This week, the Power Pop Show counted down the Best Albums of 2006
....or more specifically, those deemed to be the best of the melodically-centric
crop. Download the Podcast at:
http://www.midwestusergroup.org/KSCU_Podcasts.htm
Here's who made the cut....
**PP SHOW TOP 25 of 2006**
25. JET - Shine On
24. THE FLAMING LIPS - At War With The Mystics
23. SILVERSUN PICKUPS - Carnavas
22. THE SUBWAYS - Young For Eternity
21. EARL GREYHOUND - Soft Targets
20. ...TRAIL OF DEAD – So Divided
19. GRANDADDY – Just Like The Fambly Cat
18. CALEXICO – Garden Ruin
17. BECK – The Information
16. GUSTER – Ganging Up On The Sun
15. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – A Blessing & A Curse
14. PERNICE BROTHERS - Live a Little
13. THE SAILS – s/t
12. WOLFMOTHER – s/t
11. THE FORMAT – Dog Problems
10. L.E.O. – Alpacas Orgling
The Best ELO record you never heard.
9. THE WINNERYS – Daily Urban Times
Their influences are worn overtly on their sleeves (mid-era Beatles, Hollies, Zombies,
early Posies)…but the songs and arrangements are incredible. The best “Headphone
Album” of the year!
8. ROGER MANNING JR. – Land of Pure Imagination
An encyclopedia of pop…open to every page.
7. THE GREEN & YELLOW TV – Sinister Barrier
A dark, diverse album that stretches the barriers of pop with extremely melodic results.
6. EDITORS – The Back Room
More palatable and musically cohesive than Interpol, The Strokes, Franz or any other
genre-stealing buzz band of 2006.
5. THE FAGS – Light Em Up
A fun, bombastic power pop record.... full of slap-in-the-face hooks and musical
sensibilities of Cheap Trick and other 80's guilty pleasures like 38 Special and
Bryan Adams.
4. SLOAN – Never Hear the End Of It
A good half of this album is suberb. The other half’s mediocrity is still better than
most of the indie pop genre's best.
3. CHRIS BROWN – All My Rivals
A stellar debut record filled with sophisticated song structures, stacked on harmonies
and an amazing warmth and clarity.
2. DAMONE – Out Here All Night
More fun, sing-along pop-metal albums than you can shake a stick at!
1. THE NINES – Calling Distance Stations
Direct, deliberate, amazingly cohesive songcraft and perfect melodies.
As good as pop gets.
Other Honorable Mentions:
MORNINGWOOD – s/t
("Nth Degree" hands down - best pop song of the year!)
FIELDS – Seven From The Village
WILLIE WISELY - Parador
CAMERA OBSCURA – Let’s Get Out of This Country
RHETT MILLER – The Believer
THE KOOKS – Inside In Inside Out
HEAD AUTOMATICA – Popaganda
THE VINES – Vision Valley
THE HUSH SOUND – Like Vines
THE PINK SPIDERS – Teenage Graffiti
JEREMY MESSERSMITH – The Alcatrazz Kid
Biggest Disappointments:
THE RACONTEURS – Broken Boy Soldiers
An utterly boring, watered down version of Brendand Benson and Jack White’s respective talents (IMHO)
LEMONHEADS – s/t
We waited 10 years for this?!?!? Yawn…
NINA GORDON – Bleeding Heart Graffiti
I had high expectations after her great 2000 debut. This follow-up is sorry background music for soccer moms.
SNOW PATROL – Coldplay is bad enough…but when/how did this band become Coldpaly-lite?
thanks for listening....and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
See you on the dial in 2007
Jeff Shelton, your Host
The Power Pop Show (Fridays 5-7pm)
The 80s Underground (Wednesdays 9-11am)
KSCU 103.3 fm - Santa Clara, CA
www.kscu.org
