Cole’s Top 5 Films of 2006

Mainline Magazine’s newest and youngest film fanboy steps up to the plate to share his favorite films of 2006…

Zach’s Top 10 Records of 2006 (That’s Right Bitches, It’s Canonical)

There’s something inherently silly about a blogger’s “best of the year” list. Sure, if I was a sociologist, a pop culture theorist, a “trend-spotter,” a “music industry insider,” or pretty much any other gravitas-laden title you might care to name, then perhaps a little sermonizing on my part would be understandable. I would be in a position of authority, of somehow demonstrably greater expertise, from which I could then impart my pearls of musical knowledge. The Best Albums of 2006, fast-tracked to the Popular Music Canon. See you all next year, when my 2007 “best-of” rolls around; until then, I’ve got criticizin’ to do!

But of course, I’m not any of those titles listed above – which, frankly, is the only reason why I can make a list like this and not end up curled into a ball of self-important self-loathing. See, in my semi-professional opinion, I don’t believe that there is a list of the “Best Albums of 2006″; not really, not from the perspective of a music fan who still hasn’t heard all there is to offer from the year in question (impossible), and is unprepared to make arbitrary decisions like whether rap is inherently > country, or country < rock < jazz (ridiculous). Instead, my “Best of 2006″ is just a list of albums which, for me, stood out from the crowd: undeniably high-quality efforts, by as wide a range of artists as I could muster, which made my year just that little bit brighter.

Are these really the best albums of 2006? If you happen to be me, then yes. Which ones are better than the others? I dunno. The point is, blogs like Mainline are inherently subjective. The vast majority of us aren’t theoreticians, experts, or aesthetically infallible, and if we claim to be, well, that’s just our megalomania speaking. So why not revel in that subjectivity? Or, better yet, why not just dive in and enjoy all that 2006 had to offer: the stuff you missed, the stuff you forgot, and the stuff that’s just too good not to mention – even if I don’t necessarily have the credentials to prove it.

- Zach Hoskins

Mainline Magazine’s End of 2006 Lists

Between going back to school, getting sick, and dying grandmothers, the Mainline Magazine staff has been busy. But besides being busy, we’ve also been thoughtful. Over my years of music magazine reading, I’ve always been annoyed when a magazine publishes their “best of the year” list before the year they’re describing has even ended. And I know with most magazines it probably has to do with deadlines and quotas, not a lack of thoughtfulness, but it still bothers me: what if a fantastic album comes out that day after Christmas, and you’ve already blown your wad on that TV on the Radio record from the fall? It’s about endurance, baby.

So, beginning today, we’re going to post our lists describing our highs and lows of 2006 pop culture. There will be surprises (what, no Bob Dylan?!), there will be posts which will vastly annoy you (There is no fucking way that John Bonham is superior to Jimi Hendrix on a list of musicians who died choking on their own vomit!), and there will be posts that might even warm your heart (I am completely full of shit at this point). Whatever path these lists bring you down, the Mainline Magazine staff hopes you’re having an awesome new year.

I think you’re all great,

Megan