Thursday, December 20, 2007

Adam Willis' Year In Music

I didn't want to be the last to post again this year, so I tried to throw together my list as best I could. Like Paul and others, I think I listen to "albums" a lot less than I used to. I've also realized that I listen to a good deal more new "old" music than actual new releases, so that affects what I've listened to a lot. Here goes:

Favorite Singles of 2007:
-"D.A.N.C.E.", Justice- I think I heard this early enough that it was still cool to me and still cool for me to like it.
-"Players Anthem", UGK & Three Six Mafia- The best of Texas Hip Hop. Put a little South in your Mouth!
-"Bittersweet Poetry", Kanye West featuring John Mayer- Hidden track on Graduation, I'm as surprised as anyone else to feature John Mayer in my favorite singles of the year. I liked this album a whole lot and it probably falls just shy of making my top albums list. Either way, I think this is my favorite track. Keyshia Cole!
-"Irreplaceable", Beyonce- This gets in my head at least once a week and is in fierce competition with that "No One" Alicia Keyes song for favorite R&B traffic sing-a-long, but Ms. Keyes song is too new for me to make a judgement.
-"The Underdog", Spoon- Indie Rock single of the year. Those spanish horns really put me in a good mood.
-"Grace Kelly", Mika- I thought this was a self-referencing Queen song I'd never heard before when I heard it on the radio the first time. Definitely my number one sing-s-long of the year. Anything with a high-note I can strain to of this caliber is A-OK.

Favorite Albums of 2007: (There are 8)

8-LCD Soundsystem, "Sound Of Silver"- I was a lot crazier about this album than the first for some reason. It's at the bottom of the list because i wish it had ended right before that crappy New York song. Perfect until then for me.
7-Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky"- I got this when it first came out and kind of shelved it until later this year. The first half or so of this one could be my favorite recordings they've ever done. I'd almost swear it was recorded in 1975.
6-Apples In Stereo, "New Magnetic Wonder"- I'm really grateful to Elijah Wood for starting a record label to release this album. Vocoder always wins.
5-Junior Senior, "Hey Hey My My Yo Yo"- I know this actually came out a couple of years ago, but it was finally released in the US this year. I think they should be the biggest band on pop radio. I'm not sure why they aren't.
4-Spoon, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"- In reality, my Top 4 albums could possibly all be tied for number 1. They all very equally shared the most listens of the year for me. This album is over quick and I frequently would start it over immediately afterwards.
3-Dr. Dog, "We All Belong"- Maybe they're channeling the Beatles, maybe they're channeling The Band, either way they are pop craftsmen. Also, I'm a sucker for male harmonies. The album is equally good to me as the EP "Takers and Leavers". I consider them as one.
2-Of Montreal, "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer"- I know it's dark and over-dramatic, but I really, really dug it all year long. I needed someone to replace Beck's Midnight Vultures-era Prince imitation and it was superbly done here.
1-Panda Bear, "Person Pitch"- This slowly grew to be my number one album. Although "Strawberry Jam" would be very high on my year's list, it's the soft layers of Brian Wilson production on this album that make me want to be on acid. On a plane. Reclining. Also, my favorite album cover of the year. It's certainly a complete package.

I look forward to rereading this list next year to see how my opinions of 2007's albums have changed.

Love,
Adam

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

As popular as that Justice song became, I never got sick of it. Same goes for that Feist smash. You know -- the one about all the numbers.

I really like the new LCD Soundsystem, but I think I still favor the old one. No disrespect, though, Adam. No disrespect.

Anonymous said...

Like Thom, I never tired of "D.A.N.C.E." I actually like everything I've heard by Justice; I just haven't been in the right record buying mood. Same with the Junior Senior record.

UGK: I hardly knew ye. RIP in Bun B.

As I mentioned in person, Adam, I encourage you to write another best of cataloguing some older stuff you've been listening to or watching. You should feel inclined to extol the virtues of Robin Gibb's early 1980's output.

Shame we had no Hollywood Bowl run-ins this summer. That's on the Summer 2008 to-do list.

And you should post the Debate Team video.

Anonymous said...

The Feist song, Thom? In that case, we'll call it this year's Picaresque (still bloated) or Pieces of the People We Love (still the bomb), although I guess the analogy's not totally apt since we didn't share a great affinity for Feist's prior work (although I certainly found it nice). Those numbers, though, and that video with all those peacenik Canadians who can't dance . . . I think I'd like that song more if they did some cool dancing in that video.

Anonymous said...

i bought the kanye cd on itunes, but i hear no, see no john mayer. hmmm...

Anonymous said...

Don't know about itunes. I tend to avoid it when possible. It's listed as a hidden track on a couple of websites. I received the album as a digital gift, and I can't speak to the whereabouts of said persons acquisition.