Top 31 of 2006: #24

Calexico: "Garden Ruin"
Released: April 11, 2006

It's a shame when something like Calexico sounds fresh. It's not that it isn't, it is, but Calexico is really a perfect example of what music should sound like. You don't always need to be inventive. You don't need to have complex compositions, full backing orchestras, an enigmatic frontman, a hit single. You just need to play your music and enjoy doing it. Judging from their 2006 release, "Garden Ruin," Calexico may very well be the best band around today, and music's last-remaining hope. Why #24 then? Because though Calexico may be amazing and pure, that doesn't mean everything they do is phenominal. "Garden Ruin" is good, no doubt, but there is so much potential in this album that either goes untapped or unnurtured that most of it falls flat. There are brushes with brilliance, like the haunting "Yours and Mine" or the beautiful "Roka." But the latter moments of the album drift off and never really amount to anything. Despite this, however, one thing is for sure. If Calexico isn't one of the greatest American bands around today, then they sure do a good job of pretending to be.

For totally pwning most other bands, Calexico makes it to #24.

Top 31 Songs of 2006: #24

Muse - "Supermassive Black Hole" from the album Black Holes and Revelations.