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Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

#1
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1/17/08 at 10:33am
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For me, 2007 was the best year for music in a long time. Most of my favorite current artists released new material and I also discovered some new favorites along the way. Here's my list (feel free to post your own top 10 or top 5 or whatever else you'd like):



1. Tori Amos - American Doll Posse

Track picks: "Bouncing Off Clouds", "Almost Rosey", "Father's Son"




2. Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime

Track picks: "Ludlow Street", "Frank & Ava", "Zephyr & I"




3. St. Vincent - Marry Me

Track picks: "Your Lips Are Red", "Paris is Burning", "Jesus Saves, I Spend"




4. Tegan and Sara - The Con

Track picks: "Back in Your Head", "The Con", "Hop a Plane"




5. Eisley - Combinations

Track picks: "Invasion", "Many Funerals", "A Sight to Behold"




6. Art in Manila - Set the Woods on Fire

Track picks: "Golden Dawn", "I Thought I Was Free", "Time Gets Us All"




7. Maria Taylor - Lynn Teeter Flower

Track picks: "Small Part of Me", "Smile and Wave", "A Good Start"




8. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

Track picks: "Sister Rosetta Comes Before Us", "Trampled Rose", "Let Your Loss be Your Lesson"




9. The White Stripes - Icky Thump

Track picks: "Conquest", "Icky Thump", "Effect and Cause"




10. Norah Jones - Not Too Late

Track picks: "My Dear Country", "Sinkin' Soon", "Until the End"


Honorable Mentions:

Feist - The Reminder
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Joan as Police Woman - Real Life
Lavender Diamond - Imagine Our Love
The Postmarks - The Postmarks
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#2
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1/17/08 at 11:26am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

For my tastes 2007 was a less than stellar year, but here are a few that were memorable:

Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather - Full of catchy hooks and clever lyrics, this is another in a string of great records from FOW.

Band of Horses: Cease to Begin - Moody, interesting and atmospheric, this one is a real grower.

Steve Bertrand: Pain is a Megaphone - Solid effort from start to finish. Mostly mid-tempo rock ballads, but done in a good way.

Daniel Wylie: The High Cost of Happiness - Mostly acoustic based, but full of great hooks and choruses.

The Red Button: She's About to Cross My Mind - 60's inspired pop songs that stick in your head. Very Beatlesque.

Bruce Springsteen: Magic - Probably the best thing he's done in 20 years. Doesn't approach the lofty heights of this work in the 70's and 80's, but it's a lively rocker that holds up to repeated listenings. I just wish he'd lighten-up with the preaching a bit.

Rooney: Calling the World - A "big" record, full of loud pop. Lot's of throwback sounds from the 1980's, but with a modern feel.

Crowded House: Time on Earth - A bit of a disappointment by CH standards, but still better than most of the dreck being spewed out nowadays. Neil Finn is one of the great songwriters of our time.
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#3
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1/17/08 at 1:08pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

One that immediately comes to mind is Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky." IMO, it is perfect from start to finish.

"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz

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#4
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1/17/08 at 1:24pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I didn't buy much new stuff this year, but I did enjoy the 2007 releases from Dream Theater, Within Temptation, and Rush (in that order with DT the best). I just got the new Radiohead (which is sort of a 2007 release) and am still digesting it.

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#5
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1/17/08 at 1:42pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I think these all came out last year...

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero : A nice return to form.

WEEN - La Cucaracha : They could release anything at this point and I would like it

White Stripes - Icky Thump : Already discussed. Love the stripes.

Neil Young - Live At Massy Hall - Fantastic live album of solo Young in the 70's. The DVD is even better.
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#6
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1/18/08 at 3:56am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I quite enjoyed the new ones by ARCADE FIRE and THE SHINS, and that's coming from a lifelong metalhead! Speaking of which, my favorite metal albums of the year (off the top of my head) were:

PORCUPINE TREE - "Fear of a Blank Planet" ( I KNOW they're more of a "progressive" band, but...)
NIGHTWISH - "Dark Passion Play" (sometimes I'm in the mood for over the top, over-produced bombast)
EXODUS - "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A" (proving yet again that they are still the GODS of the "monster-crunch" riff)
IN THIS MOMENT - "Beautiful Tragedy" (yeah, some of it comes off as rather "generic," but the title track is monstrous)
DETHKLOK - "Dethalbum" (yeah, I know it's a goof, and it's the soundtrack to a cartoon, but there are several well-crafted songs on this album, and the lyrics are hilarious)

The biggest disappointment this year for me was ICED EARTH's "Framing Armageddon, Part 1" (although I STILL like it better than "Horror Show"). I expected so much more from this outfit after the benchmark they set with "The Glorious Burden")

I'm sure I'll be editing this post as I ponder...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
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#7
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1/18/08 at 5:12am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Reda
One that immediately comes to mind is Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky." IMO, it is perfect from start to finish.

I completely agree . . . this is my number one also. Some of my other favorites (in no particular order).

1. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Robert Plant/Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
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#8
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1/18/08 at 5:46am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

In no particular order

1. Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads

2. The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens

3. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (40th Anniversary Re-issue)

4. Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall

5. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
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#9
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1/18/08 at 10:19am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff_A
I completely agree . . . this is my number one also. Some of my other favorites (in no particular order).

1. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Robert Plant/Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

I don't know how the heck I forgot "Easy Tiger"...another one of my faves from this year. It plays like a Ryan Adams "Greatest Hits" CD.

"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz

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#10
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1/18/08 at 10:24am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

And I'll add that Amy Winehouse release. Some good soul on there, reminded me of Motown in the 60's.
Who knew a credit card could scream?

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#11
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1/18/08 at 1:09pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

The best album I heard in 2007 was Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good.
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#12
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1/18/08 at 11:40pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

The only two I bought that were 2007 albums were:

Jason Falkner - I'm Ok . . . You're OK


Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
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#13
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1/19/08 at 4:26am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

The Good, The Bad, and the Queen - ST
Hellyeah - ST
Korn - Untitled
Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Fall of Niggy Tardust
Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
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#14
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1/19/08 at 7:31am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_S_H

Jason Falkner - I'm Ok . . . You're OK

Wow! I am a big fan and had no idea this was out. I am shopping today. Thanks!
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#15
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1/19/08 at 8:08am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"



1. Megadeth - United Abominations

Best songs: "Sleepwalker", "Burnt Ice", "Washington Is Next"



2. Down - III: Over The Under

Best songs: "In The Thrall Of It All", "On March The Saints", "Mourn"



3. Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon

Best songs: "Infiltrate And Assimilate", "Framing Armageddon", "Ten Thousand Strong"



4. King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul...Please

Best songs: "Mirror Mirror", "Cold As Ice", "The Floating Head"



5. High On Fire - Death Is This Communion

Best songs: "Rumours Of War", "Turk", "Waste Of Tiamat"



6. Clutch - From Beale Street To Oblivion

Best songs: "Electric Worry", "The Devil & Me", "White's Ferry"



7. Rush - Snakes & Arrows

Best songs: "Armour And Sword", "Spindrift". "Far Cry"



8. Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

Best songs: "Back To Your Heart", "Almost Ready", "Been There All The Time"



9. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell

Best songs: "Requiem For Dissent", "Before You Die", "Grains Of Wrath"



10. Machine Head - The Blackening

Best songs: "Wolves", "Aesthetics Of Hate", "Clenching The Fists Of Dissent"

Honourable mentions

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
Dropkick Murphys - The Meanest Of Times
Symphony X - Paradise Lost

Disappointments of the year--

Hellyeah - S/T
The Cult - Born Into This
The Stooges - The Weirdness
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#16
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1/19/08 at 10:26am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff_A
Wow! I am a big fan and had no idea this was out. I am shopping today. Thanks!

It's only available as a Japanese import right now. Wiki says it'll come out here early this year, but his site doesn't have any info right now.
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#17
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1/19/08 at 3:43pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_S_H
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Dammit, I can't believe I forgot another one of my favorites from this year...easily one of Foo's best!

"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz

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#18
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1/19/08 at 4:12pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I really liked the two Smithereen's albums, Meet The Smithereens & Christmas With The Smithereens.

Billy Cox & Buddy Miles' The Band Of Gypsies Return is an album that begs to be played repeatedly. Buddy's vocal on Manic Depression just knocks me out. If I live to 110, I'll never hear enough Buddy Miles.

The Kennedys' Songs Of The Open Road is stille in heavy rotation. It's an album of covers they like. Mrs. Kennedy sure can sing and Mr. Kennedy plays some of best 12 string get-tar I've ever heard. They sound better doin' Eight Miles High than the bloody Byrds do. Her vocal on Steven Stills' Pretty Girl Why is awesome....

I really liked Joss Stone's Introducing J.S. It's more commercial sounding than what I usually like. I like the way she sings though.

Hiromi's Sonic Boom's Time Control is one of my fav jazz albums of the year. I didn't get many jazz albums though but this one's a winner.

Marcus Miller's Silver Rain is my other fav jazz album of the year. His cover of Edgar Winter's Frankenstein is off the chart literally and sonically. He's not just playing bass, fabulously, these days. Now he's tootin' on horns suprisingly well.

Roddy Frame's Western Sky is another terrific effort for Mr. Aztec Camera. It's all analog recorded. It sounds like space normal musick. There's no brickwall here!

Allison Moorer's Getting Someplace refuses to stay shelved......

Rachael, the big disc cat! I used to be looking for Hi-Vision Laserdiscs & D-Theater tapes, now I'm looking for HD-DVD's and Blu-rays.

I survived the AFI top 100 Film Challenge! I've seen them all.

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#19
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1/19/08 at 6:51pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

My list is here:

Tony's Best of 2007 - Rate Your Music

If you don't like clicking links:

1. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
4. The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army
5. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
6. They Might Be Giants - The Else
7. Jay-Z - American Gangster
8. Radiohead - In Rainbows
9. The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
10. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

And 23 more albums after that!


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#20
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1/20/08 at 8:36pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"





Already mentioned


"Did you know that more people are murdered at 92 degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easy-going, over 92 and it's too hot to move, but just 92, people get irritable."

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#21
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1/20/08 at 10:04pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Good choices all around so far. Here's my list:

1. Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers
2. Tegan & Sara - The Con
3. Lily Allen - Alright, Still (I think this qualifies as an '07 US release)
4. Lucinda Williams - West
5. Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
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#22
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1/21/08 at 12:06pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

EDIT: double post.

"Did you know that more people are murdered at 92 degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easy-going, over 92 and it's too hot to move, but just 92, people get irritable."

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#23
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1/21/08 at 12:08pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_Duncan


5. High On Fire - Death Is This Communion
I love the iTunes music store review of this:

"Dude! Look at the cover art! It sounds exactly the way it looks "

"Did you know that more people are murdered at 92 degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easy-going, over 92 and it's too hot to move, but just 92, people get irritable."

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#24
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1/22/08 at 9:36am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Garrett Lundy
I love the iTunes music store review of this:

"Dude! Look at the cover art! It sounds exactly the way it looks "

It sounds as good as it looks, too. If you like Black Sabbath and Motorhead, you'll love this.
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#25
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1/24/08 at 9:00am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Thanks for the tip. . .that does look like it sounds cool.

"How wonderful it will be to have a leader unburdened by the twin horrors of knowledge and experience." -- Mr. Wick

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#26
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1/24/08 at 9:17am
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I listened to some Amazon samples. . .the music is very, very cool, but the utterly ass-sucking Cookie Monster vocals ruin it. What a shame.

When will Cookie leave my nice metal alone and go back to Sesame Street where he belongs? ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

"How wonderful it will be to have a leader unburdened by the twin horrors of knowledge and experience." -- Mr. Wick

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#27
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1/24/08 at 12:32pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

That is the only thing that is keeping me from getting into this new metal...the vocals. Seems like they all scream and it's completely unintelligible to me.

"Music is a magic carpet loaded with oils and other soothing potions, it's just what you need when you don't know what you need, when you've got more questions than answers." - Bob Lefsetz

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#28
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1/24/08 at 1:52pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

Still SO much to hear! Threads like this give me lots of ideas - just wish I had lots of money.

1. Velvet Revolver - Libertad
2. Loudon Wainwright III - Strange Weirdos
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
6. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
7. Down - III Over the Under
8. Machine Head - The Blackening
9. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
10. Kid Rock - Rock and Roll Jesus
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#29
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2/4/08 at 9:16pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
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#30
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3/10/08 at 10:48pm
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Re: Top Albums of 2007 - "Time to throw down!"

I keep meaning to mention this for Jeff (and other Jason Falkner fans). Besides his new solo album from 2007, his side project with Roger Manning came out in late 2006. You can see a video at the site:

TV EYES

I think "She's a Study" is a great song and is representative of the album as a whole. Like the solo album, this is only available as an import.
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