Well, it’s now 2008, all the end of the year lists are done, and it’s time to look forward. But first, I’ll take one more day to talk a little about some of the records that didn’t make my list but seemed to pop up on everyone else’s.
First question: is it wrong that I immediately disregard the relevance of any “best of 2007” list that has Radiohead at #1? I really feel like I’m taking crazy pills on this one. I keep listening to it hoping that something will click and I’ll at least be able to understand why people think it’s good. But I’ve got nothing. It’s just boring, boring, boring.
Panda Bear is another favorite pick for best record of the year. This one I at least understand. As I’ve said, I’ll take the Miracle Fortress record to scratch my personal psych/Pet Sounds itch, but there’s no denying that “Bros” is an impressive piece of work.
And then there’s LCD Soundsystem. It doesn’t quite do it for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why Sound of Silver is high up on the list of everyone and his kid brother. I’m not exactly the target audience for this one, but I can still enjoy a good beat and well-crafted tune every now and then. Also, have you heard the Main Drag cover of All My Friends? It’s pretty good.
Jens Lekman. This is one that baffles me just a little bit. I mean, it’s fine and all, but I just don’t get what the big fuss is about. I guess that as far as my Swedish pop interests go, I’m just far more in the market for the glittery synths of a Sambassadeur than I am for the melancholic jazzy-pop of Jens.
Deerhunter. WTF is this? Not music, as far as I can tell.
Animal Collective. Presumably more interesting if you’re on drugs? That’s the only thing I can come up with.
Of Montreal. I could never get into any of their earlier stuff so I resisted this one for a long time, and while it still doesn’t quite do it for me, I will admit that I didn’t give it enough credit.
In other news, if you’re looking for some other “best of” lists, here’s a few I highly recommend from some of my very favorite bloggers out there.
Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good (albums and songs – you’ll notice a lot of similarities to mine on those)
Shake Your Fist (albums and songs – where there is virtually no overlap with my lists, which is part of the fun)
Sand is Overrated (albums – with a nice placement of Cloud Cult and a shout-out to me, and songs)
Can You See the Sunset From the Southside (albums – with a ton of great punk stuff that I never would have heard if not for this list)’
Hits in the Car (2007 in retrospect)
the monsters under the bed are not real (albums, songs, movies, and a lot more if you head over)
And last but not least, in the spirit of John Peel, the Contrast Podcast Festive 50 (part 1, part 2, part 3). I chimed in to gush a little more about Laura Veirs.
A final thought. Go here to check out the individual album lists from the folks at Pitchfork. Not a single mention of Cloud Cult, or Efterklang, or Miracle Fortress, or The Shout Out Louds, or Kate Nash. Now, they also didn’t have Sambassadeur or Tegan and Sara or folks like that, but I’m not going to pitch a fit about those – I get that I’ve got idiosyncratic tastes which places like Pitchfork are not going to reprsent. But seriously, not one of 40 people on the staff bothered to notice The Meaning of 8 or Our Ill Wills or Parades? And I’m supposed to take you seriously, why?