Narrowing down  my list from 144 albums to 50 led to a lot of great albums being left off.  I thought about doing a top 100 list, but then I realized that I wasn't a robot and quickly decided no to that idea.  I feel pretty good about my top 50, but on any given day, any of the following albums could've made the list.  I'm just forced now to set it in stone, so off the list they've become.  This year was a strange year musically in my opinion, with no real band stealing the spotlight like Sufjan and Arcade Fire did previous years.  It was a pretty well rounded year with a ton of little bands making names for themselves, and a whole lot of great albums was the result.  Next year is going to be simply incredible musically, with new releases from major indie bands like Cloud Cult, Arcade Fire, the Shins, Andrew Bird, Modest Mouse, etc.  This year seemed like an off year, for me at least, b/c all my favorite bands from 2005 spent this year touring and recording albums for 2007 release.  But, we're talking 2006 still, so I'll quit rambling and get the lists started.  Hope everyone finds at least one new band they like.    

Grandaddy
Just Like the Fambly Cat

This album was a fitting end to a great band's career.  "Elevate Myself" remains one of my favorite songs of the year and Grandaddy's signature slightly happy while still sounding very depressed style is still there.  I wanted to enjoy this album more, but it never grew on me like their past albums did.  It's a solid album that any band should be proud to end with.
mp3: Elevate Myself

Maritime
We, The Vehicles

I know very little about Dismemberment Plan.  Hence when someone said I'd love Maritime if I liked Dismemberment Plan, I simply shrugged and listened.  Slightly inconsistent as a whole, We, the Vehicles still has quite a few pop gems hidden in its 11 tracks.  "Calm" opens the album nicely, then "Tearing Up the Oxygen" follows suit and is just as good.  It's calm, guitar driven indie pop rock at it's finest, and if they continue to improve on their sound, their next album is sure to be great.
RIYL: Dismemberment Plan, a more energetic American Analog Set
mp3: Calm 

Snowglobe
Oxytocin

One of the happiest albums of the year.  This is the way pop should be, but unfortunately usually never is.  Horns, everybody singing the choruses, and handclaps.  This album was always a good remedy whenever I was feeling slightly down about anything.  Highly recommended for sunny days.
mp3: Happy  /  Changes

The Blow
Paper Television

I saw The Blow open for Tapes n' Tapes and Cold War Kids while in Seattle, and honestly, I didn't know what to think.  The two of them danced with microphones in front of a giant cardboard radio, while someone sat behind it playing all their songs, I'm guessing, simply through their computer so the main singer could sing over it.  It was funny, but there wasn't any actual music making going on.  Regardless of that, I still looked them up and found a very enjoyable electro-pop album that sounded unlike anything out there.  There's definately room for improvement, but with lyrics like "when you're holding me, we make a pair of parenthesis", it's hard not to give in and just have fun listening to it. 
RIYL: The Postal Service goes pop with a girl lead singer
mp3/video: Parenthesis (album #5 on that list)

...and the rest (in no particular order

• Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
• *Oh No! Oh My! – S/T*
• mewithoutyou – Brother, Sister
• Jim Noir – Tower of Love
• Midlake – Trials of Van Occupanther
• Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like This
• *Peter Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block*
• Sound Team – Movie Monster
• *Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - #3*
• Someone Stills Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Broom
• *Psapp – The Only Thing I Ever Wanted*
• The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldier
• *Man Man – Six Demon Bag*
• Islands – Return to the Sea
• *The Essex Green – Cannibal Sea*
• Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection
• Adem – Love and Other Planets
• *Union of Knives – Violence and Birdsongs*
• *Tap Tap – Lanzafame*
• The Starlight Mints – Drowaton
• Rocky Votolato – Makers
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium
• Ray LaMontagne – Till the Sun Turns Black
• My Brightest Diamond – Bring Me the Workhorse
• Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
• Mew – And the Glass Handed Kites
• Matt Pond PA – Winter Songs EP
• Mates of State – Bring it Back
• *Maestro Echoplex – Last Night I Saw God on the Dancefloor*
• *The Little Ones – Sing Song*
• The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
• Harvey Danger – Little By Little
• Feist – Open Season
• *The Envy Corps – I Will Write You Love Letters If You Tell Me To*
• Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton – Knives Don’t Have Your Back
• CSS - CSS
• *And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead – So Divided*
• Beck – The Information
• Cat Power – The Greatest
• The Knife - Silent Shout
• *Vetiver – To Find Me Gone*

More Notable Releases (aka the rest of the list I narrowed down)

1. Air – Late Night Tales
2. Akron Family – Meek Warrior
3. *Alex K. Redfearn & the Eyesores – The Smother Party*
4. The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine
5. *Beatles – Love*
6. Ben Kweller – S/T
7. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
8. Tortoise and Bonnie “Prince” Billy – The Brave and the Bold
9. Brandtson – Hello, Control
10. Calexico – Garden Ruin
11. Califone – Roots & Crowns
12. Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country
13. *Chihei Hatakayama – Minima Moralia*
14. Clinic – Visitations
15. *Dirty on Purpose – Hallelujah Sirens*
16. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. – The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager
17. Girl Talk – Night Ripper
18. Hemstad – Hemstad
19. Herbert – Scales
20. The Hidden Cameras – Awoo
21. Incubus – Light Grenades
22. Liars – Drum is Dead
23. Ms. John Soda – Notes and the Like
24. Muse – Blackholes and Revelations
25. Mute Math – Mute Math
26. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
27. Nathan Fake – Drowning in a Sea of Love
28. P:ano – Brigadoon
29. Ramona Cordova – The Boy Who Floated Away
30. Rosebuds – Birds Make Good Neighbors
31. Sean Lennon – Friendly Fire
32. *The Spinto Band – Nice and Nicely Done*
33. The Velvet Teen – Cum Laude
34. *The Village Green – S/T*
35. Xiu Xiu – The Air Force
36. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – Show Your Bones
37. Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Kick Your Ass

So there you have it.  I'm sure there's plenty on these lists that made you gasp that I had the nerve to leave them off, but you have to remember this list is simply the top 50 albums that meant something to me this year.  All of the above albums are great, but the top 50 stuck out in my mind for one reason or another.  Feel free to comment on any of the above bands, whether that be saying how you hate that I left a band off, or the opposite.  Feedback would be great.  Notable omissions, I'd have to say, are Sufjan's outtakes and b-sides album, mewithoutyou's album, which I'm sure Dylan doesn't like, Beck, The Hold Steady, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Yo La Tengo.  I wanted to put all those on the list, but I either didn't get enough listens in to warrant saying it's one of my best albums, or it just never grew on me.  I guess you could say The Knife's Silent Shout as well, since it's Pitchfork's #1 album of the year, but I honestly have never heard it the whole way through and am not one to go putting things on my list to keep my indie credibility.  I do care what people think of my year end list, but I'm not going to say I like something just to join the crowd.  I put stars around the ones I think you should look up if you haven't already.  But yeah, there's the honorable mentions.  They may not have made the list, but there's not an album up there I wouldn't recommend to anyone.  All worthy competitors that just came up a bit short for one reason or another.  Enjoy the new music search that will undoubtedly result b/c of this long list of bands, and leave a comment if you want.  I'll get started on part one of my top 50 list and bid you farewell until tomorrow.  Later.