As promised here is my music recommendations. These are the 2006 releases I've purchased so far - it's over halfway through the year so I guess this is a good time. Pretty much the purchases have broken themselves down into 2 catergories - excellent or just ok - and unfortunately most fall into the latter catergory. I had high expectations for many of these albums and they didn't deliver. There is still quite a stuff coming out soon that I'm excited about so hopefully they won't let me down. Anyway, the list:

EXCELLENT
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Oh No! Oh My! - self-titled
The Elms - The Chess Hotel
Golden Smog - Another Fine Day (hasn't been released yet but I've had it for awhile)

JUST OK
Cracker - Greenland
Drive By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
Rhett Miller - The Believer
Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
Minus 5 - self-titled
The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery
Pearl Jam - self-titled
Wolfmother - self-titled
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
Over the Hedge Soundtrack (I actually like all the Ben Folds songs on here - there just aren't enough!)

HAVEN'T SPENT ENOUGH TIME WITH BUT MOST LIKELY EXCELLENT
The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere