My Favorite Albums of 2006

I've been wanting to do this for years. I've watched all my friends put these together, but I never really had a forum for it. Though I can't use the term "Best Of" because it would imply that this is something of which I am an expert in, which I'm not. Nor do I qualify as one of the cool kids, because I would have to name at least 7 bands that 95% of the world has never heard of. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just aint me. So mostly these are albums that I've listened too over and over again, which is much harder to do in this day and age. So on with the list of my Favorite Albums of 2006.

Favorite Albums

1. Ganging Up On the Sun - Guster.
I never quite understood what people saw in Guster until I heard this album, and was totally blown away. It sounds aged and sophisticated, but also very modern and rough at the same time. Also, this album has a good variety of songs it's not fourteen versions of the same song which plague many bands similar to Guster.

2. Plans - Death Cab for Cutie.
Great solid album, from a band that's always been flirting with solid albums. Another band that I didn't give enough credit too in the past.

3. Oh No - Ok Go
This album is really from 2005 when I thought it was one of the most under appreciated albums of all time. But I've listened too it alot this year and a lot has changed in one year. Now they are riding a big wave of attention thanks to their you-tube exercise video (Which sadly guarantees that they won't be playing the Blind Pig (small Ann Arbor bar) again next year). Personally I think it was a fun and totally solid album.

4. Broken Boy Soldiers - Raconteurs
This proves that Jack White is better in small doses, applied more as a seasoning than a main course.

5. Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Few bands could put out a double CD that has this many good songs on it (about 3 albums worth compared to most albums of late). My only complaint is that the song order wasn't very thoughtfully put together, but hey that's what playlists are for. Am I right?

Albums that Surprised Me

1. St. Elswhere - Gnarls Barkly
2. Eye to the Telescope - KT Tunstall
3. Revelations - Audioslave
4. FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake
5. Curios George - Jack Johnson

Bummers

1. Sams Town - Killers.
One of the few musical let downs of the year. Mostly because the last album rocked and the new single was actually better than the last album. But the rest of the album just comes off weird. I guess it's kind of like how if you listen to some Queen albums from the 70's & 80's you're surprised people actually spent money on them, like Hot Space from 1984. But when you put Under Pressure in a greatest hits package it blows you away.