Camera Crowd's Best of 2006

This year for music has been F-A-N-tastic: long-time favorites two-stepped back into the music world again. (look: Cat Power, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens...) On the other hand, new favorites settled so quickly into our ears that we're almost scared to wonder if 2007 can top this year.

Okay, so we couldn't figure out who would get to write on these four albums, since we both loved them immensely and we mean immensely. To the point where Anne called dibs on all four of them, but realizing that wasn't exactly fair. We decided to rest assured that you knew who these four were and decided to not fistfight over googletalk about who gets to write about comeback Chan Marshall, Austin favorite indie pop Voxtrot, Jenny Lewis's first solo album or Voxtrot-keyboardist Jared Van Fleet's solo EP. Although it would be interesting to see how that would go over.

Camera Crowd's Picks
(Not in any order)

The Greatest Cat Power

Living Proof - Cat Power



Rabbit Fur Coat Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins

Rise Up with Fists - Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins




Falls Sparrow House

foxes (sighing like a furnace) - Sparrow House






Your Biggest Fan Voxtrot

Trouble - Voxtrot



Anne's Picks


Lightness Peter and the Wolf
Some bloggers have touched on Peter and the Wolf, but too few haven't even mentioned Red Hunter's first official release Lightness. This album revolves around Hunter's seemingly hundred-year old voice is full of wisdom and comes off as if its owner has traveled every corner of the world and sat down to tell stories, which is of course in the form of the songs. Ooooh along, listeners!

The Highway - Peter and the Wolf

Gulag Orkestra Beirut
A breath of fresh air and lifts the listener out of troubles and into the cobblestone European scenery. There is plenty to sing and dance along to and youngster Zach Condon is the tour guide around the place providing a warm golden trumpet sound to melt anyone's heart.


After the Curtain - Beirut

The Life Pursuit Belle and Sebastian
Hello, polished version of Belle and Sebastian. For longtime, B&S fans this may sound fatal and a sure sign of disappointment, but relax it only means a new direction for this catchy Scottish band. This album introduces Stuart Murdoch flexing his voice into new places making the listener think twice during "Sukie in the Graveyard" and double-checking it wasn't a David Bowie song lost in the mix. Lively electric guitar solos and in-the-gut drums rolls the album forward while hooking onto your pants to throw you in the passenger seat along for the ride into the new horizon.

Sukie In The Graveyard - Belle and Sebastian


Charlie's Picks

5:55 Charlotte Gainsbourg
Having influences from her world famous father Serge Gainsbourg, Charlotte easily infuses together a feeling of calmness and rush in this album. With help from the band electronic pop band Air, listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg's 5:55 is like going on a short drive while cars blur by and slowing down time, creating this tiny moment of peace.

5 55 - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Show Your Bones Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A lot of people I know counted out Show Your Bones because it brought out a totally different sound compared to Fever To Tell. This time around, Karen O and the gang provides us with a much softer sound, not the Yeah Yeah Yeahs we know. And was this a bad idea? Absolutely not! Give this album a couple of listens and it'll reveal the other side of YYY's we weren't familiar with. The softer side that still packs a powerful punch.

Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Ys Joanna Newsom
It's pronounced (ees) and it was on a lot of bloggers favourite list. Joanna Newsom and Ys lived up to the hype of many bloggers and critics. It's nothing but praise for this 55 minute beautifully painted canvas of music. I just hope, with 2007 right in the corner, bloggers and critics would focus more on her music rather than what she wears on her shows. I recommend getting into Milk-Eyed Mender first before getting your hands and ears on a copy of Ys.

Cosmia - Joanna Newsom


love, Team Camera Crowd
(Anne and Charlie)