Archive for December, 2007

Best of 2007

Hooray. It’s time, once again, for my definitive guide to the best music of the year. This time round, I’ve decided to use the magic of embedded YouTube videos to showcase the albums do it the same way I did last year, so that you can make you’re own mind up as to whether I’m a) full of marvelous musical wisdom, or b) full of shite.

Rhubarb 20.
Rhubarb
The Julius Work Calendar

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Malcolm Middleton 19.
Malcolm Middleton
A Brighter Light

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Nina Nastasia 18.
Nina Nastasia & Jim White
You Follow Me

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El-P 17.
El-P
I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead

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Burial 16.
Burial
Untrue

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Example 15.
Example
What We Made

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Jim Lauderdale 14.
Jim Lauderdale
The Bluegrass Diaries

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Okkervil River 13.
Okkervil River
The Stage Names

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M.I.A. 12.
M.I.A.
Kala

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Lucky Jim 11.
Lucky Jim
All The King’s Horses

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Wilco 10.
Wilco
Sky Blue Sky

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Gogol Bordello 9.
Gogol Bordello
Super Taranta

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Rachel Unthank 8.
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
The Bairns

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Arcade Fire 7.
Arcade Fire
Neon Bible

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Battles 6.
Battles
Mirrored

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Friska Viljor 5.
Friska Viljor
Bravo!

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Alela Diane 4.
Alela Diane
The Pirate’s Gospel

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Tinariwen 3.
Tinariwen
Aman Iman: Water Is Life

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Imagined Village 2.
The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village

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Fanfare Ciocarlia 1.
Fanfare Ciocarlia
Queens & Kings

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Notes:

1) Only two hip hop albums, both by white artists? Ouch.

2) Perhaps worryingly, my favourite song of the year is also by a white rapper.

3) It’s a much folksier selection than usual.

4) Best gig of the year? Goran Bregovic, Guca Festival, Serbia.

5) Worst gig of the year? Easy. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Shepherds Bush Empire, London. Only show I’ve walked out on in anger since Bowie’s useless Glass Spider tour.

6) Most overrated record of the year? Stars Of The Lid’s And Their Refinement Of The Decline. Let’s compare two viewpoints:

“I simply feel that they are making the most important music of the 21st century.” Ivo Watts-Russell – 4AD label founder.

“What a load of noodley old bollocks. Don’t be suckered into buying this twaddle.” Fraser Lewry – blogjam.com

7) Tip for 2008? The Imagined Village will win the Mercury Prize.

Previously:
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000

The Best Walking To Work Song Ever

My walk to work takes 25 minutes. It’s a fairly leisurely ramble, certainly not part of any ludicrous fitness campaign, with the iPod generally switched to shuffle to accompany the stroll. One day last week, the following track took its turn. It’s Atlas, by Battles.

It’s perhaps the most infectiously rhythmic record of the year, and a remarkable thing happened. My stride lengthened. I walked with a greater urgency. And I seemed to get to work a little more quickly than normal.

So today I tried something. I followed my regular route to work, but I only played this track. Each time it finished, I started it again. By the time I reached the office my knee joints were aching and my calves aflame, but I’d shaved an entire three minutes off my normal journey time.

I wonder if this technique would be of use to Britain’s Olympic hopefuls. I’d certainly like to think so.

POSSIBLE FACT: When Battles signed to Warp Records, they apparently spent all of their advance on the mirrored box you see in the video. I would love this to be true.