how i spent my christmas vacation

Well, due to the large number of albums that I missed, overlooked, or just plain ignored, there is no shortage of stuff to listen to from 2006. So that's what I did on my Christmas vacation. I listened to a shitload of music. Here, in no particular order, are several albums that I enjoyed. And please note that this is just a dent... there are still nearly 70 albums from 2006 queued on the iPod... I just need more than 24 hours in a day. Please?

The Longcut - A Call And Response
Heartless Bastards - All This Time
Lily Allen - Alright, Still
Yusuf Islam - An Other Cup
Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites
Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
Mates Of State - Bring It Back
CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy
Stars Of Track And Field - Centuries Before Love And War
Asobi Seksu - Citrus
Greg Graffin - Cold As The Clay
The Plastic Constellations - Crusades
The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude!
Gob Iron - Death Songs For The Living
Electric President - Electric President
Lilys - Everything Wrong Is Imaginary
Film School - Film School
The Low Lows - Fire On The Bright Sky
The Dears - Gang Of Losers
Loney, Dear Sologne
So Many Dynamos - Flashlights
Adem - Love And Other Planets
The Figurines - Skeleton

And to think that, overall, 2006 was thought to be a year lacking in great new music. Damn. Here are some bands releasing albums that we can look forward to in 2007 (this list just was plain stolen from the More Cowbell site):

!!!
Air
Alkaline Trio
Ambulance Ltd.
Apples In Stereo
Arcade Fire
Architecture In Helsinki
Art Brut
Bad Brains
Andrew Bird
Bloc Party
Blonde Redhead
The Breeders
Bright Eyes
British Sea Power
BRMC
Built To Spill
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Common
The Cure
Deerhoof
Dinosaur Jr.
Dntel
Do Make Say Think
Doves
Eluvium
Explosions In The Sky
Feist
Field Music
Final Fantasy
Neil Finn
The Go! Team
Jose Gonzalez
PJ Harvey
Interpol
Idlewild
Norah Jones
Talib Kweli
LCD Soundsystem
Les Savy Fav
Ted Leo
Sondre Lerche
Low
Magnetic Fields
Massive Attack
Maximo Park
Metric
Modest Mouse
Bob Mould
New Pornographers
Of Montreal
Grant-Lee Phillips
Pinback
Polyphonic Spree
The Ponys
Portishead
The Postal Service
Prefuse 73
Queens Of The Stone Age
Radiohead
Gruff Rhys
Rilo Kiley
RJD2
Roxy Music (w/Eno)
The Sea And Cake
Shellac
The Shins
Son Volt
Spiritualized
Spoon
Stereolab
The Stooges
Tegan & Sara
Tortoise
Voxtrot
Rufus Wainwright
Ween
Gillian Welch
Wilco
Lucinda Williams
Wolf Parade
The Wrens

My own personal comments?

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - fuck, yeah. I have been playing the hell out of the tracks they've made available so far. Say what you want about the band, but I cannot fucking wait for this album. Two more weeks 'til the MP3 download is available... I can't believe this thing hasn't leaked yet. Perhaps a perk of the whole CYHSY DIY philosophy? Now, I can understand how someone could be turned off by Alec Ounsworth's voice, but I love it. I love the whole fucking band. In fact, they are currently my favorite band. I really really feel bad for anyone who doesn't "get" their music. You're missing out, my friends!

Rilo Kiley - dear god, they need to release an album. I loved Jenny and Blake's side project 2006 releases, but I'm so ready for some new RK tunes.

Neil Finn - I will always love you.

British Sea Power - will this be with or without Eamon Hamilton? OK, so I already know the answer to this question... I was introduced to BSP through Brakes. I love everything that Brakes have done so far, so I will have to check this out!!

Andrew Bird - fuck you. Just kidding... :)

Wilco - ye-yah.

These are the 2007 releases that I've heard thanks to the ever-present internet leak factor:

Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
Gruff Rhys - Candylion
Low - Drums And Guns
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destoyer?
The Bees - Octopus
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

While I haven't had time to digest all the new music, I can say that I am impressed by the Explosions In The Sky, Gruff Rhys, LCD Soundsystem and Shins records.

Yay 2007.