My Old Kentucky Blog : Dodge' Favorite 50 Albums Of 2007

We'll be doing things a little differently this year. Throughout this week, you'll have a chance to hear from all of MOKB's contributors as well, so you won't have to just take my opinion as law.

The best albums of the year versus albums I actually listened to a lot are two different things. The exclusion of LCD Soundsystem might raise some eyebrows, but I didn't listen to that album more than once or twice, and it'd be silly to throw it in to please some of you. I listened to these albums the most because they are the ones I liked the best. They grabbed me and held on. There will be shit on here you don't like, and there will not be shit on here that you do. There will be albums slotted much higher or lower than you believe they should be. Just come to grips with all that now and we'll have a good time together today.

In truth, after maybe slot #10 or so, placement could really go anywhere depending on the day...I mean, they're all just worthy, in my opinion, to make the list. Ranking them always sucks, and really past what I know I loved above all else, everything is just "really good to great". There are also albums I didn't/haven't listened to (Burial, PJ Harvey, etc), so I can't put them in the list, even if you think they're the greatest album evahhhhh. OK, OK, on to the list...

#50. Black Lips : Good Bad Not Evil
Raw and raucous, these guys probably deserve to be higher, but I had a really hard time figuring out which of their releases, from this year, that I liked more. One of the worst album covers around this year maybe.
Black Lips - Cold Hands
Black Lips - Not A Problem (Live From Tijuana)
Also see: Black Lips other 2007 release Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo



#49. Elvis Perkins : Ash Wednesday
The son of Psycho makes beautiful tunes.
Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday




#48. Pela : Anytown Graffiti
Who woulda thought that a little town like Nevada City, California (pop. 3000) would produce so many great artists?! (Joanna Newsom, Alela Diana, Mariee Sioux, & Pela)
Pela - Lost To The Lonesome




#47. Galactic : From The Corner To The Block
Again, the live show made me a believer. I saw these guys in New Orleans with Chali2na and Boots Riley and it was one of the best times I've had all year. Brought me back to this album and I have a funk good time with it every week now.
Galactic ft. Lyrics Born - I Got It (What You Need)




#46. Pinback : Autumn Of The Seraphs
Fortress used to be my favorite Pinback song, but I'm not sure of that anymore.
Pinback - Good To Sea





#45. The New Pornographers : Challengers
The New Pornographers - Mutiny, I Promise You






#44. Papercuts : Can't Go Back
Papercuts - Dear Employee





#43. Les Savy Fav : Let's Stay Friends
Les Savy Fav - Patty Lee





#42. Menomena : Friend and Foe
Menomena - Wet & Rusting





41. Tunng : Good Arrows
There isn't much that Tunng puts out that I don't instantly gravitate to.
Tunng - Bullets
Tunng - Bricks





#40. Aesop Rock : None Shall Pass
I listened to a lot of hip-hop/rap last year, but not so much this year. While hip-hop fans will point to others, I kept coming back to this album.
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Aesop Rock - Citronella




#39. Ha Ha Tonka : Buckle In The Bible Belt
Kings Of Leon with more heart and soul. These guys are young and hungry and play like it.
Ha Ha Tonka - St. Nick On The Fourth In A Fervor
Ha Ha Tonka - Caney Mountain




#38. Marissa Nadler : Songs III: Birds on the Water
Marissa Nadler - Diamond Heart
Marissa Nadler - Sylvia




#37. The Shins : Wincing The Night Away
The Shins - Phantom Limb
The Shins - Australia




#36. Devendra Banhart : Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Devendra Banhart - Lover





#35. Band of Horses : Cease to Begin
Again, following Everything All The Time was no easy task, but these guys really didn't miss a beat. They didn't stray from the formula for their success much, but that keeps the fans happy.
Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost





#34. Cloud Cult : The Meaning of 8
These eco-friendly kids will be playing here in Indianapolis for MOKB on January 17th at Radio Radio, so make sure not to miss that!
Cloud Cult - Take Your Medicine





#33. Jonquil : Lions
Took me by storm and still can't get enough. Can't wait to see them live. They're so young, so they're only going to get better...or fall apart.
Jonquil - Lions
Jonquil - Whistle Low





#32. Justice : †
D.A.N.C.E. could have been this year's Crazy if it wasn't for Young Folks.
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.





#31. Dr. Dog : We All Belong
Though not on the album Dr. Dog's cover of AiH's Heart It Races was possibly the best cover song of 2007 - all respect to Chromatics as well.
Dr. Dog - Worst Trip
Dr. Dog - Heart It Races (Architecture In Helsinki Cover)




#30. The Rosebuds : Night Of The Furies
Ivan and Kelly try a dancier, darker direction and actually pull it off very well. Still, I miss the Hold Hands And Fight-like songs. Maybe find a way to mix in both?
The Rosebuds - Get Up Get Out





#29. John Vanderslice : Emerald City
The nicest guy in indie rock puts out his best effort to date.
John Vanderslice - White Dove





#28. Yeasayer : All Hour Cymbals
2080 felt like Midlake's Roscoe this year. I liked the rest of the album more than I did ...Van Occupanther last year, so they deserve this nod.
Yeasayer - 2080
Yeasayer - Sunrise




#27. Blitzen Trapper : Wild Mountain Nation
Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation





#26. Ola Podrida : Ola Podrida
This album is chock full of beautiful songs. David Wingo deserves more attention, and this album may start getting it for him.
Ola Podrida - Jordanna





#25. Bodies Of Water : Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
When I first wrote about this band, over a year ago, I said I loved the harmonies. Yup, still love the harmonies. This time though, it's all more powerful than their first EP...it's like California psyche-pop (x) Polyphonic Spree (-) loads of people = more melodic but still as powerful...so, that's pretty badass.
Bodies Of Water - I Guess I'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess
Bodies Of Water - Doves Circle The Sky





#24. M.I.A. : Kala
She's fun, innovative and a great live show. I listened to this album a load early, but now after lots of time with this album and all the overexposure, I've got to really be in the mood for it anymore. Before this feeling hit, it might have ended up higher in the list.
M.I.A. - Boyz




#23. David Vandervelde : The Moonstation House Band
Putting the glam back in rock? Yeah, but not in a shitty way...bottom line, this guy can make your ears bleed in a good way.
David Vandervelde - Nothin' No
David Vandervelde - Jacket




#22. The Besnard Lakes : …Are The Dark Horse
The Besnard Lakes - And You Lied To Me





#21. Amy Winehouse : Back to Black
Crackhead or not, the songs are great, her voice is awesome and she kept us interested in 2007...for a while.
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (live BBC Session)




#20. Beirut : The Flying Club Cup
Beirut - A Sunday Smile





#19. White Rabbits : Fort Nightly
White Rabbits - The Plot






#18. Tegan & Sara : The Con
They're cute, they're annoying, they make great emotive pop songs that help me understand the trials and tribulations of cute, emotional, annoying lesbian twins. No seriously...ok for serious...meh.
Tegan & Sara on Spinner.com's The Interface





#17. Jose Gonzalez : In Our Nature
With this album, Jose proved his original works are every bit as great as his covers - and his covers are grrrreat!
Jose Gonzalez - Down The Line






#16. The Broken West : I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
These new kids on the MERGE block are going to be making great pop/rock songs for a long time to come. This was an excellent debut.
The Broken West - Down In The Valley
The Broken West - Back In Your Head (Tegan & Sara Cover)




#15. Vampire Weekend : Blue CD-R
I listen to this cd a lot. I don't know if I've spent enough time with them to tell you they're are actually the next "it" band...but they're the next "it" band.
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma






#14. Arcade Fire : Neon Bible
Listen, following Funeral was a huge task, and many, including myself weren't sold when this album was released. Some time and distance and the fact that I keep coming back and listening to it often, told me that this, while no Funeral, was still a great album. The Austin City Limits TV recording I sat in on probably helped matters.
Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
Arcade Fire - Black Mirror




#13. Cass McCombs : Dropping the Writ
I saw Cass McCombs open for Jose Gonzalez in the most perfect venue in Bloomington, IN last week and it was like watching a young Neil Young...beautiful deja vu all over again.
Cass McCombs - Pregnant Pause






#12. Iron & Wine : The Shepherd's Dog
Adding a full backing band was the best thing Sam Beam ever could have done for me...and yes, he did it just for me.
Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones






#11. The National : Boxer
All you little bitches dogging this band and album now need to shut the f*ck up. You were proclaiming it's greatness just a few short months ago. You can't get mad now that so many people agreed with you.
The National - Fake Empire






#10. Bowerbirds : Hymns for a Dark Horse
Bowerbirds - Dark Horse
Bowerbirds - Dark Horse (Live on MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio)
Bowerbirds - In Our Talons




#9. Of Montreal : Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer
Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit






#8. St. Vincent : Marry Me
Skinny boys in tight jeans, all over the U.S., fell in love with Annie this year - much like my first time seeing her perform live, not knowing who she was, in Red Hunter's apartment loft in Austin, TX in 2005.
St. Vincent - Now, Now






#7. Panda Bear : Person Pitch
The hipster's choice, and a good one it is. Reinventing the Beach Boys is actually not an easy thing to do well.
Panda Bear - Bros (Terrestrial Tones Remix)






#6. Feist : The Reminder
Feist went from that other hot chick in Broken Social Scene to out-right superstar this year. A little help from Steve Jobs is always a bonus too.
Feist - Sealion






#5. Sea Wolf : Leaves In The River
I'm sure this is pretty high for a lot of you, but it's a great album, full of melancholy pop songs.
Sea Wolf - You're A Wolf (Live on MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio)
Sea Wolf - Winter Windows (Live on MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio)




#4. Against Me! : New Wave
OK, this album simply took me back to those formative early teen years and I really appreciated that. I saw these guys live in Bloomington, IN this year and I haven't had that much fun at a show in a long time.
Ben Lee - Thrash Unreal (Against Me! Cover)






#3. Radiohead : In Rainbows
Maybe they could've rocked a little more on this album, but the whole aura around the album made me happy. Everything about it from the marketing experience to the listening experience. Thanks again, Radiohead, for bringing back the communal experience.
Radiohead Unravel (Bjork Cover)
Radiohead - The Headmaster Ritual (The Smiths)
Radiohead - Ceremony (New Order Cover)





#2. Spoon : Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Gimme Fiction topped my list two years ago, and I like this album more than Gimme Fiction.
Spoon - The Underdog






#1. Bon Iver : For Emma, Forever Ago
He was my most talked about artist this year. From the first day I found this album, I enjoyed it from top to bottom almost every other day after. Six months later, not much has changed. It's as honest and moving as any album I've listened to in the last couple years.
Bon Iver - Skinny Love





Best Live Album of 2007: Daft Punk : Alive
This album actually gave me the feeling of what I missed by not seeing Daft Punk live this year. It's kind of a really sickening, wanna puke, feeling in the pit of my stomach. So yeah, this album is that good.

Best EPs of 2007: Grizzly Bear : Friend EP
CSS - Knife (Grizzly Bear Cover)

Dodge's Local (Louisville/Central Indiana) Greats of 2007:

There are probably some more local greats this year, and I wish I could remember all of them to make a Top Ten, but in all honesty, I didn't listen too intently to much more than these. If you regional kids wanna remind me of a few, I'd appreciate it.

#6. Marmoset : Florist Fired
Marmoset - Missing Man
#5. The Delicious : The Delicious
The Delicious - It's Not Time To Die
#4. Grampall Jookabox : Scientific Cricket
Grampall Jookabox - Ponta
#3. Everything, Now! : Ugly Magic
Everything, Now! - Curse Be The Everything, Now! And All Who Sail With It
#2. Wax Fang : La La Land
Wax Fang - Cannibal Summer
#1. Odawas : Raven & The White Night
Odawas - Alleluia

Honorable Mentions: All these had some great tracks, but the overall, for me, just wasn't enough to make the list. So, if you missed them or haven't checked into these bands/artists yet, you'd be silly not to...LCD Soundsystem, Odawas, Andrew Bird, PB&J, The Field, Wilco, Sunset Rubdown, Rogue Wave, Wax Fang, Lily Allen, Bjork, Mark Ronson, Modest Mouse, Dizzee Rascal, Jay-Z, White Denim, The White Stripes, Everything, Now!, Castanets, Phosphorescent, Magic Numbers, Tom Waits, The Deadly Syndrome, Kings Of Leon, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Magnolia Electric Co., Jens Lekman, Bat For Lashes, !!!, Battles, Dirty Projectors, White Stripes, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Sunset Rubdown, Josh Ritter, Busdriver, Gogol Bordello, Richard Hawley, The Weakerthans, Explosions In The Sky, The Fiery Furnances, Bruce Springsteen, Josh Rouse, Foo Fighters, Tim Fite, Loney Dear, Akron/Family, Okkervil River, The Fratellis, Kevin Drew/BSS, Mancino, Eddie Vedder/Into The Wild OST, I'm Not There OST, El-P, Architecture in Helsinki, YACHT, Dear Tick, Paul Duncan, The Go Find, Matt Pond PA, The Redwalls, Via Audio, Kanye West, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Blonde Redhead, Miracle Fortress, Basia Bulat, The Mabuses, The Frames, Tinariwen, Slaraffenland, Bright Eyes, Simian Mobile Disco

Still in the queue: PJ Harvey, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Avett Brothers, Burial, Saul Williams, Oh No, Glass Candy, Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams, Do Make Say Think, and probably a few more that you can tell me about.

--------------------------------------------------------

Official Site | MySpace | More MP3s | eMusic | Subscribe To RSS Feed