Well, it is that time of year...

As 2006 draws to an end, I thought I’d share with you some of my musical highlights for the year. Given that I’ve only been to a couple of gigs this year, it would probably be remiss of me to talk of live highlights, but given the way in which I’ve used my hard-earned cash to swell the coffers of play.com, I thought I would mention some of the album highlights of the year (for me, anyway.)

Firstly, a few honourable (and dishonourable) mentions; among the albums that have failed to make the cut for the first annual Farnsy awards are those that were released in 2005 rather than 2006 (including, to name but a few, the likes of Picaresque by The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoise, Giant Drag’s Hearts and Unicorns, Ladytron’s Witching Hour, Jim Noir’s Tower of Love, Sigur Rós’ Takk…, and the sublime Funeral by Arcade Fire, surely one of the best albums of the last 10 years), as well as a few albums that have featured on many a “Best of 2006” poll, and might have merited a Farnsy had they actually been DELIVERED to me in time (which has done for Cat Power’s The Greatest, which isn’t a best of album in spite of the name; The Crane Wife by The Decemberists; and Writer’s Block by Peter, Björn and John.) The idea of setting up my own annual musical awards also allows me to gleefully eject those albums that have been heralded by pretentious musical critics in a number of polls but have been rejected by me on the grounds of being shite (so the likes of Hot Chip, Lily Allen, Muse and the inexplicably acclaimed, mediocre Pavement tribute act Tapes ‘n’ Tapes are out.)

With those mentions out of the way, here are my albums of 2006:

1. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not: Radio overkill may have taken a little of the sheen off this album, but Alex Turner’s tales of Northern life (from alcohol-induced Saturday night fights to scenesters with American affectations) still mark him down as one of the better songwriters of recent times.

2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some of their influences (Talking Heads, Arcade Fire) may be clearly detectable, but it’s impossible not to love an album as melodic and consistently strong as this.

3. The Knife – Silent Shout: While the rest of the music press was rushing to hail Hot Chip as some kind of glorious fusion of avant-garde house and techno music, the more knowledgable electronic music fan was instead lapping up this eccentric, inventive album instead.

4. CSS – Cansei de Ser Sexy: A Sao Paulo indie sextet (comprising 5 women and 1 bloke, ALL of whom have seemingly hyperactive libidos) influenced by such early 80’s acts as the Tom Tom Club may not initially sound promising, but this self-titled debut is one of the most refreshing albums released all year (featuring , in Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above, one of the year’s best tracks.)

5. Plan B - Who Needs Actions When You Got Words: Cruelly overlooked by the end of year polls (despite rave reviews upon its release), this album offers an antidote to the type of hip-hop obsessed with guns, money and misogyny, with tracks like I Don’t Hate You (about the author’s street preaching father who abandoned the family for another woman) and Mama (Loves a Crackhead) preferring to savage the drugs, gun crime and religious fanaticism of his East End upbringing. Bleak in terms of subject matter, but an excellent album, nonetheless.

Silver Farnsy’s go to: The Pipettes – We are The Pipettes; The Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home; The Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men; and ¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me A Wall, which are all worth a listen.

Well, that’s all for 2006, folks. Look out for further posts in the New Year; in the meantime, any personal musical highlights from the year that was will be gratefully welcomed.

All the best in 2007,
The Prof