Year End Wrap Up 2007: Listenings

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Each year in the Shank, we ask readers to submit lists of the best (and worst) of the year. Over the next few weeks we'll be running these lists in the Shank (from movies and music to TV and other more, um, esoteric lists).

This is collection of lists for music for 2007. It focuses on Top Albums, Live Shows, Re-issues, and other, music-related lists.

***BEST ALBUMS OF 2007******************
by Benn Ray

2007 - the year Baltimore broke? Sure as hell looks like it! And while people are hailing Radiohead for changing the music industry for the way they handled the release of their 2007 album (er... indy bands have been doing this sort of thing for a couple years now), I'm hailing Dan Deacon, Double Dagger, The Death Set, Thank You, Lo Moda, Beach House, Celebration, Wye Oak, Arbouretum, Santa Dads, Wzt Hearts, Ecstatic Sunshine, Ponytail, Video Hippos, Panda Bear, Animal Collective, The Materials, and about 3 dozen other bands from Baltimore for changing music itself.  Seriously, I can't listen to any of these bands and not hear the future of music in the 21st century.

1. HISSING FAUNA ARE YOU THE DESTROYER by OF MONTREAL
An album about an emotional breakdown during a bleak winter in Iceland set to an psych-electo-pop dance beat. What’s not to like? Actually, I had to wrestle with this being #1 because after allowing one of their songs from Sunlandic Twins to be used for an Outback Steakhouse commercial, not only do I have a hard time disassociating the band with Australian beef, but I also don’t trust that these songs won’t end up on a commercial somewhere, which will then cause me to recontextualize the whole album. It’s complicated, I know.

2. BEYOND by DINOSAUR JR.
When I heard Dinosaur was coming out with a new album (their first in 10 years) by the original line up, I thought, y’know, I really don’t ever need to hear another Dinosaur Jr. song again. Not only that, but I realized I probably own too many of their albums (since I have all of them except 1997's Hand It Over) too. Yet curiosity got the better of me and I’m glad I did. I did, evidently, need a new Dinosaur album – easily one of the best of this band’s 20 year career. It’s so good to hear guitars again. Loud guitars. Distorted guitars. Guitars that bleed through the speakers and into your earholes. It made me glad I held on to those other Dinosaur albums too.

3. NEON BIBLE by ARCADE FIRE
One of this year's Canadian Collective entries creates an tonally complete album, song to song, wrestling with life, religion and a Bush-era America. This is a populist effort from a Spingsteenian paradigm, and in many ways it proves to be a superior follow-up to their acclaimed 2004 debut Funeral.

4. THE STAGE NAMES by OKKERVIL RIVER
I had friends suggest that this record sounds like The Gin Blossoms. Fortunately, I’m not as well versed in the songs of The Gin Blossoms as they are, so not only do I not hear the comparison, it means nothing to me. Unlike previous Okkervil albums, which can be burdened with a lot of slow, ponderous noodling about, there are songs here - in fact, every track is a song. Each better than the last, and all fitting together tonally to construct a complete album. The “Plus Ones” song wins my vote for Cleverest Song of the Year. And their reworking of The Beach Boys “Sloop John B” hooked me easily.

5. CEASE TO BEGIN by BAND OF HORSES
Melodic, pretty, and completely solid all the way through. BoH moves from the West to the South, and while their sound is so rich and identifying, you can still hear the impact of the change in locale. Echoy, harmonic, melancholy and beautiful.

6. RAGGED RUBBLE by DOUBLE DAGGER
Once upon a time, after I'd get 2 or 3 drinks in me, all you'd have to do is mention Double Dagger and I'd go off on a rant of about just how important, relevant and incredible this band is. My opinion has only greatly increased with the release of Ragged Rubble - where now I don't need any drinks to go off and one need not even mention the band as a catalyst. Oh, and anyone writing an article about "The Baltimore Scene" who doesn't mention Double Dagger needs to get their head out of their ass. DD, for the unfamiliar, play minimal punk (they make an impressive amount of noise for only having a bass, drums and vocals) that has a clear perspective - whether it was their prophetic take on the overdevelopment of the city, or design theory that transcends design and can function as a operating philosophy for daily living.

7. CHALLENGERS by NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
The second obligatory Canadian Collective inclusion on this list is only marginally a "Canadian" collective (Neko and Newman don't or no longer live in Canada). They are a super-group though, featuring AC Newman, Neko Case, Destroyer, Fancey, etc... And while it is seemingly impossible for such a distinct group of disparate voices to ever create one whole record where each song fits together with the next, this album tends to equally blend and embrace the quirks. A better pop-meets-glam record you'd be hard-pressed to find this year.

8. SPIDERMAN OF THE RINGS by DAN DEACON
Dan Deacon is a an electronic architect who seems to be creating soundtracks for non-existent episodes of Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Elements come in, fall together, fall away - resulting in danceable, sincere sound sculptures. I admit that I'm an old fuck who tends to like his music to be of the drum, bass, guitar, vocals variety, but after seeing Deacon perform at Hamdpenfest in 2006, I've been fascinated by his stuff. Admittedly for me, listening to this music has been challenging (in a fun way), and consistently rewarding. To illustrate my point, one night me and a couple friends were driving to get a bite to eat. Spiderman of The Rings (wins my vote for Best Album Title of The Year, too) had gotten under my skin, so I was playing it. One friend said, "what the hell is this shit?" And the other, before I could explain, demanded, "Yeah, turn this shit off!" These are people who are well versed in music too. But, like me, they are old fucks. So it may simply be that this album is too difficult for people of a certain age. If so, all the better. Music should be for the kids. (Someone really needs to tell Paul McCartney that.)

9. NEW MAGNETIC WONDER by APPLES IN STEREO
This is one of those albums that perhaps would have fared better and gotten more notice had it been subjected to some editing, But that doesn't negate the quality of the crisp, power-pop here. The only other drawback, which is becoming increasingly significant as bands struggle to find ways to get their music heard, is the best song on this album is the soundtrack to a TV commercial, thereby causing the listener to think of things like products and consumption when wanting to enjoy where the music takes them. But hey, they even invented a new musical scale for this record, the "Non-Pythagorian Music Scale". What's that mean? Hell if I know. I'm easily impressed. Still, a great album of bright, sunny, sugary (if not somewhat compromised) power pop. But then again, we talking power pop, not some great political punk statement.

10. RAD WAREHOUSES BAD NEIGHBORHOODS by THE DEATH SET
I didn't actually time it, but this album feels like it clocks in at under 15 minutes. But it is a fast, fun, 15 minutes. The Death Set are the bridge between Baltimore electronicists (I just coined that!) like Dan Deacon and instrument oriented bands like Double Dagger, Wzt Hearts and Ecstatic Sunshine. Live, The Death Set brings pure, bouncing up and down joy, and I dare anyone to try and sit perfectly still while listening to this record. Like Dan Deacon and Double Dagger, The Death Set starts with the letter D. Somehow, that's important. These Baltimore bands are all sending up flares with these releases about the way music is changing.

11. WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY by THE SHINS
Yes, after The Garden State, even a Shins fan like myself has a hard time admitting they like the band without wincing. Maybe that's what the title of the album refers to. Like Band of Horses, The Shins have such a defining sound, it's hard to imagine them delivering anything new that's going to feel new or that isn't a mess because they are forcing their music into new and inappropriate areas, and like BoH, The Shins continue to figure it out. Each Shins album gets more subtle, requiring more listens to "get it," but the "it" always gets got. I did have a theory about how each song here is a Shins take on a different type of beach/Pacific type of music genre. Not sure how well that holds up though.

12. ICKY THUMP by THE WHITE STRIPES
Bagpipe experiments aside, for a group like White Stripes to still be experimenting and playing with songs, sounds and structures is refreshing. Jack and Meg deliver on song after song here, in quirky and unexpected ways. Oh, and for you folks who write about The White Stripes, can you finally knock off the obligatory Meg White/drumming lines? They're cliche and predictable. Is that what you want your reviews to be? Cliche and predictable? Especially when writing about a band who is clearly not either of those things? She keeps a beat, Jack likes her, and together the make albums like Icky Thumb. Get off her back.

13. GA GA GA GA GA by SPOON
It's as if Britt Daniel has been thinking, "Hm, someone needs to rediscover Chicago" (the band, not the city), and so he did. At least, that's what the horns on this record say to me. But in a fun, nostalgic way. The opening could be stronger (2 intro tracks back to back make for slow beginnings). And while Spoon, like Apples in Stereo and Of Montreal are seeking ways get their music heard in a post-radio world, they didn't go the commercial route. Instead, they licensed the better songs off this record to every formulaic, genre network show that asked (and I should know, I watched a ton of them - see my TV Guilty Pleasures List when we get to The Watchings lists). While not as immediately offensive, it does make me somewhat Spoon reluctant.

14. PERSON PITCH by PANDA BEAR
This album is what it would have sounded like if Brian Wilson never got "help" and was allowed to stay in his home studio and release whatever he wanted.

15. MIRRORED by BATTLES
When prog rockers go hippy, this is what it sounds like. This also goes back to that "challenging" thing I was saying about Dan Deacon.

16. FRIEND OPPORTUNITY by DEERHOOF
One of Deerhoof's most accessible albums, and I say that in a good way. On Friend Opportunity, everything is looking and sounding great until they get to that one, long, unnecessary and completely gratuitous track. Otherwise, the first couple of tracks here are easily their best.

17. WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK by MODEST MOUSE
For those who were curious how the addition of The Smith's Johnny Marr to the Modest Mouse lineup would sound - the result is their best record since The Moon And Antarctica.

18. LIVING WITH THE LIVING by TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
2 things, Ted. #1 - don't make us wait more than a year for a Ted Leo album. It disproportionately increases our expectations. #2 - next time skip the reggae.

19. CASSADAGA by BRIGHT EYES
On my first couple of listens, I dismissed this. The main reason was it didn't match up to my expectations of what Bright Eyes should be doing. Then I put it away for months, came back to it in December and found that I really liked it a lot. The songs are subtle, but the lyrics are not - and that's good. I like what Connor has to say, and I like how he says it.

20. THE SHEPHERD’S DOG by IRON & WINE
Sam Beam finally figures out to put together a full band, and the results are somewhat Biblical, but still compelling.

HONORABLE MENTIONS AND OTHER FLIRTATIONS:
If I did a top 30 or 40, these are the albums you'd see on the list:
MAGIC by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
IT'S A BIT COMPLICATED by Art Brut
WIDOW CITY by FIERY FURNACES
MAPMAKER by PARTS & LABOR
LETS STAY FRIENDS by LES SAVY FAV
THE WEIRDNESS by THE STOOGES

***BEST OF MUSIC OF 2007*********************
by Joe Rybandt

The iPod is both the best and worst thing to enter my life. Best because I have near unlimited access to music and worst because I am obsessive about adding new things, which means I very rarely spend a great deal of time listening to any one thing as something new has usually taken it’s place. That being said, here are things that stood out in 2007.

1. SOUND OF SILVER by LCD SOUND SYSTEM
I have nothing new to say about it, and think it’s great.
Defining Track: Someone Great

2. BECAUSE OF THE TIMES by KINGS OF LEON
Shuffling, mumbling beauty.
Defining Track: Knocked Up

3. WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK by MODEST MOUSE
A populist album, sure, but catchy songs and great studio work create a clean, honest sound.
Defining Track: People As Places As People

4. LIVING WITH THE LIVING by TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
The first 4-5 tracks on this disc are near perfect -- my first listen to Leo and I’m immediately a fan.
Defining Track (Loud): Sons of Cain
Defining Track (Quiet): A Bottle of Buckie

5. AN END HAS A START by EDITORS
Working the same fields as Interpol, but much more sincerely atmospheric and gloomy.
Defining Track: Smokes Outside the Hospital Doors

6. CONQUEROR by JESU
Slow and ponderous… both of which are good things here, beautiful things in fact. I spent a lot of this year exploring “post” metal/rock and bands like Jesu combine a lot of elements I like in music, creating a new, louder form of “shoegazing.”
Defining Track: Weightless & Horizontal

7. CEASE TO BEGIN by BAND OF HORSES
The best album My Morning Jacket put out this year…
Defining Track: Is There a Ghost

8. SKY BLUE SKY by WILCO
Quieter and more straight forward, but still quietly beautiful and sincere.
Defining Track: Impossible Germany

9. OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE by INTERPOL
More of the same, but still eminently listenable
Defining Track: Heinrich Maneuver

10. ANDORRA by CARIBOU
Soak up the sun on a wintry day…
Defining Track: After Hours

***ELEVEN RECORDS I LIKED IN 2007*********************
by Chris Iseli

1.  BOXER by THE NATIONAL
Benn Ray kept me from buying this record for some time.  Although I liked the National's previous record, "Alligator" (which had some stellar moments but even now strikes me as flawed and inconsistent), enough to be curious about the follow-up, all Benn's comparisons between their new songs and the Barenaked Ladies were enough to extinguish that curiosity.  I'm glad, then, that I happened to hear "Fake Empire" one night on the jukebox at Club Charles (the impetus for many a satisfying impulse record buy over the years).  Not only does it bear not even a passing resemblance that godawful novelty act from up north, but in its sleepy, understated march to glory, it sets the tone for a seriously brilliant collection of rock songs about trying to keep a flicker of hope alive amid mounting disillusionment, about getting older but trying not to get old, about trying to be a romantic without seeming ridiculous, and about all of the ways people inevitably fuck up in attempting to maintain such untenable balances.  I honestly have no idea what in the hell Benn was talking about.

2.  IN RAINBOWS by RADIOHEAD
There's really no need to write much about this, because by this point, I think pretty much everyone has made up their minds one way or the other about Radiohead.  Those who love them already know that they've managed to take a step back toward the relatively straightforward songwriting and instrumentation of "The Bends" without sacrificing any of their sonic adventurousness -- and created a gorgeous, haunting, and very satisfying record in the process.  Those who hate them probably won't be converted by anything here, although I defy anyone to listen -- really listen -- to "Nude" or "Videotape" and not be moved even a little.

3.  HVARF/HEIM by SIGUR ROS
What could possibly be worthy about a pair of EPs that collect new recordings of a bunch of songs that were recorded just fine to begin with and a few "new" tracks that document pieces with which anyone who's seen Sigur Ros live over the past few years will be familiar?  Everything, it turns out.  The acoustic renditions of some older songs -- and the wholesale reinterpretations of others -- are revelatory, and the studio recordings of live favorites capture a few new moments of sprawling, ecstatic catharsis that no music aficionado with a taste for the transcendent should be without.  Far from a stopgap B-sides and rarities collection to tide hardcore fans over between proper albums, this is absolutely essential.

4.  PROOF OF YOUTH by THE GO! TEAM
There's nothing about this that really improves upon the formula that made the Go! Team's earlier "Thunder, Lightning, Strike" so damned catchy and fun, but who cares?  When you crosswire the absurdly infectious melodies and basslines of the Jackson Five with the music from '70s cop-show car-chases and deliver it all in the shout-along style of "Schoolhouse Rock" (and throw in a Chuck D cameo for good measure), you get music so fresh, lively, and winning that I'd imagine even Dick Cheney would be hard-pressed not to grin like a dipshit while listening to it.  Buy this and you will never go through another full day in a crappy mood again.

5.  ERA VULGARIS by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
The restlessness of Josh Homme's musical tastes and the continual shifts in the Queens' line-up probably mean that the consistency of 2002's "Songs for the Deaf" was an anomaly and they'll never put out anything quite as cohesive again.  But the intelligence and inventiveness of nearly every track on this disc overwhelms any concern that its wild stylistic careening might be a detriment, and the Zep-caliber stomp and Stones-worthy swagger of the standout tracks is a refreshing reminder that there's still plenty of good rock to be blasted out of them there hills.

6.  WHITE CHALK by PJ HARVEY
PJ gets small and super-creepy on an album of chamber music for the deeply disturbed.  Listening to this is like having all of your blood and spinal fluid replaced with ice water, and though it's not something you want to do often, it's a startlingly invigorating experience when you're in the right mood.

7.  NEW SEASONS by THE SADIES
The Sadies are one of the best and most underrated bands in the world, better known for providing the dark, twangy, reverb-drenched soundscapes behind Neko Case than for the excellent dark, twangy, reverb-drenched country music they make on their own.  On "New Seasons," they finally strike out on their own with a record that's more confident, cohesive, and thoroughly accomplished than they've ever sounded before, and it's a delight from beginning to end.

8. WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK by MODEST MOUSE
I never really got these guys before, and this is the only record of theirs that I own, so I have no idea how it stacks up against previous releases or what difference it makes that Johnny Marr has joined the band.  But somebody turned me onto the hearbreakingly gorgeous "Little Motel," and I liked that enough to pick up the whole album, and damned if it isn't pretty much totally great.

9.  NEON BIBLE by ARCADE FIRE
That thing I said in reference to the National, about trying to keep a flicker of hope alive amid mounting disillusionment?  That's pretty much what this whole record is about, only the Arcade Fire is never content with just a flicker of anything, so what you wind up with is a bunch of absurdly overdramatic conflagrations -- post-teenage symphonies to God about doubt and hard-won hopefulness that only sometimes really work the way they seem intended to.  But when they do work, it's pretty exhilarating, and it's both hard to fault the Arcade Fire for feeling the way they apparently do and easy to admire them for going to such lengths to try to say something about it.

10. BEYOND by DINOSAUR JR./BLUEFINGER by BLACK FRANCIS
When you used to be as thoroughly, undeniably fucking awesome as Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies were, it's enough to come back and make new music under your old name without embarrassing yourself and undermining your own legacy.  It's quite another to come up with something that's actually a worthy extension of your past accomplishments, as the original Dinosaur lineup did on "Beyond," much less that suggests fertile new territory for you to keep exploring in the future, as "Bluefinger" did for Black Francis. Who knew they still had it in them?

***ABLUMS OF 2007*********************
by Steve Ashby

A lazy list. Albums I bought or otherwise acquired in 2007.

1. BOXER by THE NATIONAL
Reminds me of so many different bands at once that it'd be pointless to list them all.

2. WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK by MODEST MOUSE
Fucking hell, is that Johnny Fucking Marr?

3. IN RAINBOWS by RADIOHEAD
You mean I set my own price?

4. ARE WE NOT HORSES (+ "Sexyback") by ROCK CENTRAL PLAZA
Makes you shudder the way you should have when you heard the original.

5. NEW MAPS OF HELL by BAD RELIGION
Standard bad religion. no new ground, but that's not a bad thing.

6. BEYOND by DINOSAUR JR.
see bad religion, above.

7. NEW MOON by Elliott Smith
Dead people music.

8. KALA (+ "Hit That") by M.I.A.
Talking about getting laid and talking about Haliburton and FEMA shouldn't work together, but for some reason it does here.

9. GA GA GA GA GA by SPOON
I have a hard time figuring out where Spoon is going, but it's fun watching them get wherever they end up.

10. There is no ten.

***FAVORITE MUSIC OF 2007*********************
by Jamie Watson

I started thinking about my favorite music of 2007 while watching VH1's clip show extravaganza "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's" (Hootie! Marky Mark! The 90's WERE great.)

Anyway, this year was a weird combo of European dance music and hippie Americana. Are these the genres I'm going to collect obsessively in my middles ages? Only time will tell. 

1. BECAUSE OF THE TIMES by KINGS OF LEON
The most underrated cd from the most underrated band. I played this cd over and over and over like a college student. I made Fans my ringtone. I bought every cd they made on the strength of this one. I stop and watch that car commercial with their song in it just to think about their song. Live at the Ram's Head they were every bit as strong. In the latest NME there was a poster for their tour date at Wembley - if there were justice, they'd be filling stadiums in their homeland too.

2.  POP LIFE by DAVID GUETTA
This marked my first year of attending the Winter Music conference in Miami, the biggest dj event in North America. Mostly, this event takes all thats good about Miami (great clubs and dance music) and multiplies it. And it takes all that's bad about Miami (rude Eurotrash, overpriced drink and club admission) and multiplies it. You can't possibly see all you want, you couldn't afford it for one with door prices ranging in the $100 vicinity. So at the big outdoor event, I wanted to see as much as possible. I'd always thought David Guetta was a bit cheesy, but live he may have been one of the most fun and crowd-pleasing djs I've ever seen. He mixes his own dance tracks in with 90's hits from Chili Peppers, and Lindsay Buckingham, and Nirvana. I would never have believed that I'd have danced in the rain with my first in the air to Smells Like Teen Spirit in 2007. But you couldn't resist. This cd is Guetta's own club hits, frequently accompanied by soulful singer Chris Willis. He's my favorite dj and I'm about to move to France (or Ibiza) to see him more often.

3.  SMOKEY ROLLS DOWN THUNDER CANYON by DEVENDRA BANHART
I should hate this. I hate hippies. And twee. And acoustic guitar. Yet, Devendra has a hold on me. i think his lyrics are clever, his stage presence unreal, and this cd a diverse collection of things that sound like The Doors, to Syd Barrett to Nick Drake.  I think it's nuanced, and beautiful. Live, at the synagogue in DC, it was a hipster good time.

4. GHETTOBLASTER by ARMAND VAN HELDEN
The best cd not played at Studio 54 that sounds like it could have been played at Studio 54.

5.  FABRIC LIVE 34 by ELLEN ALLIEN
I LOVE the Fabric comps. This might be my favorite one, maybe cause I saw Ellen Allien at Fabric.

6. FAVORITE WORST NIGHTMARE by ARCTIC MONKEYS
I would have thought the Monkeys were a one hit wonder. But Fluorescent Adolescent is as good, if not better than anything on the first cd. "You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress." is the lyric of 2007.

Honorable mentions: Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, Supermayer, The Good, the Bad and the Queen, Marilyn Manson's "Heart Shaped Glasses." And lest we forget Umberella. Hey hey hey hey hey.

***MY 2007 LIST*********************
by Chris Mohan

10. ROCKIN' MID-9o's PUNKERS! by THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
09. YOU FOLLOW ME by NINA NASTASIA & JIM WHITE
08. LIVING WITH THE LIVING by TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
07. 23 by BLONDE REDHEAD
06. LOVE'S MIRACLE by QUI
05. BEYOND by DINOSAUR JR.
04. 100 DAYS, 100 NIGHTS by SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS
03. GOING WAY OUT WITH HEAVY TRASH by HEAVY TRASH
02. NORTH STAR DESERTER by VIC CHESNUTT
01. SKY BLUE SKY by WILCO

***2007 MUSIC********************* 
by Scott Sugiuchi

I listened to a LOT of music this year. Probably more than ever. Mostly because I stopped buying CDs (see my website list) and just concentrated on digital downloads. I can’t say that I miss having the actual physical object in hand either. It reminds me of the pre-MTV age when I had no idea what any rock stars looked like and I imagined they all looked like the dirty hippies I used to see hitch-hiking by the side of the road (or, if you will, The Eagles). Of course, I now have the convenience of looking them up on the net. Ugh. I liked it better when I just didn’t know.

1. ONE TEN HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLION by THE OCTOPUS PROJECT
The soundtrack to everything awesome.

2. NEW SEASONS by THE SADIES
I didn’t really dig their live album (excessive has-been Jon Spencer...yes, he’s still alive) but this is a nice comeback. Great late period Byrds influence continues. Slick harmonies, a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.

3. ROCK AND ROLL BACKLASH by THE WOGGLES
First album with ex-Guadacanal Diary guitarist Jeff Walls. Great mix of garage rock thud and power pop explosions. Makes me want to start a band every time I listen. Who’s with me?

4. 2006 RECORDINGS (CD-R) by THEE MYSPELLED
Atlanta supergroup of garage rock nobodies from the Woggles, Flypped Wyggs and Royal Pendletons. Heavy farfisa damage with no production values whatsoever (that’s a good thing). Hopefully they put out a proper album next year.

5. THE REMINDER by FEIST
Okay it’s ubiquitous but this album is fantastic from end to end. Love the voice, love the songs.

6. COUNTRYPOLITAN FAVORITES by SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS
I fell in love with this one. SCOTS reworks everything from The Golliwogs (Fogerty’s pre-CCR combo) to Tammy Wynette and dare I say it...a superior version of the Byrds’ “Have You Seen Her Face”. If you don’t really warm up to this trio, I’d recommend this as an easy entry point.

7. TIO BITAR by DUNGEN
Swedish, psychedelic, good. Like the meatballs at Ikea.

8. THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE by HAM1
Oddball pop and instrumental goodness. Featuring cellos and trombones. Played to about 10 people at a gallery here in Balto over the summer. Hopefully this Athens, GA combo of various Elephant Six cast offs and hangers on will come back soon.

9. DANDELION GUM by BLACKMOTH SUPER RAINBOW
Did I buy into the hype? Yes. Yes I did. And it’s totally true. Great instrumentals combining analog and synthetic sounds. I can see this getting seriously abused on TV commercials and sports programs.

10. RENTACROWD by LEN PRICE 3
Another hit from Little Steven “Silvio” Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool label. This trio hits a sweet spot between Billy Childish Medway garage thunder and mod pop. Utterly hummable stuff.

***TOP MUSIC FOR 2007*********************
by Joe Kang

This year I purchased an eMusic subscription.  Along with other methods and specific releases that came out this year, I actually managed to assemble a list that's comprised entirely of material that was released in 2007.  This list is not in any particular order.

1. KALA by M.I.A.
A much more consistent album than her first, "Arular", and thus more enjoyable all the way through.  Favorite tracks would have to be "Paper Planes" (yes, I love the use of The Clash's "Straight to Hell" in this song), "Jimmy" (love the video), "Hussel" and "Mango Pickle Down River" (primarily for The Wilcania Mob and use of digeridoo).  If you can find them, worth tracking down are the "Paper Planes" remix featuring Bun B. (of Underground Kings) and Rich Boy and "Paper Planes" with the original chorus unmasked by gunshots.

2. IN RAINBOWS by RADIOHEAD
Finally, a Radiohead album worth listening to all the way through.  While I could appreciate some of the digressions made with "Kid 'A'", "Amnesiac" and "Hail to the Thief", this seems like the more worthy successor to "OK Computer".  I'm not sure what the change was, but this album seems much more of a group effort than the previous few.  I opted to pay for my download.  I think I paid whatever the GBP equivalent to $10 was at the time of release.

3. IN OUR BEDROOM AFTER THE WAR by STARS
More good music coming out of Canada.  More good music from the Arts and Crafts label.  Torquil Campbell, Amy Millan, and Evan Cranley are also members of Broken Social Scene.  However, don't make the assumption that this will sound like BSS because it doesn't.  Stars' material is less "rock" than BSS, more pop.  If you enjoyed their previous album, "Set Yourself on Fire", you'll definitely want to pick up this one.

4. UNTRUE BY BURIAL
5. FROM THE SHADOWS by CYRUS/RANDOM TRIO
6. TECTONIC PLATES by VARIOUS ARTISTS
7. UNDERWATER DANCEHALL by PINCH
These four comprise, from a genre perspective, the bulk of what I listened to in 2007.  Generally referred to as "dubstep", it's influenced by dub, dancehall, jungle/drum'n'bass, and the UK garage/2-step scenes.  What I like about this music is that it seems to incorporate a lot of what appeals to me musically at a base level.  Dub-inflected beats and deep, deep bass.  Best enjoyed on a system that can produce good bottom end and can be played loudly.

8. BEAT KONDUCTA VOL. 3-4: BEAT KONDUCTA IN INDIA by MADLIB
9. DR. NO'S OXPERIMENT by OH NO
10. OUT THERE by THE HELIOCENTRICS
Three releases from the Stones Throw label.  Actually, the Heliocentrics release is on the "Now-Again" imprint/sub-label.  Details, details. 

In any case, the Madlib release is an Indian-flavored beat record.  Lots of sample from Indian music records and Bollywood films.  No real lyrics or rapping to speak of (a few vocal samples and toasts here and there).  Just lots of very nice instrumental tracks.  Can't go wrong with Madlib beats.

Oh No is Madlib's brother.  But, while you can hear some similarities in their stuff, they definitely are not two sides of the same coin.  While the Madlib release is galavanting around the Indian sub-continent, Oh No is busy playing with Turkish, Lebanese, Greek & Italian psyche funk to great effect.  Also, like the Madlib release, this one is all instrumentals as far as I can recall.

11. FRIEND OPPORTUNITY by DEERHOOF
A very enjoyable Deerhoof album.  Probably the most accessible of the three or four that I've heard (their most recent ones).  Worth buying as an actual CD because it came with a whole pile of alternate Dave Shrigley-painted album artwork.

***BEST ALBUMS OF 2007 *********************
by Sarah Pinsker

1. GA GA GA GA GA by SPOON
My favorite album of the year, or at least the most listened to.

2. NEON BIBLE by ARCADE FIRE
I liked this in a different way than I liked Funeral, and not quite  as much; it almost feels like a different band, but I still like it.

3.MAGIC by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
So much better than I expected.  How does he still make viable, vital music when all of his peers are just living off their past glories? I think part of it is E Street, but I loved the whole Seeger Sessions thing too. In any case, if all you'veheard of this album is "Radio Nowhere" or "Girls in Their Summer Clothes", try listening to the rest of the album a time or two. There are some great songs. The title track is gorgeous.

4. LIVING WITH THE LIVING by TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS

5. CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH by PATTY GRIFFIN
Patty Griffin  could sing ABBA covers for the rest of her career and I would still buy her albums.

6. THE HISTORICAL CONQUESTS OF JOSH RITTER by JOSH RITTER
I adored "The Animal Years", and I think it was slightly more accessible than this album, but it is steadily growing on me.

7. BACK TO BLACK by AMY WINEHOUSE
I hate her lyrics, but I love the sound.

8. I CAN'T GO ON I'LL GO ON by THE BROKEN WEST
Shimmery and catchy.

9. SISTER SUVI
A trio from Montreal that we played with a couple of times this year. I really like their music.  The EP is kind of more of an artifact; I miss the funny faces they make when they play.

10. THE FUTURE KINGS OF NOWHERE
We played with these guys too, and I liked the acoustic agression.

***TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2007*********************
by Carl D. Orr

Here's my top ten albums of 2007, with the caveat that I am not nearly as cool as I used to be.

1. THE STAGE NAMES by OKKERVIL RIVER
2. GA GA GA GA GA by SPOON
3. THE SHEPHERD’S DOG by IRON & WINE
4. CHALLENGERS by NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
5. SPIRIT IF by KEVIN DREW/BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
6. 100 DAYS, 100 NIGHTS by SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS
7. THE FLYING CLUB CUP by BEIRUT
8. BEYOND by DINOSAUR JR.
9. THE BOY WHO COULDN'T STOP DREAMING by CLUB 8
10. WRITER'S BLOCK by PETER BJORN AND JOHN

***TOP MUSIC OF 2007*********************
by simeon

THE LAST POST by CARBON/SILICONE, MICK JONES, TONY JAMES
The old geezers still got it.

FANTASTIC PLAYROOM by THE NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB
Best album of 1980 this year!

REFORMATION POST T.L.C. by THE FALL
A really bad Fall album is still better than 95% of what's released these days.

CRYSTAL RAINBOW PYRAMID UNDER THE STARS by ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
I gave up on these guys a couple of years ago. Glad I checked this one out (but I still need a refund for about a dozen stinkers tho).

O(h)M: TELESMA
Proving that new-agey-world-music doesn't always have to blow.

***BEST ALBUMS OF 2007*********************
by Ilya Yablochnikov

1. NO DISCO FUTURE by MELCHIOR PRODUCTIONS
Druggy minimal house music. Such delicate sounds, unusual samples and rhythms that do much more than merely kicking the old four to the floor. Appropriately, one of the tracks is called The Hypnotist. These tracks just put you into a groove you never want to get out of.

2. COLDEST SEASON by ECHOSPACE
The deepest sounds you are likely to hear this year. Creating mesmerising textures with analogue synths and effects. A big piece of the dub techno comeback of 2007.

3. SEI ES DRUM by VILLALOBOS
This is only available on vinyl and more of a collection of dj tools than anything. Nevertheless I prefer this to his Fabric 36 mix which features many of these tracks. 70 minutes and 15 tracks just didn't give enough room for these tracks to breathe. In many ways this is similar to the Melchior Productions album.

4. FROM HERE W E GO SUBLIME by THE FIELD
All the tracks follow the same template - take a short, warm sample and loop the hell out of it while putting a steady kick and low bass under it all. Nevertheless this produces beatiful, warm music that could be compared to shoegaze. No wonder all the indie kids love it.

5. PERSON PITCH by PANDA BEAR
The most universally beloved album this year. Beatiful songs and fine noise scapes.

6. DISCO ROMANCE by SALLY SHAPIRO
I'll just quote discogs user shawnc on this "Trance-like and deceptively upbeat, this is an astoundingly palatable blend of Italo/post-disco and European electro-pop (maybe like Saint Etienne or Pizzicato Five, sans the overt kitsch) tightly wrapped in a protective cocoon of nostalgia and melancholy."

7. UNTRUE by BURIAL
A really unique voice who is arguably an even better interviewee than producer. The amount of writing this has provoked is staggering. Excellent recontextualisation of r&b samples to uk garage beats and urban atmospherics. Post-rave music (in all senses of the word).

8. OVERPOWERD by ROISIN MURPHY
Another disco revival but this time looking back to early 80's US rather than mid-80's Italy. The lyrics are much more sophisticated though I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. Unfortunately some of the best tracks are not on the CD - one is a b-side to the lead single and the other is an iTunes bonus track.

9. UNDERWATER DANCEHALL by PINCH
The beats lack some meat but this is still a fine dubstep album. Toss out the vocal CD and keep the instrumental. The name is pretty self-descriptive.

10. 23 SECONDS by COBBLESTONE JAZZ
A collection of spacey tech-house that just won't sit still. Now if only something could be done about those vocoders.

***ALBUMS OF 2007*********************
by Ted Wed

MARDULCE by BAJOFONDO CLUB
Coolest Electrotango band will transport you to Buenos Aires pronto.

BACK TO BLACK by AMY WINEHOUSE
Great voice; Joplinian death wish.

CANSEI DER SER SEXY by CSS
Teens from Sao Paulo with infectious bratty dance pop

HEY HEY MY MY YO YOU by JUNIOR SENIOR
Young lads from one of the lands of ice and snow with deconstructed 60s,70s and 80s sounds remelded and metamorphosized into something bigger.

DATAROCK DATAROCK by DATAROCK
Young Norges who have listened to way too much early Talking Heads.

WITH LASERS by BONDE DO ROLE
There will always be a representative of the Rio Favela Booty sound on my best list.

SOUND OF SILVER by LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
Come on-infectious! "North American Scum" alone is worth the price-elemental  minimal sound with a BEAT.

FUR AND GOLD by BAT FOR LASHES
Weird otherworldly quasi Celtic but more interesting

FRANCE by CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG
The inevitable offspring of the coupling of  Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin of "Je t'aime" fame. Beautiful and breathy

VERSION by MARK RONSON
Party with all the hot artists with the hottest DJ-Amy, Lily, Dap-Kings are all here

LITTLE DRAGON by LITTLE DRAGON
Vixen chanteuse-intricate, unique songs and sounds-you would never place these guys as representatives of Sweden.

KALA by M.I.A.
The hottest, sexiest, most accessible hip hop disc since Tribe Called Quest, with some surprise guests.

SUNSHINE TODAY by MO'HORIZIONS
Odd techno geeks who attract strong female singers and manufacture crunching beats

ROOTS OF CHICHA by VARIOUS ARTISTS
Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru 1960's-you will smell the reefer and will act accordingly: bouncing, bopping, snapping and smiling.

***ALBUMS I DON'T GET HOW OTHERS GOT******************
by Benn Ray

1. BOXER by THE NATIONAL
Every time I try and listen to The National, I hear The Crash Test Dummies. I didn't like them the first time around. Sorry, Chris Iseli. When I said these guys "sound like Barenaked Ladies", I meant Crashtest Dummies.

2. BECAUSE OF THE TIMES by KINGS OF LEON
I'm not saying this is a bad album at all. It's not. It's okay. It's very, very okay. Like nondescript (for Kings Of Leon) or mediocre okay. I really don't get what the hype was about (and I like this band). What is it that I'm not hearing that other people are? What's the secret here?

3. CRYPTOGRAMS by DEERHUNTER
Are there songs here? I missed them.

***WORST ALBUM COVER OF THE YEAR*********************
by Benn Ray

KALA by MIA
I know this record ended up on a lot of Top 10 lists, and those lists might be right. It could be the greatest record of the 21st century so far. But the crappy ass cover of Kala reminds me so much other late, disposable, late '80s/early '90s dance pop records (Technotronic, C+C music facotory, Deee-lite) that even used CD sellers wouldn't buy back, that I can't disassociate those and actually by the album.

***RE-ISSUES OF THE YEAR*********************
by Chris Mohan

STILL by JOY DIVISION
(2 180 gram vinyl LP, Limited Edition 2007 re-release)

CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE by WEEN
(180 gram double gatefold 2 vinyl LP 2007 release)

DAYDREAM NATION by SONIC YOUTH
(Box Set, Deluxe Edition 4 LP Vinyl)

FRUIT TREE by NICK DRAKE
(3 LP + 1 DVD Box Set, Only 2,000 made on vinyl)

***BEST OF MUSIC (RE-ISSUES)*********************
by Joe Rybandt

MOTHERSHIP by LED ZEPPELIN
Louder and clearer for this release… vocals are still shit… lyrics are still poncy shit… and those drum solos on any live recording are boring and boring, but there’s a defining energy here that left its messy cumshot all over rock.
Defining Track: Kasmir

DAYDREAM NATION by SONIC YOUTH
Being a hardcore/punk rock kid, this may have been my first SY album and my god, what an album… under today’s microscope it loses some steam after such a powerful start, but this is an essential piece of any serious music library.
Defining Track: (duh) Teenage Riot

PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN by PINK FLOYD
Some would say their best, though I think it’s one of their best and while the loss of Barrett produced a completely different sound later on in their career, there is no better psychedelic album out there than this. Drugs help…
Defining Track: Interstellar Overdrive

THE JOSHUA TREE by U2
I boosted a cassette of War back in the day and followed U2 around their meandering career ever since. While it may seem trite to include this album, I still think it stands as a defining moment of music, if only for its first three tracks…
Defining Track: Where the Streets Have No Name/I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For/With or Without You

UNKNOWN PLEASURES by JOY DIVISION
CLOSER by JOY DIVISION
STILL by JOY DIVISION
Who would have guessed that 2007 would be Joy Division’s year? Defining and essential post-punk.
Defining Track: She’s Lost Control

***SONGS OF 2007*********************
by Sarah Pinsker

This was my end of year mix:
1. Rehab by Amy Winehouse
2. The Underdog by Spoon
3. My Man My Moon by Feist
4. Is There A Ghost by Band of Horses
5. Boy With A Coin by Iron & Wine
6. Magic by Bruce Springsteen
7. Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire
8. No Bad News by Patty Griffin
9. The Sons of Cain by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
10. Our Life is Not A Movie or Maybe by Okkervil River
11. The Temptation of Adam by Josh Ritter
12. Seasons Never Change: A Cat Called Cricket
13. Fake Empire by The National
14. New Orange Bike by Sister Suvi
15. 10 Simple Murders by Future Kings of Nowhere
16. Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse by Of Montreal
17. Middleman by Bright Eyes
18. Down in the Valley by The Broken West

***SONGS/SINGLES OF 2007*********************
by Ilya Yablochnikov

1. FIORI by AME
epic. 15 minutes of pure techno/trance/whatever you call it. What Derick May fans have been waiting for.

2. ROSE ROUGE (TAK-SU REMIX) by ST. GERMAIN
Maybe the most talked about track of 2007 in the mnml scene. Never officially released this has popped up in mixes from all the stalwarts like Villalobos, Luciano etc. in several versions. But it's not mere exclusivity hype - the vocal sample repeated again and again only grows more meaningful. I think it's time we got together.

3. HEATER by SAMIM
The most controversial dance track of 2007. Is it a slice of pure cheddar, a piece of cultural exploitation or a dancefloor bomb? I am clearly with the last of these options.

4. THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER by JICHAEL MACKSON
A mini dj-set. Taking us through a Maurizio dub techno track, the soothing voice of Boss Ross and that sample that you can't quite place at first but that reveals itself to be...well, I won't spoil the surprise. How Ableton should be used.

5. NOLLA3NOLLA EP by MONO JUNK
Contains the purest piece of techno as machine music in 2007, a rerelease of a sought after '93 acid track and an electro/ebm song to rival Liaisons Dangereuses.

6. VOLUME 1 by SYNTHEME
Six short tracks of the wickedest acid house leavened with some disco samples, breathing life into a twenty year old genre.

7. BEGGIN (PILOOSKI EDIT) by FRANKIE VALLI
Extends this forgotten 60's rock tune into a powerful dancefloor smasher.

8. SOUFFLE (SONJA MOONEAR DANS MA CASBAH MIX) by CHICA AND THE FOLDER
A little bit of exoticism in this moody bit of sing-along techno.

9. SATURN STROBE by PANTHA DU PRINCE
Would have placed much higher if it wasn't such a blatant piece of sampling. Practically taking a whole Roger Skempton composition and adding some bells on top.

10. WINTER EP by ARIL BRIKHA
How do you like your neo-trance? Hands-in-the-air or merely big-smile-plastered-on-your-face?

***BEST SHOWS OF 2007*********************
by Jamie Watson

Live: Any year that Daft Punk plays, they automatically win. So...
1. Daft Punk at Coney Island's Keyspan Park

2. Dan Deacon at Whartscape.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I was at the place the WHOLE WORLD wanted to be! Every blog had pictures, everyone talked it up, and I Was there! (tm James Murphy) Dan Deacon also rocked Virgin Fest more than anyone else.

3. PeteTong, Miami, Winter Music Conference.
OK, not Pete Tong himself, who doesn't even spin his own records, but the fact that he brought every dj who is anybody to that stage in a 2 hour period, followed by a set of Frankie Knuckles in which I stood about 10 feet away from the great House music pioneer.

4. all that stuff I mentioned above, Kings of Leon, Devendra Banhart, David Guetta, my holy triumvirate of 2007.

5. Panic at the Disco - Virgin Fest.
DON'T LAUGH! They were my biggest surprise. I know I'm losing all credibility here, and it's only going to be magnified when I say the ONLY reason I watched them is because they were on the same time as Bad Brains and I HATE Bad Brains. And I always have. But they were really talented! I thought their cover of The Band's The Weight was truly inspired. God, I'm so ashamed.

***BEST SHOWS OF 2007*********************
by Ilya Yablochnikov

1. April 5th @ Floristree - wzt hearts, scalpels + more.
My first show at Floristree - absolutely magical.

2. August 22 @ Ottobar - Stereo Total
All the hits, lots of great songs, great stage presence.

3. June 21 @ Ottobar - Panda Bear.
Near dark, the most polite crowd I have ever seen, total dreamscape.

4. September 8 @ Talking Head - 8 bit marathon.
One of the first shows after the reopening. Amazing what they can pull out of those Gameboys. The crowd was very up for it. Neat Nintendo visuals.

5. March 8 @ G-Spot - Noble Lake, Beach House.
My first time hearing both of these great bands. Just beatiful, dreamy music.

6. April 23 @ Ottobar - Acid Mothers Temple, Mammatus.
Fun theatrics from Mammatus, cosmic jams from AMT.

7. December 1 @ Floristree - Soft Pink Truth, Snack Truck.
Snack Truck played a fine set of instrumental rock. Soft Pink Truth killed it with his crazy music, costumes and videos.

8. November 19 @ Ottobar - Black Dice.
It was all about Black Dice that day. Powerful, raw electronics.

9. October 8 @ Ottobar - The Field.
It was a little too quiet and too short and I don't think he even lifted his head from the screen once but the music was wonderful. Moving a little past the formula he has established so well.

Comments

[Andrew]

Kala should have won album of the year!!!