Vote

Harris/Knopfler; All The Roadrunning, by a large margin.

It's sad, but there is nothing released this year that sticks in my mind.

A Matter of Life and Death by Iron Maiden. Their best effort in the last 10-15 years.

Putting the Days to Bed by The Long Winters.

I'm not sure if it was from this year or last, but Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, by Neko Case, is my favorite new music release of the last two years—at least.

Time Lines by Andrew Hill.

Uh, what year is this?

Frampton's new album, Fingerprints, is pretty good. For an old guy!

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris:All The Roadrunning.

Kristin Asbj

I actually have a clear winner, although I'm not the type to have clear winners, usually. M. Ward's Post-War. With an honorable mention to Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere. A lot of the pop I like (I listen to jazz mostly) gets less interesting with more listens. Post-War is one that I like better and better the more I listen to it.

Get Behind Me, Satan by the White Stripes.

Fiery Furnaces: Bitter Tea. This is the ultimate shopping-mall organ record–you know the kind of zillion voice electronic organ complete with preprogrammed rhythm section. Matthew Friedberger somehow takes this cheezy instrument and raises it to symphonic high art, complete with oh so catchy melodies, his sister's perfectly suited deadpan vocals, and an occasional awesomely shredding guitar. I have no idea how he does it, which of course is a true test for sheer genius.

Godsmack IV

North Mississippi Allstars: Electric Blue Watermelon

The best new release? Simtiems it's the Coltrain-Monk release from days gone by. For a quiet thoughtful night it's Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. But favorite is "French Masterpieces: Music for Two Organs & Chorus" by the First Congregational Church in Columbus because I was in the Chorus.

Living with War by Neil Young.

The new CD from Diana Krall. It's just a nice pleasant adult music "record" and sounds good, too.

Cat Power: The Greatest. A beautiful CD that sees the young southern rocker taking her career in a more mature sounding and creative direction. A sure must-hear.

The Campfire Headphase by The Boards of Canada.

Paul Simon's Surprise. Amazing.

Belle and Sebastian's The Life Pursuit, among many putting the lie to the idea that there is nothing good or original happening these days and, happily, quite popular with the kids, too. There is good music now—it's just not universally loved, but then it is not geared toward a universal taste. In more ways than one we live in Balkanized times, and music reflects that.

I'm only buying reissues at this point. Where can someone hear new rock music that isn't corporate tripe?

The Plans album by Death Cab for Cutie has been out since August '05 and still on a strong rotation in my library. As for pure 2006 albums, Regina Spektor or Cat Power are tough to beat.

Modern Times by Bob Dylan. It's fun, it rocks, it laments. It's Dylan and the voice is proving more and more interesting.

Well Feist or KT Tunstall would be the two best.

I took a full 30 minutes to respond and still came up snake eyes and my tastes are eclectic. I think this speaks volumes about the current state of creative quality in the world of music, the obvious subjectivity of the question notwithsatnding. The very fact that you offered a "don't have one" option suggests that your staff, to a degree, would agree.

There is absolutely nothing so far that I can say is a favourite new music release for this year. Diana Krall may make it if she is not pipped to the post by Madeleine Peyroux's new release (which I await to hear).

Springsteen's The Seeger Sessions, the only album that's lifted my soul this year.

Thom Yorke: The Eraser