keep in mind, this is my top 10. Admittedly, I was dirt poor all year, and didn't really get to buy everything that came out, or even everything that i wanted. but oh well, it was still a damn good year, and here's my top picks from what i got out of it:
1. Radiohead- In Rainbows
By now, everyone’s heard the hype about this record and its release method. But really, it’s a fantastic record, and my top pick of 2007. It’s got pretty much everything you’d want: hard, soft, gorgeous, chaotic, spacey, rockin, ghostly, haunting MUSIC.
Fav. Track: “All I Need”
2. Wilco- Sky Blue Sky
It’s old news that Wilco is my favorite band, but they’ve really outdone themselves this time. With laid-back 70’s vibe that conceals its outstanding experimentation and unexpected jagged edges, this album is the very definition of a grower. It gets better and better every time you hear it. Plus, it’s guitar whiz Nels Cline’s recorded debut with the band. Oo la la.
Fav. Track: “You Are My Face”
3. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Easy Tiger
This is by far the most cohesive record Ryan Adams has been a part of since his early days with Whiskeytown in the 90’s. It’s amazing country rock all the way through with great stylings courtesy of the Cardinals, and even a guest appearance by Sheryl Crow. AND, it’s got some of Mr. Adam’s prettiest and most accessible songs to date.
Fav. Track: “Rip Off”
4. Queens of the Stone Age- Era Vulgaris
Perhaps QOTSA’s best album. Sexy, hard, rock’n’roll. Driving beats and squealing guitars abound, with some neat synth experimentation and sonic deconstruction thrown in. I’m really surprised this one hasn’t gotten more press. In my opinion, it’s the most innovative, refreshing record the band has ever put out.
Fav. Track: “Turnin’ On the Screw”
5. The White Stripes- Icky Thump
Put quite simply, the White Stripes doing what they do best. Nothing more to it. But luckily, there doesn’t have to be any more to it. Because it’s goddamn amazing.
Fav. Track: “I’m Slowly Turning Into You”
6. Bright Eyes- Cassadega
Let me preface this by saying, I don’t like Bright Eyes. Or at least I didn’t before hearing this record. I was totally blown away. I am the first one to admit that Connor Oberst’s voice and songwriting are acquired tastes, but on this album they fit wonderfully into the soundscapes. The whole deal has a very unique feel to it: at once archaic and very much contemporary.
Fav. Track: “Four Winds”
7. Band of Horses- Cease to Begin
I bought this record based soley off of hype, and I was not let down. The coolest thing to come out of the South since My Morning Jacket. This is definitely pure indie-rock, but somehow manages to punch through the pretentious posing usually associated with the genre. Basically, it’s a collection of great pop songs.
Fav. Track: “Islands on the Coast”
8. Nine Inch Nails- Year Zero
This album is probably the only time I’ve ever heard a Concept Album pulled off completely successfully. Trent Reznor created a world for his album to live in, but instead of singing songs about the world, he sings songs from inside of it. Really amazing. The production on it is also a sound to behold. Lots of really scary beats and blips and screams and coolness. And holding the whole thing together is Trent’s typically good songwriting. A few of the songs actually provoke intense emotional responses from me.
Fav. Track: “In This Twilight”
9. Neil Young- Chrome Dreams II
Although it isn’t consistently GREAT all the way through, it is great overall. It contains some of the best songs Neil Young has released in a decade or so. It signals his triumphant return to both Crazy Horse-esque caveman rock and CSNY-era folk songs. A few of the songs are pretty bad, but he’s never promised perfection. And that’s kinda why a body loves Neil.
Fav. Track: “Ordinary People”
10. The Broken West- I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
The discovery of this band for me was a fluke: I saw them at ACL this fall, simply attracted to their name. And when I got there, I was greeted by a fantastic mixture of power-pop and alt-rock, all wrapped up in a sound that was distinctly reminiscent of their hometown, LA. The recorded versions of the songs I heard that day are delightfully lofi and loose. This band is definitely one to watch; this is only heir first LP.
Fav. Track: “Shiftee”
Honorable Mentions: Arcade Fire- Neon Bible, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band- Magic, Neil Young- Live at Massey Hall, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Follow the Lights, the Shins- Wincing the Night Away
So there it is. I have high hopes for 2008. Already, I know of some great stuff being released in the first few months of the year (Drive by Truckers and Sun Kil Moon, oh my!), and hopefully there will be much more after that. Hope this year was a good one for everyone musically. It was for me!
~SAM
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