More Top Tens of 2007? This Time the Artists Are in Control
January 4th, 2008 | 5:53 pm est |
Aaron Dessner - The National
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Feist - The Reminder
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) - Spirit If
Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall
Doveman - With My Left Hand I Raise The Dead
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Richard Swift
The Tuss - Confederation Through EP
The Tuss - Rushup Edge EP
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Ponytail - Kamehameha
Mahar Shalal Hash Baz - L’Autre Cap
Sitar Beat! - Indian Style Heavy Funk
Madlib - Beat Konducta, Vols 3 & 4: In India
Carlton Patterson & King Tubbby - Black & White In Dub
Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall 1971
Rockwell (Rockwellian)- The Music Is Free, The Packaging Is Not
(Unless I Just Gave It to You, In Which Case Maybe You Can Buy Me a Drink Sometime
Brad Laner
Robert Wyatt – Comicopera
Miles Davis – The Complete On The Corner Sessions
Apparat – Walls
Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
Efterklang - Under Giant Trees
Caribou - Andorra
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
Christopher Willits & Ryuichi Sakamoto – Ocean Fire
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Vampire Weekend
Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
White Williams - Smoke
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Feist - The Reminder
MIA - Kala
Kanye West - Graduation
Sam Rosen - Get the Motion
Studio - Yearbook 1
The National - Boxer
Sekos/Yoro Diallo - s/t
Nedelle - Cryptacize
Top Ten Things of 2007
1. Movies- Stardust, Ratatouille, Lagerfeld Confidential
2. Bands- Ponytail, Half-Handed Cloud
3. New Discovery- Dark Carnival Bookstore in Berkeley, CA
4. Surprisingly Good Live Show- Dave Brubeck + Orchestra performing his “Elementals” suite at Moscone Center, SF
5. Fun Venues/Cities to play in- Gaff Gallery in Vancouver, Rhinoceropolis in Denver, Jake’s Backroom in Lubbock, TX
6. Books I read (Sorry they’re not from 2007)!- Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Flatland by Edwin Abbott, Bright Moments (Roland Kirk bio) by John Kruth
7. Disappointments- Kanye West, Wes Anderson
8. Personal Hero- John Galliano
9. Musical Experiences- Playing in Half-Handed Cloud’s band for a few shows, singing in my on and off barbershop quartet
10. Moment- Seeing Saturn through a massive telescope at Chabot Space Center in Oakland, CA
Chief Xcel - Blackalicious
1. Lifesavas - Gutterfly
2. Sa Ra - The Hollywood Recordings
3. Jeanine Smith - “Baby, It Aint Over”
4. Rich Boy - “Throw Some D’s” remix
5. Aggregation - “Can You Feel It”
6. Ms. Josie Stingray - “Doin My Thang”
7. Patti Bligh and the Alkebulan Five - Sagala
8. El P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
9. Erykah Badu - Real Thing
10. Wood Harris - Black Magic
Sam Valenti IV - Ghostly International (Founder, A+R)
1. Interpol - Our Love To Admire
2. Various Artists - After Dark (Italians Do It Better)
3. Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation 6
4. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
5. Pantha du Prince - This Bliss
6. Peter and the Wolf - The Ivori Palms
7. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedaa
8. Uuitsitalo - Karhunainen
9. New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
10. Ghostly and Spectral releases (Someone’s gotta do it. I’m extremely proud of our releases from Audion, Cepia, Daso, Kiln, Lusine, Matthew Dear, Mobius Band, Osborne, Par Grindvik and Skeletons and The Kings Of All-Cities.)
Johnossi
Some Albums:
MIA – Kala
Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
The Shins – Wincing the Night Away
Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Tegan and Sara - The Con
Mark Knopfler - Kill to Get Crimson
Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls
And Some Songs:
Laakso - “The Death of Us”
Maskinen - “Alla Som Inte Dansar är Våldtäksmän”
Rihanna - “Umbrella”
Mando Diao - “If I Don’t Live Today, Then I Might Be Here Tomorrow”
Cameron Fraser - Bella
1. Travis - The Boy With No Name
This record wins hands down as my most listened-to record released in 2007. After a minor misstep with 2003’s “12 Memories”, Travis returned triumphant after a four year hiatus (excluding their “Singles” release in 2004). This is quite possibly my favorite Travis record, and an indication of what Coldplay could have aspired to had they not become as universally renowned.
2. Apartment - The Dreamer Evasive
These guys win two awards from me, the first being “Best Artist Discovered From a Canadian Phone Company Commerical”, the second “Guitar Tone of the Year”. This disc is just a lot of fun, with catchy melodies and the aforementioned killer guitar tone. I just wish I could figure out what the guitarist was playing through. Oh, and the fact that they’re British adds a lot of credibility.
3. The National - Boxer
Another outstanding release from New York’s “The National”, “Boxer” couples gorgeous musicianship with thoughtful lyrics for an entirely affecting result. I’ve only recently started listening to them, and feel blessed to get to hear such beautiful music with fresh ears.
4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I think what first got me about this album was Spoon’s idiosyncratic production values. This album deserves an award for “Best Use of Reverb”, and, as with every Spoon release, “Best Sounding Hand Claps”. Their incorporation of a brass section also knocked my favorite tracks, “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “The Underdog”, right out of the stratosphere.
5. The Brothers Martin - The Brothers Martin
I had been waiting for this album to come out ever since I learned that the guy from Joy Electric was the brother of the guy from Starflyer 59. Jason and Ronnie Martin are my two favorite musicians in the world, and to finally have them record an album together ensured I could die a happy man.
6. Starflyer 59 - Ghosts of the Future 7″ Box Set
While my subscription to this mail order series of 10 7″ vinyls is yet to be fulfilled, what I’ve received so far is enough to place indie rock’s greatest unknowns on my “Top 10 of 2007″ list. Consistently progressive and innovative, each new release from Starflyer keeps me begging for more, so what could be better than having them delivered in rapid succession, right to my door? (that last bit was a poem).
7. Joy Electric - The Otherly Opus/Memory of Alpha
I personally consider Ronnie Martin, the genius behind Joy Electric, to be one of the most fearlessly unwavering (not to mention brilliant) fixtures in modern pop music, and nobody seems to know who he is. I can think of no other modern musician that could demand of himself such rigid methods and techniques of recording, and still manage an average of two or three release a year, all of which are worth owning. Astounding.
8. Josh Rouse - Country Mouse City House
I will always remember 2007 as the year I solidified my love for Josh Rouse. After finding a used copy of his 2005 release, “Nashville”, at the Amoeba in San Francisco while on tour, I was hooked. I’m just glad that he’s managed to bang out as much new material since then as he has, “Country Mouse City House” being this year’s offering. “Hollywood Bass Player” is my mixtape single of the year.
9. The Foxglove Hunt - Demo
While perhaps not necessarily an official 2007 release, this two song demo from the ex-headman of the now sadly defunct “Fine China”, and “Joy Electric”’s Ronnie Martin, packs enough catchy pop perfection in two songs to rival the best 12 song effort of most other bands. Their full length is easily my most anticipated album of 2008.
10. She’s Spanish, I’m American - She’s Spanish, I’m American
This collaborative effort between Josh Rouse and his Spanish girlfriend, Paz Suay, only served to further cement 2007 firmly in my memory as “The Year of the Rouse”.
Miguel Castillo - Catfish Haven
1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
3. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
5. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
6. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
7. St. Vincent - Marry Me
8. Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
9. Liars - Liars
10. Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
Michael Tapscott - Odawas
1. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
2. Louis Phillippe - An Unknown Spring
3. Phospherescent - Pride
4. Noah Georgeson - Find Shelter
5. CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn
6. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
7. Zelienople - His/Hers
8. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
9. Air - Pocket Symphony
10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Megan Johnson - Vancougar
1. The Goodnight Loving – Crooked Lake (Dusty Medical Records)
2. The Duchess and the Duke – “Reservoir Park” 7” single (Boom Boom Party Records)
3. Cheater Slicks – Walk into the Sea (self-released; CD on Dead Canary Records)
4. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (Dap-Tone)
5. So Cow – Moon Geun Young 7” single (Almost Ready Records/Myoclopic Records co-release)
6. Modern Creatures – “Thick Thick Black” 7” EP (Grotesque Modern)
7. Gentleman Jesse and his Men – “I Don’t Wanna Know” 7” single (Douchemaster Records)
8. Human Eye – “Spiders and their Kin” 7” EP (Cass Records)
9. A Frames live, and the reissues of their previously out-of-print A Frames I and A Frames II LPs (Born Bad Records)
10. Hubble Bubble - Hubble Bubble (Reissue - Radio Hearbeat/Daggerman Records)
Will Schwartz - Hey Willpower!
1. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
2. Juvelen – Juvelen
Sexy Swedish pop singer we toured with in Europe
3. M.I.A – Kala
4. “No Country for Old Men”
5. “I Love New York” Season 2
6. Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls
7. Keyshia Cole feat. Missy Elliot & Lil’ Kim - “Let It Go”
8. Melt festival in Berlin
Seeing Kelis with Erase Errata and hearing Hot Chip.
9. “Just for Laughs”
Funny British hi-jinks and pranks on YouTube.
10. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
Cameron Bird - Architecture in Helsinki
Top Ten Songs of 2007:
1. Glass Candy - “Rolling Down The Hills”
2. Late of the Pier - “The Bears Are Coming”
3. Santogold - “Shove it”
4. Mr Oizo - “Patrick 122″
5. Qua - “Lapsang Souchong”
6. Animal Collective - “Winter Wonderland”
7. LCD Soundsystem - “Time To Get Away”
8. Soft Tigers – “Mr. Icecream”
9. Tough Alliance - “1981″
10. Panda Bear - “Comfy in Nautica”
Nicole Atkins
1. Richard Hawley - Lady’s Bridge
2. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
3. Bat for Lashes - Fur and Gold
4. Soulsavers feat. Mark Lanegan - Its Not How Far You Fall, It’s How You Land
5. Arcade fire - Neon Bible
6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
7. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
8. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
9. The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
10. Dax Riggs - We Sing of Only Blood or Love
top 10 songs:
1. Radiohead - “Bodysnatchers”
2. Dax Riggs - “Dethbryte”
3. Bruce Springsteen - “Girls in Their Summerclothes”
4. Soulsavers - “Revival”
5. Scott Liss - “Sweetheart Spin”
6. The Doo Doo Stains - “Global Swerve”
7. The Avett Brothers - “The Ballad of Love and Hate”
8. PJ Harvey - “When Under Ether”
9. Richard Hawley - “Roll River Roll”
10. Devendra Banhart - “Shabop Shalom”
Daedelus’ 2007 best of the (so called) worst places to play…
10. Athens, Georgia
Indie rock has a home in Athens, natives won’t let you forget, but a habitat for electronics? for HipHop? But it will be a theme on this list on changed expectations, and wide open minds. People who weren’t then were and why surprises lurk everywhere…
9. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Again with the rock band history, but after a brief gig there with Busdriver, Antimc and Desert Eagles I must admit even if they weren’t prepared it still was a wonderful night full of every dancing, silly, wonderful reaction, including (happy) crying, and Ms. Pac-Man high scores.
8. Salt Lake City, Utah
People are sleeping on SLC.
7. SXSW, Austin, Texas
Critics said it wouldn’t be a good idea to play this festival when among a thousand other bands you can count the number of electronic acts playing on two hands, and it’s no accident. But no one told the fantastic Austin people, or perhaps it was total import out-of-towners, but this was sold-out surprises galore!
6. Nagano, Japan
Olympics, Yes. Music, perhaps? Who knew people travel from the major cities to the countryside, practice questionable activities, and rave like no other city the world? I played a sunrise set after 18 hours of previous entertainment and kids didn’t quit. I was amazed.
5. Glasgow, Scotland
The city doesn’t seem so bad, even charming in many ways, however I was warned about being teased for my Dandy attire and being punched in the face. Nonsuch occurred, and some of Scotland’s finest didn’t disappoint.
4. Stavanger, Norway
A place most famous for it’s now dead fish canning industry, with museums on the subject to boot. But look closer and see beyond the fish byproducts for a place unspoiled by Eurotrash and preconceptions.
3. Bestival, Isle of Wight, UK
I worried myself into a hole; a line-up as long as your arm full of amazing talent, electronic and otherwise, all practically at the same time (festival style), on an island south of nowhere. But no fear at all, when something is so closely curated chaos, and at every turn was wonderful this and that. Trust the UK to get the festival right as rain.
2. New York, New York
Given a bad rep for all around all over prints, a perpetually
(better?) party somewhere else, and center-of-the-world delusions. The hard truth is no matter, kids here have been training for the best parties ever. First in the role as small towns celebrity, then graduating thru magazines and trendy hard habits to it’s big city parties that never want to stop. They have practiced for a good time all their lives. They practically can have one without you even being there (this is usually true and a difficult pill to swallow at times but it is gratifying just to know America can be a kind of Berlin as
necessary)
1. Los Angeles, California
The city everyone loves to dismiss; they’ll tell you kids will be bored, cops will be cruel, promoters will be shady, celebrities will be there, and all the venues are too cool for school. Couldn’t be further from my heavily biased truth. Los Angeles takes the cake for its diverse amazing highlight nights! Of course low expectations mean high outcomes…
Ezra Feinberg - Citay
1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. The Papercuts - Can’t Go Home
3. Concentrick - Aluminum Lake
4. The Fucking Champs - VI
5. Entrance - Prayer Of Death
6. Earthless - Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky
7. Blonde Redhead - 23
8. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
9. Arp - In Light
10. Battles - Mirrored
Editors
1. The National - Boxer
2. Apparat - Walls
3. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Modest Mouse - We were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
5. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
6. The Good, The Bad and The Queen – The Good, The Bad and The Queen
7. Burial - Untrue
8. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows
10. Shady Bard - From The Ground Up
Scroobius Pip - Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
My Top 10 Acts of 2007:
1. Gideon Conn - I saw him at Glastonbury and he was my highlight of the festival season. I had never heard anything about him or anything like him before. A great songwriter, a great character and an amazing live act.
2. Peggy Sue & the Pirates - Every time I see these two gals live they just get better and better. My highlight would have to be seeing them at the Barfly supporting the Gossip. When they started the room was half empty and I can honestly say that it wasn’t until they finished that I realized the room had filled. Their vocal layering and general originality is a sight to see/hear.
3. Polar Bear (the poet not the jazz band) - Being on the spoken word scene you see an awful lot of poets so it takes a lot to stand out. Polar Bear does that without even trying. Effortlessly and humbly the best in the business right now and that fact is a great motivation for the rest of us to up our games.
4. Adele - Since I 1st found Adele on MySpace I haven’t been able to stop listening and adoring. Her songs are the type that cause the listener to spend those 3 minutes completely enraptured and in love with everything about her style and approach. In days gone by that kind of thing would be called witchcraft. Now its just…umm… ace.
5. Jack Penate - Jack has the enviable ability to write perfect, energetic pop but still inject lyricism and general credibility. I need say little more.
6. Paloma Faith - Paloma Faith can be compared to no one. Like Gideon, catching one of her live shows is a spectacle to behold. A true performer in every sense of the world. Greatness beckons.
7. Bat for Lashes - Catching her mid-Sunday set at Bestival was another highlight of the summer for me. And her Mercury worthy album is a stunning mesh of sounds and styles that just float together beautifully.
8. Kate Nash - No introduction needed here. It has been great watching Kate climb to great fame and accolade. One of the greatest young songwriters this country has. “Birds” still gets me every time.
9. Sibot & Spoek - Caught these guys at a festival in Metz and they were amazing. As a front man Spoek is unrivaled when it comes to both style and flow and Sibot backs it all up with beats to drool over.
10. I Shouted Gun - We took these guys on tour with us this year and they smashed every show. Good, balls to the wall, songwriting (whatever that means). And they added a much needed rock n roll element so that we had some good tour stories buy the end. Legends in the making.
I Agree that bodysnatchers is without doubt the best song of the year. maybe the best song in the past 10 years. The emotion emitted by that song is so powerful it can seriously bring someone who understands the power of music to tears.
person pitch is so over-rated it only has or two great songs on it.
in rainbows is my pick for this year’s best album, with kala at a close second.
Im sorry The Nationals Boxer was not the best album of the year. Radiohead are true musicians not saying that The National are not but radiohead is and has been on top of everyone experimentally and musically for 10 years now. If this year showed anything it was only further evidence that no one yet has matched radiohead’s professionalism about making music nor their musicianship together. The arcade fire are o.k at best they are the most far overrated band of this decade. They are not making music that is revolutionary at all. They are just a indie band that makes “Good” music. But alright lyrics and descent music with a production that only covers ground radiohead did 10 years ago is not good enough in my opinion. The two best albums of the year are simple
1.Radiohead - In Rainbows ( Far Above Every Other Record Releases this year)
2.Queens Of The Stoneage - Era Vulgaris ( A Amazing Rock and roll album in a era with their is truly too damn few of them )
Of course most of these indie bands and indie artists are going to pick more indie rock. Indie rock is a o.k type of music but common seriously drop the whole 80’s thing it wasnt cool back in the 80’s and it’s even worse now. Where has the heart of rock gone? There is more to making rock music than liking just rock music have people forgotten the best rock is made from blues and jazz influence not 80’s crap.
Dinosaur Jr. And Iron & Wine Also had absolutely fantastic releases this year as well.
I can’t beleive there has been no mention of the Cold War Kids.
That’s because the Cold War Kids album was released late 2006. My pick for album of the year is Jim White’s “Transnormal Skiperoo”. Radiohead’s record is awesome too, but I’m not a big fan of the band.
i think the album “you can’t buy a gun, when you’re crying” by holly golightly and the brokeoffs is being overlooked.
* Antelope - Reflector- ( Dischord)
* Anton Mink -S/T- ( S/R )
* Meg Baird - Dear Companion
* 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)
I’m glad someone mentioned the Avett Brothers.
1) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - No other record this year matches the intesity of Neon Bible. Win Butler and Co may not have topped their landmark debut. But how can you honestly topple the greatest record of our time and possibly of all time?
2) Radiohead - In Rainbows - They are the beatles of our generation. They have been making great records non stop for 10 plus years and show no signs of slowing down. Any other year in the last 10 except for 1997 (OK Computer) than this would be number 1
3) The National - Boxer - Hitting their stride with and album full of amazing songs.
4)LCD Soundsystem - can I get a hell yeah!
5) Panda Bear - Person Pitch - Music from another planet.
6) M.I.A. - Kala - Kool as hell
7) Robert Plant & Allison Kruass - Raising Sand - Sweetest lbum of the year
8) The White Stripes - Great band with yet another great album. Sure it feels the same. But the same was good enough in the first place
9) Good, The Bad, And The Queen - Self Titled - Damon Albarn is one of the great music icon of our generation, and this band may take him to the level he was destined to be at.
10) Joanna Newsome and The Ys Street band E.P. - EP - Im sorry but Colleen alone make my top 10.
Honorable Mentions : feist, Artic Monkeys, Robert wyatt, Burial, Battles
I am absolutely sick of hearing and hearing about In Rainbows. I can understand people liking it because it is a very good album, but it is not the best of this year in my opinion and certainly not the best of recent years. Add in the giveaway gimmick which only the ignorant could think was in any way revolutionary and I’m sick to death of the band and its fans.
As for Era Vulgaris, like pretty much every QotSA album since their first, it has about four really good songs (the best of which is technically a “cover” of the original version off one of the Desert Sessions albums and penned with help from Michael Melchiondo of Ween) and a LOT of filler (I’d say the same about every White Stripes album, new one included). Fu Manchu made a better record this year.
I do find it funny that anyone would say that “indie artists are going to pick more indie rock.” Like it’s some kind of community where every independent artist hangs out and knows one another. I think being aware of a greater scope of music and having more to select from might have more to do with it than some imagined favoritism (although admittedly, letting Ezra Feinberg pick one of his bandmates’ releases would be a little suspect if the album wasn’t also amazing).
Born as a duet, Oblique is currently formed by Juan (chorus & keyboards),
Sonia (Vocals & Lyrics). Juan is an electro fan of the music of artists such
as Tiga, Console & Miss Kittin. Sonia likes Peaches and the pop of Madonna
& Kylie Minogue.
At the end of 2006, while they were making the album Wonderful Opulence,
Sergio becomes the third element of the band. He has influences of bands
like Depeche Mode or Nine Inch Nails and he introduces new points of view.
Oblique’s music is the result of the combination of all the influences of the
three members of the band. They love the 80’s represented by bands like
The Human League, Depeche Mode and Erasure. They make a neo-80’s sound
practically unique in the Spanish musical scene and only comparable to the
European electro explosion created by labs like Gigolo or B-Pitch. A mixtage
of electro, dance and pop music combined with beautiful melodies and ironic
and always very sensual lyrics.
Oblique have made remixes for important artists like OBK, Pedro Marín,
Isaac Junkie, Alive, Spunky.Oblique have shared the stage with so important
artists like Client, Pet Shop Boys, The Gift, The Pinker Tones, Obk , Astrud,
Pedro Marin, Glamour to Kill, Aviador Dro, Ascii Disko, Dirty Princes,
Apoptygma Berzerk, Terminal Choice, Nacho Vegas…
Oh, good Gawd! Please save the intentional mis-spellings for the covers of juvenile no-talent rappers.
I’m glad someone mentioned (the) Papercuts.
reading all the artist lists here and especially on pitchfork helps one understand the insularity of the current indie scene. it’s not surprising that there’s nary a mention of grails, acid mothers, alcest, or anything else that was interesting or exciting this year.
fuck inrainbows! Panda bear and his person picht rules.
i’m so sick & tired of hearing about The National this, The National that… I’ve tried to like The National but I honestly don’t understand why everone blows their load over this group… there were so many other great records that aren’t even mentioned by Eluvium, Acid Mothers Temple, Jens Lekman, John Zorn, Blu & Exile, Lateef the Truth Speaker & DJ Z-Trip, Grails, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, Tin Hat Trio, etc. etc. of course, many many more, and most go outside the mainstream… mostly these are definitely the clear channel picks of the year… I agree with Ian above me, that it seems that the most interesting & exciting releases get pushed to the back more often than not because they require dedication & an attention span to get into… i guess these lists are good for hipster scene-hoppers… happy new year.
*sign*… yet another wonderful “Frames” album goes unnoticed… It is a shame because their release “The Cost” this year was perhaps their most focused and affecting.
Wow, this list was an arduous task for me. There’s so much crappy drivel being churned out lately that it was really difficult for me to find ten albums I actually bought that had 2007 on the back of them.
10. Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth
9. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
8. Cirus Diablo - Circus Diablo
7. Velvet Revolver - Libertad
6. The Cult - Born Into This
5. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Ever Sank
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
3. Dethklok - The Dethalbum
2. Coheed & Cambria - No World For Tomorrow
1. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo
yeah, dinosaur jr’s album is amazing. screw the national and radiohead. and what about thurston moore’s solo album?
I hate how a band as bad as the Editors have picked a pretty good list (mostly including my favourites).
I just hope they aren’t too fascinated with Britt Daniel’s new obsession with brass instruments and start churning out upbeat dirge.
I’m so glad someone mentioned that Yeasayer album on this site in that last article– picked up their album, listened to it about a thousand times already… really something special. Can’t wait to see them in D.C. in a week!!
Tom Waits - Orphans
Tomahawk - Anonymous
Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
Battles - Mirrored
Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age
Ween - La Cucaracha
Silverchair - Young Modern
1. widow city-fiery furnaces
2. mirrored-battles
3. boxer-national
4. neon bible-arcade fire
5. person pitch-panda bear
6. sounds of silver-lcd soundsystem
i think my no. 1 choice got a bum rap. that or just nobody’s listened to it or publicized it like say, the mediocre in rainbows.
“I Agree that bodysnatchers is without doubt the best song of the year. maybe the best song in the past 10 years. The emotion emitted by that song is so powerful it can seriously bring someone who understands the power of music to tears.” wanker. this makes me hate radiohead, fuck al gore-rock. there a pretty good band but there fans are worse than deadheads. mabye listen to like… more than 5 records before you pontificate. (thank god I dont understand the power of music, or id be weeping everytime a buisness man pumping Karma police from his land rover drops the kids at the private school they go to)
i miss a lot of non-mainstream genres, like techno, electro,dubstep (kode 9, burial, loefah) andofcourse the hundreds of non-english/french/german styles and tracks.
AMG is getting lame in its album-picks and angoamerican orientation.
score some outsiders, they might write not as smooth as all these
sharpwitted native-
i miss a lot of non-mainstream genres, like techno, electro,dubstep (kode 9, burial, loefah) and ofcourse the hundreds of non-english/non-french/non-german styles and tracks.
AMG is getting lame in its album-picks and angoamerican orientation.
score some outsiders, they might write not as smooth as all these
sharpwitted native writers, but its about the music my friends.
My Top 5 of this year in order
Eluvium - Copia
Pelican - Cities and Echos
Iron and Wine - Sheperds Dog
Spoon - GaGaGaGa
Radio Head - In Rainbows
10. animal collective - strawberry jam
09. dinosaur jr - beyond
08. ween - la cucaracha
07. band of horses - cease to begin
06. elk city - new believers
05. radiohead - in rainbows
04. okkervil river - the stage names
03. the national - boxer
02. no age - weirdo rippers
01. menomena - friend and foe
honorable mention: arcade fire, lcd soundsystem, black lips, beirut, black moth super rainbow, blitzen trapper, great lake swimmers, modest mouse, thurston moore, caribou
best records of the year:
1. akron/family - love is simple
2. holly golightly & the brokeoffs - you can’t buy a gun when you’re crying
3. radiohead - in rainbows
4. terence blanchard - tale of god’s will
5. white stripes - icky thump
6. once - original soundtrack
7. rufus wainwright - release the stars
8. cannonball jane - knees up! ep
9. feist - the reminder
10. iron & wine - the shepherd’s dog
best songs of the year:
1. do i disappoint you - rufus wainwright
2. 15 step - radiohead
3. take it to fantastic - cannonball jane
4. devil do - holly golightly & the brokeoffs
5. conquest - the white stripes
Dr. Dog’s “We All Belong” was my personal favorite not named “In Rainbows.”
Noone seems to have mentioned Desire by Pharoahe Monch. It’s an absolute banger.
Marissa Nadler-Songs III
Skeletonwitch-Beyond the Permafrost
Pelican-City of Echoes
Gravenhurst-Western Lands
Weedghost-s/t
Adam Torres-Nostra Nova
Rediscovering MC5 High time and Stooges Fun House.
Miles Davis-On the Corner box.
Baroness-Red Album
Boredoms-Super Roots reissues (particularly 3, 5 and 7)
WHAT ABOUT BRITNEY SPEARS
why is everyone so caught up with the radiohead cd? it just shows me that people dont listen to enough music to know that it doesnt deserve to be in nobodies top 5
About radiohead, I know they are good musicians, but they sound too melodramatic for me
I could not give less of a shit about Feist’s record. The only thing of less worth is New Young Pony Club. Garbage. I would have selected Bonnie Prince Billy’s “Ask Forgiveness” EP, Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds,” Sun Ra “Strange Strings” reissue, Black Dice “Load Blown” and my rediscovering Bowie’s “Lodger.”
I have come to the conclusion that most indie rock is absolute crap. Sure, there are some good indie acts but I can’t help but feel that people put some of these bands at the top of the list just to prove that they know more about music than you.
2007 had some great albums…obviously, In Rainbows blew me away, as I liked their last record Hail to the Thief, but thought they were going on a downhill slide…probably their best record since OK Computer.
Kanye West’s album was really good, along with NIN’s Year Zero, which, like Radiohead, is a band I thought was going downhill.
The Good The Bad and The Queen is an excellent side project by Albarn…the QOTSA album was great.
The critics didn’t like it too much, but I liked Bloc Party’s CD…though it’s not as good as their debut.
I’m looking forward for the new Oasis CD in Spring ‘08.
@ Nick
The Cost was probably my favorite record of the year, but I totally agree that almost nobody paid much attention to it.
One that nobody will mention because they are too much into their cool music is As I Lay Dying’s “An Ocean Between Us”. That record was a huge step up for them and obliterates all the garbage in that genre nowadays.
In no particular order:
Radiohead - In Rainbows, they still manage to sound unique and fresh and craft their most optimistic piece arguably ever, all the while sounding like themselves.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, unadulterated, extremely fun, non-derivative pop music.
Kanye West - Graduation, in his most recent work, Kanye shows some signs of maturing, and creates some incredibly catch songs in doing so.
The National - Boxer, increasingly excellent with each listen, Boxer contains beautiful, sparse orchestration backed by incredible drumming and complicated, unique vocals.
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times, while not a critic favorite, KOL crafts challenging songs while infusing their signature rough sound with hardly a fault.
Era Vulgaris is good, but I enjoyed Lullabies to Paralyze better. Ween’s La Cucaracha is worth mentioning.
There are a lot of albums on people’s lists that I have not heard, so that’s just the best of what I’ve heard from this year.
Caribou! Seriously! It’s an excellent album but no one seems to care much for it and I’ve only seen one mention of it on any lists.
wow, the girl from vancougar’s list stands out amidst a pile of crap.
No kidding! Nearly every one of these lists is by-the-numbers except hers. Everyone else is still wearing kneepads for the same bands they liked in 2002.
Circus diablo…. really… sorry HighonHendrix… but the band who couldn’t make it through the first half of ozzfest, really… wow….. anyway…my top ten in really no order, because I really enjoyed everyone of these records is….
Great Northern - Trading Twighlight For Daylight
Grinderman - Grinderman
Nicole Atkins and the Sea - Neptune City
Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s - Animal!
Rosetta - Wake/Lift
Oakley Hall - I’ll Follow You
Promise and the Monster - Transparent Knives
Lil’ Wayne - The Carter III: The Leak
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
My Tenth album of the year doesn’t trully count… but because I don’t see her name enough I felt I should post it….
Priscilla Ahn - EP
PS>…. check out coconut records.. forgot to throw that in there as well… enjoi
1. Radiohead – In Rainbows
2. José González – In Our Nature
3. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
4. Cortney Tidwell – Don’t Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
5. Justice – †
6. Feist – The Reminder
7. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
8. Heliocentrics – Out There
9. Common – Finding Forever
10. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
11. Amon Tobin – Foley Room
12. Various Artists – Once: Music from the Motion Picture
13. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
14. Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass
15. Burial – Untrue
16. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live at Radio City Music Hall
17. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
18. Daft Punk – Alive 2007
19. RJD2 – The Third Hand
20. The Good, The Bad & The Queen – The Good, The Bad & The Queen
21. Yesterday’s New Quintet – Yesterday’s Universe
Most disapointing album by far- Smashing Pumpkins. Album totally sucks.
“No kidding! Nearly every one of these lists is by-the-numbers except hers. Everyone else is still wearing kneepads for the same bands they liked in 2002.”
Yawn.
really don’t see all the fuss over the national’s boxer.
finally somebody mentioned justice!
these first three should be required
1.in rainbows
2.justice - cross
3.neon bible
debateable after that.
when the hell is The Avalanches album 2 coming out???!!!!
I don’t know why there are 2 blogs covering the same ground. Like many of the choices really. From many of the comments, there is certainly no accounting for quality.
Arctic Monkeys - excellent 1st album. 1st 5 songs of (this one) “Favourite ….” sound same as 1st album. Tracks 6-9 better. The National - mostly mediocre. If you want something original listen to They Might Be Giants, or Calexico. Gagaga is cr-a-a-ap. Radiohead maybe worth listing - proficient, but pretty much the same as their previous. Amy Winehouse - patchy and uneven. Others not heard yet.
If you REALLY want to hear an excellent album >>>>>>>>>>> listen to SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM.
as you said, no accounting for taste. i was never impressed by the arctic monkeys, and i’d put the national album head and shoulders above anything they might be giants has done this decade (that would go for ANY national album).
while i’ve not heard a good number of the picks by the artists, i’d add 2007 releases by:
cass mccombs
gravenhurst
lucinda williams
mark ronson
pepe delux
shiny toy guns
super furry animals
the shins
citay
ladybug transistor
the moving oos
jeb loy nichols
electic six
the cripple lilies
royal wood
of montreal
bonny prince billy
the sea and cake
datarock (possibly my favorite of the year)
Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Magic’, and Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’: Just two of many victims to the Loudness War this year. Why do CDs get good reviews when they are impossible to listen to?
A couple soundtracks that were great:
Johnny Greenwood “There Will Be Blood”
“The Darjeeling Limited”
who cares…as long as you injoyed them all…
now go listen to some new shit…or catch up on the old
Responding to Sticky:
Maybe the MP3 version of In Rainbows sounds compressed, but let me assure you that the CD version is top notch dynamic sound. The vinyl is even more impressive. Everyone who has only listened to In Rainbows in the pre-release low quality download are missing the depth and layers it has.
WARNING IN RAINBOWS IS NOT AN IPOD ALBUM
On the subject of Bodysnatchers being the best song of the last ten years…
Honestly, this is my least favorite song on the whole album. Before someone says, “Faust Arp!” said song is the bastardized dystopian son of the acoustic songs on The White Album.
While we’re on the subject of best song of the past ten years, allow me to toss in “There There.” It’s my favorite Radiohead song.
Anyone with me on the MP3 version of In Rainbows
On the subject of Neon Bible:
If any Album listed above suffers from the Loudness War, I think it’s this one. Maybe it was just mixed poorly…
Anyway, for a few listens I loved this album, just slightly below Their Brilliant debut Funeral. Unfortunately the album started to wear thin on me after say ten to fifteen listens. Let me outline my discontent:
The opening song, “Black Mirror,” has never really done anything for me, but now it’s just a song I wait through. The wall of bass is annoying to those with good stereos. Maybe this a better album for MP3. Another I have with this song is the vocals being shoved to the back of the mix. I have this problem with most of the songs on this album. I can’t turn my stereo up loud enough!
Keep the Car Running a really fun song.
Neon Bible is another song that I haven’t been able to completely see the greatness of. I am glad that the pace and oppressiveness of the mix has been fixed for the most part. The problem with this song is in the relative boredom it honestly creates in me.
Intervention could also be placed in the “one of my favorite songs of the last ten years category. The organ is ethereal. The vocals are the first point on this album where Win is actually putting himself out there. The lyrics are best heard vaguely.
Black Wave / Bad vibrations gets better with each listen, but the melodrama of the second half gets old for me…
Ocean of Noise is another highlight on this album. For one, the bass being loud works here. The relative calmness is welcomed on this dark album. The piano at the end is fantastic. I just wished it could be heard better.
The Well and the Lighthouse is a hit or miss song for me. Some days the frantic overpopulated nature of the verses annoys me. Some days I’m just struck by the chorus when the song finnaly slows down and Win delivers a nice vocal line.
Antichrist Television Blues is my favorite song on this album, and therefore another song in the best of the decade conversation. The Springsteen references have been noted before but are very obvious here. This song should sound better than it does quality-wise. The song breathes more than any other song here.
Windowsill is a nice song. It’s kind of just there for me though.
Feels a lot like Neon Bible and Black Mirror in that respect. The guitar gets old for me too.
No Cars Go is a fun pop song that wasn’t good enough to make it on their first album.
My Body is a Cage is a song that grows on me. At first I was put off by the soap opera/emo lyrics, but this is a dynamic song. That is to say, there is a rising and falling in here that is missing from most of the songs.
Overall when placed next to Funeral, this album isn’t even close for me. I listened to Funeral almost every other day for a long period there. The music on that album had a warmth to it when compared with this cold record. The instruments on funeral have a bright quality and they have space to express themselves. The lyrics also hit me on an altogether different level. They’re also sung with this incredible honesty. “Then we tried to name our babies, but we forgot all the names that we used to know.” Tunnels is also near the top of the songs of the decade list.
Responding to Keith Brinkmann:
I never listen to mp3 if I can avoid it. Open Bodysnatchers in an audio editor (like Audacity, which is free) and look at the waveform, it looks like a brick. I think it sounds noisy no matter how low I turn down the volume (and the same goes for Springsteen’s album). I like albums that make me turn up the volume! I’m sure the vinyl sounds better, they usually do these days.
you know, folks… it’s great to have forums such as this available because, frankly, there is so much great music being released every year that it’s a wonder anyone has the time to listen to much of it. so, to this beginning I’m adding my deflated USD $0.02 worth. [and, seemingly in support of what has already been said, here - there - and, everywhere!]
[Offered in no particular order of infatuation]
Radiohead “in rainbows”, Beirut “The Flying Club Cup”, Iron & Wine “The Shepherd’s Dog”, White Stripes - “icky thump”, The Good, The Bad & The Queen “The Good, The Bad & The Queen”, Okkervil River “the stage names”, Band of Horses “cease to begin”, et al.
Soundtracks - well, kids… “Once - original soundtrack” is beyond compare.
Oh, oh… and thanks to all of you for the numerous leads to bands yet enjoyed. That’s another treasure buried within this medium.
Sigur Ros!! Heim/Hvarf (!!also check Heima dvd!!) took too long to come out with, Radiohead In radinbows I saw preformed live in montreal in june of 06 Kicked my ass!, Neil Young- Live at massey hall damn good, Frank Zappa- Buffalo: long live frank! Emily Haines- What is free to a good home? Explosians in the sky-All of a sudden I miss everyone: good progressive. The fiery furnaces- Window city; this band changes allot. Nine inch Nails- Year yero- Amazing! Spoon- Gagagagaga damn good katchy indy pop(now have all albums) Pelican- City of Echoes- heavy angelic progression, Queens of the stone age- El Vulgaris: Red headed rock and roll, Sufjan Stevens- The Chrismas box set (best christmas music ever)
Tom Waits- Orphans (Bastards my fav) The White Stripes- Icky thump; done good at branching out. Beija-Flor with The American: sweet under the radar in yo face music. Iron and wine_ Shepperds dog, Bjork- Volta, Animal Collective- Strawberry jam, Panda Bear- Person pitch, and the honerable mentions from 06 PATRICK WATSON- Close to paradise: indeed already there, Thom Yorke- The eraser, Beck- the information, Emily Haines- Knives dont have your back, Jerry Garcia- Best of Jerry Garcia, Neil Young and Crazy horse- Live at the filmore east 1970, Sigur Ros- Saeglopur, Tool- 10000 Days. LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEARS MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!
I say, lately, I’m leaning toward the musical picks of “Scroobius Pip - Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.” All in all, though, I loved Kate Nash, Andrew Bird, Radiohead, Spoon, and Arcade Fire, just to name a few, this past year.
Deerhunter, baby.
The National = This year’s Coldplay = Pablum
The Wavemen coming out of Prague are going to be the hottest band in the world! Poetic lyrics, gorgeous melodies…
I’m not surprised that nobody has mentioned the album COLD BURNS by STARVIN’ HUNGRY, which came out in October of 2007 (produced by Jace Lasek of the Besnard Lakes)…unfortunately these Montreal-based punk ‘n’ rollers seem to be flying under the radar, but nonetheless Cold Burns is the most sensually explosive punk rock album I’ve heard in a LONG time.
Starvin Hungry’s lead singer and creative mastermind, John Milchem, offers up a voice reminiscent of Danzig, and the influences of Pussy Galore and the Stooges are ever present in this sexually infused brew of punk, rock, blues and garage.
Signed to ‘Signed By Force Records’ (alongside legendary hard-rockers Bionic, upstart punksters Trigger Effect, and fettish-ists No No Zero) STARVIN HUNGRY should be heard by all who hold a special place in their hearts for true punk rock and for bands that push the envelope without engaging purely in musical masterbation!
Do yourselves a favor and check these guys out - I just saw them live last night and I’m still reeling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2RGKTOqBEs
www.signedbyforce.com
oh yeah…and having mentioned the Besnard Lakes their album “The Dark Horse” should totally be on peoples best of lists…no matter what the year.
zombie weekend lol
Where is the love for Devendra? Smokey Rolls ruled, don’t care what anyone says. Great songwriter.
I agree Devendra Banhardt is amazing!
Wow… you should have renamed this article “A Bunch of Overrated Indie Bands Choose Their Favorite Overrated Indie Albums of the Year”. I honestly don’t see the diversity here at all. Just because one band is called “indie-pop” and the others called “indie-rock” or “indie-dance” doesn’t mean that they all don’t sound the same. Where’s the reggae? or rap? or punk? or heavy metal? Every person in this article who made a list is in an indie-rock band, or one of it’s many offshoots (I believe I saw one rapper on the list). And all of them chose albums that critics immediately called modern classics. There are plenty of other styles of musics out there, people. Why not ask Greg Graffin what his favorite albums of the year were? Are they gonna be all punk? I’m pretty sure they won’t be, but even if they were, aren’t the lists in this article all just one style of music anyway? You people at the All Music Guide are the ones who need to open up your musical horizons. Not all music is indie-rock. I know you’d like to think it is, but it isn’t. I have heard most of the albums on this list. I actually like a lot of the albums on this list. But the All Music Guide is slowly turning into a one genre website. So maybe the name All Music doesn’t apply anymore.
Hey Jamo…it’s for the reasons you just mentioned that I brought up Starvin Hungry; as well as Trigger Effect, Bionic and No No Zero. If you’d actually taken the time to check out any one of these bands you would see that they differ in leaps and bounds from the run of the mill indie rock that’s saturated the music industry, and the AMG web site, as you’ve argued.
No, none of them are reggae or rap (two genres I enjoy when done well - just like any other) but these four bands span from punk to heavy to hardcore and well No No Zero is just insane! All of these guys are so far away from the usual suspects on everyone’s list like Radiohead and Arcade Fire that it’s wholly invigorating!
I challenge you to listen to one song per artist and tell me that they are not completely unique, especially in comparison to the majority of the stuff on the above lists…
Bionic’s latest album is ‘Black Blood,’ Starvin Hungry’s ‘Cold Burns,’ Trigger Effect’s ‘Dare to Ride the Heliocraft,’ (all released in 2007) and No No Zero’s album isn’t out yet but you can hear a couple of tracks on the label website…www.signedbyforce.com
Seriously, if you disagree then I’ll eat my words and I won’t post on this site again…
Okay okay. The mob has spoken: In Rainbows was fantastic and no one is arguing against it (even though my favorite album this year was ‘Icky Thump’ by The White Stripes), but I’m with the very few other people who just don’t see the big deal with Arcade Fire. The band is overrated and their album was WAY overrated. But that is beside the point that I wanted to make…
Why does rap, although so wildly popular in our culture, get hardly any representation or love on here? It’s mostly because you music geeks don’t like rap for the most part. Top 3 rap records I bought last year:
1). Wyclef Jean- Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant
2). Kanye West- Graduation
3). Jay-Z- American Gangster
PS- Arcade Fire sucks, Spoon sucks, Cold War Kids suck, The National sucks, Iron and Wine sucks, The Shins suck!
PPS- Album which provides the most reason to grow your hair out and head bang - Dethklok- The Dethalbum. That little show is okay, but the music is so rediculous that its great.
PPPS- Vanessa, the only reason I can see for you pushing those bands so hard on us is that you are actually in one of those bands which I would rather put a roto-rooter up my ass than listen to.
Much Love,
Bcahill
all you nay-sayers who are moronic enough to think you’re taste is better (cooler, more critical) than anyone else’s can get bent. here’s an idea: start your own goddam music blog and fly your indier-than-thou banner to your heart’s content.
PS: bcahill, your taste in rap/hip-hop is that of a 15-year-old white girl living in the suburbs.
Bcahill…If you’re capable of distinguishing your ass hole from your elbow then go for it…Based on your music pics you probably are a “15 year old white girl living in the suburbs” - in which case I just feel badly for you.
P.S… No, I’m not in any one of these bands…just a fan, with insomnia - being the only reason I stumbled onto this stupid blog in the first place…
PPS…I never knew it was so terrible to mention a handful of bands that are doing something different…isn’t that the point of this thing?
The Pharoahe Monch record is really good. More bipidy bap please.
Good rap from 07
Pharoahe Monch
Hezekiah
Cam’ron
Percee P
Wu Tang Clan
UGK
Prodigy
Crap from 07
Weezy
Ghost
Kanye
T.I.
Why is Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky” getting the brush off? They are still the best band going.
I agree about the lack of diversity. Here’s a few of my favorite albums (that haven’t been mentioned yet):
Against Me!- New Wave
Sage Francis- Human the Death Dance
Calle 13- Residente o Visitante
Dntel- Dumb Luck
Gogol Bordello- Super Taranta!
Lupe Fiasco- The Cool
Say Anything- In Defense of the Genre
But my hands down favorite album of the year was Cross by Justice
good lord, god forbid a mainstream album is on this list (ok, there are a few). I think 90% of the bands listed here have sold fewer than 5,000 albums combined. The latest White Stripes is nothing but a third tier Zep remake. Devendra Banhart? Rhymes with Sandra and is not nearly as interesting. In fact, every time I read about it I think the fans must be lemming deadheads. So boring. There is music outside of the indie world, people.
While there is plenty of music outside of the indie world, very little of it is vital or relevant enough to garner mention in a “best of the year” list. The fact that indie music is more often than not done for the love of it plays a great part in this.
Some of my favoritesof the year in my book, in no particular order:
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Cafe Tacuba - Sino
Patton Oswalt - Werewolves and Lollipops
Marnie Stern - In Advance Of The Broken Arm
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall and Live at the Fillmore East
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Ween - La Cucaracha (though not their best still a lot of fun)
Manu Chao - La Radiolina
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna… (so glad I heard that album before I knew what Kevin Barnes looks like *shudder*)
Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
El Perro Del Mar s/t
It’s hard to find solid releases from this year - a lot of great singles, but not too many great albums.
I can’t get over how apathetic the vocalist for The National is. It’s as if he’s bored to sing in his own album.
There was a lot of “adult contemporary indie rock” released this year. Shins. Spoon. In Rainbows. Boring soccer mom indie rock. A lot of homogeny, lack of passion, generic sounds.
We need a revolution.
I thought I would find more KT Tunstall, however my top 2007:
The Twilight Sad(Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters)
Okkervil River (The Stage Names)
Interpol (Our Love to Admire)
Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga)
Athlete (Beyond the Neighbourhood)
Cherry Ghost (Thirst For Romance)
Radiohead (In Rainbows)
KT Tunstall (Drastic Fantastic)
The Coral (Roots & Echoes)
Duran Duran (Red Carpet Massacre)
1. Iron & Wine - The Shephard’s Dog
2. Ben Harper and the innocent criminals - Lifetime
3. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
4. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
5. Fishbone - Still Stuck in your Throat
6. Corey Harris - Zion Crossroads
7. Birds of Avalon - Bazarre Bazarre
8. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
9. EL-P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
10. Akron/Family - Love is Simple
honorable: sierra leone refugee allstars, exploding star orchestra, levon Helms, robert glasper, the bad plus, the bad plus, bad year for hip-hop yo!
1. Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
The closest thing to perfection I have ever heard.
2. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
3. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
5. Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
6. Fields - Everything Last Winter
7. Editors - An End Has A Start
8. Low - Drums And Guns
9. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
10. Pop Levi - The Return To Form Black Magick Party
Obviously, this is purely my opinion and not in any way a statement of fact; but I believe these to be the best albums of 2007 … until I hear more of them.
I’ll get back to you in 2009.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned The New Pornographers. I’m not a musician, so maybe I’m missing something, but I thought they were sensational!!! And as a DJ, I gave them plenty of air time. Got to mention Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, as well as “Personal” by the Stars.