Mr Red Penguin's MP3 Heaven.

Monday, December 25, 2006


The Red Penguin top 100 singles of 2006



1. Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag

1. Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag
Myspace Youtube
If the second album is anything as good as this song, I am going to be quite happy in 2007.


2. Metric - Poster Of A Girl

2. Metric - Poster Of A Girl
Myspace Youtube
While most people preferred Monster Hospital, I got much more pleasure from this slow building synth classic.


3. Young Knives - Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)

3. Young Knives - Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)
Myspace Youtube
Nothing more to be said about this band that hasn't been covered already … great songs, great lyrics, great haircuts, great suits …


4. New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream

4. New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream
Myspace Youtube
Another excellent slab of electronica from London town. The video made me appreciate bright colours and ice cream like never before.


5. Long Blondes - Weekend Without Makeup

5. Long Blondes - Weekend Without Makeup
Myspace Youtube
Obvious comparisons to Pulp and Blondie continue but the debut album definitely didn't disappoint.


6. Charlatans - Blackened Blue Eyes

6. Charlatans - Blackened Blue Eyes
Myspace Youtube
Always found them consistent between the very very good and very mundane. This was a return to form.


7. Rakes - All Too Human

7. Rakes - All Too Human
Myspace Youtube
Best release yet from the four unfeasably skinny bastards.


8. Hot Puppies - The Girl Who Was Too Beautiful

8. Hot Puppies - The Girl Who Was Too Beautiful
Myspace Youtube
Homage to Mariella Frostrup from the new Catatonia-with-theremins.


9. Cansei De Ser Sexy - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above

9. Cansei De Ser Sexy - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
Myspace Youtube
Impossible to leave this out of the top ten.


10. MJ Hibbett and the Validators - The Lesson Of The Smiths

10. MJ Hibbett and the Validators - The Lesson Of The Smiths
Myspace Youtube
Morrissey, Marr and Barlow changed my life … one of the best singer songwriters playing to ridiculously small venues everywhere. Possibly the first song ever to use the phrase "cliques of Marxo-Anarchistic sods". Go and see them while you still can.


11. Automatic - Recover

11. Automatic - Recover
Myspace Youtube
I don't watch tons of music videos but sometimes, just sometimes, one comes along which makes you appreciate how great the song is. Of course you had to be around in the 70s to know what I mean.


12. White Rose Movement - Girls In The Back

12. White Rose Movement - Girls In The Back
Myspace Youtube
More 80s influenced electronic music - there was a lot of it around this year.


13. Couse and the Impossible - A Celebration

13. Couse and the Impossible - A Celebration
Myspace
Former A House frontman Dave Couse making his best music for years and years. Still reads a lot of his lyrics on stage out of a book!


14. Feeling - Fill My Little World

14. Feeling - Fill My Little World
Myspace Youtube
As much as you want to hate a band like this, you can't deny they write great tunes.


15. Mystery Jets - Diamonds In The Dark

15. Mystery Jets - Diamonds In The Dark
Myspace Youtube
Still enjoying the folk/prog indie from one of the more unusual bands around at the moment.


16. Fields - If You Fail We All Fail

16. Fields - If You Fail We All Fail
Myspace Youtube
Other people may interpret this differently but to me this sounds like the perfect fusion of space-rock and two vocalists who sound uncannily like the two singers out of Deacon Blue.


17. Divine Comedy - Lady Of A Certain Age

17. Divine Comedy - Lady Of A Certain Age
Myspace Youtube
This is Neil Hannon doing the thing he does best - wry observations on parts of life that most of us will just have to take his word on.


18. WigWam - WigWam

18. WigWam - WigWam
Myspace Youtube
Not sure why I liked this record so much, perhaps it was the Trigger Happy TV style video? Or maybe the pictures of the ageless Betty Boo on their Myspace?


19. Joan as Police Woman - Christobel

19. Joan as Police Woman - Christobel
Myspace Youtube
Reminiscent of the Cure circa 10.15 Saturday Night, without the bad hair.


20. Grates - 19-20-20

20. Grates - 19-20-20
Myspace Youtube
Great indie pop from female-fronted Australian trio.


21. Mama Shamone - Over

21. Mama Shamone - Over
Myspace
This unsigned band should be really big in 2007 if they ever manage to gig somewhere other than Hoxton. Dirty electronic punk with a crazy lead singer.


22. Human Knives - She's Attracted To

22. Human Knives - She's Attracted To
Myspace
This slot would have been occupied by the original until I heard this fantastic 1980s Speak And Spell cover. More in 2007 please!


23. Modern - Industry

23. Modern - Industry
Myspace Youtube
Not a great year for The Modern - this is the song that sold enough to have broken them as a top 20 act - instead, odd buying patterns (from the band's family it's believed) made the song ineligible, dumped from their label and now trying to relaunch themselves under a new name.


24. Sohodolls - Stripper

24. Sohodolls - Stripper
Myspace Youtube
More electro punk, and a great performance supporting My Life Story at the Astoria earlier this month.


25. Blood Arm - Suspicious Character

25. Blood Arm - Suspicious Character
Myspace Youtube
Placed all the higher for my three year old son who has been singing "I like spider girls, and spider girls like me!" all year.


26. Celeste - Nothing In The Sky (With Diamonds)

26. Celeste - Nothing In The Sky (With Diamonds)
Myspace
Last self-release from this unsigned Romford band who split up after about 8 years shortly afterwards.


27. Long Blondes - Once And Never Again

27. Long Blondes - Once And Never Again
Myspace Youtube
The band recorded an excellent acoustic version of this on 6 Music earlier this year which I prefer to the original.


28. Others - The Truth That Hurts

28. Others - The Truth That Hurts
Myspace Youtube
I know everyone hates them because of Dominic Masters' "frank opinions on everything", but their second album showed that they're still capable writing excellent songs, and still are a joy to watch live.


29. Wojtek Godzisz - December Will Be Magic Again

29. Wojtek Godzisz - December Will Be Magic Again
Myspace
It's not as good as last year's token indie Kate Bush cover, but it's still a great song from the former Symposium member. Maybe because Kate Bush wrote it, but you can't hold that against him.


30. Horrors - Count In Fives

30. Horrors - Count In Fives
Myspace Youtube
Excellent organ-driven rock - and video with sign-language so we can all enjoy the lyrics - from rightly-hyped Southend band.


31. iDou - Perfect Hands For Basketball

31. iDou - Perfect Hands For Basketball
Myspace
Carter USM-esque electronic punk featuring ex-Carter USM guitarist! Highly recommended if you enjoyed their 90s output.


32. Cardigans - Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)

32. Cardigans - Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)
Myspace Youtube
Single release from last year's excellent Super Extra Gravity.


33. Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

33. Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla
Myspace Youtube
The best of a number of good Icelandic bands at the moment - a big, spacey orchestra-driven track.


34. Sugababes - Easy

34. Sugababes - Easy
Myspace Youtube
I don't care if it's the Sugababes, it's still going in. And I certainly don't have eye burn from watching their videos too much either …


35. Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger

35. Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
Myspace Youtube
I really really didn't want to even listen to a song with Chelsea in the title, let alone enjoy it. But once it got hold of me I just couldn't let go!


36. Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away

36. Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away
Myspace Youtube
More of the same from the Mystery Jets - more of a psychadelic 60s feel to this one.


37. Muse - Starlight

37. Muse - Starlight
Myspace Youtube
Just when I thought I'd outgrown this band (great though their songs are), this one really grew and grew on me.


38. Peter, Bjorn and John with Victoria Bergstrom - Young Folks

38. Peter, Bjorn and John with Victoria Bergstrom - Young Folks
Myspace Youtube
Whistling lo-fi fun from Stockholm.


39. Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

39. Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
Myspace Youtube
More fantastic orchestral pop rekindling my love of C86.


40. Lostprophets - Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time)

40. Lostprophets - Can't Catch Tomorrow (Good Shoes Won't Save You This Time)
Myspace Youtube
Best track of the year from the almost-metal band who are still writing great pop songs.


41. Snow Patrol - You're All I Have

41. Snow Patrol - You're All I Have
Myspace Youtube
Really not a major fan of this band but I just can't resist songs like this.


42. Automatic - Monster

42. Automatic - Monster
Myspace Youtube
Not a bad song to have on in the car when you're driving your kids around Loch Ness in the summer, but the joke soon wore pretty thin …


43. Jarvis - I Will Kill Again

43. Jarvis - I Will Kill Again
Myspace Youtube
Jarvis's album has been a real grower on me, no tracks particularly standout but this is typical of the black humour throughout it.


44. Divine Comedy - To Die A Virgin

44. Divine Comedy - To Die A Virgin
Myspace Youtube
First release from the excellent Victory For The Comic Muse - a real return to form for the band.


45. Viva Voce - Lesson No 1

45. Viva Voce - Lesson No 1
Myspace
Pyschedelic American indie not too unlike the Breeders.


46. Larrikin Love - Happy As Annie

46. Larrikin Love - Happy As Annie
Myspace Youtube
Reminds me of a more fun version of the Levellers, or certainly a cleaner version with less dogs on strings.


47. Nurse Who Loved Me - I'll Pretend I'll Pretend

47. Nurse Who Loved Me - I'll Pretend I'll Pretend
Myspace Youtube
Big big sounding space rock from this Canvey band's debut album.


48. iLiKETRAiNS - Terra Nova

48. iLiKETRAiNS - Terra Nova
Myspace Youtube
Never really wanted to hear this band after seeing the way they spell their name and reading the rave reviews on Drowned in Sound. Changed my mind when I saw the excellent puppet video re-enacting Captain Scott's doomed march to the South Pole.


49. Shut Your Eyes And You'll Burst Into Flames - Signal Noise

49. Shut Your Eyes And You'll Burst Into Flames - Signal Noise
Myspace
Leeds band who may be onto bigger and better things next year. Signed to ¡Forward, Russia!'s label Dance To The Radio.


50. Bluetones - My Neighbour's House

50. Bluetones - My Neighbour's House
Myspace Youtube
Britpop lives! Hounslow's finest still alike and kicking on Cooking Vinyl. Shut your eyes and it's 1995 again.


51. Vatican DC - Wow

51. Vatican DC - Wow
Myspace Youtube
More Britpop hangovers - guitarist Chris Gentry was in the underrated and awesome Menswe@r.


52. Stereolab - Excursions Into

52. Stereolab - Excursions Into "Oh, A-Oh"
Myspace Youtube
Nothing's changed in 15 years - still making excellent space-age loungecore with ridiculous titles.


53. Albert Hammond Jr - 101

53. Albert Hammond Jr - 101
Myspace Youtube
This is what I used to like about the Strokes when they first came out - uncomplicated, easy on the ear, no trouble to anyone!


54. Spinto Band - Oh Mandy

54. Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
Myspace Youtube
Mandy obviously being short for Mandolins, which aren't in short supply on this track.


55. Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen

55. Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen
Myspace Youtube
Best track on the second album, and a perfect accompaniment to Alex Kapranos's cookbook.


56. LT United - We Are The Winners

56. LT United - We Are The Winners
Myspace Youtube
Lithuanian pop/folk sung by Alexei Sayle's extended family? Forget Lordi, these were the real stars of Eurovision.


57. Be Your Own Pet - Adventure

57. Be Your Own Pet - Adventure
Myspace Youtube
Great song, video and performance at Reading, although a bit too much yellow for my eyes. Extra marks for releasing a song longer than one minute in length.


58. Fields - Song From The Fields

58. Fields - Song From The Fields
Myspace Youtube
Good song turned into a great song by an acoustic version at Fuji Rocks - just voices, guitars and what looked like a Fisher Price xylophone.


59. A-Ha - Analogue

59. A-Ha - Analogue
Myspace Youtube
I'm really glad I accidently tune into other radio stations from time to time (although I'm not trying to make a habit of it).


60. Pink Grease - Carlights

60. Pink Grease - Carlights
Myspace Youtube
Still going strong (ish) and still flying the flag for good indie glam rock.


61. Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends

61. Justice vs Simian - We Are Your Friends
Myspace Youtube
Seems to have been knocking around a long time, a good remix of another long lost band.


62. S*M*A*S*H - All By Myself

62. S*M*A*S*H - All By Myself
Myspace
Great to see the (very low key) return of this excellent NWONW (whatever that meant) band.


63. Ooberman - Crashing Ellipticals

63. Ooberman - Crashing Ellipticals
Myspace
Surprise album of new material released a few years after they split. In their own words - glorious orchestral pop - and who am I to argue?


64. Howling Bells - Low Happening

64. Howling Bells - Low Happening
Myspace Youtube
Stumbled over this lot (not literally) when I was walking round the little tents at Reading.


65. Crimea - Lottery Winners On Acid

65. Crimea - Lottery Winners On Acid
Myspace Youtube
Number 2 in the first Post-Peel Festive 50, and re-released this year. For such an accolade it's a surprisingly normal sounding song.


66. Polysics - Electric Surfin' Go Go

66. Polysics - Electric Surfin' Go Go
Myspace Youtube
Wouldn't be a complete top 100 without some Japanese electronic punk somewhere.


67. Boy Kill Boy - Suzie

67. Boy Kill Boy - Suzie
Myspace Youtube
Can't resist singalong choruses like this either. From E11, Upton Park's nearest band in the list!


68. Kasabian - Empire

68. Kasabian - Empire
Myspace Youtube
Surprisingly good first single from the second album - the spirit of Big Country is alive and well.


69. Data Panik - Rulers and the States

69. Data Panik - Rulers and the States
Myspace
The reformed Bis who released a few good singles but couldn't keep it going to get the album out before they split once again. This is an example of what we're all missing.


70. ¡Forward, Russia! - Twelve

70. ¡Forward, Russia! - Twelve
Myspace Youtube
Still enjoy seeing them live much more than listening to the recorded output but this is a good song all the same.


71. Subliminal Girls - Burn Koko

71. Subliminal Girls - Burn Koko
Myspace Youtube
Definitely a band to watch for 2007, and a sentiment I can easily agree with.


72. Upper Room - All Over This Town

72. Upper Room - All Over This Town
Myspace Youtube
Great melodic pop/rock from a band which are sadly history already.


73. Dirty Pretty Things - Wondering

73. Dirty Pretty Things - Wondering
Myspace Youtube
Most enjoyable chunk of music yet from the Libertines' spin offs, sounding not unlike mid-90s Blur on this one.


74. Knife - Silent Shout

74. Knife - Silent Shout
Myspace Youtube
Many years ago I was a big fan of Jean-Michel Jarre. That's obviously coming back to haunt me now.


75. Hybrasil - When I'm Yawning

75. Hybrasil - When I'm Yawning
Myspace Youtube
Debut album from the Irish electronic indie pop quintet due out sometime next year.


76. Frank and Walters - Miles and Miles

76. Frank and Walters - Miles and Miles
Myspace Youtube
Cork's (second) finest still haven't given it up - they've been churning out indie pop ballads like this for 15 years now.


77. Jim Noir - Key Of C

77. Jim Noir - Key Of C
Myspace Youtube
Not the one from the advert during the World Cup.


78. I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona

78. I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
Myspace Youtube
Along with the Cardigans, the second band from Jönköping in Sweden in the list. Unlike the other bands, there's 27 of them playing 60s lounge-tinged pop.


79. Keane - A Bad Dream

79. Keane - A Bad Dream
Myspace Youtube
Best song for me on Crazy Tim's second album.


80. Sparks - Perfume

80. Sparks - Perfume
Myspace Youtube
100 years after their first song and they're still churning out good music.


81. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces

81. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces
Myspace Youtube
This year's token "I really don't like this kind of music normally but this one's pretty good" track.


82. Simple Kid - Serotonin

82. Simple Kid - Serotonin
Myspace Youtube
First track from the underrated second album, SK2.


83. controller.controller - PF

83. controller.controller - PF
Myspace Youtube
Know very little about this band from Toronto, other than that they seem to have split up already …


84. Futureheads - Worry About It Later

84. Futureheads - Worry About It Later
Myspace Youtube
The second album has been a real disappointment to me after the obvious highs of the first one. This is about as good as it gets.


85. Hot Club de Paris - sometimesitsbetter nottostickbitsofeachother ineachother foreachother

85. Hot Club de Paris - sometimesitsbetter nottostickbitsofeachother ineachother foreachother
Myspace Youtube
"Join the Hot Club de Paris Mailing List so we can spam you with a volume of information similar to the ludicrous amount of spam we get in our myspace comments". Well, I had to sign up after that, I'm just too curious for my own good …


86. Rifles - Repeated Offender

86. Rifles - Repeated Offender
Myspace Youtube
It's the new Jam … oh yes it is!


87. Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control

87. Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control
Myspace Youtube
Good song but not as good as the NME think they are or - according to someone I know who's interviewed - nowhere near as good as *they* think they are.


88. Beck - Cell Phone's Dead

88. Beck - Cell Phone's Dead
Myspace Youtube
It's an obvious Primal Scream rip off and it's nowhere nearer as good as what he was doing 5 or 6 years ago, but here we all are, still in my top 100.


89. Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

89. Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
Myspace Youtube
Seems like they've been going for years now.


90. Milk Kan - I'm Going With You

90. Milk Kan - I'm Going With You
Myspace
South London anti-folk duo, full of clever lyrics despite their unfortunate location.


91. Belle and Sebastian - Funny Little Frog

91. Belle and Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
Myspace Youtube
Most notable for introducing the word "throwat" to the English language.


92. Kooks - Ooh La

92. Kooks - Ooh La
Myspace Youtube
Another song I hated at first but grew on me as the year went by.


93. Protocol - Where's The Pleasure?

93. Protocol - Where's The Pleasure?
Myspace Youtube
Another band owing more than a little bit to Blondie - in this case, Atomic. And another band who split in 2006.


94. Supergrass - Fin

94. Supergrass - Fin
Myspace
Barely scraping the UK charts at no 111, I thought this might have been the last release, but there is a new album coming out in 2007.


95. Rapture - Whoo! Alright Yeah … Uh Huh (People Don't Dance No More)

95. Rapture - Whoo! Alright Yeah … Uh Huh (People Don't Dance No More)
Myspace Youtube
More funky NYC cowbells (or that's what it sounds like to me).


96. Imogen Heap - Headlock

96. Imogen Heap - Headlock
Myspace Youtube
Number of Myspace friends: 259,854 and counting. Not bad for a girl from Romford.


97. Klaxons - Golden Skans

97. Klaxons - Golden Skans
Myspace Youtube
I've no idea what new rave is but this is good enough to tell me that 2007 will be a good year for them.


98. Graham Coxon - Standing On My Own Again

98. Graham Coxon - Standing On My Own Again
Myspace Youtube
That's enough reasonable solo albums, can you now go back and fix Blur please?


99. Little Man Tate - Man I Hate Your Band

99. Little Man Tate - Man I Hate Your Band
Myspace Youtube
Not everything that came out of Sheffield this year was as boring as the Arctic Monkeys.


100. Grand Paradiso - I Was Running

100. Grand Paradiso - I Was Running
Myspace
A slab of Americana from Nuremburg? You have to admit to being a bit curious, surely!



posted by Paul at 7:52 pm


2 Comments:

Blogger JDS said...

One can only assume you never got to hear "the Boom Boom Bap" by Scritti Politti as I can think of no other reason it is not in your top ten

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:52:00 am  
Blogger tracy said...

Despite my google abilities I cannot find anywhere I can buy/download the Mama Shamone track Over. I can listen on myspace but I want it on me ipod.
Don't suppose you've spotted anywhere on your travels at all?
Many thanks for the 2006 list!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 1:39:00 pm  
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