2006 listens

some favs that I heard for the first time this year (not all 2006 releases)


#11 Trois Gymnopedies 7"- ISAN

Erik Satie's finest piano works done with ambience and beats







#10 Gulag Orkestar- Beirut

thanks master. eastern europe visited youthfully











#9 s/t- Vetiver

gentle rustic accoustic numbers w/a little help from joanna, devandra, and colm...








#8 Gamelan into the Mink Supernatural- The Psychic Paramount

mixed and played in the red, this 3 piece destroys! clashing, wailing, and ruining speakers.










#7 The Cavalry of Light- Lavender Diamond

earnestness for life and love. this 4 song can repeat all day with Becky Stark shouting 'dream the kind of a life that you will find/the kind of love that lasts forever'








#6 Ys- Joanna Newsom

even if you dont dig it, read an interview with her and you will respect it. this is a life lived and a dream unfolded. with van dyke, o'rourke, albini, analog, and artwork like this...she knows not everybody has this chance and she went for it.







#5.5 I'm Not b/w Comfy in Nautica 7"- Panda Bear

my dreamweaver










#5 Minima Moralia- Chihei Hatakeyama

thanks master. slowly unfolding ambiance, organ, and beautiful drone. this changes my mood as soon as i put it on.









#4 Plans Drawn in Pencil- ISAN

i have a soft spot for slightly melodic ambient electronica. these 2 guys shifted gears w/less beats and still crafted a gorgeous record.








#3 To Find Me Gone- Vetiver

again. his newest feels old. great songwriting and more fleshed out than his previous.









#2 Just Another Diamond Day- Vashti Bunyan

first released in '69, this old gypsy wrote and recorded a masterpiece that can change part of your life. if you love the earth, animals, and traveling, go with her...








#1 s/t- Beach House

victoria took me away with her voice and organ, and alex's slide kept shoegaze alive this year. cant get enough.