2006 brought with it some serious ugly (an increasingly dire situation in Iraq, the worsening of violence in Darfur, that monthlong war between Lebanon and Israel, congressmen doing dirty things with little boys and Britney's all-too-ubiquitous cooch). But as we look forward to 2007, we thought we'd take this opportunity to remember the good stuff that went down in '06. In order to do so, we invited a handful of opinionated PAPER peeps to weigh in. The assignment was loose, and the result is appropriately scattered! Enjoy. See you in 2007!
Alexis Swerdloff Associate Editor, PAPERMAG.com
25 Best Songs of 2006
Best grown-up song that sounds like a children's song:
"Waiting to Know You," Fiery Furnaces
Best children's song that sounds like a grown-up song:
"Crows," Gothic Archies
Best reason to fall in love Regina Spektor all over again:
"On the Radio," Regina Spektor
Best song by a super-group:
"All Fires," Swan Lake
Best rap song by a white man:
"Midas Gutz," Subtle
Best rap song by a black man:
"Be Easy," Ghostface Killah
Best sampling:
"SOS," Rihanna
Best song to treadmill to:
"Here it Goes Again," OK Go
Best song that you hate at first but then grows on you:
"Fergalicious," Fergie
Best Mountain Goats song that doesn't sounds like a Mountain Goats song:
"Wild Sage," Mountain Goats
Best song to play while dumping your Swedish girlfriend:
"This Piece of Poetry Is Meant to Do Harm," The Ark
Best song to play while riding a train to Brazil:
"Trains to Brazil," Guillemots
Best song about Los Angeles:
"Los Angeles," Rosewood Thieves
Best song about Amsterdam:
"Amsterdam," Peter Bjorn and John
Best song that mentions Harvard:
"Insistor," Tapes ‘n Tapes
Best song that was probably not actually sung by the artist:
"Stars Are Blind," Paris Hilton
Best song that affirms Destroyer's hypeness:
"Rubies," Destroyer
Best song that invents a dance move:
"Pull Shapes," Pipettes
Best reason not to forget about Annie:
"Yours to Keep," Teddybears feat. Nenah Cherry and Annie
Best song of the summer:
"Crazy," Gnarls Barkley
Best use of hyperbole:
"The Greatest," Cat Power
Best song maybe possibly about Say Anything:
"Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken," Camera Obscura
Best song to play at a funeral:
"The Funeral," Band of Horses
Best song by a Kids Incorporated alum:
"Ain't No Other Man," Christina Aguilera
Best song. Period:
"Irreplaceable," Beyonce
Carol Lee Creative Director, PAPERMAG.com
These are the things and moments that made 2006 memorable for me, not in any particular order.
Daft Punk at Coachella: I didn't think Daft Punk could be this good but when I saw them I was blown away. This is really how music in the future should be performed and heard, I think. Cat Power was fantastic too.
"The Intelligence of Flowers" by Urs Fischer: My favorite piece by far at the Whitney Biennial "Day for Night."
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: Bob Dylan by Martin Scorsese made me fall in love with Bob Dylan all over again in a heavy way. Whenever I'm down I put on the DVD and it always makes me happy. 2006 was a busy year for Dylan with a new album "Modern Times" that went straight to the top on the charts and the debut of "Theme Time Radio Hour" on XM Radio which is hands down the best thing on the airwaves.
Max Fish Guitarmagedddon 666: A monster guitar throw-down that happened on June 6 with all the boys of Max Fish behind it. What's not to love?!
Fille De Joie: My friend CC McGurr finally opened her dream boutique of all vintage stuff. It makes you proud to see your friends do something they've always wanted to do.
Disco Years by Ron Gallela: I'm a sucker for anything Disco. This book is beautiful, decadent and trashy!
"The Downtown Show": One of my favorite New York cranksters Carlo McCormick put together this nitty-gritty and magnificent exhibition of the 80s downtown scene.
Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: This movie was the best pick-me-up. My friend Sissel and I laughed ourselves silly the whole time. I think Talledega might be funnier and dumber than Borat. Shake and Bake!
My Brother: He finally moved back to New York after 8 years.
Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City: This is pretty much a dream come true.
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