2007 fades away and leaves the usual mixed bag of music. I will leave the bad to the airwaves and lay out my favorite music tracks and albums of the year below, from N.20 to No. 1...let the countdown begin....(and yes, I am a pop geek...you have a problem with that?)
Singles & Tracks
20. ´Cobrastyle´ - Robyn
The Swedish pop princess lends her sass and kidlike vocals to her version of the TeddyBears 2006 dance track. Totally cool and I would argue even better than the original.
19. ´Baby Doll´ - Dan Wilson
From the guy who sang 1996´s ´Closing Time´comes this fantastic guitar ditty about love and obsession. Sometimes, simplicity goes a long way.
18. ´Please don´t stop the music´- Rihanna
Rihanna scores big in the danceclubs via Michael Jackson´s ma-ma-say-ma-ma-say-ma-ma-koo-sa...17. ´My Everything´- Michael Bubble
Something tells me that this guy doesn´t normally make my kind of music. But this was an infectious and utterly romantic summer tune that came to me just when I needed it.
16. ´Here in your arms´- HelloGoodbye
Brainless, despicable throaway vocoder euro pop that I absolutely loved last spring.15. ´Silver Lining´- Rilo Kiley
I read somewhere that Rilo´s fans hate their new album. Then maybe the fact that I never cared for them helped this dreamy folk-pop track be on constant repeat on my i-pod in October.
14. ´No One´- Alicia Keys
The most anthemic pop song of the year. Interestingly, this squeaky clean girl sounds like she spent the night before recording it chain smoking filterless Marlboros.13. ´Radio Nowhere´- Bruce Springsteen
He hasn´t made anything this catchy in, say, 20 plus years...had me dancing in the dark all over again.12. ´Gimme Gimme´- Britney Spears
The promiscuous-innocent paradox that made her so famous in the beginning has been gone for some time. This is pure slutty Brit to the max...and it works like a charm thanks to an inspiring beat...the VMA performance makes it even more decadent.
11. ´1973´ - James Blunt
He whines and he was not even around in 1973. But the nostalgia here took me back to some mythically cool high school where I met the person of my dreams for a fleeting moment...and then I woke up.10. ´Untouched´- The Veronicas
This tracks comes to you fast and furious and cheekily borrows key elements from Flashdance´s ´Maniac´. Pass the water bucket please. Grrrl pop at its best.
9. ´The Sweet Escape´- Gwen Stefani
Pop charmer with an old school vibe that was the highlight of her tepid second album.8. ´Umbrella´- Rihanna
Two years in a row she has managed to start her albums with breakthrough first singles. Unfortunately, she always disappoints with her Bland & B follow ups
...Eh! Eh! ´nuff said.
7. ´Videotape´- Radiohead
Hypnotic, cinematic gem from a top notch album.
6. ´Big Girls Don´t Cry´ - Fergie
I liked the previous ´Dutchess´tracks despite myself, but this went totally against convention for her. My favorite ballad of the year.5. ´My Moon, My Man´- Feist
´1,2,3,4´ grabbed the spotlight but this one is the darkest and sexiest tracks off ´Reminder´. Should be the hit she deserves to have.
4. ´DVNO´ - Justice
What is DVNO? No idea. Daft Punk with a Grittier, more frenetic edge. I dare you to sit still.3. ´Rehab´- Amy Winehouse
Flawless throwback sound and dead on lyrics.. The chorus everyone was singing this year... No, No ,No2. ´Handle Me´- Robyn
Girl Power perfection. A diss to some skeevy guy, wrapped in sugary candy, that still grows on me after all these months.1. ´GRACE KELLY´- MIKA
He would have topped this year´s chart on great hair alone... but with one listen, I realized that no one had crafted a chorus this catchy ages...A little Broadway, a little Elton but much bigger than the sum of its parts. Why can´t American radio play stuff like this?
Albums
5. ´I Created Disco´ - Calvin Harris
Eighties influenced synth pop with a sense of humor. Danceable and perfect post party music. ´Acceptable in the 80´s´ and ´The Girls´have already been UK hits. Hopefully the US will follow.
4. ´Blackout´ - Britney Spears
Either she has fabricated the whole ´looney´persona and is laughing all the way to the bank or the woman is also a musical genius.
This will inspire a whole bunch of 12 year old prostitots to beg their parents for stripper poles in their bedrooms. So what? let the parents deal with it! As for me, I will continue to enjoy standout tracks like ´Ooh Ooh Baby´, ´Break the Ice´and ´Radar´til the sun comes up. A sexy, sleazy and perfect come on of an album.
3. ´In Rainbows´- Radiohead
I didn´t care for the last few albums that had an experimental touch. For me, this is the band at its best since 1997´s ´Ok Computer´. Amazing.
2. ´Back to Black´- Amy Winehouse
The year in music would have suffered without this woman´s pipes. This album has more great tracks than most in recent memory. ´Rehab´, ´Tears dry on their own´, ´Me and Mr Jones´and the title track are outstanding.
1. ´Robyn´- Robyn
The perfect pop album. Catchy, danceable and all that but also original, almost futuristic, and superbly produced. To be fair, some of the tracks assembled here have been around for a couple of years. But the fact remains, of the 16 tracks, there are so many potential hits (if US radio woke up) that it almost feels like a greatest hits collection. Highlights include: Konitchiwa Bitches, Handle Me, Cobrastyle and Bum like you. But there are at least 7 others worthy of downloads.
Rewind - 2006
And here is a recap of my favorite music from 2006...
FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2006
1) The Knife - Silent Shout'Wacko Atmospheric Genius from Sweden. If you like dance/electronica, you'll love this''
2) Goldfrapp - Supernature'Playful, Sexy techno pop. They keep evolving nicely. The 70's glam touch is great addition'
3) Soft Machine - Teddy Bears'Not the most original album of the year. But it's energy and hooks make it the party must'
3) Hot Chip - The Warning'When the masses have left the party. Dim the lights. Get on top of a table...and shake it...'
4) TV on the radio - Return to Cookie Mountain'Genre defying. These guys, with Gnarls Barkley and The Knife, made the most original pop of the year'
FAVORITE TRACKS of 2006
1) Number One - Goldfrapp'Dreamy, Pitch perfect pop track that could fit in a futuristic John Hughes movie'
2) Get Together - Madonna'Early Madonna throwback with a great edge. Her flirtiest song in decades. Who cares about radio?''
3) Unwritten Natasha Beddnigfield 'Guilty Pleasure of the year!'
4) We share our Mothers Health - the Knife'Totally original...catchy, frenetic and even a little bit creepy'
5) Crazy - Gnarls Barkley' Amazing beats, great lyrics...but it's all in the oddball delivery'
6) SOS - Rihanna 'Kudos for bypassing the obvious 'bland US radio r&b/pop' route. No one looked better on video this year''
7) Dare - Gorillaz 'Amazing dance song with the band's trademark touch of humour'
8) Air - MF Doom (dabrye mix) 'Haunting. My favorite rap song since J-Z's early years'
9) Talk - ColdPlay'Another one of their irresistible anthems'
10) Move Along - All American Rejects'Of all the million emo clones, these guys made the only great genre track this year'
11) Do not Break - Ellen Alien 'I dare you not to want to breakdance to this lyricless techno number'
12) The One that got away - Natasha Beddingflield' This should have been the follow up to 'unwritten'. old fashioned pop at its best. Check out the remixes'
13) Ooh La La - Goldfrapp'Thanks to Goldfrapp for lending a bit of glitz and glam to the year that was'
14) Maneater - Nelly Furtado'Agressive and less obvious than 'promiscuous'. Pays homage to Hall & Oates without being a cover'
15) Playhouses - TV on the Radio'The best rock in ages.''
16) Mamas Room - Under The Influence of Giants'70's revival gone boy pop = The best breeziest summer song. Too bad for the unfortunate video''
17) Punk Rocker - Teddy Bears & Iggy Pop'Cause I'm a punk rocker yes I am!!' damn it!
18) Over & Over - Hot Chip'The fly buzz that forms the background to this one helps make it totally hypnotic'
19) Jump - Madonna'Fantastic & Groovy...'
20) Hey You - Basement Jaxx'Another danceable track from these guys. This time with a Swedish pop siren and a touch of Rio''
