2007 End of Year Lists & Critic's Polls
The sound of whining that accompanies the release of any given publication's year-end list is starting to become comforting, like crickets in the country or car alarms in the city. It starts around Thanksgiving and goes through the end of the year. I've accepted the fact that 95% of the comments you'll see on the respective sites and blogs will be complaining about how one of their favorite albums is missing from the list. Never mind that there's obviously far more than 20 or 50 good albums released each year, people are never going to come to terms with that. They'll never wrap their heads around the fact that there is far more music than they're ever going to hear, and they're always gonna bitch. Meanwhile I'm having listgasms, tearing through them like a puppy on Britney Spears dolls (you know you want one), hunting down albums I hadn't heard yet, and relistening to those I hadn't touched in a few months. I spent the weekend with the Decibel list. Biting, scratching and blood was involved. It wasn't pretty, but the list and I were satiated by Monday. I gained new wisdom, like the new Jesu album is better than I'd expected and Dax Riggs' We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love outshines both Nick Cave's Grinderman project and Mark Lanegan's collaboration with Soulsavers when it comes to blues-soul rock action. Black metal (Watain, Wolves in the Throne Room, Moonsorrow, etc) is starting to sound too samey, but Rosetta has proven to be nearly as good as Isis. More advise on how to use end of year lists.
Stylus: Top 50 Albums of 2007
Sadly, Stylus published this list early, on Halloween, because it ceased publication that day. It was by far my favorite online music zine, and their lists were often the closest to my tastes. While I'm not feeling their Lil Wayne and Kanye West choices, they turned me onto Phosphorescent, Gui Goratto, Marnie Stern, Pantha Du Prince, and Monkey Swallows the Universe. Thanks Stylus.
01 LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
02 Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
03 Panda Bear - Person Pitch
04 Lil Wayne - Da Drought 3
05 The National - The Boxer
06 Kanye West - Graduation
07 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
08 M.I.A. - Kala
09 The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
10 Radiohead - In Rainbows
11 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
12 Phosphorescent - Pride
13 Gui Boratto - Chromophobia
14 Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
15 The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
16 The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
17 Grinderman - Grinderman
18 Justice - Cross
19 Liars - Liars
20 Dalek - Abandoned Language
21 Caribou - Andorra
22 Deepchord Presents Echospace - The Coldest Season
23 !!! - Myth Takes
24 Studio - West Coast
25 Battles - Mirrored
26 Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond to You
27 Of Montreal - Oh Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
28 A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Scribble Mural Comic Journal
29 Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls
30 El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
31 Menomena - Friend and Foe
32 Low - Drums and Guns
33 Stars Of The Lid - And The Refinement Of Their Decline
34 Dungen - Tio Bitar
35 Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
36 Marnie Stern - In Advance Of The Broken Arm
37 Devin The Dude - Waitin' to Inhale
38 Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water is Life
39 UGK - Underground Kings
40 Pantha Du Prince - This Bliss
41 Andy Palacio & The Garfuna Collective - Wátina
42 Calle 13 - Residente O Visitante
43 Basteroid - Upset Ducks
44 Colleen - Les Ondes Silencieuses
45 Strategy - Future Rock
46 The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
47 65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas
48 Monkey Swallows the Universe - The Casket Letters
49 Paramore - Riot!
50 PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Paste: Signs Of Life: Top 100 Albums of 2007
It's such an appropriate name, Paste, as in pastey-faced middle of the road rock. But they try hard, and Boxer is a fine album. It's a fine looking rag, with nice design that somehow reminds me of Utne Reader. It's all too tasteful for me, if that makes any sense.
1. The National - Boxer
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Feist - The Reminder
6. M.I.A. - Kala
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
8. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
9. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
10. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows
12. Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
13. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
14. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
15. Kanye West - Graduation
16. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
17. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
18. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
19. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
20. Blonde Redhead - 23
21. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
22. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
23. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
24. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
25. Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
26. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
27. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell
28. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark
29. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
30. Björk - Volta
31. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
32. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
33. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
34. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
36. Joe Henry - Civilians
37. Eleni Mandell - The Miracle Of Five
38. Olof Arnalds - Vid Og Vid
39. The Perishers - Victorious
40. Damien Dempsey - To Hell Or Barbados
41. Brandi Carlile - The Story
42. Lifesavas - Gutterfly
43. The Everybodyfields - Nothing Is Okay
44. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
46. Justice - †
47. Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart
48. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
49. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind
50. Battles - Mirrored
Harp
The fact that Harp has a lot of former SPIN writers gives a pretty good idea of their demographic. They're surprisingly even more folky than Paste. It's almost cool how they don't even pretend to like any token hip hop, electronica or metal, but then I see the likes of Neil Young and The Good, The Bad and The Queen. Yuck.Not much stylistic variety here, and no M.I.A. doesn't really count. Future Clouds & Radar is an interesting find, a double debut album full of Elvis Costello/Squeeze styled power pop.
50 Tunng - Good Arrows
49 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
48 Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You
47 Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
46 Manu Chao - La Radiolina
45 Bettye LaVette - The Scenes Of The Crime
44 Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
43 Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
42 Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back
41 Dr. Dog - We All Belong
40 Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads
39 Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
38 Eleni Mandell - Miracle Of Five
37 Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
36 Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35 Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
34 Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
33 St. Vincent - Marry Me
32 Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
31 Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
30 Grinderman - Grinderman
29 Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
28 Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - This Is Somewhere
27 of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
26 Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
25 Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust And the Open Halls Of The Soul
24 M.I.A. - Kala
23 Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart
22 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living With The Living
21 The National - Boxer
20 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
19 Bruce Springsteen - Magic
18 Georgie James - Places
17 The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
16 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
15 The New Pornographers - Challengers
14 The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
13 Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
12 Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
11 The White Stripes - Icky Thump
10 Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
09 Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
08 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
07 Radiohead - In Rainbows
06 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
05 Feist - The Reminder
04 Future Clouds & Radar - Future Clouds & Radar
03 Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
02 Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
01 Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Satan bless Decibel and their metal-lovin' ways. This magazine and Terrorizer are doing a lot to make liking "extreme music" cool again with the masses who don't think heavy music died in 1991.
40 - Grave In The Sky - Cutlery Hits China: English For The Hearing Impaired
39 - Trap Them - Sleepwell Deconstructer
38 - Darkest Hour - Deliver Us
37 - Year of No Light - Nord
36 - Pissed Jeans - Hope For Men
35 - Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde
34 - Torche - In Return
33 - Between the Buried and Me - Colors
32 - Evoken - A Caress Of The Void
31 - Destroyer Destroyer - Littered With Arrows
30 - Down - III: Over The Under
29 - Engineer - The Dregs
28 - Rwake - Voice Of Omens
27 - Architect - All Is Not Lost
26 - Obliteration - Perpetual Decay
25 - Dax Riggs - We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love
24 - Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks
23 - Rosetta - Wake/Lift
22 - Magrudergrind - Rehashed
21 - Machine Head - The Blackening
20 - Caina - Mourner
19 - Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today
18 - The End - Elementary
17 - Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma
16 - Graf Orlock - Destination Time Tomorrow
15 - Bergraven - Dodsvisioner
14 - Moonsorrow - Viides Luku/Havitetty
13 - Pelican - City Of Echoes
12 - The Red Chord - Prey For Eyes
11 - Deathspell Omega - Fas-ite Maledicti In Ignem Aeternum
10 - A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag
09 - High on Fire - Death Is This Communion
08 - Portal - Outre
07 - Witchcraft - The Alchemist
06 - Neurosis - Given To The Rising
05 - Baroness - The Red Album
04 - Jesu - Conqueror
03 - The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
02 - Watain - Sworn To The Dark
01 - Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Uncut
I love LCD Soundsystem to death. They rocked hard when I saw them, when they blew M.I.A. off the stage. But the new one is just a bit too inconsistent. It looks like some of their staff agree with me that the new Arctic Monkeys is far better than their first. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and Wilco are predictable entries (is Tweedy old enough to be called a geezer yet?), and White Chalk and Comicopera are surprisingly challenging albums that high on an Uncut list. Voice of the Seven Woods is an interesting guitar album I'd never heard of before. They must not let Simon Reynolds vote anymore, otherwise at least Burial and Pinch would be on there, representing dubstep.
1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
3. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
4. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
5. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
6. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
7. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
8. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows
10. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
11. Björk - Volta
12. Battles - Mirrored
13. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
14. M.I.A. - Kala
15. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
16. Grinderman - Grinderman
17. Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!
18. Voice of the Seven Woods - Voice of the Seven Woods
19. Feist - The Reminder
20. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
21. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
22. Babyshambles - Shotters Nation
23. Rilo Kiley - Under the Brightlight
24. Lessavy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
25. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
26. Manu Chao - La Radiolina
27. Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
28. Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
29. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
30. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
31. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
32. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
33. Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life
34. The National - Boxer
35. Bill Callahan - Woke on a Whaleheart
36. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
37. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
38. The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever
39. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
40. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
41. Justice - †
42. Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior
43. Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers
44. Maps - We Can Create
45. Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge
46. Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions
47. Nick Lowe - At My Age
48. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
49. Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy
50. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
Q Magazine
It's nice to see Soulsavers and Field Music here, as they aren't on many lists yet. I haven't heard of Cherry Ghost, will have to check them out. They have Klaxons, but no Maximo Park, The Rakes, Good Shoes or The Maccabees. If Q doesn't champion them, who will? Guess it'll have to be NME or lil' ol me.
1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
3. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
6. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
7. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
8. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
9. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
10. Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
11. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
12. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
13. Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob
14. Cherry Ghost - Thirst for Romance
15. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
16. Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers
17. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
18. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
19. Björk - Volta
20. The Rumble Strips - Girls and Weather
21. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
22. The Coral - Roots & Echoes
23. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
24. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
25. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
26. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
27. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
28. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
29. Roìsìn Murphy - Overpowered
30. The National - Boxer
31. Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land
32. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
33. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
34. M.I.A. - Kala
35. Hard-Fi - Once upon a Time in the West
36. Common - Finding Forever
37. Robyn - Robyn
38. Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
39. Joni Mitchell - Shine
40. Field Music - Tones of Town
41. Keren Ann - Keren Ann
42. The Enemy - We'll Live and Die in These Towns
43. Patrick Watson - Close to Paradise
44. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
45. Lucinda Williams - West
46. Sigur Ròs - Hvarf-Heim
47. Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
48. Justice - †
49. Jamie T - Panic Prevention
50. Stereophonics - Pull the Pin
MOJO Best of 2007
I do like Neon Bible more than the first Arcade Fire album, but it's still spotty. Like the last Killers album, its homages to Springsteen are both clumsy and charming. The result is a merely decent album, but happens to appeal to a broad enough spectrum that it's sitting near the top of almost every list. So again the more interesting stories are buried below the top 10s. Well, actually there's not much of interest there either in MOJO's list. Plant/Krauss, Lowe and Young are the requisite geezer entries after The Boss. I haven't heard the Joni Mitchell, Pissed Jeans, Linda Thompson, Seasick Steve, Willy Mason, Edgar Jones, Amiina or Gravenhurst.
1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
5. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
6. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
7. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
8. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
9. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
10. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
11. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
12. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
13. Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
14. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
15. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
16. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
17. Field Music - Tones of Town
18. Grinderman - Grinderman
19. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
20. Nick Lowe - At My Age
21. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
22. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
23. Efterklang - Parades
24. Björk - Volta
25. Joni Mitchell - Shine
26. Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men
27. Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart
28. The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
29. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
30. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
31. Gruff Rhys - Candylion
32. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
33. Seasick Steve - Dog House Music
34. Willy Mason - If the Ocean Gets Rough
35. Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime
36. Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life
37. Edgar Jones and The Joneses - Gettin' a Little Help
38. The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
39. Battles - Mirrored
40. Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm a Witch
41. Amiina - Kurr
42. Gravenhurst - The Western Lands
43. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
44. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
45. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
46. Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground
47. Edwyn Collins - Home Again
48. Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation
49. Voice of the Seven Woods - Voice of the Seven Woods
50. Alasdair Roberts - The Amber Gatherer
The Clash Magazine Rock/Indie
1. Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
2. Cold War Kids - Robbers And Cowards
3. Arcade fire - Neon Bible
4. Jamie T - Panic Prevention
5. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
6. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
7. Radiohead - In Rainbows
8. The Enemy - We'll Live And Die In These Towns
9. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
10. Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation
Leftfield Albums
1. Benga - Diary Of An Afro Warrior
2. Battles - Mirrors
3. Apparat - Walls
4. New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
5. Skream - Skreamism III
6. MIA - Kala
7. Mum - Go Smear The Poison Ivy
8. Matthew Dear - As Breed
9. Tunng - Good Arrows - Full Time Hobby
10. Maps - We Can Create
Alternative Albums
1. Feist - The Reminder
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
3. Radical Face - Ghost
4. Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
5. Iron And Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
6. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apochrypha
7. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
8. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
9. Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown
10. Carbon/Silicon - The Last Post
Their categories are pretty muddled. They should have just done a top 50. I'll be checking out Benga, Apparat and Carbon/Silicon this weekend.
Drowned In Sound
1: LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver
2: Battles – Mirrored
3: Panda Bear – Person Pitch
4: M.I.A. – Kala
5: Jamie T – Panic Prevention
6: Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
7: Liars – Liars
8: No Age – Weirdo Rippers
9: Radiohead – In Rainbows
10: HEALTH – Health
11: Deerhunter – Cryptograms
12: The National – Boxer
13: Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
14: Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass
15: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Some Loud Thunder
16: The Maccabees – Colour It In
17: Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
18: Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future
19: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
20: The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
21: Grinderman – Grinderman
22: Blonde Redhead – 23
23: PJ Harvey – White Chalk
24: Efterklang – Parades
25: Justice – Cross
26: Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil
27: Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
28: Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
29: Field Music – Tones Of Town
30: Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
31: The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever
32: !!! – Myth Takes
33: Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
34: Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
35: Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls
36: Thurston Moore – Trees Outside The Academy
37: Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
38: Future of the Left – Curses
39: dälek – Abandoned Language
40: The Sea & Cake – Everybody
41: Mathew Sawyer and the Ghosts – Blue Birds Blood
42: Eugene McGuinness – The Early Learnings Of…
43: Von Südenfed – Tromatic Reflexxions
44: Prefuse 73 – Preparations
45: Pinback – Autumn Of The Seraphs
46: of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer
47: Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
48: The Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
49: Jen Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
50: Feist – The Reminder
It’s interesting that this poll is only the second to include Yeasayer, which is definitely in my top ten. The Maccabees and Health are also good choices that aren’t on many lists. I haven’t listened to the whole Jamie T album yet—but so far it teeters between fresh and annoying.
Muzzle Of Bees
30 Bowerbirds Hymn For a Dark Horse
29 Pale Young Gentlemen Pale Young Gentlemen
28 Six Parts Seven Casually Smashed To Pieces
27 Land of Talk Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
26 Sunset Rubdown Random Spirit Lover
25 Interpol Our Love to Admire
24 Feist The Reminder
23 Richard Hawley Lady’s Bridge
22 Moviola Dead Knowledge
21 Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew Spirit If…
20 Lewis & Clarke Blasts of Holy Birth
19 Menomena Friend and Foe
18 Phosphorecent Phosphorecent
17 Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are A Dark Horse
16 Iron & Wine The Shepherd’s Dog
15 Wilco Sky Blue Sky
14 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
13 Bill Callahan Woke on a Whaleheart
12 Band of Horses Cease to Begin
11 Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
10 Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala
09 LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver
08 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
07 New Pornographers Challengers
06 Great Lake Swimmers Ongiara
05 The Rosebuds Night of the Furies
04 Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
03 Radiohead In Rainbows
02 Beirut The Flying Club Cup
01 The National Boxer
Gorilla Vs. Bear
17 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
16 Menomena - Friend And Foe
15 Glass Candy - Beatbox
14 The Besnard Lakes - ...Are The Dark Horse
13 Cass McCombs - Dropping The Writ
12 Santogold - I Believe In Santogold 12" + assorted Internet jams
11 Oh No - Dr. No's Oxperiment
10 M.I.A. - Kala
09 Bodies Of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
08 Lil' Wayne - Da Drought 3
07 Black Lips - Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo06 Radiohead - In Rainbows
05 St. Vincent - Mary Me
04 Burial - Untrue
03 Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird On The Water
02 White Denim - Let's Talk About It
01 Panda Bear - Person Pitch<
Fact Magazine
1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. Burial - Untrue
3. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
4. M.I.A. - Kala
5. Studio - West Coast
6. Klaxons - Myths of The Near Future
7. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
8. Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
9. Holy Fuck
10. Justice -
†
11. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
12. Battles - Mirrored
13. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
14. Pantha Du Prince - This Bliss
15. Liars
16. Mode Selektor - Happy Birthday
17. Chloe - The Waiting Room
18. Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36
19. Aliens - Astronomy For Dogs
20. Durrty Goodz - Axiom
NME
- Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future
- Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
- Radiohead – In Rainbows
- Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
- Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
- Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times
- MIA – Kala
- Biffy Clyro – Puzzle
- The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Woman’s Needs, Whatever
- Battles – Mirrored
- LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver
- The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
- Pj Harvey – White Chalk
- Babyshambles – Shotters Nation
- The White Stripes – Icky Thump
- The Coral – Roots & Echoes
- Future Of The Left – Curses
- The Good The Bad & The Queen – The Good The Bad & The Queen
- Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
- Block Party – A Weekend In The City
- The Enemy – We’ll Live And Die In These Towns
- Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil
- Maps – We Can Create
- The Maccabees – Colour It In
- The Hold Steady – Boys And Girls In America
- Kate Nash – Made Of Bricks
- The Horrors – Strange House
- Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
- Lethal Bizzie – Back In Bizznizz
- Queens Of The Stoneage – Era Vulgaris
- The Pigeon Detectives – Wait For Me
- Grinderman – Grinderman
- Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
- New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
- Super Furry Animals – Hey Venus
- Holy Fuck – Holy Fuck
- Jamie T – Panic Prevention
- Justice - †
- Jeffery Lewis – 12 Crass Songs
- El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
- Menomena – Friend And Foe
- Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
- Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience And Grace
- Gruff Rhys – Candy Lion
- !!! – Myth Takes
- Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob
- Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies
- The View – Hats Off To The Buskers
- Interpol – Our Love To Admire
- Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
With four good tracks and the rest falling flat, at least the Klaxons is an improvement over last year's Arctic Monkeys debut, which had about two decent songs. I bought Myths on the strength of those four songs, and sold it a month later, bored to tears. The sophomore albums by Maximo Park and The Rakes blow it away, not to mention the Good Shoes debut and about 140 other albums. I don't even know what to say about Biffy Clyro, other than I couldn't make it through the whole album. There's seriously probably a thousand albums better than that one this year. Les Savy Fav is at least somewhat unexpected. Lethal Bizzle, Jeffery Lewis and Enter Shikari are unfamiliar.
