2007 Best Albums

Tim’s best non-house, non-breaks albums of the last year 2007 edition

1) Ryan Adams - "Easy Tiger" - if you have not gotten into this album yet do it now. best album of 2007 in my book. His live shows are just ON these days as well so catch him if you can. He is in his prime.

2) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky - 2nd favorite album of 2007. wilco is simply the best and they keep getting better. this album is a great testament to jeff tweedy's brilliance especially when he is not doing heroin. listen to the opening lyrics and think about it in the context of his near death experience, rehab, etc. here’s hoping for an uncle tupelo reunion in 2009

3) Loney, Dear - “Sologne” - if you have not been turned onto these guys consider yourself turned on. very very unique. think about what a bedroom DJ influenced by the beach boys, 60s pop, and synth-driven kid merry go round choruses would sound like. Imagine an ice cream truck music on acid. It has been called “scando-pop” and it is pretty unique and fun. Think kings of convenience when you discovered them 7-8 years ago but up the tempo and energy and add lots and lots of layers. great listening. You will be hooked after a few runs through the album (thanks jay)

4) Glen Hansard - "The Swell Season" - title track is gorgeous, classical music meets folk, I suggest headphones and volume….you will drift away...overall a very strong album. If you are not careful you will forget what you put on and think it is cat stevens, especially on track 8 “leave.”

5) Radiohead - i have never been a huge fan but their new album "In Rainbows" is AMAZING. Nearly all the songs are incredible...i can take or leave song #2 but think the rest are all amazing. Currently what I am listening to on a daily basis (thanks todd)

6) The National "Boxer" - amazing album. Paste magazine's #1 of the year. can't say enough good things about it. great songwriting and incredible arrangements. A band peaking is a beautiful thing.

7) Devendra Banhart - "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon" - unique psychedelic folk with wild global influences and some off the wall moments, all in all extremely solid, as his last few albums have also been.

8) Jens Lekman – “Night Falls Over Kortedala” - this is just a trippy album. Not everyone will like it but I think it is great. i do not even know where to start trying to describe it. imagine big band/frank sinatra brought into the 21st century. it is really a wild work of art. put on a red velvet robe, mix up some gin and tonics with your girl and turn it up.

9) Bright eyes – “Cassadaga” -- despite the fact that dave cole hates conor oberst (and i love dave’s musical taste), i still think cassadaga was one of the best albums of 2007. it's a masterful work and one of those albums that really tells a story start to finish. conor oberst is a brooding little man indeed but is also a musical genius in my eyes. some of the best songwriting around.

10) Great Lake Swimmers – “Ongiara” - when you want to mellow out and get your chill on. very beautiful melodic acoustic music…ahhhh.

11) Modest Mouse – “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” – I am not a huge MM fan but I must say that the song “Missed the Boat” on this album is nearly the perfect pop song – it’s really good and timeless, not easy to do. Very catchy. Tap yo feet to the catchy guitar solos. Some other great tracks on this album as well.

12) Joe Henry – “Civilians” – joe just keeps getting better. His body of work is just that, a body. He is a throwback and summons tom waits without sounding like he just downed a handle of bourbon.

13) Carla bruni – “No Promises”. What a life she has lead. Mistress to rod stewart and mick jagger, supermodel, accomplished singer/songwriter and now wife of French president Nicholas sarkozy. Remarkable. Her album “quelqu un m’a dit” was a fav in 2006 and her new album is great too – this time in English

14) Iron and Wine – “The Shepard’s Dog.” A bit different than his last few albums and a few song I can tale or leave, but generally speaking more of the same high quality folk from the new master sam beam

15) Sigur Ros – “Hvarf – Heim” – more incredibly interesting melodic sound-scapes from the Icelandic duo…great napping music. Their album () ---- yes “()” ---- is one of the best of all time and this new one is very good too.

16) Levon Helm “Dirt Farmer.” The former drummer and vocalist from The Band comes back after beating throat cancer (wow) with this amazing album. It is just a beautiful work…highly recommended

17) Sufjan Stevens – “Seven Swans” – sufjan stevens has mastered the art of smooth, heartfelt, flowing music that somehow manages to stay real and not get lost in the sweetness. Seven Swans is his best IMO and I have enjoyed listening to it all year. His Christmas album is also by FAR the best thing to put on during the holidays along with vince guaraldi.

18) Eddie Vedder – “Into the Wild” – soundtrack. Amazing album, I listened to it nonstop last fall. Never a huge fan of the hard rock side of pearl jam, but if you (like me) enjoyed the more acoustic side of PJ then you will love this album. And I thought the movie was pretty good as well.


And finally, my two local favorites:

19) Anything by Lorin / Bassnectar. OK, so that is breaks…but it is also super unique and so influenced by underground hip hop and global latin/banghra fairies that it deserves to be included. All his albums are incredible/transcendent.

20) Anything by Sean Hayes. Sean rules. He makes the best neo-folk, alt country singer songwriter with a twist of SF local underground folk/funk around. All his albums are incredible/transcendent.