I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister). If I may have a moment, may I publicly declare love for my favorite releases of the year?

I'd like to see anyone even try to stop an imaginary girl mid-gush….

 

(clears throat) Math and Physics Club, how I adore your heart-melting lyrics and wispy guitar noodles. BOAT, you took lo-fi up a notch with smart songs about parts of speech and addictive melodies (you really deserve your #1 crown). Thermals, dear Thermals. At first I questioned your whole "World being taken over by Christian Fascist" theme, but being the committed Hutch-ite that I am, I listened over and over and became hooked on TBTBTM. Or was it the fact that one of the lines orders folks to strip down to their underwear? Either way, now I LOVE the anti-Christian Fascist Thermals. The Trucks, you gave us all a theme song and a reason to dress up. Eux Autres, although I still have trouble pronouncing your name, I thank you for your nonchalant elegance and understated coolness. Your brother-sister-duo-ness gives me hope that the White Stripes aren't the end of the line. Although I do love me some Jack and Meg, your rhythm section is stronger and your fashion-sense equally scalable to the masses. I thank you for that. I look horrible in white and red. Patience Please, although you are the only EP on the list, you have earned your placement with your spastic indie-pop licks and slight naiveté. I hear you have a full-length planned in 2007? Oh, 2007… you have a lot to live up to!

Um, Liz, I thought you were just going to give us your list…?

 

Oh yeah, my list! Phew. Here's my list…

1. Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)
2. BOAT, Songs That you Might Not Like (Magic Marker)
3. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, #3 (Minty Fresh)
4. The Thermals, The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)
5. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock And Roll (Downtown)
6. The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)
7. The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Manhattan Love Suicides (Magic Marker)
8. Graham Coxon, Love Travels At Illegal Speeds (Parlophone)
9. Eux Autres, Hell Is Eux Autres (Grenadine)
10. Patience Please, Parallel Plots (Jigsaw)

Goddamnit, how did I forget Art Brut in my list?? Ack! Ahh well, I'm still in love with Emily Kane, and here's my list…

1. Figurines, Skeletons (The Control Group)
2. The Knife, Deep Cuts (Rabid Records)
3. Heartless Bastards, All This Time (Fat Possum)
4. The Long Winters, Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)
5. Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club (Matinee)
6. The Trucks, The Trucks (Click-Pop)
7. The Rakes, Capture/Release (V2)
8. Band of Horses, Everything All of the Time (Sub Pop)
9. Heather Duby, Heather Duby (Sonic Boom Recordings)
10. The Doll Test, Gasoline and Banks (Unsmashable)

My list is in no particular order. If you're one of those people who longs for order, well… email me and I'll whip something up. Otherwise, behold my faves of 2006:

• The Grates, Gravity Won't Get you High (Cherry Tree)
• Joseph Arthur, Nuclear Daydream (Megaforce)
• The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (Capitol)
• Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
• The Gossip, Standing In the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
• Regina Spektor, Begin To Hope (Sire)
• Lily Allen, Alright, Still (Capitol)
• Justin Timberlake, FutureSex / LoveSounds (Jive)
• Psapp, The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino)
• Silversun Pickups, Carnavas (Dangerbird)

But don't just take our word for it. See what our readers had to say by reading the results of the Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll {they're way smarter than we are anyways}.