I know I've been saying this about a lot of sets, but I really, really do like this one. A lot!
Top 20 begins!
Top 100 Tunes of 2006 (cont)
20. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
| The Open Door |
Don't cry to me, if you loved me
You would be hear with me
Don't lie to me, just get your things
I've made up my mind
Despite the album itself being a relative dissapointment, Amy Lee proved that she could still produce a mega-rock single without Ben Moody as she unleased this fists of fury to multiple formats this past summer. Lee's s stunning and strong vocals are what lifts this potentially conventional modern rock tune, into an absolute monster that grows on you with every subsequent listen.
19. Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
| A Fever You Can't Sweat Out |
What a beautiful wedding
What a beautiful wedding says the bridesmaid to the ..
Oh yes but what a shame
What a shame the poor grooms bride is a *****
This is now 3 out of 4 for the Vegas natives on this year-end catalogue with their biggest (and probably biggest ever) hit to date. "I Write Sins" has that million dollar chorus that gets underneath everyone's skin. The superb songwriting shines through yet again and was the perfect way to introduce the band's clever and witty banter to a mainstream audience in dire need of something refreshing. Jealousy, envy, and "sexy results" - it's all here!
18. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
| Stadium Arcadium |
California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
California show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest
The eseential rock single of 2006 and the obvious "biggest hit". With just cause I believe. The story of Dani was told in a non-chalant manner through their accompanying epic parody video, but it's the lyrics themselves that bring the tale to life. Not to mention the larger than life guitar solo at the end just totally brings the cows home as if it were the easiest thing somebody could do. It's just a killer "return to the game" single that brought forward one of the best RHCP albums to date.
17. The Subways - I Want To Hear What You Got To Say
| Young For Eternity |
My head is spinning around I don't know what to do
If I'm so happy then I've got everything to lose
And everytime it's raining, you don't know my name
This wasn't even a single - but it's such an obvious and winning highlight off the couple/siblings British group debut album that I just had to recognize it. Barely clocking in over 2:30 minutes long, this thrashy and completely grimey escapade takes you through feelings of deceit, envy, and full on lust. Charlotte Cooper plays a superb antagonist with her co-vocals and she almost does a one up on her boyfriend (who is also in the group, har har). This song makes you get up and rock buoyos, it's grade A stuff.
16. Stars - Your Ex Lover Is Dead
| Set Yourself On Fire |
Live through this, and you won't look back
There's one thing I want to say so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted, I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you, I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to say
So those highlights pretty much sum up the 2 ex-girlfriends I had this year. So much effort gone and wasted, but enough about that. One of them did say however that Stars were "pretty music" - which they are. The songmanship and delivery of Stars is elegant, simple, and completely poised. If there was an outfit any more classy I'd pay some top dollar to see it live. "Your Ex Lover Is Dead" is the perfect summary for a breakup that doesn't sugar coat it in some overblown dramatic CHR/Pop way. It's true stuff.
WOOO TOP 15.
15. Broken Social Scene - 7/4 Shoreline
| Broken Social Scene |
It's a shoreline and it's half speed
It's a cruel world and it's time
And you're walking away
But where to go to?
Good god is this ecclectic fusion if I've ever heard it. This band is often a 16-piece outfit that modernizes what it means to be progressive and "considerate" of every aspect of music. "7/4 Shoreline" is by far the most ambitious tune on this year end because it defines all boundaries and encompasses pop choruses that could be chanted as anthems, there is tap along brass and horns, and songwriting that is simple on the surface, but several layers deep and shimmers of brilliance. This outfit is smarter than Metric, they just don't have the same "oomph" in their delivery.
14. Snow Patrol - You're All I Have
| Eyes Open |
You're cinematic razor sharp,
A welcome arrow through the heart,
Under your skin feels like home,
Electric shocks on aching bones
A dynamite year for the UK lads as this is their third out of four for the year-end catalogue. Despite being a moderate hit already on Alternative early this year, this seems as if it will take on the monumental task of following up "Chasing Cars" in 2007. If any song on this album could do it - it's this one. As I've previously described, Snow Patrol are fully capable of capturing our attention by relating song lyrics to common and modern day people's everyday situations. In the most simplistic of fashions, "You're All I Have" lays out on the line what many of us feel but can't find any means of putting it into words.
It's so clear now that you are all that I have - it doesn't get anymore blatant than that. Snow Patrol help put the words to what we have difficulty describing.
13. Rihanna - S.O.S. (Rescue Me)
| A Girl Like Me |
S.O.S. please someone help me
It's not healthy For me to feel this
Oh why are you making this hard?
You got me tossing and turning can't sleep at night
Last year she had club banger of the year for "Pon De Replay", and if it wasn't for a certain Canadian hottie in the top 10 she'd have it this year too. "SOS" is dynamite - sampling classic hits like Soft Cell seems to be all the rage these days and Rihanna exploits a quirky old sound and modernizes it with her god-damn sexy and rather raspy vocals. This is a blast to hear on the weekends, everyone's in a good mood having a good time. Someone get me a drink.
12. Metric - Monster Hospital
| Live It Out |
Bam-chick-a-bam, chick-a-boom-boom-boom
Sha-lang-sha-lang-boom, sha-lang-sha-long-boom
Bam-chick-a-bam, chick-a-boom-boom-boom
Sha-lang-sha-lang-boom
Monster Hospital, can you please release me?
Only Emily Haines and co. could get away with such a ridiculously lucrative opening number. "Bam-chick-a-bam" is brilliant because the joining of Emily's oddly convincing vocals and the bands storming and flooding guitar-keyboard-bass fusion is right on cue as it leads into a "calm before the storm" first verse. The chorus,
I fought the war but the war won, stop for the love of God, I'll say it again, is the best of 2006. "Monster Hospital" was Metric's first BIG single, and is a fantastic set up for another single of theirs which is still to come, and could actually be considered the complete polar opposite to this Clash-inspired underdog hit.
11. The Kooks - Naive
| Inside In / Inside Out |
Oh you're so naive yet so
How could this be done
By such a smiling sweetheart
Oh and your sweet and pretty face
In such an ugly way something so beautiful
Everytime I look inside
This is 3/3 in a breakthrough year for the chaps outta England who were able to ride an Arctic Monkey wave of fire and sell over a million copies of "Inside In / Inside Out" in the UK alone. I'm sure that domestic domination is soon to come as "Naive" is just a poignant take on breakups, love, and all things in between with a rather heavy and somewhat incoherent British accent. But that's the allure of it right? This guy that we can never relate to even if we wanted to, makes himself relatable through a simple acoustic telling of a tale we've heard many times before. The Kooks are fun because they're different for us North Americans - they may be conventional in the UK, but it's always a blast to hear this stuff on our side of the pond.
I'm busy with friends and work and such through to New Years day
Soo.. Top 10 starts then and Albums #5-1. I'm pretty sure I can promise that.
Drink your faces off, don't drive, and have a good new years.