10 Local, Notable CDs of 2006

Getting copies of new albums in the mail is always a bit like Christmas. The ritual of pulling the CD from its padded envelope, placing the shiny disk in the CD player, and plugging into the new sounds never fails to thrill. Now we’re sharing some of that experience with you. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s music writers culled through the dozens and dozens of albums released this year by Twin Cities musicians and offer you their favorites. -Claire Joubert

1. Duo, Irv Williams and Peter Schimke
When the ultimate elder statesman (tenor sax man Irv Williams) and one of the most creative forces (pianist Peter Schimke) on the Minnesota jazz scene collaborate, something special is expected. Yet their masterful results stray toward the unexpected with sparing, powerful performances of originals, reimagined classics, and little-known gems. At eighty-seven years old, Williams continues to push music’s boundaries into fresh regions of beauty. Schimke’s compositions are quietly dazzling, and his piano stylings are as emotional as they are smart. The duo proves that two instruments can provide perfect company. —Steve Heckler
Best track: “The Vow” 

2.Beethoven Symphonies no. 3 & 8, Minnesota Orchestra
The second release in the Minnesota Orchestra’s Beethoven symphony cycle pairs one of the composer’s most familiar symphonies—Symphony no. 3, Eroica, which is arguably the most monumental of them all—with one of his least familiar—the much later Symphony no. 8, which has the rococo elegance of the classical period. Conductor Osmo Vänskä is a master at balancing passion and precision, focusing on the details of rhythm and articulation without losing sight of the overriding arc and its emotional impact. This cycle continues to deserve comparison with other great recordings. —William Randall Beard
Best track: Symphony no. 3, III scherzo, Allegro vivace 

3. BoneClouds, Mason Jennings
BoneClouds is Mason Jennings’s first big-label CD (Glacial Pace/Epic Records). His signature folk sound is still there, but so is a little more rock ’n’ roll, as evidenced by the full-sounding single “Be Here Now” and the heartfelt “Some Say I’m Not.” But that’s not to say this album isn’t folksy. The closing track, “Jesus Are You Real,” has that twangy sound that conjures up images of old men in rocking chairs listening to AM radio. And I mean that in a good way. Joining Jennings are Minneapolitans David King (on drums) and Chris Morrissey (on bass). —Megan Wiley 
Best track: “Moon Sailing on the Water” 

4. Cinema, Café Accordion Orchestra
On previous releases, Café Accordion Orchestra’s musical wanderlust has taken its listeners to the sounds of France, Argentina, Finland, and Brazil. For Cinema, the lads kick back, and accordion maverick Dan Newton leads them on a soundtrack that captures the romance, whimsy, and exotic landscapes of the silver screen. “Baby Elephant Walk” (from Hatari) leans toward rockabilly, and “Never on Sunday” is sung in Greek. Even the Marx Brothers are celebrated on this eclectic collection. Grab a glass of wine, take a seat, and enjoy the show. —S. H.
Best track: “Spy Medley” 

5. Schubert Symphonies nos. 4 & 8, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
This all–Schubert recording, conducted by artistic partner Douglas Boyd, is the SPCO’s first release on its own label and is wonderfully representative of the orchestra’s polished ensemble playing, as well as its soloists’ work. The album provides a great glimpse into the romantic emotion of the young Viennese composer through his Symphony no. 4 in C Minor, D. 417, (“Tragic”); Symphony no. 8 in B Minor, D. 759, (“Unfinished”); and the sweetly simple Entr’acte III from the Incidental Music to Rosamunde, D. 797. The SPCO’s smaller forces create a feeling of balance, clarity, and uniformity that lets the nuances of the music shine. —Lani Willis
Best track: Symphony no. 8, first movement, Allegro moderato 

6. Rosas das Rosas: Cantigas de Santa Maria, The Rose Ensemble
Rosas das Rosas is a collection of songs about the Virgin Mary, all written between 1257 and 1283. These works, which compose the bulk of The Rose Ensemble’s new release, are songs of faith conveyed primarily through chant. The pieces feature a variety of instruments and combinations of the group’s eleven vocalists, so there’s no sense of sameness. The songs are performed with a historical authenticity that offers entrée into a mysterious and rarefied world. As always, the ensemble’s performance is emotionally committed and deeply moving. —W. R. B. 
Best track: Cantiga no. 42 

7. Raven, John Williams and Dean Magraw
Though grounded in Celtic idioms, Raven is a singular creation—the intersection of two virtuoso players, Dean Magraw (guitars) and John Williams (button accordion, concertina, wooden flute, and whistles). The emotional range runs from the dark “Perdition Piano Duet,” with Magraw’s percussively plucked notes echoing like a warning bell against Williams’s somber piano melody, to “Southwest Wind and the Wheels of the World,” as guitar and concertina build to a climax that’s met with an explosion of whistles. The end result: an intensely personal album from two distinctive and accomplished instrumental voices. —Bill Snyder
Best track: “Southwest Wind and the Wheels of the World”

8. Between the Devil and Middle C, Mark Mallman
Mark Mallman’s latest CD brims with the excesses of seventies rock: the violent piano of prediva Elton John and the glam bravado of T. Rex. The album kicks into fifth gear with the opening “Death Wish” and plows its way through thirteen tales of sex, wine, and rock ’n’ roll. An original premise? No, but one that hasn’t been done this well in years. The album is retro, but unapologetically so; it’s filled with big, pretentious production, addictive hooks, and alcohol-soaked lyrics that sound as fresh as anything released this year. —B. S.
Best track: “Knockout on 22nd St.” 

9. Boys and Girls in America, The Hold Steady
Craig Finn’s adenoidal gargle is an acquired taste—if you love it, it sounds like Springsteen’s out-of-breath ramble on early records such as Greetings from Asbury Park. If you hate it, it reminds you of that bald weirdo from Soul Coughing. Finn’s toned it down on Boys and Girls (he actually sings choruses!), and the band behind him continues to come up with enough catchy riffs, on both keyboard and guitar, to stave off mall punk/rap metal putdowns. Finn’s storytelling is top notch—as if Springsteen’s Frankie and Rosie took more pills and lived in The Wedge—but even if you can’t stand that voice, you can’t deny lines such as “Take Lyndale to the horizon/Take Nicollet out to the ocean.” You just can’t. —Steve Marsh
Best track: “Southtown Girls” 

10. Light It Up/Burn It Down, Faux Jean
Faux Jean (the band) has completely changed from the Faux Jean of 2001’s Kiss Life on the Lips and 2003’s Dead Lover. And Faux Jean has recorded its best record yet. The only holdover is Faux Jean (the man), and his lyrics are still full of whip-smart stingers on girl-boy relationships in the city: “You think you’re so sophisticated/you’re just a dog, domesticated/if you were a bitch I’d have you spayed.” The reference points have expanded—the sixties pop gets pushed forward to seventies disco and back to fifties country, but most dramatically, the band’s exchanged stylized camp for a testier insistence. Light It Up is a bona fide classic. —S. M.
Best track: “Get with That”