Best of 2007 - So Far

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:27 am

So far I've heard very little that has blown me away in 2007. Hoping this will change, I'm asking everyone to list a few records that they've really enjoyed this year.

So far, I've got these three as contenders for my year-end Top 10.

In no particular order:

1. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. Maybe it's not the masterpiece that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was, but it's a beautifully crafted album that's extremely subtle. Many will write it off as "boring" upon first listen, but there's a definite inner-beauty at play here.

2. Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown. Big thanks to Who Shot Sam? for convincing me to pick up Swift's last record. This definitely has more of a studio feel to it but retains a lot of vintage qualities. Swift's got a tremendous sense of vocal harmony and pop sensibility and I keep coming back to this record again and again.

3. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black. I guess this album is technically from 2006, but since it only came out in North America this year I think it's fair to include it. As a person, Winehouse seems kind of annoying, but her music definitely stands up. Maybe not quite as thoroughly vintage sounding as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, but she manages to inject a bit of modern sexuality and culture into 60s and 70s soul.

Neeeeeeext...

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:49 am

Yeah, nothing has blown my socks off yet. My faves at this point would probably be, in no particular order:

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - S/T
Field Music - Tones of Town
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

I'm still absorbing The National's new album, Boxer, and Low's Drums and Guns .

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:25 pm

Can the people that are still finding stuff they missed from the last 20 years chime in? Of course we can - the prerogative of age.

One that I am becoming absolutely evangelical about is Tim Armstrong's A Poet's Life. It's the Official Soundtrack to my summer. I'm going to borrow some of Blue's AW: vintage sounding ... (with) a bit of modern sexuality. Thanks to the Aggrolites, this sounds a lot like the Specials. Thanks to Tim Armstrong's peculiar voice, you get that sexuality. If there were a Master's in Punk Rock Symbolism at Rock & Roll U, then I might write my thesis on the use of feminine pronouns on this record. Sometimes he's talking about his ex (no I don't hate her - which puts him on the road to sainthood given the circumstances of that breakup) , sometimes he's talking about someone new, but most of the time he's just talking about music and the boy-meets-music, boy-becomes-dope-fiend-and-loses-music, boy-finds-music-and-redemption (to keep my religious theme going) again. You should hear the joy in his voice when he sings 'we got the songs, we got the songs, we got the songs all night long.' Am I boring you yet? I read somewhere that ska music is almost always happy and positive, and those are things I am drawn to lately. 90% of this record is that, and then there's Inner City Violence (which is the sort of name that makes me cringe), which has some menace and swagger but is also quite possibly the most brilliant anti-war song I've ever heard. Certainly the best anti-war song I can dance to.

And if you really want to hear it, I can arrange that guilt-free.

Back to the Old Person's Lounge now.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:10 pm

Very definitely Neon Bible, which is just massive. Volta I'm getting more and more into as well. Regina's Begin To Hope is 2006 (like Amy and Jarv), but I discovered it this year and fell for it. Looking forward to hearing the new Rufus, which CD-WOW are simply failing to ship to me (they've had a warehouse fire or something, must be affecting stuff).

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:14 am

Thought I'd revisit this thread and try to get some new music discussion going. This place hasn't really had much of that recently.

I still don't feel like 2007 has been as strong a year for music as 2006 or 2005, but that could just be a sign that I still have a lot to catch up on.

With that said, there have been a few albums in recent months that have really impressed me. Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger, Suzanne Vega's Beauty & Crime, Nick Lowe's At My Age, Josh Rouse's Country Mouse, City House, Joe Henry's Civilians, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant's Raising Sand (not actually out yet, so don't go looking for it)... what little I've heard off of Josh Ritter's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter is terrific.

The coming month or so will see new releases from Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Neil Young, so who knows where those will stack up?

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:08 am

I like many of the selections Blue listed, as well as the McCartney album and the new Crowded House. I'm going to check out Frank Black/Black Francis' Bluefinger this week and fervently hope to add it to this list.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:48 pm

Joni getting good reviews here, from what I've ssen.

Home Again by Edwyn Collins will be on my list, for sure.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:00 pm

My favourite albums this year so far :
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
Waterboys - Book Of Lightning
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers
David Ford - Songs For The Road
Crowded House - Time On Earth

guidedbyvoices · Post by **guidedbyvoices** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:07 pm

okkervil river's the stage names is really good, though for an introduction to them, black sheep boys is amazing. so many layers to their songs and lyrics I still unravel more from them.

easy second place goes to the Apples In Stereo - they wree off my map for a while, and I expected so little, but the new one is just great upbeat pop music, live they just blew me away. a very strong return to form

Bob Pollard's Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love also has some really smart pop songs.

I saw Richard Swift at SXSW in March, he was a lot of fun, meant to check that one out.

The National's Boxer is pretty good.
Peter Bjorn & John, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen (all 2007 in the states at least) - all fun pop records.

As you can tell, I love great indie pop, I need good melodies.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:18 pm

The LCD Soundsystem album is the best so far this year. It leaked in January and by the time of its conventional release in March, or whenever, there was a multitude of remixes available that showed what a rich palate there is to draw from, if you know what I mean. John Cales brilliant take on All My Friends is one of the tracks of the year, North American Scum is definitely the track of the year. The live shows have gotten rave reviews, I know the sellout show at The Tripod this Oct 20 will be one of the gigs of the year for me, probably even better than The Stones at Slane.
Love the Bruce album, even though I've been listening to a low quality leak, I cant wait to hear the proper version in few days. The Black Rebel Society album has crept up on me, I love it, a real slow burner rocker. Ditto for pure pop albums from the Fountains Of Wayne and The Cookies.
A great album from last year I like a lot is the debut from Angela Desveaux, Wandering Eyes, who nearly stole the show from Bruce Cockburn when they played here last January.

And those are just the albums that popped up on my Zen Vision at work this evening. There's been lots of great stuff this year so far, the problem seems to be finding the time to take them all in. The struggle goes on. Still dont get Neon Bible.

migdd · Post by **migdd** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:28 pm

Graham Parker's Don't Tell Columbus has my vote, although there are still a couple of months left in the year. Haven't heard anything else so far this year that comes close to Mr. Parker's wonderful arc.

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:34 am

Another title I didn't mention is Strange Weirdos, the latest from Loudon Wainwright III (produced by Joe Henry). Excellent stuff.

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:46 am

Modest Mouse - We were dead even before the ship sank
Manic Street Preachers - Send away the tigers
Rilo Kiley - Under the blacklight

The three best releases this year so far in my world. Got 'Magic' today which of course is a contender and i've ordered Wilco, Sky Blue Sky, just because of the song Hate it Here. And im still waiting for Prince Planet Earth.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:50 pm

Planet Earth is deeply average, I would say. I loved Prince back in the day (and was chuffed the Observer were giving away the Sign O' The Times DVD yesterday), but I've played this the once, and that was hard work. GLad I only paid the price of the pukey Sunday Mail for it. Sky Blue SKy, on the other hand, is a work of considerable charm and beauty. Very listenable, subtle, high quality.