My Top 10 Albums of 2007

Oh yes, it's that time of year as well--time for all of us know-it-all media whore blowhards to trumpet our selections of the best of the year to all who will listen and to belittle those who dare to disagree with us. Goody goody... So without further ado, here are my selections for the top 10 albums of 2007.

10. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Say what you will about MegnJack, these two know how to craft an album, and a good one at that. Somehow they've managed to stay above the gimmicky nature of the whole "only two people in the band!" thing in addition to rising above the "omg are they related? married? fucking?" thing as well. From their sparse garage/blues beginnings to really very intricate and intelligent compositions, they refrain from repeating themselves again and again like so many other artists do album after album and work on continue to grow and evolve as creative people and musicians. They're always the same MegnJack, and they're always rocking, but they know that that is not enough to stay at the forefront of a very, very picky audience. And once again, they deliver the jamz something fierce.

9. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
I had sex to The Shins once, and it was weird. Because they're not exactly a sexin' it up kind of band. But they do very reliably create catchy, inviting, warm little tunes of abstraction and detail that makes for near-perfect album listens. From soothing melodies to surprising lil jams, The Shins just make music that can't help but make you happy. Their production values have cleaned up a bit over the years, and I honestly don't have a problem with that. I love the rough feeling of their first two albums, but this one does have a shimmering cleanness to it that really allows you to focus on the melodies, phrasing and instrumentation, all of which are simply gorgeous. A lovely effort from one of my favorite groups.

8. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Forget all the drama and scandal and missing teeth and bloodied arms and white-powder rimmed nostrils and slurred performances and emaciation and dirty ballet slippers and drinking binges that have followed our gal Wino relentlessly this year. Try, if you can, to clear all of that from your head and just listen to this album. It's fucking amazing. A perfect blend of sassy modern pop, vintage soul and just a tinge of punk attitude augmented by Wino's stunning vocal ability. This girl can SING, y'all. And yes, we're all tired of all the "Rehab" jokes, but don't lie: that song totally defined this year. Amid all the personal issues and problems in her life, there is real, vulnerable emotion splayed out before us all on this album: heartbreak, anger, regret, betrayal, loneliness. She's managed to take the attempts at creating a vintage-themed album (ahem, Fergie, and to a lesser extent, Christina) and actually succeeded in creating something that was not just a throwback, but something truly modern and relatable without being the kind of pop trash we've all become accustomed to. Here's hoping she gets her shit together and survives to record another album.

7. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Spoon always kind of catches me by surprise, because they are such a consistently good band. For real, they have never put out a bad album. They don't trash hotels, they don't fuck a bunch of actresses or have drug problems that we know of, they don't have any sort of gimmick and the only thing that makes them "different" from all the other indie rock bands out there is that they are solidly awesome, and their latest album is no exception. It's quality songs performed by quality musicians, and you can't deny just how good they are. Yes, they're kind of boring and square, but that is not what makes a band. What makes a band is how good their music is, and Spoon continue to raise the bar. "The Underdog" is so one of my top jams for this year.

6. Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold
The ladiez pwned everyone this year, hands down. There were so many exciting female artists out there getting down with their bad selves and really opening new doors for female voices and experiences, and Natasha Khan was just one of them. She and her will o' the wisp cohorts managed to create an album and a sound that is feminine without being girlish, whimsical without being comical and intelligent without being inaccessible. Just beautiful, ethereal, wistful songs that can't really be pigeonholed into any label besides purely and wonderfully "independent." (EDIT: Apparently this album was released in the UK in 2006, but according to Amazon.com it didn't come out stateside until 2007, so I'm sticking with the later date on this one.)

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is EP
It is absolutely crucial that these kids put out a full album in '08, because one lil EP is definitely not going to cut it for me. However, these five songs are some of the strongest the trio has ever put together, and bodes well for any release in the coming year. Coming down off last year's some would say (but not me) disappointing sophomore full-length Show Your Bones, YYYs gave us this little gem to hopefully tide us over until they return with more rocking greatness. Uber-frontwoman Karen O's range has never been more perfectly displayed than in these tracks: if you were turned off by her tendency to screech on Fever to Tell and were bored by all the damn love songs on Bones, there is a perfect mix of her punk sensibility and melodic ability. She's still classic Karen O, and if you can't find something to love about her on this EP, then there's just no hope for you. This album gives me hope, however, that there's more wonderfulness in store for us from this "next big thing" band that continues to be just on the verge, and quite comfortably so.

4. Justice - Cross
I want to go to Paris just so I can party with some French kids, because you know they can break it down something serious. Justice takes the Daft Punk-esque disotheque vibe so common among European electronic duos and roughs it up a bit, dirties it up, makes it sweat and gyrate. Killer beats and intriguing samples make for pure dancefloor gold, and even if you're not the greatest dancer, you still can't stop yourself from nodding your head and getting a little hip action in when it all kicks into high gear. But if you're like me and you've got perpetually happy feet, by the middle of the album you're already a happy, feverish sweaty mess and really, you couldn't care less.

3. Feist - The Reminder
This album was everywhere this year, and really, is that such a bad thing? What's wrong with a female artist who doesn't have baby daddy issues, plastic surgery addiction or a penchant for flashing her vag hitting it big? Absolutely nothing, that's what. Leslie Feist brought us a sampling of more her signature smooth jams rolled up in a modern folksy package and enough Canadienne chic to spare. This is another emotional album, but her sad songs are tempered with upbeat ditties that don't resort to cutesy bullshit in order to get her message across. No matter how down our girl Les might get, there's always that tiny little ray of hope, a reminder that things can get better, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, either.

2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty into electronic music. I like to dance, I like good beats and interesting samples, I like to kick a slow jam groove or bust a move something serious. LCD Soundsystem makes smart, different and oh-so danceable music for those of us who are smart, different and like to dance. Silver expounded on their eponymous debut from a few years back and really expanded the group's dance-punkish sound into a warmer maturity. Gone are the days when electronic music meant cold, angry beats against distant, robotic vocals--electronic music is being pumped full of life and energy and raw humanity these days, and its an exciting time for us fans of the genre. Another album that is just plain awesome the whole way through, but its standout track is definitely the beautiful "Someone Great," which I'm fairly certain I want played on the dancefloor at my funeral. And yes, you heard me correctly.

1. M.I.A. - Kala
Everything is right with this album. Everything. It's unabashedly political in an era of extreme apathy, dischordant in the most melodious way imaginable, eclectic and wordly, relevant and timeless. This albums demonstrates the potential and possibility held by globalization, and is intent on raising awareness, of breaking molds and barriers, of coming forth and being unafraid to embrace that which is different, unique and foreign. Maybe it's because I love the production and its mishmash of continental styles and rhythms, how the music so wholly un-American sounding while at the same time embodying the melting pot principles upon which this country was founded. Maybe it's because I love the feverish, unrelenting rhythms, the barrage of sounds from every direction and the joyful havoc it wreaks upon your very core. Maybe it's because I love Ms. Maya herself--an intelligent, thoughtful, provocative iconoclast with a lot on her mind and a lot to say about it, making herself and the voices of dissatisfied young women and marginalized people in general heard in the best way possible. Whatever it is, I love it, and it's pure genius. I hope the rumors that this is her last album are untrue, but if they are, I'm fairly certain that this will not be the last we hear from M.I.A.

Honorable Mention:
The Pipettes, We Are The Pipettes
Kanye West, Graduation
Bjork, Volta
New Young Pony Club, Fantastic Playroom