for those on emusic, what are your favorite 2006 new emusic releases? i'd like to use my last month's worth on 2006 new stuff and want to know what i've missed that's worthwhile. include a RIYL if you can muster one. thanx.

mine are here.

but is it on itunes?

Here you go. I bolded the ones I like that I don't remember people talking about very much. I'd recommend any of these in the top 10. Anything after that I could take or leave.

1. The Format - Dog Problems
2. Tapes 'N Tapes - The Loon
3. Neko Case - Fox Confessor...
4. Camera Obscura - Let's Get OUt...
5. The Drams - Jublie Dive (RIYL - Lucero, Slobberbone)
6. Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos - The Dust of Retreat (RIYL - fairly typical indie rock, good songs but nothing innovative)
7. The Stills - Without Feathers
8. The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes
9. The Brother Kite - Waiting for the Time To Be Right
10. M. Ward - Post War
11. Danielson - Ships (RIYL - CYHSY)
12. Asobi Seksu - Citrus (RIYL - My Bloody Valentine)
13. Yo La Tengo - I am Not Afraid...
14. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
15. The Lemonheads - S/T

got this email today. Haven't even thought about it much other than the stuff on the board here. Dec 18th is when they are posting the results. I guess it is more of a top 2006 EMUSIC list than an overall though, since some stuff, for obvious reasons, won't be in there catalog.

i downloaded #6. RIYL on the emusic page is pretty close.

don't know #5. don't know your RIYL's either. i'll look it up.

I'm assuming you only want 2006 releases. Here's roughly in order my tentative rankings:

Ones that one make my top ten overall

1. Norman & Nancy Blake "Back Home in Sulphur Springs"
2. Frank Black "Fastman, Raiderman"
3. Howe Gelb "S'no Angel Like You"
4. Warren Zanes "People That I'm Wrong For"
5. Matt Keating "Summer Tonight"
6. Chico Buarque "Carioca"

Not top ten, but likely in my top 25 for the year

7. Witch S/T
8. Drive-by Truckers "A Blessing and A Curse"
9. Lloyd Cole "Anti Depressant"
10. Maximilian Hecker "I'll Be A Virgin, I'll Be A Mountain"
11. Tim Easton "Ammunition"
12. Damien Jurado "And Now That I'm In Your Shadow"
13. David Bazan "Fewer Moving Parts"
14. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus Three "Ole Tarantula"
15. Kris Kristofferson "This Old Road"

Others I like

16. Micah Hinson & The Opera Circuit
17. Radio Birdman "Zeno Beach"
18. Jason Molina "Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go"
19. Scott Walker "The Drift"
20. Magnolia Electric Co "Fading Trails"
21. Tommy Keene "Crashing the Ether"
22. The Lemonheads S/T
23. Twilight Singers "Powder Burns"
24. The Buzzcocks "Flat Pack Philosophy"

I'm not going to do riyls for all those but feel free to ask about any of them.

For #5 think southern style rock. If you like what you hear, you should check out Lucero too.

i also read they sound a bit like DBT. accurate?

basically no clue what these sound like

1. Norman & Nancy Blake "Back Home in Sulphur Springs"

Norman Blake is a highly skilled bluegrass guitarist who has played guitar for many greats including Dylan and Johnny Cash. He's also released some great bluegrass albums on his own and with his wife Nancy. Don't know who to compare it to but its basically just great acoustic guitar playing with male/female harmony vocals

5. Matt Keating "Summer Tonight"

Singer/Songwriter Fare with pop sensibility and strong harmony vocals on some songs from his wife Emily Spray and Patty Griffin. This album is a bit more rootsy than most of his work but its his best since his debut IMO. RIYL?: hmmm, maybe Ron Sexsmith

you can find some mp3's for dl on his website

6. Chico Buarque "Carioca"

Chico Buarque is one of the most reknown Brazilian songwriters of the last 40 years. This is his latest album and his best work in a long time. Its very pretty with great orchestration.

RIYL: the mellower side of Caetano Veloso

7. Witch S/T

Witch is a couple of guys from the psych folk/metal band Feathers with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. Mascis is on drums (where he started his career), rather than guitar and vocals. I've always thought he was an even better drummer than a guitarist. Don't let the metal scare you away...its heavy but not abrasive with no screamo vocals.

Can't give a RIYL...i don't listen to much stuff like this


10. Maximilian Hecker "I'll Be A Virgin, I'll Be A Mountain"

Georgous pop soundscapes...highly orchestral. He is german and english is his second language so lyrics are his biggest weakness.

RIYL: Eric Matthews, Sondre Lerche (although hecker is much more orchestral), Elliott Smith, Rufus Wainwright


11. Tim Easton "Ammunition"

He's one of the best alt country/americana singer/songwriters. This albums more stripped down and rootsy than most of his earlier work. Although I generally don't like the idea of a "RIYL: Bob Dylan", its very Dylanesque.

13. David Bazan "Fewer Moving Parts"

First "solo" effort of the guy more commonly known as Pedro the Lion. I assume that answers the RIYL. This is a bit poppier than the typical PTL album though.

14. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus Three "Ole Tarantula"

Hmmm, should I assume you don't know who Robyn Hitchcock is? He's an english singer/songwriter who began his career as the front man for the Soft Boys. He's been around nearly 30 years. Its indie pop rock with a highly english sense of humor. On this album, Robyn's backed by members of the Minus Five and REM including Peter Buck on guitar. I think its his best album in 10-15 years. But if you don't know him at all I'd recommend getting Element of Light over this

RIYL: Martin Newell/Cleaners of Venus, XTC

15. Kris Kristofferson "This Old Road"

Legendary Country Singer/Songwriter. Just him and an acoustic guitar.

RIYL: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash (for reasons other tha n the booming voice)

17. Radio Birdman "Zeno Beach"

Aussie surf punk legends from the 70's return with their first album in almost 30 years. RIYL: Stooges, Hoodoo Gurus, Saints

21. Tommy Keene "Crashing the Ether"

Literate pop Singer/Songwriter who has been around for about 20 years. RIYL: Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello (poppier side), Graham Parker, Paul Westerberg

curious about these

4. Warren Zanes "People That I'm Wrong For"

Second album of literate pop from the former Del Fuego.

12. Damien Jurado "And Now That I'm In Your Shadow"

Indie Folk/Pop

18. Jason Molina "Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go"

Front man for Songs:Ohia & Magnolia Electric Co. I'm getting tired of typing but I'm sure you can find a thread on him

My favorite eMusic downloads this year are:

Supraluxe
Raconteurs
Black Angels
Seafood
Wussy

The Supraluxe is awesome!

I keep meaning to check this out. As an unapologetic bluegrass fan, and Blake fan, I have no idea why this hasn't landed on my lap. One thing I would add to that list is his relationship with Tony Rice, who, imo can outplay both those gentlemen you listed above.

Eh, maybe. I haven't heard a lot of DBT so I'm probably not the best judge but what I've heard of DBT is more spoken word-style and less singing. The Drams are more conventional musically I'd say but they do fit in the same general category of Alt-Country.

do you mean this?

I do indeed mean that.
That is weird, the release date for the artist page says "2005", but the disc release date says "January 2 2006"

well, if it's good it's good. i'll queue it up for later... i'm so far behind on albums, trying to give all new albums at least 2 spins each, even the ones i wasn't impressed with the first time around. two of those, by clipse & comets on fire, i have queued for retry tomorrow.

yes, que it

thanks all. one of the most helpful threads on obner in months. i agree with many of these picks - damien jurado, the drams, the format. ill check out some of the other ones.

Interesting. This might be my next download

I'm sorry I'm too tired to do riyls.

Daedelus - Daedelus Denies the Day's Demise

Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery

Irving - Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers

Madlib - The Beat Konducta Vol. 1-2

Magneta Lane - Dancing with Daggers (3 girl guitar driven rock)

Milosh - Meme (hard to describe - very chill electronica with fem vocals)

Snowden - Anti-Anti

The Brother Kite - Waiting for the Time to Be Right

Diableros - You Can't Break the Strings in Our Olympic Hearts

The Ettes - Shake the Dust (garage rock)

The M's - Future Women

The Pipettes - We are the Pipettes

Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime

Tunng - Comments of the Inner Chorus (folkish)

Voxtrot - Raised by Wolves EP

i keep putting off downloading this. heard it was an "electronic iron&wine" which sounds interesting, if odd.

listened to this today. good album. what i expected from the 1-or-2 songs i previously heard.

Yeah I think it's pretty solid. I'm glad I didn't steer you wrong.