Albums Of The Year Pt 1

by Matt Hill

It's the New-Noise Definitive 100, the countdown to 2006's best records as chosen by our ever-committed stereo slaves. And, naturally, not a Razorlight vote in sight…

"2004's winners, The Dillinger Escape Plan, are rumoured to still have a framed print out of their victorious page hanging in the tour-bus toilet"

Yes, just what you need – another fucking list feature. But everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't we? In the most predictable but always-exciting style that you've become accustomed to over the last three years, New-Noise polled its esteemed writers on their favourite albums of the last 12 months, and they responded in their thousands (well, handfuls, but you get the point).

Today, we bring you numbers 100 to 51 on our definitive countdown – check in later in the week for the coveted 50-2, to see who made the highly coveted No 1 spot (2004's winners, The Dillinger Escape Plan, are rumoured to still have a framed print out of their victorious page hanging in their tour-bus toilet), plus the writers' individual Top 10s, so you can pick out who you disagree with the most. Hey, we're all about naming and shaming around these parts.

So prepare for the irresistably divisive force of our collective, and entirely democratic, tastes. Any complaints, suggestions or random abuse should be directed to me personally. And if you're inspired enough by our words to nab some of the quality titles listed, just click on the desired CD cover and you're ready to get buying. Enjoy…



100 Comets On Fire – Avatar
“Spaced-out, long-haired jazzy psyche-rock has never sounded so goddam beautiful” Nadeem Ali



99 Cosmic Rough Riders – The Stars Look Different From Down Here
“While Teenage Fanclub have veered off in a more 'adult contemporary' direction, the Cosmic Rough Riders have picked up the slack” Chip Midnight



98 Awoken – Death Or Glory
“A relentless and powerful debut disc from a band bringing UK hardcore to a completely different horizon” Simon T Diplock



97 Venetian Snares – Cavalcade Of Glee And Dadaist Happy Hardcore Poms Poms
“Blends orchestra sounds and delicate electronica with breathtakingly complex drum patterns” Vertigo Brain



96 Ebola – Reflective Shots
“Ups their dancefloor-shredding quotient at the expense of the silliness than can riddle their label's output. Deadly” Pete Flynn



95 The Blood Arm – Lie Lover Lie
“Sing-along indie in it’s most shameless, unadulterated form – and all the better for it” Lisa Holmes



94 Battle – Back To Earth
“There’s huge potential in their balance and wailing guitars” Thomas Rhythm



93 The Hush Sound – Like Vines
“Glorious pop choruses that shimmer with good-natured vitality” Mike Haydock



92 Taking Back Sunday – Louder Now
“Long Island heroes' third album as explosive as their debut. Masters of the hook” Laila Hassani



91 The Organ – Grab That Gun
“The Cure and Joy Division jumbled together and performed by stunningly beautiful lesbians” Charlotte Otter



90 Viva Voce – Get Yr Blood Sucked Out
“Wedded bliss never sounded better than when Viva Voce set their hearts and lungs together and achieve the sublime” Stef Price



89 From First To Last – Heroine
“Fuck yes” Jeremy Chick



88 Isis – In The Absence Of Truth
“Isis’s template remains unchanged yet nigh-on every song ends with the most monumental riff since the preceding tune. Immense” Adam Anonymous



87 Matchbook Romance – Voices
“An epically dark and adventurous effort that takes off where Brand New’s brilliant ‘Deja Entendu’ left off” Ollie McCormack



86 The Stills – Without Feathers
“A slow grow that takes you from ambivalence to addiction. Quirky lyrics and, in ‘Helicopters’, a guaranteed pick-me-up. Splendiferous” Jon Fletcher



85 Tapes N Tapes – The Loon
“Interesting and accessible lo-fi American indie – worth the hype” Lisa Holmes



84 The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soliders
“Populist, for sure, but far more gratifying than anything The White Stripes have done in the last few years” Matt Hill



83 God Is An Astronaut – All Is Violent All Is Bright
“Instrumental stuff à la Godspeed. Beautifully crafted soundscapes that ooze talent” Steven Fanning



82 Bonobo – Days To Come
“If you believe in lulls, believe in this – they don’t come any more beautiful” Jon Fletcher



81 The Fratellis – Costello Music
“OK so it’s not ‘cool’, and its not necessarily the most clever, but it certainly hits the spot and has you humming along for hours” Stef Price



80 The Durutti Column – Keep Breathing
“One to listen to on Sunday mornings. Gentle, dream-like tracks that gradually build up in volume and intensity” Charlotte Otter



79 Jurassic 5 – Feedback
“Love ’em or hate their white middle-class following, they rhyme sublime and they jam a phat beat” Thomas Rhythm



78 Remembering Never – God Save Us
“Hardcore with morals and real rage from a band that remain one of the only reasons to take Ferret Records seriously” Simon T Diplock



77 Engerica – There Are No Happy Endings
“Jackhammer drums, thundering bass lines and monstrous guitar hooks – Engerica’s demise is British rock’s loss” Ollie McCormack



76 Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis
“Still as English as ever – just in France. Observational wit of the highest order” Andrew Dolton



75 Cut Chemist – The Audience’s Listening
“A DJ record in that old Brooklyn-park vibe, free of trendy mash-ups” Will Swanson



74 The Lawrence Arms – Oh Calcutta!
“Gritty, melancholic melodic punk of the highest calibre” Miles Hackett



73 Erase Errata – Nightlife
“Slimmed down but more tooled up than ever, with a directness that has you dancing and relieved they’re back” Pete Flynn



72 Some Girls – Heaven’s Pregnant Teens
“Damning religion-downing bile disguised in 60-second, black-hearted, spazzed-out micro-pit anthems” Adam Anonymous



71 Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
“Not afraid to be themselves or to love what they do” Nick Roberts



70 Camille – Le Fil
“Her voice changes from a soft, sexy purr one minute to an angry rasping growl in a second; she is everything you’ve dreamed of in a singer and more” Charlotte Otter



69 Christina Aguilera – Back To Basics
“I’ve always had a bit of a thing for Xtina – I like my music pop and female” Charmian Walker-Smith



68 Daedelus – Denies The Day’s Demise
“DJ Shadow learns how to salsa” Jim Merrett



67 The Abominable Iron Sloth – The Abominable Iron Sloth
“Will Haven + Ghostride = Iron Sloth. Their sludgy riffs will be hailed as some of the best ever in underground rock circles for years to come” Ollie McCormack



66 In Flames – Come Clarity
“The best mainstream metal album since Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display Of Power’” Chip Midnight



65 Basement Jaxx – Crazy Itch Radio
“An unmistakeable carnival of instantly memorable dance classics, laced with a generous splash of humour and playfulness” Stef Price



64 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra – Melody Mountain
“All covers, but all interpretations that get to what a song is about” Vertigo Brain



63 The Howling Hex – Nightclub Version Of The Eternal
“Experimental and fun, which is surely illegal” Eddie Robson



62 Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope
“Normally, kooky female singers can kiss my arse, so why the hell do I keep getting cravings for this?” Shilpa Ganatra



61 Venetian Snares – Hospitality
“Only two records this year Mr Funk? This is the pick in terms of dextrous creativity, the wildest beats, and the truly formidable size he's developing to his music” Pete Flynn



60 Brand New – The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
“They took their time with a follow-up to the masterpiece that was 'Deja Entendu', but fucking hell it was more than worth the wait” Laila Hassani



59 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
“Listen to this strolling round New York in late December – it just fits” Nick Roberts



58 Sonic Boom Six – The Ruff Guide To Genre Terrorism
“A breathtaking and genre-defying trip through punk, hip-hop, ragga and bangra that works on every level” Miles Hackett



57 Genghis Tron – Dead Mountain Mouth
“Every devilish thought in my head about Lorraine Kelly acted out as sonic terrorism” Jeremy Chick



56 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Etiquette
“More ambitious arrangements, coupled with improved production – we might just see these awkward, clear-sighted, often-beautiful songs reach a much wider audience” Will Swanson



55 Two Gallants – What The Toll Tells
“The sons of a bygone era, when Woody Guthrie roamed the Midwest, tell their dark tales of murder, woe and paying your dues to the devil” Lisa Holmes



54 Datarock – Datarock Datarock
“’Princess! You’ve got the ass of a prince! You’re the Prince of the ass!’ Fucking genius. I be loving this Scandinavian disco party time” Matt Hill



53 Ms John Soda – Notes And The Like
“Enjoy the melancholy. Finding emotional depth in the detachment of 21st-century experience. Surprising and personal” Vertigo Brain



52 Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
“The most exciting, interesting and fresh record of 2006, yet not one song was written in the last 50 years” Nick Roberts



51 Pharrell – In My Mind
“He's so sexy he has me doubting my own sexuality” Jeremy Chick

To be continued… soon…

Be the first to comment on this article

Elsewhere On The Site

NEW NOISES

NEW ALBUMS

NEW SINGLES

LIVE