Ryan's Top 10: Let's Finish This Shiz Up

#4 Okkervil River - The Stage Names

To be perfectly honest, when I first put this list together I was surprised at the fact that this album wasn’t ranked higher. In my head I seriously considered it a top 3 album of the year. But then, when I put it up against all the other albums of the year, there were in fact three albums I enjoyed more. So, once again I find myself mathematically limited by the number of albums I could include…thus Okkervil River’s The Stage Names finds itself at Number 4. I know Bryan mentioned that he finds this album too “happy” in tone, and honestly I don’t really get that. The standout tracks on this albums are the ones that tend to be or sound a bit depressing. The opening track, “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”, begins by saying exactly what the title states, that our life never works out as great or as bad as things tend to in movies. There’s not ultimate climax, no new boundaries being broken. It’s just life. Seems very ho-hum to me. In fact, I find quite a pessimistic tone throughout the rest of the album. Whether its lamenting a number of women or settling themselves on their own mid-level band status, there’s an overall pessimistic feel. This is none-to-evident on the highlight of the album (and quite possibly the entire year) on the albums closing “John Allyn Smith Sails”. If I was to list my favorite songs of 2007 (which I will certainly not bore you with, this list was long enough) there’s an exceptional chance this would find itself at the very top of that list. Regardless, “John Allyn Smith Sails” finds itself a suicide attempt story of based on former poet John Berryman. The song breaks into a rewritten form of the Beach Boys “Sloop John B” at the 2:30 point that just blows me away. Its great. To add to the fantasticness that is this album is the inclusion of an extra song when purchasing the album from eMusic. The trumpet-laced breakup lament “Love to a Monster” is a slow moving “tribute” to a former lover that includes lines like “I hope you get angry and hurt and have the hardest of landings” and “I hope your new man thinks of me when he sees what a number I did on you.” For some reason, I have a feeling that most of us have probably thought this way about a person at one point or another.


Okkervil River - John Allyn Smith Sails

Okkervil River - A Girl in Port

#3 The National - Boxer

I first discovered The National for myself this year after rummaging through a used CD box at Grimey’s Record Store in Nashville this past summer. There I stumbled upon a used copy of The National’s Alligator which I had remembered reading somewhere might be a decent album. So, unlike many other, more hip, music listeners I was not anxiously awaiting the appearance of the Boxer this year. In fact, because I had just purchased Alligator, I held off on purchasing Boxer until much later in the year than I probably should. That being said, the amount of The National I have listened to this year has been tremendous. So, this review may come off as more of a review of The National’s style than about Boxer itself. Someone, somewhere (maybe it was Bryan, I can’t remember) described The National’s music as being melancholy rock…and I think that’s an excellent description. The National is everything I want in a band from their rolling drums that are often brought to the forefront of the song (see “Squalor Victoria”) to the melancholy reverberating guitars. I typically find myself paying far more attention to the music of a band as opposed to the lyrics, and not to take anything away from the lyrics found on Boxer, The National is a band where one can be completely immersed in the music and sound of the album while not caring at all about the lyrics, and still enjoy the album. So, I very glad I finally worked my way around to getting this album. I’ve listened to both Alligator and Boxer an awful lot this year and either one is a great place to get started if you haven’t experienced The National before.

The National - Squalor Victoria

The National - Fake Empire

#2 Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida

I’ve always thought that if I were a movie director, there wouldn’t be a more enjoyable job than selecting songs for the soundtrack to my movie. Deciding what songs could create a particular feeling in someone when watching something happen to complete strangers is an art, but it’s an art that I like to think I’d be good at. Now, this is most likely completely false. I would probably suck at it, but seeing as how I doubt I’ll ever get the opportunity to prove my chops, I’m going to continue thinking that I’d do a decent job. Regardless, some people are particularly good at it, and supposedly (from what I’ve read at least) one of those individuals is David Wingo. Wingo has written music for movie soundtracks for a while, and Ola Podrida is his first attempt at band-dom. Let me be the 1000^th to say it, I think the transition would quite well. Ola Podrida’s self-titled debut was critically-acclaimed in a few circles, but finds itself absent from many of the Top 10 lists I’ve been reading over the past month. I really find that hard to believe. In fact, Paste even omitted it from their Top 100 list!! Bullshit, I say!! I have dug on this album since my first listen of the song “Cindy”, which came courtesy of everyone’s favorite ubiquitous review site Pitchfork. “Cindy” is the arpeggio-ed story of a girl that decides to burn up everything she owns in a magnificent house fire. Everything proceeds perfectly as planned only until she comes to the realization that she’s got some overdue library books she left in the house that she needs to return. So, I suppose, her thinking that since she was already going to have at least one charge of arson heading her way in the near future, she needed to attempt to make piece with the public servants down at the Biblioteca. That being the case, she entered the partially destroyed, burning house to retrieve the books, never to be heard from again. It’s quite a lovely story, and I was hypnotized the first time I heard it (and subsequently the next 20-30 times). Stories are a common theme throughout the album. There’s the country-twinged ode to a bar singer in “Jordanna” and the lackadaisical vacation-turned-breakup story of “Day at the Beach” that find themselves both at top of my favorite songs of 2007. In fact, I would argue there’s not a better collection of three songs on any of the other albums in my top 10. Maybe the storytelling is an extension of his previous soundtrack writing, but Wingo does an excellent job of eliciting a number of emotions over the course of the album. And from the way I understand it, emotions are a good thing. So, Cheers to Dave Wingo and his band Ola Podrida for creating my second favorite album of 2007.

Ola Podrida - Cindy

Ola Podrida - A Day at the Beach

#1 Radiohead - In Rainbows

Ten years from now will be 2017. That seems ridiculous. Honestly. Two thousand and seventeen. I mean, we should have like flying cars, and everyone should be eating space ice cream all the time by then. We’ll most likely have populated Mars, transitioned to a completely cashless society, and we’ll be approaching 109 years of Chicago Cubs-free World Series. It sounds as if it truly will be the future. But we all know that won’t be the case. 2017 sounds like forever away, but is it really all that far? Another interesting question is what will I be listening to in ten years? Of all the albums that came out in 2007, do any have the a chance of remaining in my rotation in 2017. Well, before I answer that, let’s look back ten years ago…all the way back to 1997. In 1997 my favorite album of ALL-TIME came out. Radiohead’s OK Computer. My first listens to this album were like entering a new universe. Nothing before or it, or since in my humble opinion, had achieved close to the musical perfection that I thought OK Computer was (minus one ridiculous Macintosh-voice ridden “Fitter Happier”). Now, an entire decade later, I still feel basically the same way. My musical tastes haven’t changed much, and the album I thought was the best of all time, I still believe is the best album of all time. So, best I can gather, in another ten years, my musical tastes will most likely remain fairly constant. I mean, they’ve survived the past ten high school/college/grad school/getting married years, I cannot fathom what could happen over the next ten years (aside from getting a job, finally getting paid a real salary, buying a house, having kids, and going to PTA meetings) to cause my fully implanted musical tastes to change. So, being that is it may, I’m announcing Radiohead’s In Rainbows as my Best Album of 2007. No other album came close in creating an excitement in me than In Rainbows. And the amazing thing is….it only had like 6 days to do that. I honestly enjoy everything about the album. There’s something to love about each and every song. I enjoy the “try to learn how to clap to this song, Americans” of “15 Step”. The crunch that “Bodysnatchers” employs, and the fact that once it ends that crunch is over for the rest of the album. The airy lustfulness of “Nude”. The repetitive, crispness of “Weird Fish/Arpeggi”. The brutal, bass-ridden honesty of “All I Need”. The perfect mesh of acoustic guitar and strings in “Faust Arp”. The cymbal tapping, subtleness of “The Reckoner”. The bouncy, carefulness of “House of Cards”. The mind-erasing bridge at the 2:54 point in “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” that practically sums up the entire album for me. The going nowhere, eeriness of “Videotape”. I love each song and believe that regardless of my situation ten years from now, In Rainbows will be up there with OK Computer as one of my favorites of all time. So, the pressure’s on Radiohead…..if I’m interpreting the pattern correctly, then in 2017 we should be in for quite a new album. I’m already counting down the days.

Radiohead - All I Need

Radiohead - Reckoner

RR

Ryan's Top 10: Number 5

#5 Band of Horses - Cease to Begin

I’d hate to use this forum as an opportunity to say I told you so, but I’m going to anyways. I mentioned back in September this album might challenge for Tops of the year, and I’d have say that coming in at #5 certainly fits the bill. Now, I realize, with the success that Band of Horses first album Everything All the Time achieved, that I was hardly going out on a limb, but the statement remains true. However, I’ll agree with Bryan’s analysis that Everything All the Time was slightly better than Cease to Begin. That’s not to say that Cease to Begin isn’t a damn good album, but I think its lacks a standout track. I feel Everything All the Time had two of these tracks: “The Funeral” and “The Great Salt Lake”. And where a few songs are definitely better than others on Cease to Begin, with “No One’s Gonna Love You” and “Is There a Ghost” being tops for me, there isn’t a song that makes me think, “Damn, that might be the best song I’ve heard all year.” There seems to be very little change in style from the first album to this one, and often many of the tracks are interchangeable. But I also come from the school of that that thinks that consistently changing one’s style is completely overrated. I’d rather a band be consistently consistent, and that’s one thing Band of Horses has going for them. If I want a different style, I’ll listen to a different band. If I want dreamy, reverberating, crisp guitars layered over higher pitched vocals…I’ll listen to Band of Horses. One thing I would’ve liked to hear more of, however, is acoustic arrangements. “Part One” and “St. Augustine” were two of my favorite songs on Everything All the Time but Cease to Begin lacks these songs. So, far I suppose I’ve used this as more a review of Band of Horses first record than their 2007 effort, and maybe there’s a reason to that. Maybe Cease to Begin just reiterated to me just how good Everything All the Time was. But if you ever listened to that and thought…”Man, I wish this album had more than 10 songs on it,” then Cease to Begin is for you. And that is reason enough to give it Top 5 status for 2007.

Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost

Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You

RR

Ryan's Top 10: Number 6

#6 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

I’ve got to say….I’ve enjoyed the hell out of this album, but it took me a while to get to that point. I read a lot about this album when it first came out, and I got the feeling that the general consensus was this was Wilco’s Adult Contemporary album. Now I could never gather enough information to get a feel for what that really meant, or whether it was supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing. Regardless, I’ve really enjoyed Sky Blue Sky. I like to think the album has an overall cheerful feel to it, which is refreshing. There are not too many good albums (that I listen to anyways) nowadays would I classify as “cheerful.” From the initial, light-hearted “Either Way”, past the lazy reminiscence of the title track, to the comforting finale “On and On and On”, the album has a relax, dare I say adult-contemporary, feel. Wow. Adult-contemporary is definitely something I would not have used to describe an album I loved 5 or 6 years ago. To me, adult contemporary was always Rod Stewart or Bryan Adams. Stuff like that. I would never have imagined myself loving something “adult-contemporary”. It has such a grown up, refuse to bend the rules, negative sounds to it. But maybe the way I feel about this album simply describes a transitional state that my life seems to be in. As I slowly progress through my later 20-ies, on the cusp of entering the real world, with all the forced-realization that obtaining a job will offer, maybe I’m slowly transitioning to a more adult contemporary lifestyle. Maybe I’m slowly becoming less Smashing Pumpkins and more Goo Goo Dolls. Or maybe, just maybe, Sky Blue Sky is just a damn good album, that I would’ve enjoyed regardless of current life-state. Either way, I’m glad Wilco put it out. Now if I could just see them perform it live……

Wilco - Either Way

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Kinda makes you wanna run out and buy a Volkswagon...don't it?

RR

[EDIT] Sorry about the bandwidth problem. I just fixed things, so if you weren't able to sample a song....give it another go. Once again, sorry. I guess I'm just posting too much.

Ryan's Top 10: Number 7

#7 Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

I can’t really add too much more to what Bryan already mentioned in his excellent post concerning this album in his Top Ten. For me, it isn’t #1, but I can totally understand why someone would consider it as such. My opinions have basically remained unchained on Armchair Apocrypha since I first posted a few songs in my One Man Band webcast a couple months ago. It’s a nicely done, mellow sounding, intelligent record. One thing I would like to add to Bryan’s post is the fact that Andrew Bird, at one point, was a member of the Squirrel Nut Zippers. It’s not really a good thing or a bad thing, its just kinda is….know what I mean? Anyhoo, my faves from the album are posted below. Enjoy, and if you haven’t already picked up this album, it’s available over at Emusic, as is a few of Bird’s older albums, which they’ve recently been adding.

Andrew Bird - Heretics

Andrew Bird - Plasticities

RR

Ryan's Top 10: Number 8

#8 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

So, I get the general feeling, both now and back in March that Arcade Fire’s second album, Neon Bible, wasn’t as “good” as their first, Funeral. Well, maybe I’m once again giving credence to the idea that deep down I know nothing about music….but count me among the few that actually like Neon Bible better than Funeral. Now, in the spirit of true honesty I will say that there’s no way I was saying this back in March after the album came out, but over the past few months, this is what I’ve come to believe. The thing about Arcade Fire (and I get a similar feeling with Radiohead) is that every song feels like an experience. Each is an epic all its own, often in my mind totally unrelated to the rest of the album. Now, this probably falls in the face of what most consider a ‘good album’, that being a cohesive group of songs sharing an overall general theme. And whereas Neon Bible may even have that I, personally, don’t get that feel when I listen to the album. What totally makes this album for me….and gives it Top Ten status as opposed to Honorable Mention or less, is the inclusion of the pipe. Evident on at least two (and not nearly enough) songs, not coincidentally my favorite songs on the album, it is the highlight of the album. It gives the album somewhat of a majestic, ‘larger-than-life’ image that not too many albums possess with me. It isn’t the only reason for my liking of the album, however, as each track is unto itself, a great song. But, I don’t listen to this album without coming away with a feeling of awe for the pipe organ. I love it. Plus, I suppose if it’s good enough for the Boss, then its good enough for me. Check out this Blair Witch-like footage.

Arcade Fire - My Body is a Cage

Arcade Fire - Intervention

RR

Ryan's Top 10: Number 9

#9 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Well, I think its becoming pretty obvious now that all Spoon does is write good songs. I mean 6 albums in, and you basically can’t go wrong with any of the Spoon catalog. In my opinion, the cream of the crop lies with 2002’s Kill the Moonlight and 2005’s Gimme Fiction, but Spoon’s latest, the annoyingly titled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga manages to run neck and neck with both of those previous albums. I think Aquarium Drunkard said it best, that even if all Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga does is become a gateway for your entry into all other things Spoon, then it’s already done its job. But, maybe a band like Spoon isn’t for you….i mean some people really just don’t like well-done songs, with catchy guitar and piano laced riffs. I’m not one of those people, but I’m sure they exist. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga also holds the title of being the most upbeat album in the Top 10, as most of the songs come at you fast with a biting guitar at front and center. Some songs can tend to suffer from a bit of repetitiveness (see “The Ghost of You Lingers), but those moments are few and far between. Its funny, in Bryan’s Top Ten post, which also included Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, he listed three standout songs for him which were “The Underdog”, “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case”, and “Black Like Me”…and those are all good songs, but I’m going to cite a different three as being my highlights on the album. I’ll begin with the first track on the album, “Don’t Make Me a Target”. The best way I can describe this song is just to say that for some reason I feel like a badass when I listen to it. I’m clearly not a badass, so when I get a feeling like this, I often like to repeat what got me there in the first place. That being said, I’ve listened to “Don’t Make Me a Target” a lot. My other two highlights are “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “Finer Feelings”, but you can’t really go wrong with any on the album. So, if you decided to pick up Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on a whim this year and haven’t yet made it to any of Spoon’s previous albums, then quit wasting time and hit up Kill the Moonlight immediately.

Final Tallies:

Number of posts written today about Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: 1

Number of time typed the word Ga: 36

Spoon - Don't Make Me a Target

Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb

RR

Ryan's Top 10: Number 10

Fresh off a heartbreaking defeat in my fantasy football playoffs, I've decided to drown my sorrows in some of the best albums to grace my ears this year.

I've been sitting on this Top Ten list for the better part of a month now, all because I couldn't come up with a clever introduction to yet another Top Ten list. The real problem, however, was that my lack of something to say that plagued my intro certainly did not carry over to writing about the albums themselves. Each album write-up ended up being slightly longer than what I originally planned, and I didn't want to cut anything down. So rather than posting one gargantuan post, I've decided to break this up into a series of ten posts. Yes, I'm going to make this as painful as possible for everyone involved.

Now, I realize many may not particularly care what albums I think are the best of this past year, but I'm going to grace you with my opinions anyways. The thing I'd like us all to keep in mind, however, is what exactly the word "best" means.

Now, applying a term such as "best" to music is a very difficult thing to do. I don't know what makes an album better than another album. Seriously. I think a lot of people THINK they know, but i don't think they actually do. What I DO know though is what albums I've enjoyed the most throughout the past year. And that's what you'll find here. A completely subjective list of my favorite albums. I tried to take into account the potential "staying power" associated with an album, meaning is there a decent chance that an album might still be in regular rotation with me in 5-10 years. If so, I considered it for Top Ten status. If not, it was demoted. So, I hope you enjoy reading about the albums I've enjoyed, and I hope I do a decent job of conveying why I particularly like each album, all I ask is that if you enjoy any of these songs, or albums, that you purchase the albums mentioned. These are the albums of 2007 that I think are most worth your money. Also, I'd love to hear your opinions. So, if you've got time, let me know why you like (or don't like) these albums. I'd love to hear some most likely better thought out opinion's than just my own.

So, without further ado, on to the list....but first I should mention a few albums that just barely missed the cut. These five albums were all good enough to be included, but as I'm limited in the number of albums I can include, they were unfortunately left off.

My Honorable Mentions

Iron and Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog

My favorite Iron and Wine album remains the coeffort with Calexico. I really think the backing band adds an extra element to Sam Beam’s song writing that enhances most of the songs. The Shepherd’s Dog follows a similar format for the first time, with a backing band approach compared to the more solo previous record Our Endless Numbered Days. The Shepherd’s Dog also comes off slightly more eclectic than Beam’s previous efforts. I very much enjoyed the direction he decided to take with this album.

Iron and Wine - The Devil Never Sleeps

Bishop Allen – The Broken String

Most of the songs on this album were accumulated from their monthly EP effort from 2006, making it a “greatest hits” of sorts. The high point of the record hits very early with an excellent trifecta of songs leading off the album in “The Monitor”, “Rain”, and “Click Click Click Click”. While some of the songs might be a little poppy for some, but an overall nice effort on their second album.

Bishop Allen - Rain

Pela – Anytown Graffiti

A gem of an album that I gotta give total props to eMusic for. I had never heard of Pela, but thanks to some bored, emusic surfing, I stumbled upon Anytown Graffiti. It’s a collection of mostly uptempo indie rock songs, few of which disappoint. Its been one of my most pleasant surprises of 2007.

Pela - Tenement Teeth

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away

Wincing the Night Away, on the other hand, was one of my more disappointing albums of 2007. Not THE most disappointing album (Billy Corgan is holding down that spot with his Smashing Pumpkins “resurrection”), but disappointing nonetheless, despite finding its way into my Honorable Mentions. I realize a lot of people think very highly of this record, but after The Shins first two albums, I was expecting something that was going to stick with me a little more than this one has. Regardless, its not a bad album, I just wanted a little more.

The Shins - Sleeping Lessons

The White Stripes – Icky Thump

I think the fact that Icky Thump didn’t even make my Top Ten says more about the quality of new music in 2007 than it does about the record itself. Icky Thump is a very strong album, containing, quite possibly, the rockingest song of 2007 in its title track. That heart-thumping drumming, and weird instrumental solos puts it as one of my favorite songs of the year. There’s more to the album though, it’s a good collection of hard rocking songs that were absent for the most part from their previous effort.

The White Stripes - Little Cream Soda

Finally, the list:

#10 Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

So, Ryan Adams puts out a lot of albums. We’re all pretty confident that’s a valid statement. It’s gotten to the point where you can’t read an Adams-related article or review without him being accused of being “prolific” as if to indicate this was an insult or an unwanted quality from a song-writer. Now listen, I’ll be the first to admit…not every Ryan Adams song is an “Oh My Sweet Carolina” and not every album a Heartbreaker. But that doesn’t mean that Adams isn’t constantly producing good songs. Every album has been a good, listenable album. That being said I’ve probably listened to Easy Tiger less than any other album in my Top Ten (maybe that’s why I’ve relegated it to the TenSpot, who knows). But I don’t need to listen to the album 100 times to know what it sounds like, and to know that I like it. 6 or 7 Ryan Adams in, I like to think I’ve pretty much got the hang of this now. Easy Tiger falls in line with a lot of the others, however, what separates this one from the 29’s and the Demolition’s is the consistency. I can pick up listening at just about any point throughout the album and enjoy the rest of the way through. I don’t mean that to say that the songs are interchangeable, just that they’re all good Ryan Adams songs, making Easy Tiger a collection of good Ryan Adams songs, and thus a good album. In addition, there probably isn’t a more heart-wringing, gut-wrenching song I’ve heard all year than “I Taught Myself How to Grow Old”. The harmonica kills me, and is quite possibly my favorite single part of just about any Ryan Adams song out there..........on second thought, I’d put the line about missing Kentucky and the winds blowing across the South on “Carolina” slightly ahead….but you get the point. I was hesitant when I first got Easy Tiger, with my thinking being, I already know what I’m going to hear, but I was wrong. I didn’t expect the constant quality throughout the entire album. I’m very glad I purchased the album.

Ryan Adams - I Taught Myself How to Grow Old

Ryan Adams - Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.

RR

My Top 10 for 2007

I am no critic, but I love music. I sampled many a good record this year and I want to write about it. Idiot's Revenge, fuckers! Here are the best records I listened to in 2007.

1. Andrew Bird :: Armchair Apocrypha

When I saw Wilco on October 16th in Columbus, little did I know that the show would introduce me to my album of the year. Andrew Bird was the opener and we arrived midway through his opening set. Although I did not know his music, from the beginning, I was mesmorized by the stunning beauty of his music and the clusterfuck that is his show (believe it or not, I mean clusterfuck in a good way - there is so much happening musically and visually for essentially a one man band). Shortly thereafter, I picked up Armchair from Emusic.

This album is great and is a deal for approximately $12, considering that this album is perhaps worth $80,000. Andrew Bird is a scholar and he can teach you and your kids. You want to save some money on an education from a liberal arts college? Just play this record over and over again - you'll learn more than I learned from my liberal arts college. Bird makes beautiful music while discussing religion, philosophy, history (a song about the Scythians and their historical troubles with the pesky Sarmatians, damn them), the metaphysical, and so much more. A classical education he will give you, along with his perspective on religion v. science, mortality, nature v. nurture, just to name a few highlights. Oh yeah, did I mention his arrangements are beautiful and sound like nothing else in pop music? Bird crafts great, catchy songs with meaning, depth, and stunning beauty. Every track is a gem and meshed together, these 12 songs constitute my favorite record of 2007. Generally, I think this album has been underrated among critics, so I have no problem fluffing it with this much enthusiasm. Everything is worth listening to, especially Fiery Crash, Imitosis, Heretics, Darkmatter, Scythian Empires.

2. Josh Ritter :: Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter

Ritter's follow up to The Animal Years is as strong from top to bottom as any other album from 2007. This album not only features some fantastic songs but, for whatever reason, it sometimes seemed that Ritter was singing them to me (as creepy as that sounds). In other words, a lot of his song subjects have relevance to my own experiences from 2007. That personal connection is always interesting to me.

Ritter is oftened pegged as a folk singer, and although there are elements of that on this album, it's also a pretty diverse work that includes some rockers, some catchy pop songs, and even some atmosphere. For the existing Ritter fan, you'll be happy to know that his poignant discussion of serious subjects, such as politics and war, are also present. My favorites: Mind's Eye, Right Moves, Empty Hearts, Wait for Love (You Know You Will).

3. The National :: Boxer

What I love about this album is the mellow intensity of it, (if that makes sense) created by the arrangements and the song writing. Matt Berninger, the primary songwriter, has a unique writing style that I find very interesting; it's almost as if he says what we are all thinking in the back of our heads but are too ashamed or scared to say (for example, in Slow Show: "Can I get a minute of not being nervous and not thinking of my dick"). In addition, it's Berninger's cryptic style that creates some really cool little short stories. Back to Slow Show -- for example, is this a twisted type of love song, or are we getting insights into a stalker? The arrangements are deliberate, often creating a dramatic affect in the storytelling (see Ada). Overall, it's a cool compliment to Alligator. Whereas Alligator has some screaming and yelling, Boxer has none that I can think of off the top of my head yet, I would argue, it is just as intense as Alligator (based on the factors that I've been rambling about). When standing next to Alligator, this is a fantastic follow up, one that shows continued growth from these guys. You can't go wrong with anything on this album, especially Mistaken For Strangers, Green Gloves, Slow Show, Start A War, Ada.

4. Dinosaur Jr :: Beyond

Before you start to think I've gone soft, I present to you Dino Jr's triumphant return. Nineteen years since their last album together, the original guys from Dino Jr released Beyond and, in my book, didn't really skip a beat. The signature shredding guitar licks of J Mascis are as intense as ever and the catchy hooks make many of these songs memorable. When I get the urge to kill some brain cells (by headbanging of course), I put Beyond on and commence rocking. My favorites: Pick Me Up, Back To Your Heart, Been There All The Time.

5. Centro-matic :: Operation Motorcide

Are you kidding? Only Will Johnson can put his scraps together and make a sweet EP. If you were unaware, the tracks making up Operation Motorcide are leftovers from last year's Fort Recovery, a great album in its own right. This EP carries on in the same direction as Fort Recovery, but perhaps with better songs. Atlanta is my favorite song of 2007! Operation Motorcide, Circuits to Circuses, and 74 Cuts, 74 Scars are, arguably, as strong as any song on Fort Recovery. In any event, Operation Motorcide was a tasty morsel to keep us held over until 2008 when Centro-matic and side project South San Gabriel are scheduled to release new records.

Here are my next five. All of these albums are great, but don't have the same consistency throughout as the Top 5 albums.

6. Spoon :: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

It might be difficult to find any album with three songs as strong as The Underdog, My Little Japanese Cigarette Case, and Black Like Me.

7. New Pornographers :: Challengers

So yes, these guys and gals made an album that sounds similar to their previous albums. And yes, they made an album where alot of the songs might even sound the same. The New Pornographers seem to have bottled the formula for creating catchy, singable pop songs. Some find that bad. I, on the otherhand, don't mind it. Fact is, since I've been spinning this album, almost all of the songs have been stuck in my head at one time or another. I like that and I like this album.

8. Band of Horses :: Cease to Begin

Not as good as Everything All The Time, but still a pretty solid follow up. Forget the haters that knock this band for its MMJ similarities, Ben Bridwell and company can rock when they want or take it down a notch and still deliver a quality tune. Doubt me? Check out Ode to LRC, Islands On the Coast, Detlef Schrempf, and The General Specific.

9. Son Volt :: The Search

Another nice collection of songs from Farrar. Although some are throw aways, Methamphetamine, Highways & Cigarettes, and Circadian Rhythm rank up there with some of Jay's finest tunes. For even more greatness, pick up the bonus disc, which includes other gems such as Carnival Blues, Exurbia, and Houdini Punches.

10. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings :: 100 Days, 100 Nights

Amy Winehouse might get all of the mainstream media attention for her "soulful" album, but it's Sharon Jones who released the most soulful album of 2007. With her magnificant band, The Dap Kings (the same band that backed up Winehouse), Jones delivers a sensational album that explores the subjects we expect from a great soul album - love, faith, and hardship - with her tight band and fantastic vocals. This album would probably rank higher if I had discovered it earlier. Where to start? I suggest the title track, Humble Me, Tell Me, and Answer Me.


Others worth mentioning:

Magnolia Electric Co :: Sojourner
Easily in the Top 5 if this weren't a box set. I figured a 4 disc set would be unfair to include since there are 4 discs of great stuff.

Okkervil River :: The Stage Names
I've never really enjoyed these guys until this album, probably because it's a little more "happy" in tone.

Rogue Wave :: Asleep At Heaven's Gate
Some really stand out tracks on this album including Cheaper Than Therapy, Lake Michigan, and Fantasies.

Wilco :: Sky Blue Sky
Although I was a little disappointed in the overall album, it's worth mentioning for my standout musical moment of the year: the Nels solo approximately 1:30 into You Are My Face.

Thurston Moore :: Trees Outside The Academy
Sonic Youth rocker does solo well. Mostly stripped down, there just was not enough time to digest it all for it to make the Top 10.

Music is good!

BK

And the first Top 10 of the year goes to....

Stylus Magazine, who apparently decided that November 1st was an opportune time to kick 2007 out of here, released the first Top 10 that I've come across. You can see their Top 50 here, but here is their Top 10, an eclectic list if I do say so myself.

10. Radiohead -- In Rainbows
9. The Field -- From Here We Go Sublime
8. MIA -- Kala
7. Spoon -- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
6. Kanye West -- Graduation
5. The National -- Boxer
4. Lil Wayne -- Da Drought 3
3. Panda Bear -- Person Pitch
2. Miranda Lambert -- Crazy-Ex Girlfriend
1. LCD Soundsystem -- Sound of Silver

There ya go - a list that spans genres from indie rock to techno-pop to R&B to country. I can say with certainty that Spoon and The National will be in my Top 10 but they are still wrestling with a few other albums for the top spots. I need more time with the Radiohead and I've heard good things about LCD Soundsystem, so I reckon its time to give it a listen. Can anyone persuade me to give these others a thorough listen?

BK