Top 10

10. CANDY BARS
On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narratation
A late year discovery, I wasn’t immediately blown away by this album. It grew on me, partly thanks to Daniel Martinez’ raw and emotionally charged voice, but also because it’s just good music. I adore this album more and more with each listen.

9. DESTROYER
Destroyer's Rubies
When it comes to poetic music in the Canadian indie rock scene, who can compare to Dan Bejar? His work is, simply put, stunning in its lyrical strength and deserves repeated listens. Even if “Rubies” wasn’t my favourite song of 2006, I’d still consider this to be a great album.

8. GRIZZLY BEAR
Yellow House
I must say, I love the folk music-loving soul of Grizzly Bear –- who aren’t in the least afraid to sound like Pink Floyd and experiment with their music. And neither are they afraid to throw in handclaps and howls. This is great stuff, for sure.

7. HOT CHIP
The Warning
A real latecomer to my music library, Hot Chip blew me away with their dancefloor-inspired tunes and lyrics that really stick with you –- when you stop bouncing around long enough to actually listen, that is. Who would have thought a dance album this good would emerge in 2006?

6. SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN
Broom
Short, sweet and catchy, there’s nothing better than a good sold alt-rock-pop album – and the joy of sitting down with a solid album for repeated listens. That sums up my opinion of Broom, which is still in frequent rotation on my CD player. And may it remain there forever more.

5. CAMERA OBSCURA
Let's Get Out Of This Country
Tracyanne Campbell’s dreamy, gentle voiced hooked me from the start and never let go. They came out of the blue and indeed blew me out of the water. Enchanting, beautiful, poignant, but unafraid to rock out, the Glasgow guys and gals of Camera Obscura earned a well-deserved spot on my year-end list.

4. THE ALBUM LEAF
Into the Blue Again
Although an odd pick for my top 10 list, Jimmy LaValle’s side project The Album Leaf moved me and continue to stir deep emotion with every listen. How could it not? Though mostly instrumental tunes, the simple music he creates has more power than many an album I’ve heard this year. Magnificent.

3. HIDDEN CAMERAS
AWoo
Joel Gibb’s flamboyant and exciting entry into the Canadian music world this year left me spellbound. Filled with infectious enthusiasm, this album gets under your skin and stays there. Nice job, Mr. Gibb.

2. OH NO! OH MY!
Oh no! Oh My!
Indie pop rock doesn’t get any better than this. Oh No! Oh My! are the kind of band you tell all your friends about, so they can discover how undeniably good –- not to mention fun and catchy -– their debut album is. If this album is any indication, expect great things from them.

1. SUNSET RUBDOWN
Shut Up I Am Dreaming?
Spencer Krug and company stole my heart from the first moment I heard Shut Up I Am Dreaming. Erratic and teeming with emotion, this is a superb album that establishes Krug as a brilliant poet and musician. There’s not a miss on this album. Simply stunning.