Sunday, December 02, 2007

Top Albums

And now for the completion of the trifecta!

Top Albums of the Year:
In no real order...
  1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver: I love LCD Soundsystem. They are like a new Talking Heads/David Bowie to me. I probably like this record too much.
  2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: Personally I think this album was every bit as good as Funeral but I know a lot of people don't feel that way. I loved a bunch of tracks on this record (see best songs). In think this is the only way to follow up being made into Indie Kings.
  3. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: Uneven and inconsistent. Probably the biggest problem with Spoon. But when they are firing on all levels they are amazing. This album has more hits than misses and I recommend it. There are some skipable tracks but "Got Yr Cherry Bomb" makes up for everything.
  4. EL-P - I'll Sleep When Your Dead: This is one that you love or hate. Either the beats are too loud and too intense for you or you share his paranoia. Kinda like Black Flag doing a Rap record, only better.
  5. Against Me! - New Wave: A lot of people did not like this record. I can appreciate that. The album is way way too glossy but there is a lot of good music underneath it. See the band in concert and you will see how great the record can be.
  6. Panda Bear - Person Pitch: This is an epic album. It is a beautiful and overwhelming. The sounds that come out are amazing. White Noise meet Melody, and great tracks that are both soothing and energizing. It is a maximal minimal record.
  7. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin: I originally trashed this record, and now I like it a lot. The melodies are sweet and the band is trying new things. It grew on me and there a couple killer songs. I say go for it.
  8. Ted Leo - Living with the Living: People love Ted Leo. And it is impossible not too love him. He sings great songs with out forcing greatness, he cares about people genuinely, and the man is a punk/rock god. So this record was not as great as Shake the Sheets, it was still great. The world is just waiting for that one perfect album from Leo because we know he can do it.
  9. The Long Blondes - Someone to Drive Your Home: I wanted a British album and I got one. Along the way they update "Every Picture Tells Story Don't It" but from a girls point of view. Anyway this is solid and I think everyone should get it.
  10. Burial - Untrue: Other than the first two and this album the rest of the albums are not in order. Untrue is a good record but I am not sure if it is a great record. It is dark and twisting, able to interest the listener but not overwhelm. Yet I don't know in six months from now if I will still be listening.
Other Notable Releases:
  • Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
  • Black Dice - Blown Load
  • Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers into Sockets E.P.
  • Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
  • Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
  • Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
  • Okkervil River - Stage Names
  • Justice - Cross
  • Caribou - Andorra
  • !!! - Myth Takes
  • Bonde Do Role - With Lasers
  • Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrophya
  • Feist - The Reminder
  • Menonmena - Friend or Foe
  • Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Great but shouldn't go in a new music since they are collections:
  • Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim
  • Elliott Smith - New Moon
Biggest Disappointments:
  • Bright Eyes - Casadega: Too much. Too many words, too many sounds, too many ideas. Maybe someday he could pull this off but not now. Also it sounded as if Oberst took himself even more seriously this time around.
  • Kanye West - Graduation: He had to fail. there was too much pressure too high expectations. Was it terrible? No. Just wasn't good as Dropout or Late Registration. It had some good songs but it had some really bad ones. For every "Stronger" there was "Drunk and Hot Girls".
  • Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City: Loved the first album and hated this one. What happened to the dancing? the pointyness? the chorus? Bloc Party went from a Gang of Four inspired band, to a bad Smith ripoff bad.
  • The Stooges - The Weirdness
  • Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah - Some Thunder
  • James Murphy - Fabric Live Series Comp
  • Interpol - Our Love to Admire: This was not so much bad as it was the same. They have a sound and for two or three songs it is good, but they need to change it up. If I want to hear an entire Joy Division album I will put on Closer.
  • Prodigy - Return of the Mac

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