Uncle Smithers' Top Music Picks of 2006

2006 certainly brought an eclectic mix of music to the radio/satellite waves, some good, some bad, others... well, went unlistened (I'm speaking to all you Justin Timberlake fans.) In the rock world, there was no Chinese Democracy, but hey, North Korea is a superpower (at least in Kim Jong's own bobble-sized head). So, without further adieu, here are some of Uncle Smithers' top picks for the year (in no particular order):

Audioslave -- Revelations.



With its rythm-based song structures, Audioslave proclaimed Revelations to be a 70's funk-influenced album, and what a revelation it is to hear these groove-laden songs. I will have to admit, the album as a whole took some time to grow on me, but after hearing a number of the songs several times over on my ipod while randomly shuffling, I would find myself asking "what song was THAT".

Slave to the System - Slave to the System

I mentioned some months back, during the Rockstar SuperNova fiasco, that Slave to the System was a true supergroup, comprised of members of Brother Cane and Queensryche. Little did I know at the time that the album was released two years ago in Australia, and just found its way here in the states. Hopefully this means these guys are working on a follow-up. Damon Johnson, the lead vocalist for Brother Cane and Slave to the System, has been rather busy as the guitarist for Alice Cooper Band and penning songs for the likes of Santana. Here's an unofficial video I found of their first single "Stigmata", done to Metal Gear (which actually turned out pretty decent).



Buckcherry - 15

What an influence to other musicians these guys should be. This self-produced, independent album was first released overseas before being released here in the States. The first single, Crazy Bitch, became a HUGE, grammy-nominated, single and proprelled the album to gold status and the band being signed to Atlantic records. I've even recently seen Crazy Bitch used in NFL hi-lights, believe it or not. While the song is a throw-back to AC/DC, the album as a whole is very good, which shouldn't be that suprising considering these guys have put out a couple of excellent albums in the past. Here's a video that shows just how much the song managed to penetrate deep into the American culture:



AFI - Decemberunderground

These guys have managed to put out a number of excellent albums in a row now, though their songs have definatley become more and more mainstream (isn't that always the case?) Sort of like Nine Inch Nails meets The Cure, it's hard not to give them credit for coming up with some truly catchy songs. Here's a clip for "Love Like Winter"



My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Surely album of the year candidate, The Black Parade picks up where Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge left off. Helena was the single off of the last album that did it for me, but when Black Parade made its first debut, "Welcome to the Black Parade", I was hooked. The album is a concept album, following a cancer-ridden patient through a number of excellent tunes with all sorts of influence, from Queen, to Mott the Hoople. Nonetheless, it's 100% My Chemical Romance, and if you're going to have one thing to be addicted to this new year, you might as well make it this.



Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May

I first picked up Stone Sour's self-titled debut earlier this year, and was surprised to see Slipnot members Corey Taylor and Jim Root planning a new album. For those who don't know, Stone Sour was a more, melodic, precursor to Slipknot. The album is full of excellent songs, Through Glass being the one getting a lot of radio time at the moment (Zzyzx Rd. is another good one, which always makes me think of the drive to LA in the 15 as you pass the namesake). Here's the grammy-nominated song, 30/30-150:



The Veronicas - The Secret Life of the Veronicas

Ok, guilty pleasure time. I don't know how I stumbled across these 21 year old twin-sisters from Brisbaine, but I'm glad I did. In a time of manufactured pop, these two have managed to write the majority of their own songs and put together an entire album's worth of confectionary sugar (not to mention they're pretty cute). Just listen to the harmonies on Everything I'm Not, and tell me I'm wrong:



Ok, ok. Some of you are probably thinking Uncle Smithers has lost his marbles with that last pick, and I would say in return that I didn't have any to begin with. So for those thinking I need to redeem myself, here's my final pick...

Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies

Certainly not for everybody's taste, this metal act has found the right balance of screaming and singing, turning their fourth album into a classic. I'm not going to pretend I know much about them, because I don't and just recently picked the album up, so why not give "My Curse" a spin and post your own impressions?