Is it the end of the year already? Man alive! It seems like we just launched Capital 2.0, and Ií¢â‚¬â„¢m writing about a year that went by too fast. So much has happened in music this year. Timbaland and the Neptunes continue to make banginí¢â‚¬â„¢ tracks for cash, but when it comes to fans buying their solo records, most should take a pass. This year, like the last 25, legends have died, yet Paris Hilton lives (she turns 26 in February). The world lost Desmond Dekker, Wilson Pickett, and Sid Barrett in 2006. There were a slew of reunions that are too many to mention (Roxy Music and The Buzzcocks, surely you have a bit of money left!).

But for me, the most significant happening of 2006 has been the movement of music online. Myspace has become the official web host to everyoneí¢â‚¬â„¢s new favourite artist(s). Groups like The Pack (Vans Song) have been made instant sensations thanks to this new way to reach potential fans without having to sell your sound and soul for a contract. Gnarles Barkley was the first band to hit number one on downloads alone! For some, music and computers are inseparable. If youí¢â‚¬â„¢re a continual seeker of the new, LastFM, Pitchfork, All Music, and Brainwashed leave few musical corners of the world untouched and inaccessible.

Caní¢â‚¬â„¢t find what youí¢â‚¬â„¢re looking for yet? Download the glut of podcasts or stream some of the thousands of quality live radio available with just a click of the mouse. New musical inspiration is limited only by your ability to search the web or pick up a guitar and laptop and make some of your own. If you want the world (or more likely the musically obsessed world with too much computer time on their hands) to hear your song of forlorn love, your Aphex Twin inspired track that sounds, well, like Aphex Twin, or your American Idol demo that didní¢â‚¬â„¢t make it on the air, the Internet is your platform for better, but usually, for worse.

Much of my top 26 albums of the year (why are Best Of lists always top tens anyways?) were discovered online. Doní¢â‚¬â„¢t get me wrong; I still spend hours looking through music at the local music hawker for that new sound. And friends still give me a debriefing on their favourites of the moment whether I ask them too or not. But more than ever before, the Internet has been my musical girlfriend. She takes me to new places to hear music Ií¢â‚¬â„¢d never heard and which, for the most part, were inaccessible to me before the Internet opened up and narrowed the world of music for everyone.When I say that the Internet has í¢â‚¬Å“narrowedí¢â‚¬  the world of music, what I mean is that my online music addiction is colliding with the time I used to devote to seeing and hearing musical acts live. Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s one thing to read about an audience member being spat in the face, but personally getting luggied by a lead singer at an armpit of a dive downtown is much more interesting and makes for better story telling. It was much more enjoyable being at Richards on Richards in Vancouver and seeing T. Raumschmiere pretend he was cock rocker Eddy Van Halen last year than to read about his unfortunate live show on some crappy blog by a blogger who probably doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t even know who Eddie Van Helen is.

What does this all mean Robot? It has to do with the future my friends. If Ií¢â‚¬â„¢m to make a New Yearí¢â‚¬â„¢s resolution for 2007 apart from trying to spend less time watching John Stewart and South Park (I doní¢â‚¬â„¢t have cable but the gods allow me the comedy channel), it will be to spend more time going to shows next year. I doní¢â‚¬â„¢t like regrets, but I do regret missing so many greats shows in 2006. You never know if youí¢â‚¬â„¢re going to see something really special musically or something really embarrassing socially or both! I loved it when Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs thought she was in Toronto while playing Vancouver. Hello Toronto! Thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s something Ií¢â‚¬â„¢d do if I was a rock star. But resolutions are for January. For now, check out some of my top album picks of the year, and take heed of your local listing to see if theyí¢â‚¬â„¢re coming to your town next year. Doní¢â‚¬â„¢t worry, you woní¢â‚¬â„¢t have to move much to enjoy your favourite bands until they comeí¢â‚¬ ¦spitting, cock rockiní¢â‚¬â„¢, or not. Robotí¢â‚¬â„¢s Top 26 of 2006 (in no particular order)

Trentemíƒ ¸ller í¢â‚¬“ The Last Resort

Girl Talk í¢â‚¬“ Night Ripper

AFX í¢â‚¬“ Chosen Lords

Ghost Face Killer í¢â‚¬“ Fish Scale

J Dilla í¢â‚¬“ Donuts/The Shining/J Loves Japan

Project Polaroid í¢â‚¬“ The Original Soundtrack Album of Project Polaroid

Michael Mayer - Immer 2

Califone í¢â‚¬“ Roots & Crowns

Max Richter í¢â‚¬“ Songs From Before

Booka Shake í¢â‚¬“ Movements

Eliot Lipp í¢â‚¬“ Tacoma Mockingbird

MSTRKRFT í¢â‚¬“ The Looks

V/A í¢â‚¬“ Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967 - 1974

Peter Bjorn and John í¢â‚¬“ Writerí¢â‚¬â„¢s Block

Cursor Minor í¢â‚¬“ Dance Flaw

Junior Boys í¢â‚¬“ So This Is Goodbye

Psychic Ills í¢â‚¬“ Early Violence

TV on the Radio í¢â‚¬“ Return to Cookie Mountain

Clipse í¢â‚¬“ Hell Hath No Fury

Isolee í¢â‚¬“ Western Shore

V/A í¢â‚¬“ Run the Road 2

The Loopdigga í¢â‚¬“ The Beat Conductor

The Knife í¢â‚¬“ Silent Shout

Spankrock í¢â‚¬“ YoYoYoYoYo

Clark í¢â‚¬“ Body Riddle

Shapeshifters í¢â‚¬“ The Shapeshifters Was Here