[by J-Sun Atoms]

It’s been an interesting year because I expected our album to come out, but that’s what happens when you expect something. Thank the universe for showing us who’s the boss and slowing us down; something always comes along and turns us into something else. 2007 is going to be an exciting year for us, I feel like the album we are working on right now is a life’s work, something timeless that you can listen to proudly for a lifetime. For much of the year The Black Angels’ Passover was something that I listened to daily. Peter (Dandy Warhols) turned me on to Serena-Maneesh, he drove over the CD and dropped it off after they were on tour with them and I knew it was going to be special.

Some of the best live shows I saw this year were Dead Meadow, BRMC, the Dandy Warhols with the gathering of the geezers (drawing and painting and music together worked well), I picked quite a few northwest bands because they really were the soundtrack to our lives this year. Jeremy from The Village Green is making our album with us and listening to “Feeling the Fall” makes me excited about drums. I just heard a high violets remix for “Cool Green” that blew my head back, or my hair or whatever. One of my favorite songs that won’t be released until next year is The Sun The Sea’s song “Even Happier” (which you can check out here)… at any rate…Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind, Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne…

The Upsidedown 2006 Top Ten:

1. The Black Angels “Passover”
The Black Angels – Official Site
The Black Angels – MySpace Site

2. Serena-Maneesh “Serena-Maneesh”
Serena-Maneesh “Un-Deux”
Serena-Maneesh – Official Site
Serena-Maneesh – MySpace Site

3. The High Violets “To Where You Are”
The High Violets “Love Is Blinding”
The High Violets – Official Site
The High Violets – MySpace Site

4. The Dandy Warhols “Odditorium or Warlords of Mars”
The Dandy Warhols “Money or the Simple Life Honey”
The Dandy Warhols – Official Site
The Dandy Warhols – MySpace Site

5. The Village Green “Feeling the Fall”
The Village Green “When the Creepers Creep”
The Village Green – Official Site
The Village Green – MySpace Site

6. The Strokes “First Impressions of Earth”
The Strokes “Killing Lies”
The Strokes – Official Site
The Strokes – MySpace Site

7. Hypatia Lake “…and We Shall Call Him Joseph”
Hypatia Lake “Breathe Motionless”
Hypatia Lake – Official Site
Hypatia Lake – MySpace Site

8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Clap Your Hands Say Yeah”
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)”
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Official Site
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – MySpace Site

9. Kings of Leon “Day Old Belgian Blues”
Kings of Leon – Official Site
Kings of Leon – MySpace Site

10. Muse “Black Holes and Revelations”
Muse “Knights of Cydonia”
Muse – Official Site
Muse – MySpace Site

Honorable Mention:
Tom Waits “Orphans”
Thom Yorke “The Eraser”
Raconteurs “Broken Boy Soldiers”
Band of Horses “Everything All The Time”
Kasabian “Empire”

J-Sun is the vocalist and plays guitar for the Portland-based band The Upsidedown

The Upsidedown – Official Site
The Upsidedown – MySpace Site

also: A Ticket For Another Train: A Few Words with J-Sun Atoms of the Upsidedown
also: Bands to Watch: The Upsidedown