Henry's belated Top 10 records of 2006

Henry is a procrastinating record geek from the South Hills.

Vashti Bunyan – “Lookaftering” (DiCristina) A beautiful, haunting 2nd album from a contemporary of Nick Drake’s. Best song: “Here Before.”

David Mead – “Tangerine.” (Tallulah!) I’m a sucker for his voice, melodies, lyrics, and ukulele playing. Best song: “Hallelujah, I Was Wrong.”

Lloyd Cole – “Antidepressant.” (One Little Indian) Further adventures of a world-weary, literate curmudgeon. Best song: “Antidepressant.”

Bob Dylan – “Modern Times.” (Columbia) Ditto except for “Beyond The Horizon.” What the fuck? Best song: “Someday Baby.”

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – “The River In Reverse.” (Verve) You can keep the recent rock stuff – Elvis now rules in every other genre. Best song: “International Echo.”

Ben Folds – “SuperSunnySpeedGraphic.” (Epic) His best piano playing since the 5. Points taken off for misogyny. Best song: “Dog.”

The Lemonheads – “The Lemonheads.” (Vagrant) A real surprise after Evan Dando’s lame solo gig at Club Café in the summer of 2005. Best song: “Become The Enemy.”

Margot & The Nuclear So-&-Sos – “The Retreat of Dust.” (Artemis/V2) The best melancholy pop album of the year. Best song: “Vampires In Blue Dresses.”

Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins – “Rabbit Fur Coat.” (Team Love) The album Neko Case wishes she had made in 2006. Best song: "Happy."

Josh Rouse – “Subtitulo.” (Bedroom Classics) Lovely, acoustic tunes with a Spanish flavor. Best song: “Quiet Town.”