Top Ten Albums of 2007...finally.

Sorry I've been a very bad poster. I've been home and haven't really had my head in blogging recently. But yeah, with out further ado, I give you my Favorite 10 Albums of the The Year.

10. Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer
So the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. On Of Montreal's latest disc, Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer however, the saying should be more like, one man's outlet for describing his suicidal manic depressive emotional breakdown is another man's listening umm...treasure. As the story goes, Kevin Barnes had some troubles with his marriage, went to Norway, and had a mental break down, all the while transcribing his obviously painful experience into lyrics. As it turned out however, Barnes' most critically acclaimed album to date came out of this quagmire of lost love.
Hissing Fauna is a brilliant album, and ironically enough its my second favorite album behind his first album, Cherry Peel, which is basically the exact opposite in terms of lyrics (falling IN love and the like).
It must be noted that Barnes is back together with his wife and with the help of anti-depressants is reportedly doing quite well.
Download Now:
"Suffer For Fashion"
"Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"
"Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse"


9.) Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam
For some odd reason I really didn't expect much with this album. I think its because i figured that their two prior albums, Sung Tongs, and Feels, were so unique and fun to listen to that i figured that AC had only where to go but down. It took me a few listens to disprove this therory. But soon as the songs caught on to my consciousness, I surprisingly found this to be my favorite Animal Collective album (solo member albums included). "Fireworks" surprisingly enough (or at least for the first half of the song) is probably Animal Collective's first "pop" song. And its gorgeously delicious. My favorite track has to be "For Reverend Green" however. With surpisingly relatable lyrics ("Now I think it's alright to feel inhuman") "Green" epicly builds to a triumphant chant of a tribute to Al Green (which just seals the deal on the song, I am in love with that man). Although massively chaotic, Strawberry Jam proves to also be a gorgeous album be hind the layers of noise.
Download now:
"For Reverend Green"
"Peacebone"
"Fireworks"

8.) M.I.A. -Kala
You have no idea how close Maya Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A) was to becoming this year's Nelly Furtado. M.I.A originally had plans to celebrate her critically acclaimed, yet unjustly under heard debut Arular, by working with Timberland. Alas that never came to be, when the Feds for some unknown reason, denied her visa, and barred her from entering the U.S. for quite some time. M.I.A. took it in stride and went from possibly making streamlined Top 40 album to creating the most innovative and worldly club record of the past decade if not beyond. M.I.A. traveled to India, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Japan among others for this record and the worldly influence takes a drivers seat on Kala making it not a dance album with world influence, but rather world music with dance influence.
Download Now:
"Hustle"
"Boyz"
"Jimmy"
"Paper Planes"

(It's getting late so i'm just going to post the rest of my list sans review, and i'll probably come back to expand on why I love these albums)

7.) Les Savy Fav -Lets Stay Friends
Download Now:
"Pots and Pans"
"Patty Lee"
"The Equestrian"


6.) The Avett Brothers- Emotionalism
Download Now:
"Go To Sleep"
"Die Die Die"
"Will You Return"


5.) Arcade Fire-Neon Bible
Download Now:
"(Antichrist Television Blues)"
"Keep The Car Running"
"Windowsill"

4.) I'm From Barcelona-Let Me Introduce You To My Friends
Download Now:
"The Painter"
"Collection Of Stamps"
"Oversleeping"

3.) Radiohead- In Rainbows
Download Now:
"Reckoner"
"House of Cards"
"Jigsaw Falling Into Places"


2.) LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
Download Now:
"All My Friends"
"Someone Great"
"New York I Love You"
"North American Scum"



1.) The National-Boxer
Download Now:
"Start A War"
"Fake Empire"
"Brainy"
"Mistaken For Strangers"
"Squalor Victoria"
...hell download them all. best album of the year by a mile.

Top 51 Albums of 2007 (50-11)

2007 was a very good year for music. It was far and away better than last years and comes pretty close to the prolific year that was 2005. Examining some trends in music today, we obviously know that Hip hop is as popular as ever, and rock although as good as its been in a while is taking the back seat. The term "indie" has finally hit the mainstream and is a household term. "Indie" is the new emo, which in turn is the new skater punk which in turn is the new disco, aka its dead.. It's all cyclical.

With out further ado #50-11 (I will be writing in more depth on the Top 10 for Wednesday's post).

50. Elvis Perkins-Ash Wednseday
49. Britney Spears-Black Out
48. Kevin Drew- Broken Social Scene Presents Spirit If...
47. Manu Chao-La Radiolina
46. Battles- Mirrored
45. Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortedla
44. Yeasayer- All Hour Cymbals
43. The Black Lips- Good Bad Not Evil
42. Shout Out Louds-Our Ill Wills
41. Bloc Party - A Weekend In the City
40. Robert Plant & Alison Kraus-Raising Sand
39. Simian Mobile Disco-Attack Decay Sustain Release
38. Iron & Wine- The Shepherd's Dog
37. Blitzen Trapper- Wild Mountain Nation
36. Explosions In The Sky -All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
35. The Besnard Lakes- The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
34. The Shins- Wincing The Night Away
33. Apples In Stereo- New Magnetic Wonder
32. Lily Allen- Alright, Still
T-31. Andrew Bird- Armchair Apocrphya
T-31. Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

30. Panda Bear- Person Pitch
One fourth of Animal Collective, Panda Bear definetly does sound like Brian Wilson. He certainly doesn't hide his affection for Wilson's masterpiece Pet Sounds on his second LP.

29. Menomena- Friend and Foe
This Portland band loves to edit on Pro Tools. Cutting and pasting their music like mad men on a mission. Strangely addicting, this band makes some strangley compelling tunes ("Wet and Rusting" for example) that get better as you listen.

28. Deerhunter- Cryptograms
This band with their non stop sets chugs along at a trains pace. Manic and psychotic, Cryptograms, will have many imitators quite soon.

27. Josh Ritter- The Historical Conquests of...
At times sounding like an early Dylan. Ritter's Historical Conquests, is a very melodic and catchy album that is consistent throughout.

26. Caribou-Andorra
Listen to "Melody Day". Love it, live it. Repeat.

25. Okkervil River- The Stage Names
Their least countrified album, The Stage Names is a very good album, with some very good albeit not great songs.

24. Amy Winehouse- Back To Black
Not a bad song on the entire album. The voice of Winehouse makes this so completely original in itself, despite the obvious influences.

23. Wilco -Sky Blue Sky
Wilco's tamest album ever and initally seems like there worst. It's not the case however once you dig deeper in to new comer Nels Cline's guitar work. Definetly a feel good album for one of the best bands of the past 12 years.

22. Sunset Rubdown- Random Spirit Lover
Considering I was in love with their debut LP, i was a little dissapointed with Sunset Rubdowns follow up Random Spirit Lover. That said the first four songs on this disc are some of the years best and addictive

21. Gogol Bordello-Super Taranta!
Everytime an article is written about this band, the main focus of it is that it's impossible to contain Gogol Bordello's sound on just an LP, you have to witness it live. I couldn't agree more. This is easily the best touring band currently and Super Taranta! somehow brings some of that live show to life. If you're planning on getting married soon check out "American Wedding" for some tips on what not to do, in order to have the liveliest wedding ever (trust them, the lead singer used to be in a wedding band)

20. Bruce Springsteen-Magic
Much like Dinosaur Jr's revelation of an album, Almost Ready, Springsteen and Co.'s latest disc is instant nostalgia. They haven't lost their edge one bit and despite sounding like Born to Run at times, sounds like it was made today, it holds its own among every other album this year.

19. Feist-The Reminder
The Reminder is a mini masterpiece by the some time Broken Social Scene member. Songs like "So Sorry", "1234", "My Moon My Man" "The Limit To Your Love" and "Past Present" are as good as anything that came out this year. Unfortunately too many songs drag too much and the album suffers as a result. Regardless, its still Feist's best album to date.

18. The Swell Season-Once Soundtrack
I love this band, I love this music, and I love everything about the two who comprise this band, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Their debut album The Swell Season, had it come out this year would have made my top 5. This album is a tad incosistent to merit that, but regardless, its such a thing to behold. I definetly suggest you SEE the movie first, then the album, to give the songs some perspective.

17. The Twilight Sad-Fourteen Autumns,Fifteen Winters
And the My Bloody Valentine Award for Most Beautiful Album goes to.....this Scottish band's debut album of course. Come for the charming Scottish vocals, stay for the beauty.


16. Justice- Cross
In the year of Daft Punk offsprings this monster house band reigns supreme. It's so good in fact that one of my favorite songs of the year "D.A.N.C.E." seems quite out of place and would have better suited as non album single.

15. Dan Deacon-Spiderman Of The Rings
The most off the wall album of the year. And it succeeds brilliantly. This could have been in my top 10 had it had more playability. But that said its so creative, clever and unique, I have a feeling there are going to be many imitators in the future.

14. Stars- In Our Bedroom After The War
Although some may not agree on this, In Our Bedroom... is easily my favorite Stars album. It's their most consistent and most romantic as well. My favorite song on the disc is "Barricade" which is a hearbreaking ballad about a protester, and the "terrible things" she does and how hard it is to resist her.

13. Art Brut- It's A Bit Complicated
This album definitely gets better with age. A great rock and roll band with a lead singer, Eddie Argos, who loves to sing about everyday things. And as evidence by his lyrics, is an everyday music obsessed geek(singing lyrics that include listening to the radio while making out, dancing awkwardly in order to gain a girls affection and TWO songs about making mixtapes).

12. Brakes- Beatific Visions
When I listen to this album I think of bumbling guy trying to win over a girl. In the process there's bar fights, five to be exact. And songs of him confessing his love roughly seven of those. These songs are quite varied ranging from a song about who would win in a battle between a Porcupine or a Pineapple ("Spiky, Spiky!"), a song about the troubles of trying to contact a girl on the cell phone, and a song about regretting not telling someone you love them Think Hold Steady riffs, with even quirkier lyrics and even more polarizing vocals.

11. Kanye West-Graduation
Graduation is Kanye's most concise album and not coincidentally it's also his best album. There's no garbage on here. Just impeccable sample -layered tracks with some of Kanye's most playful rhymes to date. Helped Daft Punk become cool again, that fact alone earns him a spot on this list.

Apologies to...(Honorable Mention Songs of 2007)

Despite my intense love for lists and anything associtated with lists, i must say usually if I made the list a second time it would most definetly be different. My Top 30 2007 songs is no different and the only thing that would stay the same is the Top 10 . That said here are several other favorites from one of my favorite years for music.

<----Art Brut- "Pump up The Volume"
The Shins-"Australia"
The Shins-"Sleeping Lessons"
Deerhunter-"Cryptograms"
The Avett Brothers- "Will you Return"
The Avett Brotherrs- "Die Die Die"


<----Of Montreal-"Suffer for Fashion"
Yeasayer-"2080"
Radiohead-"House of Cards"
The National-"Brainy"
Spoon-"The Underdog"
Okkervil River- "John Allyn Smith Sails"
The Mendoza Line (featuring Will Sheff)-"Aspect of an Old Maid"

<-----Bruce Springsteen-"Your Own Worst Enemy"
Grinderman-"No Pussy Blues"
Lily Allen-"Knock 'em Out"
Architecture in Helskinki "Heart it Races"


<----M.I.A-"Hustle"
Animal Collective-"F0r Rev. Green"
Modest Mouse-"Dashboard"
Gogol Bordello-"American Wedding"
Manu Chao-"Rainin in Paradize"
Menomena-"Wet and Rusting"




<-----Alison Kraus and Robert Plant -"Gone Gone Gone"
Andrew Bird-"Fiery Crash"
Brakes-"Cease and Desist"
Sunset Rubdown-"The Mending of the Gown"
Kanye West - "The Glory"
Les Savy Fav- "Pots & Pans"
Gui Borrato-"Beautiful Life"
Lil' Mama-"Lip Gloss"


Fiery Crash



Welcome To Paradize(Schepps Version)


...man i never knew Robert Plant was a lion.






You can find the vast majority of these songs on either Amazon or Emusic.