Before I continue, I want to thank those who left feedback--especially considering that it was positive. Honestly, I do this stuff more for posterity's sake because I don't know what audience--if any--really gives a damn. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy anything you listen to because I list it.

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40. Glenn Kotche - Mobile

Having seen Kotche open up for Tweedy on his Pacific Northwest solo tour, I believe I can appreciate this album even more than I would have just listening to it straight up with no idea of his techniques and musical qualities. Would I have checked this out if Kotche wasn't a member of Wilco? Probably not, and for that I am ashamed. This album goes beyond a drummer making an album full of solos and fills. Sure, Kotche lays some drum chops on us, but this is drum experimentation without the weird hippie drum circle. In fact, this album is anti-drum circle. Every percussive trick in the book is touched upon to create a lovely avant-pop album--a true culmination of every Kotche solo and band project since his arrival in Wilco. He came close to stealing the thunder from Tweedy on that chilly Groundhog's Day, and Mobile could steal the thunder from many-a-Wilco album.




39. Ex-Cocaine - Age of Time

Another freak folk/acid folk cassette. If it were not for Indie Torrents and Oink, I wouldn't be able to hear this lovely stuff. I refuse to buy cassettes--not because of some technological hang-up, but for lack of storage space. I wish a label would appear to re-release these gems on CDR or even vinyl (sure, the guys refuses to buy cassettes but will willingly buy vinyl. What a snob.). Anything with the stink of James Toth (AKA Wooden Wand) always attracts my attention and Ex-Cocaine was no different.




38. Akron/Family - Meek Warrior

Ah, blessed are those who bring fun and games back to music. Akron/Family put on the best concert I saw all year with their familial atmosphere and campfire sing-alongs. A few of Meek Warrior's tracks found their way to my ears in early February when I saw the group win over the hearts and minds of a crowd who--at first--didn't know how to take the band. Meek Warrior does feel a bit rushed at times and doesn't quite capture the buzz of the band's debut and split LP with Michael Gira from last year, but the energy and happy-go-lucky attitude is still fresh and enticing.




37. Paul Flaherty - Whirl of Nothingness

Now we get to the good shit--how about some free jazz for the squares. Flaherty is more famous for his work in a duo w/ Chris Corsano these days, but the man goes solo for some alto and tenor sax appreciation on this improvised and sophisticated album. This is the type of album to play for your parents and/or jazz fiends you know who think they can handle any jazz experimentation. It isn't as far out as it seems, but compared to the land of fusion and Miles Davis/Prince collaborations, it blows the doors wide open for free jazz enthusiasts. Flaherty is a vet and a pro and Whirl of Nothingness should be a bigger deal in the ever-dwindling jazz community. If ever there was a man ready to bring jazz back to cult music fans, it'd be Flaherty.




36. Lambchop - Damaged

Now for something completely different: a chill album from the master of quiet. I kept coming back to Damaged when the overabundance of freak folk and avant-garde started weighing me down. It's a hell of a record and for those tangled in the mess of noise and experimentation, this album is a refresher on how to keep things simple, accessible, and ear friendly. It's just some guitars and some chords. It's just some voices and some stories. No fancy modulation, no fancy engineering tricks, no trying to out-noise other bands.




35. Soul Position - Things Go Better with RJ and Al

Time for some new classic hip-hop. I'm a big fan of RJD2 and can't wait to hear his new "rock" album in 2007, but if Soul Position's 2006 album give any clue into what's in RJD2's mind, we can expect great things. As for this particular album, it's classic beats with new spins and a heaping helping of conscious-minded lyrics for those fed up with songs about hos, pimps, and money.




34. Wooden Wand & The Sky High Band - Second Attention

I'm sure there's a few shocked eyeballs seeing that Wooden Wand's most widely circulated and reviewed release is so low on my list. It's not that I didn't love another solid acoustical album from Toth, it's just that I found many other albums superior to it--including a few other Wooden Wand albums. I'll save my Wooden Wand gushing for later.




33. Six Organs of Admittance - The Sun Awakens

Now we've come to Ben Chasny gushing time. Again, I'm sure folks are shocked that an artist that I dig is low on my list. Again, there was a lot of solid shit that came out this year and certain releases just didn't take the cake like I thought they would. Don't get me wrong, I'll never tire of Six Organs of Admittance, but stacked against other Six Organs releases of late as well as other 2006 releases, The Sun Awakens just didn't hold up as I expected. It's still another psych-folk feather in Chasny's cap and I have a feeling I'll regret having this album this low as the months and years go by.




32. Comets on Fire - Avatar

More Ben Chasny, though he's just a background figure in Comets on Fire. This album is just balls to the wall rock and roll. There aren't albums made like this anymore, and if this were the 60s or 70s, Comets on Fire would be household names fighting off groupies and staving away drug and alcohol addiction. Instead it's just a group of five drinking buddies who can bring the house down with some awesome riffage.




31. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

A true testament to how great the releases ahead of these are. I love Return to Cookie Mountain. I beginning to love TV on the Radio more than I ever imagined I could. Talk about a rock album that needs more love and attention--though being on a major label sure is giving TV on the Radio the right buzz. There's nothing I can add to the praise of this album--it's just solid from top to bottom. I'm surprised I haven't ripped it and put it on my Zune (which finally works on my PC) yet.