Originally emailed out Dec 2007
Hello and Festive Greetings!
Lots of good stuff in 2007, the below are my best of the year, but obviously there could be plenty of good ones I haven’t heard, let me know any outstanding examples I may want to put on my want-list. I’ve added Myspace links this year, so you are able to check out any you’re interested in (once you’ve forwarded them home if you don’t want music blaring out at work, or not at all at HBOS as they’re blocked!)
1) of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (www.myspace.com/ofmontreal)
– great upbeat melodies with contrasting downbeat lyrics
2) Radiohead – In Rainbows (www.myspace.com/radiohead)
– Thom and co do it again!
3) The Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad)
– Great sprawling indie rock with a strong Scottish accent (literally!)
4) iLiKETRAiNS – Elegies To Lessons Learnt (www.myspace.com/iliketrains)
– post-rock with historical stories behind each beautiful track
5) Maps – We Can Create (www.myspace.com/mapsmusic)
– Mercury nominee, shoegaze is back!
6) Oceansize – Frames (www.myspace.com/oceansizeuk)
– These guys just get more complex and expansive, this album took a few listens but now I love it!
7) Maximo Park – Our Earthly Pleasures (www.myspace.com/maximopark)
– some top tunes on their second LP
8) Beirut – The Flying Club Cup (www.myspace.com/beruit)
– Zach Condon moves away from Eastern Europe and looks to France for inspiration on his second album
9) Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha (www.myspace.com/andrewbird)
– This man’s voice has a definite likeness to Jeff Buckley’s
10) Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (www.myspace.com/nin)
– Trent back to his more electronic roots, was one of my Leeds fest highlights of the summer!
Great, but not quite top ten;
The Shins – Wincing The Night Away (great stuff, this nearly made the ten www.myspace.com/theshins)
Biffy Clyro – Puzzle (Some great tunes but not quite up there with their previous records www.myspace.com/biffyclyro)
Grinderman – Grinderman (Nick Cave’s dirty, sleazy, garage rock side project www.myspace.com/grinderman)
El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (US hip-hop, who says white guys can’t rap? www.myspace.com/elproducto)
Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City (managed ‘that difficult 2nd album’ pretty well www.myspace.com/blocparty)
Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity (difficult to pigeon-hole, these guys are pretty unique! www.myspace.com/deerhoof)
Von Südenfed – Tromatic Reflexxions (collaboration between Mark E Smith and German techno duo Mouse on Mars www.myspace.com/vonsudenfed)
Best discovery of 2007;
Her Name Is Calla – Saw them support iLiKETRAiNS and they blew me away! I highly recommend you download tracks ‘Moment of Clarity’ or ‘Condor & River’ (these are two of only three tracks I have ever paid for to download!) www.myspace.com/hernameiscalla
"I Prefer Their Old Stuff" 