I tend to disavow “best of” lists but this year seemed to lend itself to one, with so much to sort through, more so than i remember from last year, or maybe i was just paying closer attention. Mostly i just am afraid that some people have gone through the year without hearing the following albums/tracks, and i want to ensure that at least in the first days of 2008 you can get to the things you may have missed.
Andrew Bird: Scythian Empire. The whole of Armchair Apocrypha is engaging and warm, but this song stands out, its criticism of the Iraq War pitched against an irresistable plucked violin.
Animal Collective: For Reverend Green. Everything this band does grips me, even when i want to write it off as annoying (“We Tigers” comes to mind). Strawberry Jam i think is not as good as Feels, but this track, all reverby and raw, makes me stop whatever i’m doing when it comes on, and listen.
Arcade Fire: (Antichrist Television Blues). I already flipped out about this song in an earlier post, so i’ll just say that Neon Bible and the band live up to all the hype. Seeing them at Randall’s Island at the end of the summer was one of my favorite nights out, ever.
Battles: Atlas. Every time i hear this track, i think, Damn. It is the perfect balance of whacked-out vocals, fluid progressions and transitions, and ridiculously infectious beats. One of the best songs of the decade.
Beirut: Nantes. I really got into Zach Condon’s folk-infused project last year, and this year’s offering is just as good. Great to sing along to lines like “It’s been a long time, long time now/since i’ve seen you smile.”
Blonde Redhead: 23. It’s hard to pick one song from this incredible album, but if pressed i would say “Spring And By Summer Fall” or “Top Ranking,” the latter if only for the great Mike Mills video with Miranda July. Just try to listen to the whole album without repeating it at least once. I haven’t succeeded yet.
Bowerbirds: Dark Horse. Lovely, new indie-folk out of Raleigh, NC. This song in particular holds me in a way i thought only Neko Case could.
Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew: Frightening Lives. Yes, that is the official obnoxious artist name, really Kevin, we know who you are and would have bought the album regardless of the BSS reference. The spoken word beat-driven verses here aren’t my favorite, but i can never get to the guitar hook of this track without starting to bounce around. Spirit If… is a great album, easing the disappointment from BSS’s self-titled 2005 release. That said, You Forgot It In People will always be in my top 20 of all time.
Burial: Archangel. I know this cd just came out and i admittedly know nothing about dubstep, but this track just won’t stop. All of Untrue had me at first listen, but “Archangel” sticks to me, the vocals are twisted enough to be engaging but not so much as to be annoying, and the beat bores its way through everything else. I can’t think of a better backdrop for walking the streets of Greenpoint.
Dan Deacon: The Crystal Cat. This is fun stuff. I’ve heard his live shows are insanely energetic, which is evident from the songs. It’s no small feat to take so many risks and make them danceable.
Electrelane: To The East. Oh, Electrelane. I came to you all pretty late in the game, about a year before you announced your indefinite hiatus, but my appreciation hopefully outweighs my belated introduction. No Shouts, No Calls is a huge achievement and a great note to end on, lush and open in ways hinted at in Axes and The Power Out, but really mastered here.
Feist: I Feel It All. Everybody loves Feist. This summer there wasn’t a coffeeshop, bookstore, or restaurant this side of the Hudson River (and most of Eastern Jersey too) that wasn’t pumping The Reminder, and with good reason. She’s poppy but shares with Cat Power a kind of endearing sadness that i think will only get better with time.
Jay-Z: Roc Boys (And The Winner Is…). As much as i object to the blatant love of capitalism and pursuit of the dollar he epsouses, i can’t deny that this man knows what he’s doing. American Gangster hits hard and stays long.
Kanye West: Stronger. Graduation might not measure up to The College Dropout in the end, but that’s by no means accusing Kanye of weakness. The album still says more, and is more arresting, than almost all the other hip-hop cds i’ve heard this year.
Modest Mouse: Dashboard. I was afraid of We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank after how disappointing Good News For People Who Love Bad News was. It hurt to hate it, and i was guarded about what was coming after, but this release renewed my faith in one of the best u.s. bands ever.
The National: Boxer. The most exciting release of the year. This album is damn near flawless.
Okkervil River: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe. I just found out about these guys this year, and i’m really glad i did. Slow, sloping rhythms, really beautiful stuff.
PJ Harvey: White Chalk. I was apprehensive about this one too, given Uh Huh Her, which really only had two worthwhile tracks. But i probably listened to this cd more than any other since it came out. She’s taking all the right risks here, and the beauty that came out of it floors me.
Radiohead: In Rainbows. I’ll get it out of the way: This album is not as good as Hail To The Thief. By Radiohead’s own standards, it’s not what it should be. But by the rest of the recordings released this year, it’s still one of the best.
Spoon: Rhythm & Soul. Another new discovery for me this year, and the whole album, and specifically this track, has been on repeat ever since.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Is Is. This EP is topping year-end lists all over the place, which is well-deserved and impressive considering it only has 5 songs. Their Webster Hall show this summer was nothing but a huge, sweaty dance party with strangers. Great, great band.
It hurts to leave out Björk’s Volta which i was so pumped about, but it turned out to be a big bunch of empty promises. Any collaboration with Timbaland should have turned out so much cooler than this. I also enjoyed but never really got into the new releases from St. Vincent, Múm, Panda Bear, M.I.A., and the Arctic Monkeys. I know, everyone else raved about all of these but i just couldn’t make it past a couple of listens for any of them, except for Kala. Okay, i will say that “Paper Planes” is a fucking awesome song. But I still think M.I.A. is overrated.
A lot of music lovers and critics have been saying that on the whole this year was a bit lackluster, but i don’t think so. Granted, there was nothing to compare to Ys of last year, but other than that i got excited about the stuff coming out pretty much all year. For me, music is a large part of where i’m at, and what i’m listening to at any particular time shapes me more than i’m willing to admit. I definitely delved into old stuff like Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, The Ramones, Joy Division, The Cocteau Twins, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, and Neutral Milk Hotel, but more and more i would turn to the 2007 lists when listening to music at home.
My favorite as of this second, thanks to Ryan’s recommendation: The Guillemots. I haven’t stopped replaying Through The Windowpane since i got it.
