PROLOGUE: If You Live In Atlanta . . .

. . . then you have no excuse not to buy all of your records at Criminal Records, located in the heart of Little 5 Points. Supporting your local indie record store is as important as supporting the artists you love, and Atlanta is lucky to be the home of one of the best indie stores in America. You don't want to be left with nothing but Best Buy, Target, Circuit City and Walmart, do you? You know you won't be able to get anything cool or hard-to-find at one of those places. Think global, shop local!

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

What an egregious disservice the British music press did this band of teenagers from Sheffield by hyping them to the heavens, in fact to the point of absurdity, before this, their first record, was even released in January. A nasty backlash was inevitable, and come it did, so quickly on the heels of the initial adulation that by mid-year it was as if some sort of pre-scripted cycle had played itself out completely and everyone's attention turned elsewhere. That's a shame. No, they are not the second coming of The Clash -- not even close. But what got overlooked in all the hysteria was the simple fact that this is a tremendously talented and promising young band, and this is one hell of a debut. Full of crunchy, riffing guitars, pulsing rhythms and songwriter Alex Turner's tales of British boys on the town, in the clubs, chatting up girls and getting nicked by the coppers, the sound of this record is at once something familiar and something very fresh and new. Grab a pint and play it loud.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: The View From The Afternoon -- not one of the singles that loosed the avalanche of hype, but a template for the Arctic Monkeys sound. If you like this track, you'll like this band.

Jon Auer - Songs From The Year Of Our Demise

From Dylan's Blood On The Tracks to Beck's Sea Change, the break-up album has become a time-honored rock and roll tradition, if not a genre in itself. To the list of standout records in the category you can add this powerful solo album by Jon Auer, one-half of the songwriting duo from The Posies that has been turning out power pop gems for going on 20 years. As the title makes pretty clear, this record largely chronicles the end of a marriage, and the tone and subject matter of the songs span the entire range of emotions that a bad break-up can produce, from the initial denial and hope for reconciliation, to venomous anger, to ultimate resignation, sadness and the healing promise of a new relationship. Throughout, Auer exhibits the deft songwriting skill, terrific guitar work and sweet voice that Posies fans have come to expect and love. In fact, this is a far stronger record than either of the last two Posies releases, perhaps because this project is so personal to Auer, like something he just had to get out of his system. By turns lovely and cutting, but always smart, skillful and melodic, this is a welcome return to top form by an artist that I have enjoyed and respected for a long time.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Four Letter Word -- absolute, unadulterated vitriol, set to a jaunty (but slightly menacing) piano riff.

The Beatles - Love

Since bootleg remixers and mash-up artists have been having a go at the Beatles catalog for years -- sometimes to stunning effect -- I guess it should come as no surprise that the Fabs decided to authorize an official effort, specifically to provide the musical backdrop for Cirque du Soleil's multi-million dollar, Beatles-themed Las Vegas production entitled Love. What is surprising, so long as you don't consider this sort of thing to be sacrilegious, is how good, and even moving, the results are. Helmed by Giles Martin, under the watchful eye of his father and "fifth Beatle", Sir George, this is a recording on which vocals, guitar riffs, rhythm tracks, instrumental solos and even more isolated elements from the Beatles master tapes -- including demos, alternate takes and even idle studio chatter -- are mixed, layered and otherwise blended together into an 80-minute collage of sound. Some tracks leave entire songs virtually intact, albeit with guitar solos, drum patterns or bass lines pulled from other songs and seamlessly overlaid, while others are full-on mash-ups, in which numerous songs are cut together to create something entirely new (but at the same time, of course, very familiar). The effect throughout is nothing less than engaging, and it's fun to play "spot the riff" or "name that bassline," but at certain moments -- such as the way the vocal melody from "Sun King", played backwards, segues into "Something," or hearing John, Paul and George's harmonized vocals from "Because" completely a cappella -- it'll give you goosebumps. "Strawberry Fields Forvever" morphs from one of John's acoustic demos, into an early, alternate studio take, and then into the master take that everybody knows so well. An acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," with a gorgeous new string arrangement by George Martin (the only newly-recorded music that appears anywhere on this project), is another of many highlights. Most amazing of all is the sheer sound quality on these painstakingly remastered tracks -- close your eyes and it sounds like The Beatles are in the room with you. (Listening on headphones is particularly breathtaking. Even someone like me, who has heard these tracks literally hundreds of times, can discover little nuances -- a sweet McCartney bassline here, a cool drum fill by Ringo there -- that he never noticed before.) Until EMI finally gets around to remastering the entire Beatles catalog, this is as close as you can get to hearing what it sounded like in Studio Two at Abbey Road when the greatest band of all time was at work.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing, to hear 3 great mid-period Beatles tracks, two by Paul and one by John, all mashed together -- one of the more clear-cut examples of what's in store on this record.

Lindsey Buckingham - Under The Skin

In my book, Lindsey Buckingham achieved legend status long ago, due not only to his masterful contributions to Fleetwood Mac's classic records of the 70s and 80s ("Go Your Own Way," "The Chain," "Never Going Back Again," "Save Me A Place," "Big Love" and on and on and on), but also to the wildly inventive solo records he's released all-too-infrequently ever since. This is his first solo effort in 14 years, but it was well worth the wait. Alternating between pretty, polished ballads that recall his best work with the Mac and the sonically adventurous, multi-tracked, Tusk-like tracks that have typified his more experimental solo work -- and featuring his astonishing guitar-playing throughout -- this is a terrific collection of songs, and a welcome return by a gigantic talent.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: To Try For The Sun, a lovely Donovan cover that features Lindsey's patented, and mindblowing, fingerpicking guitar technique.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

I'll say it again -- Neko Case is the greatest singer of her generation. Mark my words: Someday, music lovers will speak of her with the same reverence and awe that is reserved today for artists like Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline. And this, well, this is Neko's greatest album -- so far. Not only is her voice sublimely gorgeous and powerful throughout, but now she's developed into a songwriter of the highest order as well. The songs here, without exception, are beautifully crafted slices of gothic Americana, and Neko just pours herself into every one. "Star Witness," about a car crash that kills the narrator's lover, is especially breathtaking, heartbreaking, and the finest thing she's ever created. "Margaret vs. Pauline" hauntingly contrasts two women, one privileged and one poor, and neatly summarizes their respective fates: "One left her sweater sittin' on the train / The other lost three fingers at the cannery". Meanwhile, "Maybe Sparrow," a longtime fixture of Neko's live set that finally sees an official release here, is a lovely meditation on mortality. But the simple fact is that every song on this album is exquisite, and it's tough to cite some as highlights while failing to mention others. Add a supporting cast that consists of some of the best players in American music -- members of Calexico and The Sadies, the amazing Jon Rauhouse on banjo and guitar, my lovely homegirl Kelly Hogan singing back-up, and even the legendary Garth Hudson of The Band on keys -- and what you have is a record that is damn-near perfect, and that will transcend time. Hands down, my favorite record of 2006.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Hold On, Hold On, with its wrenching opening line -- "The most tender place in my heart is for strangers / I know it's unkind, but my own blood is much too dangerous" -- and, Lord almighty, that voice.

Cat Power - The Greatest

What a year it was for Atlanta's favorite musical daughter, Chan Marshall, who records and performs as Cat Power. In January, she released this stunner of a record, on which her beautiful songs and gorgeous bourbon-and-honey voice are backed by the Memphis Rhythm Band, many of the same musicians you hear on the great Al Green hits of the 70s. Fans and critics swooned over the soulful twist her sound had taken, this was universally lauded as her best work ever, and all seemed right in the world of Cat Power. Then came word that her tour in support of the record was cancelled, for "health reasons." Longtime fans -- accustomed to years of sublime music, but also countless shows at which Chan was barely sober or focused enough to stay perched in her chair, much less get through an entire song -- had reason to be very, very worried. Then, in the early summer, she emerged from rehab, sober, smiling, slimmed-down, ridiculously sexy and sounding better than ever. Most amazing of all, she proceeded to mount a lengthy worldwide tour (still underway) and turn in wonderful, focused, inspired performances night after night. ( I saw her twice this year, both solo and with the full band, and both shows were excellent.) So it looks like our girl Chan is back, safe and sound. And thank God for it, because to have lost her after she delivered a career-best record like this would have been doubly tragic. Yearning, romantic, world-weary, heartbreaking and even downright catchy in places (surely "Could We" is as close to a hit single as Chan will ever give us), and bathed in bass, guitar, piano, horns and strings that accentuate the soulful Southerness that is in her DNA, no matter where her beauty and fame may carry her, this is just a lovely, lovely collection of songs. I can't wait to see what a healthy and happy Chan will do next.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: The Greatest, on which Chan more or less foresees the struggles that lay ahead of her -- "Once I wanted to be the greatest / No wind or waterfall could stall me / And then came the rush of the flood / Stars of night turned deep to dust" -- as the swooning strings quote "Moon River" behind her. Simply stunning.

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

In recent years, The Decemberists have become darlings of the indie rock scene, with both critics and fans, a feat that is all the more noteworthy when you realize that much of their catalog consists of sea chanteys, murder ballads, Japanese folk tales, stories of civil war soldiers and other fare that isn't exactly what you'd expect the hip kids to be into. Much of the credit goes to singer/songwriter Colin Meloy, a gifted songwriter, a keen student of virtually every musical form of the past 150 years and one of the most intelligent and literate lyricists around. He's like a brilliant young English professor who also happens to front a cool band. (How many other pop songwriters use descriptions like "soft as fontanelle"?) This is the group's major label debut, but if you assume that means they retreated from their eccentricities and played it safe, you're wrong. In addition to the baroque pop and folk influences and traditional song structures that usually characterize their sound, many of the tracks on this record have a distinct prog-rock vibe -- heavy electric keyboards and all -- and go on for more than 10 minutes. If anything, this record is less catchy and accessible than their previous effort, last year's excellent Picaresque, but in many ways this also is the better record, particularly for listeners who are willing to work a little harder to appreciate the exceptional craft and beauty of what Meloy and his cohorts have accomplished here. Beautifully produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, this is, quite simply, one of the very best records I heard this year.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: O Valencia!, which, despite all the odd and hopefully not off-putting descriptions of the band's sound that I've used above, is just a terrific little pop song. Okay, okay, it's a man's lament for his lover, shot dead by her enraged father as they tried to elope. Still, catchy as hell.

Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way

What better way for the Dixie Chicks to bounce back from the ridiculous (not to mention frightening) events of 2002 than to hook up with producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin, collaborate on new songs with some of the best and brightest pop songwriters around (Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, Neil Finn, Dan Wilson of Semisonic) and largely re-tool their entire sound into something far more reminiscent of late-70s California rock and Americana than anything that comes out of Nashville these days. The result is the Chicks' best and most consistent record to date. The usual catchy melodicism, gorgeous harmonies and stellar musicianship are still in abundance, and singer Natalie Maines -- God bless her -- is nothing less than a force of nature. The trials of recent years have left a mark on these women, however, and you can hear it without even trying very hard. "Not Ready To Make Nice" is the only track that explicitly addresses the fall-out from "the incident," as they call it, but there are undercurrents of darkness, anger, sadness and alienation all over this record, which only serve to give the songs a power, maturity and seriousness (in the best sense of the word) that the Chicks, for all their tremendous talents, have never quite achieved before. And for the second record in a row, the Chicks deliver a gorgeous tune about a parent's love for a child ("Lullaby"), but this time, in addition to tugging at your heart, they do it in a style and sound that would have been completely at home on Jenny Lewis' little indie-rock record (see further down the list). This is simply a terrific, moving piece of work, from start to finish. Good riddance, all you myopic, misguided, pseudo-patriotic country fans -- if you don't want to love these ladies anymore, I'll gladly take it from here.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Everybody Knows, written with Gary Louris (you can hear him singing back-up at the end, Jayhawks fans), a lilting piece of Americana about the little self-deceptions we all engage in, the steely resolve we all have to adopt sometimes, just to get by.

Bob Dylan - Modern Times

It's hard to say any more about Bob Dylan than has already been said many times over. This late career renaissance of his -- if that's even what this is -- has been an unexpected joy to lifelong worshippers like me. Although tagged by critics as the completion of a trilogy of brilliant albums that began with Time Out Of Mind in 1997, I personally don't view this record as such (although it does have much in common with 2001's Love and Theft), or see any indication that Dylan can't continue to turn out material as strong, engaging and even fascinating as this for as long as he keeps breathing. For now, we have Modern Times, the title of which is intended either to evoke the era of Charlie Chaplin or serve as an oxymoron, because the music on this record, while vital and timely, is firmly rooted in a distant American past. "Thunder On The Mountain" rollicks along, as Dylan recounts his thoughts and dreams in typically cryptic, stream-of consciousness fashion. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" is a gnarly blues (and so firmly rooted in the tradition that it blatantly steals its title and riff from a song by another artist, as many great blues numbers do). Meanwhile, "When The Deal Goes Down" is one of the sweetest, most romantic songs in the Dylan catalog, and "Beyond The Horizon" sounds like something that you might have heard at a vaudeville show 80 years ago. Throughout, Dylan is backed by his crack, longtime touring band, who by now seem to live and breath his songs as innately as he does, and believe it or not, he even does some of his best singing in years. It's just a wonderful, immensely enjoyable record, a twilight gem by one of the seminal musical and cultural figures of the last 100 years. I hope we don't have to wait another 5 years for his next one.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Thunder On The Mountain, because Bob's been thinking about love, sex, music, greed, human suffering, God and the apocalypse -- but still has time to lust after Alicia Keys.

The Features - Contrast

Exhibit A, the major-label debut by this obscure but terrific band from Tennessee made my list in 2004. This year, their label dropped them, on the eve of starting to record their second full-length, supposedly when they refused to record a cover for a commercial. With a batch of great new songs in hand, however, they quickly re-bounded with this self-released, 6-song EP, another (too small) dose of the melodic, literate, ferocious pop-rock that they've been turning out for years now, with only a regional fanbase and some critical raves to show for it. Singer/guitarist Matt Pelham is a gifted tunesmith and lyricist, and years of endless gigging have made the band ridiculously tight -- as I said 2 years ago, think David Byrne fronting The Attractions circa 1979. So now The Features are back to being my favorite little unsigned band. But, as usual, their latest release has been in constant rotation for months now, and is very highly recommended.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Wooden Heart, a sure-fire hit single in that alternate universe where the most popular music is also the smartest and coolest.

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

Tagged in recent years as Brooklyn's (or America's) "best bar band," The Hold Steady emerged this year as something much more significant, most notably by releasing this extraordinary record. And although I've read lately that the comparison is a bit of an irritant to them, there's no denying the extent to which almost everything about this record -- from the subject matter and lyrical style, to the predominance of the piano and glockenspiel in the arrangements, to lead singer Craig Finn's phrasing -- recalls classic, E Street-era Springsteen. But while this record, too, recounts the escapades of young people in the urban streets, in evocative detail and accompanied by truly exuberant music, the tone of the lyrics here is much darker than anything on Born To Run -- these "boys and girls" are bored with their circumstances to the point of hopelessness, weighted down by their sadness, and the scenes Finn describes are awash with drugs, which serve as both recreational ritual and a means of temporary escape. It would all be a bit of a downer if the music weren't so powerful, even joyous, if the band didn't rock so hard, and if Finn wasn't such an excellent storyteller. If there was a better pure rock and roll record released this year, I must have missed it.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Stuck Between Stations, the opening track on this terrific record, and something of a statement of purpose about the stories Craig Finn wants to tell here.

Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat

Singer, songwriter and all-around indie rock goddess Jenny Lewis, who usually fronts the terrific L.A. band Rilo Kiley, took a break from her bandmates and released this incredibly enjoyable little solo record this year, indulging -- in addition to her usual pop sensibilities -- some of the rootsier inclinations that longtime fans have always suspected she had. Backed by Americana duo Chandra and Leigh Watson and an excellent cast of musicians, Jenny reaffirms what the last Rilo Kiley record (and my favorite of 2004), More Adventurous, plainly indicated -- that she is among the best pop songwriters working today, with a voice that makes men (and a fair number of women) swoon. (It doesn't hurt that she has an adorable personality, and is a total babe.) This record is a gem, and strong from start to finish, with songs that cross all sort of genre lines -- from folk, to country, to soul -- but consistently maintain Jenny's undeniable charm and showcase her prodigious talents as a writer and singer. If she continues to make great rock records with her band, but steps aside every few years for a solo outing like this, we're in for a lot of exceptional music.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Rise Up With Fists, a little blue-eyed soul, by a pretty redhead from Los Angeles.

Loose Fur - Born Again in the U.S.A.

Longtime recipients of this list probably think that Jeff Tweedy could sneeze (or worse) into a microphone and earn a place on it every year. It's certainly true that Jeff's a contemporary hero of mine, and in my view, one of the finest and most affecting songwriters and performers of his generation. I just loves me some Tweedy, what can I say. And while we'll have to wait until 2007 to get the new Wilco record, 2006 saw this release by one of Jeff's many side-projects. Loose Fur -- Jeff's occasional collaboration with Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and songwriter/producer Jim O'Rourke -- isn't usually the vehicle for his very best songs, but it is an outlet for some of his more experimental material, as well as some of his more light-hearted. This record is no different, featuring Tweedy tracks like "The Ruling Class," an acoustic singalong in which Jesus returns to hang with the drug dealers in the neighborhood, "Apostolic," which is alternately delicate and driving, lovely and loud, and "Wreckroom," which could have been a Wilco tune if it weren't quite so trippy. I have to say, too, that what cinches this record's place on my list is the surprisingly strong material, and some lovely singing, by O'Rourke as well. ("Answers To Your Questions" is particularly nice.) And, as always, Kotche is just a wonder -- a true artisan of rhythm and texture and nuance. Nobody keeps time like he does. This basically is three wonderful artists, one of them a bona fide genius, stepping away from their usual outlets for a moment, being creative and having fun. The results are never less than interesting, and are frequently special. Now, excuse me while I go reserve a spot for the new Wilco record on my list for next year. I've already heard all of the songs, and I promise you, it'll be there.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: The Ruling Class, for an alternate vision of the Second Coming.

David Mead - Tangerine

Stunningly talented but inexplicably obscure artists are a fixture on this list (see Messrs. Pernice and Rouse discussed below). Such is the lot of David Mead, an extraordinary singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and practitioner of intelligent, baroque pop in the finest Beatles/Beach Boys tradition, who since 1999 has turned out one fabulous, immaculately crafted record after another. This is his fifth album, and possibly his best yet -- a suite of gorgeously constructed, impeccably performed and beautifully produced songs for which the opening, instrumental track serves as an overture. Infectious melodies are Mead's stock in trade, but as is the case with the best pop songwriters, there's always an unexpected melodic twist, a surprising chord change, a nifty arrangement or some lush orchestration to keep things interesting, and to add layers of complexity and richness to the basic tunesmithing. The guy is just an amazing songwriter, plain and simple, and this is an excellent record from start to finish. It has to be mentioned, also, that Mead has the sweetest tenor this side of Thom Yorke, and perhaps an even sweeter falsetto, which he busts out in virtually every song. (If I could sing like this guy, I would, too.) In a just world, David Mead would be a big star. If you don't know his work, now's the time to fix that, and this is a fine place to start.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: The Trouble With Henry, which showcases Mead's voice, his way with a tune and the gorgeous orchestration and production on this record.

Outkast - Idlewild

Yes, Outkast is probably more a brand than a group these days -- the last two records are essentially Big Boi and Andre 3000 solo albums, with the occasional collaboration, combined and marketed under the banner. And yes, this record in particular has its flaws and moments of overindulgence, as did the movie for which it serves as something of a soundtrack. But even a sub-par outing by Atlanta's favorite sons is better than most folks' A-material, there are at least 8 or 10 tracks here that rank with the group's best work, and at the end of the day, I'm just a sucker for these guys and their incredible talents. Most impressive of all is the extent to which Big Boi -- long considered the "harder," more rap-oriented counterpoint to Andre's quirky and more "musical" genre-hopping -- has developed a pop sensibility that is every bit as keen as his flamboyent, oddball partner's. He positively dominates the stronger tracks here, but the record is no less melodic and engaging as a result. If, as rumors often suggest, this turns out to be the last Outkast album, it'll be a shame that they didn't go out with a uniformly excellent finale. But if they are, as some insist, "the Beatles of hip-hop," then this can serve as their flawed but endearing Let It Be. And that ain't so bad.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Morris Brown, and hear Big Boi (with Sleepy Brown and Scar) backed by The Marching Wolverines of Morris Brown College, right here in The ATL.

Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam

Although definitely an admirer of their early 90s output, I had completely given up on Pearl Jam in recent years, and certainly never thought I'd be captivated with one of their records again. So their self-titled record of this year was not just a tremendous achievement on their part, but for me personally, a wonderful surprise. Jeez, what a comeback. By the sound of things, all it took was an inept, misguided president and a nasty, senseless war to whip these guys back into inspired form. And what a glorious noise they make when they're pissed -- the band is tight, the songwriting is extremely strong and Eddie Vedder's vocals are as unique and powerful as ever. From furious rockers like "Life Wasted" and "Severed Hand," to the Beatlesque "Parachutes," to the beautiful political epic "Inside Job," this is by far the band's best work in years. It's good to have them back like this.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Gone, because when the news is all bad, you feel like your beloved country is all fucked up and "the gas in [your] tank feels like money in the bank," sometimes you just have to get the hell out of town.

Pernice Brothers - Live A Little

Consistently brilliant and criminally under-appreciated, Joe Pernice is one of the finest pop songwriters of the past 15 years, a true craftsman who delivers album after album of beautiful, impeccably constructed songs and intelligent lyrics, all delivered in his sweet, angelic voice. Like one of his primary influences, The Smiths, he's a master at coupling sadness with beauty, cloaking heartbreaking or anxiety-ridden lyrics in some of the prettiest tunes imaginable. This record is another gem -- chock full of smart, lovely songs as always -- but also marks a return to the more slickly-produced and orchestrated sound of Joe's first album under the Pernice Brothers name, 1998's Overcome By Happiness. Neat hooks abound (opening track "Automaton" has enough for 3 songs) and strings swell and punctuate Joe's beautiful melodies in all the right places. Loveliest of all, perhaps, and most surprising, is the closing track, a lushly re-worked version of "Grudge F***," one of the finest, most heartbreaking songs Joe wrote for his old Americana outfit, The Scud Mountain Boys, over a decade ago. Given his personality and temperament, not to mention the vagaries of the modern music business, and despite his tremendous gifts, Joe Pernice will probably labor in relative obscurity for his entire career, with only a devoted cult of fans and a modest living to show for his efforts. You'd be well-served to join the lucky few of us who get treated, more or less every year, to a beautiful record like this one.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: Conscience Clean (I Went To Spain), a patented Joe Pernice break-up song, full of telling little details -- "We split up time and time again / So I threw a dart at Europe, she hit Michigan" -- and set to a gorgeous melody.

Josh Rouse - Subtitulo

The fourth consecutive gem of a record (after 2002's Under Cold Blue Stars, the 2003 masterpiece 1972, and Nashville, which made my list last year) by another criminally unsung artist. Rouse is a singer-songwriter in the original, 70s sense of the term -- a troubadour with a guitar, a sweet voice, eerie insight into matters of the heart and a keen sense of melody. He also has a knack for surrounding himself with other gifted musicians and making beautiful-sounding records that seem to capture where he is in his life at a particular moment. Last year's Nashville was his farewell to that city, after years of unrewarded effort in relationships and as a performer. This record, in contrast, finds him safely ensconced in a small Spanish village, madly in love and, not surprisingly, quite pleased with his lot of life. The result is a record that sounds warm and relaxed, and is comprised of songs that are among the prettiest and most romantic of Rouse's career. And that's saying something.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: It Looks Like Love, and recall how new love can always drive the blues away.

Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

More than a few eyebrows were raised when word got out that Bruce Springsteen would release an album of traditional folk and protest songs, most of them popularized in the late 50s and early 60s by Pete Seeger. And I mean traditional -- we're talkin' "Erie Canal," "Froggy Went A-Courtin'" and "Eyes On The Prize" here. What a wonderful relief it was, then, to hear the results of these sessions, for which Bruce invited a bunch of crack New York musicians -- including banjo, fiddle and accordian players -- out to his New Jersey farm for what amounted to a flat-out hootenany. While it's a far cry from any material that Bruce would have written, or that you've ever heard him cover before, there's no denying that this is some of the most joyous, exuberant music the man has made in years, and it's hard not to break into a big smile when you listen to it. "John Henry" is a raucous romp, "Pay Me My Money Down" sounds like an outtake from The Basement Tapes, and "Mary, Don't You Weep" would fit right into the Sunday service at the A.M.E. church next door to my house. And throughout, the Boss sounds like he's having himself a ball. If you don't like this, then you just don't like good old American music.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?, and consider it a bonus track. This song isn't actually on the album (unless you buy the special edition that was released months later). It was added to the repertoire when Bruce hit the road for a tour with this band, and after Bruce, with the government's inept response to the Katrina disaster fresh in his mind and a trip to Jazz Fest on the horizon, re-worked the lyrics in the third and fourth verses a bit. I offer it here because I think it's the very best thing Bruce did with the Seeger Sessions Band, they played the hell out it every night, and -- for those of you who still don't know what this project sounds like -- it's still very representative of the wonderful music on the album. This recording is from a May 10, 2006 performance at St. Luke's in London that was broadcast by the BBC.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

This time last year, Radiohead fans were certain that the band would deliver a new record at some point in 2006. What we got instead -- other than a short run of amazing live shows by the band, on a break from recording a record that will see the light of day in 2007, and previews of some extraordinary new material -- was this intriguing solo release by frontman Thom Yorke. Comprised of songs that Yorke recorded and constructed on his laptop over a number of years -- mosty with digital loops and synthesized rhythm tracks -- and then handed over to producer Nigel Godrich for final assembly and mixing, this is, for all intents and purposes, an album of purely electronic music, lacking the complimentary acoustic elements that even Radiohead's so-called "electronic" records, Kid A and Amnesiac, featured in large measure. What strikes the listener, nonetheless, is the extent to which Yorke can conjure a sense of warmth and emotion on these tracks, even when they are mostly or entirely devoid of any organic instrumentation. He does this, most obviously, with his exquisite voice, which itself is one of the most unique and beautiful instruments in modern music. It helps that there are some flat-out lovely songs here as well, from the opening title track -- with its haunting piano loop, multi-tracked harmonies and typically paranoid and anxiety-ridden approach to the dynamic of a new relationship -- to the closing "Cymbal Rush," which easily could have been a worthy addition to the Radiohead canon, and which reveals its beautiful melody through a bed of electronic bubbles and glitches. This record probably isn't for everyone, but for fans who enjoy Radiohead's more electronic inclinations, and the singular talents of Mr. Yorke, it has many pleasures to offer.

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD: The Eraser, and decide for yourself whether the lyric in the chorus -- "The more you try to erase me / The more, the more, the more that I appear" -- is a promise or a threat.

Compilations and Reissues

In addition to the new releases above, it was a great year for vintage reissues and compilations. Here are my favorites, again in alphabetical order:

THE BEACH BOYS - PET SOUNDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION: The definitive edition of one of the greatest records ever made, with all tracks remastered both in the original mono (because Brian Wilson is deaf in one ear) and in stereo, and accompanied by a DVD of documentary footage and bonus tracks in full surround-sound. (All in a green velour wallet, for some reason.) Every track is an absolute treasure, and more than a few ("Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows" among them) are as good as anything ever done by anyone, ever. One of the great achievements in pop music history, made all the more astonishing by the fact that it was masterminded in every minute detail, in a fit of obsessive genius, by a mixed-up kid who was all of 23 years old. As essential as it gets.



WILLIE NELSON - THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC SESSIONS: Just before he emerged as a star, and then an American icon, with the release of Red-Headed Stranger on the Columbia label in 1975, Willie Nelson made two wonderful records for Atlantic, 1973's Shotgun Willie and 1974's Phases and Stages, that contained some of his most enduring tunes -- "Whiskey River," "Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)" and his classic version of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" among them. This package collects both of those records, in beautifully remastered sound, along with a fabulous live set from the same era, recorded at the Texas Opry House. My folks used to cart me to Willie's shows when I was a kid, starting right around this time, so I have a great fondness for him, and especially for this period in his career. This is wonderful stuff.



R.E.M. - AND I FEEL FINE: BEST OF THE I.R.S. YEARS 1982-1987: For the better part of two decades, there was no better band on the planet than this one. This set captures them in the earliest and, for me, most exciting period of their career, from Chronic Town and Murmur, which literally changed my life, to Lifes Rich Pageant and Document, which ushered in the true radio hits and bigger sound that, as it turned out, better suited the arenas and stadiums they would have to play ever after. Of all the good musical fortune I've had in my life, perhaps the thing I treasure most of all is that I grew up when and where I did, and got to witness early R.E.M. first-hand, up-close and (no pun intended) time after time. Although I can quibble with a few of the omissions from this set (what, no "Harborcoat"?), the inarguably essential tracks are more or less all here, they sound amazing, and it still thrills me to the core to hear them. Whatever you do, be sure to get the 2-disc edition of this collection, which -- in addition to the familiar classics and favorites chosen by the band -- includes some great rarities, b-sides, live and previously-unreleased tracks as well.



THE REPLACEMENTS - DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I THINK I WAS? - THE BEST OF THE REPLACEMENTS: Finally, a best-of set, by one of the great bands of the 80s and 90s, that spans their entire career, from their emergence -- in all its sloppy, drunken, melodic glory -- on the tiny Twin Tone label through their more polished but stormy tenure on major label Reprise, by the end of which they were little more than a solo vehicle for singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg. The full scope of the band's power, and Westerberg's brilliance in his heyday as a writer, is impossible to capture on a single disc, but if you can have only one Replacements record in your collection, the greatest of all the great tracks are here, from "Color Me Impressed" to "I Will Dare" to "Kiss Me On The Bus" to "Alex Chilton," all beautifully remastered and sounding swell.



MATTHEW SWEET - GIRLFRIEND (REMASTERED SPECIAL EDITION): One of the finest power pop records of the 90s, and a personal favorite of mine, gets the deluxe remaster treatment, with bonuses galore. In addition to three tracks that appeared only on the Japanese edition of the original album, you get the entire companion disc, Goodfriend, that was originally distributed only to radio execs, retailers and label insiders and has been available solely as a bootleg ever since. Featuring stripped-down demos, live tracks and, among other covers, a ferocious version of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer," this second disc is worth the price of admission all by itself. As if the terrific songs and amazing guitar work by Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd on the original album weren't enough already. A killer record, if not already a classic.

R.I.P.

James Brown, Ahmet Ertegun, Billy Preston, Syd Barrett, Arthur Lee, Lou Rawls, Ruth Brown and newsman Ed Bradley, who could be found in the WWOZ jazz tent in New Orleans every spring, both weekends, year in and year out.