It's nearly December and I'm prepping for the avalanche of Best Of lists. As much as I complain when they pass over my favorite releases of the year and tout overrated releases (imho), I love going through them... almost as much as I love compiling my favorite lists recapping the year.
Have you all started putting together your favs of 2007? Stay posted, we'll be continuing THAT conversation soon...
In the meantime, here's Paste Magazine's Signs of Life 2007 : Best Music list:
1. The National - Boxer
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Feist - The Reminder
6. M.I.A. - Kala
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
8. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
9. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
10. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows
12. Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
13. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
14. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
15. Kanye West - Graduation
16. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
17. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
18. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
19. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
20. Blonde Redhead - 23
21. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
22. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
23. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
24. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
25. Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
26. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
27. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell
28. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark
29. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
30. Björk - Volta
31. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
32. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
33. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
34. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
36. Joe Henry - Civilians
37. Eleni Mandell - The Miracle Of Five
38. Olof Arnalds - Vid Og Vid
39. The Perishers - Victorious
40. Damien Dempsey - To Hell Or Barbados
41. Brandi Carlile - The Story
42. Lifesavas - Gutterfly
43. The Everybodyfields - Nothing Is Okay
44. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
46. Justice - †
47. Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart
48. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
49. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind
50. Battles - Mirrored
51. The Frames - The Cost
52. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
53. Fionn Regan - The End Of History
54. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
55. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
56. Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
57. The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
58. Romantica - America
59. Imperial Teen - The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band
60. The Broken West - I Can't Go On I'll Go On
61. Prince - Planet Earth
62. Joseph Arthur - Let's Just Be
63. Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
64. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
65. Caribou - Andorra
66. Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
67. St. Vincent - Marry Me
68. Office - A Night At The Ritz
69. Bat For Lashes - Fur & Gold
70. Ween - La Cucaracha
71. Josh Rouse - Country Mouse City House
72. Bettye Lavette - Scene Of The Crime
73. Warm In The Wake - American Prehistoric
74. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
75. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
76. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
77. Jeremy Fisher - Goodbye Blue Monday
78. The New Pornographers - Challengers
79. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
80. Akron/Family - Love Is Simple
81. Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated
82. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
83. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
84. Liars - Liars
85. Menomena - Friend and Foe
86. Ruthie Foster - The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
87. White Rabbits – Fort Nightly
88. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust
89. Anat Cohen - Noir
90. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
91. The Fratellis - Costello Music
92. Jesse Sykes – Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul
93. Lori McKenna - Unglamorous
94. Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
95. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
96. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
97. Marissa Nadler - Song III: Bird on the Water
98. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
99. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
100. Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War
My initial exclaimations are: Bright Eyes at #34? The National at #1? The Good, the Bad and the Queen is on this list? Way to go Menomena! What is missing, or oddly placed? Where did they get it right?
1 Erik Gonzalez said on November 28, 2007
If I could count the ways this list is wrong I'd probably go mute. That is a terrible top 10 that was put together at the beginning of the year before the albums came out. The rest of the list is a bunch of cool name dropping. No best-of lost should be published without rationale behind the rankings. Ugh.
2 jan-i-licious said on November 28, 2007
Is this list based on advertising revenue spent at Paste?
3 imaginary liz said on November 28, 2007
I agree with you Erik - the more I look at this the more outraged I am. I bet these people are no fun at a house party (no matter how high they rank OFFICE).
4 imaginary dana said on November 28, 2007
End of year lists that publish before the final month has begun annoy me nearly as much as Christmas decorations in October.
That said, our readers' poll Best of 2007 is coming right around the corner, so get ready!
5 ChrisB said on November 28, 2007
This list is just like Paste Magazine itself: really, really boring. I agree with Erik, the top 10 is horrible and shows no imagination.
6 Jesse said on November 28, 2007
This is mostly criz-zap! Although, it is nice to see a few surprises and some of my favorites mixed in there like Linda Thompson, Mary Gauthier and my beloved Jesse Sykes.
I'll never understand why people like Over The Rhine! How can they make anyones top 1000 let alone be number 25 above so many great bands/artists?
7 cosby said on November 28, 2007
maybe paste magazine is trying to impress the indie-looking girl in third period study hall with this year end list. all of the obvious bases are covered, how can they lose?
8 Erik Gonzalez said on November 28, 2007
Wow, and what's even weirder, now that I look at it, is that Interpol isn't even in their Top 100 of 2007. I mean, the album might not have been their best, but come on ... was it really worse than Prince's Planet Earth or the Fiery Furnaces?
And what is with the lack of any hip-hop on this list short of M.I.A.?
This might be one of the worst "best of" lists ever.
9 cosby said on November 28, 2007
"And what is with the lack of any hip-hop on this list short of M.I.A.?"
it's because indie music lacks black influence. sasha frere-jones stand up.
10 Tim Hanken said on November 28, 2007
I know that I'm a total Radiohead geek, but ten albums were better than In Raibows?? Seriously? The band that used to be Modest Mouse at number 8?
3 electroninc records out of 100? That's almost as bad as the one hip hop entry. No Digitalism?
11 Levi said on November 28, 2007
Yeah, that's a pretty boring, predictable list. Which reminds me, here's your handy 2007 best-of cheat sheet, from Catbirdseat.org: http://www.catbirdseat.org/catbirdseat/archives/000800.shtml
12 imaginary liz said on November 28, 2007
I love "penis penis penis penis penis penis kevin barnes' bare penis" --- hilarious! ! ! ! !
13 Marion said on November 28, 2007
"I love "penis penis penis penis penis penis kevin barnes' bare penis" --- hilarious! ! ! ! !"
Yes it is! Followed pretty closely, I think, by "*Triple-double bonus BONUS Pitchfork points for this one." Genius.
Also, I'm kind of a disgrace as a L.A. citizen for having not even seen No Age live yet, let alone listen to "Weirdo Rippers." Sigh, no Bonus Pitchfork points for me...
14 elle said on November 29, 2007
We should make a "Worst of the Best of Lists" list!
15 curt said on November 29, 2007
what did you expect?
anytime a group has an end of the year list they aren't all going to agree on that rare weird record. the same bands that have been touted all year are going to be on the list.
i was surprised loney dear was so high. i like that one.
can we all just admit that spoon record is average?
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