I am pleased to say that choosing the best songs of 2006 has been a daunting task with all the incredible tunes that have been released this year. The following are, after much consideration, a thousand listens, and just about as many changes… my favorite songs of 2006:

1. (Gasp! A Tie!) “Hospital Beds” and “We Used To Vacation” – Cold War Kids – Up In Rags EP Hospital Beds 2. “Hold On, Hold On” – Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Hold On, Hold On 3. “While You Were Sleeping” - Elvis Perkins- Ash Wednesday 4. “Fire Island, AK” – The Long Winters- Putting the Days to Bed 5. “Here’s Your Future” – The Thermals – The Blood,The Body, The Machine Here’s Your Future 6. “Samson” – Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope 7. “The Phantom Limb” – The Shins – Phantom Limb Single 8. “Flag and Family” – Cursive – Happy Hollow 9. “The Funeral” – Band of Horses- Everything All the Time 10. “Cream”- Thee Emergency- Can You Dig It? Cream 11. “Moon Over Goldsboro” – The Mountain Goats – Get Lonely 12 “Future Foe Scenarios” – Silversun Pickups – Carnavas 13. ”Sad Sad City” – Ghostland Observatory- Paparazzi Lightning Sad Sad City 14. “Just A Thought” – Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere 15. “Bad Education” – Tilly and The Wall – Bottom of Barrells 16. “Start of Something” – Voxtrot – Raised by Wolves EP 17.”Good Weekend” – Art Brut- Bang Bang Rock & Roll 18. “All Fires” – Swan Lake- Beast Moans All Fires 19. “Handle With Care” – Jenny Lewis with guests Ben Gibbard, Conor Oberst, & M. Ward- Rabbit Fur Coat 20. “Jah Didn’t Kill Johnny” – Sage Francis – A Healthy Distrust

Beloved Songs of 2006, That Were Not Released in 2006

“Lisa” – Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers “The River (live)” – Atmosphere w/Heiruspecs – from First Avenue, Mpls “No Children” and “Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton”- The Mountain Goats “I Found a Reason” – Cat Power “Breathe Me” – Sia “Heartbeats”- Jose Gonzalez