2006 Music Thread

[Ksyrup]

I think I saw a "best of 2006" music thread earlier this month, but I thought I would start a more general music thread for 2006, where we can all post about upcoming releases or reviews of CDs we've bought so far this year, concerts, etc. Whatever you want. I'd also like for people to post legal clips of music to accompany new releases, where possible. Most bands have a myspace.com site, or put one or two songs up for download, or even links to Amazon.com or Best Buy for clips, which I think would be cool to add to this site. Again, make sure they are legal - no YSIs of full CDs or anything that would cause someone to object and get SD to intervene.

Anyway, I'll start...

I haven't bought too many 2006 CDs yet, as the new releases don't really kick into full swing until February. That said, I bought 2 last week:

Duncan Sheik - White Limousine
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. That's the guy who did Barely Breathing years ago, he's nothing more than a top 40 wannabe. Well, not quite. He's actually more folk-based alt-pop/rock than the stuff that you've probably heard. Specifically, his 2001 album Phantom Moon is amazingly good, and even 2002's Daylight, which adds back that more mainstream pop sound, is a favorite of mine. And the new one, White Limousine, seems to be back to the PM-like sound, with the addition of a string section. Whereas the music on PM was sparse, here it is quite ornate (which is right up my alley). Definitely heavy on the ballads, so be warned. But if you're in the mood for quiet, contemplative adult alt-pop, I recommend this album and Duncan Sheik in general.

hxxp://www.myspace.com/duncansheik


The Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra
This guy is phenomenal. He's a one-man metal band. He's best known for the brutally heavy ensemble Strapping Young Lad, but has also released albums under the names Ocean Machine, Terria, Physicist, and The Devin Townsend Band. You might remember him as the vocalist for Steve Vai's Sex & Religion album; although he has a great voice, he rarely uses it melodically, and most of the time fills his albums with earth-shattering screams and such. With TDB, though, he seems to let his melodic side come through the most, and this album has a very strange 80's arena rock/90's prog metal tinge to it. All of that, though, is filtered through his bizarre music sensibilities - a hoedown smack dab in the middle of track 3, and the awesome couplet Vampolka/Vampira, which takes a theme and runs it from polka elevator music through an 80s arena rock sound. It's hard to explain unless you hear it. But I think I like this better than any of his other stuff, simply because he lets the melody filter through.


Sword - The Sword
This one's not out yet, but the press they've been getting is huge. And no, this isn't the 80s Canadian band by the same name. This one's from Texas and they're the latest doom/stoner metal band to hit the scene and have been dubbed by Spin Mag as one of the top upcoming acts of 2006 and Billboard's 2006 Artist to Watch. So, they've got a heavy corporate buzz going on. Basically, they sound like 70s-style Black Sabbath/Kyuss, with hints of prog and thrash metal throughout. The song titles are ridiculous, as if they started with the Immigrant Song and began naming songs based on that theme (Barael's Blade, Lament for the Aurochs, The Horned Goddess, etc). This album absolutely RAWKS.

Their myspace.com site is down right now, but this full-length MP3 of Iron Swan has been distributed by their record company, so I believe it is legit:

hxxp://www.kemado.com/media/audio/ironswan.mp3


Upcoming Releases I Care About
24/7 Spyz / Face the Day - not sure when it is released, but I preordered the European version yesterday.

2/21: Hawksley Workman / Treeful of Starling

3/13: Katatonia / The Great Cold Distance

4/4: Queensryche / Operation Mindcrime II - I've heard a couple of tracks and like it so far.

[Easy Mac]

Begin:
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

:End
My thoughts (http://www.southernmisanthrope.com/?p=43)

That will be the best album of the year.

We are Scientists - With Love and Squalor: Like the Killers without the hooks and talent. Poor album. More here (http://www.southernmisanthrope.com/?p=41).

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth: Easily the worst Strokes album. I actually enjoyed Room on Fire, but this CD was just horrible. They tried to advance as a group, but they just got worse. I thought the lead singer's incoherent warbling was horrible before, but actually hearing him sing, I realize he has nothing to say. The rest of the band regressed in the skill... they finally got to the point where they would rather play prettily than play well.

[Recoil]

We are Scientists are nothing like the Killers. They're actually good and have put out one of the best releases thus far in 2006.

Other 2006 stuff I'm digging:

Portugal: The Man - Waiter: "You Vultures!"
http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman

Slow Runner - No Disassemble
http://www.myspace.com/slowrunner

The Transit War - Ah Discordia
http://www.myspace.com/thetransitwar

[path12]

I just started listening to a guy named Jens Lekman, the disc is called Oh You're So Silent Jens (or something like that).

I'm diggin' it so far, the guy sounds to me like a weird cross between Magnetic Fields and Beck.

Song to check out: Pocketful of Money.

[DeToxRox]

Good Clean Fun - Between Christian Rock and a Hard Place

Best posi hardcore band out there, this CD is excellent. The song people would like on the CD is The Myspace Song which can be located on www.myspace.com/goodcleanfun. It's acoustic and nothing like any of their other songs but it's a great listen. GCF is just a fun fun band to listen to with lost of positivity, and lots of tounge in cheek lyrics.

[timmae]

I already have 2 possibles for "best live concert of 2006"... Alkaline Trio and Against Me May 2nd and 3rd at Metro in Chicago. Trio coming back to Chicago to play a lot of older stuff (back to the roots tour or some such thing). This will be insane. The presale just started on the Alkaline Trio website and the concerts haven't been announced yet. When they do I imagine 2 very quick sellouts. I simply cannot wait!!

[TLK]

I already have 2 possibles for "best live concert of 2006"... Alkaline Trio and Against Me May 2nd and 3rd at Metro in Chicago. Trio coming back to Chicago to play a lot of older stuff (back to the roots tour or some such thing). This will be insane. The presale just started on the Alkaline Trio website and the concerts haven't been announced yet. When they do I imagine 2 very quick sellouts. I simply cannot wait!!I'm going to catch the Royal Oak show. I wonder if they went back to the old catalogue to win back some of the fans they've lost along the way.

[DeToxRox]

I'm going to catch the Royal Oak show. I wonder if they went back to the old catalogue to win back some of the fans they've lost along the way.

Royal Oak .. Everyones sprouting up around there.

FOFC is taking over it seems.

[Butter]

Begin:
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

:End
That will be the best album of the year.
Not unless this is the worst year for music ever. The album's alright, but I fail to see it's landmark status after several listenings. Maybe I just listened to The Strokes too much and got tired of that style of music. I don't know.

[Ksyrup]

I hope bands like The Strokes go away for good. I can understand the appreciation for their garage band, stripped down sound, but that joker simply can't sing. And I tried to give them a chance, but I couldn't do it. You need to be in a death metal band to cover up a voice that bad.

[Ksyrup]

Just checked out 2 streaming songs from The Raconteurs, the band featuring Jack White and Brendan Benson. Frankly, I've never heard much White Stripes, but I do like Benson, which is why I gave it a shot. Not bad. I like the 80s computer-style website, too, although this retro stuff is getting way played out.

www.theraconteurs.com (http://www.theraconteurs.com)

[Ksyrup]

According to Billboard.com (http://www.billboard.com/), Volcano has set a May 2 North American release date for the new TOOL album, entitled "10,000 Days". The 77-minute, 11-song prog-metal odyssey, which is said to be "packed with plenty of eight minute-plus twisted riff-a-thons, odd-tempo polyrhythms and the band's trademark, eerie interludes" (according to Kerrang! magazine), is the follow-up to 2001's "Lateralus", which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 2.3 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As previously reported, TOOL will play their first U.S. show since late 2002 when it headlines the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 30 in Indio, Calif. No other U.S. dates have been confirmed.

Afterward, TOOL will spend the first portion of the summer playing the European festival circuit, with dates on tap through July 9 at Finland's Turku Festival.

TOOL tour dates:

May 26 - Lisbon, POR @ Parque Tejo
May 27 - Madrid, SPA @ Festimad
May 29 - Barcelona, SPA @ Razzmatazz
May 30 - Villeurbanne, FRA @ Transbordeur
May 31 - Luxembourg, LUX @ Rockhal
Jun. 02 - Nurburgring, GER @ Rock am Ring
Jun. 03 - Nuremberg, GER @ Rock im Park
Jun. 04 - Landgraaf, NETH @ Pink Pop Festival
Jun. 05 - Hamburg, GER @ Sporthalle
Jun. 07 - Berlin, GER @ Columbiahalle
Jun. 08 - Dusseldorf, GER @ Phillipshalle
Jun. 09 - Donington, UK @ Download Festival
Jun. 17 - Nickelsdorf, AUT @ Nova Rock Festival
Jun. 19 - Milan, ITA @ Filaforum
Jun. 21 - Rome, ITA @ Foro Italico Center
Jun. 22 - Bologna, ITA @ L.R. Arena
Jun. 24 - Katowice, POL @ Spodek
Jun. 25 - Prague, CZR @ T-Mobile Arena
Jun. 28 - Paris, FRA @ Le Zenith
Jun. 29 - Werchter, BEL @ Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 01 - Roskilde, DEN @ Roskilde Festival
Jul. 04 - Kristiansand, NOR @ Quart Festival
Jul. 07 - Gothenburg, SWE @ Metal Town Festival
Jul. 09 - Turku, FIN @ Turku Festival

[Blade6119]

Am i the only one who doesnt listen to all these underground bands? Man, i stick to my country, but i like to think i know a bit about most genres...and i havent heared of most of these bands

[Bearcat729]

I picked up the new Belle and Sebastian and Jenny Lewis album today, but haven't had a chance to listen to them yet.

[Ksyrup]

Am i the only one who doesnt listen to all these underground bands? Man, i stick to my country, but i like to think i know a bit about most genres...and i havent heared of most of these bands
There's too much music for everyone to have heard of everything. It's pretty much impossible.

[cthomer5000]

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Yet another solid album from the alt-country singer and member of The New Pornographers (the best band going, in my opinion). After 3-4 listes I'm probably enjoing this at least as much as any of her prior studio albums.

Belle & Sebatian - The Life Pursuit

I simply do not like this album. It's as if they took at look at their last album (Dear Catastrophe Waitress), picked out all the worst elements, and decided to make that the basis of this album. It's too slick and pretty cheesy.


---
I also have the new Stereolab but haven't been able to give it a serious listen yet.

[Ksyrup]

I just got the Japanese import of Roger Joseph Manning Jr.'s Solid State Warrior. It had previously only been available online. Man, what a difference. Yet another reason why I won't be giving up CDs anytime soon.

[TLK]

Don't know if anyone caught this... but here is a link to the New Pornographers/Belle & Sebatian concert from a week ago. The Pornogrphers are without Neko Case, but it's still a strong show.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5235927

[Groundhog]

I think the last "new" album I bought was like... umm... Muse's latest? All my purchases have been older stuff, a lot of mid-90s and 70s.

Having said that, I will be grabbing Tool's latest and also Radiohead's if it's released this year.

[DeToxRox]

Ozzfest 06 lineup announced .. and boy is it shit.


The official line-up for Ozzfest 2006 has been announced. The tour will kick off in July. One additional mainstage act has yet to be announced. Here you go:

Main Stage:
Ozzy Osbourne
System Of A Down
Disturbed
Hatebreed
Lacuna Coil

Monster Energy Second Stage (headliners):
Black Label Society
Atreyu
Unearth
Bleeding Through
Norma Jean

Second Stage (rotating slots):
Walls Of Jericho
The Red Chord
A Life Once Lost
Strapping Young Lad
All That Remains
Full Blown Chaos
Between The Buried And Me

Meanwhile, here's the reported routing for the tour (venues have yet to be confirmed):

Jul. 01 San Francisco, CA
Jul. 02 Sacramento, CA
Jul. 08 Los Angeles, CA
Jul. 14 Kansas City, MO
Jul. 15 St. Louis, MO
Jul. 16 Chicago, IL
Jul. 19 Detroit, MI
Jul. 21 Columbus, OH
Jul. 22 East Troy, WI
Jul. 23 Indianapolis, IN
Jul. 26 Scranton, PA
Jul. 27 Buffalo, NY
Jul. 29 New York, NY
Jul. 30 Hartford, CT
Aug. 01 Boston, MA
Aug. 04 Camden, NJ
Aug. 05 Washington, DC
Aug. 06 Virginia Beach, VA
Aug. 09 Raleigh, NC
Aug. 13 West Palm Beach, FL

[Butter]

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

I simply do not like this album. It's as if they took at look at their last album (Dear Catastrophe Waitress), picked out all the worst elements, and decided to make that the basis of this album. It's too slick and pretty cheesy.

Totally agree.

[cthomer5000]

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Yet another solid album from the alt-country singer and member of The New Pornographers (the best band going, in my opinion). After 3-4 listes I'm probably enjoing this at least as much as any of her prior studio albums.


I think I can update my opinion of this to "easily the best of her albums." Great songwriting, amazing voice (as always), and very good production.

It took about 3 listens and I was completely hooked. It's now all I've been listening to for about 3 days.

[Ksyrup]

I'm hoping I can find Katatonia's The Great Cold Distance in town tomorrow. Great, great album. If you like Tool, you should check them out. Heavy alt-rock with clean vocals. Cool stuff. They used to be a death metal band years ago, and then over the years morphed into whatever they are considered now.

[Qwikshot]

I must say that while in Australia I listened to Cat Empire, and they did an amazing version of "Hotel California". It was bluesy, meshed with Louisiana style Zydecko, and sung in a very blaise French.

Listening to their other stuff, I think it's just because it is so different (much like Englands' The Streets).

I was not impressed with the Strokes new album either.

[kurtism]

After giving the album a chance, color me a big fan of The Little Willies. Fun country-jazzy album, with Norah Jones, Richard Julian, and my new guitar hero, Jim Campilongo. Well worth a spin; Campilongo's efforts on his own (and with his band, The Ten Gallon Cats) are excellent instrumental works as well. Other recent discoveries include the new Neko Case (right with you, cthomer5000); an older album by a singer I only recently discovered, One Drop of Poison by Circle Link - another jazzy, country vocalist with incredible pipes; and the latest efforts from Josh Rouse (Subtitulo) and Jackie Greene (American Myth).

Perhaps the greatest (and most costly) thing to happen to me recently is the free subscription to Paste magazine... turning me on to tons of great music.

[kurtism]

Dola, I almost forgot The Modern Skirts Catalogue of Generous Men. Piano-driven power pop from one of the cradles of modern music, Athens, GA.

[Pyser]

listening to the new Embrace album now...will review it in a day or so. but REALLY cant wait for the new Snow Patrol album...though the first single (in europe, i think) doesn't grab me much...i still have HUGE hopes.

[Karlifornia]

I just bought Wolfmother-Dimensions EP. The singer sounds a bit like Robert Plant, and I'm digging it so far. I'm not even sure if they have a full album out yet, but if they do I'd definitely buy it.

[timmae]

I'm going to catch the Royal Oak show. I wonder if they went back to the old catalogue to win back some of the fans they've lost along the way.

I read on punknews that alkaline trio will be playing goddammit in full along with other early stuff... sounds like this will be fun indeed.

Also.. as a side note.. saw motion city soundtrack sat and they had a great show. they moved it to the riviera after they saw that the previous venue, the vic, was a sellout. not sure if the riviera usually uses the balcony seating for shows but they did this time around.. large turnout. unfortunately some of it was probably because the format was playing... read: many young screaming ladies. saw some of the matches.. fairly decent. some dark songs had me moving..

tonight... clap your hands say yeah. I know.. they are the trendy "it" band. Doesn't matter though as I do like what they put out there... should be a fun show.

[timmae]

and clap your hands say yeah was completely amazing. Check this band out when you get a chance... their live performance definately gives off a talking heads kind of vibe. Great way to dance the night away!!

[Honolulu_Blue]

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Yet another solid album from the alt-country singer and member of The New Pornographers (the best band going, in my opinion). After 3-4 listes I'm probably enjoing this at least as much as any of her prior studio albums.

Thanks for this! I heard her on NPR sometime last week. I loved what I heard and thought I'd remembered her name, but I lost it. I just needed to see it again. I will be picking the CD up/downloading it this week.

[kurtism]

The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics came out today. First spin on Rhapsody suggests that this is as accessible as The Soft Bulletin, and very strong - by my first impression (gained while working), this is a better album than Yoshimi. Full album includes a few bonus tracks, including a very cool (and surprisingly faithful) version of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

[Pyser]

well, both the new Snow Patrol and the new Embrace albums are quite good, in my humble opinion.

Embrace grabbed me right away, but Snow Patrol took a little longer. That said, I think the new Snow Patrol will prove to be the better album overall.

Thumbs up for both albums from me.

[CamEdwards]

cool. new Flaming Lips and new Snow Patrol. thanks for the tips!

[Doug5984]

Shooter Jennings has a new CD out today- Electric Rodeo.

I know there are not many country fans on here, but his first CD was just a really great CD so I will def. be heading to the store to pick this one up today. Its a "grity" country- i really like it. Its nice to see it is still being made with all the songs Keith Urban / Kenny Chesney are putting out.

[King of New York]

Mercury Rev has a new album out, and it sounds great. You should check it out at the band's website, where you can stream the whole thing in its entirety--I think those guys sell about ten albums a year and find their dinners in other people's trash cans, so they'd appreciate it if you bought it, I am sure.

Mogwai has a new album. Because it's a Mogwai album, it cannot be bad, but my first impression is that it's one of their lesser efforts--if you are interested in checking out the band, try Come On, Die Young or Government Commissions.

I'll certainly listen to the new Flaming Lips album. I actually liked Yoshimi better than Soft Bulletin, so perhaps I won't be so keen on the new one, but we'll see.

[terpkristin]

I've been listening to way too much of The Streets's "Original Pirate Material" lately.
He's going to have a new album out in a week in England. Not sure when it's coming stateside, but I'll likely pick that up.

Other than that, I've been listening to old standbys lately. This thread has had some interesting things for me to check out, though..

/tk

[dawgfan]

Looking forward to checking out the new Flaming Lips - I liked The Soft Bulletin and loved Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and from the snippets I've heard of the new one, I think I'll like it quite a bit.

For me, Tool has just gotten better and better with each release, so I'll be picking up their latest as soon as it comes out. That said, at some point it's likely they'll stumble - I've found no musical artist to be immune to mediocre records, so at some point they'll disappoint me. I just hope it's not with this coming record - I'm ready for another installment of Tool brilliance.

I've got tickets to a Ladytron show at the end of the month and I'm really looking forward to it - I expect they should be pretty good live, and I'm sure I'll enjoy looking at the front-women for an hour-plus...