this is the year annual reviews shall return…for now…a blast from the past…

2007 - A good year in music for me; my first trip to the 930 Club to see Thursday, Arcade Fire up in Philly, Bloc Party at DAR, and finally cracking at the age of 25 and buying my first guitar.  In addition over the course of the past twelve months I’ve had the chance to listen to a handful of albums, either because many of you have been kind enough to get me copies of them, or because I’m one of very few people left on earth that buys cds.  Either way as the year comes to an end and I find myself reading over top ten lists and I’m filled with the notion that I wanted to do this myself.  So here is my review of music in 2007.  I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if there is anything that I missed and shouldn’t have let me know and please, hook it up.

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Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City

Their second album was one of the years best.  It picks up with the force the first album left off with and took it to another level.  It’s high production and energy level was definitely felt when seeing them live as well.  They were also kind enough to release multiple versions of the album with different bonus tracks.  Put together the bonus tracks themselves made a very well played through album.  If that wasn’t enough a second release of the album in November included a new track, Flux, that was along the lines of their retro sound, but delved more into the synth production rave scene.  I don’t care what Norch says, it’s good. Song for Clay (Disappear Here) is included on my cd.

The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

This second album was one of my favorites.  The ups and downs of the music along with the commentary on the church and society as a whole played well together.  Seeing these folks live I still can’t believe how so many instruments come together in a wave of energy to make such a great sound.  Hooray Canada!  (Antichrist Television Blues) is included.
The National  - Boxer

This was declared album of the year by a lot of people.  I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that.  And apparently every cd The National has come out with is better than the last.  That just disappoints me, as this is the first of theirs I’ve ever heard.  Regardless, I thought this album was really, really good.  It reminds me a bit of Interpol’s first album, Turn on the Bright Lights.  The album picks up near the end of the first song, Fake Empire, and never dies out.  Mistaken for Strangers, Apartment Story (included), and Start a War were favorites.

Peter Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block

If you watch television chances are you’ve heard one of their songs in a commercial.  If you like to whistle and enjoy 60s era pop rock n’ roll you’ll like this album.  I did.  It’s poppy, it’s catchy, and it’s just good clean simple stuff that gets stuck in your head but not in the crappy radio way.  Up Against the Wall is included.  Whistling skills are not.

Interpol – Our Love to Admire

Each of their albums is more disappointing than the last, save for their first one, which is still one of my favorite albums of all time.  Antics was monotonous and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse I heard this album.  With that said, this isn’t a bad album, and it has grown on me.  No I In Threesome (included), and The Heinrich Maneuver are the highlights, while Wrecking Ball and The Lighthouse provide that airy sound I’ve come to expect from these guys.

Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of…

This album is straight up catchy, hooky, pop music.  But I like it.  Yeah that’s right I said I like pop music.  Shoot me.  The first seven tracks I really like and the rest of the album is more emotional guy playing guitar and singing about his feelings, but it’s still pretty good and fun.  I haven’t listened to enough Dylan and Springsteen to know if the comparisons are warranted.  To the Dogs or Whoever, Right Moves, Temptation of Adam (included), and Open Doors were my favorites.

Coheed & Cambria – No World for Tomorrow

I think this album is better than their third, but doesn’t touch their first two.  If you’re looking for something to introduce you to metal, this may be it.  It’s their “poppiest” album yet, at times at least, if that’s possible for metal, but it still rocks balls.  This is some of the dorkiest yet most kick ass music I think I listen to.  You should too.  Feathers is included.


Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

They might still be my favorite band, but their last two albums just don’t have the feel I’ve come to know and love from these guys.  They gave up their melancholic nostalgia for selling albums.  Anyway, Johnny Marr of the Smiths joined in on the fun, as did Jon Mercer of the Shins on We’ve Got Everything.  The album is catchy, and on occasion you’ll find a driving rhythm and lyrics that bring back the Modest Mouse of old, but in my humble opinion it does not belong on any top ten lists of the year.  Spitting Venom, my favorite, is included.

Okkervil River – The Stage Names

I heard the single, Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe (included), on NPRs song of the day and got attached.  I cracked and bought the album hoping it would have the energy and composition of its first track.  It didn’t.  After the first three songs the energy all but disappears and I was left wondering what happened to my mojo.  The songs were still pretty good, but they lacked the life I thought I’d find.

Kings of Leon – Because of the Times

The entire album is good and worth listening to all the way through, but the introductory track, Knocked Up (included), registers at just over seven minutes and made the album worth it to me.  This is their third album, and while I’ve not heard their first, their progression is noticeable.  It’s actually as if these guys just discovered instruments randomly from wherever they are in the South and just started playing rock and let a natural evolution take place.  Hooray evolution in the South!

Pinback – Autumn of the Seraphs

I came in late on Pinback, as the only other of their cds I’ve heard is Summer in Abbadon (I’m not completely certain how long the seasonal titles will last, perhaps just four albums as that makes sense), but I like them a lot.  This album has a completely different feel than Summer did.  It’s more “light” and seems to lack the intensity of the last one.  From Nothing to Nowhere, Barnes, Good to Sea (included), and Torch were my favorites.

Feist – The Reminder

I’m not usually into indie chick music, or chick music for that matter.  My apologies if that’s offensive.  And in all honesty the tracks on this album that are more of the feminine and emotional in nature I couldn’t really get into.  I feel it All (included), and 1 2 3 4 (you’ve seen the iPad commercial), and the other more upbeat, pop, songs I did enjoy.

Teddybears – The Soft Machine

Apparently these guys used to be hardcore metal, and Swedish.  Now they’re upbeat, heavy on the production, let’s get a bunch of random kick ass folks to sing on our album, and still Swedish.  This album is pretty sweet and a lot of fun to listen and bounce around to.  Punkrocker including the legendary Iggy Pop is included.

Radiohead – In Rainbows

Alright, I know this album was for free on their website, but I definitely dropped whatever 10$ is in pounds, because in all honesty I’ve never paid for any of their other albums.  While this did take it back to OK Computer, which I think is their last really good album, I think this made album of the year lists simply because it’s Radiohead.  Either way, it’s a pretty tight album and it’s good to know a great band is still making music.  All I Need is my favorite and it’s included on my cd.

The Rosebuds – Night of the Furies

This husband and wife duo make good simple pop music and never fail to mix up their sound album to album.  The theme this time seems to be borderline disco, but not necessarily ABBA and Bee Gees disco.  I think.  It’s pretty sweet.  Cemetery Lawns is included.

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Helluva album title.  I didn’t not like this album.  But I’m still not sure if I like this album.  Like Gimme Fiction, which I really liked, I can’t seem to tell most of the tracks apart from one another, save for The Ghost of You Lingers (included).

The Darjeeling Limited Soundtrack

Wes Anderson has done it again.  I didn’t like this soundtrack for all the Indian music, go figure.  I liked it for the Peter Sarstedt cover of Where Do You Go To My Lovely (included), the three Kinks tracks (all from Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, and yet another obscure Rolling Stones song I had never heard before.

The Killers – Sawdust

This is a compilation album of unreleased, not finished in time tracks, and covers.  If you’re a fan of their previous two albums I’m not sure where this one will fall for you.  It doesn’t play like an album, but it’s not supposed to.  It doesn’t remind me of Hot Fuss or Sam’s Town, but Brandon Flowers is clearly recognizable, which makes sense, because in all honesty, let’s face it, while I like the Killers there is nothing original about them.

Thursday – Kill the House Lights

Another comp album consisting of unreleased and live tracks.  If you’re a Thursday fan this is worth having, but the unreleased tracks weren’t really anything outstanding, or even worth mentioning.  Like previous live Thursday tracks, the introduction to Steps Ascending has Geoff Rickly giving a background which leaves you realizing just how genuine the poetry of the lyrics are.

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There are few other albums worth mentioning: Lily Allen’s Alright Still, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Manchester Orchestra’s I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child were all solid albums for their respective sounds.  I’m still waiting to go through/get a hold of: The New Pornographers’ Challengers (Myriad Harbour included), The Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills (Tonight I Have to Leave It included), and I’m sure many others.  Please, let me know what you all think and here’s looking forward to 2008.

2008 - As I look back to the past year in music at first glance it seems somewhat of a letdown.  After going to three huge shows last year, I went to practically none this year.  I didn’t buy a new instrument to sit in the corner and collect dust.  And there is a handful of stuff I missed out on, as grad school has been the main focus of my life since last fall.  With that said there was still a lot of great music I got to hear and I didn’t want this tradition to die on its second attempt.  So without any further lame introduction I give you my year in music.  Again, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if there is anything that I missed and shouldn’t have let me know and please, hook it up.

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Bloc Party – Intimacy

I have not been able to stop listening to this band from the moment I started some four years ago.  This is their third full length and it’s fantastic.  They elevated themselves in their percussion department and added ominous horns to a layered sound that has always come off with a deep raw energy.  The album has a sound that is altogether Bloc Party’s and stands apart from their previous releases.  It’s dark, it’s airy, it’s intimate.  And it’ll make you want to dance.  As usual bonus tracks are included.  The entire album is great through and through but Better than Heaven, the epic Ion Square (included), Talons, Letter to My Son and Your Visits Are Getting Shorter are my favorites, which is surprising cause those are the 5 final tracks on the album.

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night

People were really looking forward to this fourth release and it got hammered by critics.  Perhaps the criticism is warranted as Sex On Fire, the single, was the album’s “best” track, and that’s always disappointing.  I however haven’t attained the level of snobbery as some just yet and thought fairly highly of this album.  Apart from Seventeen, I found it to be good beginning to end.  And although it isn’t nearly on the level of Because of the Times, they’ve continued to evolve and make good music while doing so, and that is still something to be said.  Closer, the opening track, is included.

Ra Ra Riot – Self-Titled EP

This six-track EP was a preview of things to come out on The Rhumb Line, the bands full-length release I have yet to hear in its entirety.  The band lost their drummer, John Ryan Pike, before recording the full-length and the emotional undertones aren’t lost.  They sound of subtle pop but I feel their strengths are with their use of strings.  From the six I’d say Dying is Fine and Can You Tell were favorites.  But it’s Ghost Under Rocks (included), written by Pike, with it’s layering of instruments and perhaps my favorite refrain of the year that defines this band for me.

Lykke Li – Youth Novels

If any of you remember my review from last year and how much I love Peter Bjorn and John you’ll understand why I love this album as much as I do.  Bjorn produced it.  It’s catchy, it’s poppy, it’s even a bit girly, but F it man it’ll make you want to Dance Dance Dance (included).  The album rarely looses it’s head bobbin’ appeal with tracks like I’m Good I’m Gone, Let It Fall, Little Bit, and Breaking it Up.  It was hard picking just one song to include…

Santogold – Self-Titled

Although it’s nice an album of this caliber has so much pop appeal, it’s sad when that appeal turns into finding the single, Lights Out, in a series of Bud Light commercials.  Apart from that blemish this album found itself played out time and time again on road trips to the beach this summer.  It’s a perfect party album that you can leave running in the background and it’s solid all the way through, but I’ll make it easy and include Lights Out.

The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

This is another one of those bands I found through NPR's song of the day.  The album was cheap and luckily it wasn’t a bust.  I’ve heard them been classified as sub –pop, but I’m still not completely sure what that means, so I’d say they’re a blend of alt-country and that pacific-northwest sound we’re all familiar with (one of the duo even played with Modest Mouse for a bit).  They do a great job layering a heavy drum with guitar all the while transcending track to track with a free and almost fleeting lyrical flow.  Lately (included), Can’t Say No, The Captive Mind, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, Back to This, and Hallelujah were favorites.  Again, hard to pick just one track, this entire album is meant to be heard.

My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

I’ve heard these guys labeled as America’s best, or the American Radiohead (as if that’s possible).  And while I came in late on them, I have to say I really like this album.  It’s a genre I never really got into, but have found myself leaning towards a lot in the past year or so.  I don’t really have too much to say about them other than that so I’ll simply add it’s another album you can listen to all the way through, but you have to be in the mood.  Smokin from Shootin is included.

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Justin Vernon broke up with his girlfriend and hid himself in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin.  Out came this album.  The single, Skinny Love (included), albeit a song about suicide, was remarkable.  The same can be said about an album whose undertones aren’t about the bright spots in life.  It creates an image of barren trees in the wintertime, but left me feeling hopeful.  It’s melancholic but not depressing.  And Vernon’s falsetto suits the music well.  Lump Sum, Blindsided, For Emma, and Stacks were favorites, along with the instrumental Team.

Evangelicals – The Evening Descends

Another band I found through NPR.  It’s largely psychedelic rock for the most part, which is expected to be weird at times.  But, it seems overwhelming weird for the sake of being weird, and that’s annoying.  The single, Midnight Vignette (included) was a plus, as were Skeleton Man, Party Crashin’, and Bloodstream.  OK, sometimes I like weird.

Beck – Modern Guilt

Beck just can’t stop making music.  And he can’t stop making good music.  This may not be as catchy as Guero, or The Information, and there isn’t a mass influx of sounds and styles that we found on the rise to stardom album Odelay.  But this is another solid album from a solid musician we should all be thankful for.  Modern Guilt is transcending and spacey at times, and thick on production at others.  I wouldn’t say a highlight of ’08, but not to be ignored.  Chemtraills is included.

The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

These guys reek of Springsteen, but it’s cool, I guess.  It’s just straight-up catchy hard rock.  Great Expectations (included) opens up the album and from there on it’s full of toe-tapping drumbeats, head-nodding guitar riffs and lyrics about a young life past and full of should have beens.  The ’59 Sound, Old White Lincoln, and High Lonesome (which bites Counting Crows lyrics) were favorites, but it is an album you can go almost all the way through.

The Hold Steady – Stay Positive

This is another straight-up hard rock album.  It’s not pop catchy like Gaslight Anthem, but it’s catchy, after all they do sing, “our songs are sing-along songs.”  A more mature, experienced, yet unclean sound, it’s music you’d find playing in your favorite bar.  It’s not an album I found myself going back to all too often, but there are a handful of solid songs.  Among them are Constructive Summer (included), Sequestered in Memphis, and Stay Positive.

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

I found their single, Time To Pretend (included), free on iTunes of all places.  It was great.  Heavy on production and sampling, with sell out minded, yet youthful and innocent lyrics it was on repeat many a time over.  After getting the entire album, which reached peaks of acclaim, I’d have to say I was somewhat disappointed as there were really only two tracks, Electric Feel and Kids, that I thought were above par.  It’s definitely an album I’ll have to give more listens to through and through.

Vampire Weekend – Self-Titled

These Ivy League charmers blew a lot of folks away with their debut album.  Then there was a backlash.  And a backlash to the backlash.  And perhaps a few more backlashes to those.  But I’m growing tired of that word, and as stated earlier I haven’t quite attained such levels of snobbery.  The album from beginning to end is catchy.  From it’s lyrics to its African inspired beats it’s good though and through.  It was hard to find just one song, but I’ll go with the overwhelming popular Oxford Comma.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida

These guys used to be one of my favorite bands.  Then X&Y came out and I still haven’t fully accepted that album.  It took a while to accept this one.  First of all Chris Martin has to stop writing generic contrived lyrics that at one point where remarkable in their simplicity but have seemed to lack all meaning and depth whatsoever.  Apart from that being a very harsh statement I love the music on the album.  In fact if they had released this album entirely as an instrumental piece it would be fantastic.  And to be honest I think the lyrics get better halfway through the album.  This is probably the most accessible, and by that I mean popular, album on the list.  But that’s probably to folks who only listen to the radio.  In the end it was harder than I originally thought to pick one song.  Viva La Vida it is.

Fleet Foxes – Self-Titled

I heard Winter White Hymnal (included), the perfect song for this season, on NPR.  I took a chance on the album.  It’s from that whole genre classified as indie, but good.  They remind me of My Morning Jacket, but more consistent with their sound.  While it took some time to get into, there were some really good tracks to be found.  Among them are Ragged Wood, Quiet Houses, He Doesn’t Know Why, Your Protector, and Blue Ridge Mountains.