Best Of 2007 (in no particular order, kinda)

Children Running Through-Patty Griffin
The fact that I haven’t seen this on any best list is both a surprise and a shame. It’s simply a beautiful record. Not surprisingly, the lyrics are stellar (Patty Griffin was successful as a songwriter, most notably for the Dixie Chicks and Emmylou Harris). C’mon, there is a Martin Luther King tribute song…and it works. Worth the price of admission alone for “Heavenly Day,” which, no matter when you play it, will cheer you up.

Volta-Björk
This isn’t on many best lists. Why? Because it didn’t appeal to critics and fans. In some cases, I think that was because it wasn’t Homogenic or Debut or Post. But its charms reveal themselves after more listens. Who else would even record a song called “Earth Intruders,” let alone it being a collaboration with Timbaland? Despite the presence of drums, it’s as inaccessible and insular as its predecessor, Medulla. Yet it rewards. The song that I was most excited to hear, “The Dull Flame Of Desire,” a ruminative ode to love featuring Antony (of Antony & the Johnsons), is an absolute stunner.

In Rainbows-Radiohead
The quality of this record almost got overshadowed by its marketing. In some ways, it’s their most accessible record in ages. Gone is the paranoia and the loneliness. It’s almost a…dare I say….happy record. OK, that’s Radiohead happy. My favorite part: the ballads. This is worth 50 dollars for “All I Need” alone.

Kala-M.I.A.
Along with Radiohead, let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Yeah, her dad is a Tamil Tiger, a member of the Sri Lankan revolutionary group. Yeah, she’s namedropped by everybody…don’t be shocked when Justin Timberlake collaborates with her. Sophomore slump…no way. Political, driving, fun-as-shit. As cool to listen to on your headphones as it is to dance to.

Neon Bible-Arcade Fire
Speaking of sophomore slumps…this was a big one. Moving away from the Talking Heads references to Bruce, Arcade Fire made a great record. Maybe better than their last…I can’t tell yet. Worth the price of admission alone for the whoops on “Keep The Car Running.” The Killers wish they made this record. So do the Smashing Pumpkins.

Oblivion With Bells-Underworld
Let’s call it. Underworld kicks the shit out of the Chemical Brothers. Nobody else can make epic soundtrack house like this. This is a record to get lost in…maybe the record of the year in my opinion. It doesn’t even include one of my favorite singles of last year, “Peggy Sussed.” If you want to be really cool, see if you can find their 10 minute bootleg of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by the Police. (Sting so wishes he were that cool.)

Chromophobia-Gui Boratto
Architectural techno via Germany…and yet, you can dance to it. I kept waiting for this to disappear up its own ass…and it doesn’t. This could make the list for “Beautiful Life” alone, which is, essentially, a 2007 update of “If You Were Here” by the Thompson Twins. Which is the song that Molly Ringwald kisses Jake Ryan over the cake to. And, to be honest, if I equate a song with Jake Ryan, it’s making the list.

The Reminder-Feist
Ignore the commercials. Ignore the SNL appearance. Actually, ignore what you think about the first 2 singles. And give it a listen. Did anybody do this better this year? With PJ Harvey exiled to a haunted house, Fiona Apple languishing in some dirty bathtub somewhere and Tori Amos so desperately in need of an editor, the answer is…no. Smart, funny, beautiful, painful. Its worth-the-price-of-admission moment: “The Park.”

23-Blonde Redhead
Honestly, if I had to give a Grammy for “Record of the Year”…and I hate the Grammys (and have hated them ever since “Don’t Worry Be Happy” won…not convinced?…two words: Milli Vanilli)…this would be it. All the others aside, I don’t know a record that references 50’s and 60’s pop and Sonic Youth and still sounds so beautiful. It only makes sense…this isn’t Blonde Redhead’s first record…it’s like their 6th or something. That allows a band to mature and explore and expand…and then you get this. When I first got it, I walked around the city and played “Silently” over and over and over…

Music For Tourists-Chris Garneau
Dare I say...Jeff Buckley. There…I said it. I hate to saddle him with those comparisons….it’s a beautiful voice on a sad quiet record. A stunner…in the race to be the next Jeff Buckley, it’s between Garneau and Patrick Watson…

Ma Fleur-Cinematic Orchestra
…who features on this record (Patrick Watson that is), along with Louise Rhodes (from Lamb) and Fontella Bass. Is there a band out there whose name represents their sound better than Cinematic Orchestra. “To Build A Home” sounds like it could be from a Broadway show (and yes, I mean that as a compliment). For some reason, the phrase “chamber music” always comes up. Don’t ask me to explain…just buy this. And yes, if you like Minnie Ripperton, you will like this.

Out Of The Woods-Tracey Thorn
Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Almost makes up for the fact that Everything But The Girl records a new record, oh, I don’t know, every 5 years. Beautiful languid melancholia one moment, gorgeous house the next. What I love most…nobody else does this, nobody sounds like this…she’s Gilberto and Dusty all in one.

Loney Noir-Loney, Dear & Káta Hornið-Teitur
I’m lumping these together. They don’t sound alike, that’s not it. Both of these artists are out in the States in a myriad of different incarnations, but I don’t think these records were recorded this year. I heard them this year. Teitur is a singer-songwriter with beautiful quiet songs and your new favorite artist from that bastion of pop, the Faroes Islands (look it up). Loney Noir is Norwegian and sounds like Sigur Ros kicking the shit out of Chris Martin of Coldplay (shouldn’t someone?).

Goodbye-Ulrich Schnauss
Think the Cocteau Twins. Think lush and romantic. Think heartbreak and smoking drunk at the age of 17 and wishing that you were so in love that you could actually get your heart broken. Then go buy this.


The Runners Up (in no apparent order)
Walls-Apparat
And Their Refinement Of The Decline-Stars Of The Lid (lump-in-throat beautiful)
Night Falls Over Kortedala-Jens Lekman
Sound Of Silver-LCD Soundsystem
From Here We Go Sublime-The Field (coolest house record of the year)
Ulual Yyy-Islaja (like stumbling onto some pagan ceremony in the Finnish forest)
People I Barely Know-ST (insular bedroom pop that sounds like a breakup…instead of tormenting your ex-girlfriend by blogging on MySpace, make a record!!!!)
Mirrored-Battles (yeah, everyone loves it, but hey, its cool)
Stateless-Stateless (“I think I might have inhaled you, I can feel you behind my eyes, you’ve gotten into my bloodstream”...sexiest song of the year with "Bloodstream")
Bloom-Louise Rhodes (its all about the voice)
We Are All From Somewhere-Exploding Stars Orchestra (its jazz, which I know nothing about, but I dig it)
Night Drive-The Chromatics (frankly, this record is very dirty. In a good way)
In Our Bedroom After The War-Stars (literate, smart, charming and romantic…they just keep getting better)

Mix albums and compilations you absolutely need
Fabric 34-Ellen Allien
Please Please Please-Tobias Thomas
Prins Cosmo Galactic Prism-Prins Thomas
Kompakt 8-Various

OK, anything by Kompakt is required listening. These are amazing records and easily could have made the above list…these go well beyond the average DJ record. It’s between Ellen Allien and Prins Thomas for the best. Prins Thomas is “space disco” and it’s F-U-N-K-Y and weird and dubby and made 5 people at my old job come by my office and ask: “What the fuck is this?” And these were not cool people.

For the Ellen Allien record…imagine the coolest club in the world, now imagine it 30 feet underwater. That is what it sounds like.