Paul Tao

[Paul Tao]

Compiled First Week of December, So Later Releases Were Not Counted

Best Full Length Albums:
25. Beirut - Flying Cup Club
24. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
23. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses
22. Dungen - Tio Bitar
21. Justice - †
20. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
19. HEALTH - s/t
18. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
17. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
16. Meneguar – Strangers In Our House
15. Battles - Mirrored
14. Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
13. Radiohead - In Rainbows
12. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
11. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10. Feist – The Reminder
09. M.I.A. - Kala
08. Menomena – Friend And Foe
07. Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
06. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
05. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
04. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
03. Bat for Lashes – Fur And Gold
02. Taken by Trees - Open Field
01. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

While the task of compiling a Best Of list every year is always a considerable one, this year seemed especially difficult. I had been counting Panda Bear as my #1 for a while now, but past that, there was a giant mess of albums afterwards that, modeling themselves after this year's college football BCS fiasco, all were valid contenders for a #2 position. I also considered adding Charlotte Gainsbourg's brilliant album 5:55 on here as well, but then I realized that while the US release date was January of 07, it was released internationally in late 2006, so I didn't put it on the list.

Honorable Mentions:
Björk - Volta
Jesca Hoop - Kismet
Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
Liars – s/t
Clear Tigers - Brutal
Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
The Tough Alliance – A New Chance
Digitalism - Idealism
Caribou - Andorra
Muscles – Guns Babes Lemonade
New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
Okkervil River – The Stage Names
St. Vincent – Marry Me
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

Best EPs:
06. Cut Off Your Hands – Shaky Hands
05. Joanna Newsom – Joanna Newsom And The Ys Street Band
04. The Black Ghosts – Any Way You Choose To Give It
03. LCD Soundsystem – A Bunch Of Stuff
02. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Is Is
01. Clear Tigers – s/t

Most Disappointing:
03. Cartel
02. Interpol
01. Bloc Party

Cartel's first album was one of the few pop-punk albums of the last couple of years that I actually really enjoyed, so I held hope that they would be able to keep that momentum going. Alas, the sophomore album was not what I hoped it would be, and as I find myself retreating further and further away from the world of pop-punk, I can only hope another band comes along that refocuses my attention back to my teenage years as much as Cartel did originally.

Best Remixes:
08. The Black Lips – Veni Vidi Vici (Diplo Remix)
07. Matt & Kim – Yea Yeah (Flosstradamus Remix)
06. M.I.A. – Paper Planes (remix featuring Rye Rye and Afrikaan Boy)
05. Taken By Trees – Taken Too Young (Tough Alliance Remix)
04. HEALTH vs Crystal Castles – Crimewave
03. The Black Ghosts – Any Way You Choose To Give It (Boy 8 Bit Mix)
02. Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
01. Klaxons – Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)

Just try listening to that Klaxons remix without dancing.

Best Live Shows:
10. MSTRKRFT @ The Roxy, Los Angeles, 05/16/07
09. Crystal Castles @ Neighborhood Music Festival, Los Angeles, 09/29/07
08. Calvin Harris @ The Echo, Los Angeles, 09/14/07
07. Simian Mobile Disco @ Echo Plex, Los Angeles, 09/22/07
06. Girl Talk @ The Echo, Los Angeles, 01/13/07
05. The Format @ Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles, 06/14/07
04. Simian Mobile Disco @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York City, 10/19/07
03. Daft Punk @ Vegoose Festival, Las Vegas, 10/27/07
02. Justice and Erol Alkan @ Studio B, New York City, 10/20/07
01. Daft Punk, Ratatat, Sebastian, Kavinsky @ Sports Arena, Los Angeles, 07/21/07


Most Anticipated For 2008: (in no particular order)
The Dodos
My Bloody Valentine
Vampire Weekend
The Ting Tings
The Magnetic Fields
The Teenagers
The Cool Kids
Sunny Day Sets Fire
Rye Rye

Funnily enough, The Magnetic Fields were on my Most Anticipated list last year as well, but this time there is actually a release date so I know it's coming out for sure in 2008. The Dodos released possibly the best self-released album of 2006, Beware of the Maniacs, and although I've already heard the next album, I'll still keep them on this list. Same goes for Vampire Weekend, Ting Tings (at least the demos) and Sunny Day Sets Fire in terms of already hearing it, but I'll be damned if I'm taking them off of here.

And for a moment of blatant self-promotion... check out my label: iamsoundrecords.com (http://www.iamsoundrecords.com). Cough.

[Paul Tao]

Posting first so no one can be annoying and say "FIRST!"

[iwasahero]

You are the only staff member with M.I.A. on your list, so I commend you.

EDIT: Greg has her too, you two are the best.

[themostdeplete]

i'd just like to say fuck off and die for your top 10 shows. not a single one of those came within 500 miles of me, so understandably, i have an intense amount of jealousy.

[Poochemist]

My dad was the first person to expose me to the Digitalism album- I don't really listen to electronic stuff but it's a solid release.

[Paul Tao]

My dad was the first person to expose me to the Digitalism album- I don't really listen to electronic stuff but it's a solid release.
Your dad? That's kind of strange but cool.

[KissTheBottle]

Nice list. Nice to see Muscles get a mention on AP net too haha

Not excited for Cut Copy and The Presets upcoming 08 releases?

Agreed on Dpunk owning the year live. It blew my mind.

[Poochemist]

Your dad? That's kind of strange but cool.

Yeah I never know what music he's gonna like so it's hard to recommend things to him. He has a very strange taste in music for a 61-year old.

[mattybobviously]

Great list Paul, the only staff list I've enjoyed.

[active_health]

You are the only staff member with M.I.A. on your list, so I commend you.

EDIT: Greg has her too, you two are the best.

I noted this too! Kala was such a great release. I saw the Klaxons on a lot of best of lists for this year. I have to check them out. Your list was much more Pitchfork than Absolutepunk- solid pick all the same though.

[Greg Dona]

i'd just like to say fuck off and die for your top 10 shows. not a single one of those came within 500 miles of me, so understandably, i have an intense amount of jealousy.
I tell him this all the time. Paul Tao is Satan.

My dad was the first person to expose me to the Digitalism album
Strange, yet baller.

Nice list. Nice to see Muscles get a mention on AP net too haha

Not excited for Cut Copy and The Presets upcoming 08 releases?

Agreed on Dpunk owning the year live. It blew my mind.
Muscles = great.

Cut Copy = good.

Presets = the new song sounds like Depeche Mode. Ew.

[a hybrid]

crystal castles live so good glad to see them on a list.

[KissTheBottle]

I tell him this all the time. Paul Tao is Satan.


Strange, yet baller.


Muscles = great.

Cut Copy = good.

Presets = the new song sounds like Depeche Mode. Ew.

My People really grew on me, the other new track they played at Dpunk sounded awesome too. Looking forward to their new album, Cut Copys next LP will own it though, So Haunted and Hearts On Fire are great IMO.

[spitfire6647]

i never read any of these lists, but i clicked this one because i could tell from the guys picture alone he was gonna be "that guy" who had a bunch of bands on his lists that no one has ever heard of

[warrenwheel]

you have made a bats for lashes and simian mobile disco fan out of me so far, and im only halfway through the bands I didn't know of already...this doesn't at all seem like a list found on absolutepunk

good tunes

[makebelieve327]

Nice list overall.

Why no love for The National- Boxer? That album is gorgeous. It is nice to see Miracle Fortress- Five Roses though. 'Have You Seen In Your Dreams' alone makes that one great. Good call on that.

[Paul Tao]

i never read any of these lists, but i clicked this one because i could tell from the guys picture alone he was gonna be "that guy" who had a bunch of bands on his lists that no one has ever heard ofHaha. Is that a good thing?

you have made a bats for lashes and simian mobile disco fan out of me so far, and im only halfway through the bands I didn't know of already...this doesn't at all seem like a list found on absolutepunk

good tunesThanks!

Nice list overall.

Why no love for The National- Boxer? That album is gorgeous. It is nice to see Miracle Fortress- Five Roses though. 'Have You Seen In Your Dreams' alone makes that one great. Good call on that.For some reason I could never get into the National album. It's not bad but not great for me. I used to be a big fan of their Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers album though.

And yeah, Miracle Fortress needs more love.

[yarncatfishbowl]

finally, the yeah yeah yeahs - is is ep reminded me why i love them. i love your love for them which no one shows the fellow korean karen o.