Ten Best Albums of 2006

So a co-worker and I are both serious music fiends, and we swap Top 10 lists at the end of every year. We just finished our 2006 lists, and I figured I'd post mine to see if anybody with similar taste (I admit mine is broad, but play along) can suggest something I might have missed this year or would otherwise be interested in discussing good music.

1. Bob Dylan, Modern Times -- Authentic, purely American, deeply moving and perfectly crafted music -- Dylan is The Man. Everybody else is still playing in the kiddie pool while he's surfing the big waves. This will become a staple of the American songbook, and it stands head and shoulders above anything else on this list.

2. Sonic Youth, Rather Ripped -- For people of a certain age, Sonic Youth will always have massive street cred. This proves they deserve it. "Rats" is probably the best single of the year.

3. Pigeon John, & The Summertime Pool Party -- Incredibly strong yet not a dirty word to be found. Pure, fun, thoughtful, and very refreshing with a slick flow and just enough guests (RJD2, anyone?) to keep it interesting. One or two of these songs will wind up on my Top Ten Singles list as well. This thing has been in heavy rotation since I bought it.

4. The Dears, Gang of Losers -- This one has been a quintessential slow burner for me but boy is it good! Really really good. It should maybe be ranked ahead of the Pigeon John, but the PJ just sounds so damn fresh and The Last Sunshine is one of the best singles to come out all year, so The Dears slot in at #4.

5. Owusu & Hannibal, Living With... -- An excellent late find. This one gives me my DJ Shadow, funky, mix-taped, hip hoppy fix for the year. Releases by Cut Chemist and Prefuse can't touch this one for depth and originality. The R&B vocals that fade in and out give it a sound all its own.

6. Priestess, Hello Master -- This is great rock & roll served straight, no chaser. It's anti-wiener white guy without being absurd and aggressive. It doesn't try to be too smart for its own good (I'm looking at you, Tool). This may be the best car repair album 3VAR!!

7. Saint Etienne, Tales From Turnpike House -- If the second half were as strong as the first, this could have been ranked higher. Enough pure, delicate Euro pop to fuel the construction of a thousand Ikeas. Side Streets is the sweetest bossa nova song since Stan Getz's Girl From Impanema.

8. Black Keys, Magic Potion -- I guess "authentic" rock and roll is high on my list this year. This stuff sounds like it's 40 years old and is all the better for it. Dark, mysterious, and totally groovy.

9. Rhymefest, Blue Collar -- Very, very good hip hop. Kanye West produced it and the polish shines through. There are some ridiculously good singles on this release, but the whole album hangs together with rare consistency and verve.

10. Grizzly Bear, Yellow House -- What a weird, quiet, beautiful album. It's like the Beach Boys jamming with early Led Zeppelin if they recorded at a small farm house in Canada. A sound completely out of time, but compulsively listenable.

HONORABLE MENTION (in no particular order):
Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers
Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am...
Beck, The Information
Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury
120 Days, 120 Days
The Knife, Silent Shout
The Thermals, The Body, The Blood...
Mr. Lif, Mo Mega
Five Deez, Kommunicator

S.