For your delectation and education (and a chance for us to pretend that we’re really cool) we have cobbled together a list of all that was magnificent musically over the last twelve months, based on a poll of the SoundsXP scribes.

Looking down the list it tells us that 2006 was a good year for music but one not dominated by any one band or genre. The fact that the winners of both the best album (Love is All) and single (Peter, Bjorn and John) are Swedish sums up just how strong that nation’s off-kilter pop is at the moment and why this site will continue to bring you the best the country has to offer. For trivia freaks, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah win 4th best album with their eponymous debut, having come second with the same album last year (when it was available as import only).

Brakes fairly comfortably win the best live act award, having finished second in 2005. With their eclectic taste (hardcore punk to folk in an instant) and intense delivery, they are a band you really must see in 2007 if you have not done already.

Anyway enough chatter, this was 2006:

Albums

1. Love Is All – 9 Times the Same Song
2. Absentee - Schmotime
3. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – s/t
5. Beirut – Gulag Orkestra
6. The Spinto Band – Nice and Nicely Done
7. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
8. The Pipettes – We Are the Pipettes
9. The Research – Breaking Up
10. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
11. The Long Blondes – Someone to Drive You Home
12. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
13. Brakes - Beatific Visions
14. Tapes N Tapes - The Loon
15. Islands - Return to the Sea
16. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
17. The Organ – Sinking Hearts
18. Darren Hayman - Table For One
19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
20. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards

Singles

1. Peter, Bjorn and John – Young Folks
2. The Little Ones - Sing Songs EP
3. Regina Spektor - Us
4. I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
5. Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken
6. Rosemary - Suburban Kings
7. Fanfarlo - Talking Backwards
8. Tamborines - Sally O’Gannon
9. Hot Club De Paris – Sometimesitsbetternottosticksongtitlestogether
10. Comet Gain - Beautiful Despair
11. Midlake - Roscoe
12. Cannonball Jane - Take It To Fantastic
13. Shrag - Pregnancy Scene
14. Islands - Rough Gem
15. Fury of the Headteachers - Fables
16. The Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow
17. Tiny Dancers - Lions and Tigers and Lions EP
18. Tapes n’ Tapes - Insistor
19. Manic Cough - Lips and Hips
20. Absentee - Something to Bang

Live acts

1. Brakes
2. Spinto Band
3. Brian Jonestown Massacre
4. Tiny Dancers
5. Darren Hayman
6. Fanfarlo
7. Richard Hawley
8. Tilly and the Wall
9. Misty's Big Adventure
10. Hot Club De Paris
11. The Research
12. The Piney Gir Country Roadshow
13. Okkervil River
14. I’m From Barcelona
15. The Priscillas
16. The Left Outsides
17. Neko Case
18. Final Fantasy
19. The Rogers Sisters
20. Chris TT

Compilations / Reissues

1. McLusky - Mcluskyism
2. Various -The Kids At The Club
3. Various - CD86
4. Various - Tropicalia: A Brazilian Revolution in Sound
5. Various - Still Unravished: A Tribute to the June Brides
6. Hefner - The Best Of
7. Josef K - Etymology
8. Various – Blue Skies Up (Dogbox)
9. The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
10. Various - Live at the Purr Club

What's your view? Comment on the Forum

Other discussions on the SoundsXP forums right now...

Spread the word: Email this article

NAT JOHNSON - Interview

BROKEN FAMILY BAND - Live

SLOW DOWN TALLAHASSEE - Live

WAKE THE PRESIDENT - Live

WAVE PICTURES - Live

SCREAMING TEA PARTY - Live

DARREN HAYMAN - Live

SPEEDMARKET AVENUE - Live

BRAKES - Interview

OF MONTREAL - Live