Wednesday, January 2, 2008

overdue

(Joshua Masayoshi Huff)

I've been a bit more busy than I expected, but I wanted to put out my list of favorite albums, songs and odds and ends from 2007. These aren't in any particular order other than the first three stood out to me the most.

My absolute favorites:
Jens Lekman "Night Falls Over Kortedala"
Kanye West "Graduation"
LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver"

The rest:
Daft Punk "Alive"
M.I.A. "Kala"
Aesop Rock "None Shall Pass"
Jay-Z "American Gangster"
The Field "From Here We Go Sublime"
Lupe Fiasco "The Cool"
Radiohead "In Rainbows"
Caribou "Andorra"
Burial "Untrue"
M83 "Digital Shades"
Fennesz Sakamoto "Cendre"
Do Make Say Think "You, You're A History in Rust"


Favorite Songs of the Year (Justice's "D.A.N.C.E" is too obvious):
Jens Lekman "Sipping on Sweet Nectar"
Ayuse Kozue "Sundae Love"
LCD Soundsystem "All My Friends"
M.I.A. "Paper Planes"
The Field "A Paw in My Face"
Radiohead "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
Kanye West "Good Life"
The Cool Kids "Black Mags"
Shape of Broad Minds "Let's Go"

Favorite finds from years past:
Aesop Rock "Daylight"
Rich Boy "Throw Some D's"

Robin Thicke "Wanna Love You Girl"
Stardust "Music Sounds Better With You"
Ratatat "Nostrand"
Faunts "Memories of Places We've Never Been"
Joe Jackson "Stepping Out"
Minmi "Who's Theme"
....and the Hall and Oates' Greatest Hits compilation

I also don't think that there was a musical artist more relevant last year than Daft Punk. They were at their absolute biggest even though they didn't put out a studio album--they exploded based on the strength of their live show. They got sampled by Kanye (runner-up for most relevant artist in my book) and got cozy with the rock and rap kids. And, let's be honest: without Daft Punk, there'd be no Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, The Field, Junior Boys or just about any other remotely interesting electro/dance/rock outift (fine, the same can be said about Detroit Techno as well, but that's like saying there wouldn't be rock without Beethoven. Get real).


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JJ is turning one year old in two weeks. bsto and i are currently culling through our favorite entries and will be posting our own lists of standout moments very soon.