Top 50 Albums of 2007
I was bored and decided to compile a list of my Top 50 Albums of the Year! You're only required to look at the top 10, because I included pretty pictures.
1. M.I.A. - Kala
"There's several ways to choose your #1 album of the year. The easiest indicator is the one that you listened to more than anything. Early in the year the song 'Hit That' was released on the Internet. I listened to it several times in anticipation of Kala. The song never made the record, but it was the perfect track to setup the style M.I.A. would take on her sophomore release. Since its release I have listened to Kala at least three times per week -- some would probably say I'm obsessed. Whatever, she's amazing and this is the most stunning music I've heard in a long time."
2. Kid Sister- Control EP & Pro Nails ft. Kanye West
"2007 was the year of the female for me. My top three records are decorated by all female artists. In fact, 10 of the 50 are female fronted acts. No girl captivated me musically and sexually better than Chicago's star on the rise Kid Sister. This release is just an EP with only two songs (along with a slew of remixes), but those two songs "Control" and "Damn Girl" were breathtaking hip-hop gems. I also decided to include her lastest release, "Pro Nails" which features a verse by Kanye West that he originally added in on his latest mixtape because he fell in love with the song, just like most people will fall in love with them in the near future."
3. Feist - The Reminder
"When I first heard The Reminder I was actually relatively bored by it, with the exception of the brilliant "I Feel It All" which spoke to me on a level music rarely does these days. One day when watching a football game I saw the iPod commercial that featured her single "1, 2, 3, 4" and was overwhelmed with the joy that the tune and video brought. So I dusted off the album and spun it a few more times and everything started to click. She also puts on one hell of a live show."
4. Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
"Punk music was awful in 2007 (or maybe I'm just getting older). Regardless, no band was better than Richmond, Virginia's Gaslight Anthem on their debut LP. It encompasses everything that made punk rock enjoyable to me as a youth, the compelling/powerful guitars and athem-esque vocals. If facial hair could get drunk and sing it would sound like this."
5. The Fratellis - Costello Music
"The Fratellis derived their name from The Goonies and they write irresitable pop gems -- What more are you asking for? On my second time listening to their debut record I was already singing along. Technically this album was released in 2006, but it didn't make its debut in the States until March of this year."
6. Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
"Along with my facsination with female artists this year I was quite fond of hip-hop. Rollie Pemberton the Canadian born rapper was my favorite of the year. Breaking Kayfabe felt like MF Doom with more bite."
7. Against Me! - New Wave
"Everything you can say about Against Me! in 2007 has already been said, so I won't repeat it. I will say that this is a fantastic record that takes them well beyond the punk genre and cements them as one of the most important bands of our generation."
8. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
"I tend to relate music to specic things. I have favorite albums for the beginning of spring, I have ones I listen to when I'm in a bad mood, etc... This is my favorite album to fall asleep too. It's a shame I hardly know what the last few tracks sound like."
9. Lifetime - Lifetime
"It's a new Lifetime album."
10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
"The Arcade Fire deserve all the hype that surrounds them. I didn't think they would be able to come close to 2006's Funeral, but Neon Bible is as good as a sophomore release you can expect when the premier record features some of the best music recorded during my 24 years on this planet."
Here's the rest of my Top 50:
11. Matt Pond PA - Last Light
12. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
13. Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
14. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
15. Rilo Kiley - Under the Backlight
16. White Stripes - Icky Thump
17. Kanye West - The Graduation
18. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
19. Modern Life is War - Midnight in America
20. Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted
21. Klaxons - Myths of the New Future
22. Gallows - Orchestra of the Wolves
23. Radiohead - In Rainbows
24. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
25. Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere in Between
Take a breather.
26. Lil Wayne - Da Drought Three
27. St. Vincent - Marry Me
28. Daggermouth - Turf Wars
29. Justice - †
30. Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
31. 1990s - Cookies
32. Jamie T - Panic Prevention
33. Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English
34. Three Inches of Blood - Fire up the Blades
35. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
36. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
37. Crime In Stereo - Is Dead
38. Rivers Cuomo - Alone the Home Recordings Of
39. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
40. Brand New - The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me
41. El-P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
42. A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
43. Baroness - Red Album
44. KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope
45. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Magic
46. Bomb the Music Industry - Get Warmer
47. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
48. New Buffalo - Somewhere, Anywhere
49. Chuck Ragan - Los Feliz / Feast or Famine / 7-inches
50. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Chambers
1. M.I.A. - Kala
"There's several ways to choose your #1 album of the year. The easiest indicator is the one that you listened to more than anything. Early in the year the song 'Hit That' was released on the Internet. I listened to it several times in anticipation of Kala. The song never made the record, but it was the perfect track to setup the style M.I.A. would take on her sophomore release. Since its release I have listened to Kala at least three times per week -- some would probably say I'm obsessed. Whatever, she's amazing and this is the most stunning music I've heard in a long time."
2. Kid Sister- Control EP & Pro Nails ft. Kanye West
"2007 was the year of the female for me. My top three records are decorated by all female artists. In fact, 10 of the 50 are female fronted acts. No girl captivated me musically and sexually better than Chicago's star on the rise Kid Sister. This release is just an EP with only two songs (along with a slew of remixes), but those two songs "Control" and "Damn Girl" were breathtaking hip-hop gems. I also decided to include her lastest release, "Pro Nails" which features a verse by Kanye West that he originally added in on his latest mixtape because he fell in love with the song, just like most people will fall in love with them in the near future."
3. Feist - The Reminder
"When I first heard The Reminder I was actually relatively bored by it, with the exception of the brilliant "I Feel It All" which spoke to me on a level music rarely does these days. One day when watching a football game I saw the iPod commercial that featured her single "1, 2, 3, 4" and was overwhelmed with the joy that the tune and video brought. So I dusted off the album and spun it a few more times and everything started to click. She also puts on one hell of a live show."
4. Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
"Punk music was awful in 2007 (or maybe I'm just getting older). Regardless, no band was better than Richmond, Virginia's Gaslight Anthem on their debut LP. It encompasses everything that made punk rock enjoyable to me as a youth, the compelling/powerful guitars and athem-esque vocals. If facial hair could get drunk and sing it would sound like this."
5. The Fratellis - Costello Music
"The Fratellis derived their name from The Goonies and they write irresitable pop gems -- What more are you asking for? On my second time listening to their debut record I was already singing along. Technically this album was released in 2006, but it didn't make its debut in the States until March of this year."
6. Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
"Along with my facsination with female artists this year I was quite fond of hip-hop. Rollie Pemberton the Canadian born rapper was my favorite of the year. Breaking Kayfabe felt like MF Doom with more bite."
7. Against Me! - New Wave
"Everything you can say about Against Me! in 2007 has already been said, so I won't repeat it. I will say that this is a fantastic record that takes them well beyond the punk genre and cements them as one of the most important bands of our generation."
8. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
"I tend to relate music to specic things. I have favorite albums for the beginning of spring, I have ones I listen to when I'm in a bad mood, etc... This is my favorite album to fall asleep too. It's a shame I hardly know what the last few tracks sound like."
9. Lifetime - Lifetime
"It's a new Lifetime album."
10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
"The Arcade Fire deserve all the hype that surrounds them. I didn't think they would be able to come close to 2006's Funeral, but Neon Bible is as good as a sophomore release you can expect when the premier record features some of the best music recorded during my 24 years on this planet."
Here's the rest of my Top 50:
11. Matt Pond PA - Last Light
12. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
13. Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
14. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
15. Rilo Kiley - Under the Backlight
16. White Stripes - Icky Thump
17. Kanye West - The Graduation
18. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
19. Modern Life is War - Midnight in America
20. Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted
21. Klaxons - Myths of the New Future
22. Gallows - Orchestra of the Wolves
23. Radiohead - In Rainbows
24. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
25. Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere in Between
Take a breather.
26. Lil Wayne - Da Drought Three
27. St. Vincent - Marry Me
28. Daggermouth - Turf Wars
29. Justice - †
30. Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
31. 1990s - Cookies
32. Jamie T - Panic Prevention
33. Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English
34. Three Inches of Blood - Fire up the Blades
35. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
36. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
37. Crime In Stereo - Is Dead
38. Rivers Cuomo - Alone the Home Recordings Of
39. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
40. Brand New - The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me
41. El-P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
42. A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
43. Baroness - Red Album
44. KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope
45. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Magic
46. Bomb the Music Industry - Get Warmer
47. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
48. New Buffalo - Somewhere, Anywhere
49. Chuck Ragan - Los Feliz / Feast or Famine / 7-inches
50. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Chambers