‘Tis the season for list-making. Wish lists, naughty & nice lists… and certainly many of you already have a mental inventory going of the musical highlights of 2007. Well, here’s your chance to put it down in official blog-comment form. But here’s the kicker… unlike your standard “best albums” lists, Beard Crumbs wants to know which music acts did everything right… the perfect record, beautiful album art, great on-stage and off-stage presence, or any additional marketing tactics that made them stand out as your “Fav of ’07.”
List as many or as few as you’d like. Can’t remember them all? Here’s a tip for iTunes users: create a Smart Playlist for the year 2007. Or, check out Stereogum’s Heavy Rotation list, Paste list, and Harp list. You can also cast your vote in their Gummy Awards, now through 12/6.
December 2, 2007
Best of 2007
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6 comments:
2007 was a great year in my music world. Pearl Jam's new album (2006 I know assholes) was solid and seeing them at Lollapalooza verified that they are still one of the top live acts ever. On top of that Ed Vedder's solo record (2007) for "Into The Wild" is great chilled out album..... thumbs up to PJ.
Although he didn't have an album out this year (at least yet), Dave Matthews has to be one of the most entertaining musicians around. I saw him and Tim Reynolds in Europe 4 times during a their spring acoustic tour.....sick. On top of touring all spring with Tim he comes back to the states and tours with his band for 4 months.....relentless in his dedication and passion for music. Truly an icon of our generation.
I hate to be a mainstream bitch, but these are the acts I was able to see in my fucked up traveling life. Can anyone else argue a case for other popular bands being at the level of these two aforementioned rockers?
Tool? Foo?
Smaller bands that I'm partial to: Muse, John Butler Trio, Chevelle and Modest Mouse.....all had a really good 2007.
Holler back bitches, later on.
Ok, I've got my list down to 20. I can't say that any "mainstream bitch" music stood out to me, but I'm not sure which of these bands might be considered mainstream by now. Maybe The White Stripes, who btw really let me down this year with a weaker album than usual and a no-show at ACL Fest. Anyhoo, here's what I've been digging lately...
20. Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
19. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
18. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
17. Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
16. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thuder
15. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga/Four Winds
14. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
13. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
12. Daft Punk – Alive
11. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
10. Feist – The Reminder
9. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
8. LCD Soundsytem – Sound of Silver
7. Interpol – Our Love to Admire
6. Various Artists - I’m Not There Original Soundtrack
5. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
4. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
3. The Shins – Wincing the Night Away
2. Radiohead – In Rainbows
1. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
can i vote for all mixtape appearances of Lil Wayne as my top 10? YOUNG MONEY!!!
1. Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
2. M.I.A. - Kala
3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
6. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
7. Lifesavas - Gutterfly
8. Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth
9. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
10. I can't think of anything else this year that I liked. :(
For what it's worth, my faves this year included (in no order whatsoever):
Feist - The Reminder
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford OST
Battles - Mirrored
Grinderman - Grinderman
Interpol - Our Love To Admire
Liars - Liars
Thurston Moore - Trees Outside The Academy
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning [2006, but I discovered it in 2007]
Holy Fuck - LP
I'm sure that I'm missing something here, that what age does to memory...
For me, Bloc Party was the one this year. Every track after about #3 on "A Weekend in the City" just gets better and better on each successive listen. Never thought these guys would grace the top spot for me, but songs like -- On, Kreuzberg, I Still Remember, Sunday -- just have some of the tastiest little guitar licks imaginable!
Son Volt's "The Search" was another decent effort, but I just don't feel that Jay Farrar has the balls he used to on albums like "Trace" and he'll never be what he was with Tweedy in Uncle Tupelo, but I digress.
And finally, speaking of Tweedy, the new Wilco "Sky Blue Sky" is an interestingly mellowed out return to an old Wilco. Certainly not as noisy as some of the last couple efforts put forth (good thing), but also not terribly ambitious (sad thing). Still, good enough to make the cut for Impossible Germany alone.
Sure, sounds like my last two picks were more to blast than praise, but that's the state of things in 2007 for music. Well, big ups to Kanye too. That's not bad either.
Until the next Good Charlotte drops and Rhode sends me a copy, I'm stuck with what I have..... Happy holidays all.
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