Jordan's List
It's cold, the holidays are coming, and the top 10 lists are about to start falling like snow. Here it is in no particular order:

1) Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds

He is the Ric Flair of producing after all.

2) Tortoise, A Lazarus Taxon

It's a reissue but it might also be the best Tortoise album after TNT.

3) Prince, 3121

In a different world, 'Black Sweat' and the underrated 'Incense & Candles' would be hits.

4) Squarepusher, Hello Everything

It's not a great record in the "pushing electronic music foward" sort of way, but it's a fun record. The beats are canned but the day-glo analog synth melodies are worthy of a Mega Man game.

5) Ghostface Killah, Fishscale

I didn't love this record as much as some people, but my favorite tracks ('Kilo', 'Shakey Dog', 'The Champ', '9 Milli Bros', 'Be Easy') stuck with me.

6) The Fake Fictions, Raw Yang

This Chicago trio writes great, bouncy pop tunes. Hopefully they'll make it up to Madison again in '07.

7) El Clan Destino, Rukus

This Madison band of musicians' musicians put on some of the consistently hottest live shows of the year.

8) Dub Trio, New Heavy

Their mix of realer-than-real dub reggae with stupid-huge metal riffs is a head scratcher at first, but it works (and it sounded great opening for Gogol Bordello at the Annex).

9) Youngblood Brass Band, is that a riot

One of Madison's highest-profile and hardest-touring bands returned with a new lineup and approach this year, and they still come with it.

10) Thom Yorke, The Eraser

What can I say, I'm a sucker for this band. I mean this dude. And that other dude who produced it.

There are a lot of other records I wish I could have heard, but such is life. Overall it was no 2005 (at least in terms of how strongly I feel about my little list of records), but it was a year. With music. And you know, right now that's good enough for me.

Note: my musical opinions in no way reflect those of Dane101.com, etc.