THE BEST OF THE 06

01.21.07
Author: DJ D-Mac

Originally written up for BYT, I decided to repost here.

1.  Quantic - One Off's Remixes and B Sides [Tru Thoughts] Assembling his best non-LP work (primarily b-sides and remixes of other artists), this double-disc set further proves that Quantic is one of the most innovative & prolific producers working today, with a uniquely funky sound.

2.  The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers [XL] Jack White's white-boy blues tendencies tempered by Brendan Benson's classicist power-pop songwriting and wrapped in ballsy, fuzzed-out psychedelia. The best rock album of the year is also the shortest (which is a statement in itself).

3.  Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere [Downtown] Yeah, the album went mega-platinum and is utterly played out (as are all those pop cultural-referential costumes!), but Gnarls' sampledelic neo-soul is an instant classic.

4.  Lily Allen - Alright, Still [Parlophone] UK pop as recorded with hip-hop beats for Two-Tone Records.

5.  Alice Russell - Under the Munka Moon 2 [Tru Thoughts] Another amazing collection from the UK Queen of Soul, this sequel sets Ms. Russell's incredible vocals in a variety of [remixed] settings.

6.  Wolfmother - Wolfmother [Interscope] Shamelessly derivative of everything that's great about heavy, heavy rock circa 1969-72. Bonus points for tapping Mstrkrft to remix

7.  The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics [Warner Bros.] Since 'The Soft Bulletin', I can't help but see every new Flaming Lips album as a major event.

8.  Thom Yorke - The Eraser [XL] Despite taking a break from recording with Radiohead, Thom Yorke still has things to say. So he says them all by himself with Pro Tools. The resulting album proves to be much more than a stop-gap.

9.  Scott Walker - The Drift [4AD] 40+ years into his career, Mr. Walker has made some of his most challenging music yet. Dense, paranoid and utterly compelling.

10.  various - This is Melting Pot Music [MPM Records] The first comp from this small German label displays a deep and amazing roster of live funk bands and cut'n'paste-style producers from the US and Europe. Totally excellent!

11.  Ghostface Killah - Fishscale [Def Jam] The Ghost' extends his reach lyrically and musically and comes up with his best work since Supreme Clientele. High-quality, imaginative hip-hop from start to finish.

12.  various - Brooklyn Beats Brazil [Mr. Bongo] From DJs Sean Marquand and Greg Caz (residents at the long-running Black Betty club night in Brooklyn), this is an obsessively-collected bunch of vintage funkiness from Brazil.

13.  various - The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965 [Motown] Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Marvelettes, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Junior Walker, Brenda Holloway... So many classics on a single label in a single year. Simply incredible.