Best of 2007
So I was going to post this to Audiography, and I began the post thinking that I would not have anything to say, but after three hours of typing and a thorough combing of my iPod's downloads in 2007, I found that I had WAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOO MUCH MUSIC to post this in its original form on the group.
I'm a bit mainstream, and more prone to listen to music from the past, so don't expect anything too groundbreaking or indie. But here's what I liked (and bought!) of 2007.
1. Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
Colourful cover, curly-cute hair, piano AND disco, and a Freddie Mercury voice? I AM IN LOOOOOOOOOOVE. I wish I had discovered him earlier in the year.
Choice Song: "Happy Ending"
2. Mandy Moore - Wild Hope
Mandy Moore is sort of like an old friend of mine - I've been a fan of hers since middle school, so it's great to see her back in action. I also like this particular album because it continues the singer-songwriter vibe she had going since "Coverage" (which I had played and carried around with me until the CD started skipping)... except she actually wrote the songs on this one.
Choice Song: "Looking Forward to Looking Back"
3. Kanye West - Graduation
While I haven't heard the entire thing yet, "Stronger" was MY jam of the summer, and Kanye can do no wrong musically in my eyes. He's a little bit egotistical, yes, but damn if his songs can't get me (not to mention the entire party) going.
Choice Song: "Stronger"
[Note: I saw the following two women live, and they are AWESOME.]
4. Angelique Kidjo - Djin Djin
Energetic and a brilliant collaborator - on this one album she's got Joss Stone, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Santana AND Josh Groban - all of whom I love (and, in the case of the last one, with whom I saw her perform).
Choice Song: "Pearls" (with Josh Groban)
5. Bjork - Volta
"Earth Intruders" got me pumped for summer school every morning, and I hate school. XD And seeing Bjork in all of her insanely dressed glory is nothing short of wonderful. I listen to her old stuff more, but seeing her perform these songs live definitely pushed "Volta" to my list of favourite albums just because of my experience.
Choice Song: "Earth Intruders"
And the CDs that I've been listening to all 2007 (and came out IN AMERICA in 2007 so I guess they still count, although they've been out in Europe for more than a year each...)
1. Robyn - Robyn
An even older friend of mine than Mandy Moore up there - in fact, I started listening to Mandy Moore at the beginning because she kind of sounded like Robyn when she was younger. While they have taken wildly different directions since then, I love both.
Choice Song: "Be Mine"
2. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Amy Winehouse is BRILLIANT. And the following song was my favourite from the beginning (besides "Rehab," of course) - its timelessness shows that Amy's got true talent beyond the swearing and drinking and other things (which are great in themselves, but seem gimmicky after a while). This sounds like it actually came out of the 60s, instead of just being a witty, modern pastiche of the decade's music (e.g. "Rehab" or "Me and Mr. Jones," which put the classic sound against totally modern and/or hilariously foul-mouthed lyrics).
Choice Song: "Love Is A Losing Game"
3. The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes
Can you tell I have a thing for 60s throwbacks? The Pipettes seem like they'd be Amy Winehouse's perkier cousins - the "good girls" who do bad things, but with a smile and a wink. Amy's more out-and-out badass, while the Pipettes are more cheeky.
Choice Song: "It Hurts To See You Dance So Well"
Lily Allen - Alright Still
Lily brings together many disparate elements that I love, love, love: big beats, vintage samples, funny lyrics, and a cute voice in front of it all.
Choice Song: "Knock 'Em Out"
Some more choice tracks from the year:
1. Mistah FAB - Ghost Ride It
My friends who stayed in the Bay say that hyphy is dead, but I couldn't stop listening to this song. And the "ghost ride/Ghostbusters" thing was so obvious I don't know why they didn't come up with it earlier.
2. Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold
The video is hysterical (my favourite bit is the lead rapper's super depressed face when his girlfriend gives him only one burnt pancake instead of a stack) and I love Supertramp so they get points for working that sample in.
3. Spoon - The Underdog
I don't know why I love this so much, but I do. It's got a great beat to bop along to, I guess.
4. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend
I would call this a guilty pleasure, except that I feel absolutely no shame at all. I've liked Avril since "Let Go" (and in fact didn't even know about the whole wannabe-punk thing they pegged her as until I actually saw her on TV a few months after I got her first CD, so that didn't affect my enjoyment of her music at all). This song calls out to the bratty teenage self I thought I had just left behind. XD
5. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
This song really grew on me over the year. I'd downloaded it from iTunes since it was free, and sort of left it in my iPod (only listening to it when it popped up), but when I heard this playing in a club a couple of weeks back I really, really loved the song.
6. Feist - I Feel It All
I get the feeling that many people will post Feist as a top choice, but I can't help but include this song because it makes me feel so happy and hopeful - a perfect song for walking around in the city.
7. Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
DITTO. Every morning around Berkeley this summer, in fact, and iTunes' top song of 2007.
8. PoP (Hugh Grant) - Pop! Goes My Heart
And again, but with an 80s-ish twist. I love everything about the movie (Kitsch? Romantic comedy? Drew Barrymore AND Hugh Grant? I am SO there), and this was another song I couldn't stop listening to all summer.
9. Luvplanet - To Sir with Love
A cover of the song by Lulu, from the 1967 movie of the same name. It brings back nostalgia that I never had (being born in 1987) but there's something to be said about a song that can elicit that kind of feeling.
10. Take Control - Amerie
I love the samples that Amerie's producers use, and this is no exception. Very good for mashups.
11. Common - Forever Begins
A great contemplative piece, especially with the philosophical ramblings at the end. I also like the harmonies toward the middle. And is it just me, or did Common sample the drumbeat to Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" for this song? Because both sound pretty similar, and I LOVE that beat.
12. Romi Paku and Mamoru Miyano - Fight!
2007 was the summer I really, really, REALLY got into anime. Growing up in a pretty Asian place I was always exposed to it, but growing up I never had as much access to the media as I do now (yay internet!) This song brings out the Japanophile/fangirl in me, with its energetic anime-type beat and the combined talents of two very prominent voice actors in anime: Romi Paku, the voice of Edward Elric in "Fullmetal Alchemist", and Mamoru Miyano, the voice of Light Yagami in "Death Note." Also, the radio show from which this song was taken is pure gold just for the combined insanity of the two actors (even if I can't understand a word of it, not being fluent in Japanese). It's amazing how they can go from ominous to perky to longing and everywhere in between, seemingly able to snap from one character to the next. Yes, that is what actors are supposed to do, but SRSLY. Listen to Miyano as Light in "Death Note" and then as Tamaki in "Ouran High School Host Club" - he's so expressive.
13. Kenji Otsuki - Hito to shite Jiku ga Burete iru (TV size)
The theme to "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" ("Goodbye, Mr. Despair" - or, more alliteratively, "Sayonara, Sad Sensei"), an extremely off-the-wall slice-of-life dark comedy about a suicidal Japanese high school teacher. Fun to sing along jump around to. Also, it reminds me a bit of the Dead Kennedys, which isn't bad at all.
14. John Mayer - Say
John Mayer can do no wrong in my eyes. LOL. But I really do like this song: it features really pretty guitar work and I love the bittersweetness of the lyrics.
15. Brownman Revival - Yakap Sa Dilim
A cover of a Filipino love song from the 70s (the title roughly translates to "holding [each other] in the dark"). While the original was a smooth 70s-ish doo-wop song, the reggae reworking of the song brings a nice laid-back twist. (Not to mention that it brings back certain nice memories of this summer. heheheh.)
Bonus - Backstreet Boys - Inconsolable
Nice to see my old friends (and especially my first crush!) back in action. I like the grown-up-but-still-Backstreet sound that they have here. Notably, a friend of mine (who was a huge NSYNC fan back in the day and thus a favourite debating partner of mine in middle school) came up to me and said that their recent album was "okay," so that's gotta be a sign that they're doing something right. XD Funnily enough, I'd written "Irreplaceable" instead of "Inconsolable" at first - perhaps a Freudian slip there? No one can replace BSB for me. ^_^
I'm a bit mainstream, and more prone to listen to music from the past, so don't expect anything too groundbreaking or indie. But here's what I liked (and bought!) of 2007.
1. Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
Colourful cover, curly-cute hair, piano AND disco, and a Freddie Mercury voice? I AM IN LOOOOOOOOOOVE. I wish I had discovered him earlier in the year.
Choice Song: "Happy Ending"
2. Mandy Moore - Wild Hope
Mandy Moore is sort of like an old friend of mine - I've been a fan of hers since middle school, so it's great to see her back in action. I also like this particular album because it continues the singer-songwriter vibe she had going since "Coverage" (which I had played and carried around with me until the CD started skipping)... except she actually wrote the songs on this one.
Choice Song: "Looking Forward to Looking Back"
3. Kanye West - Graduation
While I haven't heard the entire thing yet, "Stronger" was MY jam of the summer, and Kanye can do no wrong musically in my eyes. He's a little bit egotistical, yes, but damn if his songs can't get me (not to mention the entire party) going.
Choice Song: "Stronger"
[Note: I saw the following two women live, and they are AWESOME.]
4. Angelique Kidjo - Djin Djin
Energetic and a brilliant collaborator - on this one album she's got Joss Stone, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Santana AND Josh Groban - all of whom I love (and, in the case of the last one, with whom I saw her perform).
Choice Song: "Pearls" (with Josh Groban)
5. Bjork - Volta
"Earth Intruders" got me pumped for summer school every morning, and I hate school. XD And seeing Bjork in all of her insanely dressed glory is nothing short of wonderful. I listen to her old stuff more, but seeing her perform these songs live definitely pushed "Volta" to my list of favourite albums just because of my experience.
Choice Song: "Earth Intruders"
And the CDs that I've been listening to all 2007 (and came out IN AMERICA in 2007 so I guess they still count, although they've been out in Europe for more than a year each...)
1. Robyn - Robyn
An even older friend of mine than Mandy Moore up there - in fact, I started listening to Mandy Moore at the beginning because she kind of sounded like Robyn when she was younger. While they have taken wildly different directions since then, I love both.
Choice Song: "Be Mine"
2. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Amy Winehouse is BRILLIANT. And the following song was my favourite from the beginning (besides "Rehab," of course) - its timelessness shows that Amy's got true talent beyond the swearing and drinking and other things (which are great in themselves, but seem gimmicky after a while). This sounds like it actually came out of the 60s, instead of just being a witty, modern pastiche of the decade's music (e.g. "Rehab" or "Me and Mr. Jones," which put the classic sound against totally modern and/or hilariously foul-mouthed lyrics).
Choice Song: "Love Is A Losing Game"
3. The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes
Can you tell I have a thing for 60s throwbacks? The Pipettes seem like they'd be Amy Winehouse's perkier cousins - the "good girls" who do bad things, but with a smile and a wink. Amy's more out-and-out badass, while the Pipettes are more cheeky.
Choice Song: "It Hurts To See You Dance So Well"
Lily Allen - Alright Still
Lily brings together many disparate elements that I love, love, love: big beats, vintage samples, funny lyrics, and a cute voice in front of it all.
Choice Song: "Knock 'Em Out"
Some more choice tracks from the year:
1. Mistah FAB - Ghost Ride It
My friends who stayed in the Bay say that hyphy is dead, but I couldn't stop listening to this song. And the "ghost ride/Ghostbusters" thing was so obvious I don't know why they didn't come up with it earlier.
2. Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold
The video is hysterical (my favourite bit is the lead rapper's super depressed face when his girlfriend gives him only one burnt pancake instead of a stack) and I love Supertramp so they get points for working that sample in.
3. Spoon - The Underdog
I don't know why I love this so much, but I do. It's got a great beat to bop along to, I guess.
4. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend
I would call this a guilty pleasure, except that I feel absolutely no shame at all. I've liked Avril since "Let Go" (and in fact didn't even know about the whole wannabe-punk thing they pegged her as until I actually saw her on TV a few months after I got her first CD, so that didn't affect my enjoyment of her music at all). This song calls out to the bratty teenage self I thought I had just left behind. XD
5. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
This song really grew on me over the year. I'd downloaded it from iTunes since it was free, and sort of left it in my iPod (only listening to it when it popped up), but when I heard this playing in a club a couple of weeks back I really, really loved the song.
6. Feist - I Feel It All
I get the feeling that many people will post Feist as a top choice, but I can't help but include this song because it makes me feel so happy and hopeful - a perfect song for walking around in the city.
7. Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
DITTO. Every morning around Berkeley this summer, in fact, and iTunes' top song of 2007.
8. PoP (Hugh Grant) - Pop! Goes My Heart
And again, but with an 80s-ish twist. I love everything about the movie (Kitsch? Romantic comedy? Drew Barrymore AND Hugh Grant? I am SO there), and this was another song I couldn't stop listening to all summer.
9. Luvplanet - To Sir with Love
A cover of the song by Lulu, from the 1967 movie of the same name. It brings back nostalgia that I never had (being born in 1987) but there's something to be said about a song that can elicit that kind of feeling.
10. Take Control - Amerie
I love the samples that Amerie's producers use, and this is no exception. Very good for mashups.
11. Common - Forever Begins
A great contemplative piece, especially with the philosophical ramblings at the end. I also like the harmonies toward the middle. And is it just me, or did Common sample the drumbeat to Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" for this song? Because both sound pretty similar, and I LOVE that beat.
12. Romi Paku and Mamoru Miyano - Fight!
2007 was the summer I really, really, REALLY got into anime. Growing up in a pretty Asian place I was always exposed to it, but growing up I never had as much access to the media as I do now (yay internet!) This song brings out the Japanophile/fangirl in me, with its energetic anime-type beat and the combined talents of two very prominent voice actors in anime: Romi Paku, the voice of Edward Elric in "Fullmetal Alchemist", and Mamoru Miyano, the voice of Light Yagami in "Death Note." Also, the radio show from which this song was taken is pure gold just for the combined insanity of the two actors (even if I can't understand a word of it, not being fluent in Japanese). It's amazing how they can go from ominous to perky to longing and everywhere in between, seemingly able to snap from one character to the next. Yes, that is what actors are supposed to do, but SRSLY. Listen to Miyano as Light in "Death Note" and then as Tamaki in "Ouran High School Host Club" - he's so expressive.
13. Kenji Otsuki - Hito to shite Jiku ga Burete iru (TV size)
The theme to "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" ("Goodbye, Mr. Despair" - or, more alliteratively, "Sayonara, Sad Sensei"), an extremely off-the-wall slice-of-life dark comedy about a suicidal Japanese high school teacher. Fun to sing along jump around to. Also, it reminds me a bit of the Dead Kennedys, which isn't bad at all.
14. John Mayer - Say
John Mayer can do no wrong in my eyes. LOL. But I really do like this song: it features really pretty guitar work and I love the bittersweetness of the lyrics.
15. Brownman Revival - Yakap Sa Dilim
A cover of a Filipino love song from the 70s (the title roughly translates to "holding [each other] in the dark"). While the original was a smooth 70s-ish doo-wop song, the reggae reworking of the song brings a nice laid-back twist. (Not to mention that it brings back certain nice memories of this summer. heheheh.)
Bonus - Backstreet Boys - Inconsolable
Nice to see my old friends (and especially my first crush!) back in action. I like the grown-up-but-still-Backstreet sound that they have here. Notably, a friend of mine (who was a huge NSYNC fan back in the day and thus a favourite debating partner of mine in middle school) came up to me and said that their recent album was "okay," so that's gotta be a sign that they're doing something right. XD Funnily enough, I'd written "Irreplaceable" instead of "Inconsolable" at first - perhaps a Freudian slip there? No one can replace BSB for me. ^_^