Kevin Lenhart of Division Day: 2006 In Review

I think it’s always a good year for music, whether or not you consider the albums that have been released that year to be good work. Music that we deem bad can still have a positive effect by pushing us toward something different, distinct from whatever it is we didn’t like about it. And of course, music that we deem amazing will inspire people as it always does to make beautiful music of their own. So yeah, I thought last year was great for music, though I wish I’d managed to hear more new stuff than I did. With regard to my list, I guess it’s a little far flung, but it all more or less falls under the rock umbrella. For each of these albums, I feel like each of the artists did an excellent job in fully realizing their vision of how they wanted their record to sound. That’s presumptuous of me – I have no idea what the writing/recording sessions were like for these records – but regardless of whatever the scenario behind these records actually is, these albums all communicate a purity of intention to me that I find irresistible and totally inspiring. They all do what they set out to do really, really well.

The top 10 (plus 1) best albums (that I listened to, but weren’t necessarily released) in ’06:

#1) TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain [Purchase]

#2) Mastodon Blood Mountain [Purchase]

#3) Silversun Pickups Carnavas [Purchase]

#4) The Mae Shi Heartbeeps [Purchase]

#5) The Movies American Oil

#6) Band of Horses Everything All the Time [Purchase]

#7) Mew And the Glass Handed Kites [Purchase]

#8) Liars Drum’s Not Dead [Purchase]

#9) Joanna Newsom Ys [Purchase]

#10) My Morning Jacket Z [Purchase]

#11) Mission of Burma The Obliterati [Purchase]

Special nod to Lavender Diamond’s “You Broke My Heart” and Midlake’s “Roscoe” for being pretty much the best songs of the year.

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Also: Division Day “Beartrap Island” Review