Your "Top 20" is pretty right on in my book Jeff. I especially dug The 
Winnerys and The Fags. But your take on The Raconteurs has me 
scratching my head. Boring? Wow. I can only say that their show here a 
few months back was totally amazing, and the band was REALLY enjoying 
the ROCK. I have it chalked up as one my Top 10.

Brian/The Hard Left



Quoting AssociationWorks <AssociationWorks@comcast.net>:

> 1. THE NINES - Calling Distance Stations
> Direct, deliberate, amazingly cohesive songcraft and perfect melodies. As
> good as pop gets.
> 2. DAMONE - Out Here All Night
> More fun, sing-along pop-metal albums than you can shake a stick at!
> 3. CHRIS BROWN - All My Rivals
> A stellar debut record filled with sophisticated song structures, stacked on
> harmonies and an amazing warmth and clarity.
> 4. SLOAN - Never Hear the End Of It
> A good half of this album is suberb. The other half's mediocrity is still
> better than most
> of the indie pop genre's best.
> 5. THE FAGS - Light Em Up
> A fun, bombastic new power pop record.... full of slap-in-the-face hooks and
> musical sensibilities of Cheap Trick and other 80's guilty pleasures like 38
> Special and Bryan Adams
> 6. EDITORS - The Back Room
> More palatable and musically cohesive than Interpol, The Strokes, Franz or
> any other genre-stealing buzz band of 2006.
> 7. THE GREEN & YELLOW TV - Sinister Barrier
> A dark, diverse album that stretches the barriers of pop with extremely
> melodic results.
> 8. ROGER MANNING JR. - Land of Pure Imagination
> An encyclopedia of pop.open to every page.
> 9. THE WINNERYS - Daily Urban Times
> Their influences are worn overtly on their sleeves (mid-era Beatles,
> Hollies, Zombies, early Posies).but the songs and arrangements are
> incredible. The best "Headphone Album" of the year!
> 10. FIELDS - Seven From The Village
> Intense, driving pastoral pop reflects contemporaries like Matt Pond PA, The
> Magnetic Fields, or the Arcade Fire.
> 11. JET - Shine On
> 12. L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling
> 13. THE FORMAT - Dog Problems
> 14. WOLFMOTHER - s/t
> 15. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS - A Blessing & A Curse
> 16. GUSTER - Ganging Up On The Sun
> 17. BECK - The Information
> 18. CALEXICO - Garden Ruin
> 19. GRANDADDY - Just Like The Fambly Cat
> 20. THE SAILS - s/t
>
> Honorable Mentions:
> EARL GREYHOUND - Soft Targets
> SILVERSUN PICKUPS - Carnavas
> THE SUBWAYS - Young For Eternity
> TRAIL OF THE DEAD - So Divided
> CAMERA OBSCURA - Let's Get Out of This Country
> RHETT MILLER - The Believer
> MORNINGWOOD - s/t
>  ("Nth Degree" hands down - best pop song of the year!)
> PERNICE BROTHERS - Live a Little
> THE KOOKS - Inside In Inside Out
> HEAD AUTOMATICA - Popaganda
> THE VINES - Vision Valley
> THE HUSH SOUND - Like Vines
> THE PINK SPIDERS - Teenage Graffiti
> JEREMY MESSERSMITH - The Alcatrazz Kid
>
> Biggest Disappointments:
> THE RACONTEURS - An utterly boring, watered down version of Benson and White
> 's respective talents (IMHO)
> LEMONHEADS - s/t
> We waited 10 years for this?!?!? Yawn.
> NINA GORDON - Bleeding Heart Graffiti
> I had high expectations after her great 2000 debut. This follow-up is sorry
> background music for soccer moms.
> SNOW PATROL - Coldplay is bad enough.but when/how did this band become
> Coldpaly-lite?
>
> that's it!
> Jeff
>
>