Zow — it's been another great year for music everywhere, and a particularly amazing one for music straight outta the Northwest (we hate to brag, but the hometown pride has us beaming!). Thanks to all of you who voted in our fourth annual Best Northwest Releases of 2006 Readers' Poll. As always, we are pleased as punch by all your votes — and humbled to live in a region with such incredible talent.
Without further ado, our winners!
#50 Mon Frere Blood, Sweat & Swords (Cake Records)
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#49 Conrad Ford Don't You Miss Yourself (Tarnished Records)
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#48 M. Ward Post-War (Merge)
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#47 Head Like A Kite Random Portraits of the Home Movie (Pattern 25)
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#46 The Hands So Sweet (Basement Empire)
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#45 The Village Green Feeling The Fall (Spin Art)
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#44 Skullbot Skullbot (Self-released)
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#43 Andrea Wittgens Alibi (Self-released)
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#42 Common Market Common Market (Mass Line)
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#41 Smoosh Free to Stay (Barsuk)
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#40 The Exploding Hearts Shattered (Dirtnap)
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#39 Iceage Cobra Brilliant Ideas From Amazing People (Self-released)
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#38 Transmissionary Six Radar (Glitterhouse)
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#37 These Arms Are Snakes (Jade Tree)
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#36 Coho Things Change (Lujo)
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#35 Sneaky Thieves Accidents (Self-released)
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#34 Harvey Danger Little By Little (Kill Rock Stars)
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#33 The Blood Brothers Young Machetes (V2)
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#32 The Sea Navy Oh These Troubled Times (Lucky Horse)
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#31 Argo Attack of the Firebots (Fish the Cat)
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#30 The Blakes The Blakes (Self-released)
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#29 Pearl Jam Pearl Jam (Sony)
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#28 The Blow Paper Television (K Records)
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#27 Central Services Central Services (This…Bodek Music)
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#26 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (Self-released)
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#25 Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers Seems So Civilized (Self-released)
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#24 The Purrs The Purrs (Sarathan)
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#23 Pleasurecraft This Is A Blackout (Pleasurecraft Music)
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#22 Thee Emergency Can You Dig It? (Blue Disguise)
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#21 Sera Cahoone Sera Cahoone (Self-released)
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#20 The Lights Diamonds and Dirt (Wantage USA)
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#19 Patience Please Parallel Plots (Jigsaw)
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#18 The Heavy Hearts The Heavy Hearts (Swingline)
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#17 Man Plus We Had No Sex (Self-released)
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#16 The Snakebites Love, Hate, Rage, and Sorrow (Self-released)
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#15 Jeremy Enigk World Waits (Reincarnate Music)
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#14 Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti)
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#13 Racetrack Go Ahead and Say It (Self-released)
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#12 Rocky Votolato Makers (Barsuk)
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#11 Panda and Angel Panda and Angel (Jade Tree)
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#10 The Gossip Standing In the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
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#9 Viva Voce Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk)
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#8 Math & Physics Club Math and Physics Club (Matinee)
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#7 The Trucks The Trucks (Click-Pop)
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#6 Built to Spill You In Reverse (Warner)
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#5 The Thermals The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop)
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#4 Band Of Horses Everything All the Time (Sub Pop)
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#3 The Long Winters Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk)
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#2 The Decemberists The Crane Wife (Capitol)
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#1 BOAT Songs That You Might Not Like (Magic Marker)
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Thanks to all of you who voted, went out to live shows, came to our imaginary events, read our website, and helped make 2006 another amazing year to be imaginary.