Links: Recapping the recaps

Let's take one last gasp of 2006 before trudging forward. Last week was all about my picks for the end of the year, but I don't know shit about nuthin', so here are some other lists of some of the best music, etc. from 2006. If you've got a list of your own or one worthwhile, shoot me the link...

The in thing seems to be to poll the cool kids and then let the :

The fine folks at Ropeadope have lists from Benevento, Gordon, Shaggy and a few other notables.

Glide Magazine has a nice cross-section of musicians, as do JamBase, but nothing beats a beat-down from a list of Pitchfork's "favorite artists." Mike Greenhaus over at Jambands.com takes the interview tack, in three parts.

Then there are the master lists:

Gentlemen, start your gagging... Pitchfork is a vomitorium of picks from 2006, providing their overall 50 Best Albums & 100 Best Tracks as well as their individual staff member picks for Albums and Tracks.

Glide's Top 20

JamBase lists 20 from off the radar.

For something a little different, Fred Kaplan at Slate takes time from his day job to list his top jazz albums of the year. He always does a bang up job with this, so it's more a statement of my being bone dry in the jazz department these days that I don't have a single one of these titles than any critique of his picks.

But I did promise you cool kids, so here's a random smattering from:

the Fabulous SuperDee; Rob Ronanea; Yglesias; the incomparable Brooklyn Vegan; Sasha Frere-Jones and of course the folks at Hidden Track have their own angle on the whole end of year nonesense.

So who am I missing?

maximix: 2006 recap

Last mix of the year, not necessarily the best songs of the year, maybe not even the best tracks from these albums, but some pretty good ones nonetheless, and hopefully an enjoyable listen for you this weekend. Maybe some repeats from the other mixes, all of which should still be available if you're interested.

Broken into 2 discs.

Enjoy!

Disc I: DOWNLOAD

01 Love Train -- Wolfmother: Wolfmother
02 Atbash -- Rashanim: Shalosh
03 Powder -- The Benevento/Russo Duo: Play Pause Stop
04 City Of Love -- Persephone's Bees: Notes From The Underworld
05 Tabago Strut -- The Bamboos: Step It Up
06 Dirtywhirl -- TV On The Radio: Return To Cookie Mountain
07 Follow Me To Carthedge -- The Mammals: Departure
08 Willie -- Cat Power: The Greatest
09 Hang Me Up To Dry -- Cold War Kids: Up In Rags
10 Breathe -- Dan Bern: Breathe Easy
11 An Ecumenical Matter -- Loose Fur: Born Again In The USA
12 L.O.V.E. -- Frank Smith: Red On White
13 Canteen -- Pinetop Seven: Beneath The Confederate Lake
14 Sahib Teri Bandi-Maki Madni -- Derek Trucks Band: Songlines
15 The Big Guns -- Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat
16 While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- The Beatles: Love

Disc II: DOWNLOAD

01 Go-Go Gadget Gospel -- Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere
02 Yeah Yeah Yeah Song -- The Flaming Lips: At War With The Mystics
03 Right On -- Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers: What It Is!: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves
04 Oceania -- Bobby Previte: The Coalition Of The Willing
05 Yeah I Love You -- Earl Greyhound: Soft Targets
06 Funny Little Frog -- Belle And Sebastian: The Life Pursuit
07 Margaret Vs. Pauline -- Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
08 Lillian, Egypt -- Josh Ritter: The Animal Years
09 Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version) -- Sufjan Stevens: The Avalanche
10 Even Rats -- The Slip: Eisenhower
11 Sandbox -- Michael Houser: Sandbox
12 Swamba Redux -- Charlie Hunter: Copperopolis
13 3 String George -- Gov't Mule: High & Mighty
14 Nostrand -- Ratatat: Classics
15 New Virginia Creeper -- Old Crow Medicine Show: Big Iron World
16 Roscoe -- Midlake: The Trials Of Van Occupanther

2006: Recap... albums

While I didn't catch an inordinate amount of shows this year, I did manage to squeeze a very healthy number of 2006 release onto the old iPod. Of course, you can never listen to all of them, so I'll leave it to you to tell me what I've missed, so I know what to ask for for my birthday. I don't purport to list the best, but these are definitely my favorites... at least right now, they are. Who knows how I'll feel tomorrow.

These are studio albums, my favorite live album was, hands down, My Morning Jacket's Okonokos, with the Duo's live import, Raw Horse coming in second.

Here are the top 65 of the 80 or so I've heard this year, with comments for the top vote getters. I would have liked to put in some links, etc., but I just don't have the energy right now.

1 The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
These guys took the next step with this album, their quote/unquote "major label debut." It ain't hype, it's well-deserved praise.

2 Benevento Russo Duo – Play Pause Stop
As objectively as I can say this: totally amazing follow up to last year's barn-burner. The Duo is matching their live intensity with a separate-but-equal skill in the studio.

3 Rashanim – Shalosh
I love these guys. Power-trio, Jewish-tinged mind-tingling instrumental jazz-rock. Madof's guitar is right between Scott Metzger and Marc Ribot and the rest of the trio is tight, tight, tight.

4 Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther
Got this album about a month ago and am totally smitten with it. By the time I wear the thing out, it may prove to be the best thing released this year. This is dense, 70's-radio style pop music and totally mesmerizing from top to bottom.

5 The Beatles – Love
Surprisingly sick-ass, both in stereo and 5.1 surround. This is probably the must-have of the year. Can't wait for others to follow suit -- I can just imagine what a guy like David Byrne could do with the Talking Heads catalog.

6 Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
It would be easy to lump this with a few other excellent female country albums, but I think this, and Case, stands alone near the top. Haunting and gorgeous all at once.

7 Ratatat – Classics
If the Beatles came along in 2006 and were playing instrumental pop music, this is what it would sound like. Also reminds me of the original Slang release, which is to say I love it.

8 Wolfmother – Wolfmother
Should I feel guilty for loving something so incredibly derivative and unoriginal? Great rock and roll is hard to resist.

9 TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
I'm not sure I've reached the minimum number of listens required to fully appreciate this album... although I've listened to it quite a bit. If Ratatat is some sort of newfangled Beatles, TVOTR are the Beach Boys in Brooklyn 40 years later.

10 Califone – [Roots & Crowns]
Like some minimalist folk art. Hypnotizing.

11 Earl Greyhound – Soft Targets
Sending out a memo: this is the band to watch in 2007. Vicious guitar-drums-bass rock and roll.

12 Joanna Newsom – Ys
This is either too high or too low, I'm not sure yet. Like absolutely nothing else I've ever heard.

13 Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
This music just makes me smile, plain and simple.

14 Various Artists – What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves
This collection's name speaks for itself. Funky, funky, funky

15 Persephone’s Bees – Notes from the Underworld
Any two points define a line, and these guys are somewhere on the line between Edie Brickell and the Fiery Furnaces. Delicious pop.

16 The Fiery Furnaces – Bitter Tea
17 Loose Fur – Born Again In The USA
18 The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
19 Built To Spill – You In Reverse
20 Cat Power – The Greatest
21 Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
22 Beck – The Information
23 Jenny Lewis With the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
24 The Flaming Lips -- At War With the Mystics
25 John Zorn – Filmworks XVIII: The Treatment

26 The Slip – Eisenhower
27 Pinetop Seven – Beneath the Confederate Lake
28 Derek Trucks Band – Songlines
29 Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche
30 Bob Dylan – Modern Times
31 Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye
32 Thom Yorke – The Eraser
33 Josh Ritter – The Animal Years
34 Damien Rice – 9
35 Michael Houser – Sandbox

36 Willie Nelson – Songbird
37 The Mammals – Departure
38 Uri Caine – Book of Angels Vol. 6 Moloch
39 Bobby Previte – The Coalition of the Willing
40 Gov’t Mule – High & Mighty
41 The Avett Brothers – Four Thieves Gone
42 Jack Johnson – Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies For the Film Curious George
43 The Bamboos – Step It Up
44 The Black Keys – Chulahoma
45 Ollabelle – Riverside Battle Songs

46 Charlie Hunter Trio – Copperopolis
47 Paul Simon – Surprise
48 Old Crow Medicine Show – Big Iron World
49 Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra – I’m Thankful
50 Stanton Moore – III
51 Mates of State – Bring It Back
52 Eef Barzelay – Bitter Honey
53 The Wood Brothers – Ways Not To Lose
54 Frank Smith – Red On White
55 The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls In America

56 Widespread Panic – Earth To America
57 DJ Logic – Zen of Logic
58 Calexico – Garden Ruin
59 Tool – 10,000 Days
60 The Cracow Klezmer Band – Book of Angels Vol. 5 Balan
61 Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – The Hidden Land
62 Neil Young – Living With War
63 Buzz Universe – birdfishtree
64 Zorn/Douglas/Patton/Laswell – The Stone: Issue One
65 Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam

2006: Recap... shows

(image of GRAB from PNC courtesy of Aiello)

It wasn't too long ago I was catching close to 150 shows in a year's span, which is still hard to believe. While the quantity has certainly slipped with age, I'd like to think with my maturing palate, I've been able to pack as much quality live music into fewer trips into the depths of the NYC nightlife. By my count, I've got three more nights of music before the clock hits zero, and my suspicions are that all three of them would squeeze their way into the upper registers of the listing below. That being said, I'll do my best to review 'em and for now, here are my favorite shows of 2006 with some comments for the top 15 as well as links to reviews, etc. (although this blog got going too late to include all the actually-written reviews for most of these).

Enjoy!!

1 My Morning Jacket|The Slip|Benevento/Russo Duo @ Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA 1 December
Ned says: I've said enough about this show, read the review, download the set, look at some more photos. I'm not sure there was a better bill anywhere at any time in the past year.

2 Widespread Panic Radio City Music Hall 16 September
Ned says: Three words: Panic is back!! Three more: Jimmy Fucking Herring!!! Caught the first night with JH on the 14th which is also a top ten offering, but I'll just lump it here with the much more complete, drunken-ecstacy-fueled show from the 16th. Some samplings here and here, but you can just download the entire shows, hell the entire tour in pristine soundboard format.

3 GRAB, Duo, Phil & Friends PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ 1 July
Ned says: Pinch me, I must be dreaming. Worlds collide and instead of the disaster Costanza predicted, musical bliss ensues. As above, I won't list the Jones Beach show separately, but this was the show. Hell, forget about the show, the entire day was, to a minute, picture perfect. 12+ hours of smiles all around (most from about the 2nd row).

4 Bill Frisell (The Moonlighters open) Prospect Park Bandshell Brooklyn 3 August
Ned says: Another bout of perfection, this time with visuals. Frisell and his trio play to short films and animation in one of the best outdoor venues out there. What's not to like? For free!

5 Iron & Wine Califone, Low McCarren Park Pool Brooklyn 17 August
Ned says: Another wonderful outdoor venue in Brooklyn, we'll see how long it lasts. This one wasn't free, but sublime nonetheless. I'm utterly smitten with Sam Beam, don't miss I&W next time they're in your neck of the woods -- and don't let the sensational-yet-soporific studio stuff scare you, the live shows are actually rocking multilayered textural masterpieces.

6 Medeski, Martin & Wood , Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Hammerstein Ballroom 31 October
Ned says: See review.

7 Rana, Apollo Sunshine Knitting Factory 13 May
Ned says: Rana was in a strange place in 2006 for a variety of reasons. But with shredders like these, you take quality and not quantity. With Tribeca Rock Club gone for good, they ripped the Knit a new sphincter. Oh, and the double bill with Apollo Sunshine made me a Fan with a capital F, as in: rock your F'in Face off. Check 'em out, the band to see in 2007.

8 Broken Social Scene Webster Hall 27 January
Ned says: Who doesn't love the Broken Social Scene?? Their benefit show at the Bandshell over the summer left a bit to be desired, but this was a freakin' throwdown. I lurved this show and this band.

9 The Decemberists, Alisdair Roberts Hammerstein Ballroom 3 November
Ned says: See review.

10 Benevento/Russo Duo , Todd Hamilton's American Babies Bowery Ballroom 27 October
Ned says: Pretty much every time Joe & Marco take the stage it's a top show of the year for me. That's the way I roll. So, lump tonight's show in with this one for a top ten slot (not to mention the 4/28 Bowery hit). They melt the walls of the Bowery just like they did at the TRC, Tobacco Road and, of course, the Tap Bar.

12 Herring, Rodgers, Sipe Mexicali Blues Teaneck, NJ 10 August
Ned says: Right around the time when word was out that Jimmy was Panic-bound, we were lucky enough to see him at his day job -- tweaking neurons to unsuspecting freaks. This was some old school ARU-level brain-rearranging.

13 Medeski, Martin & Wood (Soulive opened) Planting Fields Arboretum Oyster Bay, LI 13 August
Ned says: MMW has totally reestablished themselves as major players on the soundtrack of my dreams. They do it in so many ways from so many angles in so many different places. I saw them three times in completely different settings and each time they perfectly conformed to the situation. This was the wine-and-cheese set in posh Nassau County and they done brung it good.

14 Coxygen,Metzgerville, Sec't Government Coda 21 January
Ned says: Freaks Ball VI with all the usual suspects on and off stage. Definitely the most fun I had with live music this year, and I suspect #7 will be the same. Get involved.

15 The Bad Plus Joe's Pub 20 January
Ned says: While my continuing jazz education seems to be on sabbatical these days, I'll always have the Bad Plus. Caught them a couple times. Same old [insert synonym for sick-ass] stuff.

Rest of the top 40 presented without comment:

16 Gov't Mule, Wolfmother McCarren Park Pool Brooklyn 9 September
17 Ryan Adams Bowery Ballroom 24 June
18 GRAB , Duo, Phil & Friends Jones Beach Wantagh, LI 7 July
19 The Bad Plus Jason Moran & The Bandwagon Blue Note 13 September
20 Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins The Blow, Will Sheff Stubb's Austin, TX 23 October
21 Strike 55 Bar 29 September
22 Bill Frisell Quintet Village Vanguard 28 April
23 Benevento/Mathis/Chamberlain Tonic 29 November
24 Dave Douglas Quintet Jazz Standard 6 December
25 Marco Benevento solo Tonic 15 November
26 Guttman Tonic 1 November
27 Rana CBGB's NYC, NY 13 September
28 Steve Earle , Laura Cantrell, Allison Moorer, Tim Easton Southpaw Brooklyn 1 November
29 Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond Town Hall 29 September
30 Fiona Apple Damien Rice Jones Beach Wantagh, LI 22 July
31 Earl Greyhound The Annex 7 October
32 Medeski, Martin & Wood IMAC Huntington 8 April
33 EST Jazz Standard 20 January
34 Broken Social Scene, Hidden Cameras Prospect Park Bandshell Brooklyn 6 July
35 Rana (trio) Chris Harford Half Moon Cruise Ship 19 August
36 The Budos Band B.P.M. Brooklyn 9 September
37 Stanton Moore Knitting Factory 7 October
38 Baby Loves Jazz Joe's Pub 9 September
39 Coalition of the Willing Tonic 25 May
40 Adam Levy Barbes Brooklyn 25 July

2006: Recap... movies

The year is coming to a finish and instead of some big whopper of a send-off to 2006, I feel like we're just kinda petering out. Looking back, this year was, well... boring. We didn't even have some end-of-days level natural catastrophe or national event. 2006 just was. Kids are a year older and that much closer to being smarter, cooler and better looking than their pops. There was plenty to digest, particularly on the music front. I finally got an iPod back in January after much resistance. Yeah, I love the thing and it's changing the way I listen to music, but I'm not sure I'm 100% happy about it -- everything I feared about it has come true.

Other than that, I'm happy to report I lost like 30+ pounds this year, despite ingesting an enormous amount of BBQ and bacon. Three cheers to regular exercise!!

Anyhoo, this week at OTW I'll be doing a rundown of the past year, with "Ned's favorite" listings of albums & shows as well as a special 2006-roundup maxi-mix on Friday.

Today, my list of the best 2006 movies I saw this year. It's a rare thing for me to get to the theaters, but somehow I did it more than once... with two of those instances coming in the last week, thank Jesus. Of course, half the movies I saw were for kids, but that doesn't make me an old fart, does it? Thanks to the miracle of Netflix and digital technology, I don't feel too far behind.

My list follows... if you've got some 2006 movies I should have seen, particularly something that might not be on my radar, let me know.

1 Little Miss Sunshine
If you're willing to discard the importance of plot to a film, this is pretty much a perfect movie.

2 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
I found every minute detail in this to be frickin' hilarious. This was the most stinging indictment of this country since the 2004 election.

3 Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
I am a sucker for postmodernist claptrap and this does it to a tee. Very, very funny and it probably helps if you've never even heard of the book.

4/5 The Prestige/The Illusionist
Somehow The Big Squeeze and I got out and saw two movies about magicians in a span of a couple weeks. Not quite the Bug's Life/Ants Dilemma of '98, but still. I can't really decide which one was better -- I'd highly recommend them both. Yes, they are very different, but at the heart they are both very creative, well-made, well-acted spins on the old fashioned con movie.

6 Pursuit of Happyness
Somehow this movie makes you feel both happy for everything you have and vaguely disappointed for what you don't in one fell swoop. Yeah, it's a predictable tearjerker, but a darn good one.

7 Akeelah & The Bee
Speaking of predictable tearjerkers, at least this one makes no claims to be inspired by a true story. One question: how did spelling get to be so film-friendly?

8 For Your Consideration
Not Guest's best. Plenty entertaining, but if you want to see a movie about making a movie, see Tristram Shandy.

9 Stranger than Fiction
Will Ferrell makes me laugh. This wasn't even really a comedy, either. Anyone else and this would have crept toward suckitude. Still: enjoy it on cable.

10 Curious George
Holy shit, I can't find 10 worthy adult movies that I saw this year. Not sure what that means. (Yeah, some day I'll see Borat, but I think it's too late to appreciate it the way I should.) Anyway, this is actually the movie I've seen the most this year and it's actually pretty darn good (and amazingly makes this a Ferrell-threefer, which is weird). As surely as I've grown to appreciate the kindie rock, so have I learned what makes a kid's movie special. Basically, anything not by Miyazaki is crap by default, although every once in a while there are exceptions. The little monkey fits the bill. Cars, Happy Feet, Ice Age: The Meltdown... all were decent, but lacking in some way. We are actually going to see Charlotte's Web today, despite my perpetual yearning to stick an ice pick through Dakota Fanning's skull.

Not Scottish and crap:
The DaVinci Code
The Devil Wears Prada
Keeping Up With The Steins
V For Vendetta