[Pantontino]

I agree with Underground, 'tis a fine album.

If you like that sort of thing I'd recommend Hats by The Blue Nile, it has a similar melancholic splendour:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Nile

My top albums for this year are:

A Blessing and a Curse by The Drive By Truckers
The Animal Years by Josh Ritter
Born Again in The USA by Loose Fur
Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins (actually this might be 2005?)

Best discovery from the past was a joint first place between And You Will know Us By the Trail of Dead and Neutral Milk Hotel  (a big thank you to Bonjoy for that).

The only gig I went to was Kate Rusby, which was great.

[webbo]

i bought mr hawley for the missus as she thinks hes a very nice man,when he appears on look north.as she is a big blue nile fan for the first time ever it might not be a case of her exchanging presents i bought her.

[Monolith]

Recently been introduced to The Blue Nile courtesey of an 80s scenester colleague. Sadly I can't side with devotees though. Listening to Heatwave at 8.30am on a dreary morning in Birkenhead is tortuously depressing! Sorry guys.

One of his other introductions though was The Icicle Works. From one spin, it seemed kind of reminiscent of early Fugazi and I very much enjoyed it.

[Pantontino]

Just wait until you get old and sentimental (like me), then you'll see the beauty in these elegiac songs.

(Actually, I kind of take your point - an entire album of The Blue Nile is a big plate of melancholy to get through in one sitting.)

Webbo, I was reading in the paper the other day that women (typically, that is) invest a lot in the symbolism of present giving, whilst men (surprise, surprise) don't. I bought my wife a Damien Rice cd for christmas, thinking that it would be the acceptable end of the dodgy James Blunt/David Gray spectrum of awful fakeness (she wanted the Take That album). Turns out I was wrong - I hated it too. Mind you, I think she liked it, so maybe I did something right.

She bought me a Johnny Cash biography, which I haven't seen yet as she nabbed it on Christmas morning and has been reading it ever since.

[Monolith]

Just wait until you get old and sentimental (like me), then you'll see the beauty in these elegiac songs.

That's exactly what Chris (the introducer) said to me.

And thank the forces that be Simon that you didn't end up buying your good wife the Take That album! Or their Ultimate Tour DVD for that matter!

[ian h]

album of the year, the stanton warriors stanton session vol 2

[Falling Down]

As it's the very last day of the year...

Best 5 albums:
Comets on Fire: Avatar
John Fahey: A Young Persons Guide to John Fahey
Burial: Burial
Bonnie Prince Billy: The Letting Go
Dubstep all Stars Vol 4

Best Singles:
Jack Rose: Untitled 7"
The Sugarbabes: Push the Button

Best live:
Bonnie Prince Billie with Harem Scarum (scot folkies) in Aberdeen back in April
ATP (Iggy, Peter Brotzmann, Bardo Pond, Comets on Fire, Sunburned Hand of the Man)

Happy New Year all.... see you around in 2007

[andy_e]

Best EP/mini-album: Architects - Nightmares

[webbo]

pantontino.mr hawley was a success,however i was informed it is not like blue nile at all.
i once had to buy a robbie williams cd for the missus,luckily despite her claiming to like it she only played it a couple of times.
fans of mr hawley/blue nile may like to try ballad of the broken seas by isobel cambell and marl lanegam

[andy popp]

Although I've got quite a bit of new stuff recently not much of it was actually released for the first time in '06. However, from 06 I'm liking Mr Beast by Mogwai. I was just given the Yo La Tenga album, which I think I'm going to like and yesterday got Sereena Maneesh but haven't really heard it yet. Less noisily, the new Dylan album is good. On the retro front I've particularly enjoyed  discovering the John Cale solo albums, also the Phil Spector wall of sound retrospective. And also just yesterday got something called 'Its So Hard to Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best' by Karen Dalton, which is completely fucking remarkable.

No real gigs but at the pub over the road saw John Dowland who is world Banjo champion or something and just happens to live in Runcorn. Falling Down you should have been there (a sick Dr Cave was). Literally jaw dropping!

[a dense loner]

think this was still 06 don't really know. listening to another cup by yusuf, not earl or parry, quality album