Allmusic Editors Pick Their Top Ten of 2007
December 11th, 2007 | 6:00 pm est |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Lily Allen – Alright, Still
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Joan as Police Woman – Real Life
Nick Lowe – At My Age
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Ween – La Cucaracha
The White Stripes – Icky Thump
John Bush
Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
Jazzanova – Computer Incarnations for World Peace
Little Brother – Get Back
M.I.A. – Kala
New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
The White Stripes – Icky Thump
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Heather Phares
Battles – Mirrored
Blonde Redhead – 23
Celebration – The Modern Tribe
Joan as Police Woman – Real Life
Liars – Liars
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Roisin Murphy – Overpowered
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The White Stripes – Icky Thump
Andy Kellman
Amerie – Because I Love It
Black Milk – Popular Demand
Donnie – The Daily News
Echospace – The Coldest Season
Freeway – Free at Last
M.I.A. – Kala
Optimo – Walkabout
Pinch – Underwater Dancehall
Sa-Ra – The Hollywood Recordings
Tobias Thomas – Please Please Please
Marisa Brown
Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass
Battles – Mirrored
Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth
Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!
Joan as Police Woman – Real Life
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights
M.I.A. – Kala
St. Vincent – Marry Me
Super Chron Flight Brothers – Emergency Powers
Thom Jurek
David Buchbinder – Odessa/Havana
Earthless – Sonic Prayer
Grails – Burning Off Impurities
Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
Joe Henry – Civilians
Rickie Lee Jones – Sermon on Exposition Boulevard
Bettye LaVette – Scene of the Crime
Rahsaan Patterson – Wine & Spirits
Gretchen Peters – Burnt Toast Offerings
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet – Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo
Al Campbell
Billy Bang Quintet – Above and Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids
Ari Brown – Live at the Green Mill
Steve Coleman – Invisible Paths: First Scattering
Miles Davis – Complete On the Corner Sessions
Andrew Hill – Compulsion (RVG Edition)
His Name Is Alive – Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown
Branford Marsalis – Braggtown
Charles Tolliver – With Love
James Blood Ulmer – Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions
VA – Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970
Matt Collar
Avishai Cohen – After the Big Rain
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
Dave Douglas – Live at the Jazz Standard
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Field Music – Tones of Town
Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
Candie Payne – I Wish I Could Have Loved You More
Primary Five – Go
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
James Christopher Monger
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Battles – Mirrored
The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
Brian Dewan – Words of Wisdom
Eluvium – Copia
Okkervil River – Stage Names
Alasdair Roberts – Amber Gatherers
The Teeth – You’re My Lover Now
Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water Is Life
Turisas – Varangian Way
David Jeffries
DJ Spooky – Creation Rebel
Esoteric – Pterodactyl Tubeway
The Fall – The Fall Box Set
Hezekiah – I Predict a Riot
Jay-Z – American Gangster
Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Lee Perry – Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle
UGK – Underground Kingz
VA – 12″ Rulers: Gussie Clarke
Jason Lymangrover
Esoteric – Pterodactyl Tubeway
Ezra Furman & the Harpoons – Banging Down the Doors
Good Shoes – Think Before You Speak
Japanther – Skuffed Up My Huffy
Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
Melt-Banana – Bambi’s Dilemma
M.I.A. – Kala
The Narrator – All That to the Wall
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
J. Scott McClintock
The High Llamas – Can Cladders
Louis Philippe – Unknown Spring
The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Loney, Dear – Loney, Noir
Stuart Moxham & Louis Philippe – Huddle House
Nick Lowe – At My Age
The Sterns – Sinners Stick Together
Grinderman – Grinderman
The Polyphonic Spree – Fragile Army
Steve Leggett
Karen Dalton – Cotton Eyed Joe
Miles Davis – Complete On the Corner Sessions
Levon Helm – Dirt Farmer
Native – Rockstone: Native’s Adventures with Lee Perry at the Black Ark
David “Fathead” Newman – Life
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Ape-ology
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Made in New Orleans: The Hurricane Sessions
Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back
VA – Attack of the One Man Bands
Dwight Yoakam – Dwight Sings Buck
Tim Sendra
Bella – No One Will Know
Caribou – Andorra
The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
Field Music – Tones of Town
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Candie Payne – I Wish I Could Have Loved You More
Saturday Looks Good to Me – Fill Up the Room
Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills
Andrew Leahey
Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Robert Francis – One by One
Will Hoge – Draw the Curtains
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Johnossi – Johnossi
Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
Prabir & the Substitutes – Share
Silverchair – Young Modern
Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
Katherine Fulton
Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis
The Doors – The Very Best of the Doors
The Fratellis – Costello Music
Stephen Fretwell – Man on the Roof
The Frames – The Cost
Chris Schlarb – Twilight and Ghost Stories
Silverchair – Young Modern
Simple Kid – SK2
Turin Brakes – Dark on Fire
Jason Birchmeier
Burial – Untrue
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Lil Wayne – Da Drought 3
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Pantha du Prince – This Bliss
Peanut Butter Wolf – 2K8: BBall Zombie War
Pink Martini – Hey Eugene!
The White Stripes – Icky Thump
Sean Westergaard
Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake – From the River to the Ocean
Boris with Michio Kurihara – Rainbow
Charlie Hunter Trio – Mistico
The Jason Lindner Big Band – Live at the Jazz Gallery
Rudresh Mahanthappa – Codebook
(((Powerhouse Sound))) – Oslo/Chicago: Breaks
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet – Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo
David Torn – Prezens
Kazutoki Umezu Kiki Band – Demagogue
Frank Zappa – Buffalo
Not a single vote for The National’s Boxer? That’s just sad. I know it’s gotten a lot of praise throughout the year, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. Don’t make these things just to be contrarian, give the people the best music out there!
I’m glad someone decided to credit Weezy for ‘Da Drought 3′ .. He’s definitely shaping up to be one of the best on the mic in the near future ..
The new Spank Rock and Scarface deserve some attention, though ..
Radiohead – In Rainbows
The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
Iron & Wine – The Sheppard’s Dog
Queens Of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Boris with Michio Kurihara – Rainbow
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Dandelion Gum
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet – Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I seriously Can’t believe radiohead only made one persons list i mean come on tell me one other album that was purely as innovative that came out this year. They are really one of the only bands out there still pushing the boundries. I’m Also really suprised the fields from here we go sublime wasn’t included. Easily the two best albums of the year.
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
White Stripes – Icky Thump
Ween – La Cucaracha
Saul Williams – Niggy Tardust
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Sank
Meat Puppets – Rise to Your Knees
Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Bjork – Volta
Beastie Boys – The Mix Up
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
Air – Pocket Symphomy
The Best of 2007?
Aretha Franklin: Rare & Unreleased Recordings
Bettye LaVette: The Scene of The Crime
A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide
Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
Between the Buried and Me – Colors
Get Him Eat Him – Arms Down
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Dinosaur Jr – Beyond
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Eisley – Combinations
Kenna – Make Sure They See My Face
I’m still deciding. There are definitely some serious contenders.
Era Vulgaris – QOTSA
Because of the Times – Kings Of Leon
We Must Obey – Fu Manchu
Costello Music – The Fratellis
Favourite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys
Icky Thump – White Stripes
THE NATIONAL – Boxer What is wrong with you guys? It’s OK to enjoy music.
i always enjoy lists but just because it’s considered indie doesn’t mean that it’s the best music being made…i see a few a chose Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky and it’s a great album…not as good as past efforts but still very good and no one included Brothers Of A Feather(featuring Chris & Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes) and no Highway Companion by Tom Petty! Oh Well…I love your site and you guys do a great job!!!
peace yo!:)
I agree about the unfortunate lack of The National on these lists, but I was equally distraught by the Soulsavers no-show here. Ah, well. To each his own.
And, as always, Erlewine rocks.
no love for radiohead?
What about the great Herbie Hancock “Letter to Joni” tribute album? Heck, it even got nominated for a Grammy!
no el-p “i’ll sleep when you’re dead?” hmmm…
no wu?
no ghostface?
no wiley?
no nin?
only 1 burial vote??
btw review that burial album quick
Marissa Brown gets bonus points for Super Chron Flight Brothers – Emergency Powers. One of the years top 3 hip hop albums.
Wilco “sky blue sky”
Robert Wyatt “comicopera”
The Mabuses “mabused !”
Kevin Ayers “the unfairground”
Emily haines “knives don’t have your back”
Randall of Nazareth S/T
Michel Portal “birdwatcher”
Neil Young “chrome dreams II”
Cinematic Orchestra “ma fleur”
Low “drums & guns”
Robyn Hitchcock & Minus 3 “olé tarentula”
Beasties got back, big time!
in no sat order
Little Brother “GetBack”
Common “Finding Forever”
M.I.A. “Kala”
K.T. Kunstall “Drastic Fanatastic”
Keyshia Cole “Just Like You”
Musiq “Luvanmusiq”
Talib Kweli “Eardrum”
Sean Price “Jesus Price Supastar”
Will.I.Am “Songs About Girls”
Prince “Planet Earth”
CDs still to get and hear
Ghostface “Big Doe Rehab Album”
Wu-Tang “8 Diagrams”
Burial “Untrue”
Spoon “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”
wow that’s not even a 4th of the stuff I still need to hear, but it’s all over the place so this list is likely to change.
1°) Artist The Cowboy Junkies Album At the End of Paths Taken
2°) Artist Neil Young Album Chrome Dreams II
3°) Artist Mavis Staples Album We’ll Never Turn Back
4°) Artist Bettye LaVette Album The Scene of the Crime
5°) Artist Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band Album Live in Dublin
6°) Artist John Mellencamp Album Freedom’s Road
7°) Artist Ryan Bingham Album Mescalito
8°) Artist Martha Scanlan Album The West Was Burning
9°) Artist Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Album Raising Sand
10°) Artist Arcade Fire Abum Neon Bible
Oh guys, Mirrored made it three times! That’s soooooo great!
(And yeah, the absence of Year Zero, especially after that Jurek’s review, is a bit of a mistery)
Hey Matt Collar! Right on about The Primary Five! Thank God someone’s listening.
Wow, guys. Way to let the individual writers here have an opinion. If they included all the albums that each of you deem to be incredible, everyone’s list would’ve stretched waaaay past 10 entries.
From the many excellent releases this year, these ten are my favorites : (1)Abbey Sings Abbey. Abbey Lincoln. (2) Cornell 1964. Charles Mingus Sextet w/Eric Dolphy. (3) A Tale of God’s Will- a Requiem for Katrina. Terence Blanchard. (4) State of Grace. the Holmes Brothers. (5) Blue Sky. Maria Schneider Orchestra. (6) Children Running Through. Patty Griffin. (7) Night Moves. Kurt Elling. (8) Diamond Days. Eric Bibb. (9) Red Earth- a Malian Journey. DeeDee Bridgewater. (10) From the River to the Ocean. Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake.
Without a doubt the best album of the year is a toss-up between Radiohead’s In Rainbows and The National’s Boxer. Here’s my list:
1 The National Boxer
2 Radiohead In Rainbows
3 Spoon Ga Ga Ga
4 Josh Rouse Country Mouse, City House
5 Trembling Blue Stars The Last Holy Writer
6. Joe Henry Civilians
7. Arcade Fire Neon Bible
8. Amy Winehouse Back to Black
9. Dungen Tio Bitar
10. Iron and Wine The Shepherd’s Dog
And the best single of the year is “Young Folks” by Peter Bjork and John or “Shut Up and Drive” by Rhianna
A great year for hip hop : Aesop Rock, El-P, Dälek and Black Milk…
But also BATTLES, THE NATIONAL, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SPOON and many more!
SysTooL
In no particular order:
Shellac, El-p, Warlocks, Amy Winehouse, Spoon, Blonde Redhead, Good & the Bad & the Queen, Heavy Trash, Radiohead, Wilco
In 2007, if it isn’t all about Wilco and/or Radiohead, don’t you think it ought to be?
These are my top 3:
3. Kristin Hersh – Learn to Sing Like a Star
2. Parts & Labor – Mapmaker
1. The Terminals – Last Days of the Sun (one of the best reunion records ever, shame that no one was listening)
And hovering elsewhere because I haven’t quite decided:
Mary Timony Band
Cloudland Canyon
Bettye LaVette
LCD Soundsystem
And I really need to look into/listen to some more of:
James Blood Ulmer
Grails
The Twilight Sad
Caribou
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Nicole Atkins
Stuart Moxham/Louis Philippe
Rickie Lee Jones
Umm…1) Shannon Wright- Let in the light
2) Extra Golden- Hera ma nono
3)Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay friends
4) The National – Boxer
5) 1990’s – Cold & kind
6) Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara
7) Ween – La cucaracha
8) Joe Henry – Civilians
9) Two Gallants – Two Gallants
10) Porter Wagoner – Wagonmaster
11) Ray Lamontagne – Till the sun goes black (I know is 2006, but…)
etc…
Best Show: Comets on Fire (Barcelona), The Format (Barcelona)
First, that spam protection doohickey is hilarious. Haven’t seen that before. Which I guess shows you how often I post on message boards.
Second, boy, that’s some sausage fest of an edit staff there.
And D, hipsters still suck!
tinariwen’s album was amazing, i agree with mr. monger. new devendra banhart is by far my favorite release in the past year tho, didn’t see it anywhere
with no particular order
Albert Hammond JR – Yours to Keep
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
Björk – Volta
Calle 13 – Residente o Visitante
Justice – Cross
King Of Leon – Because of The Times
Omar Rodriguez lopez – Se Dice Bisonte, No Buffalo
White Stripes – Icky Thump
10 BONUS:
Kanye West – Graduation
Common – Finding Forever
M.I.A. – Kala
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Bloc Party – A Weekend In A City
Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
Maroon 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before long
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Battles – Mirrored
Nice to see Grails and Battles on there but no Alcest? That Alcest record is the best record released over the past several years, let alone this one.
In No Particular Order:
Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release
Radiohead In Rainbows
Pink Martini Hey Eugene!
Ladybug Transistor Can’t Wait Another Day
Justice Cross
Bikeride The Kiss
Daft Punk Alive 2007
Bright Eyes Cassadaga
Blonde Redhead 23
Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare
Hooray for Sharon Jones, M.I.A., His Name is Alive, and the White Stripes. However, James Blood Ulmer hasn’t made a good album in years.
i was a little disapointed about icky thump’s position. but i definitely think the biggest oversight is the Budos band.
The National – Boxer is quite possibly the most overrated album of 2007. Just because Pitchfork drools over an album doesn’t make it a masterpiece.
My ten.
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Okkervil River – Stage Names
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Silverchair – Young Modern
Hackensaw Boys – Look Out
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
White Stripes – Icky Thump
The Subjects – With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings
Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops
01: Tocotronic – Kapitulation
02: Sloan – Never Hear The End Of It
03: Jason Falkner – I’m OK, You’re OK
04: Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – The Land Of Pure Imagination
05: Babyshambles – Shotter’s Nation
06: Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
07: Radiohead – In Rainbows
08: LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
09: Laura Imbruglia – Laura Imbruglia
10: Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
Sunset Rubdown’s “Random Spirit Lover” and Animal Collective’s “Strawberry Jam” did not make a single list? Seriously??
AGAINST ME!
1. Radiohead-In Rainbows
2. Spoon- GaGaGaGa
3. Blonde Redhead-23
4. White Stripes-Icky Thump
5. Dungen- Tio Bitar
6. The National-Boxer
7. Interpol-Our love To Admire
8. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
9. Tomahawk
10.Kings of Leon-Because of the Times
Honorable Mentions
Air, Beastie Boys, Iron & Wine, Mice Parade, The Bees, Cinematic Orchestra, Dntel, The Shins, The Sea and Cake, Pinback, White Rabbits, Ween. And it seems out of place but Rush put out their best album in over 20yrs. Still can’t believe they had it in them.
Most Disappointing- SMASHING PUMPKINS and Prince
1) Liars -Liars
2) Grinderman -Grinderman
3) Black Lips -Good Bad Not Evil
4) Panda Bear -Person Pitch
5) Thurston Moore – Trees Outside the Academy
6) Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
7) White Stripes – Icky Thump
8) Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
9) I’m Not There -OST
10)Wilco -Sky Blue Sky
Well, It would be nice if a few more people would include Albert Hammond JR. He may not be innovative, but he is really great. Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible is a step up from Funeral which also was great. I think these critics need to forget about The White Stripes who are lost in their own little world that I personally no longer care to hear.
Yeah, definitely Bikeride ‘The Kiss’, Panda Bear ‘Person Pitch’ (for sheer one man band ingenuity), that Caribou album sounds real good, the Robert Forster/Grant McClennan compilation of solo material, Rickie Lee Jones ‘Sermon on Exposition Blvd’, okay Richard Hawley ‘Lady’s Bridge’, Antibalas ‘Security’! (???), the new Junior/Senior album for nostalgic dance fun, the Terrence Blanchard ‘Tale of God’s Will’ Katrina album, and, okay, that Keren Ann album.
I am disgusted to see Sky Blue Sky on here. What a bullshit album for all the hype.
Also, no Kanye? Y’alls racist. Just kidding.
And what about Daft Punk’s Alive 2007?
Well, it’s a darn shame none of you put Patrick Watson’s “Close to Paradise” on your list. As a matter of fact, he has not even been reviewed on your site yet. “Close to Paradise” is a real treat though!
I’ll also give props to Tegan and Sara, who released an impressive album with “The Con”. As always their songs are ultra-catchy, but this is by far their best lyrical effort and their music has evolved quite a bit.
Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” and Lily Allen’s “Alright, Still” were both released in 2006, not 2007.
They were both good albums, but good enough to bend space/time?
This year’s presentation on Bang On a Can’s People’s Commission compositions.
I know it hasn’t been released as an album, but it has been recorded and broadcast and so forth, and it was much better than any albums mentioned so far. I recommend searching the internet hard for a recording, especially those of you who still think Radiohead is pushing boundaries of music. Prepare to be floored.
what? no new pornographers?
1. thurston mooore – trees outside the academy
2. blonde redhead – 23
3. ted leo – living with the living
4. spoon -ga * 5
5. richard x. heyman – actual sighs
6. p.j. harvey – white chalk
7. kirstin hersh – sing like a star
8. new pornographers – challengers
9. maria mckee – late december
10. Iron & Wine – Sheperd’s Dog
Also:
Suzanne Vega – Beauty & Crime
Emma Pollock – Watch the Fireworks
Dinosaur JR – Beyond
Deerhoof – Friend Oppurtunity
Adam Franklin – Bolts of Melody
The Jarvis Cocker record came out last year…
Shouldn’t you have noticed that?
Also, I’m glad The Narrator is getting some love. Chi-town!
New Pornographers – Challengers
QOTSA – Era Vulgaris
The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
White Stripes – Icky Thump
Loney Dear – Loney, Noir
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
and since I’ve got one left and 2007 was weak, can I start plugging Marah – Angels of Destruction for Jan.8, 2008?
How bout a review for viscous delicious by infected mushroom they really made a masterpiece with that album.
This sounds like trolling, but congrats for not buying the hype on “Boxer”.
Here’s a spam protection equation for you: Willard Grant Conspiracy + post-punk = The National.
Danny Cohen – Shades of Dorian Gray
Chris Connelly – The Episodes
Grinderman – Grinderman
Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
Joe Henry – Civilians
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
Nick Lowe – At My Age
Josh Rouse – Country Mouse, City House
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Teddy Thompson – Up Front and Down Low
Loudon Wainwright III – Strange Weirdos
iron and wine – shepherds dog
of montreal – hissing fauna
lavender diamond
the bees – octopus
frog eyes – tears of the valedictorian
tunng – good arrows
beirut
blonde redhead – 23
cave singers
lightning dust
1. Raising Sand – Robert Plant Alison Krauss
2. Real Life – Joan As Policewoman
3. Iron and Wine- Shepherd’s Dog
4. White Chalk – P J Harvey
5. Herbie Hancock – Joni Letters
6. Nick Lowe – At My Age
7. Wincing the Night away – The Shins
8. Complete On the Corner – Miles Davis
9. Cassadaga – Bright Eyes
0. In Rainbows – Radiohead [number 10 because I havent heard it yet, but I'm sure it deserves to be included]
Interpol – our love to admire
Radiohead – In rainbows
Klaxons – Myths of the near future
Editors – an end as an start
Amy Winehouse – Back to black (deluxe edition)
The cooper temple clause – make this your own
Arcade Fire – neon bible
The shins – wincing the night away
the kissaway trail – the kissaway trail
Porter – atemahawke
Bonus
La habitacion roja – Cuando ya no quede nada
thirteen senses – contact
the national – boxer
blonde redhead – 23
band of horses – cease to begin
arctic monkeys – favourite worst nightmare
maps – we can create
grand avenue – the outside
jet lag – forever
blackfield – II
arcade fire – neon bible
radiohead – in rainbows
menomena – friend and foe
besnard lakes – besnard lakes are the darkhorse
deerhunter – cryptograms
andrew bird – armchair apocrypha
detroit cobras – tied and true
iron & wine – the shepherd’s dog
fiest – the reminder
spoon – ga ga ga ga ga
The year isn’t over yet.
Jarvis Cocker -The Jarvis Cocker Album
Marc Almond -Stardom
Justice -Justice
Klaxons- Myths of the near future
!!! -Myth takes
Blonde Redhead -23
PJ Harvey -White Chalk
Arcade Fire -Neon Bible
The Aliens -Astronomy for dogs
Air -Pocket Symphony
Event of the year
Stooges playing Fun House Live
The Cure live
From Belgium with love :
The National – Boxer
Wilco – Sky blue sky
Beirut – The Flying cup club
Okkervil river- The Stage Names
Bright Eyes – Cassadage
Joe Henry – Civilians
Steve Earle – Washington square serenade
Spoon – Ga ga ga ga ga
Iron & wine – The Shepherd’s dog
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite worst nightmare
1) Mirrored by Battles
2) Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective
3) In Rainbows by Radiohead
4) Friend Opportunity by Deerhoof
5) Person Pitch by Panda Bear
6) Random Spirit Lover by Sunset Rubdown
7) From Here we Go Sublime by The Field
8) Boxer by The National
9) Cryptograms by Deerhunter
10) Shepherd’s Dog by Iron and Wine
Good lord, one of my picks for the year actually made someone’s list. Cheers to you, Mr. Monger.
In No Order:
A Sunny Day in Glasgow- Scribble Mural Comic Journal
Sunset Rubdown- Random Spirit Lover
Pumice- Pebbles
Angels of Light- We Are Him
Akron/Family- Love is Simple
Efterklang- Parades
Burial- Untrue
Daft Punk- Alive 2007
Liars- s/t
John Wiese- Soft Punk
Sunroof- Panzer Division Lou Reed
Radiohead- In Rainbows
1)Caribou- Andorra
2)The Shins-Wincing the night away
3)Kiln-Dusker
4)Blonde Redhead-23
5)Band Of Bees-Octopus
6)Deerhunter-Cryptograms
7)Maps-We can create
8)Devandra Banhart-Smokey rolls down thunder canyon
9)P.J. Harvey-White Chalk
10)Wilco- Sky Blue Sky
1. Neon Bible
2. In Rainbows
3. Sound of Silver
4. Kala
5. Boxer
6. The Reminder
7. White Chalk
8. The Good, the Bad and the Queen
9. Wincing the Night Away
10. Icky Thump
That Super Chron Flight Brothers album was awful, a complete mess. One of the worst Hip-Hop albums released this year.
So little love for The National, Cunninlynguists and Jay-Z…
make it a list of 20
01 . BARR – Summary
02 . Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
03 . Dinosaur Jr – Beyond
04 . Love Of Diagrams – Mosiac
05 . Thurston Moore – Trees Outside The Academy
06 . Bill Callahan – Woke On A Whaleheart
07 . Julie Doiron – Woke Myself Up
08 . Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
09 . Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
10 . Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Some Loud Thunder
11 . Handsome Furs – Plague Park
12 . Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
13 . Shellac – Excellent Italian Greyhound
14 . Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin
15 . Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
16 . Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
17 . Do Make Say Think – You, You’re History In Rust
18 . Grinderman – Grinderman
19 . Kinski – Down Below It’s Chaos
20 . The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
21 . Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
22 . New Pornographers – Challengers
23 . Blonde Redhead – 23
24 . The Most Serene Republic – Population
25 . The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
but that’s just a list folks.
Ok – so a voice for some good Alt-Pop/Pop-Rock/and Alt-Rock this year….
Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light
Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope
Mayday Parade – A Lesson In Romantics
KT Tunstall – Drastic Fantastic
Coheed and Cambria – No World For Tomorrow
Prince – Planet Earth
William Tell – You Can Hold Me Down
Ryan Adams – Follow The Lights (EP)
The Academy Is… – Santi
I just want to draw your attention on the fact that it’s kind of odd that some of the critics have fallen for the oldest trick in the music world : reissues. Of course, they’re often nice, most of the time much needed, sometimes even indispensable, but to count them as year-end best albums is just missing the point – am I? – and make the whole (individual) selection seem disregardful, if not irrelevant.
Oh, and sorry, I am NOT gonna add my ten easy pieces to the process. First, at this point it would be kind of superfluous to overbid since everything sounding potent and (partialy) hip has been droped at a time or another. Second… who cares about MY partial, if faithful, addiction to processed sounds.
Thanks anyway
Since it hasn’t been mentioned yet …
Crowded House – Time on Earth
I love that Amerie album too. Why wasn’t it reviewed?!
10. No Age – Weirdo Rippers
9. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
8. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer
7. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
6. St. Vincent – Marry Me
5. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
4. The Shocking Pinks – Shocking Pinks
3. Robert Wyatt – Comicopera
2. The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
1. The Besnard Lakes – Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
Thanks for the nod to Rickie Lee Jones – super ‘comeback’ album, and she’s a knockout in concert as well.
Not a single metal album on the list!
1 OF MONTREAL – HISSING FAUNA
2 INTERPOL – OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE
3 THE SHINS – WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY
4 MYSTERY JETS – ZOOTIME
5 PETER BJORN AND JOHN –
6 GUSTAVO CERATI – AHI VAMOS
Iron & Wine Shepherd’s Dog
Roisin Murphy Overpowered
Rickie Lee Jones Sermon at Sunset Boulevard
Fennezs y Sakamoto Cendre
Blonde Redhead 23
Laura Veirs Saltbreakers
Abbey Lincoln Abbey sings Abbey
Jens Lekman Nights Falls Over Kortedala
Kurt Elling Nightmoves
Bebel Gilberto Momento
¡¡Gracias!!
>”The National – Boxer is quite possibly the most overrated album of 2007. Just because Pitchfork drools over an album doesn’t make it a masterpiece.”
Thanks for this, although we’re clearly in the minority here. Having heard my share of Interpol and She Wants Revenge — as well as being old enough to remember Joy Division et al — leaves me with that “not so fresh” feeling.
In Rainbows only makes 1 list? You’ve got to be kidding me.
I think you should all listen to UNKLE – War stories: the best album in an otherwise disappointing year.
MIA Kala
Radiohead In Rainbows
Ernest Gonzalez While On Saturn’s Rings
New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom
Neil Young Chrome Dreams II
Rasputina Oh Perilous World!
Brother Reade Rap Music
Para One Epiphanie
Wooden Shjips Wooden Shjips
Caribou Andorra
What a wierd year for music, all said. It’s hard to imagine Joan Wasser or Deerhoof on “Albums of the Year” lists. They’ve always made great music, but what’s making great bands finally get the accolades they so deserve (Blonde Redhead, Aesop Rock, and bands that were long in the running [PJ Harvey/Spoon/Dino Jr.])?
Though not officially listed, Bikeride got a mention here, as did Emily Haines and the Mary Timony Band. It’s good to know that there’s great music, but even more warming to know there are fans of great music.
Still, there is a dark side. Silverchair have returned. Time once again to work-out our bottle-throwing arms in ready to shatter against D. Johns’ water-filled skull. It’s even scarier they made three lists, because that’s more serious than the one guy on the forum who’s talking about Coheed & Cambria.
The National’s album was great. I can’t say how great. And I stopped reading Pitchfork the week they reviewed ‘Kid A’ at 10.0 and hailed it as some kind of ‘Darkside of the Moon’ for a new generation. I prefer my record reviews to be based in reality, and Allmusic has never steered me wrong. They’re also constantly revamping old reviews to reward albums that might be lost to oblivious newcomers (i.e., The Violent Femmes ‘Hallowed Ground’ was awarded 4.5 stars after it was re-visited and made Album of the Day here). Pitchfork is Mad Magazine to AMG’s New England Journal of Medicine, as far as analogic hyberbole goes…
I’m a little baffled by people who have a go at the National and then go on to list Wilco, LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead in their top ten. That Wilco album was the biggest disappointment of 2007, except maybe Win Butler vanishing up his own ass with Neon Bible and forgetting to put melodies in his songs. And shame on you all, except James Christopher Monger, for the lack of Okkervil River. Not that anyone cares but, for my own sense of self-importance, here’s my top ten:
1. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
2. Bishop Allen – The Broken String
3. The National – Boxer
4. Ferraby Lionheart – Catch The Brass Ring
5. Sea Wolf – Leaves In The River
6. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
7. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
8. Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
9. Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter
10. The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
The biggest disappointments in the year 2007:
Rilo Kiley
Maxïmo Park
Arcade Fire
Band Of Horses
Wilco
The Go! Team
(The Shins)
Some of my favourites (amongt oh so many):
Seabear – “The Ghost That Carried Us Away”
David Vandervelde – “The Moonstation House Band”
Chris Garneau – “Music For Tourists”
Oh No Ono – “Yes”
Familjen – “Det snurrar i min skalle”
Pleasure – “Pleasure 2″
To my mind “Boxer” by The National isn’t overrated at all. It’s not all about fresh, it’s about flesh!
No anxiousness left, all’s been polished.
It seems M.I.A. and The White Stripes appear in a lot of the top 10. That’s nice. I thought Arcade Fire would be one of those repeated, it wasn’t.
1-deerhunter-cryptograms/flourescent grey ep
2-panda bear-person pitch
3-black moth super rainbow-dandelion gum
4-the field-from here we go sublime
5-justice-cross
6-animal collective-strawberry jam
7-black lips-good bad not evil
8-jens lekman-night falls over kortedala
9-radiohead-in rainbows
10-arcade fire-neon bible
my list in no particular order, except number 1!
1. wintersleep – welcome to the night sky
2. Band of Horses – cease to begin
3. Wilco – sky blue sky
4. kooks
5. travis
6. Modest mouse – we were dead…
7. Lily Allen – all right still
8. Low – drums and guns
9. Bruce Springsteen + the E – magic
10 Explsions in the sky – all the sudden i miss everyone
11. Kings of Leon – because of the times
12. Fair to Midland
“I prefer my record reviews to be based in reality, and Allmusic has never steered me wrong.”
You do realize that if Allmusic.com were to re-review Kid A they would give it a 5/5, right?
1) Low – Drums and Guns
2) Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
3) Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
4) You Follow Me – Nina Nastasia & Jim White
5) Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink – Bodies of Water
6) Marry Me, – St. Vincent
7) 23, – Blonde Redhead
8) Neon Bible, – Arcade Fire
9) The Stage Names, – Okkervil River
10) Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer?, – Of Montreal
1. The National – Boxer
2. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
3. Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil
4. Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
5. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
6. Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
7. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
8. Editors – An End Has A Start
9. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortadela
10. Iron And Wine – Shephard’s Dog
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
The Frames – The Cost
Eluvium – Copia
Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Dolorean – You Can’t Win
Feist – The Reminder
The National – Boxer
Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This
Here are 10 albums I feel deserve another listen or my vote for top 10 of 2007
Robert Wyatt: Comicopera
Kevin Ayers: The Unfairground
The Angels of Light: We Are Him
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Throbbing Gristle: Part Two – Endless Not (I think it’s quite good, Thom)
Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen Deluxe Edition
Bert Jansch: The Black Swan
Einstürzende Neubauten: Alles Wieder Offen
Richard Thompson: Sweet Warrior
The Red Krayola/Art & Language: Sighs Trapped By Liars
Here are the top albums of the Music Emissions editorial team:
http://www.musicemissions.com/users/dscanland/blog/Music+Emissions+Reviewers+and+Users+complete+top+10+albums+of+2007
And my personal list looks like this:
1. The National – Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
2. Jesu – Conqueror (Hydra Head)
3. Explosions In The Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence)
4. Ash – Twilight Of The Innocents (Warner Bros.)
5. Iron and Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog (Sub Pop)
6. Spoon – Ga ga ga ga ga (Merge)
7. The Forms – The Forms (Threespheres)
8. Habib Koite – Afriki w/ Bambada (Cumbancha)
9. Sage Francis – Human The Death Dance (Epitaph)
10. Pinback – Autumn of the Seraphs (Touch And Go)
I think AMG obviously missed out on one of the best albums this year. (Boxer)
Here it is greenhornes…
10. Icky Thump, the White Stripes
9. Widow City, the Fiery Furnaces
8. Graduation, KanYe West
7. Below The Heavens, Blu and Exile
6. Good Bad Not Evil, Black Lips
5. Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
4. Cryptograms, Deerhunter
3. Favourite Worst Nightmare, Arctic Monkeys [Shut up, you know it's good.]
2. In Rainbows, Radiohead
1. Person Pitch, Panda Bear [Perfection is a word music jounalists can use very few times, but this is the only album this year to where it could be applied.]
Nick Lowe – At My Age
Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
JJ Grey & MOFRO – Country Ghetto
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Lucinda Williams – West
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Neil Young – Live at Massey Hall 1971
That Amerie album is the bizness! I’m glad Andy knows whats good them other reviewers (outside of AMG) are pretty dumb.
How come y’all ain’t review it?
Boxer by The National is hands down my #1. After that these guys can duke it out:
Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta
Battles – Mirrored
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Joel Plaskett Emergency – Ashtray Rock
Without a doubt The National’s boxer is the best of the year hands down. Give this masterpiece the praise it deserves.
The Avett Brothers!!!
Honorable mentions: Richard Hawley / Lady’s Bridge; Duran Duran / Red Carpet Massacre; Great Northern / Trading Twilight for Daylight
10. Office / A Night at the Ritz
9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club / Baby 81
8. Editors / An End has a Start
7. Shout Out Louds / Our Ill Wills
6. Bloc Party / A Weekend in the City
5. She Wants Revenge / This is Forever
4. Hard-Fi / Once Upon a Time in the West
3. Modest Mouse / We were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
2. Jimmy Eat World / Chase this Light
1. The Ataris / Welcome the Night
I find it hilarious that the Nationals Boxer was not mentioned.
Typical AMG naming a bunch of bands no has ever heard of…For a true expert musical opinion one should view my list:
1. M.I.A. – Kala
2. Avril Lavigne – The Best Damn Thing
3. VHS or Beta – Bring on the Comets
4. (tie) Hannah Montana – Original Soundtrack
Hannah Montana – Vol. 2: meet Miley Cyrus OST
5. The Veronicas – Hook Me Up
6. (tie) Digitalism – Idealism
Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Sustain Decay Release
7. Echoing Angels – You Alone
8. Gotthard – Domino Effect
9. Aly & AJ – Insomniatic
10.Stereo Total – Paris Berlin
also, all this talk about the nationals boxer? It is a completely overrated album with only one good song “mistaken for strangers” c’mon people. I agree with one user that crowded house “time on earth” should be on every indie fan’s list of top 10 along with les savy fav, and what about the ministy “sucker” great metal album.
1. Okkervil River – Stage Names
Better by a factor of 10 than any other album this year. For all you cloth-eared critics out there (i.e. anyone foolish enough to omit this from your top 10) you’d be hard pressed to find a work of such art/artifice, soul and poetry. Truly awesome. A work of genius. Makes every other album this year seem like a pointless confection. What does Will Sheff have to do? Because it’s so good, the rest of my top 10 is blank.
this year’s been very hard to make a top ten out of.
lots of amazing albums.
my favourite is probably the new one from stars of the lid, but the national and radiohead certainly came close.
im also pleased that amg have realised how good person pitch is and given it four stars, compared to the three it got when it was released.
nice job.
Last year was better, but
my favorite 10 of 2007 are
jens lekman – night falls over kortedala
robert plant & alison krauss – raising sand
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
grinderman
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
the national – boxer
The White Stripes-Icky Thump
battles – mirrored
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
1. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
2. The Waterboys – Book of Lightning
3. Travis – The Boy With No Name
4. Radiohead – In Rainbows
5. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
6. Neil Young – Live at Massey Hall 1971
7. Minibar – Desert After Rain
8. The Aliens – Astronomy for Dogs
9. Great Lakes Myth Society – Compass Rose Bouquet
10. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
From Canary Islands (Spain)
I really don´t know most of the artist mentioned in all you lists, but it´s an scandal that almost the majority of them had not named bands like CROWDED HOUSE or OCEAN COLOUR SCENE. Which planet do you live?
1.Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
2.Blonde Redhead – 23
3.Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
4.Interpol – Our Love to Admire
5.Locust – New Erections
6.Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
7.Queens of the Stoned Age – Era Vulgaris
8.Silversun Pickups – Carnavas
9.Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist
10.White Stripes – Icky Thump
hahaha i cant believe someone said the nationals boxer is over rated and they have avril lavigne and hannah montana on their list. please dont ever talk on this site again. Thanks
Agree with Huskerdude. Okkervil River – Stage Names is an astonishing work of art. Best album of the year. Also really enjoyed the following:
Radiohead – In Rainbows
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Spoon – Ga Ga etc.
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
John Fogerty – Revival (sue me – it’s the best Fogerty’s sounded in 20 years.
Richard Thompson – Sweet Warrior
On that note however. Although The National Is O.k everybody is far overrating them. There formula is pretty simple put some Ian Curtis vocals in front of atmospheric rock. Not really that original. Im really getting sick of singers these days. When the hell are we going to get another singer who is gonna sing his damn heart out. Two best records of the year are pretty much In Rainbows And Era Vulgaris as far as ive heard. I’m getting pretty tired of all these stupid indie bands some of them are o.k but none of them really wow me. This really was only a good year for records if you are a fan indie rock. Which im not critisizing anyone who is but common. Where is the next classic rock group going to surface. I Guess alot of people would say the arcade fire are quickly becoming a classic band but really they aswell slide way to much into the sickening trend of 80’s inspired music. The 80’s was previously the worst generation for music. Now i can definately say that it is the first decade of the 21st century. I’m seriously hoping someone will come along and save rock before it becomes a music form of the past. I feel like almost every artist out there right now has forgotten about the Blue’s. If you really know anything about rock you know that rock is just a interpertation of the blues. Indie kids however dont seem to know anything about the classics. The music of our generation is not the only music out there. People need to start exploring other options with there taste. The is good music in every single decade you honestly just have to look for it.
My personal top ten:
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Okkervil River – The Stage Names
Iron and Wine – The Shepherds Dog
Silverchair – Young Modern
Josh Pyke – Memories and Dust
Shearwater – Palo Santo (Reissue with Matador infinitely better than the original)
Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
Elliott Smith – New Moon (Does this count?)
Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger (mainly for ‘The Sun Also Sets’ and ‘I taught myself how to grow old’ which i think are his best songs since Heartbreaker.)
The Mendoza Line – 30 Year Low (Final Reflections of the Legendary Malcontent excluded)
*Warning personal rant ensues
I Might add,
I Agree with Huskerdude and it seems quite a few others on this thread; Will Sheff is a lyrical genius.
Okkervil River have never released an album short of brilliance.
Hopefully this deserved recognition may continue and Okkervil River might find themselves the next ‘classic’ band people seem to be awaiting.
My top 10
In Rainbows – Radiohead
Boxer – The National
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Miranda Lambert
Easy Tiger – Ryan Adams
Sky Blue Sky – Wilco
Dwight Sings Buck – Dwight Yoakam
Night of the Furies – The Rosebuds
Wincing The Night Away – The Shins
Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
tops in 2007(and one major disappointment)
john cale-circus live
shellac-excellent italian greyhound
no age-wierdo rippers
tojiko noriko-solo
sunset rubdown-random spirit lover
radiohead-in rainbows
wolfgang muthspiel/brian blade-friendly travelers
M.I.A.-kala
fripp/eno-beyond even
odd nosdam-level line wires
sawako-madoromi
taken by trees-open field
deerhoof-friend oppurtunity
von sudenfed-tromatic reflections
RE-ISSUES-
lee perry-ape-ology
albert ayler-the hilversun session
biggest disappointment-the fall-post reformation TLC
I have to second everyone who is complaining that Boxer got no mention at all. I am glad to see someone recognize Nicole Atkins.
Neptune City is the song of 2007.
White Stripes Icky Thump made four list while National Boxer made none? Anyone care to explain?
Quite amazing – you almost completely overlooked:
Pieta Brown: Remember The Sun
Levon Helm: Dirt Farmer
Glenn Mercer: Wheels In Motion
Maximo Park: Our Earthly Pleasures
Ry Cooder: Buddy
Jose Gonzalez: In Our Nature
Linda Thompson: Versatile Heart
Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters
Best wishes for 2008 from Hamburg (Germany)!
I’m a little surprised nobody’s got Junior Senior on there.
Porcupine tree – fear of a blank planet (should be included somewhere)
My fave albums of 2007:
Jimmy LaFave – Cimarron Manifesto
Polly Paulusma – Fingers & Thumbs
Loudon Wainwright III – Strange Weirdos
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Naked Lunch – This Atom Heart of ours [I'm from Austria]
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Stereo Total – Paris Berlin
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Stephen Fretwell – Man on the roof
Bikeride – The Kiss
Jens Lekman – Night falls over Kortedala
Moneybrother – Mount Pleasure
the shins – wincing the night away? turn on me?
I’m really glad that this forum didn’t disintegrate into people hating others lists and that most everyone seems genuinely open other ideas. I don’t have a list personally because I think it’s too confining to say that these are THE best records of this year. Taste is 100% completely objective and my list of favs and best of changes all the time. I’ll say that I agree with most of these lists by and large. Yes, we could keep talking about the national and okkervil river. But, since that’s already been discussed, let’s drop it and talk about other things that didn’t get mentioned? Like Chromatics’ Night Drive. I know, I know, the PITCHFORK IS EVIL cry goes up in the building. But this is widely avaliable online not just through a tiny label hidden in one of dark reaches of the internet (their webpage is a .blogspot.com address!). This is a good interesting album, even if you just listen to it for the wonderful cover of Kate Bush’s “Running up that Hill.” What about Marnie Stern’s guitar masterpiece In advance of the broken arm, with Hella’s Zach Hill on drums? Let’s talk about that! What a great album! Astonishing talent on display here. Her band is just as good as Battles but without the embellishments and song structure that make Battles so enjoyable, which is a very very fun compliment. And in terms of female song writers, no one’s mentioned Marissa Nadler’s haunting album Songs III: Bird on the Water. She’s got such a possessive voice that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Along the same lines is Jana Hunter’s simple and different album There’s No Home. And as for a terrific song from an alright album I offer you “Empty Bottles” and “Bad Dream/Hartford’s Beat Suite” by the Magik Markers on Boss.
Another way to get an idea of this year’s best albums would be a list of all the 4,5-5 stars albums of this year (no compils and reissues, just new stuff). This is impossible to acquire even through advanced search (because you have to pick a genre also). Would you please consider putting such a list online or make it possible to search for year+rating? Thanks a lot!
1. Mark Knopfler – Kill to get crimson
2. Levon Helm – Dirt Farmer
3. King Diamond – Give me your soul … Please
4. Scorpions – Humanity Hour 1
5. Miranda Lambert – Crazy ex-girlfriend
6. Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
7. Alicia Keys – As I am
8. Sixx A.M. – Heroin Diaries
9. Megadeth – United Abominations
10 Sebastian Bach – Angel Down
THE NATIONAL – BOXER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Trees Outside the Acadamy – Thurston Moore
You should all go to the box, by yourselves, and feel shame…
Would everybody shut up about the national its seriously not that great i really dont blame any of the writers for leaving it off. I agree with the statement above the vocalist just trys to sound like Ian Curtis and the music is like Radiohead only not as musically inclined. The best 5 records of the year are as follows
1.Radiohead – In Rainbows
2.Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
3.Explosions In The Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
4.Iron & Wine – The Sheppards Dog
5.Queens Of The Stoneage – Era Vulgaris
I Listened To Okkervil River too. I Dont See why everyone is raving about that either all of this stuff you all are listing sounds way to much like it could have come straight out of the 80’s. Arcade Fire sounds 80’s The National sounds 80’s Okkervil River sounds 80’s All indie rock seems to be becoming is just some stupid interp of the damn 80’s when are rock bands gonna start being ” Rock Bands “. And im not talking about stuff that is like AC/DC or stupid dumb hair metal bands that were terrible back in the day im talking about. The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Radiohead, Nirvana even bands like the stone temple pilots. I’m sick of bands that think they are innovating and that are not at all. Give me something that will make me feel emotional or inspired not something like “ohhh i wanna be emo and introspective and cry in a corner. All you people should be ashamed of yourselves for losing track of what rock music is. Its not all about experimentation its about sounding good, writing music that is somewhat climactic all around and then experimenting once you have the basic blocks of song writing down. come on people 2007 showed nothing more except how real rock music like QOTSA and Radiohead are being overlooked because people would rather be indie and find a band that they think is thiers rather then listening to the best music out there it is appauling. hopefully this crappy tend will end at the turn of 2010 im hoping that it is just a phase.
I was better last year. I dont agree with many of the choices tho. But if they say so…
I’m actually surprised that QotSA and The White Stripes made so many lists considering the sheer amount of filler with which they routinely pad their albums. And shouldn’t Dean Ween be getting some extra accolades for helping write the best song featured on Era Vulgaris, even if he didn’t perform it this time?
Since everyone’s chipping in with a list, here’s mine (in alphabetical order):
Beirut-The Flying Club Cup
Bikeride-The Kiss
Devin Townsend-Ziltoid the Omniscient
Dinosaur Jr.-Beyond
Fu Manchu-We Must Obey
Ghost-In Stormy Nights
LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver
Shellac-Excellent Italian Greyhound
Super Furry Animals-Hey Venus!
Ween-La Cucaracha
ezra furman and the harpoons?!
i saw them open for ratatat at a free show and loved them got them to play a show at my dorm…but i had no idea that they had gained any sort of recognition. incredible.
i’ve got to listen to that album.
It really was a great year for music, with some cracking albums out, some of my favourites were:
Serj Tankian ‘Elect The Dead’
DeVotchKa ‘How It Ends’
Gogol Bordello ‘Super Taranta!’
Spoon ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’
Common ‘Finding Forever’
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton ‘Knives Don’t Have Your Back’
Vatican DC ‘Make It Ride…’
PJ Harvey ‘White Chalk’
Battles ‘Mirrored’
Tomahawk ‘Anonymous’
Devandra Banhart ‘Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon’
Beirut ‘The Flying Club Cup’
Shellac ‘Excellent Italian Greyhound’
Kings Of Leon ‘Because Of The Times’
Sage Francis ‘Human The Death Dance’
Future Of The Left ‘Curses’
I know as soon as I post this I’ll think of some more too…
yup I was right…
M.I.A ‘Kala’
and Grinderman ‘Grinderman’
and of course perhaps the best album of the year – Arcade Fire ‘Neon Bible’…how could I forget ;)
Deerhunter- Cryptograms
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Britney… come on Come back… Ooops!!… Come Back…. Oops… Great new Video, must be a body double… Oops!
David Gilmour DVD is excellent
Killers / Neil Young / Joni MItchell / Rush / Arcade Fire / Stars /
I was so shocked that Nine Inch Nails was not on here. It has to be one of the top three albums of this year; if not in their whole discography. Era Vulgaris is very good so is Alright, Still here even though it was released in 2006 not 2007. My top ten.
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
Queens of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
KMFDM – Tohuvahobu
Scissor Sisters – Tah-Da (since the space time continum can be bent)
Kanye West – Graduation
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero Remixed
Fall Out Boy – Infinity On High
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
And, it’s not a CD but still needs a mention, Nine Inch Nail’s live DVD “Beside You In Time”. One word F****** AMAZING!!! You can see I’m a fan…
I think these are some very thorough lists. I’m very glad to see some love for The White Stripes, The Arcade Fire, and our old friends in Radiohead. Also pleased by the love for Spoon, Brother Ali, Of Montreal, Jay-Z, and Patton Oswalt. And, frankly, I’m glad beyond belief that you didn’t list The National OR Kanye West, because both of those albums were bloated and dull beyond belief. I might add, however, Bright Eyes’ “Cassadega”, which I thought was a wonderful step forward for that artist, and Kings Of Leon’s “Because of the Times”, which is an extraordinary listen every time. Oh, and I know it’s a long shot, but I think more credit needs to be given to Circa Survive for pushing the rather crowded, same-y Emo/Post-Hardcore field forward and making very passionate, wonderful music. OH, and Rilo Kiley! Their new album was wonderful!
Thank God! Finally someone mentioned Grails’s “Burning off Impurities” record. That to me is a modern day masterpiece. I like it better than pretty much any other post-rock/experimental/jazz album I’ve heard before it.
no radiohead in the tops?.. how sadly..
this is mine:
1. 65daysofstatic – destruction of small ideas
2. amon tobin – foley room
3. altai-kai – made in USA
4. beirut – the flying club cup
5. calexico – tool box
6. dvar – jraah mraah
7. pjharvey – white chalk
8. radiohead – in rainbows
9. secret сhiefs 3 – 7-inch singles compilation
10. cocoRosie – adventures of ghosthorse and stillborn
Anything by The Beatles, Mountain’s first 3 albums, Elvis Costello’s first 4 albums, anything by Cream, anything by Hendrix, Jethro Tull up to and including Passion Play, Led Zepplin’s first 2 albums, various greatest hits by the Byrds, Rascals and The Animals
Je$u$ I’m not sure how it got missed but you’ve got to have Burial’s 2nd record up there.
Top 5 releases
In Rainbows (download) – Radiohead
Untrue – Burial
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon
Iron & Wine – Sheppard’s Dog
“Atlas” (single) – Battles
geez
i left burial-”untrue”
off my list from yesterday
DrFiresign says: “I’m really glad that this forum didn’t disintegrate into people hating others lists and that most everyone seems genuinely open other ideas. I don’t have a list personally because I think it’s too confining to say that these are THE best records of this year. Taste is 100% completely objective….”
First of all DrFiresign, I think you meant to say subjective, not objective. Secondly, you spoke too soon, because John Rykert came on here to tell everyone their choices are crap, and instead told us what we should be listening to.
Mr. Rykert – You lament the fact that bands don’t sound like real rock bands any more (e.g. Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots etc.), yet you ignore the awesome return to form of Dinosaur Jr. with the album Beyond, one absolute kick *ss rock and roll album. After all, Dino Jr. was one of Nirvana’s inspirations, and here we have the original Dinosaur Jr. trio rocking and wailing in 2007, and you ignore them in favor of Iron and Wine? Now The Shepard’s Dog is a fine album, but it won’t ever be mistaken for Led Zeppelin.
What I think, Mr. Rykert, is that you should give more credit to many of the posters here who took time to share some of their favorites of the year. They may not be your favorites, but most on the list are very fine albums and I for one appreciate people sharing their top 10 lists.
Top 10:
Long Road out of Eden- The Eagles
Here & Now- America
Just Getting Started- Loverboy
Dark Passion Play- Nightwish
Two of a Kind- Two of a Kind
Circa- Circa
Fancy Footwork- Chromeo
One Hundred Years From Now- Dennis DeYoung
Fantasia: Live in Tokyo- Asia
Find Your Own Way Home- REO Speedwagon
1. The View – Hats Off To The Buskers
2. Kate Nash – “Made Of Bricks”
3. Little Barrie – Stand Your Ground
4. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
5. Findel – Enters The Shadowlands
6. Crowded House – Time on Earth
7. The Soul Snatchers – Sniffin’ And Snatchin’
8. Sharon Jones & The Dapkings – 100 Days 100 Nights
9. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
10. AIFF – Afro Soul System
i cant believe no one has mentioned nine inch nails – year zero.
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Kanye West – Graduation
Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
The Aliens – Astronomy For Dogs
Battles – Mirrored
Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement of the Decline
they’re probably my 10 favourites from this year. there are a few that narrowly miss out, though, like Feist, Of Montreal, Sugababes, Jens Lekman, Dan Deacon, M.I.A, and the re-release of Silent Shout by The knife, although technically Silent Shout came out last year.
i think it’s been a great year for music, although i’m disappointed that i have to wait until next year for a enw autechre album.
Great site, great work!
My best albums of this year, in no particular order:
The Twilight Sad “fourteen autumns and fifteen winters”
The National “Boxer”
Arcade Fire “Neon Bible”
Joe Henry “Civilians”
Menomena “Friend and foe”
Blonde Redhead “23″
Berg sans Nipple “Along the quai”
Jens Lekman “Night falls over Kortedala”
The Sea and Cake “Everybody”
The Perishers “Victorious”
There are alot of bands and artists that I haven’t heard of like Of Montreal, Battles, The Field and Panda Bear… I need to get out more… or underground more?…
Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
Velvet Revolver – Libertad
Avenged Sevenfold – s/t
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Alter Bridge – Blackbird
Porcupine Tree – Fear Of A Blank Planet
The Ark – Prayer For The Weekend
Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
Those are the top ten albums I can think of, however many of them are not amazing imo. I just cant think of many good albums this year.
Am I the only one who liked that Bill Callahan – Woke on a Whaleheart album?
I don’t care what Pitchfork says about Boxer. It has such great dynamics in the way the band layered sounds up and on top of each other to build up tension so excellently, and the songs are just flat-out gorgeous and powerful as a result. Listen closely and catch all the lyrics, they’re great.
Who in the 80s wrote lyrics and songs like Will Sheff (of Okkervil River)? That whole post was a bunch of incoherent ranting BS, let’s stick to music
where’s some Black Moth Super Rainbow?
When’s the last time Sonic Youth put out an album???
Blonde Redhead-23
Radiohead-In Rainbows
Bjork-Volta
Silversun Pickups-Carnavas
M.I.A.-Kala
Patton Oswalt
Others I would really like to have:
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Bruce Springsteen & E Street
The Clientele
Ryan Adams
Jens Lekhman
overlooked thus far:
Pop Levi – The Return To Form Black Magick Party (my personal fave)
A Place To Bury Strangers – A Place To Bury Strangers
Dizzee Rascal – Maths & English
Best:
1. Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position
2. M.I.A.: Kala & Radiohead: In Rainbows
3. Liars: S/T
4. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
5. Battles: Atlas
6. Cocorosie: The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn
7. Grinderman: S/T
8. Dalek: Abandoned Language
9. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
10. Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Biggest Disappointments:
1. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (way overrated, stiff and awkward)
2. Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam (great songs, bad production)
3. Bjork: Volta (Bjork trying to second-guess herself)
4. Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan: Pullhair Rubeye (Backwards)
5. Fiery Furnaces: Widow City (the formula’s getting old)
Albums I will have to give more time to:
1. Saul Williams: Niggy Tardust
2. Iron & Wine: Shepherd’s Dog
3. Kanye West: Graduation
4. Beirut: Flying Cup Club
5. Dizzee Rascal: Maths & English
1. Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
2. The Shepherd’s Dog – Iron & Wine
3. Sky Blue Sky – Wilco
4. Easy Tiger – Ryan Adams
5. Because of the Times – Kings of Leon
6. Neon Bible – Arcade Fire
7. Armchair Apocrypha – Andrew Bird
8. Ian Hunter – Shrunken Heads
9. Time on Earth – Crowded House
10. Challenger – New Pornographers
Honorable Mention: [Another 10 in no particular order for good measure...I feel 2007 was a good year.]
Sweet Warrior – Richard Thompson
Children Running Through – Patty Griffin
Icky Thump – White Stripes
Civilians – Joe Henry
Cassadaga – Bright Eyes
At My Age – Nick Lowe
Snakes & Arrows – Rush
Sermon on Exposition Blvd. – Rickie Lee Jones
Soap and Water – Chuck Prophet
Magic – Bruce Springsteen
Final Note: Since I don’t include any recording that I have not actually purchased and personally own, and since I may be the only person actually waiting for the CD release of “In Rainbows” I have not included it here. But, if I already owned it, I expect it would likely be in my Top 10. Peace.
What about 3rd Wind?
I think it was a good year for music overall (how can any year in which radiohead releases an album not be?).
1. Radiohead – In Rainbows
The remainder of my favourite 2007 releases in no particular order:
Battles – Mirrored
Liars – Liars
Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Caribou – Andorra
The Field – From here we go sublime
Burial – Untrue
Boris w/ Kurihara – Rainbows
The National – Boxer
Dizzee Rascal – Maths and English
L.C.D. Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Justice – Cross
Deerhunter – Cryptograms (getting surprisingly little love – Kranky delivers the goods yet again, great indie label.)
No DC (regarding Bill Callahan) you’re not, I forgot about that wonderful album too ;)
And I also forgot completely that Saul Williams has a new album out, I really should listen to that.
I’m loving everybody else’s lists, mostly very thorough, and a fair few albums I have yet to listen to myself ;)
yikes yet again…..i must have forgotten the b’s from my original list
battles-mirrored-it may be album of the year!
Johnossi is from 2006!
Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara
Wilco – Sky blue sky
Dakota Suite – Waiting for the dawn to crawl through and take away your life
Klaxons – Myths of the near future
Me’Shell Ndegeocello – The world has made me the man of my dreams
Gravenhurst – The western lands
Piano Magic – Part monster
Radiohead – In rainbows
Pura Fé – Hold the rain
Thurston Moore – Trees outside the academy
It was hard to come up with ten. Even those ten are all great, let’s hope for a better 2008.
My name is Adam, I like metal, and heavy music! I have yet to see a list made souly of this so here is my..
LIST FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE METAL/HEAVY MUSIC!:
Dillinger Escape Plan-Ire Works
Neurosis-Given To The Rising
Pig Destroyer-Phantom Limb
Jesu-Conquror
The Red Chord-Prey For Eyes
Between The Buried and Me-Colors
By The End Of Tonight/Tera Melos-Complex Full Of Phantoms
Pelican-City Of Echoes
High On Fire-Death Is This Communion
Behold..The Arctopus-Skullgrid
Metal isn’t the only thing I like. I like other music too here’s my votes for none metal stuff (mostly none indie rock though)
NON-METAL STUFF:
Battles-Mirrored
Explosions In The Sky-All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Dinosaur Jr.-Beyond
Thurston Moore-Trees Outside The Academy
Prefuse 73-Preperations
The Weakerthans-Reunion Tour
Against Me!-New Wave
Ted Leo/Pharmacists-Living With The Living
Golgo Bourdello-Supertranta
Nine Inch Nails-Year Zero
These are some albums that really let me down by artists i like and a few that I just generly have to say wtf about!
DISAPOINTMENTS/OVERRATED
Arcade Fire-Neon Bible (sophomore slump anyone?)
Smashing Pumpkins-Zeitgeist (No..)
The Shins-Wincing The Night Away (I stoped caring a while ago)
The National-Boxer (It was good i guess but not even close enough to make the top 20 if u ask me!)
Spoon-Gagaga (I don’t get this band!)
Baroness-The Red Album (good, not as “epic” as everyone and they’re mother is trying to tell me it is!)
Tomohawk-Annonymous (I like Mike Patton as much as everyother guy, but this is not what i was expecting from a Tomohawk album)
Bad Brains-Build a Nation (could have been amazing if they took they’re time)
As for Radiohead’s In Rainbows? I’ll tell you next year WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY RELEASED IN A PHYSICAL COPY I CAN HOLD IN MY HANDS!!
Aye, this year didn’t bring many new lovers on the record heaps..
Luckily i found this one, it really saved my year:
LAPKO – YOUNG DESIRE (Fullsteam Records)
how can these website editors put any of the bands listed of the spoon cd this year? come on! i got all of those cds and gave them a thorough listen, but in the end the most flawless is gagagaga.
1 – The Never – Antarctica (a masterpiece!)
2 – Thirteen Senses – Contact (they are a bit more electric guitary than they were)
3 – Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther
4 – Pressure – Niles Lannon (What Eliott Smith would sound like if he plugged in)
5 – The National – Boxer
6 – Sparklehorse – Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of A Mountain (waited a long time to see what Linkus was up to – was worth the wait)
7 – Radiohead – In Rainbows II (the SECOND CD – yeah, I like it better than the first one – wanna make sumpthin’ of it?)
8 – Ill Lit – Tom Cruise (still can’t figure out why it’s called Tom Cruise)
9 – Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10 – Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Really liked Bill Callahan’s “Woke on a Whaleheart”, and L.C.D. Soundsystem’s “Sound of Silver”.
Just couldn’t get into Neon Bible – really wanted to, though, having enjoyed Funeral so much. Same with The Killers new one – Sam’s Town – didn’t do for me what Hot Fuss did.
Arcade Fire- neon Bible
Andrew bird- Armchair Apocrypha
The White Stripes- Icky Thump
Spoon- ga ga ga ga ga
The Fiery Furnaces- Window City
Kate Nash- Made of Bricks
Lily Allen- Alright Still
The Noisettes- Whats The Time Mr. Wolf
Peter, Bjorn and John- Writers Block
The Rosebuds- Night Of The Furies
these are not in any order…they are simply awsome in their own way :)
Yea unless I overlooked.. I didn’t see because of the times on there once, say whatever you want about Kings of Leon but that album is a classic. Its pretty cool Omar got some credit though.
elliot Smith – New Moon. Didn’t anyone listen to this one?
Great eclectic lists on here. I have a list in progress on my blog called Eclectic Grooves. Check it out at http://eclectic-grooves.blogspot.com and let me know what you think. Some of the usual suspects are on there like Radiohead and Panda Bear, but it’s fairly eclectic.
Take care, Kevin
Great, great.
But where’s Radiohead’s In Rainbows???
This ran a little longer than I expected…
Stuff that rose to the top:
!!! – Myth Takes
Antibalas – Security
Belleruche – Turntable Soul Music
Dungen – Tio Bitar
El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
The Harlem Experiment
Kanye West – Graduation
MIA – Kala
Oh No – Dr. No’s Oxperiment
Pharoahe Monch – Desire
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Stephen Marley – Mind Control
Subtle – For Hero: For Fool
Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams
Stuff that was re-issued:
Ananda Shankar – Sa-Re-Ga Machan
Betty Davis – Betty Davis / They Say I’m Different
Lee Perry – Ape’Ology (Though the sound quality was not kosher)
Masta Ace – Take a Look Around [Bonus Disc]
Pink Floyd – Piper At The Gates Of Dawn [3CD Deluxe Edition]
Various – Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay
Stuff I really should have heard but haven’t yet:
Amon Tobin – Foley Room
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Biz Markie – Goin’ Off [Bonus Disc]
Black Milk – Popular Demand
Caribou – Andorra (The 2007 Tour CD kicks ass though)
Charles Mingus Sextet w/ Eric Dolphy
Copperpot – WYLA?
DJ Spooky – Creation Rebel
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead or Alive [Special Edition]
Madlib – Beat Konducta in India
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Various – Love is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets
Stuff that didn’t live up to expectations:
Battles – Mirrored
Bjork – Volta
Federation – It’s Whateva
Justice – Cross
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
Sa-Ra – The Hollywood Recordings
Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Sustain Decay Release
Stuff that is totally a guilty pleasure:
Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
I only bought about 15 CDs this year. These were the best ten:
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Okkervil River – The Stage Names
The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Music from the film “Once”
Apples In Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
St. Vincent – Marry Me
Interpol – Our Love to Admire
Why did all the Editors ignore Rush – Snakes & Arrows ?
It is such a great album, their best in many years.
the one i’ve really been listening to lately is paula frazer and tarnation
its mostly for the voice. sensational. just what you’d expect to hear on the prairie as the wind blows in the ghost of electricity. It seems to be mainly country but the purity of the singing gives a folk edge whilst a san francisco 68 rocck vibe tugs beneath leading to the idea that what she really needs to do to become known is a neil young young covers album.
Only problem is i can’t remember the title. Now and then, now and forever, now and again. I’ve got it Now its Time.
Frank Zappa made an album in 2007? I find that hard to believe.. but i guess anythings possible… except maybe trying my hand at compiling a list of the 10 best albums that came out in 2007.
1. Burial, Untrue: Beautiful record
2. Gogol Bordello, Super Taranta: Gypsy punk at its best
3. PJ Harvey, White Chalck: Sad music, never gets more beautiful
4. Familjen, Snurrar i min skalle: Smart electronic music from these swedish guys
5. Raveonettes, Lust,lust,lust: Indie pop at its best.
6. Hives, Black and white album: Punk-pop from these guys are simple, but effective. I think its a underrted album
7. Modest Mouse, We where dead before the ship even sank: Beautiful rockalbum, with a lot off good riffs
8. Radiohead, In rainbows: Some says its their best album so far, I agree
9. Yeasayer, All your cymbals: Excellent dreamy pop
10. QOTSA, Era vulgaris: Good riffs, and good voice
My top ten:
10. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
09. pink reason – Cleaning the Mirror
08. A Mountain Of One – Collected Works
07. Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls
06. Portugal. The Man – Church Mouth
05. Phosphorescent – Pride
04. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
03. Menomena – Friend and Foe
02. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
01. Silverchair – Young Modern
My top 50:
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/megatoad/2007__50_releases
Thank you, OjKun, THANK YOU for mentioning Piano Magic’s – Part Monster, and also Gravenhurst as well.
The fact that I was near the bottom of viewing everyones commented lists here without seeing either of these two albums, especially Part Monster, was starting to make the stone in my throat and heart grow more painful.
But you shed some light :)
I am surpprised that Fear of a Blank Planet from Porcupine Tree is not in the editor best of list in 2007. This is their best album since Stupid Dream and Robert Fripp contributes to this fine album.
another addition and a late entry
ray davies-working man’s cafe
yee haw for the second time in as many years ray comes through with an album that well as was most often the case with the kinks(through 1976 or so)makes great music that sadly had no target audience….IE no one particular demographic should like this music…..like many other great singer songwriters….he make’s music for those that get it and if they don’t well they don’t.as was often said about the kinks….god bless ray davies….i have heard that there is a slight rumour going around that the orginal kinks may record again if dave is able….well we should all be so lucky……..
In order…
NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – CHALLENGERS
BILL CALLAHAN – WOKE ON THE WHALEHEART
SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS – 100 DAYS, 100 NIGHTS
ROBERT WYATT – COMICOPERA
IRON & WINE – THE SHEPHERD’S DOG
GRINDERMAN – GRINDERMAN
4 HERO – PLAY WITH THE CHANGES
CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA – MA FLEUR
MAP OF AFRICA – MAP OF AFRICA
DUDLEY PERKINS & GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW – MESSAGE UNI VERSA
1. Ian Hunter – Shrunken Heads
2. Supagroup – Fire for Hire
3. Richard Thompson – Sweet Warrior
4. The Stabilisers – Wanna do the Plastic Brane Love Thing
5. The Fratellis – Costello Music
6. Spoon – Ga Ga
7. Eisley – Combinations
8. Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back
9. Chesterfield Kings – Psychedelic Sunrise
10. VA – Going Home – a Tribute to Fats Domino
1. Sunset Rubdown — Random Spirit Lover
2. Frog Eyes — Tears of the Valedictorian
3. Nina Nastasia and Jim White
4. Caribou — Andorra
1. Pig Destroyer – Phantom Limb
2. Jesu – Conqueror
3. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – In Glorious Times
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
5. Estradasphere – Palace of Mirrors
6. Neurosis – Given to the Rising
7. Dalek – Abandoned Language
8. Tomahawk – Anonymous
9. Pelican – City of Echoes
10. High on Fire – Death is this Communion
Kula Shaker’s comeback ‘Strangefolk’ should have made the list for sure!
I absolutely agree with the most of all
radiohead in rainbows for me is the best record of the 2007
following my list:
radiohead in rainbows
arctic monkeys favourite worst nightmare
kings of leon because of time
damien rice 9 crimes
editors an end has a start
rosebuds night of the furies
band of horses cease to begin
subsonica l’eclissi
killers samtown
nelly furtado loose
i hope the next year will be better
I’m glad to see, 2 of you put the Young Modern album in your list. To me that was the most brilliant record this year. It has such an enormous quality for it being like incredibly mainstream but so well acomplished. I’m glad to see Dinosaur Jr.’s get some credit too at the end of the year.
Oooook, nobody even mentioned the highly surprising and confusing – in a good way – Richard D. James (aka bAphex Twin)’s new project as The Tuss or Björk’s extensively commented ‘Volta’ (the album was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album – which I don’t give a damn but probaly means something). Not to mention one my favorite releases of the year, Apparat’s new album “Walls” which is definitively the best “electronica” release of 2007 – but it’d hard to label this album because it gathers high melodic sense, experimentalism, IDM and beatiful vocals making it one of the freshest sounds I’ve heard in a while.
So, here goes my list, in no particular order:
Björk : Volta
The Tuss : Rushup Edge
Apparat : Walls
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet : Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo
Battles : Mirrored
Radiohead : In Rainbows
Blonde Redhead : 23
Chemical Brothers : We are the night
Brian Ellis : Silver Creature
Echospace : The Coldest Season
The records I have enjoyd most in 2007:
Southern Culture on the Skids “Countrypolitan Favorites”
the Gourds “Noble Creatures”
African Virtuoses “the Classic Guinean Guitar Group”
Jim Lauderdale “the Bluegrass Diaries”
the Sadies “New Seasons”
Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective “Watina”
Vic Chesnutt “north Star Deserter”
Samara Lubelski “parallel Suns”
Sir Richard Bishop “Polytheistic Fragments”
Legdendary Shack-shakers “Swampblood” (kinda Rev. Horton Heat meats 16 Horsepower..yeah it’s that good)
Gurf Morlix “Diamonds to Dust”
If there’s one thing that I’ve noticed, it’s that 99% of you have a very very very narrow selection of music that you enjoy
pity
well wow why don’t you help and enlighten us???
The surprise is that this year turned out to be not so bad. Not much at the high, “great” end, but lots of stuff at the next level. Of the albums I’ve heard this year (and there are several that I’m still eager to get around to), these were the best, grouped by quality levels:
Bettye Lavette w/ Drive-By Truckers – Scene of the Crime – Making up for lost time/years w/ another stellar album that just drips w/ that Muscle Shoals swampy sound and that voice that just *knows*
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black – All u gotta do is listen & u know that Amy knows what i mean about Bettye, and Frank may be even better tho i don’t see how it could be considered an ‘07 album
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible – I liked Funeral but it didn’t even hint at the talent on display here
Bruce Springsteen – Magic – Just because he hasn’t been cool for decades doesn’t mean he’s not still making some of the best music out there
Fountains of Wayne – Traffic & Weather Cruelly overlooked again & again, but they just keep doing their thing
Dion – Son of Skip James – Can still bring it after all these years, and there’s never been a day in over 50 years that he hasn’t been way cooler than anyone & everyone
John Fogerty – Revival – Best thing he’s done in decades, which doesn’t say much by itself, but it is one of the best albums of the year, despite his being yet another AARP member
1990s – Cookies Wicked sense of humor w/ music to match
Patti Scialfa – Play It As It Lays – Hey, listen to it b4 u dismiss it! Just because she’s “his” wife doesn’t mean she doesn’t have talent. My proposed ad campaign: Soccer moms are people too (and just who do u think those MILF babes are, anyway?)
Lucinda Williams – West – maybe not her best, but she’s got more talent in her pinky than most grammy nominees & chart toppers have, period.
Honorable mention: Art Brut, The Shins, Donnie, Kanye West & The Arctic Monkeys.
Neither Radiohead nor Wilco moved me, but that’s probably more me than either of them. I can’t understand the continuing fascination w/ The White Stripes. Loved the first 2 or 3, but to these ears it’s been downhill ever since. As yet unheard likely contenders include Levon Helm, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Mavis Staples, The Nationals, Andy Palacio & PJ Harvey.
Okay, does anyone really READ all these lists in the comments? I mean, who are any of you people? Why should I trust your list? What credentials/credibility do you have? I don’t know you, so why should I bother?
Well Fitz, like myself most people posting here are probably just music fans who enjoy sharing their views on music, such is the nature of a forum – the sharing of opinions.
I appreciate that some people may tell you that something is better than something else, but most people will also say that it’s their ‘opinion’ (which I certainly do, it’s my view and I won’t tell people I’m right and they are wrong) and they are alowed to do so.
Why trust the editors here? Why come here at all? I write about music on my own blog, if people don’t like my views they won’t read it…fair enough, I don’t force anybody to visit. I’ve been paid to write about music in the past, but even so, that shouldn’t matter one bit; everybody who visits the allmusic blog have a right to share their views, that’s the nature of the beast ;) Nobody has a right to say their view is better than anybody else’s, it’s just some people are privileged enough to be paid to write about music, but that’s not to say the rest of us can’t share our views, and ‘best of’ lists.
Yes I do read the other posted lists, it’s enlightening to read others’ views!
Sorry of this seems like a rant, it really isn’t, and I hope you agree with my thoughts…but if not, I won’t lose any sleep :)
It’s not about “trust,” Fitz. It’s about getting a sense of things, noticing that something you’ve never heard of is on 5 lists or that something u love is on none and u really want people to check it out, and basically just talking music. You can feel superior to the “morons” on the list (i.e. the ones whose taste u think sucks), wonder who that person is whose list seems copied from yours, or just kill time you’d otherwise spend reading about the Poinsetta Bowl. Personally, I don’t need to know an individual’s bona fides to know that if we share the same view on 8 out of 10 discs and I haven’t heard of the 9th, it’ll probably be worth checking out, or to think that if icky thump keeps showing up on otherwise disparate lists maybe i should give it another chance. Every year, I learn about 5 to more than 10 albums i somehow missed during the year by checking out boards like this along w/ more traditional critics’ lists.
I figure the same – nobody knows who I am, but perhaps someone will look at my faves and be inspired to check something out. And besides, I feel the need to give more exposure to these artists, since barely one of them shows up on other lists, and only a handful have reviews on AMG:
(in order, best first):
1. Charlotte Hatherley – The Deep Blue
2. The Nines – Gran Jukle’s Field
3. Super Furry Animals – Hey Venus!
4. Lori Cullen – Buttercup Bugle
5. Joni Mitchell – Shine
6. Karla Bonoff – Live
7. BMX Bandits – Bee Stings
8. TMBG – Cast Your Pod To The Wind (The Else bonus disc)
9. Trembling Blue Stars – The Last Holy Writer
10. The Red Button – She’s About To Cross My Mind
i guess i must be real old but if my memory is correct, Paul McCartney issued a great album called “memory almost full”.
I also enjoyed
Sloan – Never hear the end of it
St Vincent – Marry Me
Aliens – Astronomy for Dogs
The Polyphonic Spree -Fragile Army
Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortadela
Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Band of horses, Joan as Police Woman would round out my top ten today.
for the title of their album alone, Stars is worth a mention for “In our bedroom after the war”
I realize that The Carnival Vol. II by Wyclef Jean had barely released when this list was made, but how didn’t it make it on anyone’s list? I truly think that it was the best rap album of the year, maybe the best overall… I just want to know how Patton Oswalt’s new album made it (though it WAS hilarious) and The Carnival Vol. II got no love. ANYONE want to give it an honorable mention at least?
1. Wincing The Night Away by The Shins
2. Manipulator by The Fall of Troy
3. Sky Blue Sky by Wilco
4. Kala by MIA
5. Myths of the Near Future by Klaxons
6. Release The Stars by Rufus Wainwright
7. Costello Music by The Fratellis
8. Because of the Times by Kings of Leon
9. How We Operate by Gomez
10. Planet Earth by Prince
10. The Story – Brandi Carlisle
09. Sky Blue Sky – Wilco
08. Follow the Lights – Ryan Adams
07. In Rainbows – Radiohead
06. Time on Earth – Crowded House
05. Magic – Bruce Springsteen
04. Because of the Times – Kings of Leon
03. The Boxer – The National
02. The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse – The Besnard Lakes
01. Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters – The Twilight Sad
In no particular order:
1. The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2. Interpol ‘Our Love To Admire’
3. Arcade Fire ‘Neon Bible’
4. The National ‘Boxer’
5. The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Zeitgeist’
6. Radiohead ‘In Rainbows’
7. Travis ‘The Boy With No Name’
8. Ian Brown ‘The World Is Yours’
9. Cut City ‘Exit Decades’
10. UNKLE ‘War Stories’
Led Zeppelin
Trying to mix different kinds of music,not only about one or two styles.
-The Good,The Bad & The Queen-”ídem”-DUB
-Ryan Adams-”Easy Tiger”-COUNTRY POP
-Two Gallants-”Two Gallants”-NEO FOLK
-The National-”Boxer”-CHAMBER POP
-Harry Connick, Jr-”Chanson du vieux carré”-NEW ORLEANS
-LCD Soundsystem-”45:33″-DANCE CLUB
-Ben Lee-”Ripe”-ALTERNATIVE POP
-The Dillinger Escape Plan-”Ire Works”-EXPERIMENTAL HARDCORE
-Richmond Fontaine-”Thirteen Cities”-AMERICANA
-Rufus Wainwright-”Rufus does Judy at Cornegie Hall”-OLDIES
Are all of the artists mentioned above independents? They sure as hell are obscure. Where the hell do you find these bands/artists???. I have never heard of 90% of them.
No Lucinda Williams’ “West” on Thom Jurek’s list, after his stellar review? That’s a mistery to me. Album of the year, in my opinion.
This year might not have been deep, but la creme can compete with the best of any year (1967 included!).
Among those re-inventing music:
1)Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
This album beats out Red-Headed Stranger, Blue, and various Leonard Cohen albums as the all-time greatest break-up record.
Because you can dance to it, you know?
2) Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Have you ever pondered how these guys write a song? Psychedelic music lives!
3) UGK – Underground Kings
RIP Pimp! Swisha and Dosher is soulful like Curtis Mayfield!
I got Bobby by the pound, son!
Mope out to Radiohead and the National if you want, folks, but I’m bursting with the ebullience of Kevin Barnes, Avey Tare, and Bun B.
Led Zeppelin puts together a reunion show and the tickets go for $10,000 but there isn’t any blues, blues rock or real rock on anybody’s lists.
Where are the Zeppelin’s, SRV’s, the Who’s or Stones of 2007. A year from now most of the bands and most of the CD’s will be lost on 8,000 song Ipod lists never to be heard from again, because the music’s got no balls, no beat, no hooks; and frankly it’s just too common and easy to churn out.
Listen to some blues people. Avoid the stuff in these list by people wearing those trendy glasses you can’t even really see out of.
No one listed Devendra Banhart’s new one, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon? Come on, “Seahorse” is reason enough.
- Radiohead/ In Rainbows
- Arcade Fire/ Neon Bible
- M.I.A./Kala
- Panda Bear/ Person Pitch
- Animal Collective/Strawberry Jam
- Kings of Leon/Because of the Times
- Spoon/Gagaga
- Interpol/Our Love to Admire
- Devendra Banhart/ Smokey Rolls Down
- The National/Boxer
Special Mentions -
Akron Family/Love is Simple
Dungen/Tio Bitar
Bjork/Volta
Cafe Tacvba/Sino
White Stripes/Icky Thump
Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Is Is EP
The Good the bad the queen/ST
Biggest Dissapointments -
Clap Your Hands say yeah! – Some Loud Thunder
BRMC- Baby 81
Art Brut – It’s a bit complicated
Was it such a bad year for music that most folks couldn’t include artists that more people have heard of? Perhaps AMG might want to quantify this list in the future by genre: rock, pop, blues, country (not much love for Vince Gill’s 4-CD master work These Days here), R&B (no love for Best New Artist nominee Ledisi, hip-hop, dance, etc., so that all genres might be judged on their own merits instead of some obscure indie-pop casserole.
That’s not saying anyone’s opinions are wrong or unwelcome, obviously. Some of the selections here do make me curious, the inclusion of Rickie Lee Jones, for example. But a lot of these preferred CDs are just names in a indie CD store to casual observers who deserve a fairer shake than this hodgepodge of indie-cred.
…”rap”…”gypsy punk”, “smart electronic”, “indie pop”, “punk pop”….aaarrrgghhh!!!!…..wtf????….whatever happened to plain old rock and roll??
Anyone listen to the power-trio Govt Mule, led by Warren Haynes, or are they not obscure enough? What about Paul Rodgers “Live In Glascow” cd/dvd, with 18 yr.old guitar phenom Kurtis Dengler? Oh well, I guess I just spin Skynyrds “Second Helping”, followed by the Pretenders “Learning To Crawl”, because they dont make music like they used to.
It is quite apparent that you badly need a dedicated metal/heavy music reviewer. The imbalanced, patronising, inaccurate and hypocritically demeaning reviews of such music aside, your end of year lists expose this huge hole in your music coverage even further.
Oh great, I see the “I’m too lazy to want to know anyone else who’s played guitar after Clapton” crowd has moved in now. Sorry that you folks have forgotten that hitting on NEW names and experiencing something outside your little box is one of the greatest joys music can bring to someone. Stan, I know who Government Mule is, when was the last time they made an actual album? Or wrote a song that sounds different from half of their already existing catalogue? Let me know.
Glad to see people continuing to give love to Iron & Wine and Jens Lekman. These are the amazing songwriters that people like Stan are claiming don’t exist anymore. If you put in effort, you get gems like Jens and Sam Beam. Shepherd’s Dog really is the culmination of what Iron & Wine started with Calexico on In the Reins, and I love it more with each listen.
Overall some great top 10 lists. I’m definitely going to be checking out some of the random stuff on them I missed.
My 2007 top 10 is (no particular order):
The Kiss, by Bikeride
Andorra, by Caribou
In Rainbows, by Radiohead
Icky Thump, by The White Stripes
Let’s Stay Friends, by Les Savy Fav (probably my favorite of 2007)
All Hour Cymbals, by Yeasayer
I’m OK, You’re OK by Jason Falkner (didn’t get a US release yet)
Are the Dark Horse, by Besnard Lakes
Asleep at Heaven’s Gate, by Rogue Wave (not sure why everyone got so sour on Rogue Wave, this is definitely better than their last album)
Boxer, by The National (might have gotten a lot of hype, but its a worthy album for any best of 2007 list)
I think we can all agree that 2007 was probably the best year for music in a long, long time.
I didn’t wanna do this, but what the frig. Lemme at ‘em, I’ll splat ‘em!
1. Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna…
2. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
3. MIA- Kala
4. Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortedala
5. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
6. Ween- La Cucaracha
7. Black Lips- Good Bad Not Evil
8. Von Sudenfed- Tromatic Reflexxions
9. Les Savy Fav- Let’s Stay Friends
10. Shocking Pinks- Shocking Pinks
I wanna put Boxer in there for “Slow Show” alone, which is probably my favorite song of the year, but there are a good 4 or 5 clunkers gumming up the works. Oh, and that Robert Wyatt album was awesome…didn’t see that in too many lists.
I run a record store in Brooklyn, so I hear lots of music, therefore making a ten-best list is very difficult. I also recognize -indeed, this actually troubles me greatly- that there are so many great sounds out there, I’ll never be able to hear it all.
In no particular order, my ten faves of 2007:
1. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: Sound of Silver
2. PANDA BEAR: Person Pitch
3. CARIBOU: Andorra
4. AKRON/FAMILY: Love Is Simple
5. ROBERT WYATT: Comicopera
6. KEVIN DREW & BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: ‘Spirit If….’
7. BEIRUT: Lon Gisland E.P.
8. WILCO: Sky Blue Sky
9. BATTLES: Mirrored
10. JOSE GONZALEZ: In Our Nature
Belated mention goes to PETER, BJORN, AND JOHN’s excellent Writer’s Block, which I would have gladly included in my top ten since it is one of my favorite new listens of the this year, but alas actually came out in 2006.
Also, I am also annoyed with “haters” of indie, undergrouond, or obscure bands, especially those who insist that these bands only get attention by kids eager to be rebellious or outside the norm, as if these bands aren’t deserving of the praise. I’m a 34-year old professional male -and music lover- way past the days of high school when I would wear a band t-shirt as a badge of hipness or to identify myself with a specific clique. Moreover, ( and I think you’ll find this common with most lovers of “indie” bands) I love my classic rock too because it is good, well-crafted music. But for anyone to suggest that interesting music is not being made today, you just aren’t looking hard enough for it because there is plenty of smart and excellent sounds and genres out there which you are not going to find on your commercial station or MTV. Instead of assuming it is too austere or avant for your taste, listen to it – you’ll find thier influences aren’t too far from what made up the bulk of FM seventies radio.
What does Porcupine Tree need to do? ‘Fear of a Blank Planet’ is a classic.
“Stan, I know who Government Mule is, when was the last time they made an actual album?”
August 2006/High and Mighty. And its not “Government”…sheesh.
—————————————————————-
So, should I start a love affair with CDbaby? I dont think so.
What? What??
Only one real standout album for me this year – the splendid debut album by Buffalo’s Tearwave on the Projekt label. Terrific darkwave – played with total dedication. Everyone who’s into that style agrees that it’s a outstanding debut.
And not one of you mentioning it. Not one! Very disappointing.
It seems none of the current editors like the genre at all. Where is Ned Raggett? He used to vote for shoegazing stuff. Gone? Well, at least now we know that reviews from any current editor on that genre should not be taken too seriously.
” But for anyone to suggest that interesting music is not being made today, you just aren’t looking hard enough for it because there is plenty of smart and excellent sounds and genres out there which you are not going to find on your commercial station or MTV. Instead of assuming it is too austere or avant for your taste, listen to it – you’ll find thier influences aren’t too far from what made up the bulk of FM seventies radio.”
thought this bared repeating. It’s 100% accurate. Branch out a bit and you might find your tired old warhorses have new company, and you just might like it
“Also, I am also annoyed with “haters” of indie, undergrouond, or obscure bands, especially those who insist that these bands only get attention by kids eager to be rebellious or outside the norm, as if these bands aren’t deserving of the praise.”
“Moreover, ( and I think you’ll find this common with most lovers of “indie” bands) I love my classic rock too because it is good, well-crafted music. But for anyone to suggest that interesting music is not being made today, you just aren’t looking hard enough for it because there is plenty of smart and excellent sounds and genres out there which you are not going to find on your commercial station or MTV. Instead of assuming it is too austere or avant for your taste, listen to it – you’ll find thier influences aren’t too far from what made up the bulk of FM seventies radio.”
Exactly, thank you David for having the way with words I lack.
I love alot of “indie” or “underground” bands, but I also have a love of many bands from the 60’s/70’s including Zep, Sabbath, Cream, Hendrix, Bowie. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
My top ten in no particular order:
Queens Of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Liam Finn – I’ll Be Lightning
The Mint Chicks – Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future
Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Is Is EP (just an EP but had to put it in here)
The Checks – Hunting Whales
Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive
Kora – Kora
It’s always a extraordinary chore for me to boil any given calendar down to a top ten.. Yes, I know that THAT IS THE WAY WE DO IT, but it has never worked for me..because music comes at me from so many different directions, and a lot of times the albums I end up thinking of as 2007 favorites, (or 1972 for that matter) were not necessarily “sprung” upon the public that particular year. But in looking over the lists I AM reminded of those that managed to get my attention in the same year they were released.
Sure, I am way glad both Kevin Ayers and Neil Young released new albums this year..and I got to see Kristen Hersh at an In-Store while I was pogoing through L.A…. AMOEBA, Thanks, man…Learn to sing like a star, indeed…but over-all Top 10, or Top 11 or heck, Top 25 lists tend to elude me.
by the way I found a CD by The Fibs- Pisces in Crises..and look for the League Bowlers-Some Balls.
Us music fans are rich kids, for sure.
These are my second ten for 2007: (11) Love Letters from Ella. Ella Fitzgerald. (12) We all Love Ella. Various Artists. (13) Sacred Ground. David Murray Group w/Cassandra Wilson. (14) La Llave a mi Corazon. Juan Luis Guerra. (15) West. Lucinda Williams. (16) The Calling. Mary Chapin Carpenter, (16) The Scene of the Crime. Bettye Lavette. (17) It Ain’t Necessarily So. Andy Bey. (18) The Daily News. Donnie. (19) Veneration (Live). Wayne Escoffery. (20) The Bluegrass Sessions. Merle Haggard.
1. Radiohead – In Rainbows
2. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
3. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
4. Besnard Lakes – …are the Darkhorse
5. Iron and Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
6. Sigur Ros – Hvarf/Heim (a comp. but an excellent comp. with tracks from the vault)
7. The National – Boxer
8. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
9. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
10. Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Honorable Mentions:
Bjork – Volta
Interpol – Our Love to Admire
Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!
Grinderman – Grinderman
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Tinariwen – Aman Iman
Blonde Redhead – 23
M.I.A. – Kala
The Shins – Wincing the Nigh Away
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold
Disappointing/Overrated in 07:
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Sank
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
The Good, the Bad and the Queen
Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City
My favourite albums of the year (in reverse-alphabetical order just to be different) that I have thus far purchased:
‘Icky Thump’ by The White Stripes
‘Fear of a Blank Planet’ by Porcupine Tree
‘Boxer’ by The National
‘Kala’ by M.I.A.
‘Let’s Stay Friends’ by Les Savy Fav
‘Sound of Silver’ by LCD Soundsystem
‘Spirit If…’ by Kevin Drew
‘On Letting Go’ by Circa Survive
‘Cassadaga’ by Bright Eyes
‘Mirrored’ by Battles
‘An Ocean Between Us’ by As I Lay Dying
‘Neon Bible’ by Arcade Fire
Albums yet to be purchase:
‘New Wave’ by Against Me!
‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ by Arctic Monkeys
‘Cease to Begin’ by Band of Horses
‘23′ by Blonde Redhead
‘Andorra’ by Caribou
‘Ire Works’ by Dillinger Escape Plan
‘Beyond’ by Dinosaur Jr.
‘The Good, the Bad and the Queen’ by The Good, the Bad and the Queen
‘Grinderman’ by Grinderman
‘The Shepherd’s Dog’ by Iron & Wine
‘Liars’ by Liars
‘We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank’ by Modest Mouse
‘Challengers’ by The New Pornographers
‘ Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?’ by Of Montreal
‘White Chalk’ by PJ Harvey
‘Era Vulgaris’ by Queens of the Stone Age
‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead
‘Wincing the Night Away’ by The Shins
‘New Moon’ by Elliott Smith
‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’ by Spoon
‘Living with the Living’ by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
‘Strange Wierdos’ by Loudon Wainwright III
“The Great Ten” of 2007:
‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ by Arctic Monkeys
‘The Best Damn Thing’ by Avril Lavigne
‘Revival’ by John Fogerty
‘Sound of Silver’ by LCD Soundsystem
‘Year Zero’ by Nine Inch Nails
‘Plays As It Lays’ by Patti Scialfa
‘Memory Almost Full’ by Paul McCartney
‘Era Vulgaris’ by Queens of the Stone Age
‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’ by Simian Mobile Disco
‘Gothic Kabbalah’ by Therion
Very good albums that didn’t make it to “The Great Ten” of 2007 (but believe me, it was very close):
‘Systematic Chaos’ by Dream Theater
‘Long Road Out Of Eden’ by Eagles
‘Rhytms From A Cosmic Sky’ by Earthless
‘From Here We Go Sublime’ by The Field
‘D-Sides’ by Gorillaz
‘Shrunken Heads’ by Ian Hunter
‘Night Falls Over Kortedala’ by Jens Lekman
‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’ by Maroon 5
‘Passenger’ by Mnemic
‘At My Age’ by Nick Lowe
‘Black Rain’ by Ozzy Osbourne
‘Quantum’ by Planet X
‘Planet Earth’ by Prince
‘Mindcrime at the Moore [live]’ by Queensryche
‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead
‘Raising Sand’ by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
‘Snakes & Arrows’ by Rush
‘Angel Down’ by Sebastian Bach
‘Elect The Dead’ by Serj Tankian
‘A Poet’s Life’ by Tim Armstrong
‘Agony’ by The Tossers
‘Dead Again’ by Type O Negative
‘Icky Thump’ by The White Stripes
And also some disappointments of 2007:
‘Lost Highway’ by Bon Jovi
‘Blackout’ by Britney Spears
‘Magic’ by Bruce Springsteen
‘Carry On’ by Chris Cornell
‘Untitled’ by Korn
‘Eat Me, Drink Me’ by Marylin Manson
‘Zeitgeist’ by The Smashing Pumpkins
And the biggest disappointment is:
Still no new album from Metallica :-(((
No props for Dr. Dog. Really?
thank god people are showing Sky Blue Sky respect. i also think joshua redman’s back east is definitely deserving of being on many top ten lists. he’s probably the most exciting tenor player making music right now. In Rainbows is great too.
it seems like these great albums may be overlooked simply because they’ve become slightly “mainstream”. however they’re widely listened to for one reason: they’re excellent albums.
2007 was a pretty good year for music. This seemed to be the year where some bands delivered highly anticipated follow ups to their last albums that garnered them some attention. My top twenty for 2007 are
1 Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
2 Okkervil River: Stage Names
3 Sloan: Never Hear The End of It
4 Shins: Wincing the Night Away
5 The National: Boxer
6 The Clientele: God Save
7 Feist: The Reminder
8 VoxTrot: Debut
9 Shout Out Louds: Our Ill Wills
10 Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer
11 Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
12 Iron & Wine: Shepards Dog
13 Wilco: Sky Blue Way
14 Rosebuds: Night of the Furies
15 New Pornographers: Challengers
16 The Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War
17 Beirut: Flying Club Cup
18 Spoon: Ga Ga Ga
19 Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
20 The Most Serene Republic: Population
for real this is it! i have emailed several times to add to my list and sadly i forgot what may actually be my fave of the year
malcolm middleton-”a brigher beat”
let me add 4 for my final no more additions top five!!(these are from my previous list)
john cale-”circus live”
no age-”weirdo rippers”
battles-”mirrored”
von sudenfed-”tromatic reflections”
I guess 2007 was a pretty good year. What I’ve heard from “In Rainbows” sounds great, but I’ll leave it til next year.
I haven’t heard the Okkervil River record, but it’s going to happen. Will pick up the Silverchair record from the used bin (no shame in that……economics).
My tops, but I’m heavily biased is:
“Sweet Warrior” by Richard Thompson – for his guitar work alone, not to mention smart lyrics. I’m a big, big fan.
“Raising Sand” by Alyson Kraus & Robert Plant – for surprising me that this duo would make great music together.
“I’m not There” soundtrack – for the eclectic group of artists taking the music seriously
“Icky Thump” by White Stripes – for making me smile
“Wincing the Night Away” by the Shins – for reasons I don’t know, but it’s a good record.
And the amazing record that wasn’t on anyone’s list:
“Dislocation Blues” by Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang
I did like some select songs from the Rilo Kiley, Spoon, Arcade Fire, the National, John Fogerty, Foo Fighters and Wilco – but can’t endorse their entire record.
Relax people. Music right now is as good as it ever was.
And I appreciate these lists because it helps me discover new artists therefore making music so good right now.
Everyone needs to check out Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha. Its way better than a lot of the dross being bandied about here.
Boxer by the National is just not a good album sorry. It sounds like a million other indie artists out there and the guys voice is just really annoying.
My favs…
Blin Blang-Cross
Dustin Ore-Over and Out
Lola Pop-Criminal Pulse
Green Guru-Slaughter
Okie Dokie-Really?
Coma Tose-11 at 3
Aquos-Bile Time
Evil Arc-Bughlite
Carbon 3-Crib of Pain
StingBase- Come On
Funny.
No mention of the best album of the year :
“Songs of Mass Destruction” by the incomparable Annie Lennox
My Top 10:
1.Bjork – Volta
2.PJ Harvey – White Chalk
3.The White Stripes – Icky Thump
4.Iron & Wine – Shepherd’s Dog
5.M.I.A. – Kala
6.Radiohead – In Rainbows
7.Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
8.Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams
9.Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
10.Endless Vision – Ali Alizadeh & Givan Gasparyan
My Top 10(edite):
1.Bjork – Volta
2.PJ Harvey – White Chalk
3.The White Stripes – Icky Thump
4.Iron & Wine – Shepherd’s Dog
5.M.I.A. – Kala
6.Radiohead – In Rainbows
7.Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
8.Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams
9.Ben Harper – Lifeline
10.Endless Vision – Ali Alizadeh & Givan Gasparyan
My Top 10(Finall!!!):
1.Bjork – Volta
2. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
3. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
4. Iron & Wine – Shepherd’s Dog
5. M.I.A. – Kala
6. Radiohead – In Rainbows
7. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
8. Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams
9. Ben Harper – Lifeline
10. Ali Alizadeh & Givan Gasparyan (Hamavayan) – Endless Vision
In Rainbows – Radiohead
Pato Fu – Daqui pro Futuro
Los Porongas – Los Porongas
Supercordas – Seres Verdes ao Redor
The White Stripes – Icky Thump
Shins: Wincing the Night Away
Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Magic’ and Rush’s ‘Snakes & Arrows’ not only kicked the ass of 99% of the flavor-of-the-month critics picks listed here, but re-established the credo that quirky-indie-artwork and fashion-mag-looks are NOT prerequisites for making great music.
And yes, my iPod plays mostly bands like the Shins, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, New Pornographers, Celebration, Iron & Wine, LCD Soundsystem, Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, etc. But song for song, the old dudes did some schoolin’ in 2007.
And Tweedy’s lost his soul ………..
Congratulations, ‘Keith’, for being the only one to list The Killers. Not sure if you meant Sam’s Town or Sawdust, since Sam’s Town was released in late 2006, but I got some major love for both of them.
I’ve never heard 95% of the albums you guys are mentioning. Heard of about 38% of the artists, maybe, but never listened to the albums.
I probably couldn’t even come up with 10 albums I’ve heard in 2007, much less pick a top ten. I usually like to stick to my select few ultimate fave bands, and not jump around.
Anyway, I did like RIOT!, by Paramore, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. And a few songs on the Madina Lake album were really awesome, but I don’t know about it as an album. And, despite the bad publicity, I was surprised at My December by Kelly Clarkson. (It really is very raw and honest, every song torn straight from her heart. Not too “dark” at all.) Ugh, sorry, that’s the best I can do.
Crap, if The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance, would have been a 2007 it would be so close to the top of my list… but unfortunately it was released in October of last year. I almost thought I had a good suggestion there.
Oh, and I know I saw a couple people with Infinity On High on their lists, so props for that.
Alright, enough of my rambling that probably no one else will read, anyway.
Behold The Arctopus
1. Tim Armstrong – A Poet’s Life
2. Tranzmitors – Tranzmitors
3. The Methadones – This Won’t Hurt…
4. Les Hatepinks – Tete Malade
5. Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
6. Dropkick Murphys – The Meanest of Times
7. Black Francis – Bluefinger
8. Len Price 3 – Rentacrowd
9. Big D and the Kids Table – Strictly Rude
10. Aggrolites – Reggae Hit LA
Seriously, Simian Mobile Disco is good, but the new Justice album was far better. No love for Chromeo’s album Fancy Footwork?
Lots of love for artists and albums that are not commercially known. Apparently commercial must equal crap? Is there a country list here? Kudos to those that mentioned Miranda Lambert’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Yes, lots of formatted radio station playlists are repetitive and suck. Where’s commercial rock/metal and I don’t mean Nickelback. Nice to see someone has heard of bands like Gotthard too along with Scorpions and Megadeth. Avril Lavigne’s album was terrible compared to her previous. You can have your indie fest, but please give some time to those of us that don’t listen to that stuff. Happy New Year.
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE: STRAWBERRY JAM
PANDA BEAR: PERSON PITCH
In alphabetical order of artist:
Steve Earle: Washington Square Serenade – he still knocks out classy observations, country rock with a modern twist.
Fish: Thirteenth Star – currently only available via his website, this is officially released next year. A terrific set of heartfelt songs with powerful musicianship complementing the typically fascinating lyrics. One of his best!
Marillion: Somewhere Else – doesn’t quite reach the heights of Marbles but they never fail to create absorbing music.
John Mellencamp: Freedom’s Road – I still think his best period was late 80s through the 90s. But he still manages to put out fine collections of songs like this.
Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero – I prefer the frankly more tuneful With Teeth and The Fragile remains Reznor’s masterpiece, but he still knows how to commit his vision to tape with compelling results.
Oceansize: Frames – a hard one to get into but it’s worth trying! Dark monoliths of sound.
Pineapple Thief: What We have Sown – as far as I know, only available from their website. But with stuff like this, they rival Porc Tree for beautiful epic rock. I simply cannot believe that more of you haven’t embraced these chaps’ intelligent and highly musical output.
Porcupine Tree: Fear Of A Blank Planet – call it prog, metal, rock… whatever it is, these guys show the rest how it’s done!
Bruce Springsteen: Magic – I prefer The Rising but this is still a great collection of tunes with the added flavour of his E Street gang.
Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band: Live In Dublin – I prefer his E Street material but the sheer love for the music pours out of this one.
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
I wonder if the posters who think rock is dead have heard Kings of Leon (Because of the Times, 2007), Queens of the Stone Age (Era Vulgaris, 2007), or Earl Greyhound (Soft Targets, 2006)? Great rock and roll music (in my opinion). Go see Kings of Leon if you want to see a great “modern” rock and roll band live.
Enjoyed a lot of what was listed by others this year and will check out some new music found by reading these posts.
Probably enjoyed LCD Soundsystem (Sounds of Silver) most this year. Also found the release by Oh No (Dr. No’s Oxperiment) to be an interesting and fun listen.
Only one vote for Ween? Wow…
The album of the year was definitely “Stories” by Brandi Carlisle.
My favourites (in no particular order):
1) Richard Thompson – Sweet Warrior
2) Rush – Snakes & Arrows
3) Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
4) Kevin Ayers – The Unfairground
5) Robert Wyatt – Comicopera
6) Robin Frederick – Water Falls Down
7) Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
8) Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
9) Paul McCartney – Memory Almost Full
10) Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Most welcome remasters (again, no particular order):
- Sly & The Family Stone’s near-complete Epic catalogue (excepting Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I’m Back [no great loss] and High on You [Sly Stone solo])
- Al Stewart’s complete catalogue (thanks to Collectors’ Choice Music, although this was delayed at least twice)
- Anne Briggs: The Time Has Come
- Vashti Bunyan: Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind
- The Travelling Wilburys Collection
- The Bee Gees: 1st, Horizontal and Idea (I know they were released as a box set last November, but the individual sets were released in January, and they sound and look great; sure hope they remaster Odessa very soon!)
- The Alan Parsons Project: Tales of Mystery and Imagination – Deluxe Edition (first time on CD for the original 1976 album)
- Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief Deluxe Edition (sorely needed) and Live at the BBC box set
- The Moody Blues: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Seventh Sojourn (as expanded hybrid SACDs; Universal finally finished the Classic Seven)
- The Genesis Remasters (the EMI versions [hybrid SACD + DVD sets], as I’ve had problems with Rhino’s DVD-As of late)
Best of 2007
Antelope-Reflector ( Dischord)
Anton Mink- S/T (S/R)
Meg Baird- Dear Companion (Drag City)
Chris Bathgate- A Cork Tale Wake ( Quite Scientific)
Earthless- Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky ( Tee Pee)
The Evens- Get Evens ( Dischord)
Mary Gauthier -Between Daylight And Dark (Lost Highway)
Ghost- In Stormy Nights( Drag City)
Githead- Art Pop ( Swim)
Hot Club Of Detroit -S/T (Mack Avenue)
Emma Pollock- Watch The Fireworks (4AD)
Magnolia Electric Co.- Sojourner (Secretly Canadian)
Mekons- Natural (Quarterstick)
Tarwater- Spider Smile ( Morr)
Tinariwen- Aman Iman: Water Is`Life ( World Village)
Tied + Tickled Trio- Aelita ( Morr)
Teddy Thompson- Upfront & Down Low ( Verve)
Caetano Veloso- Ce ( Nonesuch)
Wrinkle Neck Mules-The Wicks Have Met ( Lower 40)
Robert Wyatt- Comicopera ( Domino)
For shame on the lot of you.
Deerhunter’s “Cryptograms” was the year’s best record, and for a music rag of even minimal repute to leave them out is a crime worthy of the electric chair. Shit and shame, my dumbfounded brethren… shit and shame upon you all.
Other good releases included “Weirdo Rippers” by No Age, “Pilgrimage” by OM, “Trees Outside The Academy” by Thurston Moore, “8 Diagrams” by the insane niggas from the psycho ward (read: Wu-Tang), and my skiny red irish ass.
I’m going to vomit now.
Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future
Shins: Wincing the Night Away
Damon & Naomi – within these walls
Battles – Mirrored
Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
Caribou — Andorra
Thurston Moore-Trees Outside The Academy
Map of Africa – Map of Africa
The Good, The Bad & The Queen – TG,TB&TQ
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Hello and for all it’s worth, here are my 2007 faves:
1. Neon Bible – Arcade Fire
2. In Rainbows – Radiohead
3. Magic – Bruce Springsteen
4. Era Vulgaris – Queens of the Stone Age
5. Liars – Liars
6. Sound of Silver – LCD Soundsystem
7. Weekend in the City – Bloc Party
8. Trees Outside The Academy – Thurston Moore
9. Chrome Dreams II – Neil Young
10. Caribou – Andorra
Best of 2008 for everyone!
To finish out my favorite (25) CDs of 2007: “From the Plantation to the Penitentiary”, Wynton Marsalis; “Lush Life”, Roberta Gambarini and Hank Jones; “My Foolish Heart”, Keith Jarrett/ Gary Peacock/ Jack DeJohnette; “Long Time Coming”, Nappy Brown.
mad props to people biggin up BATTLES and EL-P.
Odd and disappointing that AMG editors dont check their sources enough to know that Lily Allen and LCD Soundsystems album release dates were 2006!!!
my top 10 of 07:
1) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Some Loud Thunder
2) Radiohead – In Rainbows (both discs!!!)
3) White Stripes – Icky Thump
4) Kings Of Leon – Because of the Times
5) Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
6) El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
7) Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
8) Wu-Tang Clan – 8 diagrams
9) Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
10) Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Cant it be a top 12 list?? Theres always 2 stragglers… in this case:
BATTLES – mirrored
Chemical Brothers- We are the Night
so hard to choose that 10th one.
runners:
!!! – myth takes
Cassius – 15 again
M.I.A. – Kala
Digitalism – idealism
Interpol – our love to admire
Arctic Monkeys – favorite worst nightmare
Thurston Moore – trees outside the academy
YYY’s – Is Is EP
Free the Robots – Free the Robots EP
still gotta check out that new LIARS album.
whats with the confusion on the 8 diagram release date???!! everyone thinks it was pushed back to Jan. but, every source i check still says Dec. 2007!! anyone know for sure!???
peace to all and happy 08!
I really agree with the nod to Aretha’s “Rare and Unreleased Recordings”. And Herbie’s “River: The Joni Letters” was very special, not least for the perfection of Wayne Shorter’s contributions on every track. But for me, album of the year has to be Donnie (Johnson)’s “The Daily News”.
Best Album of 2007 That NO ONE HERE Has Mentioned Yet:
John Vanderslice – Emerald City
***
Best Album of 2007 That NO ONE HERE Has Even HEARD, Let Alone Mentioned:
Radical Face – Ghost
***
Best “Great Album / Not Great Album” debate here:
The National – Boxer (put me in the “Great Album” camp)
***
The Best Album of 2007 That I Haven’t Heard Yet:
3-way tie between:
Arctic Monkeys – Favorite Worst Nightmare
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
***
Best Album of 2007 That Absolutely Refuses To Be Pigeon-Holed:
Me’Shell Ndegéocello – The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams
***
Best Album of 2007 That I Despise:
2-way tie between:
Frog Eyes – Tears Of The Valedictorian
Frog Eyes – Tears Of The Valedictorian played a second time
***
Best Quiet Album of 2007:
Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature
(honorable mention: Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha)
***
Best Loud Album of 2007:
!!! – Myth Takes
Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
Son Volt – The Search
Lucinda Williams – West
I thought 2007 was an incredible year for new music – I probably have 40 fave albums for the year. A few I have yet to see mentioned:
Earlimart – Mentor Tormentor
The Comas – Spells
New Ruins – The Sound They Make
The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain
Bishop Allen – The Broken String
The Ponys – Turn The Lights Out
overproduced, but catchy as hell:
JESCA HOOP,KISMET
The Top Eleven:
The National – Boxer
The Killers – Sawdust
Editors – An End Has A Start
Rihana – Good Girl Gone Bad
The Bravery – The Sun and the Moon
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
Coheed And Cambria – No World For Tomorrow
Philip Glass – Notes On A Scandal (original score)
Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
Jesu – Conqueror
High On Fire – Death Is This Communion
The befuddling:
Iron & Wine – The Sheppard’s Dog. I really don’t get the hype. Fairly dull overall. And with a name like Iron & Wine this should be a bit stronger, musically.
Great Single, but I wish the album was more consistent:
Bruce Springsteen – Magic. “Radio Nowhere” was one of the best songs to come out of the Boss in the past twenty years, but it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the album, which is good but not great.
Lifehouse – Who We Are. “First Time” seemed poised to bring back no-frills, post-grunge, rock n roll. Instead, it’s just a really great middle of summer single on an album that had pretty much fizzled by fall.
Mark Ronson – Version. The wonderful cover/mash of “Stop Me” should have been a mere moment on an all-star slab of disco diamonds, but proved fool’s gold in the form of the easy-to-lose-interest pinnacle on an unfortunately incongruent mess. I guess Timbaland, he ain’t.
what hapens this year year with your choice about latin music
Seriously now……How do you folks find these bands? Where can they be heard? Is there a radio station in each of your respective cities that plays obscure, indie bands? Word of mouth? Internet surfing? Whats the deal?
The National sounds like Joy Division 15 years too late. Not innovative, certainly not top 10.
And Scott, you need to keep your ears and eyes open to the right venues. Music mags give a clue, although I’d stay away from Rolling Stone and SPIN. Go more for NME or URB, or even Pitchfork.
For those looking to learn about new artists, check out http://www.emusic.com/
You can browse and listen to 30 second samples for free, and downloads can be as cheap as $0.27 per track.
I can’t count how many amazing artists I’ve discovered from this one site.
My top two have seldom, if at all, been mentioned…..The Good, The Bad & the Queen….and The Shins’ Wincing the Night Away. And I can’t, for the life of me, see why….they are the most melodic, musical releases of 2007. Happy listening!
Guy and Dennis: Thanks
i love bella-no one will know, glad that it made the list somehow. tim sendra, thanks so much! now looking forward to more good tunes this 2008…
1)Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild
2)Editors – An End Has A Start
3)Radiohead – In Rainbows
4)Bruce Springsteen – Magic
5)Velvet Revolver – Libertad
6)Interpol – Our Love To Admire
7)Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace
8)Athlete – Beyond The Neighbourhood
9)Chris Cornell – Carry On
10)The Nightwatchman – One Man Revolution
My favourite album of 2007 was Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild, while most of the songs on the album were extremely short; the music once again brings out the best in Eddie Vedder’s voice.
might as well chuck my 10 cents worth in…
1) Klaxons, Myths of the Near Future (Julius Ceaser, Lady Dianna, and Mother Theresa)
2) Mirrored, Battles (sounded like NOTHING else)
3) Neon Bible, Arcade Fire (not as life changing as last time)
4) Favourite Worst Nightmare, Arctic Monkeys (ditto)
5) A Weekend in The City, Bloc Party (see above)
6) All of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, Explosions in The Sky (my ‘edgy’ choice)
7) Icky Thump, The Whitestripes (they’ve still got it)
8) Hats of To The Buskers, The View (shut-up, they’re not crap)
9) Robbers and Cowards, Cold War Kids (ok it was ‘06 but :P)
10) Challanges, The New Pornographers (massively disappointing)
Thanks Marisa Brown for taking note of Aesop Rock’s “None Shall Pass”.
In terms of underground hip hop though, it’s Evidence and “The Weatherman” all the way.
Katherine Fulton
Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis
The Doors – The Very Best of the Doors
The Fratellis – Costello Music
Stephen Fretwell – Man on the Roof
The Frames – The Cost
Chris Schlarb – Twilight and Ghost Stories
Silverchair – Young Modern
Simple Kid – SK2
Turin Brakes – Dark on Fire
this is some kind of joke, right?
i mean, neptune city and jarvis were good and the schlarb record is a nice attempt to reach outside the box. but if the very best of the doors inclusion is meant for laughs, the rest of the list doesn’t create a sufficient context for it to be funny.
and unless there’s some stipulation that states only stateside releases count for these lists, the real life inclusions are equally befuddling. STE, i love your work but cmon man
i now see the comment made on the big list page that says you only count statesides. in that case, big ups on the japw selection. great record.
My picks (could someone check with HR about my resume?) I find it odd since some of these I’ve been listening to as imports since Summer 2006 thanks to KCRW.
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Art Brut – It’s A Bit Complicated
Dwight Yoakam – Dwight Sings Buck
Field Music – Tones of Town
The Fratellis – Costello Music
Peter, Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block
The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
Southern Culture On The Skids – Countrypolitan Favorites
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Young Knives – Voices of Animals and Men
They Might Be Giants – The Else
Crowded House – Time on Earth
Battles – Mirrored
Amerie – Because I Love It
Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass
David Buchbinder – Odessa/Havana
Ari Brown – Live at the Green Mill
Avishai Cohen – After the Big Rain
The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
DJ Spooky – Creation Rebel
We Must Obey – Fu Manchu
Really enjoyed this list and the debate that’s ensued!!
How’s the list for 2008 shaping up? I have a contender for you anyway. Dieter Schöön’s album Lablaza. It’s being given a release this year outside of Sweden which is where Dieter is from. I am totally overwhelmed by it and thought you might enjoy it too.
Here’s the link to his myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/dieterschoon
Let me know what you think!!
All the best, Carl
There is no doubt about this top ten. I agree with you
all the way. Thanks for the great list.
I think there should be some david bowie
I’m really glad that this forum didn’t disintegrate into people hating others lists and that most everyone seems genuinely open other ideas. I don’t have a list personally because I think it’s too confining to say that these are THE best records of this year. Taste is 100% completely objective and my list of favs and best of changes all the time. I’ll say that I agree with most of these lists by and large. Yes, we could keep talking about the national and okkervil river. But, since that’s already been discussed, let’s drop it and talk about other things that didn’t get mentioned? Like Chromatics’ Night Drive.
Great headline. If your cookie has a bite-sized action and your reader completes the action, I think two things happen. Their self-confidence goes up (which feels good) and their trust in you increases.