Best EPs of 2006

Here's the first installment of my best of 2006 lists -- the top EPs of the year. I'll post my list of the best full-length albums tomorrow, and then the top songs of the year the day after that.


8. Tamsen & Elliott's self-titled EP

If their full-length (due out sometime next year) keeps up the promise Tamsen & Elliott show on this EP, people will be falling over each other proclaiming the band to be the second coming of Velvet Underground. The scary thing will be that they won't be that far off.

Download "Apt. No. 8"


7. Land of Talk's Applause Cheer Boo Hiss

Honestly, this probably deserves to be higher. But every time I do that, I start thinking about how boring Land of Talk are live, and I just can't do it. It probably relates to the fact that I keep hoping the band will be as great on stage as they are on record, and being disappointed every time. That shouldn't take away from my enjoyment of such an exceptional record, but it does, and that's why I can't place them any higher. But if you'll never see them live, and you'll just hear the record, then by all means run to wherever you have to go to get Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, and buy it without delay!

Stream songs on Land of Talk's Myspace


6. Spy Machine 16's The Soap From This Soapbox Makes My Dirty Feet Slide

You're probably not going to want to listen to The Soap From This Soapbox... if you're not in the mood for getting up and clapping and dancing, and just being happy about music. In fact, my girlfriend likes to call Spy Machine "happy clappy music", and it's not difficult to see why. But beneath each of the songs on their debut EP, there's an abundance of energy, and it's absolutely impossible to resist that.

Download "For The Jocks Who Scream From Cars"


5. Relief Maps' Sunrise Seaport

It seems improbably, but at the heart of every one of the songs on Relief Maps' debut is one irresistibly catchy riff. What makes it so unlikely is that it makes the music stand in stark contrast to frontwoman Katie Duross' relaxed, deadpanned vocals. It's an odd pairing, but it works well, and it's not hard to imagine that Relief Maps could be in for very big things if they can keep making songs like the ones here.

Download "Stamp Out Fatigue"


4. Laura Barrett's Earth Sciences

Without hearing her music, Laura Barrett may sound like an elaborate Toronto in-joke. After all, the part-time member of both The Hidden Cameras and Henri Fabergé and the Adorables plays kalimba, and indie rock isn't exactly crawling with people who play that. But one listen to Earth Sciences shows that this isn't the case at all. She makes lovely, simple folk music, and her nomination for a SOCAN songwriting prize was very well-deserved.

Download "Deception Island Optimists Club"


3. Barons & Lengthy's Who Killed Kaspar Hauser?

I said it back in August, and I'll say it again: Who Killed Kaspar Hauser? is the follow-up to The Libertines' self-titled debut that never happened, the one where Carl Barat and Pete Doherty curbed their animosity and their addictions and delivered an outstanding album from start to finish. Why Barons and Lengthy didn't get more attention as a result of this EP is beyond me, but in a just world it would've built more buzz around them than you could possibly imagine. Hopefully the follow-up EP, which is due out any time, will right that wrong.

Stream four-fifths of the album on Barons and Lengthy's Myspace


2. Rural Alberta Advantage's self-titled EP

I didn't catch it back when I reviewed The RAA a month ago, but a friend remarked on hearing them that they make some amazingly good Neutral Milk Hotel-style indie pop. I'll just go with that description from now on.

Download "The Dethbridge In Lethbridge"


1. Born Ruffians' self-titled EP

In one respect, I found Born Ruffians' debut EP to be a little disappointing. This wasn't because there was anything wrong with the album -- it's amazing, as being #1 on this list would indicate -- but rather because I'd listened to each song an insane number of times in the months leading up to its release. Between May and October, I saw the band live at least five times, and the first three tracks on this album were on constant repeat on my iPod during that period as well.

All that said, I still loved every moment of this EP, and it perfectly captures the strength of the Ruffians' songwriting ability. No matter how young they may be, they're great at what they do, and there's every reason to believe that the coming years should see a lot of great music coming out of these three guys.

Download "This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life"