My 40 Favorite Albums of 2006

Went with 30 in 2004. 50 in 2005. This year 40 felt right. Sticklers may not like that I've included The Loon and The Dust of Retreat. They may also not like that I've included Me, Myself, and Rye. I don't care. Here's my list:

1) Thom Yorke - The Eraser
2) The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
3) Bound Stems - Appreciation Night
4) Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
5) Birdmonster - No Midnight
6) Islands - Return to the Sea
7) Oxford Collapse - Remember the Night Parties
8) Forget Cassettes - Salt
9) Maritime - We, The Vehicles
10) Destroyer - Rubies
11) Tapes 'N Tapes - The Loon
12) Jeniferever - Choose A Bright Morning
13) Girl Talk - Night Ripper
14) TV On the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
15) Slowlands - Never Was There A Town
16) Icy Demons - Tears Of A Clone
17) Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything
18) The North Atlantic - Wires In The Walls
19) Man Man - Six Demon Bag
20) Metal Hearts - Socialize
21) Akron Family - Meek Warrior
22) The Slats - Boom Patrol
23) Forward, Russia! - Give Me a Wall
24) Russian Futurists - Me, Myself & Rye
25) Femme Generation - Brothers and Sisters, Alone We Explode
26) Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - The Dust of Retreat
27) Eagle*Seagull - Eagle*Seagull
28) Built to Spill - You in Reverse
29) Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
30) Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
31) Annuals - Be He Me
32) Swan Lake - Beast Moans
33) Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
34) Aloha - Some Echoes
35) The Black Keys - Magic Potion
36) This Moment In Black History - It Takes A Nation...
37) White Whale – WWI
38) Crystal Skulls - Outgoing Behavior
39) Oh No! Oh My! - Oh No! Oh My!
40) Victory at Sea - All Your Things Are Gone

I reserve the right to tinker slightly with this up until Dec 31, but I probably won't. I also considered including 'buy' links, writing up a lil description of each album, and explaining why each is ranked where it is, but that would have taken forever, so...

Maybe I'll get around to doing some of that eventually, probably won't though. I'm such a bum.

Here's my Top 5 Favorite EPs of 2006.

PS - I try not to comment on leaked albums here, but this time I can't resist - Sound of Silver 2nd Best Album of 2007??? Hot damn, it is great. And obviously Radiohead - LP#7 will be numero uno. : p