Top 31 of 2006: #9

Headlights: "Kill Them With Kindness"
Released: August 29, 2006

We're finally into single digits, and I can think of no better way to welcome them in than with one of my absolute favorite albums of the year (after all, it is #9). For over a year now, I've subscribed to Under the Radar Magazine, probably the last remaining music album today (because it's actually just about music). In that period, the magazine has helped me discover plenty of music that I otherwise would have been oblivious to. The Dears, The Divine Comedy, The Hidden Cameras, The Most Serene Republic, Isabelle Campbell, The American Analog Set, Bell Orchestre, and Calexico just to name a few (or a lot, depending on your perspective). This year, I "discovered" Headlights, and I've been in love with this band ever since. Their debut album, "Kill Them With Kindness," is an amalgam of all sorts of different music; be it shoe gazing pop songs, upbeat beach tunes, or synth-heavy 80s throwbacks. The cool thing about it though, is that they do them all so well, that it doesn't even sound like you're listening to a different band on every track. That puts it light years ahead of bands like Fountains of Wayne, who rely solely on the "mix-tape" album for their appeal. No, Headlights is by far one of the best new artists of 2006, and their near-flawless album should not go unnoticed (even though it basically has).

For being the best "renaissance band" around, Headlights makes it to #9.

Top 31 Songs of 2006: #9
The Dears - "Bandwagoneers" from the album Gang of Losers.