The remaining hours of 2007 are disappearing. In preparation for the new year and in addendum to our best of album list, I reached out to some friends and contributors for the albums they listened to the most in 2007.

Before diving in, I’ll leave you with the last bit of news for the year. In case you hadn’t heard and have no concrete plans for the evening; Radiohead are performing a special New Year’s Eve concert webcast tonight via Radiohead.tv. It’s my understanding that the broadcast will be kicking off around 6pm, Central and will be archived and rebroadcast tomorrow as well.

Have a great time tonight, and thanks for reading Muzzle of Bees. We’ll be back to business as usual tomorrow. Happy New Year!

Daniel Brielmaier
Muzzle of Bees Design+Photography / Contributor

1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. The National - Boxer
3. Radiohead - In Rainbows
4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
5. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
6. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
7. Menomena - Friend or Foe
8. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
9. The Good, The Bad & The Queen
10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

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Travis Weller
Muzzle of Bees Contributor

1. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
2. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
3. Feist - The Reminder
4. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
5. The One AM Radio - This Too Will Pass

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Tag Evers
Owner, True Endeavors

Feist — The Reminder
Ryan Adams — Easy Tiger
Fiery Furnaces — Widow City
Spoon — GaGaGaGa
The National — Boxer

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Matt Allen
Ice Cream Man
“Albums I listened to most in 2007”

Avett Brothers – Emotionalism
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
The National - Boxer
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
New Pornographers – Challengers
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Miracle Fortress – Five Roses
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Illinois – What the Hell do I know?
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

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Y Mae Sussman
Promotions Director, WSUM

1. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
4. The National - Boxer
5. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

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Jesse Russell
Dane101.com
Favorite Records of 2007:

1. Sunset Rubdown :: Random Spirit Lover
2. Beirut :: The Flying Cup Club
3. Amiina :: Kurr
4. Les Savy Fav :: Let’s Stay Friends
5. Old Time Relijun :: Catharsis in Crisis
6. Dizee Rascal :: Maths + English
7. Animal Collective :: Strawberry Jam
8. PJ Harvey :: White Chalk
9. Pale Young Gentlemen :: s/t
10. Dean and Britta :: Back Numbers

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Jake Feala
Sqrabbit.com

3/4 of the year my ipod wasn’t updating to lastfm so it’s a little
skewed toward tracks I listened to at home only. I was hoping to just
pick up the top 5 from there. Instead, here are albums know by heart
this year:

5. Feist “The Reminder”
4. LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
3. Menomena “Friend and Foe”
2. Arcade Fire “Neon Bible”
1. Fields “Everything Last Winter”

If I had a few honorable mentions they would be Beirut, Band of
Horses, and Okkervil River. Also I surprised myself with how much I
listened to Mika and Nicole Willis. I seriously have not gotten a
chance to listen to In Rainbows yet because the website crashed when I
tried to download.

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Christopher May aka DJ Evil Vince
Freelance Photographer and DJ
“Albums I listened to most in 2007”
1. Curtis Mayfield - Live
2. Bedouin Soundclash - Sounding The Mosaic
3. Hollie Smith - Long Player
4. Mutabaruka - Check It!
5. Conscious Roots 1, 2, and 3 (New Zealand Reggae/Roots Music Compilations)

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Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

Here is the Wisconsin show we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list.

1/5 - Black Eyed Snakes/Decibully/Scag 48 - High Noon Saloon, Madison

MoB: 5 Questions with Decibully

Must See: Don’t miss the Take Away Shows from the Handsome Furs courtesy of our friends at La Blogotheque.

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

2007 is quickly coming to a close. In preparation for the new year, I decided to reach out to some of the artists who released the albums that I listened to the most as well as some other favorites. Check back tomorrow for some of our friends favorites as we close out the year.

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

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Justin Vernon
Bon Iver

Bowerbirds - Hymns For a Dark Horse
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Feist - The Reminder
Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

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Ivan Howard
The Rosebuds
It was kinda hard as far as “whole albums” go. I could have made a song list three pages long but here are some of the records I have listened to the most this past year

5. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Enon - Grass Geysers… Carbon Clouds
3. Stars - In our bedroom after the war
2. The National - Boxer
1. Peter, Bjorn and John - Writers block

others that are up there too:

Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
The Ponys - Turn out the lights
Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago
LCD Sund System - Sounds of Silver
Caribou - Andorra

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Tony Dekker
Great Lake Swimmers

“Albums I listened to most in 2007”

1. Timber Timbre - “Medicinals”
2. Basia Bulat - “Oh My Darling”
3. Arthur & Yu - “In Camera”
4. PJ Harvey - “White Chalk”
5. Death Vessel - “Stay Close”

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Elizabeth Powell
Land of Talk

“Albums I listened to most in 2007”

1. Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever ago”
2. BowerBirds “Hymns for a Dark Horse”
3. Eulogies “Eulogies”
4. The Luyas “Faker Death”
5. Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”

I also listened to Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House, Gillian Welch’s :Soul Journey”, the soundtrack to Eddy and the Cruisers (on cassette), Montreal bands “Orillia Opry” and ‘Plants and Animals’. also, Early Bonnie Raitt, Patty GRiffin, Amateur Love, Black Mountain, Besnard Lakes, Karen Dalton, Lots of Will Oldham….

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Jerry Dannemiller
Moviola

“Albums I listened to most in 2007”

1. Karen Dalton - In My Own Time
2. The Four Mints – Gently Down Your Stream
3. Person Pitch – Panda Bear
4. No Age – Weirdo Rippers
5. Times New Viking – Present the Paisley Reich

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Phil Moore
Bowerbirds
“Albums I listened to most in 2007 (didn’t necessarily come out in 2007)”
1. “Zimbabwe - Shona Mbira Music” (Nonesuch Explorer Series)
2. Battles: “Mirrored”
3. Mamadou Diabate: “Heritage”
4. Des Ark: “Loose Lips Sink Ships”
5. Smog: “Woke on a Whaleheart”

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John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice

1. radiohead, in rainbows
2. deutsche bachsololisten, bach, a musical offering
3. art pepper, meets the rhythm section
4. lil wayne , da drought 3
5. season five of the wire!

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Miguel Castillo
Catfish Haven

1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. A Place to Bury Strangers - S/T
3. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
5. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings

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Ezra Feinberg
Citay

1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
2. The Papercuts - Can’t Go Home (Gnomonsong)
3. Concentrick - Aluminum Lake (Drag City)
4. The Fucking Champs - VI (Drag City)
5. Entrance - Prayer Of Death (TeePee)

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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

++

MoB: Best Albums of 2007
MoB: Best Concerts of 2007

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

On February 12th The Bell will release Make Some Quiet on Badman Recordng and it’s also the first 2008 release to get stamped with our We Like stamp of approval.

Make Some Quiet channels vintage Joy Division and The Cure with a smattering of Turn On the Bright Lights era Interpol. The Bell hail from Sweden, and their first single, “I Am History” was recently featured as the NPR Song of The Day. While the physical album doesn’t see a release date until next year, you can purchase and receive the digital copy instantly by purchasing it here.

I could ramble on at length about how much I recommend this album. Instead, I’ve included their two videos below in addition to my favorite track “On and On” for your enjoyment.

The Bell - “Make Some Quiet”

The Bell - “I Am History”

Myspace: The Bell
MP3: The Bell - “On And On”

The hard working students that make up the WUD Music Committee have confirmed Cursive for a performance at Club 770 on Thursday, April 3rd. Student tickets will be $15 in advance and $17 day of show with public tickets being an additional $1 for either option.

We’re riding this holiday season out till the new year, so expect sporadic news and updates until 2008. What’s new and fresh out there?

Myspace: Cursive
MP3: Cursive - “Bad Sects”
MP3: Cursive - “Dorothy at Forty”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

When Wilco unleashed “Too Far Apart” at Overture Hall here in Madison earlier this year it took me a good minute to figure out what song it was. Having immersed myself in their records, this momentarily left me befuddled until the first chorus. The guitar now a little more distorted, but chugging along nonetheless, Nels Cline has left his mark all over the song with his solo towards the end. What once was just another song on the band’s debut A.M., has now become one of the songs I listen to most when I point my iPod in the direction of Wilco.

Enter the return of rBally, who on consecutive days posted the entire and amazing sounding recording of Wilco’s show at Troutdale, Oregon on August 22, 2007.

With an upcoming five night stint at the Riviera in Chicago where the band promises to “explore their entire recorded catalog and each show will feature a one-of-a-kind setlist” one can only hope that a lot more of their deeper cuts become resurrected as “Too Far Apart” did on their last tour.

With big thanks and a welcome back to Jennings at rBally for the tune, and a selfish hope that someone reading this will have an extra ticket for any night of their upcoming five in Chicago I offer a beautiful version of “Too Far Apart below.”

Myspace: Wilco
MP3: Wilco - “Too Far Apart” (Live from Troutdale, Oregon on August 22, 2007)
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Photo: Daniel Brielmaier for Muzzle of Bees

Per usual, set your browser to Daytrotter enough and you’re bound to uncover new beauties on the regular. That is certainly the case with the session Thao Nguyen did back in August 2006, one of the first sessions I downloaded and now have a reason to revisit.

On January 29th Kill Rock Stars will release Thao with the Get Down Stay Down We Brave Bee Stings And All, and since we’ve already posted one bee related suggestion this week, what better time than now to place this release on your radar for the beginning of next year. Vocally, Thao reminds me of Karen O without the soaring heights of fury and caged tiger persona, though I’ve not yet seen Thao Nguyen live. Instead, Thao is content to strum and sing her tunes in a composed manner that places her sound a little closer to Tegan and Sara, only not exactly…

Enough with my comparisons, that will probably only turn you away, so instead grab the tunes below to hear for yourself what’s to come on January 29th, and don’t forget about that Daytrotter session either!

Myspace: Thao Nguyen
MP3: Thao Nguyen - “Bag of Hammers”
MP3: Thao Nguyen - “Beat (Health, Life and Fire)”

Richard Hawley’s Lady’s Bridge landed on our favorite albums of the year list and has definitely been one of the most listened to albums over the past three months. Yesterday, the video for “Valentine” was released and is shared below for your enjoyment.

Richard Hawley - “Valentine”

Myspace: Richard Hawley

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Elsewhere: Wired has two great contributions from David Byrne on “Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists — and Megastars” and an interview/conversation with Thom Yorke “on the Real Value of Music.”

Also: Can You See The Sunset reveals his top ten favorite albums of the year.

Galactic make their way back to Madison on Thursday, February 21st for a show at the Majestic Theatre. We cut our teeth on the funk and soul that comprised Crazyhorse Mongoose and Coolin’ Off. Their live offering We Love ‘Em Tonight sound tracked the latter half of my summer back in 2001.

Though we miss the good old days when The Houseman brought his uplifting and soulful voice to the equation, we saw first hand the new incarnation of Galactic this past summer at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. In fact, my friend Justin wrote for MoB that it was “hands down, one of the best shows I’ve seen in a while.” That set took us into the very early morning, but with guest appearances by Charli 2na, Lyrics Born, Lateef the Truth Speaker, Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab, Mr. Lif and Boots Riley who can blame us for sticking around (full disclosure: I left at 3:45am, Justin stuck around).

Galactic followed up this performance with the release of From the Corner to the Block, which continues to expand their musical palette by incorporating hip hop into their recordings and subsequent tour. Providing a great opportunity to see and hear this new and refined Galactic sound is their upcoming show at the Majestic Theatre in Madison that will feature Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 performing with Galactic on stage and Ohmega Watts as the opener. Should be a hot sweaty night.

Aquarium Drunkard: Off The Record :: Stanton Moore (New Orleans, LA)

Myspace: Galactic
Myspace: Ohmega Watts
Video: Galactic with Chali 2na at Bonnaroo 2007

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

William Fitzsimmons’ Goodnight has been on heavy rotation here since we recently became aware of his acoustic prowess. William was cool enough to participate in our ongoing 5 Questions with Muzzle of Bees feature, check it out below and don’t forget to give him a listen.

Could you lend some information on the recording process of Goodnight? Where and how was it recorded, and were there any lessons learned that you’ll apply towards future recording sessions?

“Goodnight” took me about 5 months to record and mix, from start to finish. Looking back on it, it was actually a pretty overwhelming process. I did it all at my old home in Pittsburgh, in a small study I turned into a make-shift studio. I sealed and boarded up the windows, put foam all over the walls. It was actually kind of an ominous/depressing atmosphere to work in, especially for that long, but I think given the subject matter of the record, it was probably fitting. Although all the writing and most of the performance elements were mine, I did have several friends contribute talents to the record as well, most notably my friend Ingrid Michaelson, who sang on several of the songs. I’m extremely proud of the record, but I think if there was a lesson learned from the process, it’s that it’s never wise to shut yourself off from the world like that, no matter how important your work might be to you.

The internet has dramatically altered the way artists can reach an audience. With things like blogs/myspace/etc, what are your thoughts on the power of the internet in terms of helping (or hurting) your music?

I’ve only found the internet to be helpful in terms of my music thus far. If it weren’t for being able to put my songs on Myspace, for example, I don’t see how anyone would have heard my music to begin with. If there is a pitfall, I suppose it would be that so much of the industry has been decentralized now, so it’s more difficult for individual listeners to find artists who might still be under the radar ( i.e. just because there are so many people putting music out there now). But it’d be difficult for me to criticize the very process that enabled me to have the job I do! I think it’s important to remember that at the most basic level, the listener will always have the power to either support a given artist, or ignore them. The internet certainly has and will continue to influence that process, but I don’t think it can change that fundamental aspect.

We just wrapped up our favorite concerts and albums of 2007, do you have any shows or albums that stood out as favorites for you this past year?

I’m always careful to never give a ‘best of’ list myself, because I’m so terrible about keeping up with new music, shows, and so forth. However, I have been greatly enjoying Beirut’s latest CD, and the new Iron and Wine disc. I’m also addicted to several friends’ albums: Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, and Paper Route. I had the great fortune of touring with both Ingrid and Cary this past year, and I would tell anyone to take any chance to see them they could. It’s wonderful music made by good people.

What does 2008 hold for you with regards to recording and touring?

I’m just now looking at getting things started in terms of setting up touring for 2008. I have no idea about when, where, or who with, but it should be my most traveled year yet. I’m also in the process of figuring out recording for my next record. I have just about all the songs written, but I’m not sure what direction I want to take in terms of actually making the album. I’ve been thinking very seriously about doing the next one in a proper studio. Production work is hard! I think I might want to let somebody else have the headaches for this one.

You play a Taylor guitar. How long have you had it and how did you go about deciding to go with that model/brand?

Yeah, that little Taylor has been with me for I think around 7 years. It was used on both records, and goes with me every tour. It actually has a crack in it from an unfortunate incident of mishandling at an airport a little while back, but still sounds wonderful. It was a gift from a great old friend. It just felt rather perfect in my hands the first time I played it. It has a pretty bright voice, and it plays like a dream. I don’t think I’d trade that guitar for anything.

Myspace: William Fitzsimmons

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic