Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 5-1

5. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
As I mentioned earlier in this list, Britt Daniel absolutely loves being cool. Throughout his band's consistently excellent career, Daniel has portrayed himself in a way that befits his sunglasses and button-down attire. This onomatopoeic record follows the minimalist and sometimes redundant pieces of Gimme Fiction with songs so jubilantly alive that they almost make Daniel lose his cool. At a mere 10 tracks, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is over way before you want it to be, but the songs are so good that it's not a bad idea to just start the album again once time expires. From the opening chords of "Don't Make Me a Target," Daniel's cool oozes out of the speakers and, through osmosis, you, the listener, become cool yourself. The growl of the vocal during the chorus shows that the Kill the Moonlight Daniel is back, replacing the lazy noise fills of Fiction with exciting guitar leads. I don't agree with the inclusion of "The Ghost of You Lingers," which is the only step back on the album. The slow, eerie piece detracts from the propulsive energy of the other songs, which is swiftly continued with "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb." Featuring horns and an excellent xylophone breakdown, the song shows that the band is exploring more space in the studio than they ever have before. After a few more tracks of groovy bass and catchy choruses, the album closes with the band's best closer ever, the inexplicably titled "Black Like Me." Daniel starts things off with just some acoustic accompaniment, but eventually the rest of the band joins in the fun with blasting harmonies and "Oh Yeah!"s. It's shorter than the rest of the band's other albums, but in the end, it's probably the best batch of songs they've ever put together.

Key Tracks: "Don't Make Me a Target," "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb," "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case," "Black Like Me"


4. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
This one is kinda hard, because I stole a leak of it before Thanksgiving of last year. I've known this album for what seems like forever, and I feel like what could possibly be said has already been said. However, it needs to be noted (once again) that this is an incredible departure lyrically for Kevin Barnes. Where previously he settled for the mundane musings of quirky storylines, here he focuses on the true depression of an honest heartbreak. This album provides the most profound juxtaposition of the year, as he sets this depressing tone of misplaced love with the most jubilant and celebratory music of his career. While previous work elicited offers from Outback and various cell-phone companies, this collection of songs could only be sought out by the specific groups of dance-obsessed depressives. The most notable example of this comes in the 12+ minute epic, "The Past is a Grotesque Animal," which reflects the exact pain of being rejected by one's beloved while still finding time to throw in the occasional funky bassline. Most of your probably forgot that hi even came out this year because it has so replaced previous perceptions of Of Montreal's philosophy, but if you haven't, then this is an excellent example of an enlightened viewpoint on life and heartbreak.

Key Tracks: "She's a Rejector," "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider," Labyrinthian Pomp," Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse"


3. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
God, did I try to avoid this bandwagon. Anytime that NME claims a debut record of a band of teenagers to be one of the top five British albums ever, you should avoid that band like the Libertines (who apparently have the plague, as evidenced by Pete Doherty). However, with this second album, the Arctic Monkeys prove themselves to be one of the absolute best rock bands in the world. If you can start out an album with a song as hilarious and energetic as lead single "Brianstorm," and then have that song be the worst one on that record, then you know that you've done something right. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite song off of this record, because all of them are REALLY that good; however, that honor must go to the brutally realistic breakup anthem, "Do Me a Favour." Featuring the quote, "Do me a favor/and ask me to go away," and the closing line, "One last 'fuck off' would be too kind," the song shows that head Monkey has done a lot of growing up since his "I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor" days. The real attribute to this album that is so intriguing, aside from the lyrics and songwriting ability, is that the guitarwork is consistently faster than the drumming. This adds an immediacy to the record which wasn't there on Whatever You Say I Am, That's Exactly What I'm Not. This is a band which feature nobody over 23, which is just plain scary when you think about where they'll go from here. It's like Keven Durant this season: The ceiling might as well be made out of clouds, because sky's the limit.

Key Tracks: "Do Me a Favour," "Balaclava," "505," "D is for Dangerous"


2. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Jens Lekman may just be Sweden's greatest pop export of all time. No, he didn't write "Dancing Queen" or "Lovefool," but the man may have created an album better than those two classics combined (just kidding. that's impossible). Lekman had hinted at greatness with his previous releases, but he has cemented his place at the vanguard of pop songcraft with this collection of gems. Lekman shows here his uncanny ability to -- in his secondary language -- create profundity out of ordinary situations. The key example here is "Your Arms Around Me," whose chorus sounds like a cliched love song, but the verses prove it to be the story of a bloody mess surrounding an avocado-slicing incident. Another prime example comes in "A Postcard to Nina," which brilliantly tells the true story of when Jens pretended to be the boyfriend of his lesbian friend in order to dispel her father's conservative ideas. From there, the album goes into stories of depressing nostalgia, underwhelming relationships, and drive-in Bingo games. As my brother declared about the Bonnie "Prince" Billy album this year, this album is full of songs to fall in love with. Every listen reveals witty lines which you didn't notice before (before writing this column, I listened to it for the 26th time and noticed lines in every song which I hadn't noticed before). Ladies out there, Jens is -- depressingly -- single and quite handsome. Don't blow this chance.

Key Tracks: "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo," "A Postcard to Nina," "It Was a Strange Time in My Life," "Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig"


1b. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Alright, so I cheated. Technically this didn't come out this year in physical form, so I got to include it while not making an honest ranking on it. For real though, this is the best Radiohead album since the mindblowing Kid A. It's a strange album, as its tracks were pretty much gathered from throwaways from tours over the past few years. However, all of these songs have been reworked into new versions which reflect the specific zone which the band is in right now. The album starts with "15 Step." At first it seems like the band is only getting more electronic; however, the song later proves that the band is going into a jazzier, more R & B sound which accents both Thom Yorke's shockingly soulful falsetto and the band's development into a more mature, more all-encompassing entity. From there the falsetto plays an even greater role, as on the beautiful "Nude" and the Beatles-esque "Faust Arp." It's strange hearing Thom Yorke speak in terms of real love, as he does on "House of Cards" and on "All I Need," but it makes sense in the context of this album. This is, like Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, a record which is not as long as it should be, but that is just a reflection on how great it is.

Key Tracks: "Reckoner," "Arpeggi/Weird Fishes," "15 Step," "Videotape"


1a. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Animal Collective were another band which I was not comfortable riding the bandwagon for. I had liked certain tracks off of their other albums, but hadn't truly fallen in love with their work until this record. Strawberry Jam is, if this is fair to say, much more of a sequel to Pet Sounds than Smile is. The harmonies present here are incredible, and the band shows that it's okay to make beautiful music without using too many live instruments. The sample-heavy group eschews the acoustic-folk sound which made Sung Tongs so great and confusing and replaces that with an electronic-based sound which proves Avey Tare and Panda Bear to be more intellectual than their previous records may imply. By that same token, the most notable change between this effort and previous works such as Feels is the developed sense of lyrical structure. No longer accepting, "We tigers/we tigers/woop!" as legitimate lyrics, Tare has adopted a more linear philosophy towards songwriting, while Panda Bear has further developed his ability to display his optimistic worldview through song. The opening track, "Peacebone,"finds Tare demonstrating quips such as "The other side of take-out is mildew on rice," which teaches that the most inspiring moments of life come from improvisation. Panda Bear, on the other hand, shows through the manic, "Chores," that life's small responsibilities can turn out to be its simple pleasures. The back-to-back power punch of "For Reverend Green" and "Fireworks" show that AnCo are capable of writing basic rock songs while infusing them with their uncanny ability to build tension. Strawberry Jam ends with the powerful pair of "Cuckoo Cuckoo" and "Derek," which are respectively some of most emotionally revealing work of Tare's and Panda Bear's careers. Now that the band finally reined in its brilliance, their next album should be kind of a big deal.

Key Tracks: "Peacebone," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Chores," "For Reverend Green," "Fireworks," ""Winter Wonder Land," "Cuckoo Cuckoo," "Derek"

I got a day or two behind, but get over it. Have a happy break.

Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 10-6

10. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With The Living
There's nothing really separating Living from the rest of Ted Leo's catalog, dating all the way back to his Chisel days. It's still loud, fast, catchy, and politically-charged, the way it always has been and most likely always will be. However, it'll never get old, so long as Leo always has enough energy and power to carry his punk monster into the hearts of us all. Really, he's got everything you could possibly want in a rock god: he's a guitar hero, writes awesome lyrics, kicks out the jams, and has terrible teeth. Those jams he kicks out on Living are the best and most consistent he's put out to date. Lead single "The Sons of Cain" starts off the album so fast that you have to assume that Leo's forearm is about to fall off after every take. From there it's a roller coaster ride through Irish drinking anthems ("Bottle of Buckie"), reggae groovers ("The Unwanted Things"), and even a 6+ minute power ballad ("The Toro and the Toreador"). At fifteen tracks, Living is almost completely without filler, making it the strongest and best punk album of the year.

Key Tracks: "La Costa Brava," "Who Do You Love," "Colleen"


9. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
While it lacks to the cohesive brilliance and ultraviolent imagery of Black Sheep Boy, The Stage Names shows Okkervil River to be a more mature, more focused band. The Austin collective show here that, while most of their songs are about jilted or failed rock stars, they have the heart and idealism of the common rock and roll fan. Will Sheff appears wiser on this release, partially because of his lyrics, but mostly because he - for the most part - eschews the Oberstesque whine which held back previous, otherwise great work. That maturity is present from the very start of the album, which opens with the skin-crawling "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe," where Sheff proclaims, "It's just a house burning/But it's not haunted," showing a surprising optimism in the face of depression. "A Girl in Port" shows a romantic side of Sheff, where he matches his whimsy with pity on a troubled female. In spite of this maturity, Sheff occasionally can't help playing fun games with his songs, such as the rock history exercise, "Plus Ones," in which Sheff adds one to a series of famous rock numbers -- "Nobody wants a tune about your 100th luftballoon." Perhaps the most impressive moment on the album comes at the end on "John Allyn Smith Sails," where the band interrupts its tale at sea by seamlessly seguing into "Sloop John B;" I honestly didn't even notice it until the second time through.

Key Tracks: "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe," "A Girl in Port," "A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene," "John Allyn Smith Sails."


8. Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated
Upon first listen, Complicated seems to be a bit of a regression for Art Brut. While Bang Bang Rock and Roll was an exercise in complete punk-rock hilarity, the sophomore album is a band growing into its own, sacrificing ironic one-liners with devoloping songcraft, partially attributed by the addition of rhythm guitarist and consummate showman Jasper Future. However, further listens show that lyric-man Eddie Argos has added poignancy to his bag of tricks, making Complicated a more mature, and in the end, better accomplishment than the critically lauded Rock and Roll. The one-liners are still there, as shown by the so-awkward-it's-true opener, "Pump up the Volume," an ode to the never-ending battle between the lovely lady and the background music for lovemaking. Argos also tops his rock-history love affair of "My Little Brother" with "St. Pauli," where he displays his respect for obscure Eastern European music by saying, "I'm sorry if my accent's flawed/I learned my German from seven inch records." The aforementioned poignancy, however, comes in the second half of the album, most notably on the excellent anthem, "Post Soothing Out." Argos shows his uncanny ability to find the noteworthy out of the mundane in this story of "the saddest text message ever," as Argos turns in his greatest indictment of rock cliches in the quip: "River deep and mountain high/Are lyrics that I'll never write/Because I never lie awake at night/Thinking of river depth and mountain height." In the end, an album which was at first underwhelming proves itself to be the British Boys and Girls in America.

Key Tacks: "Pump Up the Volume," "Post Soothing Out," "People in Love," "Blame it on the Trains"

7. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
If !!!'s Myth Takes is the year's best sleaze party, then Sound of Silver is the best music history lesson. With a shocking lack of pretentiousness, LCD genius James Murphy does more for the Talking Heads career than anything in David Byrne's solo catalog. From top to bottom, this is Murphy's love song to the groove-based idols which came before him. While the eponymous debut was a series of bass-based rave-ups suited for only the hippest of dancefloors, Sound of Silver finds Murphy exploring the more introspective and soulful sides of dance music. The first single, "North American Scum," proves to everyone exactly what everyone at Pitchfork was saying in declaring LCD a punk band. Amid cultured drumwork and funky bass, Murphy throws in clever lines about the American experience such as, "And for those of you who still think we're England/We're like...no." This cleverness stems from the fact that, while Murphy improvised in the vocal booth for almost all of the debut, he went into this album with meticulated lyrics. Nowhere on the album is that more apparent than on the instant classic, "All My Friends," which builds upon from a single keyboard line into a vibrant and complex soundscape. While I would disagree with him on this issue, Murphy sounds so damn sincere when he says, "I wouldn't trade one stupid decision/For another five years of life." The album ends with Murphy turning in his most emotional track to date, with the the crushing, "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," which reveals the feelings of an NYC lifer who feels uncomfortable in a post-9/11 environment. The line in the opening verse, "New York you're safer/But you're wasting my time/The records all show/you were filthy but fine." This Woody Allen-esque quip shows that Murphy has more to him than access to a sampler machine, but the rest of the album proves that that sampler machine is pretty damn cool.

Key Tracks: "New York, I Love You..." "All My Friends," "North American Scum," "Watch the Tapes"


6. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
This has been quite a year for Noah Lennox. He starts it out releasing Person Pitch, then follows it up with the even better Strawberry Jam (hint, hint). Lennox transcends the hipster image of "I'm too cool for everything" by presenting a completely optimistic viewpoint on life. He opens his solo epic with the fantastic "Comfy in Nautica," which in its title alone shows that he is happy to enjoy all of life's pleasures, even if they might tread on his indie-cred. The chorus of the song, "Try to remember always/Just to have a good time," is the kind of sage-like advice which we've been looking for in a stoner since the heyday of Timothy Leary. The rest of the album is a demonstration of Beach Boys love mixed with modern technology. The second track, "Take Pills," shows that he has an enlightened viewpoint on his druggy lifestyle, as he proclaims (in perfect harmony), "I don't want for us to take pills anymore." However, it's on the 12+-minute epic, "Bros," that Lennox shows his absolute mastery of auditory bliss. Building around a simple acoustic refrain, he shows that repeating a simple chord progression and adding the occasional perfect vocal accompaniment can prove to be the definition of "music therapy." Though I don't use drugs other than alcohol, I feel like this music is a drug, as it provides an immediate escape into a much better, less judging world. Noah Lennox is a gentle, fragile artist who acts upon his impulses, which is something that more musicians these days should strive to become. It also doesn't hurt that the title, Person Pitch, demonstrates the extent of his musical gifts.

Key Tracks: "Comfy in Nautica," "Take Pills," "Bros," "Good Girls/Carrots"

Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 15-11

15. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

Sam Beam has really been on a roll recently, coming off of the two excellent EPs, In the Reins (with Calexico) and Woman King. The new LP builds on the magic of those two EPs, taking the intensity of Woman King and utilizing the musicianship of Reins. "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" tricks the listener at first into thinking that this will be another low-fi campfire affair with the bearded singer, but once the drums and piano kick in, it becomes abundantly clear that this is a fuller, more mature affair. The tracks that follow create a more diverse sound than anything Beam has put out before, from the trippy pagan-folk of "White Tooth Man" to the "I didn't know that wanted to do it to Iron and Wine" funk of "Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog." On "Innocent Bones," Beam even busts out the leis and limbo poles for a nice calypso jam, complete with enough ratchet to satisfy even the most stubborn land-lubber. The brilliant lines don't come as frequently as on a Will Oldham or John Darnielle affair, but it's nice to see that Iron and Wine has finally broken through to new musical territory. Perhaps one day Beam will even be able to put that whole Garden State thing behind him.

Key Tracks: "Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)," "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car," "White Tooth Man," "Flightless Bird, American Mouth"

14. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

When I was but a wee tot, my friend Thomas Jefferson told me that all men are created equal. I doubted this when I first saw Michael Jordan play basketball, and now that I've witnessed Andrew Bird, I know that ole' TJ was full of baloney. I will never be as smart, talented, or good looking as Andrew Bird. I will never be able to write an entire song which features palindromic lyrics. I will never be able to play the violin and xylophone at the same time. I will never be able to whistle into registers only audible by canines. Most importantly, though, I will never be capable of writing as perfect a chorus as "Plasticities." While in his previous work Andrew Bird made clear his prodigiousness and his sense of melody, never has he combined these two elements as much as on Apocrypha. Hell, I'll be honest, I don't know what half of the song titles mean on this album, but I'll be damned if Bird doesn't create beauty out of an unreasonable IQ. You know a great album when you can't think of a logical step forward for the artist, and that is the exact feeling the listener gets when listening to this work.

Key Tracks: "Plasticities," "Heretics," "Scythian Empires"

13. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
A Pitchfork whom I'm too lazy to cite once noted that once Silver Jews released American Water, they became no longer Stephen Malkmus's side project, but instead the ruler by which further Pavement releases would be measured. This is the same relationship which Spencer Krug experiences between Wolf Parade, his significantly more famous band, and Sunset Rubdown, his significantly better band. Shut Up I Am Dreaming proved that Krug was the driving force behind Wolf Parade's more experimental tendencies, but it did not separate itself from the pack in the same way that Random Spirit Lover does. Spirit is a dense, difficult, indulgent work, though it proves to be more and more rewarding with each listen. Song such as "The Mending of the Gown" display Krug's prowess on the keys, while still showing his impeccable sense of songcraft. Sunset Rubdown songs require a certain inquisitiveness of the listener, as he never has a clue as to what might come next. While unorthodox and completely modern, Rubdown creates the most epic and expansive pop music of anybody in the Canadian -- or, with the exception of Animal Collective, American -- music scene.

Key Tracks: "Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot! Toot!," For the Pier (And Dead Shimmering)," "The Taming of the Hands that Came Back to Life"


12. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
Les Savy Fav hadn't come out with an album since 2001's hit-and-miss Go Forth, and then they dropped this bomb on the world. Let's Stay Friends shows no signs of weariness or slowing down, but also adds a reflectiveness not present in the band's younger days. "Pots and Pans," the opener, seems to be an autobiographical tale about a loud, obnoxious band who most people hate but some people think are awesome. Sounds pretty accurate. They've gotten rid of all the disco/synth elements which held Go Forth back so much, and replaced them with a newly energized rock sound which hasn't been matched since the Emor EP. First single, "The Equestrian," finds Tim Harrington shredding his vocal chords above agit-punk accompaniment, only to bring it all in for a terrific blast of a chorus. The following track, "The Year Before the Year 2000," shows that Harrington can do more that just scream, turning in the catchiest chorus of album and closing things out with a delightful fist-pumping chance. If "Pots and Pans" proves a newfound maturity, "Rage in the Plague Age" shows that the band still remembers what it was like to be young and to have a good time. The ode to youthful debauchery delivers the Les Savy Fav's life credo: "Pull up the drawbridge/Draw down the blinds/Everyone inside is getting high tonight/Waiting for the plague to move one/Nobody's getting sober til the liquor's all gone!" Drink accordingly.

Key Tracks: "Rage in the Plague Age," "Patty Lee," "Year Before the Year 2000," "Scotchguard the Credit Card"

11. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
Most comeback albums either feature a bunch of old farts trying to recreate "that old magic" and failing miserably, or trying something new to prove that they were doing something during all those lost years. Fortunately, Beyond demonstrates neither of these qualities, as there is absolutely nothing on this record that Dinosaur Jr. haven't already done, and it thus sounds like the logical successor to their classic 1989 Bug. Sure, J. Mascis may be a fat, white-haired casualty of years of smoking his brains out, but I'll be damned if he can't still wail on the guitar and deliver the most endearingly sincere vocals of any of his contemporaries. Lead singles, "Almost Ready," and "Been There all the Time," display in full form the freewheeling rock and roll of previous gems like "In a Jar" or "Tarpit." Lou Barlow and Murph still make up a fantastic rhythm section with Murph's tight -- if not predictable -- fills and Lou's "it may look like a bass but I'm gonna play this son of a bitch like a guitar" approach. The most exciting aspect of the album, though, is that, possibly as a result of that pot smoking, Mascis is still in the exact same emotional state as he was in 1989. "We're Not Alone" might be the band's most heart-wrenching song to date, but it still features the uplifting chorus line, "I wanted you to say that you'd be around, like you are now." With that simple line, Mascis seems to apologize completely for all those years of feuding with Barlow, and now that they're together again it's obvious how much of a shame it is that this didn't happen sooner.

Key Tracks: "We're Not Alone," "This is all I Came to Do," "Been There all the Time."

Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 20-16

20. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Ask Forgiveness
The last time that Will Oldham was associated with a covers record, it was with Tortoise on The Brave and the Bold. That collection was hit or miss, with excellent versions of "Born to Run" and "That's Pep!," but occasionally suffered from the backing band's overindulgences. This time, it's just Oldham, Greg Weeks, and Meg Baird, and the songs are all Oldham's own selections. The source material is varied and probably marks the first time that Danzig, R. Kelly, and Bjork are all mentioned in the same sentence. In spite of such a wide range of influences, including some of Oldham's more obscure favorites, the 8-song EP is cohesive and feels like another Bonnie "Prince" Billy album. In fact, the one original on the album - the beautiful "I'm Loving the Street" - blends in so well with the rest of the songs that you start asking yourself who wrote it originally. That is the essence of what makes this album so great - Oldham takes these songs and makes them his own, adding the same mountain-man quiver to them as he does to his own. Only through Oldham's voice could Glenn Danzig sound like a sensitive introspective as he does on the "Am I Demon?" interpretation. Also, this further proves that Oldham has a genuine respect for R. Kelly (as he should). For a while he was doing a hilarious and not-at-all-ironic live version of "Ignition," which I expected to be on this album; however, he opts to do "The World's Greatest," which is an even better choice. Any white folk singer who can make you say to yourself, "You know, that R. Kelly may be a sexual deviant, but he sure can turn a phrase," is clearly doing something.

Key Tracks: "Am I Demon?," "The World's Greatest"

19. !!! - Myth Takes
The world's punniest dance-rock band wastes no time letting you know that they're going to set your house on fire, and that you are going to like it. Equipped with quite possibly the greatest title for a rock song ever - "Bend Over Beethoven" - and enough profanity to melt a priest's ears, Myth Takes is a party that's gonna get busted by the cops at any moment. While their previous effort, Louden Up Now, established the band's sense of humor and their love for groovy bass, Myth Takes tightens up !!!'s sound to a point that it could be legitimately played on a dancefloor without too many heads turning. "All My Heroes are Wierdos" finds singer Nic Offer dabbling in falsetto, which should be a relief to those found his voice a tad obnoxious on past works. In addition to featuring the best bass line of 2007, "Must Be the Moon" also has my favorite slice of pure filth in a while -- "She said love is love, but a f*** is what it is/And what's that?/She must have read my mind/Cause she looked into my eyes and she said 'A good time.'" I think that line pretty much sums up the album: it's so much fun that you'll probably have to shower and go to confession afterwards.

Key Tracks: "Must Be the Moon," "Bend Over Beethoven," "Break in Case of Anything"


18. Menomena - Friend and Foe
Certainly the best new band of the year, Menomena combine two of my favorite things: baritone sax and The Muppets. Like Battles with a soul or a three-piece Broken Social Scene, Menomena craft intense, creative, experimental songs which build off of three vocalists and powerful, driving rhythm section. The album's tone is the only thing I've ever heard which comes close to the icy, apocalyptic sound of TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain. However, that's not to say that this album is all doom and gloom. There's a sweetness to the songs that isn't common among their contemporaries, and it seems like they're genuinely having a lot of fun in the studio, adding laptop blips and whistling to the mix for extra melody. Supposedly, their writing approach consists of looping instrumentals until melodies come along, which would explain the chanting style of much of the album. With all three members singing and playing multiple instruments, the band plays off each other impeccably, allowing them to take their songs into new directions on a whim. With such a creative and unique breakthrough as this album is, I can only wonder what can come next from these guys.

Key Tracks: "Wet and Rusting," "Muscle n' Flo," "Air Raid"


17. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
I feel like if this album had come out a month ago, then I would easily have put it in my top 5. Unfortunately, I've had the time to listen to it over and over again since it came out in March. I'll start with the good things: The production values and recording space of Neon Bible allow for a larger, more dramatic sound than other stuff of theirs. Also, the first four tracks and a couple on the back end sound as good as pretty much anything off of Funeral. If this was anyone other than the band who put out Funeral, then this album would be a revelation.
Now for the bad: the lyrics on this album are terrible. There were the occasional missteps on Funeral, but those lyrics were about personal issues that Win Butler and the band were going through at the time, so they came off as sincere. Here, Butler tries to tackle issues which are too big for him. When I heard Funeral, my reaction wasn't, "Wow, I wonder what this guy thinks about the future of civilization;" it was, "Wow, that guy is leaving it all out there and everyone in the band is on the same page." Moving on to global issues takes away half of what makes the Arcade Fire so great: the absolute emotional catharsis through music. Instrumentally, this album is almost on par with Funeral, but it does lack the explosions of "Wake Up" or "Neighborhood #2." Live, the band doesn't seem as comfortable in the role of "prophets of doom," substituting unparalleled energy with fancy stage set-ups and media clips. That said, "Intervention" is still an amazing song and the only song without a heavy hand, "No Cars Go," is improved upon in its remake. By no means am I off of the Arcade Fire bandwagon, but I just feel like this album was more of a step back than most people thought at first.

Key Tracks: "Intervention," "Black Mirror," "Keep The Car Running," "My Body is a Cage"


16. The National - Boxer
The National seem to have survived the "Great New York Hype" label better than the others that came out in 2001. Six years later, the band is still doing exactly what it always did best: boozy, melancholic tunes dripping with baritone and ego. There's nothing as audaciously vain as Alligator's "I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders," from the breathtaking "Mr. November," but the stories are in still full form. Boxer is more immediately inviting than its predecessor, with the drums going at a consistently faster pace and Matt Berringer expanding his vocal range. He still sounds like a favorable mix of Paul Banks and Leonard Cohen, but he works on more harmonies than usual. As always, though, the real focus of this National album is on the lyrics. Every song, like "Hang on, Siobhan" from the Walkmen's Bows and Arrows, makes the listener feel as if he is stumbling out of a New York bar at closing time, either having just had his heart broken or looking for a new party. In "Apartment Story," Berringer pleads, "Can you carry my drink?/I've got everything else/I can tie my tie/All by myself," displaying his constant image of "sleazy guy at the cocktail party." Like Britt Daniel, Berringer seems utterly obsessed with being cool, but he's never too cool to take a jab at himself, as on "Green Gloves," when he says, "Cinderella through the room/I glide and swan cause/I’m the best slow dancer in the universe." If you can't afford to move to New York and become a handsome alcoholic, then just buy this album instead.

Key Tracks: "Fake Empire," "Mistaken for Strangers," "Apartment Story"

15-11 coming tomorrow!

Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 25-21

25. Battles - Mirrored
Building on the promise of EP B + C, Battles returned in 2007 with the frantic, cerebral Mirrored. Equal parts Lightning Bolt and Rush, Battles creates (mostly) instrumental math-rock with a penchant for illogical song structures constantly shifting time signatures. In spite of the constant groove of the surprisingly minimal drumkit, the rhythm is based around pedal-doused guitar. Seriously, there's enough riffage on this record to make a rock and roll salad. Also, Battles stray from their previous recordings by adding vocals to the mix for the first time. That's not to say that there's "intelligible lyrics" or anything like that. Instead, the vocals swirl through the laptop and become and instrument on their own. Mirrored's tasty grooves lend its songs easily to a hip-hop remix, but they are surprisingly danceable on their own. Like a talented author or a veteran band, Battles seem to have complete control over the way which the audience receives their music. Just when you get settled into a comforting melody, a crushing cymbal or thundering riff comes out of left field. Not for the twee crowd, but Mirrored is an album that will intrigue you and pulverize you in the same listen.

Key Tracks: "Atlas," "Tonto," "Rainbow"


24. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Beards! Spanish language! Random lyrics! Guest Stars!
These factors can only add up to one thing, and that thing is a new Devendra Banhart record. Like everything else in his catalog, listening to this record the first time through, you're thinking things like, "What the hell is this guy on?" and "Was this recorded this century?" and "Did he just say 'In 1902, the Devil sucked off the moon'?" Also like every other one of his records, further listens reveal random moments of poignancy and musical exploration. There isn't an instant classic such as "Little Yellow Spider" or "Heard Somebody Say," but there are still a number of gems throughout this quirky record. "Seahorse" finds the singer rolling through over eight minutes of classic rock, not unlike one of the longer passages on The Crane Wife. "Saved" finds Banhart wearing his gospel-choir robe, as he backs up a touching religious ode with a powerful organ and a full choir. Of course there are some throw-away tracks, but at 16 tracks, Smokey still has enough quality songs to flesh out a complete album.

Key Tracks: "Seahorse," "Shabop Shalom," "So Long Old Bean"

23. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
The fact that Kevin Drew opted to add the "BSS Presents" to his name on his first solo LP is very telling of the music that follows. The record is not Drew trying to "show his real personality" or "explore new territory" or do anything that singers from great bands claim to do when they go solo. Instead, as the name and the frequent guest appearances from fellow Scenesters suggest, this album sounds like another BSS album. Which is great. The only differences here are that a) Drew wrote all of the songs on this one and b) there aren't as many horns or or strings or wacky instrumentation. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Drew's songwriting is how overtly homo-erotic the lyrics are while he publicly dates certified mega-babe Leslie Feist. In the same vein as "I'm Still Your Fag" and "Lover's Spit," "T.B.T.F." and "Backed Out on the..." demonstrate strong, if titularly veiled, gay sentiments. Regardless, the latter of those songs features J. Mascis playing lead rock-stick, so you know that shit is the bomb. If you like the Scene and can't wait for the next record, this one should hold you over just fine.

Key Tracks: "T.B.T.F.," "Farewell to the Pressure Kids," "Backed Out on the..."


22. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Usually when Wilco puts out an album, I can safely just throw it at number one and move on. This is still a great record, but it's probably only better than A.M. in their rich catalog, and I'm not saying that because it's "dad rock" as Pitchfok accused it of being. In fact, those "dad rock" songs, "Hate it Here," "Be Patient With Me," "On and On," and "Walken" are right up there with the cream of the Wilco crop. However, the rest of the album is unfortunately formulaic. I usually turn to Wilco to mix the classic with the completely unexpected. However, while at first all of these songs were super badass, they kind of all become the same: Slow intro, a verse or two, a chorus or two, then let's hand the ball over to Nels. It's like when A-Rod joined the Yankees: Add the best player in baseball to an already incredible lineup, it's a no-brainer. Four seasons and zero World Championships later, and people start second-guessing you for building you franchise around a flashy superstar. That was Jeter's team, just as Wilco was Tweedy's team, and the shift in power has taken its toll on the music. Nels Cline's contribution to the Ghost is Born Tour were excellent, but he was just adding on to Tweedy's songs. Now that Nels is in the band, though, they have completely changed their approach to songwriting. The only songs on which this approach really succeed are "Side With the Seeds" and "Impossible Germany," and the former blatantly rips off Pavement's "Stop Breathing." Seriously, juxtapose them and tell me I'm wrong.

Key Tracks: "Hate it Here," "Walken," "What Light," "Impossible Germany."


21. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
If you like records that are impossibly fun but you have no idea why they're fun, then Friend Opportunity is for you. The band follows Newton's 5th law of physics which states: 3/4(Noise Rock) + 1.5(Prog Rock) X 2(Adorable Asian Girl Singer) = Happy Action Fun Time. To call Friend Opportunity a "pop album" would be a complete misnomer by most standards, but when compared with the band's previous works, that description is pretty accurate. Starting off with a timewarp into a cowbell-filled utopia, "The Perfect Me" sets the stage for everything that's to come: random noise, cool riffs, and jarringly innocent and sweet lyrics. Nowhere on this album is that better used than on "Kidz are So Small," a bizarre track that sounds like a mix between a broken sampler machine and a Hello Kitty cartoon character doing an Ella Fitzgerald impression. With its blend of so many styles and genres while also creating a completely original style, Friend Opportunity puts Deerhoof at the forefront with Animal Collective and Sunset Rubdown of innovative pop music.

Key Tracks: "Matchbook Seeks Maniac," "+81," "The Galaxist."

20-16 will come tomorrow!

Top Thirsty Albums of 2007: 30-26

30. Daft Punk - Alive 2007

I was not fortunate enough to witness Daft Punk's epic live show this year, but from what I've come to understand from friends and buzz sites, it was pretty epic. Everyone who saw their show, however, only talked about their stage setup, which featured a giant lit-up pyramid with the Punks atop dressed as robots. This live CD, which is not accompanied by a DVD of any kind, demonstrates just how amazing this live show must have been apart from the aesthetic bombardment. Instead of simply pressing play on their long list of hit singles, DP opted to remix all of their tracks live, mashing up some of the biggest electronic songs of the past decade. The setlist also spans their entire discography going all the way back to their debut, Homework. This results in some jaw-dropping mixes, such as the borderline unfair mix of "Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger." This probably would have been higher up on the list if it weren't a live album, but the sound quality is just as good as most studio recordings. The only thing keeping you from blasting this gem at a house party is the annoying cheering of the Parisian audience.

Key Tracks: "Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger," "One More Time/Aerodynamic," "Da Funk/Dadftendirekt."


29. The Sea and Cake - Everybody
The Sea and Cake were a band that I was actually fortunate enough to see live this year, and their performance transformed this record in my mind from "pretty good record from old guys whom I like," to "really good record from one of my favorite bands." The Sea and Cake are always reliable, with hardly any missteps in their long catalog. However, with their past few records, it seemed like the band had settled into their comfort zone and it didn't look like they were going to stray from their formulaic electro-jazz-post rock-pop routine. This album isn't a major departure by any means, but it does feature some of the band's best hooks since its Nassau days. The guitar work also takes a more muscular sound, with Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt playing off each other in more dynamic ways. As always, John McEntire's drumming is a subtle delight, punching out time signatures you didn't know existed and the best hardly audible fills in the business. Also, Prekop here shows that he's still got a little bit of soul left in his vocals as he turns out his most varied delivery in a long time.

Key Tracks: "Up on Crutches," "Lightning," "Crossing Line."


28. Feist - The Reminder
If indie rock has a Brangelina, then it would be Leslie Feist and Kevin Drew (Lesvin? Dreist? No wonder there's no such thing as Hipster People). Two of the most innovative and beautiful people in the industry are an official item, giving them the award for "Most Jealousy-Inducing Double Date." In case you somehow haven't seen the iPod commercial featuring "1234," or for some reason thought it was Cat Power at first (guilty as charged), Feist established herself this year as one of the foremost female voices in music. Fans of Broken Social Scene have known for years about her jazzy, sultry vocals, but The Reminder should prove to be her breakthrough album, putting her on the same Starbucks shelves as Norah Jones and Akeelah and the Bee. What separates Feist from her sad-core counterparts Cat Power and Regina Spektor is that half of her songs feel like they should be duets with The Chairman of the Board. Her background in punk and indie rock make for an intriguing and lovely blend with her natural lounge act voice.

Key Tracks - "1234," "Sea Lion Woman," "My Moon My Man," "The Park."


27. Elliott Smith - New Moon
This (obviously) is not technically a new Elliott Smith album, and it's not unfinished business like the posthumous From a Basement on the Hill. This double-LP is a collection of outtakes from the recording sessions for Either/Or and XO, arguably Smith's most fertile period of quality output. Seeing as how it isn't a proper album, it doesn't flow in the same way that his other stuff does. However, this gives the listener the opportunity to give closer attention to individual tracks, and some of the tracks on this collection match up favorably to some of the singer's best work. "High Times" reflects the druggy desperation of Smith's first two albums, matching the gritty vocal of "Roman Candle." "Georgia, Georgia" feels like a sequel to the classic "Southern Belle," and Smith's version of the oft-covered version of Big Star's "Thirteen" is among the best and most sincere versions of the song. The collection probably could've been condensed into one disc, but there's still a rich amount of quality material here.

Key Tracks: "Miss Misery (Early Version)," "High Times," "Thirteen," "New Monkey."


26. Caribou: Andorra
Caribou is essentially a vanity project for math-whiz Dan Snaith, in spite of the fact that he has put together a rather formidable live band. 2005's The Milk of Human Kindness was a pretty but boring affair. Andorra, however, drenches itself in harmony and melody that makes it a powerful love affair with the 1960's in the same vain as Animal Collective and Dungen. Caribou, however, keeps to more electronic instrumentation and layers all of his vocals himself. The album starts suddenly with "Melody Day," which eventually proves itself to be a missing track from Odyssey and Oracle. The rest of the album has some true standout tracks of sheer beauty, such as the dreamy "She's the One," with its doo-wop backing vocals, and the Pet Sounds slow burn of "Desiree." Most of the tracks on the album are named after women, but it takes a few listens to find the emotion behind the studio wizardry.

Key Tracks: "Desiree," "She's the One," "After Hours.

Check in tomorrow for 25-21!

Top Thirty Albums of 2007, Part 1

When I decided to do a "Best Of 2007" list last week, I was going to limit it to ten albums. However, when I looked back on the year in music, there was just too much awesome stuff to keep it at such a small number. I wanted to do 40, but that seemed excessive, so here we are at 30. I'll be doing this in installments for the next few days, and today we'll start with the Honorable Mentions. These are the ten records that would have rounded out the hypothetical top-40, and they are all fantastic in their own right. This list is strictly my personal opinion and only includes albums that I purchased, so if something is missing (The Shins, Band of Horses, M.I.A.) then that just means that I never got around to it this year. Please fill the comment space with albums that I skipped over or possibly just didn't like.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Apostle of Hustle: The National Anthem of Nowhere - This album from Broken Social Scenester Andrew Whiteman has the same pop charm of a BSS album but substitutes the massive instrumentation with a minimalist approach. With many songs inspired by Cuban music, each track on the album has its own unique sound. Why it didn't crack the list: There were already two BSS side projects on the list that were better, and the second half of the album's inability to match power of the first two tracks make it a bit top-heavy. Key Tracks: "My Sword Hand's Anger," "National Anthem of Nowhere."
• Air: Pocket Symphony - Air's previous album, Talkie Walkie, did a great job of backing Moon Safari's promise of electro-chill mastery, but it had all the robotic, soulless aspects of a Daft Punk record without all of the funk. In other words, it was kinda boring and French. Pocket Symphony, however, finds Air displaying more raw emotion than ever before and finds them moving away from the electronic roots and moving more into traditional rock territory. Why it didn't crack the list: Like National Anthem, Pocket Symphony is a bit top-heavy. Also, I found myself listening to this album wanting desperately for a funky synth line a la "Sexy Boy." Key Tracks: "Space Maker," "Napalm Love."
• Dirty Projectors: Rise Above - Like last year's effort from Artichoke, Never Mind the Bollocks, Dirty Projectors attempt a track-by-track remake of a classic punk record, in this case Black Flag's seminal Damaged. While Artichoke used their folk music to show you that Johnny Rotten was smarter than you remembered, Dirty Projectors use Black Flag's lyrics as inspiration for exploring new musical territory -- Think Sufjan's crazy take on The Beatles' "What Goes On" for the This Bird Has Flown comp. Why it didn't crack the list: Head Projector Dave Longstreth didn't even relisten to the original album when he wrote his covers. While this is impressive that he remembers most of the original lyrics (if not the track listings), he still muffs a lot of the lyrics, which makes that juxtaposition less intriguing. Key Tracks: "Police Story," "Gimme Gimme Gimme."
• St. Vincent: Marry Me - St. Vincent wins the award for "Most Enticing Album Title of 2007." Yes, Annie Clark, I will. Not only would the Sufjan Stevens/Polyphonic Spree guitarist's name be Baberaham Lincoln were she a US president, but she also creates fascinating sound-scapes to match her beautiful voice. She's been compared to both Bjork and Ella Fitzgerald, but I find that she's kinda like a female Andrew Bird with a voice like a more confident Chan Marshall. Why it didn't crack the list: Most of the best songs from her live show are not included on the album, which provides hope for her next record. Key Tracks: "Jesus Saves, I Spend," "We Put a Pearl in the Ground."
• Ghostface Killah: Tha Big Doe Rehab - The grittiest and most prolific MC of the Wu Tang Clan returns with this apt follow-up to last year's classic FishScale. All of the aspects of a great Ghost album are here, from the cop-evading banger "Yolanda's House" to the sunny day jam "We Celebrate," to the heart-breaking "I'll Die For You." Why it didn't crack the list: For all the great production of the album, it doesn't seem like Ghost is exploring any new territory here. It's probably the best rap album of the year, but this was a really shitty year for rap. Key Tracks: "Yolanda's House," "Supa GFK."
• Tokyo Police Club: A Lesson in Crime EP; Black Kids: Wizard of Ahhhs EP - These were two of the most- hyped bands of the year, and for the most part they live up to all of the talk. They each have one of the best songs of the year - TPC's Supergrass-esque rocker "Cheer It On" and BKs' hipster-pop masterpiece, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You." Each of these EPs shows a great deal of promise and I'm very excited about what's to come from each of these young bands. Why they didn't crack the list: They're short EPs from young, unestablished bands. However, if the follow-up LPs can maintain the urgency and energy of these EPs, then they will be big-time winners. Key Tracks: Crime: "Cheer It On," Citizens of Tomorrow;" Wizard: "I'm Not Gonna...," "Hurricane Jane."
• Explosions in the Sky: All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone - In the first and last comparison ever between Ghostface and Explosions, this is once again more of the same from an intriguing artist. Explosions in the Sky is band that must seen live to be truly appreciated, but they've been quite successful in the studio in the past, creating epic post-rock compositions in the same vein as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Tortoise. This album is no different, but it's also no different sonically than anything else they've ever done. Why it didn't crack the list: Show me something new, tough guy. Key Tracks: Come on, you know that they all sound the same.
• Low: Drums and Guns - Other than Of Montreal, Low have created the biggest sonic departure of the year in their new album. Usually hushed and restrained, the Sparhawks branch out into more electronic instrumentation and non-linear song structure after the pop-based The Great Destroyer. Also, perhaps riding the confidence of his solo record, Alan Sparhawk allows himself to bust out more radical guitar parts. Why it didn't crack the list: While is just as beautiful as anything else in the Low catalog, Drums and Guns lacks the lyrical weight of their other work. Key Tracks: "Hatchet," "Breaker."
• Thurston: Trees Outside the Academy - In his first song-based solo album since 1994's noisy gem Psychic Hearts, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore focuses his attention more on pop music, eschewing the distortion and chaos of the band that made him famous. Building off of SY's recent tamer tunes - i.e. "Do You Believe in Rapture," and "Unmade Bed - Trees is a completely different kind of album than we've some to expect from rock's greatest noisemaster. Why it didn't crack the list - Lack of diversity? Whatever, this is a damn good album and it was a tough call. Key Tracks: "Silver>Blue," "Wonderful Witches + Language Meanies."

Check back tomorrow when I'll do 30-26!