A DOZEN 2006 SONGS WORTH DOWNLOADING

When I posted my midyear report last month, I included only films, no music, because I just haven't acquired as many new CDs as in years past. Currently, I can't even construct a full mix CD of favorite tracks of the year so far (let alone a meaningful top ten albums list). As an alternative, here's a dozen tracks worth downloading from iTunes or wherever you can find them (in alphabetical order by artist, with the parent LP in italics):

• Belle and Sebastian, "Dress Up In You" (The Life Pursuit)
• The BellRays, "Third Time's The Charm" (Have A Little Faith)
• Calexico, "Cruel" (Garden Ruin)
• Neko Case, "Hold On, Hold On" (Fox Confessor Brings The Flood)
• Nelly Furtado, "Maneater" (Loose)
• The Futureheads, "Skip to the End" (News and Tributes)
• Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" (St. Elsewhere)
• Roisin Murphy, "Through Time" (Ruby Blue)*
• Pet Shop Boys, "Integral" (Fundamental)
• Sparks, "Perfume" (Hello Young Lovers)
• Sufjan Stevens, "Dear Mr. Supercomputer" (The Avalanche)
• KT Tunstall, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (Eye To The Telescope)*

* these two songs are technically 2005, but the albums weren't released in the U.S. until 2006.