So I won a $25 gift card to iTunes from a raffle at work. I've already used some of it on that Ali Farka Toure album, and I'm trying to decide on another '06 release to get with the rest of it.

I'm considering several other albums, too, but I'd figured these two would get the most votes so I wanted to see which one was the favorite here.

Other ones I'm thinking about (that iTunes has) are Library Tapes, Dark Meat, Arborea, and Skygreen Leopards. Of those I might be leaning a little towards Arborea. If you think one of them would be better than the choices in the poll, please make a case for it here.

There's a ranked list of my 2006 album purchases here, but it doesn't include stuff I've already downloaded. Any other suggestions based on that list are welcome. (Needs to be something I can get from the iTunes store.)

i prefer and voted for the hot chip album because it's more of my kind of fun, but the destroyer album is probably bejar's best yet. tough call. based on your linked list, you should buy destroyer.

I know more than 2 of you guys have heard these albums.

tough call. totally different albums. do you already know if you like dan bejar/his voice? might not suit you. meanwhile, hot chip suits everyone. good party music.

Well, I used to hate Bejar's voice and songwriting style, especially with the New Pornos, but I've liked everything I've heard from Destroyer's Rubies. Not sure how much I like it, but I think I'd like it enough to get it.

With Hot Chip, I'm really not sure. They're much more different from stuff I already have so that appeals to me. But I'm not entirely sure that they really are my sorta thing. Moments of what I've heard sound cool, and others I dunno.

Rubies is such a great album...if you dont buy it ill YSI it

Destroyer. Top 5er for me. Hot Chip is strictly dance music this time around. Didn't do much for me other than make me want to throw it on at a party. I really dug Hot Chip's first one because it was weird.
Destroyer is MUCH more fulfilling.

The hot chip album has a lot of filler, IMO.

and yet 5/6 voted for hot chip. damnit people, vote with your hearts!

Yeah, I don't get why there's only 1 vote for Destroyer. I feel like you guys have made much more convincing arguments for that one.

i vote for destroyer

hot chip gets old and annoying at times...

Haven't heard Hot Chip but I voted for it because I find the Destroyer album annoying. Good lyrics to be sure, but I hate listening to it.

I haven't heard Hot Chip, but Destroyer was my #1 record out of the 78 2006 releases I heard this year, so I voted for Destroyer. And Kodos.

it will be somewhere in my 5-20

I hate Bejar's voice. Mostly from his New Porno's songs. I gave Your Blues a shot, but it just wasn't meant to be.

I love the Hot Chip album (def. top 10 this year, maybe top 5). IMO, there are probably only 2 tracks I'd classify as filler.

there're a couple really good tracks on that hot chip album, but, c'mon, "over and over" is absolutely the most overrated single of 2006. and i think some people are going on that way too much.

I HATED Your Blues. That was probably at the BOTTOM of my year-end list back in 2004.

2 completely different things. i don't like destroyer so my vote goes to HOT CHIP.

then again, y'all know i'm a hot chip fanatic so i'm biased.

I realize these two are very different, btw.

But, I mean, we're pretty much all going to be making year end lists that rank a bunch of dissimilar albums against each other.

Seriously, don't bother with this Hot Chip record unless you already like dance music.

OK. Well, I don't necessarily mind dance music, but I think I'm leaning more towards Destroyer at this point even though I never imagined I'd like a Destroyer album. This one does seem like a vast improvement over his previous stuff.

I'm gonna listen to some more samples of those other albums I listed before I make my final decision. They all seem a little on the boring side, though.

whoa i didnt know anyone here has mentioned arborea (unless i did). #19 of the year.

anyway. hot chip album is better than Rubies, but I never like Destroyer's albums very much.

I wouldn't pay for either album though.

Get them both