Musical post for year 2006

English speakers, scroll down, please!

Como ya hice el año pasado, voy a dar la que es mi humilde y personal opinión sobre la mejor música del pasado año 2006, y, ¿por qué no? también de la música que no pertenece a esta año categóricamente, pero que,eso si, he descubierto a lo largo del mismo.
Empezando por lo más fácil: conciertos. Este año, desafortunadamente, no he ido a demasiados. The Soundtrack of our Lives en enero y We are Scientists en Febrero. Después, en Finlandia ví a Poets of the fall en el escenario de Esplanadi, y a Damn Seagulls en Tavastia. De ellos, quizas el mejor fue el de Soundtrack of our Lives, pero de todas formas, como son tan pocos, merecen ser recordados todos. En cuanto a discos, aquí la cosa está más jugosa, he tenido la oportunidad de escuchar toneladas de música y de discos. Ahí van unos cuantos de los mejores discos de 2006. Estoy seguro que con el tiempo descubriré más, pero a día de hoy, es lo que hay:

Ya es difícil mejorar un primer álbum que ha tenido una repercusión mundial y que ha sido alabado por muchisíma gente, [Hot fuss] les lanzó a la fama, con temas como Somebody told me, [Sam's town] ha sido en mi opinión un discazo, mejor incluso que el mencionado multiventas. The Killers han conseguido eso que tanto cuesta a muchos grupos, sacar un segundo disco equiparable al primero, e incluso mejor.
Pero este año he tenido algunas cuantas pequeñas debilidades en forma de disco: Yeah Yeah Yeahs y su flamante [Show your bones] hits como Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into y Cheated hearts hacen de este disco una maravilla; Placebo ha logrado con [Meds] lo que, en mi opinión (muy discutida, cierto) no lograban desde su primer album hacía 10 años. Para mí, todo había sido empeorar. Hasta éste. Genial. Ved aquí "Drag" Live @Rock am Ring, y aquí el video de Meds. Por otro lado, Mogwai lanzaban éste año un nuevo disco, [Mr.Beast], nueva cita después del fabuloso [Happy songs for happy people], es un disco que sigue en su línea, quizás un poco más cañera y distorsionada que el anterior. En mi opinión son discos similares en calidad y estructura. No me pidáis que les saque cosas negativas, desde que escuché su ya mencionado "Happy songs..." en Noruega, tan pausadamente después de levantarme un sábado por la mañana sin prestar atención a otra cosa ya no pude dejar de admirar sus canciones. Friend of the night es mi favorita del disco, también primer single. Antes me gustaban, pero ahora....me encantan. También este año han reazado un disco homenaje a Zidane, anunque un poco más espeso y sin muchas escuchas por mi parte aún.
Y dos más dentro de estas pequeñas debilidades: los daneses Nephew con [Inter Kom ind], una continuación tremenda para el ya bueno [USAdsb]. Nephew cantan en una original mezcla de danés e inglés, con muy buenos reesultados. Es curioso cómo desde las tierras escandinavas salen cientos de grupos que merecerían estar en el top 10 de toda Europa, pero que, raramente consiguen incluso hacer un tour que llegue hasta el sur de la misma. Casi nunca vienen a España. Una pena, porque nos perdemos grandes conciertos, como he tenido oportunidad de comprobar, aunque no con Nephew. Ved algunos videos en su página web. Desde Leeds llegan ¡Forward Russia! , nombre particular donde los haya, con su [Give me a wall]. Este grupo reúne una mezcla de estilos punk, lo-fi, melódico y bailable que los hace especiales. Se podría dar a conocer como el grupo de los números, porque, hasta ahora todas sus canciones se llaman como números: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, y así sucesivamente. Hubo un par de meses en los que los oía a diario.
Desde la compañía de discos en la que debutaron nada más y nada menos que Nirvana, Sub Pop, llegan dos grupos que están en la mayoría de los "reviews" musicales del pasado año, y también en el mío: The Thermals, con su disco [The the body, the blood, the machine] y Band of Horses con [Everything all the time]. El primero, más guitarrero y sucio, más underground, pero con unas canciones geniales. Los descubrí gracias a "A Pillar of Salt" primer single del disco. En cuanto a los segundos, son más pausados, pero siguen teniendo algo de guarro en sus guitarras. Aqui el video para The Funeral.
Este resumen se está haciendo muy largo, así que voy a ir resumiendo. Me gustaría mencionar a los grandes triunfadores de 2006: Arctic Monkeys con su multimillonarias ventas de [Whatever people say I am that's what I am not], ahora el disco se ha convertido en un imprescindible, y, por lo que parece, no sólo para mí, he tenido la oportunidad de ver y oír su repertorio en el festival de Reading y la aceptación que tienen entre el público inglés es la que tiene una banda de culto. Todos cantando las letras de memoria. Aqui podeis ver "I bet you look good on the dancefloor" en directo en dicho festival.
Y algunos discos más sobre los cuales no quiero escribir porque esto se haría larguísimo:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ....]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]

The Frames [The cost]

Jack's Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Aquí me gustaría hacer una mención especial a Minus the Bear, (ver imagen) que ha lanzado en España una edción especial de [Menos el Oso], disco originariamente de 2005, pero que, pese a esto, está incluído en el resumen dada la repercusión que ha tenido en mí esta banda.

Y creo que, por ahora, eso es todo. de todas formas hay muchos más grupos que he descubierto este año, pero que no han sacado nada, haré un mix también para que la gente los descubra.

English

As I already did last year, I am going to give my personal opinion about the best music of last year 2006, and, why not? Also (although in other post) of the music that does not belong to this one year categorically, but that, it if, I have discovered along the same one.
Beginning for the easiest thing: concerts. This year, unfortunately, I have not attend too many. The Soundtrack of our Lives in January and We are Scientists in February. Later, in Finland I saw Poets of the fall in Esplanadi's stage, and Damn Seagulls in Tavastia. Of them, probably the best was Soundtrack of our Lives, but of all forms, since they not so many, they all deserve to be remembered. As for records, here the thing is more interesting, I have had the opportunity to listen to tons of music and cd's. Here they go a few of the best discs of 2006. I am sure that with the time I will discover more, but a today, it is what I have considered:

It is very difficult to release a seconf album better than a first that has had a world repercussion and that has been praised for a lot of people: [Hot fuss] threw them into the mainstream, with songs as Somebody told me, but [Sam's town] has been in my opinion a great cd, even better than the multisales mentioned. The Killers have reached what is so difficult for many bands: to release a second album comparable to the first one, and even better.
But this year I have had some small weaknesses in the shape of album: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their fabulous [Show your bones]. Hits like Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into and Cheated hearts make this cd a wonder; Placebo has obtained with [Meds] what, in my opinion (very discussed, certainly) did not obtain since their first album 10 years ago. For me, every single cd they released seemed to get worse. Until this. Brilliant. You can see here “Drag” Live @Rock am Ring, and here the video shoot for “Meds”.
On the other hand, Mogwai also released new disc, [Mr.Beast], new appointment after the fabulous [Happy songs happy people], is a disc that follows its sound, maybe a little more energetic and distorted that the previous one. In my opinion both are similar discs in quality and structure.Do not ask me to tell negative things about them; since I listened to the already mentioned “Happy songs…” in Norway, after waking up a saturday morning without paying attention to any other thing, I could not give up loving their songs. Friend of the night is my favorite of the disc, also first single. Before I liked them, but now… I admire Mogwai. This year, it has been released a disc tribute to Zidane as well, although a little thicker and still without so many listenings.
And two more cd's within these little weaknesses: the danish Nephew with [Inter Kom ind], a tremendous continuation for the already good [USAdsb]. Nephew sings in an original mixture of English and Danish, with very good results. It is strange, as from Scandinavian lands hundreds of bands exist that deserve to be in the top 10 of all Europe, but they are rarely able even to tour around the Old Continent, and it is very weird that they tour in Spain. A pity, because we lose great concerts, since I have had opportunity to verify, although not with Nephew. You see some videos in their website. And from Leeds arrives ¡Forward Russia!, particular name, with their [Give me a wall]. This band reunites a mixture of punk, lo-fi, melodic and dancing styles that make them special. I could happened to be known as the group of the numbers, because, until now all their songs are called like numbers: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, and some more. There were a couple of months when I listened to them every day.
From the same label in which Nirvana made history in rock, Sub Pop, also arrive two bands that are mentioned in most of the musical reviews of the past year, and in mine as well: The Thermals, with [The the body, the blood, the machine] and Band of Horses with [Everything all the Time]. The first, more energy in their guitars and dirtier, more underground, but with brilliant songs. I discovered them thanks to “A Pillar of Salt” first single of the record. About the second, they are slower, more calm but they still have something dirty in their guitars. Here the video for The Funeral.
This review is getting very long, so I am summarizing. I would like to mention the great winners of 2006: Arctic Monkeys with their multimillionaire sales of [Whatever people say I am that's what I am not], becoming famous all around the world. Now the album has become an essential, it seems that not only for me, I have had the opportunity to see and to hear its performance at Reading festival and the support they have among the English audience is the same as a cult band has. Everybody singing along the lyrics by heart. Here you can see “I bet you look good on the dancefloor” live in this festival.
And some other cd's which I do not want to write about because this would get so long:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ....]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]
The Frames [The cost]
Jack's Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Here, I would like to mention the band Minus the Bear, that have released a special edition of [Menos el Oso], that, although it is not properly an album from 2005, I want to consider it here, due to the effect it has had on me. A great band!

I think that, by now, it is everything I have to talk about. There are many more bands I have discovered this year, but They have not released any record. Iwill select a mix with some of their songs for the people to discover them.