2006 Year End Survey | Bob Carlton of The Sixfifteens

I don't think I'd be out of line by saying that Bob Carlton is the key of the Saratoga Springs indie rock scene. He spent nearly a decade in the well-toured pop-punk outfit Dryer and then moved on with ex-Dryer drummer Joel Lilly to found the expansive indie pop-rock outfit The Sixfifteens. With The Sixfifteens on hiatus, Bob recently started a booking agency, Deskjet Booking, and continues to play solo shows in and around upstate NY. This is what he had to say about '06:

1) What was your favorite song of 2006?

That would have to be White Collar Boy by Belle and Sebastian. Though the entire record was a dissapointment to me, I really enjoyed that track.

2) What was your favorite album of 2006?

Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain by Sparklehorse was an amazing record and a huge surprise. I love records that require spending time with and this one needed some serious time. But after several listening it became my favorite record of the year.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2006?

Deerhoof at Skidmore College. I haven't seen a show like that in years. It was just amazing how they took the stage and owned it. The band just floored it and plowed through song after song and then closed with a My Bloody Valentine cover. Sadly I can't remember what the song was, but I do remember yelling "Oh fuck...they are playing My Bloody Valentine".

4) What was your favorite thing about 2006?

2006 was a huge huge disaster for me on many different levels but the one huge bright spot was the birth of my daughter. She is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and is the only thing that makes 2006 worth talking about.

5) What are your best wishes for 2007?

I just want to wish everyone a healthy and safe 2007.

The Sixfifteens - Montreal.mp3
BUY
Belle and Sebastian - White Collar Boy.mp3
BUY

2006 Year End Survey | Farm

I caught the St. Albans based three-piece Farm during a summer's evening in Montpelier. My post-show review gave the following description of their sound: ...the music stayed nestled in that neverworld where blues-based stoner-rock and indie-Americana meet. The members constantly switch instruments, so there is no permanent player on anything. Usually that cuts too deeply into a band's consistency, but in this case it provides just the right amount of variety.

As there is no obvious head to this body of sound, I'm going to consider Ben Maddox, a Deep South transplant and downtown merchant, as nothing more and nothing less than one leg of the triad. He took a few minutes away from working on the band's debut double album (few rough versions available at Myspace) to provide the following:

1) What was your favorite song of 2006?

Mr. Ambulance Driver by The Flaming Lips

2) What was your favorite album of 2006?

The Eraser by Thom Yorke

3) What was your favorite concert of 2006?

I only went to one. The Flaming Lips

4) What was your favorite thing about 2006?

new baby on the way

5) What are your best wishes for 2007?

baby is born without flippers.

The Flaming Lips Mr Ambulance Driver Buy
Farm Boomtown (Rough Mix)
Farm 31 (Live at Langdon Street Cafe)