A Free One from PGJ

Because it's Friday night, I'm at home in New Orleans, sitting in my living room, and my mom is sitting at her laptop (separate from my laptop) watching the Crank That instructional video.

Please shoot me.





Let's see some more lists before I post more hip hop instructional videos.

AND

While we wait for the final round of lists to come in, here's another great moment from 2007. Patrick is a big fan of these guys, along with most critics in America. And this is the best thing I've heard from Sound of Silver.

LCD Soundsystem : North American Scum



-PGJ

Matt.07

Hi Folks,

My name is Matt Levine. I live in New York City and my roots in this annual exercise are deep. That said, in 2007, I found myself in a, perhaps, Cichra-like boat. I did not buy much new music; I have no illegal download programs on my computers; I'm not sure that physical record stores remain in existence in this late age; I don't and refuse to succumb to iTunes... although I did buy an iPhone.

In a lot of ways, my iPhone belongs on any list I create this year. I strongly recommend buying one if you're sick of Verizon or just feel the urge. What's curious is that I immediately had a sense of buyer's remorse, probably due to the price-tag. It took time for me to appreciate the convenience and value of a do-it-all multimedia device... and it's both convenient and valuable.

(MUSIC)

So, back to music, yeah. The lists so far are all nice lists... and some brought to mind bits of 2007 I enjoyed. Namely, Itty reminded me how much I liked the Good, the Bad & the Queen... and Mark's analysis of the particular strengths and weaknesses of the Bloc Party album was spot-on.

But, really, there was only IN RAINBOWS.

For me (and presumably others on this list), IN RAINBOWS comes with a whirlwind of baggage and subtext. Some of it stems from the oh-so-ballyhooed release method the band employed: the name-your-own-price download and the pay-through-the-nose-because-you-need-it box set. Some. More because I like reading reviews about Radiohead albums... and completely overblown articles about how they changed the music industry. Ironically, they've left a major imprint on modern music in different ways over the years... and their quirky release system is NOT one of those ways. It will change little, but it did leave me full on anticipation when I went to sleep on October 9... and that I liked. I cant tell you how much I loved listening to webcasts of my favorite band playing Joy Division and Smiths covers.

...and the album is very, very good. It's no OK Computer, no The Bends, no Kid A. But, it is beautiful throughout and thrilling in moments. The second disc doesn't offer as much, but I'm the better for owning it.

All in all, it's hard to look at the pupu platter above and pretend to act like it's apples-to-apples with [ENTER BAND HERE].

Mostly, my consumption isn't about the greatness of IN RAINBOWS. I don't know that I'll get my head around something like that for years. But, its release meant that Radiohead, new and old, was more prominent in my life and in the general consciousness than it regularly is. And that's a good thing.

One final note about music. I heard I AM THE WALRUS on the radio the other day, which I hadn't heard in a long time, for whatever reason. The song's electric resonation was something I haven't felt in a while... probably since I fawned over Wolf Parade and Bloc Party's first albums.

(MOVIES)

While the new album by the quintessential Matt Levine band dominated my year of music-listening, the newest film by the quinessential Matt Levine film-maker was a blip on the radar. After reconsideration, I'm gonna save from commenting on THE DARJEELING LIMITED much until I see it a second time... but suffice to say that when Paul Jackson & I walked out of the theater, we talked more about the ice cream we bought immediately after exiting than the actual movie.

The two really good popular movies I did see were JUNO, note perfect from start to finish, and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, the first movie that made me sob in... well, I can't remember. Ryan Gosling killed it.

(TELEVISION)

I truly believe that we're lucky to live in the richest era of television ever known. THE AMAZING RACE, THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK, THE HILLS, PROJECT RUNWAY. Frankly, it's the only one of the listed formats which, at the most mainstream level, is getting better by the day (save for a writers strike here or there). Words don't explain how excited I am for Sunday's debut episode of AMERICAN GLADIATORS.

I'm not really finished, but I'll press "SEND" due to Paul's peer-pressuring...

In closing, here's my top 5 list.

(CHEESE)

5. Valdeon (Spain)

4. Constant Bliss (Vermont)

3. Majorero Pimenton (Spain)

2. Tete de Moines (Switzerland)

1. Parmigiano-Reggiano (Italy... still the King)

Paul's List and Listitude

Willkommen, bienvenue, and welcome -

Gluklich zu sehen, je suis enchante, happy to see you.

Bleibe, reste, stay!

So what was the 2007 story in music?  "Umbrella"? "Rehab"? Britney? Free Radiohead? Maybe it was the lack of story - did anything really give us pause, shake us like "Sexy Back" or "Crazy" did in 2006?  Was "Umbrella" really that good anyway, or is Rihanna just that sexy lovable? 

Maybe it was the Dap Kings?  Think about it, there they were backing not only Sharon Jones on her acclaimed record, but also Amy Winehouse, hanging out so coolly in the Rehab video. What sweetness!  

Was this the year indie disappeared, at least conceptually?  What I like best about my oV compilation list (click here) is that the most mainstream of places - Rolling Stone, Spin, Associated Press - are all covering the same albums as the most 'indie' of places like Filter and Pitchfork.  Is music just music again?  Maybe; if so, that sounds like a good thing to me.  Let's hold Starbucks responsible. For the first time, Starbucks sold indie giants like Ryan Adams, right next to Paul McCartney and his mandolin.  How about those never ending ITunes commercials with Sir Paul et al, can't they be given credit for breaking down this wall - Feist and Mary J. Blige on equal footing?  How strange.

In the true spirit of rock n roll, Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd was as good as anything else from 2007; maybe Johnny Depp is the story of the year, taking a brilliant Sondheim musical and giving it rock vocals.  Of course.

How did music 'change' this year?  I'd point to two things I read in '07, one from Da Capo's Best Music Writing 2007 and one from the current issue of Rolling Stone, which treat in detail the production of contemporary records - i.e., equalling a record's troughs and peaks, raising the overall recorded volume, and clipping the high end and low end, to make a record that is heard at the same incessant loud volume.  And the great majority of records, from the Arctic Monkeys to the White Stripes do this, not just dance pop records.  So maybe music changed by becoming more innocuous across the board; we're seeing the full result of it only now.

My '07? The seventy seven drummers in Brooklyn (see below) was a cultural moment I won't soon forget - even if I was barred from entering.  A couple of my favorite artists (Kanye and Damon Albarn) made classic records, but neither provided much of a story.  Kanye might be the rapper of his generation, but phony feuds with 50 Cent and mock tantrums are boring stuff.  As Niki pointed out, Of Montreal live was an easy highlight, along with the Beastie Boys first ever show in Brooklyn.  The '07 New Orleans Jazz Fest was a highlight certainly, so was seeing Jarvis Cocker live, even in he wasn't surrounded by Pulpmates.  

The Boredoms and 77 Drummers in Brooklyn:

With that said, here 's my list:

____________

10. Beastie Boys : The Mix Up & In Concert

The record was clearly their strangest to date - no vocals, all instruments, and even then, few funked out jams.  But surprisingly musical, and in concert it translated well.  The highlight as already mentioned was the Brooklyn show.  When Ad-rock yells out "HELLO BROOKLYN" from the Paul's Boutique closing medley (and as sampled by JayZ this year on "American Gangster") he's yelling that for the first time to his homeland.  And when the guitar from "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" charges the crowd, and we in turn lose our mind, it's a cultural moment of sorts.

9. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse

For me, this is easily the track of the year.  How to incorporate Amy's biography into feelings about the song is your problem.  For me it just feels like a new direction in sound, one fresher than Kanye's sped up samples or Timbaland's beats or anything from indie rock (sans LCD Soundsystem).  Whatever she is - alcoholic, modern day Bille Holiday, Ronette - she's a real original; let's enjoy the moment.

Amy Winehouse & Dap Kings on Letterman:

8. Lil' Wayne.

Maker of lots of bootlegs I didn't hear, but his guest spots on American Gangster and Graduation were enough for me.  The New Yorker called him the best rapper alive and few people disagree at this point.  Except maybe for number 6 on my list.   Also supplier of my favorite New Orleans inspired rhyme of the year : "Where Brooklyn at, where Brooklyn at / Have you seen her, and when she tell you something you better believe her / she told me she like my New Orleans demeanor / and so I said goodbye Katrina / And hello Brooklyn."

7. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

For my thoughts on this, check out the oV here.

But more to the point, as a lifelong Anglophile and occasional critical snob, this was like a gift from on high.  Scroobius is like a British LCD Soundsystem, a guy who can just get by on wit and a clear sense of exactly what is happening in the culture, and RESPONDING.

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip:

6. Jay-Z : American Gangster

At times you can see Jay cheating  a bit - stealing rhymes from past records, referencing Austin Powers in a needless, uncool way, even quoting his now rival, Kanye West.  But even though the rhymes were written in haste, Jay is still king.  Rolling Stone gave "Roc Boys" song of the year, and that's a fair claim.  As already mentioned "Hello Brooklyn" with Lil Wayne and the B Boys sample drops a Grand Canyon bass, that shit is deep!

5. Menomena : Friend & Foe

Still the best band from Portland, OR, and with another layered, strange record to their credit.  I haven't gotten around to Animal Collective's latest or Panda Bear, but Menomena filled my 2007 quota for eclecticity.  Sidenote: when Menomena learn to write proper lyrics - emote, tell stories, get weird, whatever - they'll become one of the great American bands, a Spoon-like popularity awaiting them. Until then, no chance.

 

4. Feist : The Reminder

The best 'adult' record of the year, this is an album you can listen to thirty years from now (can I say that about Kanye or Lil Wayne?).  True, this isn't a necessary quality in a pop record, or to paraphrase Nik Cohn on Sgt. Pepper, It's brilliant, musical, layered, smart instrumentation, inventive vocals, but since when did any of that matter in pop music. Still, good stuff. 1, 2, 3, 4.

3. Modest Mouse : We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

The best indie record of the year, bar none.  Well, minus the records I still don't know with any depth - LCD Soundsystem, White Stripes, Of Montreal, Spoon, Arcade Fire, M.I.A., Animal Collective, !!!.  But kidding aside, Modest Mouse were doing just fine in their career, and adding Johnny Marr just made them that much better.  Ever wonder what Radiohead after OK Computer could have done?  Try Modest Mouse after The Moon & Antartica.  I.e., so very much indeed.

 

2. Kanye West : Graduation

I can safely say these last two will be with me over the next decade - not so sure about the others.  So, Graduation. It's Y'e's most egorific records (which is saying something), but still full of the clever, precise wordplays.   Highlights range from Kanye's best career jam "Everything I Am" to the Lil Wayne infused "Barry Bonds."  "Stronger" with that Daft Punk sample is ultra-overrated, but everything else on here soars.

1. The Good, The Bad, & The Queen : S/T

From January 2007 this began as my favorite record of the year.  Nothing came near it.  As Itty pointed out, Damon Albarn has a body of work few of his peers can touch (can you name an artist who has fronted 3 totally different, but GREAT bands ever?).  Here Damon sings moody songs of England in the 21st century (no accident his organ was covered in a Union Jack when they performed on Letterman).  As with the Gorillaz, he pulled together an eclectic group of artists - here from The Clash, The Verve, and Fela Kuti - to a unique effect.  And as a nice counterpoint to Jarvis's adult record from 2007, this takes a more nuanced view of modern liberalism in a failing political climate.  

____________

The 2007 Rivers Cuomo Award for Failed Expectation:

Air & Radiohead

Air just made a bad record, plain and simple.  This is not shocking necessarily, but disappointing all the same.  We've given up on Moon Safari Part Two, but at this point we'll settle for Talkie Walkie Part Two.  Radiohead made a good record, but one grossly overhyped in the press.  And as mentioned in an earlier comment, one that does little to stir the soul or provoke - two things Radiohead used to trade in with ease.

______________

And finally, David Bowie on Extras:

And that's it for me.  See you in 2008.

-Paul

itty's list

Hi everyone. I am Itty. Here is my list, which comprises both concerts and albums that I liked. I'm going to keep it short and sweet. My reasons don't require many words.

1. Dr. Dog @ Maxwell's
A Dr. Dog concert makes my #1 for the second year in a row. Seeing them is like frolicking in a meadow on a sunny day, except with amazing musicians and dancing.

2. !!! @ Studio B and Webster Hall
You like to dance and get excited? See !!! live! Nic Offer will do the same old schtick and I will never get tired of it.

3. Menomena - Friend and Foe
This is the album I listened to the most this year. When I listen to this album, I feel like Neptune, with bountiful chest hair, surfing on a dolphin. .

4. Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs
This album is fresh. I liked Summer in Abaddon a lot, but was really taken aback by how good this is.

5. !!! - Myth Takes
I feel like over the years, !!! has really transformed from dance-punk to straight on dance. It's hot. I miss Out Hud though.

6. The Good, The Bad, & The Queen
I kind of forgot about this album, but listened to it the other night and remembered how good it was. Damon Albarn has not done much wrong in my opinion, and this shouldn't be forgotten.

7. The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs
Psychedelia via Beta Band

8. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
The crooner of our generation does not disappoint.

9. Dr. Dog - We All Belong
Only slightly less fun than their concerts.

10. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Probably the best album of the year. I just didn't listen to it enough to put it that high.

Stars (to those not already mentioned):
Bikeride - The Kiss
Gravenhurst - The Western Lands
M. Ward @ World Trade Center
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
Iron &Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Blonde Redhead - 23

New Old:
The Bee Gees
Gordon Lightfoot
Moondog
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas

1, 2, 3, 4 tell me that you love me more, Paulies

Hi- I'm Michael, and you probably remember me from Paul Awards of years past. I am co-creator with Paul of obsoletevernacular.com.

My musical sensibilities generally hover around what ever is worthy of listening to, which until recently, aimed towards something that was called "indie," but now is without a name.

The year 2007 was full of new music to listen to, much of it good, some of it very good, and a small portion of it great. As much as music has been deconstructing itself lately, we are finally seeing some promising reconstructions. In preparing my top 10, my short-list was about 25 deep, and tons of deserving bands were left out (LCD Soundsystem, The New Pornographers, Stars, Octopus Project, Sigur Ros, etc etc etc). On to the list:

10. Marry Me - St. Vincent
Being a part of the Polyphonic Spree or one of Sufjan's back-ups isn't the worst thing in the world. But at the end of the day, you're just part of a cavalcade of talented people that blend into one weighty avalanche of sound. Annie Clark, a. k. a. St. Vincent, is way too beautiful in every way, shape, and form for that kind of homogeneous fate. If you don't believe me, check out her media at Take-Away Shows, which strips the sonic layer of her album and leaves the naked melodies.

9. Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird
Long story short with Andrew Bird- a "solo" act that doesn't sound like Jack Johnson or Ben Harper on a bad day. His unconventional arrangements force this point home.

8. Graduation - Kanye West
I'm really glad that the minimalist approach that Kanye started using on Late Registration has filled out. The rage and determination that he approaches things with is one of my favorite things about the Louie Vuittton Don, and it shows more on this album than any other.

7. Lupe Fiasco's The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
A late entry to my list, coming out in mid-December. Lupe gives a nice mix of old-school and new-school sounds, with a sharp, literate wit. Between Kanye and Lupe, I'm excited to see hip-hop do new things and move towards something sylized, and not just style-obsessed.

6. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
I'm going to say it: I like it better than Funeral. The "follow me to doom" shtick works well when it's coming from 50 people (that's how many people are in the band, right?). And while "My Body Is a Cage" is not the album's banner song, it haunts me every time I hear it.

5. Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams
I read an article on cnn.com this year reporting that after playing 70 minutes of a set, he left the stage because he was frustrated with the sound system. Is this what passes for a Ryan Adams tantrum these days? Regardless, Adams is a superb songwriter, and prolific as can be. I think after "Stars Go Blue" went big for The Coors and some country singer (his name slips my mind), Adams focused his craft even more. This set of songs is his tightest to date- and allegedly he still has a war chest still ready to be released.

4. Friend and Foe - Menomena
Did people forget about this album? I see a separation happening where a portion of people really like atmospheric leaning indie (i. e. Panda Bear and Grizzly Bear) and others prefer something more traditional (i. e. The National and The Ponys). I think that Menomena satisfies both sides. The unique rhythms and invigorating harmonies made this my surprise album of the year.

3. Kala - M. I. A.
This is easily the most influential album of the year from the most influential person in music. M. I. A. is both fun and sharp, chill and ingenious. The huge irony of the album is that it is drastically different from the indistinguishable Timbaland sound that dominated the year, all the while featuring the man himself- playing second fiddle to drastically varied lyrics and beats.

2. Random Spirit Lover - Sunset Rubdown
I love this album and I am perfectly fine with the fact that it is not for everybody. But the complexity and richness of its tracks is irrefutable. Spencer Krug can write a complete song like nobody else can right now. It is uber-dramatic indie mixed with whatever he feels like. The electronic bagpipe sound of "Upon Your Leopard..." is the most descriptive sound of this album: it doesn't make sense, but sounds exquisite and perfect. Thematically, the lyrics match the music, huge ideas and paradoxes abound.

1. In Rainbows - Radiohead
Besides the cultural implications and impact of this album's release, this is my number one album of the year. From start to finish, In Rainbows is distinct and a rebirth in the Radiohead catalog. I always felt as if Hail to the Thief was the "promised" album- the follow-up to OK Computer with guitar theatrics and a long-playing time. It seemed like most listeners did not totally love it, though, having been diluted with Kid A and Amnesiac. But that's what Radiohead fans have been: growers. The best illustration of this is a memory I have from the last Radiohead show I was at. They played "Creep." The most common response that I noticed from the crowd was laughter. It was as if the audience felt like they had outgrown the band- but stayed with them. Accordingly, In Rainbows gives the listener something new- Radiohead at their loosest, which still sounds incredibly calculated- and incredibly moving. The biggest band in the world is more personal than ever through free releases, webcasts, blogs, and most importantly, solid music.

***
Songs of the year: "1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist, "Stronger" by Kanye West, "Is There a Ghost" by Band of Horses, "Paper Planes" by M. I. A.

Soundtrack of the year: I'm Not There OST

Best old albums I discovered/re-listened to: Post-War by M. Ward, Street Legal by Bob Dylan, Graceland by Paul Simon

People who are putting out albums in 2008 that I cannot wait for: Stephen Malkmus, Silver Jews, Destroyer, Wolf Parade, Radiohead (I would not be surprised if we get another album/EP in 2008).