Best of 2007 (from noculture.org)

First of all, let's not address the fact that Mr. Kid W is pronouncing 2007 over with an entire month left on the calendar year. Second, let us all boo ol' Kid-dubyu on including a 2005 album to his list. Finally, don't even get me started on the whole applauding the re-appearance of "blue-eyed Motown." Have you heard "Toxic" by Mark Ronson or anything by the Pipettes? I don't care that lady ELV liked rocking out to "Rehab," I still think that I'd much rather listen to actual Motown than some Brit remakes.

Now that I've cleared away some of my objections, I'm going to ape on Kid's idea and offer my own subjective itemization of musical output from the year 2007. Sure, I spent much time listening to "Aladdin Sane" by David Bowie this year, but I'm not so self-involved to think that it merits a listing on the top 2007 albums. Man, not having access to my personal blog at work makes me mean…especially to Kid W. Sorry, I promise my next insult will be directed at kim e.

Um...that kim e is crappier than Zeitgeist.

First off, the one-off awards:

Worst album of the year that had some critical acclaim and a lot of legal purchases by the American public: Kanye West's "Graduation." I've been a fan of Mr. West since the first album dropped…hell, I can even say that I'm an appreciator of many of his beats that he did before he was the Louis Vuitton don. However, I'm pretty saddened by the lack of lyrical prowess coming from Mr. West since his first album. Sure, he's good at puns and ribald humor, but the main thing that wow'ed me about "College Dropout" was the interplay of rap's vain machismo and West's morality. There was a serious thread of moral intrigue in his rhymes, but unfortunately, West's writing has become focused on money, rims, and hoes. "Graduation" features some decent tracks, but seriously, who can't sell a single using Daft Punk's awful "Bigger, Stronger…" beat.

Person most likely to die in 2008: Amy Winehouse. Seriously, have you watched the YouTube video of her snorting up in the middle of a performance? She's pathetic.

Best album that I'm never going to listen to again: Black Kids "Wizard of Ahhhs." If you like fuzzy, pop-punk with a serious infatuation with the Polyphonic Spree, this is the album for you.

Best hot chick album that still supplies some form of indie cred: "Under the Black Light" by Rilo Kiley. I only like it cause Jenny Lewis is hot and has a hot voice. Same for why I like Shivaree.

ALRIGHT, ALREADY: HERE'S MY TOP SEVEN OF AUGHT-SEVEN

7. "The Reminder" by Feist – I'm very sorry that Apple decided to use 1,2,3,4 for that omnipresent commercial.
6. "Boxer" by The National – Fake Empire is an amazing song.
5. "Sky Blue Sky" by Wilco – Best show that I went to this year. First listen makes you kind of hate Jeff Tweedy and his slippery ways, but repeated listenings are rewarding. Just a warm sound that's a welcome tonic to my ears.
4. "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" by Spoon – This is a great album with propulsive energy. Way to follow up the tuneful inclusion on the "Stranger than Fiction" soundtrack with a seriously good album.
3. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead – This is probably the best Radiohead album since O.K. Computer. Seriously. It's pretty amazing that the guys took a step back from surreal paranoia toward reality and they don't come off sounding old/boring.
2. "From Here We Go Sublime" by The Field – I don't normally like this kind of music (see "Quiet is the New Loud") but I fell for The Field a few years ago with a single called "I'm Tired." Usually, someone uses the word "techno" and I just lose interest immediately. However, this is minimal techno, so you'll like it.
1. "Armchair Apocrypha" by Andrew Bird – I have to award the album of the year simply on the strength of "Heretics." Such an eminently listenable album…

The few that contended: Panda Bear "Person Pitch," Brother Ali "Undisputed Truth," El-P "I'll Sleep When You're Dead," Of Montreal "Oh Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?"

Here's my mix-CD for 2007, with outstanding tracks on albums not on my list (no order)

National "Fake Empire"
Spoon "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
Wilco "Sky Blue Sky"
The Field "Silent"
Feist "My Man, My Moon"
Radiohead "Body Snatchers"
Justice "D.A.N.C.E."
Of Montreal "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger"
Andrew Bird "Heretics"
Brother Ali "Uncle Sam God Damn"
Caribou "Melody Days"
Menomena "Wet and Rusting"
Talib Kweli "Hostile Gospel, Pt. 1"
Modest Mouse "Dashboard"
Peter Paul and Bjorn "Young Folks"