The Paulies 2007: The Year Mark Gave Up

I'm Mark Cichra. I know Paul from undergrad, study abroad, band membership, blogging activity, and the occasional phone call.

2007 was an important year for me. This year I realized that spending a lot of money on indie rock that continued to disappoint me just so I could make witty comments about it to people who don't care DOES NOT MAKE ME HAPPY. And so I stopped doing it. Instead I continued to amass old blues records and discover metal bands that I should have known about years ago. Consequently I didn't buy ten albums from 2007 that I think are worthy of praise. But I do believe the following seven are:

7.) THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU: Mongrel
There's a fine line between unlistenable and brilliant, and The Number Twelve Looks Like You tread it perfectly. Sounds like Slayer eating Miles Davis.
Track to buy on iTunes: "Jay Walking Backwards"

6.) JIMMY EAT WORLD: Chase this Light
I won't let go of Jimmy Eat World; like Weezer, they were so important to me and I can't stop listening to them. Unlike Weezer, they haven't become disposable. "Here it Goes" gave me more silly bliss this year than any other song.
Track to buy on iTunes: "Here it Goes"

5.) DIVINE HERESY: Bleed the Fifth
Ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares found a drummer who can keep up with his 250 bpm sixteenth-note guitar riffs ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSDOP6OqPnA). Standard-issue Angry Growling Guy and non-discernible bass player complete the lineup.
Track to buy on iTunes: "Failed Creation"
   
4.) DARK TRANQUILITY: Fiction
Swedish Metal stalwarts produce another gorgeous, textured, melodic death-metal album; something they've done seven times before. No objection to them doing it seven more times.
Track to buy on iTunes: "The Lesser Faith"

3.) BLOC PARTY: A Weekend in the City
One-half of the greatest album of the year. I think it falls second to their first album largely on production rather than songwriting grounds; too many unnecessary instruments bury Matt Tong's drums, in contrast to their first album which excelled largely due to its pointed, naked guitar tracks and prominent beats. As on their previous album, Bloc Party combine the trivial and the epic with charming awkwardness. "Waiting for the 7:18" washes away the foundation of our success-obsessed culture with a simple plea to take a weekend vacation. "Uniform" swings between reflections about mallcore kids and social change. "I Still Remember" is the most yearning yet futile song since "Disco 2000."  Anyone who dismissed the album early in the year should give it a re-listen.
Track to buy on iTunes: "Uniform"

2.) COHEED AND CAMBRIA: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 2: No World For Tomorrow
I'd include it in the list for no other reason than that I get to type the album's full title. For fans of emo space-rock prog epic concept albums only. That being said, Coheed and Cambria actually succeed most when they are least epic; on bizarre, cute songs like "Feathers" or on raw rock sledgehammers like "Gravemakers and Gunslingers."
Track to buy on iTunes: "Gravemakers and Gunslingers"

1.) AUGUST BURNS RED: Messengers
Five young liberal Christian kids from rural Pennsylvania who don't look metal, don't dress metal, and don't act metal, but who can shit on any other metal band in the world today. A perfect combination of complete but restrained technical mastery, honest songwriting, clever arrangements, and simple brutality.
Track to buy on iTunes: "The Balance"


Biggest disappointment of 2007
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Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight. Hearing Jenny Lewis try to sing in Spanish made me unable to listen to music for days for fear that I might hear something this horrifying again. Then I realized that no, something THIS horrifying could never happen again.


2007 non-music releases I loved:
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Rebelde: Tercera Temporada (DVD release). Rebelde was a Mexican telenovela for teens about preppy Mexican kids (called "fresas," literally strawberries) at a posh boarding school in Mexico city. The show spun off what is now the most successful music act in the Spanish-speaking world, RBD. It's too unbelievable for me to explain here; some Wikipedia reading should answer your questions. The third and final season brought the series to a satisfying conclusion. Roberta accepting that one of her teachers is her father! Mia and Miguel's near break-up! Diego finally standing up to his corrupt politician father! RBD meeting Hilary Duff, who as it turns out is a huge RBD fan!

Kitchen Nightmares: We love Gordon Ramsey because he gets to do what we all want to do: make money telling awful people just how awful they are.

TMZ (the show, not the blog): I think TMZ does a public service by showing that if you're an idiot, being famous doesn't make you special. It just makes you a famous idiot.

No Country for Old Men: I think it's about fate and free will. Everyone tells me it's about the increase of violence in our culture. In any case it's beautiful, suspenseful, and I want to see it five more times to think about it even more.

Juno: cried like a useless baby when the film revealed what Juno's note said.

Non-2007 things:
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Albert King: Live Wire/Blues Power. No guitarist will ever sound like Albert King. He smacked his fat, massive, construction-worker hands against his guitar strings like slapping a woman's ass. Buy his equipment (fucking Steven Seagal owns one of Albert's guitars now), learn all his songs, practice all you want, no one will EVER play the blues like Albert King.

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society: late in coming to this, I know. More sweet than great. But that's what I want from the Kinks, I think.

Carcass: Necroticism and Heartwork: I guess Carcass are the most important metal band of the last twenty years; but for some reason I didn't learn that until this year. These two albums from the 90's were responsible for pretty much all subsequent developments in metal.

Los Paulies de 2007

good afternoon.  i am niki.
after a long internet dry spell i finally got my act together and discovered itunes.  which meant that much of this year was spent catching up on the best releases of 2006.  and 2005.  and maybe a couple from before that.

so here is what i could scrap together of 2007 in culture.  in my proud college tradition, i will now award diamonds and coal.

diamonds:

#1-5 musical albums

1. Of Montreal--Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?  there was a distinct moment during their studio b new york magazine karaoke performance when kevin barnes strutted across the stage wearing only jean cutoffs, fishnets, and heavy eye makeup singing "eva, i'm sorry, but you will never have me" that made me wish fervently that in forty years, this will be what my generation will be remembered for.  there was also a giant lobster claw.
2. Bonde Do Role--With Lasers.  stumbled on this band in the museum of natural history. it's like curacao gutterpunks who broke into someone's garage... and that someone has a couple of casios and some Foreigner records.
3. Mum--Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy.  why does iceland make such pretty music and well-printed books?
4. Soulsavers--It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land.  this is good music for a rainy bus trip to philadelphia. 
5. M.I.A.--Kala.  "i got a fever... trying to get a visa"

#6-10 cultural moments

6. Rap cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjfbS_Kj-J0
7. Read a book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN2VqFPNS8w
8. Stardust, the movie
9. The Planet Unicorn theme song (don't watch, just listen): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQJD1ura7G4
10. Juno

honorable mentions:

-dan perjovschi & the moma wall
-punk farm on tour, by jarett j. krosoczka
-harry potter 7
-b.r. myer's literary review of denis johnson's tree of smoke: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/vietnam

and
now,
coal:

-the simpsons movie.  mediocre and they should know better.
-and then we came to the end, by joshua ferris.  i stand by this.
-usnews delivering weekly coverage of britney's meltdown to my doorstep.  i'm telling you, tzadovar velovokich doesn't live here anymore.


thank you, goodnight!

Patrick's List

Hello, My name is Patrick. I was once a roommate of Paul's in college. I’m currently living in Seattle, but spent half of this year finishing up grad school at Iowa. I do a top ten music list, because that’s what I know. I thought 2007 was a decent year in music, but nothing really blew my mind.

My List

1. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Someone has to be number 1. I really liked this album all around. I’m generally a fan of albums that have a concept behind it and cohesive whole. Plus, some of the song are really fucking good. It captures a depressed state of post relationship confusion very well. It was good at first listen and is still satisfying to my ears now. If you haven’t given this album much of a listen, you owe it to yourself.

2. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
Pitchfork’s number 1, my number 2. This is such a rewarding listen. There are so many moments of sonic goodness packaged in there. It’s also my favorite cover art.

3. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
I love anything LCD Soundsystem does. I would say this album has grown on me since first listen. I saw them again in concern this year. They’re an awesome live band, because they make the songs sound bigger and better. I enjoy the humor that’s in the music.

4. Miracle Fortress: Five Roses
I picked up this album bases solely on a description written at the local record shop. It turned out to be a worthwhile purchase. They’re from Canada and may fall somewhere between BSS and Stars, although they’re not on Arts and Crafts.

5. Caribou: Andorra
It’s easy to like this record from the first listen. I find myself appreciating softer sounds found on this album. It’s rainy day music at its best.

6. Justice: Cross
I fucking love this album because it has a way of getting me pumped. Maybe it’s a way to balance out some of my slower selections. In the vein of Daft Punk, but with a little more edge. My favorite part is 37 seconds into the album when it goes from build up to a killer beat. D.A.N.C.E. could probably become overplayed (and is nearing that for me), but it’s still one of the best singles of the year.

7. Simian Mobile Disco: Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release
For the same reasons I love Justice, I love Simian Mobile Disco. I think this album is more fun. Plus the video for Hustler is hot.

8. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I think I’m finally beginning to understand why people like Spoon so much. Rock and roll like it should be. Solid album.

9. The National: Boxer
This is the best choice when you find yourself needing to pick out an pleasant album to play that will satisfy a large group of people. It was my go to choice this year. It wasn’t bad either.

10. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
Oh yes, barely making it on the top ten, but they’re here. Definitely the most anticipated album for me this year. I think it was great, but its biggest weakness was it wasn’t the funeral. I loved that they channeled the Boss in their sound. I saw them in concert again (with LCD Soundsystem) and they’ve turned into quite the big band. They made everything bigger and more epic. But once again, it wasn’t Funeral.

Miscellany

Obligatory, let’s mention In Rainbows. Yeah, it’s alright.

“Oh yeah, they put out albums this year” Modest Mouse, Interpol, White Stripes, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Jay Z, The Shins, Bloc Party, Bjork. Not that any one of these was particularly bad (ok, Bjork was disappointing), but as far as familiar names in the top ten, these seemed pretty forgettable this year.

Best Concert of the year. Daft Punk. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen and one that is hard to forget. Like nothing else. If you saw them you know what I’m talking about.

Worst concert of the year. Animal Collective. I really like AC. I loved Feels and their album this year isn’t bad, but I just couldn’t get into this show. I’m generally pretty accepting, but they made the audience really work to enjoy it. There would be a few moments where I got into it and then the band followed with a 20 minute droning free form sounds. It was a challenge, and a challenge I’ll admit I failed. I’d be curious if anyone else has seen them and what your experience was like.

Best Movies. At this time of the year, every year I feel like I didn’t watch enough films. I recently saw Juno and No Country for Old Men. Those were both good. Superbad was exactly what I wanted it to be.

Alrighty, that's my list (for now). Merry Christmas.