The Top 21 Albums of 2007

01. American Gangster – Jay-Z

02. Boxer - The National

03. Open Field - Taken By Trees

04. In Rainbows - Radiohead

05. Can’t Go Back - Papercuts

06. Friend and Foe - Menomena

07. Strawberry Jam - Animal Collective

08. Person Pitch - Panda Bear

09. Curses - Future of the Left

10. The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse - The Besnard Lakes

11. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
12. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? - of Montreal
13. Graduation - Kanye West
14. Kala - M.I.A.
15. Scribble Mural Comic Journal - A Sunny Day In Glasgow
16. Everybody - The Sea and Cake
17. Attack Decay Sustain Release - Simian Mobile Disco
18. Da Drought 3 mixtape – Lil Wayne
19. The Flying Cup Club – Beirut
20. Comicopera – Robert Wyatt
21. 8 - Supesilent

honorable mention: s/t - A Place to Bury Strangers, Wizard of Ahhs EP – Black Kids, Alive 2007 - Daft Punk, No Shouts No Calls – Electrelane, It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land - Soulsavers, Present the Paisley Reich – Times New Viking, 8 Diagrams – Wu-Tang Clan

and for….
The Top 21 Tracks of 2007 [imeem playlist here!!!!]
01. “Fireworks” by Animal Collective
02. “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.
03. “A Sentence of Sorts In Kongsvinger” by of Montreal
04. “Hit the Heartbreaks” by Black Kids
05. “American Gangster” by Jay-Z
06. “Apartment Story” by the National
07. “One More Time”/”Aerodynamic” [live] by Daft Punk
08. “What a Job” by Devin the Dude featuring Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000
09. “Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem
10. “Rotten Hell” by Menomena
11. “To the East” by Electrelane
12. “Pots & Pans” by Les Savy Fav
13. “No. 6 Von Karman Street” by A Sunny Day In Glasgow
14. “Almost Ready” by Dinosaur Jr
15. “To Fix the Gash In Your Head” by A Place to Bury Strangers
16. “Stick Me For My Riches” by Wu-Tang Clan
17. “Bushels” by Frog Eyes
18. “Good Life” by Kanye West featuring T-Pain
19. “International Players Anthem” by UGK featuring OutKast
20. “Keep the Car Running” by Arcade Fire
21. “The World I Love” by Papercuts

finally, as with anybody, i did not get to listen (or listen adequately) to every album that came out last year…. here’s a short list of notable LPs that could’ve changed the face of either of these lists: Mirrored – Battles, Wild Mountain Nation – Blitzen Trapper, I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead – El-P, The Shepherd’s Dog – Iron & Wine, Myths of the Near Future – Klaxons, Night Falls Over Kortedala – Jens Lekman, New Moon – Elliott Smith, Marry Me – St. Vincent, Random Spirit Lover – Sunset Rubdown, The Con – Tegan & Sara (anyang, Yoo!)

Thao Nguyen – “Geography”/”Baby, I Love You” [Aretha Franklin cover]
There are very few things quite as absorbing as watching a talented singer perform with nothing but a lone acoustic guitar. All the more if it’s got a bit of soul. Another plus if said singer is a magnetic, engaging and certainly attractive woman. Double plus if there is water nearbly. These first two vids have all three. Thao Nguyen, lead singer of the Kill Rock Starts-signed alt-folkies Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, performs “Geography” (which you may have seen at P4k) from their upcoming album We Brave Bee Stings and All and a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Baby, I Love You” at a scenic Seattle marina.

http://www.thaomusic.com/
http://thaomusic.imeem.com/

Gruff Rhys – “Candylion”
Something for the young. Super Furry Animal makes Super Paper Animal.

http://www.myspace.com/candylionmusic

1990s – “See You at the Lights”
Now more upbeat and energetic but just as light and fun, and from a band with some convoluted, inconsequential historical link to Franz Ferdinand! From the 2007 album Cookies. “Get out like a blond gets out of a car”

http://www.1990s.tv/
http://www.myspace.com/1990sband

Oxford Collapse – “Please Visit Your National Parks”
I had completely forgotten about this band, and this song in particular, until I came across my previously-lost copy of the album underneath my desk. Wondeful song. Underrated album (2006′s Remember the Night Parties).

http://www.oxfordcollapse.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theoxfordcollapse

Róisín Murphy – “Overpowered”
European synth-pop/disco, anyone? Gots a crazy hat/hat-like object.

http://www.roisinmurphy.com/
http://www.myspace.com/roisinmurphy

Kanye West – “Throw Some D’s” [remix]
The beat to Rich Boy’s ode to 20+” rims, “Throw Some D’s” is, at least to my knowledge, the natural sound a yacht makes when bling is on board. Fortunately, some have taken it away rom the underwhelming flow of Rich Boy and given the beat it’s due (most notably Lil Wayne*). Now it’s Ye’s turn as he changes the D’s to another type of D’s and infuses his lyrics with his trademark ambiguity on the familiar topics of superficiality and image-consciousness.

http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/

Raekwon – “Incarcerated Scarfaces”
While writing about some albums coming up in 2008, I realized I had forgotten to include Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, the sequel to Rae’s 1995 debut and “ghetto mafioso” masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. Man, I fucked that up and I managed to give it a prominent spot in the upcoming feature. In the meantime, watch as Chef and Chef alone burns up all four minutes of this track off his classic LP. “Got guns? Got guns, too / What up, son? Wanna battle for cash / and see who’s Sun Tzu?”

http://www.raekwonthechef.com/
http://www.wutangcorp.com/

Ghostface Killah ft. Raekwon – “Apollo Kids”
Ghost and Rae’s first major debuts, Ironman and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… repesctively, could have been creditied to both men together as this blistering tandem was one factor that led to each album’s success (one of many, lest we forget RZA’s flawless production). On “Apollo Kids” from Ghost’s classic 2k album Supreme Clientele, Pretty Toney rips things up with ice cream cone in-hand for three verses until Rae comes out of nowhere with a superb fourth verse before Ghost comes back to wrap things up.

http://www.myspace.com/ghostface
http://www.wutangcorp.com/

Mclusky – “She Will Only Bring You Happiness”
You wouldn’t think to hear mention of two Welsh bands in one place but here you are following Gruff Rhys and his band Super Furry Animals (technically Mclusky makes three then if we’re gonna separate Rhys-solo and Rhys-Super Furry Animals). Anyways, here is the video for a single off the overlooked Mclusky’s brilliantly named 2004 album The Difference Between You and Me Is That I’m Not On Fire.

http://www.toopure.com/mclusky/

Future of the Left – “adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood”
Now four, count ‘em four, Wales-affiliated acts in one single blogpost. Must be a record. Unfortunately it comes at the cost of Mclusky, who disbanded in 2005. Two of that band’s members, Andy Falkous and Jack Egglestone, joined former members of fellow defunct Welsh noise band Jarcrew to form Future of the Left. Future of the Left released their great debut album Curses in September of last year. The violent “adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood” is the second single from the album.

http://www.futureoftheleft.com/
http://www.myspace.com/futureoftheleft

There Will Be Blood (Trailer/Deleted Scene)
This movie is slowly getting a wider and wider release, which is good news for anybody who likes movies. My excitement for this movie is phenomenal, as have been the reviews. I have the uncanny feeling that if it delivers, I may soon be seeing one of the greatest American films ever made. Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis… what else needs to be said? Oh yeah, score by Jonny Greenwood*. Until then, for your viewing pleasure, here is an alternate trailer for There Will Be Blood and a deleted scene that somehow made it onto YouTube.


http://www.paramountvantage.com/blood/

imeem Playlist HERE

stuff to make this blog stand out from the other million blogs coming shortly… until then…. enjoy:

1/15

In the Future - Black Mountain
1. Stormy High
2. Angels
3. Tyrants*
4. Wucan
5. Stay Free
6. Queen Will Play
7. Evil Ways
8. Wild Wind
9. Bright Lights
10. Night Walks

Distortion - Magnetic Fields
1. Three-Way
2. California Girls
3. Old Fools*
4. Xavier Says
5. Mr. Mistletoe
6. Please Stop Dancing
7. Drive On, Driver
8. Too Drunk Too Dream
9. Till the Bitter End
10. I’ll Dream Alone
11. The Nun’s Litany
12. Zombie Boy
13. Courtesans

1/22

Jukebox [covers album] by Cat Power
1. Theme from “New York, New York” [Liza Minnelli/Frank Sinatra]
2. Ramblin’ (wo)Man [Hank Williams, Sr.]
3. Metal Heart* [originally on Moon Pix by Cat Power]
4. Silver Stallion [Lee Clayton]
5. Aretha, Sing One For Me [George Jackson]
6. Lost Someone [James Brown]
7. Lord, Help the Poor and Needy [traditional]
8. I Believe In You [Bob Dylan]
9. Song to Bobby [original recording]
10. Don’t Explain [Billie Holliday]
11. A Woman Left Lonely [Janis Joplin]
12. Blue [Joni Mitchell]
limited edition bonus tracks: “I Feel” [Hot Boys], “Naked, If I Want to” [Moby Grape], “Breathless” [Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds], “Angelitos Negros” [Roberta Flack], “She’s Got You” [Patsy Cline]

The Evening Descends - Evangelicals
1. The Evening Descends
2. Midnight Vignette
3. Skeleton Man
4. Stoned Again
5. Party Crashin’
6. Snowflakes
7. How Do You Sleep?
8. Bellawood
9. Paperback Suicide
10. Here In the Dead Lights
11. Bloodstream

The Portrait Is Finished, and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty – Hello, Blue Roses
1. Hello, Blue Roses
2. Scarecrow
3. Paquita Reads By Candlelight
4. Shadow Falls*
5. Heron Song
6. St. Angela
7. Coming Through Imposture
8. Golden Fruit
9. Come Darkness
10. Sunny Skies
11. Mediterranean Snow
12. Skeleton Aim
13. Sickly Star
14. Hymn

Rip It Off – Times New Viking
1. Teen Drama
2. (My Head) /3. Rip Allegory
4. The Wait
5. Drop-Out
6. Come Together
7. Faces on Fire
8. Relevant: Now
9. The Early ’80s
10. Mean God
11. Another Day
12. The Apt.
13. Off the Wall
14. End of All Things
15. Times New Viking vs. Yo La Tengo
16. Post Teen Drama

1/29

Superman Was a Rocker - Robert Pollard
1. Another Man’s Blood
2. Go Down First
3. Back to the Farm
4. Substitute Heaven
5. Prince Alphabet
6. You Drove the Snake Crazy
7. Surveillance
8. Fascination Attempt
9. Love Your Spaceman
10. Jumping
11. St. Leroy
12. Peacock
13. More Hot Dogs

s/t – Vampire Weekend
1. Mansard Roof
2. Oxford Comma
3. A-Punk
4. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
5. M79
6. Campus
7. Bryn
8. One (Blake’s Got a New Face)
9. I Stand Corrected
10. Walcott*
11. The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance

Field Manual - Chris Walla
1. Two-Fifty
2. The Score
3. Sing Again*
4. A Bird Is a Song
5. Geometry &c.
6. Everyone Needs a Home
7. Everybody On
8. Our Plans, Collapsing
9. Archer v. Light
10. St. Modesto
11. It’s Unsustainable
12. Holes

Women as Lovers - Xiu Xiu
1. I Do What I Want When I Want*
2. In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall
3. F.T.W.
4. No Friend Oh!
5. Guantanamo Canto
6. Under Pressure
7. Black Keyboard
8. Master of the Bump (Kurt Stumbaugh, I Can Feel the Soil Falling Over My Head)
9. You Are Pregnant, You Are Dead
10. The Leash
11. Child at Arms
12. Puff and Bunny
13. White Nerd
14. Gayle Lynn

….and now for the playlist….. bookmark!and check back next week or obsessively every hour on the hour for new things

PLAYLIST HERE at imeem

e/e

this blog is essentially just like that one except in smaller, less ambitious (read: easier) portions

don’t know when i’m really gonna get this one started, but feel free to peruse the e/e archives to know what you’re getting into

for now, i plan on getting the band back together… starting with this guy, his name is Bob: