The Pulse - What You've Fessed Up To Listening To In 2006
Although we know you liked James Blunt, but just won't admit it.
by Chuck Norton
12.10.06
Updated 12.12.06
With 2006 a few weeks from being over, I wanted to put something together that wasn't exactly a "Best of" list, but close.
MP3 blogs have made picking "the next big thing" in music almost has difficult as playing the junk bond market in the 1980's. For every Ratatat there is a Test Icicles.
I took a randomish sampling of DeadJournalist.com readers, writers and interviewees; asking them what they are listening to now, this year and why.
As more responses come in, I'll add them to the list. My money is on Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas to be on a few more lists.
Here's the Pulse for December 2006:
Adamn aka BLINK - Atlanta
NOW:
New the Shins
Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas
Decemberists - Crane Wife
I'm From Barcelona
THIS YEAR:
Band of Horses
Avett Brothers
Bonnie Prince Billy
Calexico
Cold War Kids
Ratatat
Maritime
Hollie Stevens - San Francisco
NOW:
Jimi Hendrix
Johnny Thunders
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Meat Beat Manifesto - Subliminal Sandwich
Mindless Self Indulgence
Ministry
Thrill Kill Kult
NIN - With Teeth
VAST
THIS YEAR:
Keith Hillebrandt - Blue
Protection
Depeche Mode
Meat Beat Manifesto
Mindless Self Indulgence
Thrill Kill Kult
NIN
HS: I usually go through strange phases in my music selection. This past year, I've been more into electro, industrial and new wave. No real reason why. I guess I'm just in a darker mood.
Matt Musick - Atlanta
NOW:
Joanna Newsom
Grizzly Bear
Professor Murder
Deerhunter
All the Saints
Bat for Lashes
THIS YEAR:
Band of Horses
Sunset Rubdown
Psychic Ills
Figurines
Snowden
Islands
The Knife
Paul Duncan
Dryden - Atlanta
NOW:
Young Love
Lily Allen
We Are Scientists
Gotan Project
Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas
Gym Class Heroes
Junior Boys
Frank Sinatra
Nina Simone
THIS YEAR:
Ratatat
Rhett Miller
OkGo
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Death From Above 1979
Sufjan Stevens
Metric
Feist
Cat Power -The Greatest
Ladytron
Brazilian Girls
Brendon Benson
Devendra Banhart
Owner/Operator
Spoon
The Rapture
Soft Complex
Gnarls Barkley
Raconteurs
Whole Fantastic World
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Sounds
Cut Copy
Snowden
Mose Alison
Marjorie Fair
Denver Dalley - Los Angeles
NOW:
Girl Talk
Phoenix
Regina Spektor
Sia
The Spinto Band
Voxtrot
THIS YEAR:
Amateur Love
Tiger Lou
Slender Means
James
Sigur Ros
The Velvet Teen
DD: Some of those artists you are probably already listening to, or have heard
good things about and are planning to. "Victim of the Crime" by Phoenix is
my favorite song right now. Amateur Love is a band from Wisconsin I believe.
You should look into them - especially the song "Con a Sewer." "Oh Mandy" by
the Spinto Band is one of my all time favorites -
I just cant get sick of
that song. Josh from Slender Means has one of my all time favorite voices.
And I just discovered James.
JSMACK - Atlanta
NOW:
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Beirut
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Alice Smith
The Game
OLDIES:
VanHalen (not Van Hagar)
Muslimgauze
EPMD
Suicidal Tendencies
Too Short
THIS YEAR:
Darondo
JDilla
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
The Old Haunts
Ratatat
GM - Brooklyn
NOW:
Black Dice
Ateleia
Yellow Swans
Lawrence
Ricardo Villalobos
David Daniell
Kompakt Total 7 Compilation
Kompakt Pop Ambient Compilation 2007
Junior Boys
PIL
Wire
Brian Eno
THIS YEAR:
Ricardo Villalobos - Achso
Lawrence - The Night Will Last Forever
David Daniell - Coastal
Lansing Dreiden - The Dividing Island
Excepter - Alternation
Boards of Canada -The Campfire Headphase
William Basinski - Variations for Piano & Tape
Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Yellow Swans - Psychic Succession
BEST LIVE SHOWS OF 2006:
Black Dice (Jan 2006 at The Syrup Room)
Psychic Ills (Summer 2006 McCarren Park Pool)
Blood on the Wall (Fall 2006 3rd Ward)
Ateleia (Fall 2006 Tonic)
Growing (Fall 2006- Issue Project Room)
Icy Demons (Fall 2006 Tonic)
Secret Machines (Fall 2006 Warsaw)
Rhys Chatham's Essentialist (Fall 2006 Tonic)
Jessi-co - Birmingham (US)
NOW:
The Faces - Five Guys Walk into a Bar
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm and Lost in Space
Ok Go - "Lately it’s So Quiet"
Ween - “Gabrielle”
The Rapture - “Pieces of People we Love”
John Gold - “Cactusflower”
THIS YEAR:
Neko Case
Eagles of Death Metal
The Sammies
Xanadu Soundtrack (heavy rotation at one point!)
Loads of Brazilian music: (Jorge Ben, Ed Lincoln, Silvio Cesar, Lagrimas, many others)
Marshall Crenshaw
Neil Young (a staple of course)
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cold Roses
J: The Faces, Five Guys Walk into a Bar: I can not stop listening to this box set. I was at an art opening recently and overheard a conversation about someone seeing them in the early 70's while backpacking through Europe. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could’ve seen those drunk bastards live back then.
Aimee Mann, The Forgotten Arm and Lost in Space: She always lifts any mood I’m in. to a better place. That’s the voice of an angel with sweet, simple lyrics.
Ok Go, “Oh Lately it’s So Quiet” - I never knew a post-breakup song could be so delicate.
Ween, “Gabrielle” - Good God, that’s the best Thin Lizzy rip off ever!
The Rapture, “Pieces of People we Love” - My own personal dance party shrink-wrapped for extra freshness.
John Gold, “Cactusflower” - It’s dreamy and groovy at the same time … and just plain good.