As it's only halfway through the year I'm only doing a top half-ten. 5. Cat Power - The Greatest 4. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (It got a january release here right?) 3. Sunset Rubdown - Sunset Rubdown 2. Islands - Return To The Sea 1. Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds My top 4 are all Canadian, what's all that aboot?

YYY's as the biggest dissapointment???!!!???? Are you crazy! Show Your Bones is completely AMAZING!!!!! I actually quite like it. Unicron, Canada rox, eh.

Aside from the ones already mentioned I'd have to go for; Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain Hot Chip - The Warning Howe Gelb - Sno Angel Like You Thom Yorke - The Eraser Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit ...and in terms of hip-hop; Murs & 9th Wonder - Murray's Revenge Ugly Duckling - Bang for the Buck The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon ...and in term of albums that were released in their domestic countries last year but which only secured an European release this year; Love Is All - Nine Times That Same Song The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah The Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is solid but it's not a patch on their earlier efforts. I finally got to see them play in New York last month and it was one of the most anti-climatic gigs I've ever being to. They were playing in a massive room and with the exception of the front two rows no-one was moving an inch (and this was a home town gig for f*ck's sake). Their new material sounded very unexciting live.

Islands - Return To The Sea Tapes 'n' Tapes - The Loon Figurines - Skeleton Howe Gelb - Sno Angel Like You TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds (if we're counting it as 2006) Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

1Mogwai Mr Beast 2Mono You Are There 3Cat Power The Greatest 4The Knife Silent Shout 5Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones

stroller: no one moves at gigs in NYC. It's against the rules.

I love the news YYYs, fantastic all the way through.

In no particular order here's 5: Tapes 'n Tapes: The Loon Howe Gelb: Sno' Angel Like You J Dilla: Donuts King Biscuit Time: Black Gold The Black Angels: Passover Cat Power: The Greatest

seen YYYs at Primavera a couple of weeks ago, turned out to be one of the highlights. Incredibly polished live and seem to be very comfortable in their own skin. Plus yer wan has great stage presence and charisma, added to the intensity of the whole thing...bounding around like an energizer bunny so she was. Will be looking forward to seeing them again at the lecky picnic. Also I think their drummer is a savage...subtle but really drives their sound.

favourite album of the year so far for me is belle & sebastian, the life pursuit. still hooked on it, its a great summer record so if the weather keeps up it might never leave the cd player, also redneck manifesto - seven stabs (ok mini album but f**k it, its great)

I havent bought many new albums this year, but I'm pretty sure that either the James Dean Bradfield or Hope Of The States albums will be my favourite for 2006. Probably HOTS.

Band Of Horses, Everything all the Time is getting alot of airplay between my temples these days. Best piece of Americana since Mercury Rev's Deserters songs.