Here we are, at the end of 2007 with a mountain of albums to sort through and order into a list. However, I am horrible at doing this, as I tend to arrange and rearrange up until the last minute. I also find myself scrambling to listen to all the albums I missed in the past year, namely Klaxons, which caused my list to become a top six instead of top five. That being said I obviously can’t recommend Myths of the Near Future enough as I felt strongly enough to include it after I thought my five were set in stone. So I apologize for my awkwardly numbered list, but blame it on Klaxons. Following my top six are a myriad of other discs that I would have felt guilty not mentioning.
1. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Truth be told, Conor Oberst could have released 12 different versions of “The Macarena” and I would have drooled all over it (and it would have been magnificent!). However, don’t let my bias turn you away, I’m sure Cassadaga would have been hands down the best album I heard all year even if it hadn’t been penned by the Omaha native (not that anyone else could duplicate it if they tried). With Cassadaga, Oberst has finally shrugged off his “the next Dylan” status to become a folk mastermind of his own. The musical astuteness in this near perfectly crafted album is sure to wow anyone who loves a little twang.
2. Tegan and Sara – The Con
“I just want back in your head” sing Tegan and Sara Quin in the lead single “Back in Your Head”. Well, I don’t know how they ever get out of anyone’s head. The sister duo have a penchant for creating harmonies that just won’t go away. It is embarrassing the amount of times my girlfriend and I have caught each other humming or randomly bursting out in Tegan and Sara song even when we hadn’t listened to the CD in days (which is rare).
3. Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future
Remember how fresh the Arctic Monkeys sounded when you first heard them? Well I got the same feeling hearing Myths for the first time. Klaxons take the tried and true Brit-rock sound and make it…weird. The diversity found on this album puts Arctic Monkeys’ most recent effort, Favourite Worst Nightmare, to shame.
4. Rilo Kiley – Under the Black Light
Jenny Lewis and some other people (I’m sorry but it’s the truth ain’t it?) are back and sexier than ever. Lyrically Under the Black Light is the most interesting and musically the most diverse of Rilo Kiley’s catalogue. Every track on this baby could be a single.
5. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
This CD has one definite vibe throughout its entirety, and as much as I love diverse albums, I also love albums that have one main focus. A Weekend in the City smoothly flows from beginning to end without hitch and is the perfect album to listen to at night in the winter.
6. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
The Shins stayed true to themselves, but in the process made easily their best album thus far. While Wincing certainly isn’t a departure by any means, the Portland –based indie rockers made a masterpiece of indie rock that should cement them as something far more than Zach Braff’s all time faves.
The Academy Is… - Santi
Anberlin - Cities
Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
As Tall As Lions – Into the Flood EP
Cobra Starship - ¡Viva! La Cobra
Fall Out Boy – Infinity On High
Feist – The Reminder
Four Year Strong – Rise or Die Trying
The Fratellis - Costello Music
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light
Justice - Cross
Kanye West – Graduation
Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Maroon 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
Maximo Park – Our Earthly Pleasures
Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Motion City Soundtrack – Even If It Kills Me
The National – Boxer
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Okkervil River – Stage Names
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Paramore – Riot!
Radiohead – In Rainbows
The Rocket Summer – Do You Feel
Rooney – Calling The World
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War
St. Vincent – Marry Me
The Starting Line – Direction
Straylight Run – The Needles, The Space
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Top Tracks of 2007
1. Klaxons – "Golden Skans"
2. Justice – "D.A.N.C.E."
3. Bright Eyes – "Four Winds"
4. M.I.A. – "Jimmy"
5. Tegan and Sara – "The Con"
6. Arcade Fire – "Keep the Car Running"
7. Kanye West – "Can’t Tell Me Nothing"
8. Arctic Monkeys – "Flourescent Adolescent"
9. Motion City Soundtrack – "Antonia"
10. Stars – "Take Me to the Riot"
Favorite Live Acts
1. Bright Eyes
2. Arcade Fire
3. As Tall As Lions
4. Girl Talk
5. Jack’s Mannequin
6. John Mayer
7. Straylight Run
8. Tegan and Sara
9. Rilo Kiley
10. Motion City Soundtrack
11. The Starting Line
12. Paramore
13. Regina Spektor
14. Ben Gibbard
15. Fall Out Boy
Favorite albums NOT from 2007 that I discovered in 2007:
Girl Talk – Night Ripper
If this album had been released in 2007 it would have easily been in my top 5, so I feel pretty foolish about being late to the dance party that is Girl Talk. If you have ever found yourself tapping your foot to music ever, listen to this album.
Arcade Fire – Funeral
I will admit, when Funeral first came out I didn’t really “get it” and for some reason never really revisited it until I heard Arcade Fire had a new album coming out. Well, I certainly “get it” now and recognize Funeral as an absolute masterpiece.
The Police – Greatest Hits
I found The Police’s newest greatest hits iteration at a used record store and picked it up for dirt cheap. Their influence on everything pop rock today is hard to ignore. These tunes still sound fresh decades later.
Gilberto Gil – 1968
Another artist that I was a few decades late for, Gilberto Gil’s 1968 is the perfect album to sit in the sun and listen to. I spent far too much time lying in the grass on the mall drifting off to sleep and blowing off studying for Astronomy because of my favorite Brazilian that isn’t a soccer player.
Jason Mraz – Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom
While I dabbled in Mraz before 2007, it was mainly his acoustic Java Joe’s set and a couple electric bootlegs, this summer I gorged myself with copious amounts of J Mraz. Live at the Eagles Ballroom features a near-perfect setlist and amazingly clear recordings.
We have many minds here at Pop Zap, check out how the rest of our brain goo works here:
Adam's compulsive list of four, Nick's financially draining end of the year, and our fearless leader's special five.
