Top 10 Records of 2007 - Honorable Mention

A bunch of my favorite bands put out records this year that I really enjoyed but none jumped out at me as Top 10 material. When I looked at my last.fm play history and my rhapsody play history, it’s clear that these records were a big part of my listening this year so I feel like I should give them honorable mention. So here they are:

Modest
We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank – Modest Mouse – Old school Modest Mouse fans would say they’ve mellowed, new fangled Modest Mouse fans would say it’s not as listenable as Good News. I say that anything that Isaac Brock and crew do is just fine with me. And the addition of Johnny Marr makes them even better. Top tracks include Dashboard, Fire It Up, Missed The Boat, People As Places, and Invisible.

Fire It Up – Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

 

Wilco
Sky Blue Sky – Wilco – I’ve read a lot of Wilco fan bloggers who think this album was disappointing. It certainly is not as adventurous as Yankee Hotel or Summerteeth, but I really enjoy the 70s soft rock sound (think Steve Miller or Steely Dan). And I particularly like the growing importance of Nels Cline’s amazing guitar playing in the band and on this record. I also love the way this record was the soundtrack to a series of volkswagon commercials. Top tracks include Either Way, Impossible Germany, Hate It Here, Walken, and What Light.

Impossible Germany – Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

 

In_rainbows
In Rainbows – Radiohead – All the buzz is about how they released this record via a "pick your price" offer using the web. I loved the way they did it and wish every band would release their music via drm free mp3s directly from the band’s website. What got lost in all the talk is that this is the best record the band has made in a decade and there are several songs that are classic Radiohead, including my favorites Weird Fishes and Jigsaw.

Jigsaw Falling Into Place – Radiohead – In Rainbows

 

Shins
Wincing The Night Away – The Shins – This record was on many of the top ten lists I saw in the past couple weeks. I was tempted to put it on my list too. But I was really into it last year (got a pre-release) and I petered out on it early on this year. My favorite tracks on this record are Red Rabbits, Split Needles, Phantom Limb, and Girl Sailor.

Red Rabbits – The Shins – Wincing The Night Away

Spoon
Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga – Spoon – Another record that was on many top ten lists I’ve seen. I like their new funkier sound. And I’d really like to see them live. But the record is uneven and I find myself playing a few tracks off of it a lot more frequently than I play the whole record. The two tracks that I absolutely love are Underdog (from the movie soundtrack – I never saw it) and Cherry Bomb. I also really like the opening track, Don’t Make Me A Target.

You Got Your Cherry Bomb – Spoon – Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga

Boxer
Boxer – The National – This one is really tough to keep of the top 10. It was on the cusp along with two or three other records, but given that it kind of fit into "solid records by bands I love", it ended up here. It also pales just a bit in comparison to The National’s prior effort, Alligator. But Boxer is a super record, and features one of the best tracks of the year, called Apartment Story. Fake Empire and Start A War are also excellent.

Apartment Story – The National – Boxer

#My Music#top 10 records 2007

Comments (Archived):

  1. narnia

    wilco deserves better. “you are my face” has one of the best builds and moments of 2007. its a very tight track. just sayin’

    1. fredwilson

      Keep sayin’This is all about the debate, discussion, point of viewThanksFred

  2. matt

    All good albums (including all the ones you posted before) – but man, how white and over-40 ARE you? All of these are so narrowly close together in genre it’s ridiculous – call it “Indie-sounding but goes gold” or “hip yet played on major rock radio” or “pop and indie influenced but played in Starbucks nationwide”.I mean – no hip-hop,(No Jay-z, Lil ‘ Wayne, Dizzee Rascal? Really?), no country, no electronica, no jazz…Eek.

    1. matt

      Just to reiterate – 2007 saw Cross Canadian Ragweed’s best album, one of Mike McClure’s best, one from Shooter Jennings, the Charles Mingus concert release…

    2. fredwilson

      Can you suggest some stuff I should be listening to Matt?No Jay-Z thoughHis best stuff was done years agofred

  3. Kyle

    I’ve only listened to the Spoon and National albums you have listed. The Spoon CD seemed like a disappointment at first for me. When I first picked it up, I turned it off after the first 2 songs and didn’t really check back in until a friend recommended it and told me to just skip past the first 2 songs, as they disappointed him, too. Now it’s one of my favorite Spoon CDs ever.As for Boxer, it’s pretty good, but no where near the level of Alligator.I think my favorite CD might have to go to Explosions in the Sky’s latest album, partially because I only discovered them this year and the rest of their stuff is so amazing.Oh, and I’ve been digging Lupe Fiasco’s latest, oddly enough.

  4. Karen E

    Sitting here recuperating after major surgery and a little iTunes shopping, based on your fave tracks listed here, was just what the doctor ordered. I have read your musical takes for so long now that knew I was going down a fairly narrow indie rock road. But that’s just fine for right now, plus I appreciate the whittling down to just a few tracks. Perfect for when you have staples in your abdomen (and not for vanity’s sake!) Cheers, Fred, and Merry Christmas to all. ~ Karen

    1. fredwilson

      KarenI am sorry to hear that you are recuperating from surgery. I hope you feelbetter soon!Fred

  5. DiskoDan

    Am I missing something? I only see 6 records. Can a “Top 10 Records of 2007” post only contain 6? It sure is diffrent I’ll give you that. Merry Xmas!

    1. fredwilson

      That’s my honorable mentionsThe top 10 are going to come one at a time until new year’s eveSorry for the confusionFred

  6. josef

    long time wilco and radiohead fan, and both these records were boring. bodysnatchers is killer, but the ballads on in rainbows are a snoozefest.shins record was ok, but also boring.the national record never blew me away like it did the blogosphere, I’d rather listen to the Tindrsticks.modest mouse will always be a favorite. I can’t see Issac putting out a boring, lifeless record. Florida is a killer track.GA*5 was this years best record hands down.I sure hope Hissing Fauna makes your final list.

    1. fredwilson

      Hang in there josefThat was a catchall post for bands I love and records I likeFred

  7. Alec Feld

    I’m going to have to completely disagree with you. If anything, the Spoon album makes the top three of this year. It’s their most consistent and thought out album, with shorter, catchier songs that don’t drag on (ex: Gimme Fiction). And the live performance at Roseland brought out a completely different side to the album. Every track on this album has a different feel and mood, and yet, collectively, the tracks are so consistent. That’s a pretty tough feat to pull off without sounding generic and repetitive.In Rainbows, in my opinion, is Radiohead’s best album yet. Even if they hadn’t done the download and pay-what-you-want deal, it still stands out as one of their more lively albums, and didn’t feel stretched out. The work Yorke and co. put into this is definitely something that can be heard when listening, and the revitalization of old and new live tracks gave In Rainbows a different feel than their past albums.If you need some Top 10 nominations, I’d pick Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam, and Panda Bear – Person Pitch, to be in there somewhere.