Just testing -- for some reason, the last couple of posts I've sent to Audities
aren't being re-sent to my own email address.

And just to make sure this is sorta music-related, here's my top 20 list below,
which I don't think ever got posted, or maybe it did, but several people have
said they didn't see it. (Mike, you saw it I think).

Bryan


Mike and everyone at Audities:

Here's my Top 20.

1  Wilco -  Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
2  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (Rounder)
3  Lewis Taylor - The Lost Album (Hacktone)
4  The Valerie Project - The Valerie Project (Drag City)
5  Leslie & The Badgers - Leslie & The Badgers (Self-Released)
6  Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971 (Warner Bros./Reprise)**
7  Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
8  Band of Horses - Cease To Begin (SubPop)
9  The Clientele - God Save the Clientele (Merge)
10  Lucinda Williams - West (Lost Highway)
11  Future Clouds And Radar - Future Clouds & Radar (Star Apple Kingdom)
12  Iron + Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (SubPop)
13  Jim Ford - Sounds of Our Time: The Harlan County Album + bonus tracks (Bear Family)**
14  Elliott Smith - New Moon (Kill Rock Stars)**
15  Gram Parsons & The Flying Burrito Brothers - Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1969 
(Amoeba)**
16  Nick Drake - Family Tree (Island)**
17  Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
18  The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge)
19  Steve Earle -  Washington Square Serenade (New West)
20  Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground (Lo-Max) **IMPORT

I realize some of these albums are going to be ineligible (**), but I've decided to list 
them anyway since this list truly represents my "personal" list of favorite albums from 
2007 (your personal mileage may -- probably will -- vary).

I also realize there's very little here in the way of pop or power pop too, but I suppose 
that's just a reflection of what's been happening to my personal music tastes over the 
last half-dozen years. I did pick up a few titles that most of the folks here on Audities 
would enjoy (L.E.O., Fountains of Wayne, Apples In Stereo, etc. etc., in addition to some 
of the titles below), but in the end, I just didn't end up listening to too much pop music 
this year.

And the numbering below is somewhat arbitrary too: I'm not big on numbering and rating the 
music I like to listen to, so after about #5 the numbering below is sorta "iffy" anyway.

MySpace page links-- and most of these artists have tracks you can listen to, if you're 
interested in hearing what they sound like -- and excerpts from a singular CD review I 
found are also below, also with a link to that particular review, which describes the 
album better than I could.

-- Bryan


The rest of my faves this past year, in no particular order:

The Quarter After - Changes Near (not officially eligible since it's not out until early 
next year)**
José González - In Our Nature
Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Six Organs Of Admittance - Shelter From The Ash
Mountain Home - Mountain Home
Jana Hunter - There's No Home
Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus! (also, just import from the UK right now)**
Jason Falkner - I'm OK, You're OK
Mark Olson - The Salvation Blues
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81
Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye
Emmylou Harris - Songbird**
Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy
Goldrush - The Heart Is The Place
The Electric Soft Parade - No Need To Feel Downhearted
The Psychedelic Cowboys - Jangle Waltz
Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck
Kings of Leon - Because Of The Times
White Stripes - Icky Thump
Mellowmen - Tomorrow's Sound Today
Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price - Last of the Breed
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
West Indian Girl - 4th And Wall
Air - Pocket Symphony
James Blackshaw - The Cloud Of Unknowing
Vashti Bunyan - Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Singles and Demos 1964-1967**
The High Llamas - Can Cladders
Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Joe Ely - Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch
Warren Zevon - Preludes: Rare And Unreleased Recordings**
Levon Helm - The Girl I Left Behind
The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
Lavender Diamond - Imagine Our Love  (I added this one for Anna B.:-)
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Caribou - Andorra
Grizzly Bear - Friend
Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation