It has become somehwhat of a tradition for the Giant Step staff to pick their choice albums of the year every December. The wide range of albums that come out of these polls are a true manifestation of how deep our musical roots and tastes run reflecting our versions of what is "simply good music." Where else are you going to find lists that cover everything from Tool to the Amsterdam Klezmer Band, include unreleased albums & demos and where Corinne Bailey Rae tops many people's Top 5?

So without further adieu here it is, “The Top 5 Albums of 2006.” If you disagree with what we have to say or want to voice your own opinion, feel free to take it to the forums.


Maurice
Lily Allen - 'Alright Still' (Capitol)
Corinne Bailey Rae - 'Corinne Bailey Rae' (Capitol)
Amy Winehose - 'Back To Black' (Universal Republic)
The Roots- 'Game Theory' (Def Jam)
Bugz In The Attic - 'Back in the Doghouse' (V2)

Jonesy
Corinne Bailey Rae - 'Corinne Bailey Rae' (Capitol)
The Rebirth - 'This Journey In' (Kajmere Sounds)
Jody Watley - 'The Makeover' (Avitone Recordings)
The Nova Dream Sequence - 'Interpretations' (Compost)
Florian Keller - Party-Keller Vol.2 (Sons and Daughters of Funk, Boogie, Soulful Reggae and Afrobeat compiled by Florian Keller) (Compost)

Adam
TV On The Radio – 'Return To Cookie Mountain' (4AD)
Love Is All – 'Nine Times That Same Son'g (What’s Your Rupture)
Georgie James – 'Demos At Dance Place' (demos)
zero dB - 'Bongos, Bleeps & Basslines' (Ninja Tune)
Girl Talk – 'Night Ripper' (Illegal Art)

Mehmet
Dirty Pretty Things - 'Waterloo to Anywhere' (Mercury)
Easy Star All-Stars - 'Radiodread' (Easystar)
Amsterdam Klezmer Band - 'Remixed' (Essay)
Corinne Bailey Rae - 'Corinne Bailey Rae' (Capitol)
Various Artists - Marie Antoinette Soundtrack (Verve)

Erik
J Dilla - 'The Shining' (BBE)
Various Artists - 'Fantastic Freeriding: The Next Chapter' (Switchstance Recordings)
Capleton - 'Free Up' (Penitentiary)
Ghostface - 'Fishscale' (Def Jam)
3 Foot People - '3 Foot High and Rising' (Homegrown Records)

Elias
Marc Mac - 'Marc Mac Presents the Visioneers' (BBE)
Various Artists - 'Soul Sides Vol. 1' (Velour Recordings)
De La Soul - 'Impossible Mission' (Red Lion Entertainment)
J. Rawls - 'The Liquid Crystal Project' (P-Vine)
Choklate- 'Choklate' (Kajmere Sounds)

George
Tool - '10,000 Days' (Volcano)
Wolfmother - 'Wolfmother' (Interscope)
$mall ¢hange presents Soundclash (unreleased)
James Holden At The Controls (System Recordings)
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone [Tomlab]
Various Artists - 'These Are Some Serious Times' XL Recordings)

Jay
Various Artists - 'The Trip Curated By Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackey' (Family)
Susan Christie - 'Paint A Lady' (re-issue) (Finders Keepers)
J Dilla – 'Donuts' (Stones Throw)
Kon & Amir – 'The Kings of Diggin’' (BBE)
Miho Hatori – 'Ecdysis' (Rykodisc)

Ian
Amy Winehose - 'Back To Black' (Universal Republic)
Lupe Fiasco - 'Food & Liquor' (Atlantic)
Snoop Dogg - 'The Blue Carpet Treatment' (Geffen)
Stephanie McKay - Stephanie McKay EP (Astralwerks)
J Dilla – 'Donuts' (Stones Throw)

Bonus Top 5s:
Jay
Top 5 Singles:
Justice - "Waters Of Nazareth (Erol Alkan's Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr re-edit)" (Ed Banger)
Koop – "I See A Different You" (Diesel)
Sygaire – "Deux Mille Deux" (Sonar Kollektiv)
Wolfmother – "Woman (Avalanches Millstream remix)" (Modular)
Nephews of Phela - "Mulah 2" (white)

George
Top 5 Movies:
Tideland [dir: Terry Gilliam]
United 93 [dir: Paul Greengrass]
Thank You For Smoking [dir: Jason Reitman]
Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple [dir: Stanley Nelson]
Little Miss Sunshine [dir: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris]
The Descent [dir: Neil Marshall]

Adam
Top 5 Songs
“Love” by J Dilla feat. Pharoahe Monch (BBE Records)
“Heartbeats” by José González (MUTE Records)
“So Good Today” by Ben Westbeech (Brownswood Records)
“We’ve Only Just Begun” by Lee McDonald (Favorite Recordings)
“When I Call” (Kev Brown Remix) by Low Budget Soul (Futuristica Music)

Top 5 Books
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Dune by Frank Herbert
V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown