[by Kevin Lenhart]

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”
TV on the Radio “Wolf Like Me”
TV on the Radio – Official Site
TV on the Radio – MySpace Site

2. Mastodon “Blood Mountain”
Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen”
Mastodon – Official Site
Mastodon – MySpace Site

3. Silversun Pickups “Carnavas”
Silversun Pickups “Well Thought Out Twinkles”
Silversun Pickups – Official Site
Silversun Pickups – MySpace Site

4. The Mae Shi “Heartbeeps”
The Mae Shi “Born For A Short Time”
The Mae Shi – Official Site
The Mae Shi – MySpace Site

5. The Movies “American Oil”
The Movies “If I Had The Cash”
The Movies – Official Site
The Movies – MySpace Site

6. Band of Horses “Everything All the Time”
Band of Horses “Funeral”
Band of Horses – Official Site
Band of Horses – MySpace Site

7. Mew “And the Glass Handed Kites”
Mew “Apocalypso”
Mew – Official Site
Mew – MySpace Site

8. Liars “Drum’s Not Dead”
Liars “Drum Gets A Glimpse”
Liars – Official Site
Liars – MySpace Site

9. Joanna Newsom “Ys”
Joanna Newsom “Emily”
Joanna Newsom – Official Site
Joanna Newsom – MySpace Site

10. My Morning Jacket “Z”
My Morning Jacket “Gideon”
My Morning Jacket – Official Site
My Morning Jacket – MySpace Site

11. Mission of Burma “The Obliterati”
Mission of Burma “1,001 Pleasant Dreams”
Mission of Burma – Official Site
Mission of Burma – MySpace Site

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

Lavender Diamond “You Broke My Heart”
Midlake “Roscoe”

Kevin is the drummer for L.A. band Division Day

Division Day – Official Site
Division Day – MySpace Site

also: Division Day “Beartrap Island”
also: Division Day “The Mean Way In”