is wearing their T-shirts and the first album is in works. Publishers should be all over them once the work is done.
Hometown Nobodies
This Memphis duet recorded 52 songs for each week in 2005/6. All of them are wonderful.
Out of Competition…
Nikki Sudden – Truth Doesn’t Matter
http://www.nikkisudden.com/
Nikki made this album just moments before his unexpected death this year. He will be sorely missed.
how did you manage to pick a list that i’ve only head three on the whole thing, excluding Tom Waits?!
The only ones i have are the Eagles of Death Metal, the Hellacopters, and the Twilight Singers.
I don’t know, these are my favorites…
yes, your love for these albums definitely shows.