The Paulies 2007 Recap

The 2007 Paulies Recap.

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"

http://obsoletevernacular.com/2007/12/31/the-list-of-lists-best-albums-2007/

Again, consensus.

* * *

Okay, that's it, and I'm worn out. See you in 2008.

-PGJ

The List of Tim Ludolph

Hey, I'll keep this short since I'm so effing late (thank you, USG), but fig'd I'd weigh in anyway...

L'Elenco:

1. M.I.A. -- Kala: There were three discs I kept coming back to incessantly over the course of the year, in a host of moods and mindsets -- this, Boxer, and Armchair Apocrypha (more on them in a moment) -- but at the end of the day, things started and ended with this one. From the moment the beat drops in at 1:42 of the leader "Bamboo Banger," you're officially done, your ass set on martini mode (shaken, not stirred, dahling) until the final machine gun "da, da da da, da da da's" zing past you in the closing "Come Around." It's a whirlwind tour of the globe -- Indian Bollywood, African tribal music, British grime and techno -- and has beats so nasty they'll make you smack your grandmother. (The tribal drum armada of "Bird Flu" alone will leave the back of your head flapping in the breeze.) It's everything "world" music should be, without the cloying strangeness and aimless meanderings that usually confront us -- fun, unique, and oh-so danceable.

2. The National – Boxer: As good an example of "hauntingly beautiful" as you're likely to find, this is the album I fell in love to, and with, this year. Lead singer Matt Berninger's brooding, basement-dwelling baritone pulls you through songs that sound black as midnight at first blush – his half-hearted mumble and bleak lyrics immediately call to mind restless nights of heartache and misery -- but reveal themselves as warm and inviting the more you listen. The first four tracks are undeniable – the bright piano and horns of "Fake Empire," the thudding percussion of "Mistaken for Strangers" and "Brainy" (to say nothing of the lyrics), all building to the pitch perfect representation of the band's capabilities with "Squalor Victoria." (Bryan Devendorf's drumming on the album is worth the price of admission alone – underrated and wholly unique for a band of this style, it is phenomenal on the latter two examples.) Moping around in a fit of melancholy at 3AM hasn't had this pretty of a soundtrack in awhile.

3. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha: The final piece of this year's triad of obsession, fellow Chicagoan Bird comes through with the best disc of his career, a precious little jewel that showcases each of his myriad strengths. Sly, quirky lyrics, a masterful melding of guitar, violin, and his vaunted whistle, to say nothing of that voice -- warm as sun in the wintertime on its own, but when paired with that of Nora O'Connor, it's a marriage so perfect it will give you chills. From the irresistible violin plucking in "Imitosis," the biting sarcasm of "Heretic"'s chorus ("Thank God, it's fatal…"), the soothing call of "Dark Matter"'s whistled intro, to the pained beauty of "Armchairs," a song that sounds so much like Jeff Buckley you'll wonder if he's really dead, the disc is a treat. It builds to the masterpiece that is "Spare-ohs," a song so pretty it makes you stop and close your eyes to listen no matter how many times you hear it. Perfect for lazy Sundays in bed with the breeze quietly stirring over you from outside.

4. Band of Horses – Cease to Exist: Thirty-five minutes of pure joy (barring the sole lemon "Marry Song," an out of place song that is too Rush-y for even that band's fans) – big choruses, sweet lyrics, and a voice that will have you trying to sing along time and again as it soars for the heavens. And besides – how do you say no to a band whose lead singer has such a delicious beard and a song as pretty as they have named after former NBA-er Detlef Schrempf? I defy you to try…

5. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible: No other band today so perfectly captures the swell and grandeur of old U2 as this troupe of raging Canucks does. Songs like "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go" will have you running around the room pumping your fist like a band leader, just like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bad" used to, while "Ocean of Noise" and "Windowsill" will break you with their quiet beauty.

6. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver: An album that proves there are actually two Murphy's Laws – 1) anything that can go wrong, still will, but brother, 2) you WILL dance on the way down. From the inescapable piano ploinking on the lead-in to "All My Friends," the layered buildup of "Get Innocuous," to the speaker-destroying tandem of "Us V Them" and "Watch the Tapes," this is another one that will have you flipping like a jumping bean and loving every second of it.

7. Of Montreal – Oh Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?: One of my favorite finds this year, a perfect album of catchy pop quirkiness that you will return to again and again. "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" and "Gronlandic Edit" are gems that will have you singing along like a madman (at the top of your lungs and vocal range, in the case of the latter), but nothing tops "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider," a kiss-off song with so many ridiculous, devastating lines ("Eva, I'm sorry, but you will never have me…I need a lover with soul power…and you ain't got no so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ul…") you will listen to it on repeat with a grin on your face for weeks.

8. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup: Not as good as last year's debut, but still one of the most unique sounding groups (and with this album, it is more than just the 20-year-old Zach Condon playing everything) playing today. The gonzo indie marching band vibe is still firmly in place – like a weird cross between Neutral Milk Hotel and a band of Bulgarian gypsies – as is Condon's great voice. Love it or hate it, there is nothing else like this out there.

9. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky: Hometown heroes effortlessly add guitar noodler Nils Cline to the mix and deliver their best album in years. Lead singer Jeff Tweedy is reportedly off the hooch and happy pills, and the results show – he's never been sharper, and the disc is pure 70's AM radio: warm, sunny, and inviting. There's less noise and static than in recent efforts, and far less aimless rambling (no 11-minute timewasters like "Spiders" from A Ghost is Born) – this is just straight-forward songwriting, and it's virtually flawless. ("Impossible Germany" is the best thing the band has recorded in years; "Shake it Up" is the only misstep, a plodding, repetitive waste.) The new Tweedy may be happier, but he's still trying to break our hearts ("Sky Blue Sky," "Please Be Patient With Me"), and – to our delight -- succeeding.

10. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank: Isaac Brock and the boys add Smiths guitarist – nay, legend – Johnny Marr to the mix and the results are both better ("They sound nothing like the Smiths") and worse ("They sound nothing like the Smiths!") than you expected. Brock growls and barks his way through 14 sea shanties that change pace, melody, and tone so often that by album's end you feel like you've listened to three times as many songs. It is an almost perfect album – "March into the Sea," "Dashboard," and "Fire it Up" are all fantastic, while the positively insane breakdown at the end of "Parting of the Sensory" will have you bouncing and clapping like a loon. Great stuff from a band that just keeps getting better.

Other albums worth noting that I'm either too sick of sitting at the computer to talk about, or that you all have done smashing jobs with summarizing yourselves:

Daft Punk – Alive 2007: The soundtrack to what was hands down the coolest thing I've ever seen live, a head bomb of a danceparty dropped on the Chicago lakefront this summer where I, and 60,000+ of my closest friends, completely lost our shit.

Radiohead – In Rainbows: One of the best bands out there add a new weapon to the arsenal: sexiness! Who knew Thom and the boys had it in them?

White Stripes – Icky Thump: The only other album that packs more variety, fun, and punch into an album this year is sitting way up at number 1.

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away: Mercer & Co. deliver, yet again. The marimba at the beginning of "Red Rabbits" gives me chills every time – maybe the prettiest thing they've written thus far.

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: Yet another solid outing from the ever-efficient boys from Austin. Tight, melodic – not a wasted note to be found. "You've Got Yr Cherry Bomb" is pure, pristine Motown and possibly the best pop song of the year. Beautiful.

NIN – Year Zero: Whether Trent's railing against The Great Decider or The Great Creator in "Capital G" (and the rest of the album, for that matter) isn't the point – what IS is that he's delivered the best sheer rock album of the year. ("The Beginning of the End," "The Good Soldier," "Meet Your Master" all destroy.) For those of us who stuck with him long after "Closer"'s wave had crested, it is yet another great reward.

Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris: Josh Homme and his rotating band of assassins have never sounded grittier, and the result is undeniable. (Topped only by the aforementioned NIN offering for best rock album, and not by much.) "Sick, Sick, Sick," "3's and 7's" and "Misfit Love" all charge forward like juggernauts, a pile of racing guitars, thudding drums, and Homme's hypersexualized crooning. Pure grit and grime here – like licking the barroom floor – but it never felt or sounded so nice.

And one to watch:

The Cool Kids – These guys (some of Chitown's finest up and comers from an already lethal hip hop scene – Kanye, Common, Lupe…have you figured out where most of the really, really good shit comes from yet? Cmon, people!) don't have a proper album yet, just a host of assorted singles and leaked tunes from their upcoming debut, but it's worth trolling the net to find them and cobbling together a playlist for yourself. The boys drop big, BIG old school hip hop beats and verses that'll take you straight back to '88, when Chucks and knee high tube socks were de rigueur. (Think Run DMC rapping about their bicycles instead of their sneakers and you've got it.) Hot, hot heat…

Okay, so that wasn't so short after all. Whatever. Like a wise man once said, I can't stop once I start…it stings…

T