Tuesday, August 07, 2007

"Nothing Personal, Just Business" (seriously, couldn't think up a better title)

So far this week, this blog has been sadly short on conjecture and in-depth pop-culture babble. Chalk that up to my hurdling from a fun-but-exhausting vacation to a suddenly insane workplace and the need to tackle a bunch of pending freelance stuff; next week will see a return to the utter nonsense VtD readers have come to love, expect, and ignore. In the interim, dig this preliminary and extremely subject to change “best albums of 2007” list, offered sans commentary/links. Initially, I wanted to keep a running top 100 albums shortlist to be published here at year’s end, but the project ultimately proved so frustrating that I abandoned it in favor of a more managable 25 discs.

1. Sightings Through the Panama (Load)
2. The Dead C. Future Artists (Ba Da Bing!)
3. Carlos Giffoni Arrogance (No Fun)
4. Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid Tongues (Domino)
5. Needlegun The End of August at Hotel Ozone (MT6)
6. Burning Star Core Blood Lightning 2007 (No Fun)
7. Air Conditioning Dead Rails (Load)
8. Odd Girl Out Hurry Up and Wait (self-released)
9. Nine Inch Nails Year Zero (Interscope)
10. WZT Hearts Threads Rope Spell Making Your Bones (Carpark)
11. Deerhoof Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars/5 Rue Christine)
12. The Fiery Furnaces Widow City (Thrill Jockey)
13. Battles Mirrored (Warp)
14. Fall Out Boy Infinity On High (Island/Def Jam)
15. Heavy Winged Enough Rope (Cut Hands)
16. Arbouretum Rites of Uncovering (Thrill Jockey)
17. Prodigy Return of the Mac (Koch)
18. The Twilight Sad Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Domino)
19. El-P I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (Def Jux)
20. Blitzen Trapper Wild Mountain Nation (self-released)
21. Dinosaur Jr. Beyond (Fat Possum)
22. Bring Back The Guns Dry Futures (Feow!)
23. Khate Field Report (self-released)
24. Jazkammer & Smegma Endless Coast (No Fun)
25. Albert Hammond Jr. Yours to Keep (New Line)

HONORABLE MENTION: Panda Bear, Eric Copeland, Christy & Emily, The Vocokesh.

3 comments:

The Constable said...

Two things wrong--
(1) Why wasn't I informed that there was a new Fiery Furnaces?
(2) As a reminder, Giving the Gift of Music (When It Isn't Ours to Give) came out in January 2007--yes, 2007. If OGO's self-released makes the list, you can't use that excuse. You'd better correct this egregious exclusion (like the alliteration?) before AitA's legions of eight to eleven year old fans start boycotting VtD.

comoprozac said...

What? No Spoon? Arcade Fire? Interpol? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? Feist? I could go on and on...

Raymond Cummings said...

I can't tell whether or not you're joking! (Constable, I know you're joking; you always are.)

Spoon could make the list,maybe. it's a strong album. this is only like the second one of theirs i've gotten, never really felt the urge to dive into fandom until like last year.

Arcade Fire bore me, though I can understand why some aren't bored.

CYHSY - cd was okay. it'd make a top 40 cds for me.

Interpol - haven't heard it, don't care. (i will concede that "slow hands" is awesome and parts of the first album were great.)

Feist - haven't gotten 'round to the new one just yet.