This column is about the perfect indie albums of 2006. By which I imply, my favourite indie albums of 2006. The non-public choice is implied, maybe, however there are biases which have influenced the creation of the next checklist that should be disclosed earlier than you learn one other phrase. I state the next within the spirit of truthful play and transparency, in order that the reader is supplied with the required info to correctly assess my assessments. In order that when an individual reads this and says, “Whoever wrote that is an fool,” they’ll accomplish that with the peace of mind of getting all of the info at their disposal.
PRE-LIST ENTERTAINMENT: A STATEMENT OF PERSONAL BIASES (POLITICAL, PERSONAL, AUTOMOTIVE, ETC.)
1. My reminiscence of 2006, from a sociopolitical perspective, is usually adverse. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decline of public religion within the federal authorities after the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, the foreboding (on reflection) indicators that the US housing market was untenable, the widening gaps in earnings and political unity — all of them level to this being a darkish, miserable interval. (That is my political bias.)
2. My reminiscence of 2006, from a private perspective, is overwhelmingly constructive. I met my spouse in January that 12 months, we have been relationship by March, and we have been dwelling collectively by October. I additionally began a brand new job that fall, and it signaled (on reflection) the one most essential and general best pivot level in my writing profession. It was additionally, for a time, an extremely straightforward gig, with a great deal of down time. Greater than as soon as, I snuck off to the car parking zone at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday with a co-worker to smoke weed out of a bong made out of an apple. (That is my private bias.)
3. My most up-to-date expertise listening to many of those albums is final week, once I drove a complete of 10 hours throughout the frigid tundra of western, central, japanese, and southern Wisconsin. I loaded my automobile with circa-2006 CDs and listened to them at full quantity. This improved my opinion of nearly all of those albums, although some greater than others. (That is my automotive bias.)
20. Lady Speak — Evening Ripper
Probably the most 2006 album of 2006. Evening Ripper isn’t the document most accountable for mainstreaming mash-ups — in America — that was Hazard Mouse’s “Jay-Z meets The Beatles” experiment The Gray Album from three years earlier. However Lady Speak does signify the peak of the shape. The cultural trajectory of a semi-clever DJ taking one widespread track and mixing it with one other widespread track started (within the widespread consciousness) with Hazard Mouse, peaked with Lady Speak, after which achieved simultaneous widespread acceptance/aesthetic loss of life with 2012’s Pitch Excellent. After that, it was damned to be a signifier of dated tradition from the second George W. Bush administration.
However I can nonetheless really feel traces of the identical “a-ha!” rush I skilled upon listening to Evening Ripper for the primary time, the identical manner a struggle veteran can sense a lacking limb misplaced in battle. It actually was form of mind-blowing to listen to some dude with a laptop computer superimpose The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” with the Ying Yang Twins’ “Wait (The Whisper Tune)” for about 20 or so seconds. Together with being a go-to occasion album, Evening Ripper functioned in its time as a type of music criticism, an audio-thinkpiece that dismantled the limitations between rockism and poptimism, a imaginative and prescient of a utopian world the place Boston’s “Lengthy Time” will get down with D4L’s “Laffy Taffy.” It was additionally, basically, a gimmick, and one which begins to lose its novelty even earlier than the album ends.
19. The Walkmen — “Pussy Cats” Starring The Walkmen
The essential premise of Evening Ripper — “let’s mix rock songs with pop numbers in shocking and harmonious methods, regardless of their contextual variations” — factors to bigger conversations taking place on the time within the indie world about whether or not guitar bands of questionable reputation have been getting an excessive amount of consideration. The lengthy tail of the post-Strokes “rock is again!” boosterism taking place within the media was coming to an finish, together with expectations that making that form of music may end result (not less than) in one thing resembling a “middle-class” musician’s life.
This album, intentionally or not, was one of many extra fascinating responses to all that. As a band from New York Metropolis, The Walkmen benefited from the general public’s temporary fixation on NYC guitar combos, they usually even scored an indie hit within the center a part of the last decade with the immortal “The Rat.” However by ’06, they weren’t precisely making an attempt to capitalize on that success. That 12 months they put out two albums — the Dylanesque A Hundred Miles Off and this weird tribute to Harry Nilsson’s famously drunken (and professionally ruinous) 1974 John Lennon collaboration. Composed largely of covers, Pussy Cats derailed Nilsson’s personal profession, and The Walkmen gave the impression to be courting the same destiny by doing an album-length cowl of his self-destructive gambit. The Walkmen finally carried on and put out a few of their finest work after “Pussy Cats,” however the chaotic recklessness of this document nonetheless communicates a sure reality of that period to me.
18. Secret Machines — Ten Silver Drops
One other “finish of mainstream-ish middle-class indie-rock bands” period album. With 2004’s No Right here Is Nowhere, Secret Machines made heavy-duty space-rock with bitchin’ Bonham-esque drum tracks that was catchy sufficient to garner house within the “$7.99 CD” rack at Finest Purchase retailers. Their second album, Ten Silver Drops, wasn’t fairly as grabby — it toned down the Zeppelinisms of the debut in favor of a hybrid, sonically, of Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Easy Minds. In a special time, it may need been a stepping stone to a much bigger and bolder third album. However because it stands, Ten Silver Drops (in my family, anyway) endures as an indie-rock document that appears like a major-label launch, alternating between moody soundscapes and grippingly dour hooks that re-imagine AOR for the pre-streaming era.
17. The Decemberists — The Crane Spouse
Not technically an “indie” album, since this polarizing Portland band had simply signed with Capitol Information earlier than placing out their proggiest and most adventurous album but. Right here, once more, was an indication of the occasions: One among our nation’s most well-known and honored document labels determined to do enterprise with a band who centered their newest document on a virtually 13-minute, three-part medley known as “The Island: Come And See / The Landlord’s Daughter / You’ll Not Really feel The Drowning.” That was thought-about a industrial enterprise within the 12 months of our lord 2006!
This was additionally across the time {that a} backlash was brewing in opposition to The Decemberists, who till then had been regarded (warmly) as a quirkily tuneful folk-rock outfit with literal pretensions or (much less warmly) as form of annoying however largely innocent. After The Crane Spouse, nonetheless, they grew to become a signifier for the suffocating preciousness of indie rock within the mid-aughts. (The critic Carl Wilson zeroes in on that facet of The Decemberists in his 2007 poptimism polemic Let’s Speak About Love, which in any other case is in regards to the Celine Dion album of the identical title.) On the time, this struck me as a uncooked deal, and that’s doubly true now. With out absolutely disputing their “form of annoying” aspect, I do assume a band like this garnering a Capitol Information-sized platform looks like an accident of historical past that ought to have been celebrated extra within the second.
16. Joanna Newsom — Ys
In fact, it’s not as if an indie artist needed to be on a significant label to make lengthy, dense orchestral-folk songs. One among 2006’s most uncompromising releases, Ys makes The Crane Spouse sound like a Noah Kahan document, with songs that vary from seven minutes to 17 minutes. Newsom’s lyrics have been as private as any commonplace “confessional” folkie — the latest loss of life of an in depth pal informs the album’s emotional tenor — however her unorthodox music and the epic size of her compositions put Ys far and away by itself wavelength. That’s, except you possibly can consider one other harp-centric indie-rock document accented by psych-baroque prospers from the one and solely Van Dyke Parks. If Evening Ripper is probably the most 2006 album of 2006, that is the 2006 album that sounds prefer it may have come out a century earlier or later. (Or, someway, earlier and later concurrently.)
15. TV On The Radio — Return To Cookie Mountain
Because the “return of rock!” factor was ending, an artier and quirkier model of NYC indie was on the rise. I perceive that phrases like “artier” and particularly “quirkier” include a variety of baggage, however it didn’t appear that manner in 2006. At the moment, the arrival of one thing described like “one other harp-centric indie-rock document accented by the psych-baroque prospers from the one and solely Van Dyke Parks” was seen as contemporary and creative, moderately than tiresome or (to make use of a time period not but in frequent use) “try-hard.” You can additionally, for instance, name your document Return To Cookie Mountain and nonetheless be thought-about one of many hippest and most admired bands of your period. I favored TV On The Radio then, and I like them now. The one cause this isn’t ranked larger is that TV On The Radio is an A+ reside band that makes B+ information. I’ll wish to play the video of “Wolf Like Me” from The Late Present With David Letterman till the day I die. And I’ll at all times be barely upset once I hearken to the studio model.
14. Arctic Monkeys — No matter Folks Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Right here’s one other private bias I forgot to say earlier: I turned 29 in 2006. If I had turned 19 that 12 months, this document is perhaps my No. 1. Folks of my classic didn’t actually come round on Arctic Monkeys till Alex Turner began dressing just like the Fonz and making upscale Black Keys songs. But when I have been younger, drunker, snarkier, and angrier that 12 months, this is able to nonetheless be my most popular Alex Turner overdrive.
13. Sonic Youth — Quite Ripped
Talking of turning 29 in 2006: I used to be precisely the form of one who was excited a few new Sonic Youth album. Bear in mind after we bought a brand new Sonic Youth album each few years? Once we had it, we didn’t respect it. And now that it’ll in all probability by no means occur once more, it looks like a really valuable commodity. Is it truthful to categorise aughts-era Sonic Youth as “underrated”? It appeared that manner on the time, after the poor evaluations given to 2000’s (fairly good, really!) NYC Ghosts & Flowers. After that got here a trilogy of information that signify the band’s most persistently tuneful and accessible work. And within the wake of 2002’s Murray Road and 2004’s Sonic Nurse, Quite Ripped simply is perhaps probably the most tuneful and accessible of the bunch. Whereas the 2 predecessors lean extra on prolonged jams, this album consists largely of punchy and melodic rock songs. (Solely two tracks method even seven minutes.) Listening to Sonic Youth on this interval, they appeared like a dependable classic-rock band that may simply carry on placing out high quality albums and enjoying kick-ass reveals eternally, like Manhattan’s reply to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
12. Magnolia Electrical Co. — Fading Trails
Alas, that didn’t occur. And the sense of loss continues right here. Jason Molina died seven years after after this album was launched, and one other seven or so years after that his affect on present indie singer-songwriters appeared apparent and widespread. However in 2006, Fading Trails had a foul status. Molina and his band had been working in numerous studios with a number of producers on an enormous field set of latest materials that may ultimately be launched in 2007 as Sojourner. However Molina’s label Secretly Canadian, presumably antsy for extra product, took 9 songs from these periods and compiled a quick 28-minute album, to Molina’s final dissatisfaction. However regardless of the backstory, Fading Trails is his most speedy effort, providing an invitingly sad-eyed country-rock gateway to his voluminous catalog.
11. Midlake — The Trials Of Van Occupanther
The form of document the place for those who carry it as much as a 48-year-old indie-rock fan in 2026, that individual will smile and both provide up a fist pump or a again slap. Nonetheless, if that individual is not less than 10 years youthful or not less than 10 years older, they’ll don’t have any clue what you’re speaking about. Midlake was a Texas band who seemed like they have been from the English moors of the early Seventies. They made witchy-sounding folks rock that evoked pre-Stevie & Lindsey-era Fleetwood Mac and The Wicker Man. And The Trials Of Van Occupanther was their large second. It’s a document I can affirm sounds unbelievable if you’re smoking weed out of an apple bong at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday.
10. The Strokes — First Impressions Of Earth
The quintessential “lengthy tail of the post-Strokes ‘rock is again!’ boosterism” album. Naturally, it was made by The Strokes themselves. I listened to this document so much in 2025 for causes that might be made clear later this 12 months. So, chalk this as much as extra private bias and/or musical Stockholm Syndrome. However First Impressions Of Earth has as many very good-to-great songs as Is This It or Room On Fireplace. The issue is that it has a further 4 to 6 extra songs that aren’t very good-to-great, although the muddle stops being a bug and turns into a function with repeat listens. However as an historic doc — and as an album that captures what it felt prefer to reside in 2006 — First Impressions Of Earth is completely important. I level to the caustic “15 Minutes,” Julian Casablancas’ spin on “My Means” — each the Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious variations — the place he provides his personal epitaph: “‘Trigger at this time, they’ll discuss us / And tomorrow, they received’t care.”
9. Phoenix — It’s By no means Been Like That
Within the annals of Phoenix-dom, this is called “the one earlier than the large one.” Launched three years later, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix represents the band’s widespread pinnacle, because of the signature singles “1901” and “Lisztomania.” However I nonetheless favor It’s By no means Been Like That. It may not have the hits, however it has a lot of ought to have been hits. Facet one, for example, options an ideal run of songs, from “Napoleon Says” (the perfect Strokes track of 2006) to “Comfort Prizes” (second finest) to “Lengthy Distance Name” (third finest) to “One Time Too Many” (my favourite track on the whole document).
8. The Knife — Silent Shout
Confession time: I by no means heard this album till final week. I used to be conscious of it on the time — it was Pitchfork’s No. 1 album of the 12 months. However I didn’t purchase it, illegally obtain it, or get a free copy from a publicist. And people have been the 3 ways I heard new music in 2006. This was the window of time between unlawful downloads turning into untenable (except you wished to shred your laptop computer with malware) and streaming music being extensively accessible (which didn’t occur till the 2010s). So, this was presumably the final time if you had a very good excuse to not hear an album everyone was speaking about. On this case, I used to be lacking out, as a result of this album guidelines! It appears like Max Martin if he listened unique to Bauhaus. And it hits particularly laborious if you’re traversing the frigid tundra of western, central, japanese, and southern Wisconsin in mid-January.
7. My Morning Jacket — Okonokos
This, then again, is likely one of the two or three albums I performed probably the most in 2006. (Once more, it’s the apple bong of all of it.)
6. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins — Rabbit Fur Coat
My No. 1 album of 2006, as decided by me on the finish of 2006. At this level, it’s not even my favourite Jenny Lewis document. (That may be On The Line, which I’ll be discussing in 2029 for my “Favourite Albums Of 2019” column.) Nevertheless it nonetheless has a really heat place in my coronary heart, each as a “time and place” document (no different album is extra carefully related in my thoughts with shifting to a brand new city with my spouse) and as an impeccable slice of country-soul with a few of my favourite Jenny Lewis songs (“The Charging Sky,” “You Are What You Love,” “Rise Up With Fists!!”). This document can also be accountable for me liking Jenny Lewis solo albums greater than Rilo Kiley, a place that appears extra contentious in 2026 than it did in 2006.
5. The Maintain Regular — Boys And Ladies In America
A no brainer No. 1 album of 2006 for me in 2011, 2016, and (in all probability) 2021. However this document hits completely different now that I’ve not too long ago pivoted from a “gonna stroll round, gonna stroll round, gonna stroll round and drink” way of life. Now, I view this album like that one school pal you possibly can solely hold with yearly or two. Any additional publicity will wreck your liver, your marriage, and your extra essential guarantees.
4. Grizzly Bear — Yellow Home
I’m dwelling extra of a Grizzly Bear-type way of life lately. I aspire to the interpersonal equal of this album’s completely rendered harmonies and punctiliously composed instrumentation. Although I doubt I’ll ever have my shit collectively to a Yellow Home-level diploma. To be trustworthy, that is my least favourite of Grizzly Bear’s “important” albums — I favor Veckatimist and Shields, as these are typically more durable hitting “band-sounding” efforts. (I’d even take 2008’s implausible Buddy EP in a Grizzly Bear draft.) However we’re speaking about one of many best American bands of the late aughts, and any choice I may need for later work shouldn’t be confused for criticism of an in any other case wonderful document.
3. Cat Energy — The Best
For the longest time, I mentally docked this album a number of factors in deference to Cat Energy loyalists who seen it as a “too straightforward” stab at mainstream acceptance. These attractive slabs of Memphis soul set in opposition to Chan Marshall’s smoky, mesmerizing voice couldn’t method the emotional catharsis of Moon Pix, I used to be instructed. However as a lot as I like Moon Pix, this document arrived at first hear prefer it had already been in your assortment for 30 years. Which felt unbelievable once I was 29 however now looks like the hallmark of an prompt basic that instantly creates a sweetly pained melancholy each time I put it on.
2. Destroyer — Destroyer’s Rubies
Probably the most “middle-aged indie dude” factor about me is that for a few years from the previous quarter-century, I could make an impassioned case that Dan Bejar made considered one of that 12 months’s finest albums. He’s the indie-rock mainstay who retains rising in my private energy rankings, which I feel is true for 3 causes: 1) He makes good-ass music; 2) His albums don’t at all times make sense the 12 months they have been launched, they usually usually don’t even appear all that likeable at first; 3) The second cause jogs my memory of all my favourite artists derived from the ’60s and ’70s. Destroyer’s Rubies is the Bejar album that the majority invitations comparisons to the off-brand Bob Dylan and Van Morrison albums to which salt-and-pepper-bearded fellows like myself gravitate. It has the sound of Road-Authorized and the soul of Widespread One. And if meaning one thing to you, you’re in all probability confused as to why this isn’t at No. 1.
1. Band Of Horses — The whole lot All The Time
In case you can drive throughout Wisconsin in January and never come out raving about how effectively this goddamn album holds up you’re product of sterner stuff that I’m. (Did I say “hell yeah” to an empty passenger seat when “Weed Get together” got here on? Do I’ve two ears and a coronary heart?) Although I can’t simply chalk this as much as automotive bias. I take into consideration The whole lot All The Time like cinephiles regard Midnight Run. The kind of well-made, sturdy, extremely likeable, accessible, and endlessly entertaining work of widespread artwork they simply don’t make anymore. What Midnight Run is to studio motion comedies, The whole lot All The Time is to beard-y, brawny, large guitars, large feelings, big-ticket indie. You’ll be able to hearken to it one million occasions and it doesn’t lose its allure. Or not less than that’s my assumption. I’m at present on hear 981,123. I’ll let you already know once I get via the remaining 18,877 spins.