We're doin' it: 2007 musical top ten(!)

Stitch on 13/12/2007 at 16:29

Quote Posted by Scots Taffer

Somehow I don't think I'll ever see eye-to-eye with Stitch on his choice of single. Stronger by Kanye West has an interesting introduction but the rest of the song just kills the awesomeness of Daft Punk's original without bringing anything worthwhile to the table.

I don't know, maybe not really giving a shit about Daft Punk helps. From the other side of the fence, "Stronger" samples a mediocre song and makes it fucking crackle.

This thread is reminding me that I still need to give Justice a try. Also, the new New Porns probably deserve an honorable mention nod. And yeah, the latest Marilyn Manson is so ridiculously terrible that I forgot it was even released.

Also: Fuck Gogol Bordello for woefully misunderstanding their strengths. If they ever release a twelve song album with each track lasting three minutes or three verse/chorus cycles--whichever comes first--it will be an instant classic.

Also 2: <3 Aja

APMeehan on 13/12/2007 at 17:05

Quote Posted by Stitch

"Stronger" samples a mediocre song...

You simply cannot be referring to (http://youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw) this, Daft Punk's funk magnum opus (with a vocal that somehow becomes a guitar solo near the end ffs). I know you are, but you simply cannot be.

I agree with Scots Taffer, Kanye's Stronger is good only because of the song it samples. It does nothing fresh or inventive with it.

Kuuso on 13/12/2007 at 17:08

Kanye might be good, if he had any sense of rhythm or flow in his rapping.

frozenman on 13/12/2007 at 17:14

I'd been following Battles for a long time, constantly infuriated by the string of EPs with near-identical tracknames throwing me for loops. Mirrored probably gets my award for most-anticipated and most-rewarding album of the year. Atlas never really did it for me though...Tij and Race: Out are ridiculous though, I've listened to them so many times that I don't actually need to hear it to know how awesome they are.

World's End Girlfriend - Hurtbreak Wonderland. I learned about this guy earlier in the year when he opened up for Mono and he completely blew me away. It's electronic, bordering on IDM in its braindancing-ness, but using guitars and orchestral samples. Anyone who remotely likes post-rock music or electronic music really should check this album out. Plus all the songtitles are awesomely Japanese: "River Was Filled With Stories," "The Octuple Personality and Eleven Grows" "Breath or Castle Ballad"

Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon was a pleasant suprise, and shows that Devendra can make just about any song work.

The Octopus Project - Hello Avalanche, this album showed me a glimpse of the future where kids gobble down amphetamine futuredrugs, hop in their meta-pod vehicles and play a Frogger-like game where everyone has to dart in between complex patterns of blinking lights. And it's really good.

Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends was pretty much a disappointment to me

henke on 13/12/2007 at 18:00

Quote Posted by APMeehan

(http://youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw) this

Hahaha, wow. :D

And, yes, HBFS is one of my fave songs ever. I like Kanye, but "Stronger" is just kinda mediocre. Stitch, I think you're just alowing yourself to enjoy the masterpiece of eurodance that HBFS is now that it's been repackaged by an artist you actually give a shit about. The A-Trak remix ((http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/45174-kanye-west-stronger-a-trak-remix-mp3) download it here) is really nice tho.

D'Juhn Keep on 13/12/2007 at 18:03

Quote Posted by Stitch

Iggs: how much of a chance did you give In Rainbows? It's such a different model of Radiohead that it took half a dozen listens before it really worked for me as a whole.

Ah... I just wish it was this. I listened to it about 3 times a day for a week and it simply just didn't do much for me. Nor have I felt compelled to listen to it since. I am honestly glad other people are getting so much enjoyment from it but just wish I was too :(

APMeehan on 13/12/2007 at 18:25

2007 did indeed yield a bumper crop. Here are my highlights, in the order that I remember them

Albums

1/ MIA - Kala
This woman is on fire. I didn't think she could ever better Arular, but she only bloody darn well has. If Arular was tight and focused and personal, this is sprawling and unkempt and raw, and all the better for it.

2/ Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
The sound of pop gone wrong. The chaos is bracing (Kidz Are So Small), the hooks are irresistible (+81) and the highs are soaring (Matchbox Seeks Maniac). Their best album yet

3/ Girls Aloud - Tangled Up
Xenomania (the writers/producers) are the new Motown

4/ Burial - Untrue
My flatmate said this sounded like Craig David drowning in Selected Ambient Works II. I think to a large extent he is deliciously correct

5/ Justice - [cross]
Aja said all that needs to be.

6/ Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Glorious doom and gloom. I'm finding myself more and more tired of rock these days, but these guys are clearly a force for good

7/ Radiohead - In Rainbows
POP goes the weasel! Sensual, sublime, ahhhhhh mmmmmm

8/ Bonde do Role - With Lasers
RIP brazilian funk mentalists :(

9/ Yelle - Pop-Up
Feisty, french (isn't everyone these days), electro pop rapper/singer Yelle deserves to be better-known, and I don't know about you but I can't wait for the day when I turn up to a club and everyone's dancing like (http://youtube.com/watch?v=y2d7Bwz43T0) this.

EPs

Santogold - I Believe in Santogold

I'm pretty excited about this lady. She's been working alongside Switch, the man twiddling the knobs for most of MIA's Kala, amongst such other too-cool-for-school reprobates as Diplo and Bjork. I foresee great things

Singles

1/ Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
I realise it was out in '06, but it wasn't til this year that I became aware that, despite never having consciously heard this song, it's actually been everywhere without me knowing it, and has seeped into my psyche like oil into a South Korean beach, but more pleasant, or dementia into a (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7141458.stm) popular comedy-fantasy writer's brain, but less sad.
And quite rightly, what a choon.

2/ Girls Aloud - Call the Shots
GOD wot a choon

3/ Battles - Atlas
Probably easily the greatest thing I have heard in maybe 2 years, give or take a year. I thought I was hearing the future of rock music; if only the rest of the album could have lived up to this

trevor the sheep on 14/12/2007 at 00:58

Burial - Untrue
Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
Boxcutter - Glyphic
Geiom - Island Noise
Skull Disco - Soundboy Punishments

honourable mention:

Stars of the Lid - Carte-De-Visite (tour cd 2007) I actually prefer this to and their refinement, but since it's not an official release it probably can't count.

Aja on 14/12/2007 at 01:15

I'd never heard of that until now, turns out it's going for over $50 on ebay :(

SubJeff on 14/12/2007 at 02:00

Really? Hmmm. A friend's band supported them last week. I've only heard a couple of tracks but if tis so sought after perhaps I'll listen some more.