yearlist 2007

[shackin'up]

Yearlist


Band Of Horses – Cease to Begin
Less than their first? Not in my book. Pointy poprock that grows and grows. And the single of the year: is there a ghost? Two lines of lyrics, No Chorus, minimum chords, yet goosebumps.

Holy F*ck – LP
(their name is spelled with a u is stead of a the *, though.)
Canadians that really rock my house. Analogue dancemusic. I hate dance. I hate instrumental music. But this is the best dancealbum ever. Real drums, real bass, rock, yet dancemusic. INCREDIBLE.

Neil Young –Chrome Dreams II
Those two long pieces around 15 minutes alone are an album I would put on this list.

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
http://flyingclubcup.com

Watch the videos and you’ll know I’m right. Very special.

White Stripes - Icky Thumb
Lindsey’s next producer MUST be here.

Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
Glorious album of a weird man. His sixth wife must do him good.

Monster Magnet – 4 Way Diablo
I never expected this band to make such a great raw-edge garagerockalbum. Normally they die by pose. This is the real work.

Show People - Show People
You can buy it at CD baby. No recordlabel, a fantasic, fantasic album full of indie-boy-girl- popduets with a twang every now and then. Bill Janovitz and Chris Toppin sign for this album, selfreleased. Go get it.

Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces
A comeback-album that just matches their best work in the nineties. Superband. That voice kills me.


Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Because this is such an authentic, honest album full of dark but hopeful songs. I LOVE this twist in the work of both artists. And producer T-Bone Burnette really is God on this one.

Golden Smog - Blood on the Slacks
Seventiespoprock like you haven't heard for over thirty years. Perfection. 8 tracks, vinyllength. I miss that today, so that's extra quality.

Phonograph - Phonograph.
Irresistable American Poprocksongs.

gerald

[trackaghost]

I'll play since no one else has so far.

Here's my top 10 albums of 2007:

1. Mark Olson – The Salvation Blues
Easily my fave this year. Beautiful, honest and heartbreaking. It's arguably the best thing that Olson has ever done, certainly since he left The Jayhawks and his voice has never sounded so vulnerable or lovely

2. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
There's a lot of hatin' on this album, but, while it's not as instant as Summerteeth or progressive as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or experimental as A Ghost Is Born, given a chance it has a lot to love, especially Impossible Germany and Side With The Seeds. I <3 Jeff Tweedy. I still get a kick out of hearing him sing about housework on Hate It Here

3. Dr. Dog – We All Belong
Very retro-sounding, Beach Boys-influenced swirling pop psychedelia. I love it because it sounds like a lost classic full of great pop tunes.

4. The New Pornographers – Challengers
On first listen it lacks the power pop punch of Twin Cinema but IMO it's their best effort yet. It's pretty hard to go wrong with the AC Newman/Dan Bejar/Neko Case triple threat though.

5. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Like Love Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul
When first I saw Jesse Sykes and her band live earlier this year I couldn't understand why this woman isn't better known. She looks like a cross between Emmylou Harris and Ali MacGraw, has a smoky, unique and awesomely sinister voice, and her songs are gorgeous, atmospheric country noir with a real Neil Young sensibility. I just love her.

6. Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday
The son of Anthony Perkins, Elvis is just an incredible singer-songwriter with songs that creep up on you and break your heart.

7. The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth
They're very under the radar but this Alabama band have made one of the best, most anthemic Americana album of the year.

8. Dinosaur Jr – Beyond
Why can't all comeback albums be like this? Beyond, I think, sounds like it could have been released back in the band's prime. They are still incredible live too, I didn't realise it but I really missed J Mascis' ear-bleeding guitar solos

9. Radiohead – In Rainbows
The best thing they're done since Kid A. Awesome.

10. Battles - Mirrored
Just brilliantly weird, perfectly played post-rock.

And my top 10 gigs:
1. Wilco, Vicar St, Dublin (Nov 14)
2. Daniel Johnston, Union Chapel, London (July 12)
3. Joanna Newsom, Royal Albert Hall, London (Sept 28)
4. The Hold Steady, Hoxton Bar & Grill, London (Feb 15)
5. The New Pornographers, 93 Feet East, London (June 20)
6. Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation, Roundhouse, London (August 31)
7. Marah, Islingston Academy, London (Nov 28)
8. Wilco, Shepherd's Bush Empire, London (May 21)
9. Prince, O2, London (August 28)
10. Soulsavers with Mark Lanegan, Bush Hall (July 17)

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Band Of Horses – Cease to Begin, Neil Young –Chrome Dreams II, Beirut - The Flying Club Cup, White Stripes - Icky Thumb, Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade, Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss – Raising Sand, Golden Smog - Blood on the Slacks

Love these albums, Gerald! I'm going to see Steve Earle in the new year and I've just bought tickets to Neil Young's London shows!

[shackin'up]

Thanks for responding, Sharon. It's heartbreaking to conclude that so few ledgies respond to this.

By the way, your list has some dark horses in it for me. suggestions for which one I could go for in a blind purchase?

For you I recommend Phonograph and Holy Frck to check out from my list.

I saw buffalo tom, and springsteen lately. Both awesome. And i already got tickets for band Of horses in march. Now I need tickets for plant/krauss. and a band called okkerville river, that you should check out too by the way.

G.

[shackin'up]

Come on people, put up a list. I want suggestions!

[Sarah]

I would, but honestly, I don't think I've bought or listened to 10 2007 albums.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by Sarah

I would, but honestly, I don't think I've bought or listened to 10 2007 albums.

Three will do....or any!!

[#1LiddyBuckFan]

This is what I got (which isn't much) These are the albums I bought this year.

Paul McCartney: Memory Almost Full
Macca has some driving rock songs and also some very introspective moments on this album. Love it.

John Fogerty: Revival
He's still got the voice, he's still got the guitar chops. John went back to his Creedence roots here. It's swampy, political and fun as hell.

Bruce Springsteen: Magic
Wow. Wow. Wow. Glad to hear the E Street Band...he's back to rocking out!

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
Gerald, I pretty much agree with everything you had to say about this album. It is brilliant.

The Eagles: Long Road Out Of Eden
This is a little bit of everything all rolled into one. It's definitely the Eagles but grown up, if that makes any sense at all. You can hear that they have been through a lot in their voices. I will say that it should not have been a double CD, but I enjoy the album.

James Blunt: All The Lost Souls
Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know. No need to give me crap about this. His lyrics are great and this album is fun...has some moving songs but not as heavy as the first one.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by #1LiddyBuckFan

This is what I got (which isn't much) These are the albums I bought this year.

John Fogerty: Revival
He's still got the voice, he's still got the guitar chops. John went back to his Creedence roots here. It's swampy, political and fun as hell.

James Blunt: All The Lost Souls
Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know. No need to give me crap about this. His lyrics are great and this album is fun...has some moving songs but not as heavy as the first one.

Still haven't heard the Fogerty-one. Read some good stuff about it. I'll check it out.

I won't give you crap on Blunt. I respect him for who he is. Some great songs, but a bit too affective for me. Not bad though. Thanks for your contribution though. I hope some musiclovers will post theirs. I love it if Maclovers share their taste of music. But in some weird way, very few seem interested.

[HejiraNYC]

I also haven't bought/heard 10 albums from the year 2007. Oh, does "Crystal Visions" count?

So here are a few highlights for me:







Some disappointments:




What I'm looking forward to:


Yes, she's back with Bill Bottrell!!!!

[shackin'up]

Hmmm...Iron and wine. Haven't heard that one. I remeber a good album a few years ago....does this one have a raw edge?

[TrueFaith77]

1 Mika Life in Cartoon Motion
2 Timbaland Timbaland Presents: Shock Value
3 Bruce Springsteen Magic
4 Amy Winehouse Back to Black
5 R. Kelly Double Up
6 Bryan Ferry Dylanesque
7 Neil Young Chrome Dreams II
8 Ne-Yo Because of You
9 Mary J. Blige Growing Pains
10 Kenny Chesney Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates

Others:

Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad
Brad Paisley - 5th Gear
Pretty Ricky - Late Night Special
Antsy Mcclain and the Trailer Park Troubadours Trailercana (featuring three songs with Lindsey Buckingham!)
The Roches - Moonswept
Soundtrack - Jump In!
Corbin Bleu - Another Side
Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis

Best Concert: Iris Dement @ BB King's!!!! She's the greatest. TEARS. Her performance of "How I Learned Not to Pray" was the greatest live performance I've ever seen.

[estranged4life]

1. Queen - Rock Montreal
2. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
3. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
4. Arch Enemy - Rise of the Tyrant
5. Behemoth - The Apostasy
6. Alchemist - Tripsis (Equal parts Death metal, Pink Floyd and Midnight Oil)
7. Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
8. After Forever - After Forever
9. Epica - The Divine Conspiracy
10. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos

Honorable mentions -
Edenbridge - The Grand Design
Helloween - Gambling with the Devil
Leaves Eyes - Vinland Saga
Megadeth - United Abominations
Tesla - Real to Reel
Tesla - Real to Reel 2
Xandria - Salome'
Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)
Heaven & Hell - Live 2007 at Radio City Music Hall
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free Part 2
Dark Tranquillity - Ficition
Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Shadow Falls - Threads of Life
Sonata Arctica - Unia
King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul...Please

[xdreamsunwindx]

Gore Gore Girls - Get The Gore
Paul Collins' Beat - Flying High
The Cynics - Here We Are
Alicia Keys - As I Am
Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Patti Smith - Twelve


That's all I can think of. I never buy CDs. I have them handed to me

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Hmmm...Iron and wine. Haven't heard that one. I remeber a good album a few years ago....does this one have a raw edge?

This one is definitely more "produced," but I think that is only a good thing when his voice is so, how shall I say it, "unremarkable." I can actually listen to this one without falling asleep.