1 post tagged “best music 2007”

What were your top 10 favorite songs or albums of 2007?

What the hell, Internet? 2007 isn't even over yet! There's a ton of 2007 shit I haven't heard yet! So consider this list tentative. It will change considerably when I do it for real.

So yeah... what came out this year, anyway? In no particular order (I'll save that for later):

Well, first off, scew the naysayers on this one. Neon Bible ruled. It's the most fully realized version of the Arcade Fire's sound yet released, and, well, it's not for everyone. Good! This album is both horribly self-indulgent, and yet, so flawlessly, confidently executed that it's really hard to care.

I know the CD version of Diadem of 12 Stars dropped in 2006. But since buying digital music is basically the same thing as paying to download, or having an 8-track deck in your car, it didn't get a proper, analog, release until 2007. So here it is. Some of the most epic black metal you will ever hear. It'll make you want to thrash around like an idiot and kick your mom in the face, as any good record should.

Here's another one you should've been listening to, this year, and probably the most punk rock record released in a long time. Pissed Jeans cheerfully play music to hate the entire world to. Hope For Men includes songs about such ever-relevant topics as scrapbooking, joggers, and getting really depressed and eating ice cream. It's definitely the sort of noise-punk that's not for everyone. In fact, I'm rather worried about myself for enjoying this record so much. But basically, if you've ever keyed a car just because you hated the look of the guy who stepped out of it, or even just really wanted to, this is your band.

I don't think New Erections is going to be a terribly popular choice on top 10 lists, this year. The Locust kinda turned down the speed knob by just a little bit and turned up the destroy knob by just a little more. Basically, everything opinion you hold about what is and what isn't music, and even what The Locust should sound like is gleefully shat upon by this record. This is obnoxious music that your parents will hate, and your friends will avoid hanging out with you for about a week or two after you get it.

Jesu used to sound like My Bloody Valentine, except metal, but now they pretty much just sound like My Bloody Valentine, except Jesu. People who loved the first album probably won't like this one. Me? I just think it's a pretty kickass pop/metal sort of album. You might, too.

Stars of the Lid went virtually unnoticed releasing And Their Refinement of the Decline this year because you indie kids are goddamn philistines. Seriously, if you haven't heard this record, hear it, love it, or just go watch some monster trucks or something because if you can't enjoy such nice sounds being made, it's probably because you, personally, are not worthy of them. What you have here is a slow ambient drone sort of thing that hangs at the edge of your consciousness just long enough to jolt you awake a little bit every time you stop noticing it. Brian Eno would be proud.

Cryptograms was another excellent Kranky release this year. While they were probably known more for the attention whoring they did this year, a lot of people seem to forget that this record is really good. A bit more subdued than the first with ambient bits and noisy-ass pop songs interspersed evenly throughout. The vinyl edition comes with the Fluorescent Grey EP on the D side, and it kills, too, in a far poppier way (there are no ambient passages, just four songs) so there's no excuse to pick them up separately on CD.

A Love of Shared Disasters is another excellent reason to own a record player right now. Skipping tracks on this is missing the point, because what they've constructed feels more like one long, cohesive work than it does a collection of songs. Folky "songs" lead into ambient passages lead into more songs, and none of it would sound right taken out of context from the rest of it. This band has dudes from Mogwai and Electric Wizard and some others in it.

Here Come the Waterworks is really, really heavy. That said, it's one of the best albums this year that could be described that way. The vocals kinda remind me of a more metal version of The Faith, but the instrumentals are all sludge, all the time. Wicked.

And actually, 9 is all you get for now. I really can't think of 10 records off the top of my head that really should be on this list, and there are still a bunch of records I need to hear before I'm even really happy with the list I'd make. But these records are all awesome, and you should check them out, regardless.