2007 is nearly at an end, and I have been thinking and rethinking my first ever Last Listen Year-End list. 2007, believe it or not, was an amazing year for music. There have been some damn near-perfect albums, many excellent albums, even more great albums, but of course, a crazy amount of albums ready for the bucket. Below are the Best Albums of 2007 according to many other blogs, critics, popular commentary (email, spoken word, blog comments, etc.), but this list is shaped mostly by my musical inclinations.

30. Tegan And Sara – The Con
The Con is surprisingly darker, and more honest compared to Tegan And
Sara’s earlier work, but it could be their best.

29. of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is probably the most one you can
have while pretending to be too good for guitar-pop. Despite the music’s
fun nature, Barnes offers some of indie’s most serious, cohesive albums
of the year.

28. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Sky Blue Sky is 50% of the best album of the decade, and the other 50%
is just decent, but down-to-earth nonetheless. As retro and anti-hipster
Sky Blue Sky may be, Wilco is still one of contemporary pop’s most vital
artists.

27. Blonde Redhead – 23
At first listen, 23 poses the question of why Blonde Redhead doesn’t
lead a legion of fans of Radiohead or Sonic Youth-magnitude, but after a
second listen, another question is raised, Who needs a Blonde
Radiohead?

26. White Stripes – Icky Thump
Although Icky Thump is heartbeats away from being the Stripes’ best
work, its exciting, its loud, its eccentric, and most of the time its
insane, all the while being positively compelling, which is why the
White Stripes are one of the best bands of our time.

25. Alicia Keys – As I Am
Alicia Keys is no superwoman nor R&B’s savior, but when that timeless
qualities of As I Am clicks, the understanding of a true classic is
mesmerizing.

24. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
Cassadaga is Oberst’s most compelling and ambitious collection of songs
yet, a true indie folk classic.
23. Suzanne Vega – Beauty & Crime
The first 5 songs of Beauty & Crime are just gorgeous, pure perfection.
B&C wastes no time to blow you away. This album is without a doubt a
truly definitive moment for Vega’ career.

22. Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
Rihanna makes a monumental leap from her previous work on Good Girl Gone
Bad, working with wittier and edgier elements to create one of the most
memorable urban records of the year. Most of Good Girl Gone Bad is aimed
at radio, clubs, and iPods and successfully reaches its demographic.

21. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
Bloc Party have proven to be stunning storytellers in the way A Weekend
In The City is an almost perfect sonic adaption of what its like to be a
twentysomething living in the city: dazed, clumsy, ambitious, strange,
wild, reckless, graceful, bold, and honest. A brilliant, promising
record.

20. Feist – The Reminder
The Reminder is simple, unassuming, intimate, quite utterly beautiful,
and easy to listen to. Listening to The Reminder is like walking into a
Museum of prolific pop. This isn’t just an album, this is Mona Lisa,
this is David.

19. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
We Were Dead doesn’t just revisit the dance pop-guitar sounds that made
Modest Mouse classic on Float On, but it sharpens it and hones it into a
battering ram of terrific sounds.

18. Talib Kweli – Eardrum
Talib finally gives the career-defining works that his fans have been
dying to hear for nearly a decade. Its sensual, its creative, and its a
master class in lyricism.

17. A Place To Bury Strangers – A Place To Bury Strangers
A Place To Bury Strangers’ self-titled debut brings on a glorious aural
world of riffy-pop to the listener. Here’s to betting they will be the
best band alive in a few years.

16. Bruce Springsteen – Magic
Magic is Springsteen’s most mature and memorable album since “Born In The
USA”. Magic sounds, big, loud, and fantastic, even though its themes
and stories are his most political. It is a nostalgic, honest address
passing as a pop record.

15. Britney Spears – Blackout
Blackout was the most talked about album of the year, and frankly,
“dis shelved” Britney Spears has manufactured the best album of her
career. The first half of the album pulls the listener in with
genre-busting production that may very well redefine mainstream pop
music. Blackout blowing up to the best Pop Album of the Year was one of
the happiest surprises of 2007.

14. Iron & Wine – The Shepard’s Dog
With Shepard’s Dog has Iron & Wine finally validated all the attention
they’ve been getting. Its brilliant, cohesive, and an album you cannot
let pass you this year.

13. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Noah Lennox’s careful attention to detail and beauty is nonparallel in
the music world. Person Pitch is a lovely as it is weird.

12. The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
From Here We Go Sublime may not be a sonic revolution, but it
brilliantly displays Willner’s multifaceted talents in one disc. The
Field offer a compelling and startlingly pleasurable masterpieces
released this year. If From Here We Go Sublime doesn’t rub you the right
way, its safe to say you don’t music at all.

11. The National – Boxer
To be blunt, Boxer is superb! The National have not only crafted a
startling work of genius but have proven that they are no one-classic
fluke.

10. Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is smart, wry, insightful, and alarmingly soft
and vulnerable. One sweet, knockout breakthrough in terms of singing and
songwriting. Lambert has proven herself one of the most vital
singer-songwriter
s of the millennium, regardless of genre. Legend in the
making.

9. Justice – †
† is the loudest, roughest, and most daring album of 2007. A true
era-defining record for the new generation of acid house party kids.
With cuts like these, † is well on it’s way to joining Discovery as one
of the best party albums of the last 20 years.

8. Radiohead – In Rainbows
Yes, it’s true, we have all come to expect sonic magic from
Radiohead, but it is always a magnificent surprise when they surpass
that certain level of genius and venture into a state of aural ecstasy.

7. Kanye West – Graduation
Kanye West’s delivery and writing has improved vastly since Dropout,
but he still processes that signature clever-clumsy swagger and goes
hand-in-hand with the fascinatingly flawed production pillar of
Graduation. West also sharpens his affinity for synths and electronic
drums, and lessens his aim to manufacture something epic, and offers up
a digestible record that is easy to manage, more everyday — which makes
Graduation that much more epic.

6. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
Favorite Worst Nightmare sets the Monkeys apart. The previous inklings of similarities between their predecessors are now gone. Favorite… is unmistakably the Arctic Monkeys, just better. A perfect sequel to their overhyped debut.

5. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is concise, lively and impossible to not love. Every cylindrical guitar twang is viciously familiar yet exasperatingly foreign. Spoon have proven that they deserve to be the biggest album in the world, 6 times over; they are consistent, focused, and embody creativity. Ga Ga is a golden landmark in their arsenal of treasures.

4. Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
Call it music for lucid dreaming, call it music for daydreams, or call it music for simply strolling in the dusk, this is another album that will stretch time and take you to another place.*

3. M.I.A. – Kala
With its mix of Tamil pop, Baltimore beats and, yes, funk carioca Kala succeeds best in pulling genres together to make something both unique and identifiable –a ‘hip-hop’ record that explores what it means to sing about “hip-hop things.”*

2. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Taken end to end, Sound Of Silver is a thrilling, exhilarating ride on a fast machine. Murphy’s hyperactive compositions have rhythm, energy, feeling and bite – and while dance music will claim it, that need not restrict its coverage. One of the most essential albums of 2007.

1. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Dispensing with the giddy exuberance of the debut’s sound, Arcade Fire casts a dark pall over a variety of styles, including intricate orchestral suites (”Black Wave / Bad Vibrations”), bittersweet folk (”Keep the Car Running”) and even a bit of Delta blues fused with prog-rock (”My Body Is a Cage”). Butler’s lyrical observations are razor-sharp, and the band seems capable of mastering anything it attempts. Yet Arcade Fire are at their best when they raise the roof, anthem-style, as on “Intervention,” which blasts organized religion. Nick Cave’s got nothing on a line like “working for the church while your family dies.” A nifty remake of the EP’s “No Cars Go” and the America-dissing “Windowsill” are also standouts. A rewarding, resonant album, Neon Bible ranks among the best indie rock recordings of all time.*

Best Songs of 2007

50. Pink – Dear, Mr. President
49. My Chemical Romance – Teenagers
48. Alicia Keys – No One
47. Spoon – The Underdog
46. of Montreal – Suffer For Fashion
45. The Shins – Phantom Limb
44. Hilary Duff – Stranger
43. Nine Inch Nails – Capital G
42. Justin Timberlake – What Goes Around…/… Comes Around
41. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Down Boy
40. Kanye West – Flashing Lights
39. Lil Wayne – Dying
38. Paramore – Misery Business
37. Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
36. Dizzee Rascal – Pussyole
35. Common – The People
34. 50 Cent – I Get Money
33. The Killers ft. Lou Reed – Tranquilize
32. LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum
31. Battles – Atlas
30. Beyonce & Shakira – Beautiful Liar
29. Animal Collective – Peacebone
28. Miranda Lambert – Famous In A Small Town
27. Bloc Party – Flux
26. Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
25. Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing
24. M.I.A. – Bamboo Banga
23. CSS – Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex
22. Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent
21. Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
20. Arcade Fire – No Cars Go
19. Grizzly Bear – Knife
18. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
17. Rihanna – Umbrella
16. Arcade Fire – (Antichrist Television Blues)
15. Spoon – Yr Cherry Bomb
14. Tegan And Sara – The Con
13. The National – Fake Empire
12. Kanye West – Stronger
11. LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
10. UGK ft OutKast – International Players Anthem
9. Los Campesinos! – You! Me! Dancing!
8. Justice – D.A.N.C.E.
7. M.I.A. – Jimmy
6. Radiohead – House of Cards
5. Britney Spears – Piece of Me
4. Spoon – Finer Feelings
3. LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
2. Arcade Fire – Intervention
1. Lil Wayne – Upgrade U
This guy’s flow makes me dizzy. No other song in 2007 has made me dizzy, it’s obvious why it’s No. 1, right?

Best Remixes

Must I have to go through my whole “Remixes are God’s Gift to Man”

monologue again? I think I’ve been through it enough times. Needless to
say, listening to these will move your feet. I dare you to listen to
these and not dance. Hell, I’ll PAY you if you don’t.

1. Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noise Remix)

2. Beatles – Twist and Shout (Diplo Remix)

3. Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)

4. M.I.A. – Paper Planes (Remix ft. Rye Rye and Afrikaan Boy)

5. Amy Winehouse – Rehab (Desert Eagle Discs Vocal)

6. Britney Spears – Gimme More (DJ Eli Remix Feat. Amanda Blank)

7. Bloc Party – Flux (Metal On Metal Remix)

8. Feist – 1234 (VanShe Tech Remix)

9. LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends (AMIGAMAN Remix)

10. Daft Punk – Human After All (Justice Remix)

Best Covers

What do Singles, Live Shows, and Radio 1 have in common? Covers! I
absolutely adore covers, there’s a certain magic in listening (or
watching) a one of your favorite artists take a bite out of one of your
favorite songs. Its hard to explain, so lets just let the covers do the
talking.

1. Arctic Monkeys – You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse cover)

2. Foo Fighters – Keep The Car Running (Arcade Fire cover)

3. Daniel Rossen – Too Little Too Late (JoJo cover)

4. 30 Seconds To Mars – Stronger (Kanye West cover)

5. Editors – Feel Good Inc (Gorillaz cover)

6. Marilyn Manson – What Goes Around… (Justin Timberlake cover)

7. Kate Nash – Fluorescent Adolescent (Arctic Monkeys cover)

8. Plain White T’s – Umbrella (Rihanna cover)

9. Machinae Supremacy – Gimme More (Britney Spears cover)

10. Kate Nash – I’m Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With
You (Black Kids cover)

Best Music Videos

1. Justice – D.A.N.C.E.

2. Animal Collective – Peacebone

3. Bat For Lashes – What’s A Girl To Do?

4. Beirut – Elephant Gun

5. Blonde Redhead – Top Ranking

6. Jay-Z – Roc Boys

7. Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)

8. Kanye West – Good Life

9. Feist – 1234

10. Rihanna – Umbrella

I know, I know, what a surprise, Justice is #1. Cliche and overrated, it
may be, but you really can’t deny the D.A.N.C.E., so I encourage you to
live with it.

Best Live Act

1. Arcade Fire

2. Muse

3. Daft Punk

4. White Stripes

5. of Montreal

6. Jay-Z

7. LCD Soundsystem

8. Spoon

9. Arctic Monkeys

10. Feist

Songs That Made Us Cringe

Now I must remind you that I am ONE PERSON, I couldn’t have possibly
listened to every crappy song out there, but this list goes out to those
hyped songs that make you wonder why anyone would think that song
deserved any hype at all.

1. Soulja Boy – Crank That

Here I was, thinking Top 40 Radio wasn’t completely lost being saved by
the likes of Colbie Caillat, Sara Bareilles, Maroon 5, Kanye West, and
Daughtry, but then Soulja Boy, out of nowhere, sticks his fugly head out
and attempts to commit mass aural murder. Damnit, he might’ve done it
too!

2. Kanye West – Drunk and Hot Girls

Its crazy how Kanye West can dish up such amazing, catchy songs in
Graduation and then throw this in our face. He even claims its his
favorite song on the album! Blasphemy!

3. Britney Spears – Why Should I Be Sad?

Britney Spears has it hard enough with the critics, why does she have to
push it and write TWO K-Fed bashing bangers?! “Toy Soldier” was enough;
kind of repetitive, but the attack of dark hip-hop beat clusters is
enough to make it a highlight. The N.E.R.D. produced concluding track is
a joke. Britney has to come to the realization that ballads don’t work
for her, especially when she says “stupid freaking things” over and over
again. Decent production though.

4. 50 Cent – Amusement Park

Think “Candy Shop” x “P.I.M.P.” – witty lyrics + horny Curtis. Ugh

5. Beyonce – Irreplaceable

Beyonce, we get it, you’re every woman. You’re all three Charlie’s
Angels combined. You’re SO womantastic (!) that you don’t need a man,
nor his money, nor his anything because you’re THAT sucessful and
beautiful and whatever! All that is just fine, but I don’t need to read
about or listen to it every day.

6. Boys Like Girls – Great Escape

One of the many victims of the 2007 Popular Radio Massacre. It’s sad
when potentially great songs are burned out to the point of
cringifacation (totally the word of the day!).

7. Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah

Yes this may be the “sweetest” or “cutest” song of 2007, but really,
circa June/July, every time this song came on, I would throw up a little
in my mouth. Damn you radio even further down into hell (hell, in this
case, being Country and Urban radio playing endlessly as you lick stamps
onto envelopes to the IRS).

8. 50 Cent – Straight to the Bank

“Amusement Park” + scary perv laughs

9. Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby

“Ruby” is a ménage à trois of annoyance, idiocracy, and eluberance,
and oddly enough, Kaiser Chief’s first No. 1 single in the UK.

10. Spice Girls – Headlines

Ugh. Need I say more?

Up next? My 100+ Favorite Songs of 2007. MP3 Madness!!

As many of you may have guessed, I like music to some extent. Yes, I casually play some throughout the day, but nothing too crazy. Mostly for background music purposes. This is probably a random mess of songs, but here is what I play when I’m bored.

10 Most Played Songs

1. Kanye West – Stronger | Plays: 1833

2. LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends (YSI) | Plays: 1632

3. Rihanna – Umbrella | Plays: 1324

4. Arcade Fire – Intervention | Plays: 1164

5. Feist – 1234 (YSI) | Plays: 843

6. Spoon – Finer Feelings (YSI) | Plays: 814

7. Amy Winehouse – Rehab | Plays: 687

8. Britney Spears – Piece Of Me | Plays: 624

9. Bloc Party – Flux | Plays: 563

10. Mark Ronson – Stop Me | Plays: 419

10 Most Played Albums

1. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible | Plays (Total Track Plays): 2357

2. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver | Plays: 2153

3. Kanye West – Graduation | Plays: 2003

4. Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad | Plays: 1531

5. Feist – The Reminder (YSI) | Plays: 1439

6. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | Plays: 1251

7. Radiohead – In Rainbows (YSI) | Plays: 932

8. Britney Spears – Blackout | Plays: 834

9. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black | Plays: 783

10. Justice – † | Plays: 642

10 Most Played Artists

1. Arcade Fire [Keep The Car Running][I'm So Bored With The USA]

2. LCD Soundsystem

3. Daft Punk [Around The World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger][Robot Rock/Oh Yeah]

4. Kanye West

5. Rihanna

6. Feist

7. Spoon

8. Radiohead

9. Britney Spears

10. Arctic Monkeys

45. The Shins – Phantom Limb (YSI)

Natalie Portman once said the Shins would “change your life” (Garden State), and frankly, she is damn right, just not with the all-to-familiar-but-not sound in “Phantom Limb”.

30. Beyonce & Shakira – Beautiful Liar (YSI)

When you pin two pop-divas together, the result usually lands between “oh god make it stop” and “honey, I think my ears are bleeding” (note: Mariah and Whitney, Barbra and Celine, anything from VH1’s Divas Live concerts). However, Beyonce and Shakira aren’t trying to kill themselves on this track. It’s RnB enough for Beyonce’s fans, but still features a middle eastern vibe that lets us know that Shakira is there.

22. Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent (YSI)

Arctic Monkeys, as witty, adolescent, and clumsy they are, always provide an ingenious, youthful prospective of working-class life in Britain, as Alex Turner sees it. ‘Fluorescent Adolecent’, a flamboyant, naughty, pop song, basks in a sense of simple brilliance, taking a left off last-laugh lane. It seems Mr. Alex Turner has never, and will never suffer from Writer’s Block. His remedy? Keep the writing simple; he doesn’t go for massive and epic like other rock acts (cough Angels & Airwaves cough). The song is about an aging woman’s sexlife for God’s sake! What kind of 19-year-old knows about that? Um, actually, I don’t even want to go there.

15. Spoon – You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (YSI)
Britt Daniel gets Costello on our butts, smoothing his signature sandpaper voice with smooth indie rock ‘n’ roll heartache.

By popular demand (kinda), I will be mixing my best albums posts up (like my Best Songs) and on Dec. 31st put up a collective list. It’s more interesting that way. Anywho…

21. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City 85
Bloc Party have proven to be stunning storytellers in the way A Weekend In The City is an almost perfect sonic adaption of what its like to be a twentysomething living in the city: dazed, clumsy, ambitious, strange, wild, reckless, graceful, bold, and honest. A brilliant, promising record.

16. Bruce Springsteen – Magic 87
Magic is Sprinsteen’s most mature and memorable album since Born In The USA. Magic sounds, big, fun, loud, and fantastic, even though its themes and stories are his most political. It is a nostalgic, honest address passing as a pop record.

13. Panda Bear – Person Pitch 88
Noah Lennox’s careful attention to detail and beauty is unparalleled in the music world. Person Pitch is a lovely as it is weird.

Bloc Party – Flux (YSI)
Bruce Springsteen – Radio Nowhere (YSI)
Panda Bear – Comfy In Nautica (YSI)

50. Pink ft. Indigo Girls – Dear, Mr. President (YSI)

This really does sum it up, “This gave me pause when I first heard it. I had to look up the lyrics to make sure I hearing correctly. It is simply amazing!

34. 50 Cent – I Get Money (YSI)

“I Get Money” is an outstanding track from a far from outstanding album. Even though 50 Cent seems to have regressed in his music, he still delivers a hot cut or two on each LP, “I Get Money” is that hot cut, I just didn’t expect it to be this hot. But he is “stanky rich”, I mean wow that must be really, really, really rich.

24. M.I.A. – Bamboo Banga (YSI)

“I’m big timer, it’s the bamboo banga”. If you jam to any banger this year, let it be “Bamboo Banga”. M.I.A. is the flavor Hip-Hop/Ragga has been looking for, for so long. “Bamboo Banger” is only a taste of the magic that is Kala, but that comes later.

17. Rihanna – Umbrella (YSI)

Talk about genius lyricism… no seriously, “Umbrella” is not a piece of cheap pop, it certainly isn’t influential (at least I hope not!), but it’s not cheap. This is an irresistible slice of sexy super-pop, and, even better, she obviously has no problem sharing her ‘Umbrella ella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh’ with you, which is always nice.