Quarterlifeparty

So here we go. I’m sure you are all tired of seeing these top ten lists because they all have the same bands in the them and really, if you liked an album, who cares what a top ten list says. That being said, we figured we should put up our favorite albums of 2007, although I’m sure in a month this list will change as we start listening to albums we missed from last year.. that happens every year.

1. Radiohead In Rainbows
This was a pretty obvious choice for us for album of the year. Even after listening to it 50 bajillion times it still sounds like new. And with so many albums being really long this year and having too many songs, this one is the perfect length with each song following in the other’s footsteps, bleeding into the next just perfectly. From the intricately weaving guitar work on “Weird Fishes”, the simple but effective bassline of “Nude”,the creepy stalkeresque quality of “All I Need” and pretty much everything after makes this not only the best album of 2007 but maybe Radiohead’s best album since OK Computer.

2. Rogue Wave Asleep at the Gates of Heaven
I was a pretty big fan of their first album, but this one completely took over my life for about 3 months, I didn’t listen to anything else. Even when the radiohead album came out It was hard for me to stop listening to Asleep at Heaven’s Gate. I saw them live opening up for feist and I hate to say it feist, but you got trumped.

3. LCD Sound of Silver
This year was the year LCD took over, ok well they had taken over in the past, btu we saw them more than a couple times this year. Although the second half of the album is a lot weaker than the first, it’s till pretty great. The incredible one-two punch of “all my friends” and “someone else” completes this magnificent album. They were a highlight at Coachella as well.

4. Wilco Sky Blue Sky
This album got mixed reviews when it came out, it was a very light album for the austin band that alot of people called “Dad Rock”. However, if you caught them in concert this year they would be eating their words. The bands new member, guitar virtuoso Nels Cline, adds so much to the sound and has some mesmerizing guitar riffs.

5. Justice Cross
It’s been said many times before, Justice is Daft Punk on crack. The only thing bad about this album is it might give you seizures, you might have to take some ritilin when your done with it. Even though it’s building and taking from the daft punk sound it’s offering up so much of it’s own originality, it’s impossible to ignore. It annoyed the crap out of me when I first heard it, but once I went back and relistened a few times I began to see more of what it was all about. It had one of the best dance songs in many a year along with one of the best video’s I have ever seen “D.A.N.C.E”. It’s an experimental electronic album with hooks the size of 1980′s Michael Jackson.

6. The National Boxer
Although the album was somewhat disappointing from their previous release, in my opinion, it was still a great album. I missed songs that had the edge of “Abel” and there seemed to lack a lot of the quirkiness of Alligator. But overall the album flowed like a calm river with one of the best singles of the year “Mistaken for Strangers”, although I think “Brainy” trumped that after a few listens.

7. Monarch (now Wye Oak) If Children
I am surprised this album even ended up on my top ten this year. It’s rare that I am really into any local music for more than a week, but this album has stayed in the queue all year round. What this band creates with a two-peice is amazing to me, and it’s especially noticeable when you see them live. It didn’t get as much attention as I would have liked it too and was often eclipsed by the Wham City baltimore scene, but this is great because it shows a different side to baltimore music. Not to toot our own horn but noone was writing about these guys at the beginning of the year and now look at them, we just found out today that they signed to Merge records.

8. Film School Hideout
Despite it’s bad and very few reviews of this album, I came away unjaded by them and continue to love this album from back to front. The recent live performances on the interface supported the great songs on this album. They are a subtle band that is very underrated and deserve a lot more attention. This year saw them mature and expand their sound. I will always love the previous self-titled with Breet, Like I know and P.S. but I like what they are doing now.

9. Menomena Friend and Foe
One of the most original albums and bands that I have heard come out in years (not including their first album “I am the Fun Blame Monster”). The transitions on this album are what make it amazing, they go places that don’t even make sense sometimes musically but seem to make it all fit together. With great lyrics like “It’s hard to take risks….with a pessamist”

10. Say Hi The Wishes and the Glitch
This album came out late in the year, but it was the one thing that got me out of my radiohead coma from the previous months. Clever, smart, witty indie-pop songs with lyrics that, probably when read, would make you cringe, but the delivery of the singer totally changes that. “Bluetime” is one of the best nerdy songs i have ever heard comparing pacman to a girl. “Zero to Love” talks about a heart like buying a new car. All of this sounds really cheesy on paper, but the delivery is impeccable on this album.

Tags: , 2007 , top ten