Pickled Priest Mixtape: Our Favorite Songs of 2006

I only know 2006 happened because years are consecutively numbered and as far as I know we haven't skipped any. Otherwise, I wouldn't be entirely sure. Lots of great songs to pick from as usual, but many of those didn't make the list. Others did. All I can promise is that I'll try to explain.

PICKLED PRIEST'S FAVORITE SONGS OF 2006 MIXTAPE

SIDE A

26 "Running the World" | Jarvis Cocker

It's been true forever, but especially now. Cunts are still running the world. Leave it to Pulp mastermind Jarvis Cocker to put it so simply, so bluntly.

25 "Insistor" | Tapes 'n Tapes

I always wonder if bands like Minneapolis's Tapes 'n Tapes sit around now wondering if people are still listening to their music or if they assume they’re just one of many alternative bands lost to the passage of time. They had a bit of a moment for a while there in the late-aughts, but there were so many other bands circulating at the time so I can understand why they might ponder their legacy. Well, boys, your music is alive and well at Pickled Priest! We have never forgotten the spastic urgency and percussive drive of your music nor your esoteric lyricism, especially on “Insistor,” which is an adrenaline rush from beginning to end about something, I'm sure. I do know it's clearly indebted to influential bands like Pixies and Violent Femmes, but who wasn't back then?

24 "Rally" | Phoenix

I do love the synth-accented hits like "1901" and "Lisztomania" that broke this Parisian band wide open in 2009, but I save most of my secret smiles for 2006's It's Never Been Like That, which was mostly straight-ahead New Wave pop. I mean, “Rally” could be a Nick Lowe song if it was written three decades earlier.

23 "Hips Don't Lie" | Shakira

I don't relate to the sentiment—my hips have been prevaricating heavily since about 2011—but the song clearly wasn't made with me in mind. Without a doubt, Shakira's hips speak volumes with every shake and shimmy and you don't even need to speak Spanish to understand what she's saying (although you'll want to by the song's end). I can only imagine the splendor of being one of Shakira’s hips, joints so spectacular they need Wyclef Jean to act as their anatomical hype man. This is one of those records I wish I could dance to, but I realized long ago that it's best left to the professionals. On another note, am I the only one who thinks Shakira sounds eerily similar to the Target Lady on this track? Once I got the image of Kristen Wiig shaking her hips to this song in her red vest, scanning candles all the while, I simply can't hear it any other way now. And that only increases my enjoyment of it.

22 "One of Us is Gonna Die Young" | The Ark

There are some dismissive hot takes about the Ark out there, but personally I found the Swedish band to be purveyors of some delirious and delightful pop music during their short blip in the American marketplace. “One of Us Is Gonna Die Young” is for all intents and purposes a New Wave power-pop song with a giant chorus that you can sing along with while cruising with friends. All you have to do is figure out who in your group will be the one to die prematurely. Maybe draws straws?

21 "Busy Doing Nothing" | Love Is All

I'll take songs I can relate to for 1000, Alex. Answer: Sweden’s Love is All, led by frontwoman Josephine Olaussen, reveled in the art of time-wasting on this 2006 alternative hit song. Question: What is "Busy Doing Nothing"? Unquestionably, this is the song from 2006 that is most aligned with my own anti-social disposition, for I don't consider the things she considers "doing nothing" to be anything but time well spent: five movie marathons, nine times the same song, ten hours in bed, hour-long showers, four hours on the phone, etc. Well, she lost me at the phone call, but I'm down for the rest.

20 "Nancy Reagan's Head" | Mission of Burma

Second acts are more common than ever now, but the unexpected return of Boston post-punk legends Mission of Burma a little over 22 years after their last release was, by all accounts, a welcome and surprising success story. Their first comeback record, Onoffon in 2004, was proof the reunion had legs, showing the band had lost nothing since their glory years. Shortly thereafter,The Oblerati arrived and was just as good. Their corresponding live shows were a revelation as well, especially for those of us who missed them the first time around. I must admit, my song selection here hinges on my love for the bizarre and absurd. Hence, we have the curiosity known as "Nancy Reagan's Head." It would've been fair game to write a song about Nancy back in the 80s when her hubby was president, right around the time Burma first surfaced, but to do so in 2006 is a bit perplexing. The song is about being haunted by Nancy's “freakishly large head” (see photo below), so perhaps the band's phobia has been an issue for decades, only now surfacing after years of psychoanalysis. In the spirit of modern social network conspiracy theories, they even posit that “There’s no way it came with that body,” implying she may have had a covert head transplant at some point. They may have had a point.

Unnerving. Positively unnerving.

19 "The Island: Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning" | The Decemberists

This is a twelve-minute, multi-part suite from The Crane Wife and by default it constitutes the de facto centerpiece of the album and also one of the erudite band's finest recorded moments. Yes, it occupies too much real estate, especially for inclusion on a mixtape, but audacity is the song's greatest asset, somehow finding a way to bring an old Japanese folk tale inspired by William Shakespeare's The Tempest into the distant future via an extended prog-rock epic. The Decemberists were smart: they knew that if they were going to be pretentious they might as well go all the way. Miraculously, once again, they pull it off.

18 "Chips Ahoy!" | The Hold Steady

When the Hold Steady started out, I wondered how long their formula would last—big rock band riffs, amusing, plain-spoken storytelling. It’s not, on the surface, a recipe for enduring relevance. People get bored easily. That he’s become an indie icon of sorts ever since is a testament to his ability to consistently conjure compelling character sketches with just enough detail to make you care about them. “Chips Ahoy!” is a masterful, hilarious tale with a troubling undercurrent about girl who has a sixth sense as to which horse is going to finish first at the track. With such a skill comes some side-effects it appears. But despite a little emotional baggage she's still a keeper, I bet.

17 "Put Your Records On" | Corinne Bailey Rae

I'm a sucker for a song about the redemptive and mind-calming power of playing your favorite records. It's our religion, after all.

16 "Lived In Bars" | Cat Power

They should've called it Cat in Memphis, but why quibble? The consistent mood of Cat Power's The Greatest is its greatest quality. Even before this record, everything Chan Marshall sang turned to soul, not that her songs were soul by definition, but because her voice is soul. She has no other choice. It just comes off with that natural vibe that cannot be faked. Here, her intention was more deliberate. She intended to make a real soul record. That's why a crack band of Memphis legends was assembled to accompany her, featuring members of Hi Rhythm (of Al Green fame) and Stax. It's a classic albeit atypical soul record made by a white girl (Dusty Springfield, anyone?). Each and every song drifts effortlessly into the next, creating one of the best Sunday morning records ever. That said, "Lived in Bars" gives us a taste of the Saturday night before, recounting wild behaviors that were made to be confessed at Sunday morning's church service, which I'm betting she didn't bother attending.

15 "Cherry Lips" | Archie Bronson Outfit

“Cherry Lips” is a quivering tale of lost love. Not just any love mind you, the one that really breaks you in half, one that was so intense you might not ever get over it. The intensity of the singer’s infatuation with his subject is somewhat unnerving, delivering a slow-building tension that can only boil over by the end. It’s both enthralling and a little disturbing at the same time. Serious stalker potential here.

14 "You Have Killed Me" | Morrissey

When I realized that Morrissey was the perfect tonic for the depression of my later years, I immersed myself in his catalog, wallowing in one miserable pop gem after the next. Ringleader of the Tormentors got by me for a long time, but I now appreciate it as one of Moz’s better solo outings. Much of the reason is “You Have Killed Me” which ranks as one of his more memorable cuts thanks to the influence of Italian cinema and its brilliant, death-defying chorus.

As I live and breathe

You have killed me

You have killed me

Yes I walk around somehow

But you have killed me

You have killed me

SIDE B

13 "God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)" | El Perro del Mar

With a featherlight, ethereal vocal, “God Knows” is Julee Cruise-esque in execution but without the creepy David Lynch undercurrent. Instead, it’s a dreamy piece of self-reflection, an awareness that singer Sarah Assbring's scales have lately been tipping too heavily toward self absorption. For me, and surely others, the song was a subtle, lilting reminder that the love you take is equal to the love you make. Sound familiar?

12 "Pull Shapes" | The Pipettes

A modern update to 60's girl group pop, the Pipettes were short-lived but they left a few phenomenal singles in their wake. This was them at their best. Clever vid, too.

11 "LDN" | Lily Allen

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Earth has not any thing to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

-William Wordsworth

Until today, I didn't know this song was inspired by this two-hundred-year-old-poem by William Wordsworth, but that fact only deepens my affection for Lily Allen's slice-of-life bicycle ride through London that is "LDN." As I read the lyrics to Little Willy's poem, his love of place is palpable if overly romantic. That Lily studied the song in school and then asked herself how she would write the song in today's world is a testament to her refreshingly original perspective on life, a left-of-center view that has done her well during her career. Her version of London was similarly sunny and joyous on the surface, but she added a dark underbelly to her take that told of a city that isn't always what it seems to the casual eye. A dapper man and his lady are really a pimp and a crack whore, a little old lady being helped by a nice young boy is actually being assaulted and robbed. The sun is in the sky, the city is beautiful, but it's mighty heart is no longer lying still, in fact it's up and about causing all kinds of trouble. A dark heart has assumed control.

10 "Hold On, Hold On" | Neko Case

I loved this song long before I read Neko's excellent new book, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You, but it hits even more powerfully now that she's revealed herself more completely to the world. It's a must read. Just like the book, each line of the autobiographical "Hold On, Hold On" is packed with meaning from moment one. "The most tender place in my heart is for strangers / I know it's unkind, but my own blood is much too dangerous." Wow. Now that's a line that packs a lot into a small space. One could stop right there and ponder it for the rest of the day. The remainder of the song follows suit, giving us enough to hold on to (fittingly), but intentionally holding back most of the fine details. At one point, she admits "It's the devil I love / And that's as funny as true love" and if you ask me, there aren't many lyrics better than that one from any era. It sends chills down my spine every time.

09 "Kick, Push" | Lupe Fiasco

You don't have to be a skateboarder to get emotionally invested in this heartwarming tale about two city kids who discover each other through a mutual passion. I can't think of many rap songs that capture the same vibe as "Kick, Push." It's a peaceful, laid-back story about finding something, and then someone, you love in the middle of a crowded, dangerous, and unwelcoming city, where the freedom that comes with coasting on four wheels is a much-needed escape from the everyday challenges of real life.

08 "Rise Up With Fists!!!" | Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

– Leo Tolstoy

Outside of the song's prevailing theme—the hypocrisy of our religious and political leaders—there's a great gospel song here, with amazing lyrics and astounding harmonies (courtesy the Watson Twins). Interpret the lyrics as you wish, but I see it as a "clean up your own backyard before you clean up mine," type of message. You've got to come to terms with your own issues first, people. Once you do that, I'm all ears.

07 "Laugh / Love / Fuck" | The Coup

Boots Riley and his band of lunatics, the Coup, meld humor and politics in semi-equal measures, then add some funky grooves to make it all go down easy. It's a madcap blend that rarely lets down. On this song, Boots tells us his main goals: laughing, loving, fucking, and making the revolution come quicker. That last one is an outlier, but what he's basically saying is that you can have all the fun you want, but you should also have a purpose. One of the song's most brilliant lines sums it all up perfectly: "I intend to take shots that make a mark / Not just take shots of Maker's Mark / That's how they make us marks / We gotta try see the whole system break apart."

06 "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken" | Camera Obscura

Looking like a born again, living like a heretic

Listening to Arthur Lee records

Making all your friends feel so guilty about their cynicism

and the rest of their generation

Not even the government are gonna stop you now

But are you ready to be heartbroken?

-Lloyd Cole, "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?"

"Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken" is one of the great "answer" songs of all time. It brings Cole's 1984 song forward two decades, leaving the skepticism of Cole's song behind in favor of diving head first into love without a net. Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell finds herself "ready to heartbroken," which means she is living in the moment (I can't see farther than my own nose at this moment) for fear of allowing a self-fulfilling prophecy to form before she gives love a fair shot. Some of the sweetest, most intelligent pop music of the early 21st century came courtesy of this Scottish band and to limit yourself to just this song would be a tragedy. The album from whence it came, Let's Get Out of This Country, is one of the best records of the last quarter-century.

05 "Wolf Like Me" | TV on the Radio

At the time of Return to Cookie Mountain's release, I considered TVOTR the best new band of the 21st century. (As in, discography fully housed in 2000 or later.) While they didn’t last as long as I hoped (reunion tour this year notwithstanding), I still feel they are in among my favorite bands of the new millennium. "Wolf Like Me" is one example of their originality. Nobody else then or now sounded quite like this. It sounded like the future to me then and still does now.

04 "Here's Your Future" | The Thermals

If the Bible was as easy to believe as this two-and-a-half-minute Reader's Digest version of its key events, I'd be more inclined to buy in, especially if the prophets delivered their ominous warnings with the galvanizing indie-punk intensity of Hutch Harris, the stick-figure preacher behind Portland's Thermals. For "Here's Your Future," the band distill the "crime and punishment" leadership style of God himself down to its fire and brimstone essence. As God literally reigns/rains down his wrath on Noah, he quips, "Remember that no one can breathe underwater." But why did a need to be feared come to pass in the first place? The more I listen, the more an alternate view of the ridiculousness of religion comes into view. One that starts to question everything we've been told/sold.

03 "The View from the Afternoon" | Arctic Monkeys

Living up to extreme hype is not an easy task, especially with the UK music press who loves to tout new bands as the second coming and then move on to the next big thing, but Arctic Monkeys did just that and then managed to become one of thee greatest bands of the 21st century. There are few debut albums that have a stronger 1-2-3 opening punch than Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and the hard charging "The View from the Afternoon," along with the smash hit "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" are blistering singles as good as anything else from any band from the 2000s to date. While I could have picked any of the three (or several others) from the record is a testament to the album's continued staying power. I chose "Afternoon" because it contains my favorite moment on the whole record—a fake ending at the 2:14 mark where the song restarts with some ping-ponging guitar riffs that bounce from one speaker channel to another before it locks back in and rages until the end. A brilliant moment from the first song they ever recorded. Truly advanced stuff.

02 "No Pussy Blues" | Grinderman

I can think of no other artist besides Nick Cave who could pull off a song like "No Pussy Blues" with quite the same elan. Just look at the video still above. Balding with mullet, jet black-dyed hair, full handlebar porn star mustache, open collared shirt, the whole bit. This guy was born to sing this song. Somehow Cave, this time in his Grinderman persona, manages to do so without being offensive. This is the tale of a guy trying everything he can to get in good graces with his icy female obsession. I mean, if doing her dishes with rubber gloves, petting her revolting chihuahua, fixing the hinges on her gate, and reading her Eliot and Yeats won't warm her up, nothing will. Humor is at the core of the song, which is always appealing here at Pickled Priest, and in fact there's a lot of it on the band's self-titled record, including another Cave classic, "Go Tell the Women" which could also easily be in this spot. Yet another song that could seem sexist on first pass, but is actually skewering masculinity along the way. Ahead of its time in that regard, then.

01 "Generator" | The Holloways

Warning: Stupid video. Don't watch, just listen.

The unofficial Pickled Priest theme song for many years now. Music has many uses for us, but one of the main ones is to feel better about life in general and this overjoyed adrenalin rush does just that by being about just that. And records. Here, the two go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other.

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One more from the 21st century next time, then back to the distant past once again!

Until then...

Cheers,

The Priest