Nick Schurk's Top Ten Albums of 2006

1. The Killers - Sam's Town (Island)

It's safe to say that this isn't the album diehard fans of the Killers' first album, Hot Fuss, were expecting. Buzz about lead singer Brandon Flowers' obsession with rock legend Bruce Springsteen had many doubting this sophomore effort months before its first single was released. But the Killers shocked quite a few by proving the glitz of Las Vegas glam rock could coexist with the Americana of Born to Run.

2. Eagles of Death Metal - Death by Sexy (Downtown)

Sleazy and chauvinistic are two words thrown around quite a bit when describing EoDM's act. But as anyone who's ever heard frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes describe his moustache as "a boomerang of love" knows that it is just that, an act. On Death by Sexy, their second album, Hughes and drummer Josh Homme (also a member of Queens of the Stone Age) return with 13 tracks of the catchiest, strip club-worthy rock and roll around.

3. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (XL)

In what may be the best rock and roll super group since Damn Yankees (file under: sarcasm) White Stripes guitar slinger Jack White has joined forces with friend Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes' Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence. While they may have initially been carried by White's involvement, the Raconteurs gained legitimate standing in the music world with this musically diverse first album.

4. Mason Jennings -Bone Clouds (Glacial Pace)

It was somewhat of a surprise when Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock took acoustic rocker Mason Jennings under his wing, but the partnership worked out for both in the end. Jennings got a mentor who helped him expand his songwriting skills (instrumentally and lyrically) and Brock got a grade-A artist to help launch his Glacial Pace label. Bone Clouds is proof that Jennings wants to be more than an indie version of Jack Johnson.

5. Old Crow Medicine Show - Big Iron World (Nettwerk)

Tongue in cheek country at its best. More artists from Nashville would probably write lyrics this clever and instrumental arrangements this catchy if CMT hadn't decided to erase all memory of what the genre used to be.