12.27.2006
THE PULSE.PH TOP 10 SONGS OF 2006
FROM DRAMATIC DEATH-OBSESSED SCREAMO EPICS TO CELESTE LEGASPI-SAMPLING HIP-HOP: HERE ARE THE BEST SONGS OF 2006
Lists are fun. They're also all over the place: by now, you've probably read any number of Top 10s (or 50s, or 100s) dealing with music, movies, books, or events, on any number of blogs or online magazines. Having pointed that out, we're going to go ahead and hit you with our own lists anyway, partially because we want to lead you towards some good stuff you may not have gotten into yet, partially as a sort of "thank you" to those artists who made 2006 such a good year for music for us, but mostly because, like we said: Lists are fun.
Instead of making separate lists for Philippine and international releases, we decided to throw all our favorites into a pit and let them fight it out, so to speak. After all, we love the music that we love regardless of where it's from. We're not even going to pretend that we followed any sort of system or rigorous logic when it came to selecting these tracks out of the hundreds that we enjoyed all year; the one definite rule that we stuck to was that the song had to have come from an album released in 2006 (hence the exclusion of Urbandub's "First of Summer," or for that matter the Itchyworms' "Beer," in case you were wondering). We just know that after a few afternoons of suggesting, listening, ranking, debating, and eating chocolate-coated macadamia nuts, we came up with a list that felt right.
And here it is: our roster of what, in our opinion, were the Top 10 Songs of 2006:
Not only did Lupe Fiasco come up with Food & Liquor—one of the strongest hip-hop albums in quite some time—he sampled Celeste Legaspi's "Bolero Medley" on this memorable single, too. Pitchfork ranked it high on their list of the Top 100 Tracks of 2006, and wrote: "You can't knock those strings, some of the prettiest to ever grace a pop single." With a little swell of local pride, we enthusiastically agree. LK
While everyone was plundering the 80s, the Scissor Sisters went gloriously disco on this shimmery glittery gem from their second album Ta-Dah. Its title may be “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin',” but of course, its sheer wit and fun are irresistible, and you won't be able to keep from bouncing along. JJ
True to form, Imago went off in a new musical direction with their third album, Blush. Those who were expecting a slew of bright "Taralets"-like pop confections, however, were surprised and touched by the bittersweetness of the slower numbers. "Sundo," reminiscent of Static & Silence-era Sundays, is an instant sing-along-while-shining-your-cellphone classic. LK
Layer upon gorgeous layer, Sound’s title track from their much-awaited second album is a rainstorm of a song, full of beautiful melodies and rhythms interweaving so brilliantly that you just want to listen to it over and over again. Every element seems to fall at the absolute perfect moment and, yes, it bears repeating, I still smile when Sach sings, “When everyday was Sunday…” It feels good. JJ
Cliches like 'a breath of fresh air' come to mind when one thinks of Lily Allen, though she herself is far from a cliche. Making a name for herself using humor, sass, killer tunes and a MySpace page, Lily A. let you know right off the start—with this funny-sadistic summery smash—that she was not to be messed around with, and that she was one of the best things about pop music in 2006. LK
It starts off very sedate; then you hear that marching drumbeat and it slowly starts to get uplifting and then, bam, it rocks heavy, heavier, heaviest, and crashes into a resounding, definitely majestic climax. Listening to that, it makes you wonder why you used to wonder what all the fuss over My Chemical Romance was about. And we love the video. JJ
It starts off with a groove that seems unimposing yet proves to be impossible to get out of your mind, and then Uela Basco mesmerizes and you’re going off with her, not caring where she’s taking you. The Chillitees blend R&B and atmospherics so well that they inspire the use of adjectives like smooth, cool, and delicious all at once. It’s not just the cute cartoons that ensure their play on music video channels, after all. JJ
You probably knew there was a new Muse album out here because of “Starlight,” and though it has its definite merits, we thought it too, well, sleepy a song. “Supermassive Black Hole,” on the other hand—which, incidentally, was the first single from Black Holes and Revelations— actually seems destined for inclusion in Top 10 lists. Funky and infectious, it wittily laces sexy crooning through impending doom and it totally works. JJ
It's hard to proclaim that tribute albums are artistic dead ends when they can still serve up fantastic tracks like this. While there were many worthy efforts on the APO Hiking Society tribute, this was the best of them all—mixing up playful keyboard work, subtle DJ scratching, shuffling and shifting beats, and of course, Beng Calma's sensual croon, into a version that respected the original while totally transforming it. It had us hitting the repeat button a lot. LK
This was one of those songs that really got to people, whether it was because of the sincere, somewhat self-deprecating lyrics, the laid-back yet increasingly urgent vibe, or the skilled performances by the band, especially vocalist Armi Millare's impassioned delivery—or, more likely, all three. "Oo" echoes a 70s Pinoy sound while being undeniably contemporary, which all adds up to a song that may very well prove to be timeless. LK
COMING UP NEXT: THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2006!
Drip photo by Eric Fernandez. All other pix were either provided by the bands themselves or plucked from their MySpace pages or official sites.
