[Kristian]

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

[dberthia]

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.

[Ron Reda]

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

[Aaron Silverman]

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.

[Russell G]

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.

[Don Giro]

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...

[Jeff_A]

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

[Jeff_CusBlues]

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

[Ron Reda]

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.

[Russell G]

And I'll add that Amy Winehouse release. Some good soul on there, reminded me of Motown in the 60's.