Five must-have albums of 2006
By Kris King, contributing writer
Posted on December 4, 2006

The time has come to reminisce over a year that truly provided music fans with many fantastic albums and some so bad that they come back around and become good again (here’s looking at you, Kevin Federline). The selection process is both difficult and time-consuming, but the following albums represent something truly great. Be it Girl Talk’s ability to tear the roof off of a party, The Futureheads’ venture toward maturity or The Hold Steady’s opus of being young in the 21st century. This was a great year for music, and here are the reasons why.

The Hold Steady — Boys and Girls in America         At most shows you catch drumsticks. At Hold Steady shows, you catch cigarettes. The Hold Steady sounds like the kind of group one would see playing at a broken-down rowdy bar with a chicken-wire barricade in front of the stage. They’re loud, unruly and more interested in playing music than looking hip. In Boys and Girls in America, singer Craig Finn captures an uncanny portrait of life at the point between youth and adulthood — that glimpse of freedom from the restraints of parents and before the chains of responsibility tighten. This album is for the kids out to revel in what little bit of life they can in the time provided and it celebrates both the glory and the drawbacks. Released Oct. 3.

The Long Winters — Putting the Days to Bed          
In a time where the music world seems dominated by new school new wave or over-complicated attempts at charting unknown territory, The Long Winters serves as a welcomed reprieve from the madhouse that new music can become at times. Winters’ figurehead John Roderick knows how to write a pop tune. Songs like “Teaspoon” or “Fire Island, AK” are rare in that they adhere to traditional indie-pop standards without sounding tired or derivative. Small touches like the brassy hook in “Teaspoon” or the soaring organ in “Ultimatum” erupt with an accessible and likable charm. Roderick’s lyrics are wryly clever, irreverent, wistful and sweet. Any fan of guitar-pop in the vein of Ted Leo or Pre-Green Album Weezer owes it to themselves to check out this album. Released July 26.

The Pipettes — We are the Pipettes
The 21st century answer to The Crystals or The Shangri-La’s, The Pipettes give the ’60s girl-group formula an upgrade with an album that seethes irresistible sass. Backed by the all-male group The Cassettes, The Pipettes are three polka-dot-clad English girls with an ear for the past coupled with a modern mind-set. The girls sing about one-night stands, breaking hearts, and, of course, how they’re the prettiest girls you’ve ever met. Tracks are succinct and infectiously catchy and draw obvious inspiration from Phil Spector and Motown while avoiding any hints of tepid derivation. Released July 17.

The Futureheads — News and Tributes
Coming off of their strong first album memorable for its break-neck pacing and relentless energy, England’s The Futureheads hardly sound like themselves on their sophomore release. For most of News, the boys slow down and concentrate on crafting more mature guitar-pop tunes without completely abandoning their fan base. In short, The Futureheads are all grown up. They’ve escaped the “let’s play as fast as we can for an entire album” stigma that lingers throughout their first album. Faster songs like “Cope” and “Return of the Beserker” sound out of place and notably weak when compared to tunes like the atmospheric “Back to the Sea” or the upbeat, and devilishly catchy “Skip to the End.” While the evolved sound of News and Tributes may shock established fans, the album shows a distinct forward movement and diversity in songwriting that showcases the band achieving its full potential. Released June 13.

Girl Talk — Night Ripper
Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) mashes up every genre imaginable into an epic 40-minute party jam that guarantees to blow the kids away. It will satisfy average partygoer with the fairly standard modern hip-hop tracks and keep music nerds happy by sugarcoating them with a thick layer of eclectic tunes. In the track “Minute by Minute” Gillis uses mixes from Missy Elliott’s “On & On” to Juelz Santana’s “There It Go (The Whistle Song)” using Neutral Milk Hotel and Jefferson Airplane. Released May 9.