Wednesday, 5 Dec 2007
Is 2007 really coming to a close? It’s hard to believe folks, but it’s year-end list time. Now is the time to throw up your favorites and argue endlessly about placement, albums left out, and the inevitable backlash on former favorites. Oh well, sign me up.
Most of you that stop by on the regular won’t be too surprised with the majority of my selections below. I think I either interviewed or wrote about every selection except for Radiohead, as if that really matters or they needed the extra bandwidth spent. Hard as it was to narrow our favorites down to thirty, there was still a ton of albums that probably deserved more attention and some that I definitely didn’t hear at all. Such is life and try as I may; you simply can’t listen to everything.
Check out the list below, and hopefully it will lead you to something you’ve yet to discover on your own. Before you dig in, and in case you missed it, don’t forget to check out our favorite concerts of the year. Alright, onto our favorite albums of 2007:
30. Bowerbirds | Hymn For a Dark Horse
MoB: 5 Questions With Bowerbirds
Myspace: Bowerbirds
MP3: Bowerbirds – Hooves
29. Pale Young Gentlemen | Pale Young Gentlemen
MoB: 5 Questions with Pale Young Gentlemen
Myspace: Pale Young Gentlemen
28. Six Parts Seven | Casually Smashed To Pieces
MoB: We Like: Six Parts Seven – “Casually Smashed To Pieces”
Myspace: Six Parts Seven
MP3: Six Parts Seven – “Stolen Moments”
27. Land of Talk | Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
MoB: 4 Questions with Land of Talk
Myspace: Land of Talk
26. Sunset Rubdown | Random Spirit Lover
MoB: We Like: Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
MP3: Sunset Rubdown – Winged/Wicked Things
MP3: Sunset Rubdown – Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days
Myspace: Sunset Rubdown
25. Interpol | Our Love to Admire
Myspace: Interpol
24. Feist | The Reminder
MoB: Review: Feist – Orpheum Theatre, Madison
Myspace: Feist
23. Richard Hawley | Lady’s Bridge
MoB: We Like: Richard Hawley – “Lady’s Bridge”
Myspace: Richard Hawley
22. Moviola | Dead Knowledge
MoB: Moviola :: Dead Knowledge
Myspace: Moviola
MP3: Moviola – “Rudy”
21. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew | Spirit If…
MoB: Video: Kevin Drew “Backed Out On The…”
Myspace: Kevin Drew
MP3: Kevin Drew – “tbtf”
20. Lewis & Clarke | Blasts of Holy Birth
MoB: 5 Questions with Lewis & Clarke
Myspace: Lewis & Clarke
MP3: Lewis & Clarke – “Before It Breaks You”
19. Menomena | Friend and Foe
MoB: We Like: Menomena – “Friend and Foe”
Myspace: Menomena
MP3: Menomena – “Wet & Rusting”
18. Phosphorecent | Pride
MoB: We Like: Phosphorescent – Pride
Myspace: Phosphorescent
MP3: Phosphorescent – “A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise”
17. Besnard Lakes | The Besnard Lakes Are A Dark Horse
MoB: We Like: The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
Myspace: The Besnard Lakes
MP3: The Besnard Lakes – “And You Lied To Me”
16. Iron & Wine | The Shepherd’s Dog
MoB: Sam Beam of Iron & Wine @ The Pabst – Milwaukee
Myspace: Iron & Wine
MP3: Iron & Wine – “Innocent Bones”
15. Wilco | Sky Blue Sky
MoB: Wilco: Overture Hall, Madison (9/11/07)
Myspace: Wilco
14. Arcade Fire | Neon Bible
MoB: Review: Arcade Fire @ Radio City Music Hall
Myspace: Arcade Fire
MP3: Arcade Fire – “Black Mirror”
13. Bill Callahan | Woke on a Whaleheart
Myspace: Bill Callahan
MP3: Bill Callahan – “Sycamore”
12. Band of Horses | Cease to Begin
Myspace: Band Of Horses
MP3: Band Of Horses – “Is There A Ghost”
11. Of Montreal | Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
MoB: We Like: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Myspace: Of Montreal
MP3: Of Montreal – “Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse”
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10. Jens Lekman | Night Falls Over Kortedala
MP3: Jens Lekman – ” The Opposite of Hallelujah”
MP3: Jens Lekman – “Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo”
9. LCD Soundsystem | Sound of Silver
MoB: Us And Them. Over & Over Again
Myspace: LCD Soundsystem
8. Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
MoB: We Like: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Myspace: Spoon
MP3: Spoon – “The Underdog”
7. New Pornographers | Challengers
MoB: Photos: The New Pornographers – Pabst Theater
Myspace: The New Pornographers
MP3: The New Pornographers – “My Rights, Versus Yours”
6. Great Lake Swimmers | Ongiara
MoB: 5 Questions with Great Lake Swimmers
Myspace: Great Lake Swimmers
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “I Am Part Of A Large Family”
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “Your Rocky Spine”
5. The Rosebuds | Night of the Furies
MoB: 5 Questions with The Rosebuds
Myspace: The Rosebuds
MP3: The Rosebuds – “Get Up Get Out”
4. Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago
MoB: Homegrown: Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Myspace: Bon Iver
MP3: Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
3. Radiohead | In Rainbows
Myspace: Radiohead
MP3: In Rainbows
2. Beirut | The Flying Club Cup
MoB: Review: Beirut – Portage Theater, Chicago
Myspace: Beirut
MP3: Beirut – “A Sunday Smile”
1. The National | Boxer
MoB: Review: The National @ The High Noon Saloon
Myspace: The National
MP3: The National – “Fake Empire”
More MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic
December 5th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I think the Flying Club Cup deserves to be bumped up a spot.
absolutely addictive.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:01 am
nice picks man – I’ll have to check out The Rosebuds. I’ve heard the name but never listened. Personally I’d have Phosphorescent higher, and Great Lake Swimmers much lower – that record didn’t last in my rotation. Most of your choices from 25-30 are others I haven’t heard, so I’ll have to check ‘em out also.
Boxer is going to be atop many lists, and deservingly so. What a great record.
Keep up the good work.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:05 am
James – had Phosphorescent come out early I’m sure it would have fared better and gotten a higher placement. If the year was starting today it would probably be in the top 8 because I listen to it almost daily.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Nice list Ryan. I would add a few to the mix.
Panda Bear’s Person Pitch is in the top 3 for me, along with Radiohead & The National. Andrew Bird’s, Armchair Apocrypha is top 15 for sure. Menomena could move up a few slots.
A few more I liked: Bjork, Bright Eyes, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Thurston Moore, Ryan Adams, & Deerhoof.
Welcome Back: Meat Puppets
Song: Fake Empire
December 5th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Only two albums on your list are going to make my favorites of 2007 list: Pale Young Gentlemen and Richard Hawley.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
i gotta go with yer top spot as well MOB,
plus they were my fav gig as well this year!
December 5th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Great List; nearly all of these albums will feature in my top 30, just in a different order. Like I would have Random Spirit Lover much higher.
For me, I would also include Strawberry Jam and Plague Park. I love those 2 records.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Nice to see some postive comments on completely subjective year end lists. The endless bitching gets old. Wayne, good call on Handsome Furs. Suprised to see no love for Okkervil River. The Avett Brothers will also be in my top ten along with Hotel Alexis. Good work guys!
December 6th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Good for you, Punker.
Looking forward to Bon Iver at Mad Planet.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:48 am
thank you thank you thank you for acknowledging the great lake swimmers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 7th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Good list. I’d also include Josh Ritter, Bettye LaVette, Jesse Malin, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, & Josh Rouse.
December 7th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
love love love lewis and clarke and great lake swimmers!
December 8th, 2007 at 9:31 am
very folky list. i like.
December 8th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Good list. Applause Cheer Boo Hiss first came out in April 2006, though.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Didn’t Black People Make Any Great Music This Year?
http://www.upthedownstair.net/2007/12/didnt-black-people-make-any-great-music.html
December 8th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Nice. Bon Iver is certainly in my “Best of ‘07″ .
December 10th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Flew with Sam and Sarah Beam on a flight from Denver to Albuquerque yesterday. No one else seemed to notice. I just stared at them thinking that they would ask me to hang out with them. Didn’t work.
December 11th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Great list Ryan! Boxer is certainly great.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
It seems crazy to me, as someone who’s been against techno my whole life, but as of the end of 2007, my favourite album for the year was Burial’s Untrue. I’m totally addicted to it. And Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha… man. It’s brilliant.
But good list, anyway!
February 26th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Great list, my only additions would be Lights Out Asia, “Tanks & Recognizers” and Holler, Wild Rose!, “Our Little Hymnal.” So great to see LCD Soundsystem made your list.