Best Music of the first half of 2007

[brettac1]

We haven't had a music thread that's really been that active lately, but it just hit the midway point of the year. My top 10 albums:

 

1. Wilco - "Sky Blue Sky"

2. The National - "Boxer"

3. of Montreal - "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?"

4. Ryan Adams - "Easy Tiger"

5. Feist - "The Reminder"

6. Richard Swift - "Dressed Up For the Letdown"

7. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"

8. Neil Young - "Live at Massey Hall"

9. The New Pornographers - "Challengers"

10. Jason Isbell - "Sirens of the Ditch"

 

(added tag --1992)

[UeckerAddict]

Shellac "Excellent Italian Greyhound"

[tyguy20204]

I haven't listened to much new music, but I would say Live at Massey Hall has to be number one. It's one of the best releases of his career.

 

I was extremely disappointed in Sky Blue Sky. I would say it's mediocre at best, and I'm a big Wilco fan.

[brettac1]

I haven't listened to much new music, but I would say Live at Massey Hall has to be number one. It's one of the best releases of his career.

 

I debated whether or not to include it. It's not like it's unheard, or anything, I think I've had a copy of that show since I was in high school. But it's so good that I had to put it on the list. Elliott Smith's "New Moon" didn't make the list for a similar reason, kind of like why I wouldn't list a greatest hits comp in one of these.

[jloos19]

In no particular order:

Of Montreal- "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?"

Wilco- "Sky Blue Sky" (although the more I listen to it, the more I'm a little disappointed. It's almost starting to sound like a slightly more compact A Ghost is Born, which in my opinion isn't really a compliment)

Arcade Fire- "Neon Bible"

Ryan Adams- "Easy Tiger"

Dinosaur Jr.- "Beyond"

LCD Soundsystem- "Sound of Silver"

Modest Mouse- "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank"

Battles- "Mirrored" (if you haven't heard this album, I highly recommend it)

Panda Bear- "Person Pitch"

EDIT: And how could I forget "Icky Thump?" I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[jloos19]

UeckerAddict, I haven't gotten the opportunity to listen to "Excellent Italian Greyhound" yet. Does it compare to "1000 Hurts?"

[BrewCrewForever]

Linkin Park "Minutes to Midnight"

Nine Inch Nails "Year Zero"

Finger Eleven "Them vs You vs Me"

Chevelle "Vena Sera"

The Nightwatchman "One Man Revolution"

White Stripes "Icky Thump"

[BuckyTuba]

new stuff i've been listening to, not saying it's the best of 2007 so far though.

 

paramore - riot!

the pierces - thirteen tales of love and revenge

the polyphonic spree - fragile army

 

i will put in a nomination for the new rocket summer album when it drops this summer.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

Brettac - you cheated - the new Isbell CD doesn't come out until Tuesday...

 

But you're right - it is and will be one of the years' best CDs...

 

I too like the Finger Eleven cd...

 

The Neil Young Live at Massey is great...

 

And after a few listens I really enjoy the Chris Cornell solo effort. One or two songs are cheesy/pop - but the rest are solid Cornell rock tunes... And the "reimagining" of Billie Jean is worth the listen, if not a little gimmicky...

 

The new Patty Griffin disc is very well done, if you're into soulful folk/rock/country.... She's got a voice I could listen to all day long...

 

But I'm looking forward to these releases:

 

Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell (streaming now on BR's MySpace... good stuff)...

 

Into the Wild soundtrack: announced the other day that this will basically be an Eddie Vedder solo album - he wrote a whole slew of tracks for it and I guess it is basically the whole soundtrack.

 

Isbell...

 

And something tells me that the Drive By Truckers could get this new album they're putting together out by the end of the year... but likely in the spring...

[brettac1]

I've been listening to the Isbell CD since May, though, so I had to include it. The New Pornographers doesn't come out until August, I guess I should have phrased it "best music that you have heard, released or not".

 

I had huge expectations for the Isbell album, and although it didn't quite match them it came pretty close. It's a solid album, some great tracks ("Chicago Promenade" being my favorite), and some not so great. He was the heart and soul of DBT for me, though I am looking forward to their new one whenever it happens to come out.

[UeckerAddict]

UeckerAddict, I haven't gotten the opportunity to listen to "Excellent Italian Greyhound" yet. Does it compare to "1000 Hurts?"

 

I personally am a huge fan of "1000 Hurts," "Terraform," and "At Action Park." I thought this album held up well with the others, especially the tracks "The End of Radio" which is like an anthem for the insane, and "Steady As She Goes" and "Spoke" that allow Albini to shriek in his eerie White Sox fan vocal tones. "Genuine Lulabelle" was a little cofusing for me, but other than that, it's a great album.

[jloos19]

Speaking of the New Pornographers and Of Montreal, is anyone else going to Pitchfork Music Festival next weekend?

[brettac1]

I was back and forth between going for a while, but then I decided not to. Once I found out that Neko wasn't going to be there with the Pornographers, that was kind of a deal-breaker. I would have liked to see of Montreal and Iron & Wine, though.

[chadomac]

Is that new New Pornos album out now?

[brettac1]

No, some time in August.

[And That]

I've only listened to Richard Swift's "Dressed Up for a Letdown" and Eluvium's "Copia" once or twice, but either of them could be in the top 10 if I had bought them a little earlier.

 

I also don't have a problem putting the Elliott Smith compilation on the list because it has all unreleased stuff on it... unreleased comps and concerts are fair game to me. It's just those greatest hits comps that don't have a place, IMO.

 

1. Elliott Smith, "New Moon"

2. Panda Bear, "Person Pitch"

3. Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky"

4. of Monteal, "Hissing Fauna..."

5. LCD Soundsystem, "Sound of Silver"

6. The Field, "From Here We Go Sublime"

7. The National, "Boxer"

8. Modest Mouse, "We Were Dead..."

9. Low, "Drums and Guns"

10. Matthew Dear, "Asa Breed"

 

The new Deerhunter and The Good, The Bad & The Queen releases are right up there too for me. And I can't wait for the albums from Portishead, Massive Attack, Interpol, Underworld, Radiohead, and a number of others I'm forgetting.

[dadofandrew]

Bon Jovi's new one is pretty much all softer stuff, but it's fine. Only one I've added.

[brettac1]

I am listening to the new Blitzen Trapper album right now for the third time, and it's probably going to be up there at the end of the year. Great stuff, really lo-fi almost like garage pop or something.

[Bikeage77]

most of these bands have only put out 7"s, but they totally rule and are well worth checking out on myspace...I've really only been buying 7"s lately, it's my favorite format, but can be annoying when yer trying to do something while listening to records...anyway this is all i can think of for now, i'll add some full lengths later, but I haven't really gotten anything from this year

 

Tuff Bananas "Candy" 7" and "Dance To Rock N Roll" 7"

Thomas Function "Vanity Lights" 7" and "The Insignificants" 7"

Future Virgins 7" (I can't remember the title)

Blotto/Drunken Boat split 7"

[pogokat]

this is sorta off topic, but does anyone else cringe when the of montreal outback steakhouse comercials are on?

[davebobn]

Modest Mouse - We were Dead...

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Interpol - Our Love to Admire (leak)

New Pornographers - Challengers (leak)

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

Kings of Leon - Because of the Times

[theavrock]

Quote:

---

Speaking of the New Pornographers and Of Montreal, is anyone else going to Pitchfork Music Festival next weekend?

---

 

I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday. Stoked!! I really want to see Cat Power and Dan Deacon.

[RyDogg66]

Dont forget, Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is due on Tuesday. Cant wait.

[zingsheim]

The new Amber Pacific and "The Almost" albums are probably some of the best albums I've heard in years.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Hm. I tend to lag release dates by a while, so a lot of what I have played the heck out of the first half of the year doesn't count as 07 stuff...for example, I still listen a whole bunch to that Hold Steady record though it was an 06 release. I'm almost ready for my 2006 top ten list now...sigh.

 

I don't have any of those leaked CDs yet, but I like the Wilco, Ryan Adams and White Stripes records pretty well...Wilco probably most of all. Feist and Isbell will be on my next shopping list, maybe along with the New Pornographers. I don't know much about the National or of Montreal...perhaps I'll have to check those out. I haven't gotten into the Arcade Fire, and sadly haven't even opened the Kings of Leon CD yet.

 

Also:

 

Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday

(heard about this guy somewhere on the net, and there's some sweet songs on here)

 

Mark Olson, The Salvation Blues

(I really miss the Olson-Louris Jayhawks, but this looks like a heck of a year for me with Olson and Louris solo records and possibly a late year release of some recordings they did together)

 

Though I'm not completely sold one way or the other, I also enjoy to varying degrees Cassadega (Bright Eyes), the Patty Griffin record mentioned above, new Jesse Malin, Elliott Smith, Allison Krauss. In the days of iTunes I rarely listen to complete records any more, and some of those are made for skipping around.