On top
Shocking Pinks - stwhat a horrible fucking band name. that and the fact that the album was on dfa led me to expect some horrible shit but thankfully i did get the album a try. and granted it took a few spins before i started to appreciate the album. among all the shoegaze revivalists this album really stands out - probably because it was less obsessed with the wall of sound and more concerned with writing songs. + i'm a sucker for the lo-fi sound on the record.
Big Business - Here Come the Waterworks
big business was a breath of fresh air in year of wimpy music. loud and over-the-top in the best possible way.
big business was a breath of fresh air in year of wimpy music. loud and over-the-top in the best possible way.
Up there
31 Knots - The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere31 knots never really stood a chance in 2007. they didn't have the right sound for 2007, they were somehow uncool and pitchforkmedia hated them. all of which combines to make them very cool in my book. nifty pop songs packed in those difficult-to-open plastic thingies. reminds me equally of man man and the detachment kit.
Venetian Snares - My Downfall (OST)Funk returns with the genetic follow-up to his album with the hungarian name. my downfall, like its predecessor, succeeds in marrying classic(ally sounding) strings with some drum and bass. of course, there is no reason why this should ever work (except that aphex twins demonstrated it a while back) but it does. And, actually, the album is fairly light on the drums and bass, and as a result it is not miles away from max richter - at least in term of spirit.
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
i was a bit surprised not to see this on more end of the year lists - perhaps b/c it came out so early in the year? at any rate, up there with the best that deerhoof has done.
Liars - Liarsliars have always been more interesting on paper than in reality but i think this album changed that for me. they are still not quite easy listening but i feel like there is more to the songs than before. and the second half of the album is actually somewhat jamc-like.
other men is one of rob crow's outlets. i wasn't terribly impressed by the album on first listen but it grew on me although i can't possibly explain what i like about it. it's nice...
Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Armyes, the album was a slight disappointment after being exposed to 'every single line means something' but, well, there is just not really anything like it.
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
how can an album about breaking up be so much fun and yet sound strangely sincere?
how can an album about breaking up be so much fun and yet sound strangely sincere?
Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
no clue why this is on my list - i just like listening to it
no clue why this is on my list - i just like listening to it
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
ah, guilty pleasures.... except it really is a pretty damn good pop album.
Blonde Redhead - 23
ah, guilty pleasures.... except it really is a pretty damn good pop album.
and come to think of it, spoon isn't miles away from the klaxons really. only they were jackets instead of jumpers. i always liked their early pavementesque albums more but with spoon's last couple of album i've grown to like their more 'adult sound' (meaning sounding dangerously close to billy joel).
Blonde Redhead - 23this wasn't Blonde Redhead's best album by far but it was a nice change in pace and some of the songs sung by one of the twins (e.g., publisher and spring and by summer fall) were just stunning.
almost there
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
this is what a comeback album should sound like (though dinosaur jr. never really went away) - exactly the same as they used to. sometimes you just want your favorites bands to stay away because a new album can only ruin your memories and your respect for the band. maybe it helps in this case that there were a few dinosaur jr. albums that were subpar. i'm dreading hearing the new my bloody valentine.
Battles - Mirrored
fantastically impressive on some level but, unfortunately it is just not that much fun. yeah, there are fantastic moments (e.g., leyendecker) but sometimes it just gets a bit too prog-rocky for my tastes and being impressed only lasts so long.
not even close
m.i.a. - kala
what the fuck is wrong? how can this be considered one of the better albums of the year? it's s.h.i.t. it's political? who gives a shit? what made m.i.a. an authority on anything? the fact that her father was somehow connected to the Tamil tigers? (who, btw, are sometimes credited with the invention of suicide bombing.) or the fact that she appears unable to formulate a coherent political thought? it just appears like a cheap, but very successful, attempt to buy publicity. and apart from all that the music is just plain annoying.
radiohead - in rainbows
what's the big deal here? this is not a bad album by any means but isn't kinda dull compared to, well, most of radiohead's other albums?
lcd soundsystem - sound of silver
a huge improvement over the last one but i'm still missing the point. well, i did get it when i first listened to the album and i thought it was pretty good but then i just never had the urge to listen to it again. i'll admit that it is pretty good but didn't new order really cover this ground some 20 years ago?
panda bear - person pitch
you pretty much have to like the beach boys to like this and, well, i sure as hell don't.
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
this is what a comeback album should sound like (though dinosaur jr. never really went away) - exactly the same as they used to. sometimes you just want your favorites bands to stay away because a new album can only ruin your memories and your respect for the band. maybe it helps in this case that there were a few dinosaur jr. albums that were subpar. i'm dreading hearing the new my bloody valentine.
Battles - Mirrored
fantastically impressive on some level but, unfortunately it is just not that much fun. yeah, there are fantastic moments (e.g., leyendecker) but sometimes it just gets a bit too prog-rocky for my tastes and being impressed only lasts so long.
not even close
m.i.a. - kala
what the fuck is wrong? how can this be considered one of the better albums of the year? it's s.h.i.t. it's political? who gives a shit? what made m.i.a. an authority on anything? the fact that her father was somehow connected to the Tamil tigers? (who, btw, are sometimes credited with the invention of suicide bombing.) or the fact that she appears unable to formulate a coherent political thought? it just appears like a cheap, but very successful, attempt to buy publicity. and apart from all that the music is just plain annoying.
radiohead - in rainbows
what's the big deal here? this is not a bad album by any means but isn't kinda dull compared to, well, most of radiohead's other albums?
lcd soundsystem - sound of silver
a huge improvement over the last one but i'm still missing the point. well, i did get it when i first listened to the album and i thought it was pretty good but then i just never had the urge to listen to it again. i'll admit that it is pretty good but didn't new order really cover this ground some 20 years ago?
panda bear - person pitch
you pretty much have to like the beach boys to like this and, well, i sure as hell don't.
