Iluvatar's Top 15 Of 2007
I wrote all these in like 4 minutes. I hate this shit.
Merry Christmas! |
| 1 |  | Say Anything
In Defense of the Genre
If you are a white male who has ever had a serious girlfriend, this is your manifesto from this point forward. An album crafted around a relationship Max Bemis had, conceptually centered around an attack on the music industry and pop-punk conventions, In Defense of the Genre stands leaps and bounds over every other pop punk record released this year, and is both exciting and incredibly entertaining for its 90 minutes duration. |
| 2 |  | Neurosis
Given to the Rising
'Given to the Rising' makes a strong case for Neurosis being the most consistently great bands to ever make music over an extended period of time. Going back to the heavy and crushing roots of past records, Neurosis craft a brutal masterpiece that puts other "post metal" bands to shame. You won't hear a heavier album in 2007, and probably won't hear much outright better either. |
| 3 |  | The Kidcrash
Jokes
Effortlessly blending post hardcore and emo, the Kidcrash crafted a technical masterpiece that still has me finding out new interesting facets to it months after I first heard it. While the production hampers it a good bit, the actual content makes this one of the most rewarding albums of the year. |
| 4 |  | Ghastly City Sleep
Ghastly City Sleep
A strange blend of shoegaze and post-rock, Ghastly City Sleep wrote one of the single best songs in years with "Ice Creaks" and then attached 3 excellent songs to accompany it. For every moment the album starts to drag, there are two moments that are excellent. Can't wait for a more fully developed album from these guys. |
| 5 |  | Blacklisted
Peace on Earth, War On Stage
A brash EP from what may become the leading figure in hardcore, Blacklisted are unforgiving, brash, and loud as fuck. 6 minutes of perfect hardcore is more than enough by my book, and there is not one second that is wasted. |
| 6 |  | Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
While "Funeral" touched a lot of people, it was merely a good album in my book. "Neon Bible" got me on the Arcade Fire bandwagon, with the stunning songwriting, perfect production and vastness of the music giving me a new look on the tired melancholic indie genre. 'No Cars Go', 'Intervention' and 'Neon Bible' are all ace songs surrounded by excellence. |
| 7 |  | 108
A New Beat From a Dead Heart
After ten years, 108 come back and make an album that absolutely kills everything they released previously. Less preachy, more relatable and more intense, "A New Beat From a Dead Heart" hits every mark that it strives to and then some. |
| 8 |  | Radiohead
In Rainbows
See what everyone else ever has written about this. Arguably the biggest record of 2007, it could be Radiohead's best album besides Ok Computer. |
| 9 |  | Eluvium
Copia
Beautiful. Thats all. |
| 10 |  | Feist
The Reminder
When I heard of Feist, I totally disregarded her as some silly female pop artist in the vein of Lily Allen or Regina Spektor. While that wouldn't have been disappointing, Feist is something different and wonderful. When even your 'lame' single is great, you know you just hit gold. |
| 11 |  | Chamillionaire
Ultimate Victory
The best hip hop album of the year, Chamillionaire carries the torch Clipse lit last year with a masterful take on mainstream hip hop. It may not sound incredibly different than what TI may be putting out, but the lyrical content and Cham?s delivery are some of the best in the mainstream. While half of the album is noticeably better than the other half, that has more to say about the quality of the better half than any kind of weakness in the 'worse'. |
| 12 |  | Shining
V - Halmstad
KILL YOURSELF |
| 13 | | Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet
The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange
After a multitude of semi-failures, Omar finally gets it right. An acid jazz/blues/dub/rock fusion, "The Apocalypse inside of an Orange" (released on vinyl this year, CD in 2008) is the realization of what Omar has been trying to do for 3 years, and is his most varied effort to date. The repetition isn't just annoying here, and the reworked 'Viscera Eyes' is outstanding. |
| 14 |  | Overview
Forty-Four Stone Tigers
4 dudes from Cali making indie music. It's something that probably won't get much exposure, but definitely deserves it. Very strong musicianship, excellent songwriting, and awesome dynamics make "Forty Four Stone Tigers" a worthwhile endeavor to obtain. |
| 15 | | Maroon 5
It Won't Be Soong Before Long
It wouldn?t feel right without having the best straight pop record of the year on my list. With 11 great songs and one half miss, Maroon 5 almost hit the same mark they did with Songs About Jane, but still make an incredible five song run at the beginning of the album. |
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