Scott Irvine
12/01/07, 12:26 AM
:-|
Top Albums of 2007
30. Some Monastery - Welcome to the Symmetry
29. House of Fools - Live and Learn
28. The Jazz June - The Scars to Prove It
27. People Dick - Cock Uh Doodle Doo
26. Tim Kinsella - Field Recordings of Dreams
25. XBXRX - Sounds
24. Except After Sea - Waking Hungover From a Long Night of Sober
23. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
22. No Age - Weirdo Rippers
21. Blonde Redhead - 23
20. Darkroom - A Curious Excavation
19. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
18. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
17. Maritime - Heresy and the Hotel Choir
16. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
15. The Chemist vs. The Computer - Loki
14. Mass Movement of the Moth - Outer Space
13. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound
12. Radiohead - In Rainbows
11. Look Mexico - This Is Animal Music
10. Moving Mountains - Pneuma
09. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
08. Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
07. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust
06. Liars - Liars
05. Battles - Mirrored
04. Foxhole - Push/Pull
03. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
02. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
01. Shh...This Is A Library - S/T
This will cause some controversy, especially considering it beat out lovely Deerhunter for the top spot. Still, I can't deny how beautifully this album is conceptualized. It might be unintentional, but Shh...This Is A Library is the soundtrack to waking up and falling asleep. Restlessness, dream-sequences, and slipping into sleep are all accounted for, for in the sparse instrumentation sits the space between your bed and the day that lies before you; thoughtlessness and an inherent want to stay under the sheets ebbs and flows in the static that swirls and settles in easily the most gorgeous auditory experience released this year.
Top EPs of 2007
10. Bright Eyes - Four Winds
09. Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs
08. Street Smart Cyclist - Lint Traps
07. Pirouette - Thinking in Subtitles
06. Know Think - Clean Closet
05. Swedes - Three Weeks
04. They Mean Us - Friendship Lottery
03. Morning For The Masses - Seconds
02. Jacob and I - Shadout Mapes
01. Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey
Most Disappointing Albums of 2007
05. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
04. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
03. Acute - Arms Around A Stranger
02. Olympia - Emergency
01. V/A - Emo Diaries Eleven: Taking Back What's Ours
I'm still clueless as to why Deep Elm put this out when it only stands to tarnish the perfection the previous chapters in the series stand for. There's very few songs on this one that is not the recycled [punk]{pop}-rock junk that is really what gems like Emo Diaries Two: Million Miles Away broke away from back in '98
Best "New" Band
Winner: Deerhunter
If there was one band that got the '07 buzz and new attention for the Atlanta indie scene, it was Deerhunter. And though they were around much prior to this year, let's face it -- besides those embedded in the Southeast's underground...no one else had heard of them. Stunning audiences all over the country (and beyond) with their "religious experience" of a live show, and releasing two acclaimed albums -- it couldn't have been a better year for the band.
Runner Up: Jacob and I
Two bassists and a drummer splitting atoms with their infectious, mathy instrumental loops and swirls. Look out for this trio, because god knows I can't get enough of them.
Best Music Videos of 2007
Winner: TIE Battles - "Tonto" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w) + Battles - "Atlas" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU)
Choosing the best between these two videos would be like picking a favorite child. The first band that comes to my mind when I think of something as unassuming as "music video" is Battles. "Atlas" and "Tonto" are both phenomenal videos (and songs) for entirely separate reasons. And this is coming from someone that's not particularly interested in music videos.
Runner Up: Babyshambles - "French Dog Blues" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=esQaDBWvtuY)
Caught this video on MTVU and immediately fell in love. Wonderful illustration and a progression that goes almost too well with the song. Cute.
Worst Music Video of 2007
Loser: Korn - "Hold On" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9P9V3IkI3zo)
You know what an absolutely fantastic idea for a music video would be? Follow me on this one. Two riders, rivals for a reason left unknown, face each other in a bull-riding competition set in a corral called "Ballsville". Yeah, yeah this is gold. One of the gritty riders will have the ability to talk to bulls and tell them what to do for no apparent reason. The other rider will go with the theme of "big balls" by having two steel balls hanging from his pants. So of course we have to have a scene where someone handles them, getting a good laugh from fucked up nu-metal kids by using eye-roll inducing perversion. Oh and did I mention we'll be panning from time to time to girls in the audience eating large hotdogs, interpretable (assumably) as sexual innuendo.
Just watch it for yourself. This video forced me to make an award for the worst video of the year.
Best Lyrics of 2007
Winner: Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal
Runner Up: Win Butler, Arcade Fire
Best Vocals Of 2007
Winner: Bradford Cox
I have a soft spot for shoegazey shit, so when Bradford Cox spends half of the Deerhunter show crouched over his effect pedals, dizzying the audience with an array of ambiant vocals -- I can't help but get a hard-on.
Runner Up: Eisley
Sherri and Stacy don't utilize the typical female-vocalist cadence. It's more "real" than the dainty-as-fuck, barbie-doll inflection you'll see elsewhere.
Favorite Record Label
Winner: Look Again Media
How can I not list the label I spend hours and hours working on in this spot? Look Again Media has become quite the project since my boy Rich D. first started it. We released Brett Incardone's impressive, under-the-radar Dearest Sailor... and June State Residential's striking Words Minus Instructions. We also announced our involvement with our good friends Rapid Cities' next album and signed Texas's up-and-coming They Mean Us. Favorite record label indeed. Good year LAM, good year.
Runner Up: Flameshovel Records
Although Flameshovel didn't put out much this year, they still retain a fantastic roster. They released Maritime's Heresy... and The Narrators' All That to the Wall -- both well-received albums. Mannequin Men's Fresh Rot also surprised with their post-grunge gruff, topping off a great year for the label.
Best Live Show
10. Suburban Legends
09. The Selmanaires
08. Sorry, No Ferrari
07. Know Think
06. Patent Pending
05. Snowden
04. Maritime
03. Rapid Cities
02. Stars
01. Deerhunter
Best Single
Winner: Band of Horses - "Is There A Ghost"
...and it has a pretty cool music video to boot!
Runner Up: Feist - "1 2 3 4"
I can't deny it, even as a self-proclaimed indie fuck.
Best B-Side
Winner: Brand New - "Fork and Knife"
Runner Up: Wilco - "The Thanks I Get"
Best "Other" Webzine
Winner: Cokemachineglow.com
Pitchfork without the snobbery, but with a staff that writes just as well. Bravo boys.
Favorite Movies of 2007
03. Into the Wild
02. Juno
01. Superbad
Favorite TV Shows of 2007
05. Friday Night Lights
04. Lost
03. The Mighty Boosh
Props to my roommate for getting me into this one.
02. The Office
What we saw of the season was promising. It hinted at getting as topsy-turvy as Season 3, but we'll have to wait and see once this strike ends. Oh and Krasinski better get some kind of nomination. He's stepped it up.
01. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The best show this year by leaps and bounds. My Thursday nights had to be free to stay up and watch Season 3. Turned out just as good as I expected it to be. God bless Charlie Day
Most Anticipated CDs of 2008
05. Make Believe
After the band's frontman left them high-and-dry earlier this year, everyone's go-to erratically technical band seemed done for. But while they're still essentially singer-less, a new album was secretly in the works. And next year is when it'll be unveiled.
04. Owen
Mike Kinsella's "At Home With..." was one of my favorites of '06. What can I say? He's a master of putting a more ambient touch to the parched singer/songwriter pool. Get ready for something great.
03. Joan of Arc
Who would've guessed I'd be anticipating JOA's upcoming release?
02. Noyes
Pitchfork's William Bowers calls Victor Villareal "the best guitar player alive". It's far from the extreme exaggeration you'd think it'd be. Vic's comeback was rumored to be this year, but with no word yet -- we can only hope for an '08 release.
01. My Bloody Valentine
The shoegaze pioneers are coming back and I couldn't be more excited. Loveless is one of my top five favorite albums of all time. Although it's up in the air as to whether they can satisfy fans that've waited almost two decades for a follow-up, but hey, I won't be one to complain. They can do no wrong in my eyes.
Favorite Songs Of 2007
30. Except After Sea - "Pushin' the Lord"
29. The Chemist vs. The Computer - "Coasting Towards the Tide..."
28. Mass Movement of the Moth - "Riddle Me 666"
27. Indian Summer - "Angry Son (Live)"
26. FRNDS ND LVRS - "Have You Ever Felt Insignificant?"
25. Look Mexico - "Watch Out For This"
24. Slint - "King's Approach"
23. Deerhoof - "+ 81"
22. Jacob and I - "Shadeout Mapes 1"
21. Rapid Cities - "In My Mind"
20. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
19. Monument - "Window Light"
18. Modest Mouse - "Missed the Boat"
17. Free Diamonds - "Hugs and Kisses"
16. They Mean Us - "Wave Mustaine"
15. Algernon Cadwallader - "Breath Wish"
14. Battles - "Tonto"
13. Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
12. Street Smart Cyclist - "The Human Map Says We're Fucked"
11. Shh...This Is A Library - "Sunrise Highway"
10. Deerhunter - "Lake Somerset"
09. Know Think - "Songo"
08. She Moved Through the Fair - "EE Holtry"
07. No Age - "Neck Escaper"
06. Battles - "Atlas"
05. Foxhole - "Forgiving Monarch"
04. Brett Incardone - "Only To Be Young Again"
03. Swedes - "1987"
02. Explosions in the Sky - "So Long Lonesome"
01. Panda Bear - "Bros"
Top Albums of 2007
30. Some Monastery - Welcome to the Symmetry
29. House of Fools - Live and Learn
28. The Jazz June - The Scars to Prove It
27. People Dick - Cock Uh Doodle Doo
26. Tim Kinsella - Field Recordings of Dreams
25. XBXRX - Sounds
24. Except After Sea - Waking Hungover From a Long Night of Sober
23. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
22. No Age - Weirdo Rippers
21. Blonde Redhead - 23
20. Darkroom - A Curious Excavation
19. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
18. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
17. Maritime - Heresy and the Hotel Choir
16. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
15. The Chemist vs. The Computer - Loki
14. Mass Movement of the Moth - Outer Space
13. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound
12. Radiohead - In Rainbows
11. Look Mexico - This Is Animal Music
10. Moving Mountains - Pneuma
09. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
08. Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
07. Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust
06. Liars - Liars
05. Battles - Mirrored
04. Foxhole - Push/Pull
03. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
02. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
01. Shh...This Is A Library - S/T
This will cause some controversy, especially considering it beat out lovely Deerhunter for the top spot. Still, I can't deny how beautifully this album is conceptualized. It might be unintentional, but Shh...This Is A Library is the soundtrack to waking up and falling asleep. Restlessness, dream-sequences, and slipping into sleep are all accounted for, for in the sparse instrumentation sits the space between your bed and the day that lies before you; thoughtlessness and an inherent want to stay under the sheets ebbs and flows in the static that swirls and settles in easily the most gorgeous auditory experience released this year.
Top EPs of 2007
10. Bright Eyes - Four Winds
09. Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs
08. Street Smart Cyclist - Lint Traps
07. Pirouette - Thinking in Subtitles
06. Know Think - Clean Closet
05. Swedes - Three Weeks
04. They Mean Us - Friendship Lottery
03. Morning For The Masses - Seconds
02. Jacob and I - Shadout Mapes
01. Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey
Most Disappointing Albums of 2007
05. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
04. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
03. Acute - Arms Around A Stranger
02. Olympia - Emergency
01. V/A - Emo Diaries Eleven: Taking Back What's Ours
I'm still clueless as to why Deep Elm put this out when it only stands to tarnish the perfection the previous chapters in the series stand for. There's very few songs on this one that is not the recycled [punk]{pop}-rock junk that is really what gems like Emo Diaries Two: Million Miles Away broke away from back in '98
Best "New" Band
Winner: Deerhunter
If there was one band that got the '07 buzz and new attention for the Atlanta indie scene, it was Deerhunter. And though they were around much prior to this year, let's face it -- besides those embedded in the Southeast's underground...no one else had heard of them. Stunning audiences all over the country (and beyond) with their "religious experience" of a live show, and releasing two acclaimed albums -- it couldn't have been a better year for the band.
Runner Up: Jacob and I
Two bassists and a drummer splitting atoms with their infectious, mathy instrumental loops and swirls. Look out for this trio, because god knows I can't get enough of them.
Best Music Videos of 2007
Winner: TIE Battles - "Tonto" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w) + Battles - "Atlas" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU)
Choosing the best between these two videos would be like picking a favorite child. The first band that comes to my mind when I think of something as unassuming as "music video" is Battles. "Atlas" and "Tonto" are both phenomenal videos (and songs) for entirely separate reasons. And this is coming from someone that's not particularly interested in music videos.
Runner Up: Babyshambles - "French Dog Blues" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=esQaDBWvtuY)
Caught this video on MTVU and immediately fell in love. Wonderful illustration and a progression that goes almost too well with the song. Cute.
Worst Music Video of 2007
Loser: Korn - "Hold On" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9P9V3IkI3zo)
You know what an absolutely fantastic idea for a music video would be? Follow me on this one. Two riders, rivals for a reason left unknown, face each other in a bull-riding competition set in a corral called "Ballsville". Yeah, yeah this is gold. One of the gritty riders will have the ability to talk to bulls and tell them what to do for no apparent reason. The other rider will go with the theme of "big balls" by having two steel balls hanging from his pants. So of course we have to have a scene where someone handles them, getting a good laugh from fucked up nu-metal kids by using eye-roll inducing perversion. Oh and did I mention we'll be panning from time to time to girls in the audience eating large hotdogs, interpretable (assumably) as sexual innuendo.
Just watch it for yourself. This video forced me to make an award for the worst video of the year.
Best Lyrics of 2007
Winner: Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal
Runner Up: Win Butler, Arcade Fire
Best Vocals Of 2007
Winner: Bradford Cox
I have a soft spot for shoegazey shit, so when Bradford Cox spends half of the Deerhunter show crouched over his effect pedals, dizzying the audience with an array of ambiant vocals -- I can't help but get a hard-on.
Runner Up: Eisley
Sherri and Stacy don't utilize the typical female-vocalist cadence. It's more "real" than the dainty-as-fuck, barbie-doll inflection you'll see elsewhere.
Favorite Record Label
Winner: Look Again Media
How can I not list the label I spend hours and hours working on in this spot? Look Again Media has become quite the project since my boy Rich D. first started it. We released Brett Incardone's impressive, under-the-radar Dearest Sailor... and June State Residential's striking Words Minus Instructions. We also announced our involvement with our good friends Rapid Cities' next album and signed Texas's up-and-coming They Mean Us. Favorite record label indeed. Good year LAM, good year.
Runner Up: Flameshovel Records
Although Flameshovel didn't put out much this year, they still retain a fantastic roster. They released Maritime's Heresy... and The Narrators' All That to the Wall -- both well-received albums. Mannequin Men's Fresh Rot also surprised with their post-grunge gruff, topping off a great year for the label.
Best Live Show
10. Suburban Legends
09. The Selmanaires
08. Sorry, No Ferrari
07. Know Think
06. Patent Pending
05. Snowden
04. Maritime
03. Rapid Cities
02. Stars
01. Deerhunter
Best Single
Winner: Band of Horses - "Is There A Ghost"
...and it has a pretty cool music video to boot!
Runner Up: Feist - "1 2 3 4"
I can't deny it, even as a self-proclaimed indie fuck.
Best B-Side
Winner: Brand New - "Fork and Knife"
Runner Up: Wilco - "The Thanks I Get"
Best "Other" Webzine
Winner: Cokemachineglow.com
Pitchfork without the snobbery, but with a staff that writes just as well. Bravo boys.
Favorite Movies of 2007
03. Into the Wild
02. Juno
01. Superbad
Favorite TV Shows of 2007
05. Friday Night Lights
04. Lost
03. The Mighty Boosh
Props to my roommate for getting me into this one.
02. The Office
What we saw of the season was promising. It hinted at getting as topsy-turvy as Season 3, but we'll have to wait and see once this strike ends. Oh and Krasinski better get some kind of nomination. He's stepped it up.
01. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The best show this year by leaps and bounds. My Thursday nights had to be free to stay up and watch Season 3. Turned out just as good as I expected it to be. God bless Charlie Day
Most Anticipated CDs of 2008
05. Make Believe
After the band's frontman left them high-and-dry earlier this year, everyone's go-to erratically technical band seemed done for. But while they're still essentially singer-less, a new album was secretly in the works. And next year is when it'll be unveiled.
04. Owen
Mike Kinsella's "At Home With..." was one of my favorites of '06. What can I say? He's a master of putting a more ambient touch to the parched singer/songwriter pool. Get ready for something great.
03. Joan of Arc
Who would've guessed I'd be anticipating JOA's upcoming release?
02. Noyes
Pitchfork's William Bowers calls Victor Villareal "the best guitar player alive". It's far from the extreme exaggeration you'd think it'd be. Vic's comeback was rumored to be this year, but with no word yet -- we can only hope for an '08 release.
01. My Bloody Valentine
The shoegaze pioneers are coming back and I couldn't be more excited. Loveless is one of my top five favorite albums of all time. Although it's up in the air as to whether they can satisfy fans that've waited almost two decades for a follow-up, but hey, I won't be one to complain. They can do no wrong in my eyes.
Favorite Songs Of 2007
30. Except After Sea - "Pushin' the Lord"
29. The Chemist vs. The Computer - "Coasting Towards the Tide..."
28. Mass Movement of the Moth - "Riddle Me 666"
27. Indian Summer - "Angry Son (Live)"
26. FRNDS ND LVRS - "Have You Ever Felt Insignificant?"
25. Look Mexico - "Watch Out For This"
24. Slint - "King's Approach"
23. Deerhoof - "+ 81"
22. Jacob and I - "Shadeout Mapes 1"
21. Rapid Cities - "In My Mind"
20. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
19. Monument - "Window Light"
18. Modest Mouse - "Missed the Boat"
17. Free Diamonds - "Hugs and Kisses"
16. They Mean Us - "Wave Mustaine"
15. Algernon Cadwallader - "Breath Wish"
14. Battles - "Tonto"
13. Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
12. Street Smart Cyclist - "The Human Map Says We're Fucked"
11. Shh...This Is A Library - "Sunrise Highway"
10. Deerhunter - "Lake Somerset"
09. Know Think - "Songo"
08. She Moved Through the Fair - "EE Holtry"
07. No Age - "Neck Escaper"
06. Battles - "Atlas"
05. Foxhole - "Forgiving Monarch"
04. Brett Incardone - "Only To Be Young Again"
03. Swedes - "1987"
02. Explosions in the Sky - "So Long Lonesome"
01. Panda Bear - "Bros"