THE EVERYBODYFIELDS
Nothing Is Okay

Keywords: Twangy, comforting

Blurb: A simple, gorgeous album that inspired my newfound appreciation of Americana music.

Best moment: Aeroplane

OF MONTREAL
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Keywords: Quirky, infectious, fun

Blurb: Initially chaotic and overwhelming, repeated listens reveal layers upon layers of pure pop bliss.

Best moment: We Were Born the Mutants Again With Leafing

INTERPOL
Our Love to Admire

Keywords: Epic, bombastic, gloomy

Blurb: Interpol create a monster that refuses to be confined. Gloom rock for the masses.

Best moment: My Chemistry

SPOON
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Keywords: Cool, melodic

Blurb: The saviors of indie rock cement their status with an even cooler album.

Best moment: Eddie’s Ragga

KINGS OF LEON
Because of the Times

Keywords: Ambitious, energetic

Blurb: Kings of Leon try their hand at arena rock and soar to new heights.

Best moment: On Call

THE ACORN
Glory Hope Mountain

Keywords: Organic, nostalgic

Blurb: The melodies flow almost as effortlessly as Rolf Klausener’s smooth vocals.

Best moment: Glory

THE NATIONAL
Boxer

Keywords: Somber, anxious

Blurb: Improving upon 2005′s excellent Alligator, The National establish themselves as one of indie rock’s elite.

Best moment: Slow Show

RADIOHEAD
In Rainbows

Keywords: Brooding

Blurb: A welcome return to form for fans of The Bends and OK Computer. A softer, friendlier Radiohead.

Best moment: Reckoner

DEER TICK
War Elephant

Keywords: Timeless, soulful

Blurb: Remarkably consistent and melodic. An impressive, heartfelt debut from the next Dylan.

Best moment: Dirty Dishes

MENOMENA
Friend and Foe

Keywords: Inspiring, innovative

Blurb: Packed with more hooks and ideas than the entire catalog of most bands. Never a dull moment.

Best moment: Rotten Hell

SHEARWATER
Palo Santo

Palo Santo is a definite grower. While Jonathan Meiburg’s haunting vocals may take a little while to get used to, they will soon become one of the main reasons you like Shearwater. And similar to the vocals, the excellent melodies only fully reveal themselves after several listens.

BEACH HOUSE
Beach House

This album really came out of nowhere. At its core, Beach House is an incredibly simple project. The band consists of two members. The instrumentation rarely expands past an organ and drum machine. The songs plod along at a snail’s pace. Add to all of this some heart-wrenching lyrics and you have the perfect winter album.

M. WARD
Post-War

M. Ward is one of those artists who, with each new album, manages to both hone and expand his sound. Therefore, it was no surprise that Post-War kicked ass. And while it sounds different than its predecessors, it’s a typical M. Ward album through and through. In other words, more timeless, beautiful indie rock from one of the best singer-songwriters out there.

CLIPSE
Hell Hath No Fury

Let me first say that I do not identify with any of the lyrics on Hell Hath No Fury, which focus mainly on selling cocaine and spending ridiculous sums of money (from the sale of said cocaine). Unlike most hip-hop albums, Clipse don’t waste time on pointless skits and interludes. The twelve tracks never let up, especially if you find yourself hitting the repeat button when the wild ride ends.

JOANNA NEWSOM
Ys

In one of the more ambitious projects of 2006, Joanna Newsom’s Ys features only 5 tracks, each of which are at least 7 minutes long. Similar to Beach House, I never thought I’d listen to, let alone enjoy, an album like this. Tracks center around Newsom’s high-pitched, squeaky warble and her harp. Despite this unconventional arrangement, I find something oddly enchanting in Newsom’s delivery. You’ll either love it or hate it.

THE DECEMBERISTS
The Crane Wife

I must confess: I wanted to hate The Crane Wife. Much like Sufjan Stevens, the Decemberists either hit or miss the mark. While Colin Meloy’s lyrics are top-notch, the songs tend to wear thin once the story becomes familiar. Meloy’s best moments are also his most personal ones (see “I Was Meant For the Stage” from Her Majesty). Luckily, The Crane Wife hits way more than it misses, though I’m still hoping the next Decemberists’ album is a more personal affair.

CALIFONE
Roots & Crowns

After at least 15 listens, I’m still coming to appreciate Califone’s Roots & Crowns. It’s not a difficult listen, but you actually have to listen to it in order to absorb it. I have the bad habit of putting music on in the background and forgetting about it. And since nothing on the album grabs you immediately, I felt nothing after several listens. But like most great albums, Roots & Crowns is a grower.

THE TWILIGHT SINGERS
Powder Burns

This shouldn’t be too surprising of a choice – I mentioned in my previous post that Powder Burns would make my Top 10 Albums of 2006 list. And here it is. The #3 slot. There’s not too much more to say about The Twilight Singers that I haven’t said before. They are one of the most under-appreciated bands out there today. Please give them your undivided attention.

GRIZZLY BEAR
Yellow House

Wow, this is a long post. I’m kinda running out of things to say and laziness is setting in. Which reminds me: Yellow House is a lazy album. Not lazy in that nothing happens, but lazy in that it doesn’t rush to get where its going. Songs develop slowly, and take several twists and turns before coming to a close. Grizzly Bear sound like a softer, mellower My Morning Jacket, which is probably why I like them so much.

TV ON THE RADIO
Return to Cookie Mountain

Even before its release, Return of Cookie Mountain had album of the year written all over it. I may have mentioned in my Weekly Download post about TV On the Radio that I was digging the album. That was a few months ago but nothing has changed since then. Return to Cookie Mountain rocks. It’s the exact opposite Yellow House. Confused, angry, and disgusted, Return to Cookie Mountain is a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey.

Yes I know, Jeff Hanson sounds like a girl. If you’ve listened to my second mix tape, you know what I’m taking about. Once you get past that, however, you’ll soon realize he writes some beautiful, catchy songs. He draws lots of comparisons to Elliott Smith for good reason: his melodies and arrangements are immediately catchy, while the lyrics are full of heartache and longing. The track posted below is one of the most upbeat songs on the album.

I’ve been listening to Devin Davis a lot recently. I downloaded his album a long time ago but never really listened to it. Thanks to my recent laptop upgrade with a harddrive large enough to hold all my mp3′s, I can listen to any song I want with the push of a button. All those artists that got buried in my iPod have been unearthed. Devin Davis is one of them. His music spans many genres, as the two excellent songs posted below demostrate.

Talk about a grower. I purchased this album in 2005, gave it a few listens, and quickly cast it aside when I didn’t take to it immediately. The problem with What Comes After the Blues is that it is very much an album; tracks distinguish themselves only after you’ve listened to them many times. Now that I’ve given it the proper attention, I love it. I think bleak perfectly describes the mood.

I initially thought of indie rock as the anti-hip hop: the two genres had nothing in common. Lyrically, that may be true, but recently several indie rock bands have incorporated hip hop elements into their music (listen to “Where There’s a Will There’s a Whalebone” by Islands). And then there’s people who turn indie rock into hip hop. Joe Beats is one of those guys. Indie Rock Blues takes tracks from bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Songs: Ohia and transforms them into one long indie-rock wet-dream remix.

I thought it kinda funny that Tapes ‘n Tapes made so many best of lists in 2005 given that The Loon was released so close to the end of the year. I didn’t pick up my copy until April 2006, but thanks to the blogs I’d already heard most of the songs. Despite this, I was still surprised by the quality of the album. It may be typical indie rock, but like Wolf Parade, it is extremely powerful and catchy (see Mix Tape 3 for evidence). The track posted below is the mellow song on the album.