Mitch's Movies Art’s Year End Top 10 Albums (that I listened to…) | Art’s Year End Top 10 Albums (that I listened to…) |
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| Written by Art Michalski | |
| Monday, 31 December 2007 | |
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As 2007 winds down, it's
that time to compile lists of what you thought you liked most, and
what you thought just outright sucked. So like every other jackass
critic, I have compiled my list of faves and almost faves. But as
always, my list only incorporates albums I have actually listened to
this year. With thousands of albums released this year, I surely
didn’t get to all of them. If you’re asking why
Radiohead’s In Rainbows isn’t on the list,
it's simple. I didn’t get that CD yet, and some belated love may
or may not come its way.
Also, if you’re looking for critical favorites Feist, M.I.A. or the Shins to make the list; please stop right here. All three albums were either unlistenable, just plain boring, or both. If you want that, Pitchfork will gladly let them top their list. So, here is my Top 10 Albums of 2007 (that I listened to…). Against Me! - New Wave - I’ve been saying all year that Against Me! is the new Bad Religion. Angry, political and can take a shot at other band’s protest songs. As the band moved to a major label, it didn’t lose its fire and passion. Early fans may cry “sellout,” but its those fans that missed out on one of the truly great albums of the year. Key Tracks: “White People For Peace” and “Stop” White Stripes - Icky Thump - After Get Behind Me Satan went every which way, Jack White tightened up the ship and delivered an album in the vein of their superior Elephant and White Blood Cells. So, updating the equipment and recording material can really help a band. The Stripes finally sound like they can take on an arena. Key Tracks: “Conquest” and “Ice Cream Soda”Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - Most bands would buckle under the pressure that was the hype of their debut record, Funeral. But the Montreal band proved that interjecting a little Springsteen-esque material with a flare for the grandiose can bring in new fans, as well as keep the cred police off your back. Key Tracks: “Keep The Car Running” and “The Well & The Lighthouse” Machine Head - The Blackening - After being left for dead in the late 90s, the Bay Area band turned every song on this 8 song record into a multi-guitar solo and thrash behemoth. The first three songs make up the best opening on a record this year. This is the sound of a metal band reborn and not conforming to any trends in the genre today. Key Tracks: “Clenching The Fists of Dissent” and “Aesthetics of Hate” Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works - A late entry, but this album comes completely out of left field. The New Jersey band changes up their metalcore ways, and injects funk and pop on this album as well. Any band to do covers of Nine Inch Nails and Justin Timberlake in the same show shows us some balls. Key Tracks: “Milk Lizard” and “Black Bubblegum” Jay-Z - American Gangster - I almost gave up on the Hova after Kingdom Come made him sound old and tired. His take on the equally as good movie threw 70s soul into the picture. Mr. Carter seems to excel when his beats are coming from another era (example: classic rock samples from 2001’s The Blueprint) and gets up swinging just when we about counted him out. Key Tracks: Roc Boys (And the Winner Is…) & “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver - No, James Murphy is not from England and he may not like New York all that much, but Sound of Silver continued the band’s smarter than usual party jams. For a band that some people considered “electronic,” it’s the most organic sounding album of that sort in a long time. Key Tracks: “North American Scum” & “Us vs. Them” Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Sank - If Against Me! fans cried “sellout,” then they surely got out the torches when hearing the news Modest Mouse’s new album debuted at #1. Just as accessible as their last record, but a tad more dark, the Seattle band continued their unlikely success story and probably paid a few house payments along the way. Key Tracks: “Spitting Venom” and “We Got Everything” The Hives - The Black And White Album - After Tyrannosaurus Hives failed to excite, the band enlisted Pharrell Williams (dead serious) and others to produce this fun and tight album. They have seem to recapture the sound of “Veni Vidi Vicious” and gave us reason beyond their great live show to care about them again. Key Tracks: “Tick Tock Boom” & “Try It Again” Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero - Trent Reznor’s kiss off to a major label is a bleak and dystopian vision of the future. Think V For Vendetta in musical form and leaving me waiting for part two, due out sometime in 2008. Key Tracks: “My Violent Heart” and “The Good Solider” The Second 10: Kanye West- Graduation High On Fire- Death Is This Communion Bloc Party- A Weekend In The City Justice- Cross Maroon 5- It Won’t Be Soon Before Long Queens of the Stone Age- Era Vulgaris The Nightwatchman- One Man Revolution 3 Inches of Blood- Fire Up the Blades Coheed & Cambria- No World For Tomorrow Daft Punk- Alive 2007 Burning Questions You May Have After Reading This:
Q1: Why haven’t you listened to Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” yet? A1: My computer went in the crapper in October upon its release (it's fixed, don’t worry), and waiting for a certain friend to get me a copy of it. Settle down, I hear its good and they may actually tour in 2008. Keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Q2: What happened to your picks for Most Anticipated Albums of 2007 (Linkin Park & Avenged Sevenfold)? A2: Both released albums, but didn’t even come close to the Top 20, let alone the Top 10. Avenged Sevenfold’s self-titled record had its moments and “Almost Easy” is a Top 10 Rock single of the year, but the album was too erratic to be great. At least they fared better than Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight, which may end up being one of the most disappointing records of the year. “What I’ve Done,” are you kidding me? We expect better from you guys. Q3: Who really surprised you this year? A3: Well, if you read the Top 10, many of the records were from groups that seemed to have their best day come and gone, but recaptured their glory. Jay-Z seemed bored being a billionaire and Machine Head seemed to be this close to working at 7-11. Both of those, as well as the Hives and the White Stripes excelled at keeping it simple this year. Q4: Maroon 5 at #15? Are you f---ing kidding me? A4: Every year, there has to be one guilty pleasure from the pop world. Last year, it was Timberlake, this year was Maroon 5. It was that or Fall Out Boy; I felt this was the safer of the two choices. Plus, you’re a lifeless bastard if you didn’t tap your toe once to “Makes Me Wonder.”
Q5: You took it easy on the metal this year; did this year suck for metal? A5: Not really; Devildriver, Every Time I Die, Shadows Fall and Chimaira all put out good records this year. But their past work seemed to be better than their new records. All are listenable and a good headbanging time though. But 3 Inches Of Blood, High On Fire and the Dillinger Escape Plan showed me something new in ’07.
Last question: Gonna take any guesses on favorites for ’08? Last answer: I am looking very forward to hearing the new Muse record, as well as Mastodon. Perhaps Rage Against the Machine can write a new record. And I will be curious if Panic At the Disco is gonna to f--- up or not. They are already sporting a Killers-style makeover, let’s see if they try to sound like Springsteen now as well too. And is it too much to know if Chinese Democracy is coming out or what? |
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