(the) feelgooddrag

it’s hot. This is how I sum up the weekend. 2 days of 100+ weather. I am not a fan. I just killed a spider and I feel quite victorious. It jumped at me the first time I went in for the kill. This did not bode well with me. Eventually it jumped back out from the shadows and I introduced it to the bottom of my tigers. My sister graduated from high school yesterday and her graduation party was tonight. I am officially getting old and I don’t know how to feel. I’m having a rough time… just being home. I feel that I am missing out on a lot lately. I should be out enjoying the company of friends, but I come home from work and spend most of the night on the computer. This is not an everyday occasion, but it is a common occurrence. This has given me a lot of time to listen to Ryan Adams and M83(both worthy of spending some quality time with). I’m not sure where I’m trying to go with this, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I will continue to think, but mostly pray now. Here’s a hug:  

so. this is my blog. good to know it still works. I feel compelled to pick things back up again. I think a few people actually read this back when it was going strong. I feel like this will be a good way to keep writing… or just stop after a few months. I’ll probably still write about music… I’ve been so out of the loop for a while now. I feel like I’ve missed out on some good new music. I also want to write about other things… whatever is on my mind. I’ll probably post pictures I’ve taken and whatever tickles my fancy. So here’s to more blogging and here’s a new picture:

A number of great albums came out over the past year and to be honest… I kind of lost track after a while. Going into 2007 I felt we were in for a tremendous year for music. In retrospect that is certainly debatable. Maybe I haven’t had enough time to reflect on all of the albums I had the chance to listen to… I don’t know really. But I do know that I was more than satisfied with what I did hear. I have attempted to put together a concise list of the music that I feel was the best overall. There are some good albums that I had to leave off of the list… i.e. Sigur Ros - Heim/Hvarf, Sherwood - A Different Light, Paramore - RIOT!, & Matt Pond PA - Last Light. I hope you give each artist/band a chance and whatever you do listen to… keep listening. 2008 will be here soon!

Best Album

Tegan and Sara - The Con | Hands down album of the year. It is so good. Their most ambitious and most rewarding album to date. Favorite track “Back In Your Head/Soil, Soil/Burn Your Life Down”

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away | Near perfection. Every song is good. Bottom line. Favorite track: “Black Wave”

Eisley – Combinations | A mature step in the right direction. I feel like it could have been better, but still a great CD. Favorite track: “Invasion”

Band of Horses – Cease to Begin | incredible. Great vocals and instrumentation. Favorite track: “Is There A Ghost”

Melee – Devils and Angels | Pop-rock album of the year. This is a fun one. Favorite track “Drive Away”

Anberlin – Cities | They just keep getting better. Favorite track: “Alexithymia”

Lovedrug – Everything Starts Where it Ends | Lovedrug takes a big step forward. Favorite track: “Thieving”

A Fine Frenzy – One Cell in the Sea | Possibly the most beautiful album of the year. Favorite track: “Rangers”

Neverending White Lights – Act II: Blood and the Life Eternal | Another epic disc from Daniel Victor. Favorite track: “Always”

Bright Eyes – Cassadaga | Surprise of the year. I’ve never been able to stomach and entire Bright Eyes album, but this one is different. Favorite track: “Four Winds”

Honorable Mention

Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light | Not their best, but still Jimmy Eat World. Favorite track: “Let It Happen”

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible | Solid album overall. Favorite track: “Keep The Car Running”

Best EP

Matt Pond PA – If You Want Blood

Tegan and Sara – I’ll Take The Blame

Best Single

The Reason feat. Sara Quin – We’re So Beyond This

Tegan and Sara – Back in Your Head

Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost

A Fine Frenzy – Rangers

Eisley – Invasion

Best B-Side

Brand New – Fork and Knife

Best Video

Tegan and Sara – Back in Your Head

matt pond PA’s new EP, If You Want Blood, will be released on June 5th through Altitude Records. It is available for preorder now. If You Want Blood is the precursor the mpPA’s much anticipated full-length record, Last Light, which will hit shelves later this year. It is also one of the coolest album covers I have ever seen.

Tracklisting:

1. Reading
2. Magic Boyfriend
3. Everything Until the East Coast Ends
4. If You Live
5. If You Want Blood

Check matt pond PA out on myspace to preview new tracks.

Listen:

2. Four Winds
8. Middleman
10. No One Would Riot For Less
11. Coat Check Dream Song

I hereby give you my Best of 2006 list. It’s been a long year with some great albums and a few surprises. I’ve enjoyed the music and look forward to a great year of music. I’m calling it… this year could be the best of the decade so far… well… take a look and tell me what you think.

Top Albums of 2006

25) The Appleseed Cast – Peregrine
24) Thom Yorke – The Eraser
23) underOATH – Define the Great Line
22) Thursday – A City by the Light Divided
21) Taking Back Sunday – Louder Now
20) Mates of State – Bring it Back
19) AFI – Decemberunderground
18) Brandtson – Hello, Control
17) Milosh – Meme
16) Copeland – Eat, Sleep, Repeat
15) Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler
14) +44 – When Your Heart Stops Beating
13) Emily Haines & theSoftSkeleton – Knives Don’t Have Your Back
12) The Forecast – In the Shadow of Two Gunmen
11) Angels & Airwaves – We Don’t Need to Whisper
10) Hammock – Raising Your Voice… Trying to Stop an Echo
09) Headlights – Kill Them with Kindness
08) Fair – The Best Worst-Case Scenario
07) The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
06) Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche
05) The Format – Dog Problems
04) New Found Glory – Coming Home
03) Brand New – The Devil and God are Raging inside Me
02) SAOSIN – Self-Titled
01) Anathallo – Floating World

Honorable Mention (albums I heard good things about, but was not able to listen to in their entirety)

Sleeping at Last – Keep No Score
Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
Danielson – SHIPS
Jeremy Enigk – World Waits *EDIT - Finally bought this album. It’s great. Could have been top 20.

Top EPs of 2006

5) Page France - Pear/Sister Pinecone
4) New Years Day – Razor EP
3) The Format – The Format Live: Exporting Insecurity
2) Sherwood – The Summer EP
1) Bosc – Bosc

Producer of the Year

1) Aaron Sprinkle

Best Newcomer

3) Fair
2) +44
1) Angels & Airwaves

Best Music Video

3) Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California
2) Emily Haines – Doctor Blind
1) Danielson – Did I Step on Your Trumpet?

Best Album Art/Packaging

10) Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche
09) Brandtson – Hello, Control
08) Fair – The Best Worst-Case Scenario
07) New Found Glory – Coming Home
06) The Format – Dog Problems
05) SAOSIN – Self-Titled
04) Thom Yorke – The Eraser
03) Headlights – Kill Them with Kindness
02) Emily Haines & theSoftSkeleton – Knives Don’t Have Your Back
01) Anathallo – Floating World

Best Lyrics

5) Emily Haines
4) The Decemberists (Colin Meloy)
3) Thom Yorke
2) Brand New (Jesse Lacey)
1) Anathallo

Best Vocals

5) Kori Gardner/Jason Hammel (Mates of State)
4) Emily Haines
3) Aaron Marsh (Copeland)
2) Erin Fein/Tristan Wraight (Headlights)
1) Cove Reber (SAOSIN)

Best Live Shows

8) Matt Pond PA, Days Away, Mae, & others (Virginia Tech)
7) Angels and Airwaves & Taking Back Sunday (nTelos Pavilion)
6) Mates of State w/ Starlight Mints (Satellite Ballroom)
5) Mute Math w/ Shiny Toy Guns & Jonezetta (Starr Hill)
4) Matt Pond PA (The NorVa)
3) The Format w/ Anathallo (The NorVa)
2) Eisley w/ Simon Dawes & Brighten (Cat’s Cradle)
1) Anathallo w/ Page France & Shapiro (Starr Hill)

Best Songs of 2006

30) Meg and Dia – Monster
29) underOATH – Writing on the Walls
28) Emily Haines – Doctor Blind
27) hammock – I Can Almost See You
26) Milosh – The City
25) Pete Yorn – For Us
24) Band of Horses – The Great Salt Lake
23) Headlights – TV
22) The Format – She Doesn’t Get It
21) AFI – Summer Shutter
20) Muse – Knights of Cydonia
19) New Found Glory – Boulders
18) Angels & Airwaves – Distraction
17) The Decemberists – Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
16) The Format – Time Bomb
15) Thom Yorke – Harrowdown Hill
14) Anathallo – Hanasakajijii (four: a great wind more ash)
13) +44 – 155
12) Sufjan Stevens – Sister Winter
11) Sleeping at Last – Envelopes
10) Justin Timberlake – My Love
09) The Forecast – And We All Return to Our Roots
08) Damien Rice – 9 Crimes
07) Avril Lavigne – Keep Holding On
06) Junior Boys – In The Morning
05) SAOSIN – You’re Not Alone
04) anberlin – Haunting (previously unreleased)
03) New Found Glory – Connected
02) Brand New – Jesus
01) Fair – Unglued

Most Anticipated of 2007

5) Avril Lavigne
4) Jimmy Eat World
3) anberlin - Cities
2) Tegan and Sara
1) Eisley