MERGE - BEST OF 2006 - The Lists (entry 1)

(It's that time of year again. Seemingly a music industry tradition/obsession - the annual year-end-best-of-whatever list! This year marks the debut of the Merge Blog's participation in this obsessive rite of passage. Stay tuned for (perhaps) daily updates throughout the holidays from your favorite Merge artists and staffers. You know you want to see what we have been obsessing over for the last 12 months. Contestant #1 - our fearless leader...)


MAC MCCAUGHAN (Merge Records/Portastatic/Superchunk)


THE LADIES THE LADIES - dominating the year-end list, playing major
roles in all these except Hot Chip...also, my lists are obviously all
non-Merge.

Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Joanna Newsom - YS
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Boris - Pink and LIVE!
Hot Chip - The Warning
Oakley Hall - Second Guessing/ Gypsum Strings (tie)
Magik Markers - live @ Tanned Tin Festival, Castellon, Spain
Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Barbara Morgenstern - The Grass is Always Greener
Bonnie Prince Billy - The Letting Go