When I asked the very intelligent and capable talent buyer Eli Anderson of the soon-to-be-reopened Crocodile Cafe, I was expecting a list of ten records he liked. Instead, he had sent me several well-written lists and deserves countless bonus points because he even showed his work.

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It has now been 2.5 years since I moved out of Seattle for the Golden State. I've slowly drifted out of the NW music culture, so sometimes I wonder if I know what to say on TIG these days.

Combine that with the fact that I was so distracted from music for a lot of 2008, this year's "best of" lists were especially difficult. Heck, I don't even think I can make a Best of NW music list this year, not because there was insufficient music, but because I just missed so many of those important-but-not-well-known releases that make these lists. I did enjoy Fleet Foxes, Common Market, Colin Meloy live, Malkmus and the like, but really, that isn't a "Best of the NW" list but rather a list of albums I liked that happened to be from the NW.

That being said, I did get a last minute music revival for the year. Maybe it was the election being over (and the good guys winning), maybe it was finally getting a faculty position after many years of trying (lets just say Erik will be moving east in 2009), maybe 2008 just didn't mesh with me musically. Who knows? However, there was a lot of great music anyway, and here are my top 20 (for your praise or fist shaking). Feel free to read the full commentary. 

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West did something pretty useful on his blog last week, too. He premiered a new video from Justice. It's been everywhere on the internet since and some people are freaked out about the violent imagery, but I think it's pretty cool.

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Kanye West is whining again and now he's pissed at Entertainment Weekly and its writer Chris Willman because they reviewed his tour (specifically the opening night show in Seattle at Key Arena) and they gave his show a (*gasp*) B+.

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OK, well, nobody likes to reflect and rank more than I do (I'm a scientist, I love to quantify), so here goes. I've got my favorite songs of 2007 - no, not best or most innovative, but rather the songs I liked ... lots and lots and lots. There is a little overlap from my forthcoming Best Albums, but also some curveballs. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention:

• "Girls and Boys in Love" by the Rumble Strips
• "Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
• "Jack the Ripper" by the Horrors (special note: If the Horrors had a brain and released the original fast demo version of this song on their debut Strange House, it would have been an easy top 10.)
• "Ragoo" by Kings of Leon
• "Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki
• "Geld Essen" by K.I.Z.

#10. "The Prayer" by Bloc Party from Weekend in the City - This song is one of the most interesting songs Bloc Party has recorded. Too bad the rest of the album (short of "Hunting for Witches") just wasn't as cool.

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The big debut was Reba McIntire's Reba Duets, which knocked Kanye West's Graduation out of the top spot after merely a week. Just goes to show you who really runs this country, eh?

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Well, I'm a little behind schedule with my Billboard Album Chart update thanks to spending the last 3 days looking at auriferous gravels in the Sierran foothills.

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Rumors are swirling that 50 Cent may actually follow up his promise to quit music if Kanye West outsells him. NME is reporting that 50 Cent has cancelled his European tour and his appearances in London. The charts will be out Thursday to see if Graduation outsold Curtis.

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Mark your calendars. This September brings a grudge match between Kanye West and 50 Cent - both rappers have new albums being released on September 11 and they've made it into a competition. Kanye and 50 Cent had a "presidential" style debate on BET and now 50 Cent says he'll stop releasing solo records if he loses to Kanye. Now this is high stakes action on the charts! We just need Jay-Z to suddenly release an album on the same day to make him the Michael Bloomberg of hip-hop.

{Thanks to TMZ for this news bit.}