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It’s that time of year when every music blog in the world puts together a best-of list. We, your faithful Buzzgrinder team, have jumped on that ever-growing bandwagon this year.
We spent several hours listing and ranking this year’s new releases, doing a lot of fuzzy math, creating Excel spreadsheets (and forgetting to save before closing) and rebuking Seth and Jay for liking Mae’s new album.
Many an angry word was spoken, many a tear was shed when personal favorite albums didn’t crack the top ten. But we’ve kept our integrity and now proudly present the ten albums we as a group think made 2007 worth living. No comment on Mae’s appearance on the list.
10. Interpol – Our Love To Admire
I’ll be honest: I didn’t like Interpol much until this album. But Our Love To Admire opened me up to them. I get it now. They added some atmosphere, which helped; it sounded too claustrophobic to me before. This is the kind of album that earns a band new fans without alienating old ones.
9. The Brothers Martin – Brothers Martin
Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 and Ronnie Martin from Joy Electric have joined their brotherly forces to create some synth-induced, guitar-laced, rock/dance extravaganza. Long story short, it’s what Starflyer 59 would sound like if they worked with Joy Electric. No duh, idiot.
8. Pinback – Autumn of the Seraphs
Three years after their acclaimed album Summer in Abaddon, Pinback came out of their hiding place to bring us another solid work. Pinback can do no wrong. Oh, except for the artwork on this one. Eek.
7. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
Adams was back this year with another round of alt-country goodness, this time with a little more classic rock/Neil Young vibe. And just in case anyone doubted his prolificness, he put out another EP four months later.
6. Mae – Singularity
Okay, okay, Brink of Disaster was actually a pretty catchy song. And Seth says that the vocals and melody were good, so I’ll pretend I agree with him. Older fans may feel disenchanted with their first major label release, but two out of six Buzzgrinder writers agree it’s still worth a mention.
5. Maritime – Heresy and the Hotel Choir
You already know the story. Two guys from the Promise Ring and one guy from Dismemberment Plan start a band, Dismemberment Plan guy leaves. Now you know the story again. Is this better than We, The Vehicles? I don’t know. I do know Sean won’t shut up about it, so it’s either really good or your sister listens to it in her car.
4. Radiohead – In Rainbows
Anyone that reads music blogs should be tired of reading about In Rainbows by now, and all these best-of lists don’t help one bit. The thing is, there’s no excuse for any music fan to have not heard this album by now, seeing how it was pretty much free and all.
And for the record, Seth doesn’t love this album. Uh oh.
3. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Kevin Barnes’ lyrics make one wonder if he’s depressed or on a lot of downers, but then he puts it to happy tunes that inspire even the most metal of dudes to dance. (No, seriously, a couple weeks ago I saw Blake bouncing around like a little girl to Hissing Fauna when he thought no one was looking.)
2. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
“Keep The Car Running” gives me goosebumps and makes me want to pump my fist all at once. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Funeral was about death (no, really?) and, while they’ve maintained some of that darkness in their delivery, Neon Bible is all the more anthemic. Plus, any band whose characteristic sound requires the use of an instrument called a hurdy gurdy has to be pretty cool.
1. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
We all wondered how they would hold up when they lost their drummer and a guitarist between records, but they proved once again their staying power by breaking the mathcore mold that they helped create. And really, how many year end Top 10 lists have Interpol and Dillinger Escape Plan on it? Right. Just us. We rule. Buzzgrinder, FTW.
dude Mae and Interpol are on this list but the National and the Avett Brothers are not…. oh well, it just goes to show that there was alot of good stuff this year
Not a bad list at all! Of Montreal and Pinback made the list. That’s pretty awesome.
I’ll give this list a 1.5 out of 10 (DEP gets half a point for yet again not doing another recording with Patton).
Chea, I’m glad to see In Rainbows on the list, but Thom Yorke’s solo album was better.
points for pinback. i totally forgot about the brothers martin. good record!
two of those have a chance of making my top-10 list (Radiohead, Arcade Fire)… though mostly because it was a year full of mediocrity…
Polyphonic Spree anyone?
“I hate everything!”
Nice.
“Boxer” by the National is BY FAR the best album of the year. Shame on all of you- I quit.
No BTBAM? Whack.
this top ten list didn’t even make my top ten list of top ten lists.
Who’s Radiohead?
umm…does no one listen kings of leon? anyone? anyone?
Buddy, FTW.
seth is dying for not liking IR. dead.
Nothing on that list made my list. And that Dillinger Escape album was actually on my worst of list. Yuck.
no maylene, no as cities burn, no sigur ros, no neon horse, no the chariot, no anberlin?
that seems to be a pretty good list, excluding a couple titles, i mostly agree with that. however, i would have put Mirrored by Battles on there.
joe you need to seriously re-evaluate your taste in music…and i WORK for tooth and nail and i wouldnt even consider putting that many of there releases in a year end haha…especially not ACB and Anberlin…ugh…
decent list though…ire works was a dissapointment…the bros martin was pretty great…of montreal was cool…im honestly shocked to see pinback up there…autumn wasnt even close to summer (no pun intended)…
I would second Joe on ACB and Neon Horse.
Yeah, where’s the National? and hannah montana.
the national was 1st on paste’s list…and that was the first time i had heard of them…
shoulda had the whole staff compile their own top 10’s…
jay! whats on your list?
Then I’m going to read Paste.
ok ok, anberlin’s wasnt amazing, but it was pretty good compared to other releases, but come on ACB?! that albums amazing. the chariots too, yeah it was short, but I thought it was more original and different than other metal bands. I dont know what happend to Mae but that albums sucks, they totally changed and i dont think it sounds better at all. Maybe youre just into that kinda stuff, idk whatever.
yeah, i think maybe battles should have been on there. it almost made my top 10 (and the way we did the math, that would have put it on the list), but you know. too late to revise my list now.
as for the national’s new album, it was alright, and most of the hype surrounding the album is thanks to their indie-rock-elitist street cred, not the quality of the music. i liked it, definitely not loved it.
Major props for tDEP respect.
no btbam? no oceansize? this list is anti-prog.
joe - i recommend you get out and listen to something besides t&n/solid state releases.
yeah, i dont just listen to those bands. im just saying those were some pretty good releases this year, compared to other. ive heard tons of other bands albums that came out this year that werent good at all.
others*
what bout ma boy 50 cent?
I think half of Ire Works belongs on the best list, the other half belongs on the worst list. I’m also in favor of Top 10 FAVORITE albums of the year, because The Brothers Martin is definitely not a BETTER album than ones that The National, Spoon, Band of Horses, Animal Collective, or Okkervil River put out, but it definitely is great to listen to.
I also actually agree with a lot of the pretentious lists that Panda Bear’s album was one of the best of the year, but I think Caribou or Spoon got the most listens out of me.
joe, The Fiancee was on my top 10. Don’t feel like trying to remember how to make an accented e on a PC.
I think Seth might post our individual lists for even more “U SUCK CUZ U DONT LIKE THE SAEM THNGS I DO SO U SHULD CHANGE!!!11!!” funtime action. But if he doesn’t I can be persuaded via $$$ to post my list here in the comments.
Eh, I like buzzgrinder because I can get an idea of what other people are into…i’ve found some ggod music because of you guys.
I’d check Foucault’s vacuum but you seemed to have let it go…sucks cause i liked some of the stuff you had to say…way better than the new grand design.
Thought I would hate but did not:
Spoon - I really did not want to like this band. Gimme Fiction was not what I was expecting when I first heard it, and I never really got over that. Ga x5 is a ballsy collection of songs. (Please know that I resisted saying “a ballsy spoonful” just now. It’s called the Discipline of the Samurai.)
Band of Horses - At first I dismissed this band as a simultaneous ripoff of the Shins and Supertramp. Now I think they’re the perfect blend of the Shins and Supertramp.
Neon Horse - Most original T&N album this year. Tough shit.
Baroness - Bad ass. Plus the artwork makes me feel like I’m a little high.
No one on this site name drops:
Modest Mouse - that album is so good that I still hear parts on it that I didn’t notice the first 7 months that I’ve had it.
The Shins - see Modest Mouse. And speaking of those two… what’s with all the Pirate Songs?
Timbaland - songs from this style of music that don’t make me want to kill myself with fire and glass are worth mentioning. Fuck ‘em!
Best album of the year was Iron & Wine’s The Shepard’s Dog. And it was a massive $8 on iTunes. I will defend this point to the death.
also good this year:
Soulsavers - “It’s not How Far You Fall, It’s How You Land”
myspace.com/soulsavers
The Book of Knots - “Traineater”
myspace.com/thebookofknots
Travis Morrison Hellfighters - “All Ya’ll”
myspace.com/travismorrison
Nicole Atkins - “Neptune City”
myspace.com/nicoleatkins
Intramural - “This is a Landslide”
myspace.com/denverdalley
Joan as Police Woman - “Real Life”
myspace.com/joanaspolicewoman
Gileah and the Ghost Train
myspace.com/gileah
Yeah, it just siphons off too much time out of me for something that’s just a blah blah my opinion blah blah thing. I have too many practical things going on to keep up with it.
I haven’t given Travis Morrison the time of day since that first piece of crap solo album he put out.
Soulsavers, Iron and Wine, and Modest Mouse were definitely all good albums.
8 Diagrams blows that Timbaland album out of the water though.
Does anyone remember…
Chasing Victory - Fiends
It absolutely blows my mind that this wasn’t on more lists. What an incredible chance for litle scenesters everywhere to return to rock and roll.
Well, give the new one a shot Sammy. There are some good songs on “All Ya’ll”. He’s finding his groove with the new band.
I recommend:
1. “I’m Not Supposed To Like You (But)”
2. “As We Proceed”
7. “You Make Me Feel Like A Freak”
Those 3 are really good, although I enjoy most of the album. Definitely better than Travistan.
Sammy - The Wu and Timbaland hardly qualify as the same kind of music. I get yer drift, but my point was more that club/Top 40 music usually makes me want to vomit immediately upon contact, and that Timbaland album doesn’t.
Not saying it’s The Funky Headhunter or anything… I mean, let’s not mess with greatness.
oh, I gotcha…well, I love JT, Beyonce, and Kelly Clarkson. Their voices are phenomenal, and they align themselves with people that can put together great songs. Christina Aguilera blows me away but needs new songwriters.
Lemme upgrade you.
Thanks, it feels good to be a hero.
i second anyone who mentioned Kanye West, Nicole Atkins, and The Shins. all of those records well exceded my expecations.
No “Riot!” by Paramore? Poppy cock. Half the metalhead dudes I know love that album and think Hayley is sweeter than honey.
i think i’m not alone on this: “Jay! show us your top 10 list so we can see if it’s better than Seth’s!”
pretty please
Check back at noon, baby love child.
It’s obviously not as good as Seth’s.
Nothing can be as awesome as my list. Not even someone IN A BAND. OH NOES.
how about qotsa era vulgaris?
“no maylene, no as cities burn, no sigur ros, no neon horse, no the chariot, no anberlin?”
Nope!
man, that new sigur ros album is TOTALLY good. they’re also screening the sigur ros film in hot springs, AR, this weekend, so i think i’m gonna check that out.
Also, do seven inches count for year-end lists? Because that new Coalesce EP is pretty much the high point of my year (next to seeing them live in Lawrence).
Neurosis wins for best metal album of the year, hands down.
Sure they count. But I didn’t listen to every new album that came out this year. ANd I saw Coalesce in NYC. Oh wow. Loved it.
Favorite quote from the Coalesce show:
“I guess you guys are waiting until that song where I scream at the beginning to start stage diving.”
Between The Buried and Me - Colors > everything on this list. Seriously.
“there’s no excuse for any music fan to have not heard this album by now, seeing how it was pretty much free and all.”
Except for the fact that some people are actually able to see past the hype machine that is Radiohead and realize that they’re just not that great.
@ Sammy - how about the kids calling out song titles in between songs? In NYC someone yelled out, “Peoples Court!” Funny stuff.
Hey! so nice discussion , BUT NEW YEAR is coming, how to celetrate this wonderful day? you love to try something new? interracial single on line you will be surprised there
YES!!
Behind-the-times-interracial-bad-grammar-probably-by-Germans Spam rules.
i’m with anthony on the radiohead hype machine.
Good to see someone agree with me. I’m not saying Radiohead is bad. They’re actually pretty good, but they’re not near as great as their cult-like following likes to pretend they are.
preach it, brother.
Radiohead is the greatest band that has ever made any music on earth.
There’s simply no one I’d rather listen to as they mumble through weird little drum beats and sing about lemons.
I actually like a number of their songs, but the fact is: By saying they’re over-rated, one runs the risk of being overheard by these odd little music fascists who will try to kill you for your blasphemy.
I saw them once at the Hollywood Bowl and I have to admit that while their show was well done and excellently put together, by about the 20th song I was kind of bored rather than afraid the show would end. They do have great merch, though.
So yeah, they’re the most awesomest.
You have your opinion, I have mine. I think Radiohead is a good band with a few good songs, but nothing more.