OK, I've put this off for long enough.  This was a
hard list this year, because several of my favorite
releases either were EPs (Black Kids, Los Campesinos)
or had a self-release this year, but will get an
"official" label release in 2008 (Bon Iver).  So, with
that in mind, here goes:

1. Dinosaur Jr - Beyond: Who knew I still cared about
Dino Jr?  Stands along side of the classic albums,
particularly tracks like "Almost Ready" and "We're Not
Alone."  Mean J Mascis guitar.

2. Frisbie - New Debut: A seven year wait, a lot of
curiosity, and ultimately, another set of great songs
with big hooks and perfect harmonies.  More rockin'
than The Subversive Sounds of Love.  It's not perfect,
but it's better than I had dared to hope, knowing how
I felt about the last one, ya know.

3. Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder: Another of
several fine comeback albums this year.  Every song is
a bouncy, catchy sing-along. 

4. Sister Vanilla - Little Pop Rock: The best Jesus
and Mary Chain rekkid in years, courtesy of Reid
sister Linda, with an assist from her sibs.  Try NOT
to have "Two of Us" in your head for days (this song
turned up earlier on Jim Reid's Freeheat EP)

5. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala: The
ever-charming Swede, once again being charming.  Oh,
the charm, the charm!  It hurts!

6. Bill Callahan - Woke on a Whaleheart: Much as I've
said of Jolie Holland's records in past years, an
album that sounds outside of time.  Former (once and
future?) Smog man Callahan doing a sort of Appalachian
gospel thing.

7. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100
Nights: More hot soul and funk from a band that sounds
like it could've come straight out of 1970.  I much
prefer Jones with the Dap Kings than the band's
higher-profile gig backing Amy Winehouse on her big
record this past year.  

8. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver: everyone loved
this record so much.  I found it a little bit of a
letdown after the self-titled album, but it's still
better than most of the stuff out there.

9. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - S/T: A record that
easily might never have been made, SYGC was getting
label interest in 2005 when co-frontman/co-songwriter
Matt Kerstein left.  But Elia Einhorn pulled the band
back together with a mix of new and returning members,
and turned out another great set of songs, many hiding
their tough (and autobiographical) lyrical bent behind
their prettiness.  Despite everything ever written,
this record does NOT sound much like Belle &
Sebastian.

10. Bonde de Role - With Lasers: A rockin' party from
Brazil, with tongue planted firmly in cheek

11. Saturday Looks Good to Me - Fill Up the Room:
Another band I've always enjoyed, with another dose of
shambling, catchy pop, this time with some additional
elements  -- some tape loops, a few world music
impulses, and a bit more power behind the pop on
certain songs.

12. Tender Forever - Wider: Melanie Velera is a French
ex-pat, and there's a bit of ye-ye alongside the
melancholy laptop/acoustic indie rock of this lo-fi
offering, her second on K (the first was good too).

13. MIA - Kala: A second revolutionary sounding
record, meant in the most literal sense

14. Feist - The Reminder: This would make the list on
the strenth of the song "I Feel It All" alone.  Maybe
the song of 2007.

15. The Clientele - God Save the Clientele: Every time
I listened to this album, I thought how much I liked
it, and then I would promptly forget about it until
the next time I heard it and realized how much I liked
it.  Just a collection of subtle, catchy pop songs. 
Nothing more, nothing less.

16. The Sea & Cake - Everybody:  There's always a
little bit of Brazil in the Sea & Cake's music, even
though they're right here in Chicago.  A pleasant,
breezy record, with more memorable songs than their
previous few.

17. The Go! Team - Proof of Youth: exuberant and fun,
a record that makes you want to pogo and shout in a
most junior high schoolish way.  

18. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War: a bit of a
disappointment after previous two albums, but I'm
still a sucker for the male/female vocals

19. Brunettes - Structure & Cosmetics: again, as
stated, sucker for pop songs (assumed here), a sucker
for male/female vocals.

20. Shocking Pinks - S/T: the post-punk/new wave
revival just won't stop.

Hot Chip's contribution to the 'DJ Kicks' series was
awesome, by the way.

Happy 08!
--Shawn



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