Austinist's Top 15 Albums Of 2006

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador)

As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album. It's being regarded as a masterpiece because it has captured the group's finely tuned talent for evolution of sound and harmony amongst chaos. -Paige Maguire

[Mogwai "Friend Of The Night"]
[Mogwai on eMusic]

14. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing!)

There's nary a guitar on Beirut's debut album, Gulag Okestar, but it hardly matters amidst its cacophonous gypsy symphony. Nineteen-year old New Mexico native Zach Condon has crafted one of the most original and starkly beautiful works we've encountered in quite some time, serving up Soviet bloc intrigue with his Neutral Milk Hotel-in-the-Balkans ballads and dirges, aided by an army of horns, percussion, violins, and countless other scavenged instruments. Just one of the album's many standout tracks is "Postcards From Italy," which opens with a sanguine ukulele and Condon's warbly, indecipherable croon before building into a near-militant marching fervor. And while there must surely be more authentic sources for this genre of music, rarely has it been this accessible or come from so close to home. -Allen Y Chen

[Beirut on eMusic]

13. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury (Zomba)

In a year wherein mainstream hip-hop's obsession with excess spiraled toward ever-higher reaches of self-parody, Clipse kept things refreshingly stark. The rhymes were fresh--who else this year bragged about copping a Salvador Dali?--and laced with true-crime details that left precious little to the imagination; moreover, the brothers Thornton embrace the quality of their product over the quantity. No overstuffed track listing, no lame skits, no guest spot from Ludacris--just 12 tracks of cold, diamond-hard noir-rap from an under-appreciated crew. Seriously chilling beats by the Neptunes seal the deal: Hell Hath No Fury is a contender. -Matthew DeWitt

[Clipse "Mr Me Too"]
[Clipse MySpace]

12. The Roots - Game Theory (Def Jam):

After the dud that was The Tipping Point, The Roots had a lot to prove. Thankfully, they responded with perhaps their best album to date, a charged, angry affair that blends huge beats, live instruments, and social commentary to impressive effect. The Roots are worried about violence in their hometown of Philadelphia, and about racial relations, and about the death of their friend J Dilla. They're afraid of fame taking them away from their roots, and about "...watching who you put all your trust in." They quote Public Enemy in prophetic fashion ("False media, we don't need it, do we?") to start the record, then lay waste to your ears with dense rhymes and fantastic percussion. There is very little here that has a chance at the radio, but The Roots could care less. Their reputation has already been made on stages across America, and the faithful are listening. -Tom Thornton

[The Roots "Game Theory Medley"]
[The Roots MySpace]

11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti-):

It's all about the voice. Neko Case's records simply sound like a product of another era, with reverb everywhere, abstract lyrics, and gospel and country tones mixed to perfection. This disc really brought Neko to a wider audience, as NPR and Triple A radio warmed to "Hold On, Hold On" and "The Needle Has Landed" and cemented her status as the alt.country vocalist. The songs are of consistently high quality, and Neko's amazing pipes simply give the listener chills as you wonder how anyone can sing like that. One can't help but wonder if future generations might treasure this record as ours loves artists like Nick Drake or Gram Parsons. Play it in the car late at night, and reel. -Tom Thornton

[Neko Case "Hold On, Hold On"]
[Neko Case on eMusic]

10. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am... (Domino):

Sometimes UK hype is just that (does anyone still love The Darkness?), and sometimes you get the Arctic Monkeys. Unquestionably the hottest new act at SXSW, the young lads didn't kill it at SX, but they were good enough that we went to see them again in June...and they were amazing. The band's greatest weakness is their youth, which shows through in the limited subject range (drinking, bouncers, bars, and girls) and sometimes shambolic music. But for a first album, the Arctic Monkeys delivered an original, consistent stunner. You're tempted to call it Oasis covering the Kinks, but since Noel Gallagher just did that last year, we know that the Monkeys are more punk rock and minimal than that. They are undoubtedly influenced by The Strokes, but they're not as bored; in fact, they seem just smart enough to know what bars, drugs, and drinking lead to, and just young enough to try it all anyhow. You can only hope that the tremendous potential of this band doesn't go to waste. -Tom Thornton

[Arctic Monkeys "When the Sun Goes Down"]
[Arctic Monkeys MySpace]

9. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America (Vagrant):

If Talking Heads were the sound of 2005, Springsteen was the artist to emulate in '06. The Hold Steady managed to (a) best their previous albums, (b) make the best Springsteen-esque record in a year full of them, and (c) do so in an unassuming way that made you wonder when they got so damned insightful and melodic. The fact that this is all in spite of vocalist Craig Finn's awfully limited vocal range is really something. The whole album sounds like it was written in dive bars and dingy apartments, yet the arrangements and choruses are good enough that you sing them days after you've last heard the record. The songs mostly address the world view of the 25-year old barfly: sex, drinking, drugs, and the struggles against becoming an adult. The women are shady, little pleasures don't last, and people settle for less than they want. This is a guy's record, but it resonates as though you're sitting in a smoky club with a cheap beer on a Friday night. The Hold Steady found another gear with this record; impressive, focused and inspiring. -Tom Thornton

[The Hold Steady on eMusic]

8. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (Capitol)

With their recent, completely unexpected jump to Capitol records, The Decemberists were under pressure from fans and stuffed suits alike to prove that their distinctive sound would flourish and progress at their new home. Needless to say, those expectations were met and exceeded with the release of The Crane Wife. Building on the quirky folk of their previous work, the album is an ambitious and vastly appealing concept piece, based on a rather depressing Japanese folk tale. All things said and sung, Colin Meloy and the crew have a masterpiece on their hands, and we're sure that somewhere up there, Edward Gorey is rocking out. -Joshua Huck

[Decemberists "O Valencia!"]
[Decemberists MySpace]

7. Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art):

It's a severe undersell to call Night Ripper a "mashup" record. While most mashup artists lean on the novelty of the form like some kind of creative crutch (dude...Fat Joe over top of Foghat? That totally blows my mind!), Greg Gillis has pushed the genre to its limits, vaporizing the lines between possibility, popularity and style. Night Ripper pulls from so many disparate bits of Hip-Hop, Pop, Classic Rock and 90s Alternative that on first listen you don't even have time to consider things like juxtaposition—the album is a single, pulsing, breathless mass of danceable bliss. But on repeat listens, half the fun is trying to untangle the bulky knot of samples; spotting Pixies, James Taylor, 2-Live Crew, Public Enemy, Lil Wayne and Elton John like some kind of musical Where's Waldo.

Plus, you have to give Gillis credit for his moxie—not a single sample on Night Ripper was been cleared for use by its respective owner, and so far Gillis has gotten away with it. And why shouldn't he? Music's best moments—the joy and sadness and excitement they bring—don't belong to greedy, faceless publishers. They belong to all of us, and it’s about time someone had the guts to take them back. -Matt Smith

[Girl Talk "Friday Night"]
[Girl Talk Live in Chicago]
[Girl Talk MySpace]

6. Midlake - Trials Of Van Occupanther (Bella Union)

Mixing modern Flaming Lips-ish melodies with AM Gold sensibility is high art for this Denton group, and Trials has been in heavy rotation for most of us all year long. Upon hearing "Roscoe" in early spring, we knew we were in for something wonderful. All the soothing harmony of Bread and Seals & Crofts, all the patient climaxes of Fleetwood Mac and America, and the brilliant compositions that defy our expectations of a rock band so pleasingly merge to make this diamond in a sea of boring guitar rock shine.

Trials makes us think we might be in for a really good era: an era that involves the kind of sincerity that the most popular ring tones from The O.C. and ironic cover songs could never give us. Reflective, beautiful, and sound. -Paige Maguire

[Midlake "Roscoe"]
[Midlake "Bandits"]
[Midlake MySpace]

5. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino)

So This is Goodbye is easily the most aptly titled album of the year, cornering every angle of hello, goodbye and hello again with its subtle sentimentality and sex appeal. We're appreciative of the Boys' quiet intimation of purpose, as well. So, this is goodbye: not a definition of something already experienced, the on-going conversation about goodbye as its happening.

Comparing the album to an 80's keyboard-infused dance record is almost too easy, and there are definitely comparisons to be made (everything from Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark to Joy Division to Depeche Mode seems fair), despite Goodbye's most impressive characteristic: undeniable modernism. The frosty synths and stark backdrop of So This is Goodbye contrast with Jeremy Greenspan's hushed, breathy vocals emphasize the defining aspect of the entire work, its manipulation and tense love affair with space. -Paige Maguire

[Junior Boys Godard Mashup Video]
[Junior Boys MySpace]

4. Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites (Columbia)

Upon hearing that Mew's latest offering was some sort of marriage between Queensryche and Dinosaur Jr., we knew we were in for something amazing. We weren't disappointed. Easily the most impressive production of the year (no, we didn't forget about At War With the Mystics), ...Glass Handed Kites soars from beginning to end like one seamless moment of excellence. In some ways antiquated, the "listen to it from beginning to end" method of delivery might have been a stumbling block at first, but as we find ourselves falling deeper into the Denmark quartet's world, the lesson becomes clear. What happened to the days when albums were good -- no, great -- from start to finish? When "the single" wasn't immediately obvious? Considering our dependency and adoration of all things immediate, this album does indeed offer a challenge.

That being said, Mew's music is anything but difficult. It's soaring, breathtaking, complex in composition but strangely familiar, and each song mounts its predecessor's shoulders to provide a better view of the whole arrangement. "Louisa Louisa" ends with a series of drum fills that explode and pop with the tenacity of a fireworks show gone wrong, "Special" bounces and jangles, but doesn't bump: there's a pervasive sense of dark calm throughout, even amidst stadium-rock crescendo and heart-stopping soprano courtesy Jonas Bjerre. "Zookeeper's Boy" and "Why Are You Looking Grave?" (featuring none other than J Mascis on backing vocals) are highlights, but as you might imagine, we recommend a full listen. -Paige Maguire

[Mew "Zookeeper's Boy"]
[Mew "Special"]
[Mew MySpace]

3. Hot Chip - The Warning (DFA/Astralwerks):

The Warning is a record that feels familiar the first time you hear it, yet it sounds like nothing you've ever heard before. There are flashes of Junior Boys, Prince, Kraftwerk, and Devo along the way, but Hot Chip have successfully found their sound in a way not apparent on their last release Coming On Strong.

Overarching themes on The Warning include the deconstruction of rap lyrics and themes: phrases like "Hot Chip will break your legs...and snap your neck!" and "You watch yourself, I come with a smack!" get thrown around, and it almost feels like they are using a hip-hop song tool kit. Rule #1: All songs must include macho posturing - check. Yet coming from English dudes that weigh 140 pounds soaking wet, the effect is hilarious - and that's the idea. The drum programming also varies wildly across the songs, and breaks up the generally even-voiced harmonies so that they are effective for a full album length. Sometimes the beats are subtle ("Colours"), and on other occasions they run to the frenetic ("Careful"). But they're never boring. We simply cannot recommend The Warning highly enough. It's a stellar piece of avant-pop that will make you laugh, dance, and sing. Could you ask for more? -Tom Thornton

[Hot Chip "Over and Over"]
[Hot Chip MySpace]

2. Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador)

Chan Marshall's dirty grace and humble self-absorption have always made us feel a little more vulnerable than we're comfortable with, but the release of The Greatest reminded us (after a three year wait for original material) that there's certainly a method to her madness. Combined with soulful and--at times--simply joyous live performances with the Memphis Rhythm Band, the album's immaculate consideration of arrangement and mood shine. And as always, we find dear Chan in a fluctuating state somewhere between sarcastic and sincere, devoted and aloof, tortured and divine. "Half of it is innocent / the other half is wise" ("Hate") is much more than a description of some cry for help, it's a kind of pure declaration of self.

And though it's not surprising to find this sort of devastating generosity of emotion within her music, Marshall doesn't ever become heavy in hand. The entire album is bluesy, moody and gritty, everything from the backing band to the subject matter is a functioning part of the landscape, yet moments of cheeky sass and light-hearted innocence sprout freely when they're so inclined. The Greatest operates as a representation of Marshall's own appeal: gleefully confusing, sexy and stark, funny but dark. The only thing we find precariously missing is a version of Melanie's "Some Say I Got Devil". -Paige Maguire

[Cat Power "Lived in Bars"]
[Cat Power "The Greatest" (Live)]
[Cat Power on eMusic]

1. Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time (Sub Pop)

Everything All The Time is exactly that. While "The Funeral" operated as a sort of "Roscoe" for Band of Horses, dominating our notions of what the album would provide, there's no doubt that these foot-shuffling barnstormers are more than a raucous bar band with a white-hot fire in their bellies and a penchant for My Morning Jacket. Songs like "Part One" and "The First Song" (though unfortunately titled) provide a closer glimpse into what the band does best: genuine, detail-oriented, shimmering guitar anthems. Even when things chill out, this disc feels like its running on all cylinders, albeit more quietly.

Ben Bridwell and Matt Brooke, the two virtuoso musicians behind the Horses, eschewed restraint in favor of creating an album of meticulous arrangement and successive layers so deep that, sometimes, a listener can get dizzy looking for the bottom. Bridwell seems to be hollering in his vocals from another dimension, channeling Neil Young at his rowdiest. The damn-the-torpedoes approach pays dividends, though. One can't help but be impressed with the chutzpah of a debut LP that so gleefully and passionately bathes everything in such undiluted urgency. From the towering "The Great Salt Lake" to more whimsical territory covered in "Weed Party", the album is a straight shot of immaculate production and joyful song-writing. These guys must floss with a high E string and shit golden guitar picks. Revel in it. -Joshua Huck

[Band of Horses "The Funeral"]
[Band of Horses MySpace]