This year's Paulies has been revelatory -- 2007 actually was an incredible year for music. Just listen to "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. (find it on Chris Greenberg's entry). Music didn't sound this good in 2006, hell M.I.A. didn't sound this good on her last album.
So thank you to the contributors to the Paulies blog for sharing their thoughts, and I'm excited to keep discovering new sounds from last year. And with that said, here is the Paulies top 10. I can all but guarantee you will enjoy the records mentioned here:
1. Radiohead, "In Rainbows" - 8
2. The National, "Boxer" - 6
2. Arcade Fire, "Funeral" - 6
4. Feist, "The Reminder" - 5
4. Of Montreal, "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" - 5
4. M.I.A., "Kala" - 5
7. Andrew Bird, "Armchair Apocrypha" - 4
8. Caribou, "Andorra" - 3
8. The Good, The Bad, & The Queen, "S/T" - 3
8. White Stripes, "Icky Thump" - 3
8. Kanye West, "Graduation" - 3
8. Menomena, "Friend & Foe" - 3
Few more who earned multiple mentions:
Levon Helm, "Dirt Farmer" - 2
JayZ "American Gangster" - 2
Panda Bear, "Person Pitch" - 2
Sunset Rubdown, "Random Spirit Lover" - 2
Kate Nash, "Foundations" - 2
LCD Soundsystem, "Sound of Silver" - 2
Beirut, "Flying Cub Cup" - 2
* * *
I was obviously completely wrong about Radiohead's latest record. I now agree - this is one of the best records of the year. Over the last month it worked its magic. And it's the collective number one, so well done. If you don't have it yet, run out and get it - put on Videotape, Nude, Bodysnatchers, whatever.
* * *
After the recent domination of the Great White North, Canada just did 'okay' this year. A real global distribution here :
England was modestly represented, no big story there this year a la The Arctic Monkeys or Franz Ferdinand; instead we got top notch records from established folks like Radiohead and Damon Albarn's The Good, The Bad, & The Queen
Canada's best talent represented, while former hopes like the Hot Hot Heat faltered; Feist, The Arcade Fire, and Caribou were each outstanding.
M.I.A. represented the rest of the globe, as her producers knew no single nationality.
And within America, a heavy Midwest representation:
Chicago - Kanye West, Andrew Bird
Detroit- White Stripes
Ohio - The National
And...
Portland, OR - Menomena
Georgia - Of Montreal
* * *
After pouring through the music magazines and All Songs Considered's recap (thanks Patrick), I want to throw out a few more records that I wish we as group had given better attention to:
Panda Bear's "Person Pitch" - also Pitchfork's #1; you all liked "Smile" from Brian Wilson last year, why not this?
Animal Collective "Strawberry Jam" - Their big label debut, and allegedly their best record to date. If Animal Collective seemed too much of the avant garde until now, this should be the starting point.
Spoon's "Ga ga ga ga ga" - Multiple Paulies entries hated on this, but F it, you're wrong, even if I forgot to put it on my own list; please revisit this album. You owe it to yourself as a music fan.
LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver" - I feel like most Paulies people just haven't discovered this yet - please do!
And other stuff that failed to make lists, which I find shocking:
Jarvis Cocker's debut
Holy Fuck
Sigur Ros
PJ Harvey
The Go Team
Architecture in Helsinki
Polyphonic Spree
Art Brut
Dungen
Albert Hammond Jr.
And The Shins not making a single list? Aren't they THE great indie pop band of our generation?
* * *
What divided us? Well besides Spoon, very little; this was a year of consensus. M.I.A. was really that amazing; so was Radiohead; so was Feist, The National, and Of Montreal. Just great discs each. Wilco barely got mentioned; I think we all agree it was the worst record of their career, though some defend it. The White Stripes are probably the most divisive actually; it made a few lists, but as Mark Cichra noted, some of us don't know what to think. "Icky Thump" as a song we like; but does this record 'work'? Not many people seem convinced.
* * *
And if you need a reminder of how 2007 was a categorically better year than 2006, just look at our best of list from last year:
6. The Thermals, "The Body, The Blood, The Machine"
5. Peter, Bjorn, & John, "Writer's Block"
4. Cat Power, "The Greatest"
3. Yo La Tengo, "I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass"
2. Band of Horses, "Everything All the Time"
1. TV on the Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain"
And 2005's:
5. Bright Eyes, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"
3. Sufjan Stevens, "Illinois"
3. Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm"
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "S/T"
1. Wolf Parade, "Apologies to the Queen Mary"
Those are 11 pleasant records; I'd take anything from '07 over all of them though.
* * *
And if you haven't checked out the oV recap, here is what the major music media of America thought were the year's best:
Radiohead's "In Rainbows"
M.I.A.'s "Kala"
Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"
LCD Soundsystem's "Sound of Silver"
Spoon's "Ga ga ga ga ga"
Feist's "The Reminder"
M.I.A.'s "Kala"
Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"
LCD Soundsystem's "Sound of Silver"
Spoon's "Ga ga ga ga ga"
Feist's "The Reminder"
Again, consensus.
* * *
Okay, that's it, and I'm worn out. See you in 2008.
-PGJ
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