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1. Wenn es sein muss - dann aber sofort (0:37)
2. Underworld - Cow Girl (8:55)
3. Cultivated Bimbo - Erleben Nicht Aus (3:07)
4. Volkswiderstand - Abschaum Erwache (2:00)
5. Ostara - Bavaria (4:45)
6. The Flirts - Passion (12'' Remix) (6:59)
7. Index - Angelfire (6:25)
8. Morrissey & Siouxsie - Interlude (Extended) (5:51)
9. Front 242 - Born To Breathe (4:30)
10. Organ - Kaavakekauhu (3:02)
11. Iris - New Invaders (3:45)
12. DMX Krew - Streetboys (3:52)
13. Pankow - (Do The) Rotkäppchen (6:15)
14. Fall of Saigon - She Leaves Me All Alone (4:20)
15. Pailhead - Don't Stand In Line (3:50)
16. U96 - Das Boot (Trigger Version) (5:12)
17. Hearts of Black Science - Empty City Lights (They Made Me Do It Remix) (5:27)
18. Thermostatic - Private Machine (3:27)
19. Vis-a-Vis - Shadowplay (Shadow Mix) (5:50)
20. Yello - She's Got a Gun (3:41)
21. Friends Of Carlotta - Fingerfoc (5:54)
22. Distain - It's Over (6:14)
23. Leger des Heils - Wehet Ihr Fahnen - Viktoria! (5:50)
24. Aircrash Bureau - Exhibition (Remixed By A.B.) (7:01)
25. The Stranglers - Nice in Nice (3:53)
26. Dirty Harry - D-Bop (5:34)
27. Weena Morloch - Kugel Im Gesicht (8mm) (3:23)
28. Two Of Us - Generation Swing (3:51)
29. Andreas Dorau - Die Trottellumme (3:16)
30. The Dream Academy - Life In A Northern Town (Extended Version) (5:19)
31. Rofo - Rofo's Theme (4:36)
32. Michigan - Juveniles (4:34)
33. In My Rosary - Mercy Killing (4:09)
34. Nico - All Tomorrow's Parties (3:59)
35. Sonovac - Human Fly (2:09)
36. 2NEFUSE - Lick It (Boem Punani Extended Mix 2008) (5:07)
37. Iggy Pop And Ministry - Fire Engine (4:53)
38. Menticide - Komm Zu Mir (3:24)
39. 16 Bit - (Ina) Gadda-Da-Vida (Dance Mix) (6:13)
40. Men 2nd - Captain America (4:20)
41. Colder - To The Music (5:27)
42. Mega - You Got A Bausparvertrag? (Rubel-Mix) (6:47)
43. Hass - Ich Habe Hass (4:25)
44. Implant - Early In The Morning (Empusae Remix) (5:23)
45. D.D.S.A. - I Want You (5:38)
46. heute - Traurig-Lustig (3:03)
47. The KLF - Justified And Ancient (All Bound For Mu Mu Land) (7:48)
48. Parca Pace - Grenzland (4:49)
49. A.O.K. - Der Knüppel Aus Dem Sack (1:11)
50. Shannon - Let The Music Play (Wicked Mix) (5:58)
51. Geneviève Pasquier - Today The Disco (4:25)
52. Ultravox - I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) (4:59)
53. Frank Zander - Der Ur-Ur-Enkel von Frankenstein (5:06)
54. Bad Boys Blue - Kisses & Tears (3:58)

Hello friends!

And so...here it is - finally. I could not bring myself to write proper reviews due to a lack of motivation and time constraints so I took the liberty of providing some of my favorite reviews for twenty of my favorite records from 2007. Feel free to post your thoughts and your own lists should the urge strike you.
Enjoy.



1.) And Also the Trees – “(Listen For) The Rag And Bone Man”

How this swarthy band eluded my attentive ear for so long has me positively baffled. Having only recently discovered the brilliant music that AATT have been writing for the last 25 years, I was delighted to discover that their latest record is arguably among the most mysteriously urgent and darkly mesmerizing to date. Nothing this year even came close.

“And Also The Trees have been ploughing their own musical furrow since the late 70s and this, their latest album, illustrates quite neatly the strange, schizophrenic nature of the band. '(Listen For) The Rag And Bone Man' demonstrates both that it is practically criminal that they remain so obscure, and yet the singular, uncompromising focus that drives the album means that there is no hook, no single, no catchy anthem. What there is, instead, is a collection of songs that I can only describe as the English equivalent of Nick Cave, not in terms of sound or style, but in terms of a determined, writerly instinct to construct a narrative; the ability to imbue the mundane with qualities both epic and menacing. The album opener, 'The Domed' is compelling, hypnotic and utterly exceptional, the vocals croon gently across a shimmering, thrumming musical background. The album then meanders its way across an mesmerizing landscape, where nothing is exactly as it seems, where disaster and tragedy lurk below the surface of delicately crafted tunes and the careful listener is richly rewarded. Gentle melodies suddenly crash into ferocious assaults like unexpected summer storms and fade as suddenly.
This is a quite remarkable record.”

- Antonis Xaga (Essential Albums)

And Also The Trees Info:
Homepage - www.andalsothetrees.co.uk
MySpace - www.myspace.com/andalsothetreesofficial



2.) Hearts of Black Science - "The Ghost You Left Behind"

Quite possibly the most addicting release of 2007, this release from HOBS is without doubt one of the finest debut recordings I have ever heard. Each track is a gloomy pop-masterwork, especially tracks like “Walking With The Sun”, “Serene”, “Snowfall”, and “Silver”. Superb album.

“Hearts of Black Science are a band whose name sums them up quite nicely. They dabble in electro beats set to the sound of deeply emotional and often sombre sounding lyrics and music. Having formed a few years ago in their native Sweden, Thomas Almgren (synths, programming and beats) and Daniel Anghede (Vocals, guitar and Bass) had come together after various other bands/projects had finished. The childhood friends left everything and everyone behind to go write and record this album in an abandoned power plant outside Gothenburg. Prior to the band taking off, Almgren had been heading in the direction of horror movie producer and this penchant for harnessing the darker side of life is obvious in his music as well. Knowing all this it is not hard to see how a bleak and lonely landscape came to form much of their sound and the album’s feeling.

This album isn’t something that will grab you instantly, but if you like the moodiness and darkness of the likes of Joy Division and Depeche Mode then Hearts of Black Science are worth checking out. You have to let the music take hold of you, and allow yourself to be lost within the dark melodies that are woven throughout. ‘Snowfall’ and ‘Revolver’ set the pace for the album early on and you quickly get a feel for what to expect from these. The pace does tend do develop at points, particularly during ‘In A Park’ which sounds like a mix of New Order and Bloc Party, but at the most bleak. This song along with the first single, ‘Empty City Lights’ liven things up a bit with trance like keyboard parts which notch the tempo up, but are still backed by the slow and melancholy vocals from Anghede.

‘Driverlights’ gives the vocalist a chance to shine, being the most up-beat feeling song very much in the Depeche Mode style. Keyboards and drum loops are set against quieter acoustic guitars, creating a blend of simple acoustic melodies and vocals enhanced by the use of the programmed beats and effects. It’s this fusion of styles, which makes the band stand out. The styles compliment each other; the bleak keyboards and synth backing create the atmosphere, but never does this drown out the bare bones of the songs with noise.

This may be one to steer clear of if you’re sat alone in a dark room with only a razor blade and the Samaritans phone number to hand, as it may just tip you over the edge. However if you like dark, deeply emotional tunes which above all create a feeling, then Hearts of Black Science are worth seeking out.”

- Adrian Huggins (Disorder Magazine)

Hearts Of Black Science Info:
MySpace - www.myspace.com/heartsofblackscience



3.) Lights Out Asia - "Tanks And Recognizers"

The sophomore release from Lights Out Asia was hypnotic and beautiful. I can perpetually listen to “Tanks and Recognizers” and never tire of the album, which made it a deserving mainstay in my listening rotation throughout 2007. The record is a flawless progression from LOA’s debut; the only drawback is that it could be impossible for any future release to rival “Tanks and Recognizers”. Only time will tell.

“Wisconsin post-celestial-shoegazer trio Lights Out Asia delivers their sophomore full length and debut for n5MD titled Tanks and Recognizers. This follow-up to their critic and fan favorite Garmonia (sun sea sky) pushes their sound far forward with a palpable intensity by giving a seemingly subliminal nod to some of the more electronically minded ethereal bands of the mid 80s to early 90s like Breathless, Chapterhouse, My Bloody Valentine or even the more emotionally rich moments of Colourbox. Lights Out Asia who is actually influenced more by a more current crop of like-minded artists such as Mogwai, Massive Attack, and Robin Guthrie’s various works, blend them all, the erstwhile and contemporary, with an updated style, feel and modern expansiveness. Tanks and Recognizers is a cinematic and ambitiously crafted album, which could easily fit into any indie rock or electronic music collection. Soaring, floating, and moving forward as it pulls you in to its hopeful heart consuming ebb and flow of electronics, guitars and lofty vocal yearning. Tanks and Recognizers is that perfect album for those days when the horizon and sky are of the same hue and for those moments where every perspective is so gorgeously blurred.”

– n5MD Website

Lights Out Asia Info:
Homepage - www.lightsoutasia.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/lightsoutasia



4.) Blackfield - "II"

In 2007, Blackfield > Porcupine Tree.

“Much like its predecessor, Blackfield (2006, Snapper Records), Blackfield II lays down graceful, elegant melodies and rich vocal harmonies set amid airy, symphonic elements. What their album titles lack in the way of ingenuity, Blackfield make up for with their thickly atmospheric soundscapes. All the while, Blackfield II tracks move about like different weather rolls in and out.

The open-space drumming that starts the disc in "Once" almost sounds like rumbling thunder here and there in the atmosphere as a thunderstorm rolls in. At about the 1:21 mark, when the roaring guitar and clashing drums kick up, the storm moves in and intensifies, before tapering off during the verses. Throughout the track, the storm drifts and lunges, advances and retreats. Like the majority of cuts on II, "Once" follows Londoner Steven Wilson's (Porcupine Tree's own front man/producer) vocal delivery that's at times gentile, mournful, and contemplative, at others, soaring and bordering on celebratory.

"1,000 People" follows "Once" and drifts into frame sounding like spotty rainfall. Wilson's soft croon directs this down-tempo cut with Israeli singer / songwriter Aviv Geffen, the other half of the founding / creative force behind Blackfield, backing in the choruses to add depth. The Geffen-led "Miss U" barges in with the force of a driving rain after "1,000 People" quietly drifts out. "Miss U" choruses are highlighted with Jamaican drum-like keys before breaking down into mid-tempo, serene verses with sparse piano keys. When the chorus kicks up, Geffen's voice sounds as though it's craftily masked by murky vocal effects, creating an intriguing, eerie haze about the delivery.

The Wilson-penned and led single "Christenings," faintly drifts into picture with a lazy, mournful guitar part and Wilson's pacific delivery. Wilson tells the tale of what seems to be a fallen-from-fame musician turned vagabond. Great lyrics include the ascending / descending choruses' ("High times and vodka in the morning") and ("Shoplifting, getting your essentials / Gatecrashing christenings and funerals / And weddings too").

After "Christenings" gently trickles out of frame, the chillingly-lyriced, Geffen-written "This Killer" slides in slowly with Wilson's hauntingly indifferent-turned-sorrowful vocals. The Geffen-backed, and foggily-delivered words, "Falling man", slide in and out in the chorus. "Epidemic" dances in with piano keys before Wilson and Geffen tradeoff equally yearning vocals in a symphonic track that kicks into a mid-tempo cut with guesting female backing vocals.

"My Gift of Silence" comes next following some piano keys and a repeating, distanced guitar part that sets the stage for soaring choruses with Wilson's delivery and the growing backing instrumentation. "Someday" moves in much like "My Gift of Silence," slow and steady. And like its predecessor, sets up huge choruses. This time, the chorus gradually and optimistically lifts higher and higher. Again, Wilson and Geffen split vocal duties in the next cut, "Where Is My Love?," a track that follows "Someday" in similar fashion, with gargantuan choruses, down-on-the-upside hooks, and a sprawling, elongated Wilson guitar run to boot.

Finally, "End of the World" totes a repeating piano part and those familiar sweeping, grandiose Wilson-Geffen vocalized choruses. While Blackfield songs are footed in the melancholic, tracks on Blackfield II see the sun starting to peek through the clouds just a bit more than on Blackfield. But much like the debut, this sophomore effort showcases Wilson and Geffen's uncanny ability to craft memorable songs that boast quality lyricism, anthemic sing-a-longable choruses, and beautiful layers.
Elegant, regal, sweeping music set to serve as the creme de la creme of the genre. A must-have.”

– Josh Barr (Aversion.com)

Blackfield Info:
Homepage - www.blackfield.org
MySpace - www.myspace.com/blackfield



5.) PJ Harvey - "White Chalk”

I have always loved her music, and many of her earliest records ooze a certain recollection and nostalgic quality, having first heard “Dry” and “Rid Of Me” in high school – what seems like an eternity ago nowadays. The last couple of records, however, I haven’t been altogether thrilled about. “Uh Huh Her” was mediocre in comparison to the other releases in her discography, and while I enjoy “Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea”, it lacked a certain distinguishing ambiance and prior records had. “While Chalk”, a return to form and altogether something totally new is – arguably – her most inspired and daring release to date. I love the fact that after several years it is possible for me to relentlessly listen to a PJ Harvey album again.

“Don't hold your breath -- she doesn't pick up her electric guitar on this one either. White Chalk, PJ Harvey's eighth full-length and first in three years, isn't loud or brash; it isn't Rid of Me" (1993) or even Is This Desire? (1998). But this album will still take away the breath you aren't holding: It's at once bleak, aching, and insidiously beautiful.

One of Harvey's strengths is that she can release an album that sounds nothing like any she's put out before it but still make it sound exactly like a PJ Harvey record should. Even behind the piano, her music retains the depth and spark she is known for, and her voice floats off to new heights. White Chalk is meant for headphones, with intricate layers and buried surprises.
On "Dear Darkness" John Parish's voice offers a lovely bass counterpoint to Harvey's voice (and perhaps hints at what we can expect on their forthcoming 2008 collaboration). Parish's voice is like butter trying to melt on Harvey's ice cubes.

The title track is the album's centerpiece, Harvey's vocals ranging from soft-spoken to husky and cold. This may well be the sound and implication Cat Power was going for and almost captured on You Are Free. Harvey sings about white chalk sticking to her hands and feet, and the song is punctuated by ethereal wailing, pinned down with harmonica, guitar, piano and plucking -- the blood on her hands is still ruby red and wet.

"The Piano" is the closest thing to an upbeat pop song on this album, if only because the tempo picks up the pace a bit and the key is major for a change. It's almost jaunty, but it isn't a total distraction from the murky waters she treads on the rest of the album; the heartbreak is still apparent in the lyrics, "Oh, god I miss you," and "nobody's listening."

"To Talk to You" sounds like Harvey's taken the Radiohead blueprint and made her own track that would sit comfortably on Hail to the Thief. Maybe this is a lasting impression from her work with Thom Yorke on "This Mess We're In" from 2000's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. Its off-kilter piano and pale white noise wander in that general direction.

White Noise may be a somewhat quieter record for Harvey, but it's very much distinctively her. She still has one of the most jarring and versatile voices in music, and it's just as stunning toned down. White Chalk is like a frayed blanket from your childhood, threadbare in places, but still trying to keep you warm. Those drafts that do get in are welcome in their coldness, and it makes you feel alive -- and possibly glad that you aren't the one who's inspiring all the gorgeous chill in her songs.”

- Lee Fullington (PrefixMag.com)

PJ Harvey Info:
Homepage - www.pjharvey.net
MySpace - www.myspace.com/pjharvey



6.) Blonde Redhead - "23"

From start to finish: beautiful, catchy, melancholy, inventive, remarkable at every twist and turn in each successive track – with “23” Blonde Redhead have recorded their magnum opus. The progression this band has shown is extraordinary, and having not been the biggest fan prior to this release, I am a full-fledged Blonde Redhead addict now after hearing “23” and subsequently spinning it relentlessly. Great record.

“Blonde Redhead are that rarest of things – a band whose voice has grown stronger, clearer and more distinctive with every record that they have made. Their reward for this has been an audience whose numbers have quietly grown over the course of their career, almost entirely by word of mouth.”

With that comes a double-edged sword. As a band matures, a portion of the band’s longtime followers will inevitably feel jilted with the band’s growing fan base and the development of the band’s sound. This will likely apply to Blond Redhead since their days of Sonic Youth inspired no-wave rock sounds are all but forgotten. Blonde Redhead’s 2004 album “Misery Is A Butterfly” set the stages for the band’s growth as musicians. The songs on that record contained more ambitious production, as well as more sensuous melodies that often wrestled with the band’s foreboding and melancholy based songs. One of the more impressive aspects with each of the Blonde Redhead albums is hearing Kazu Makino’s development as a singer. While early in the band’s career Kazu Makino’s high pitched voice was grating, she is now able to sing in a manner where the adjective “gorgeous” would not feel out of place.

When listening to “23″ there are three tracks that shines slightly more brightly than the others. Those tracks would be “23,” “Silently,” and “Publisher.” Opening track “23″ may be one of the more thrilling songs that the bands has created to date. The bass lines are simply massive, while the military style drumming and the chiming guitar lines sets up the song with a thick cinematic like tension. Once Kazu Makino does her LUSH-cious “la la la’s,” followed by her multi-tracked “House of The Rising Sun” inspired falsetto, the song just goes insane. Insane I say! “Silently” stands out for being one of the most upbeat / chirpy songs that the band has made to date and, again, Kazu Makino sounds absolutely LUSH-cious on that song.

“Publisher” is more of the foreboding type of song that would fit well on “Misery Is A Butterfly,” that also features a killer chorus that kind of begs for an Eminem type of booger to come along and sample it into pop radio oblivion. With these three impressive songs that’s not to say the rest of the album is filler material. Far from it actually. “Dr. Strangeluv” is another great song where Kazu Makino makes your heart melt with the type of sadness that only Blonde Redhead can create. “SW” has a similar “massive” sound as opening track “23,” except vocals are handled strictly by Amadeo Pace and the song features an unexpected Beatles like diversion with some very trippy horns.

“23″ by Blonde Redhead impressively builds off of their equally impressive 2004 album “Misery Is A Butterfly,” with a sound that is even more expansive and diverse. There will inevitably be some people that will complain about the production and melodies being more accessible, but that’s not really a concern of mine. I just can’t stop playing this album.”

- Lunapark6.com

Blonde Redhead Info:
Homepage - www.blonde-redhead.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/blonderedhead



7.) God Is an Astronaut - "Far From Refuge"

Since 2002, GIAA have been among my most listened to and favorite post-rock bands. “Far From Refuge” is anything but a disappointment, but I’m not so sure where I would rank it within the bands own discography, since all of their recordings are entirely magnificent. The music this band creates has always had a certain hypnotic and almost transcendental quality to it, but without the trademark post-rock crescendo’s of discordance many of their peers exhibit. Thankfully, “Far From Refuge” does not divert from this ideal and uplifting formula, and I look forward to many additional moving and beautiful pieces of music from this unique band in the future.

“When last we encountered God Is An Astronaut within these pages, it was to review their album, All Is Violent, All Is Bright. It was a lovely discovery, which afforded us the opportunity to wax poetically about twinkling constellations and distant horizons. Yet even before the last rumble of that album's lovely thunder had subsided, I had begun to harbour concerns for our Irish trio. Where could they go from here? Far From Refuge is their answer, an album which, as the name might suggest, avoids playing it safe on any level.
The pulsar-beats that kick-start opener Radau could almost be cousins to Prince's Sign Of The Times, but their coolness is soon overtaken by pounding snare drum and cymbals.

In turn, even this most persuasive of percussion will submit to a surge of skyward guitars. Welcome back, God Is An Astronaut! Their trademark guitar melodies remain intact, but things have taken a noticeable turn for the darker. The difference this time around is in the mix. Bass and drums are not only more prominent, but the role they play has altered. Where once they supported the melodies like a comfort blanket, here on Far From Refuge, they whirl, collide and compete. Like the bag in the wind scene in American Beauty, Radau proves far more effective than we had any right to expect.

The title track feels as though we are back on familiar God Is An Astronaut territory, but that sure-footed rhythm section is on hand again to remind us not to make assumptions. The band really rocks here. These bass-lines would be more at home in a nu-metal or funk rock arena. Is Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) moonlighting in God Is An Astronaut these days? Seriously though, what is clear to me is that God Is An Astronaut are striving to recapture the energy of their live shows. All was bright before, but the violence was conspicuous by its absence. Here, Far From Refuge, literally is a less safe place to tread. For every dazzling light there is shadow, and for every slice of beauty there is another more threatening passage.

Patience is a virtue worth any listener bringing along to this album. New Years End really is as perfect an example of the dichotomy of God Is An Astronaut. In isolation, it's a lovely piece, to be admired and enjoyed in equal measure. However, as one of a succession of instrumentals it loses impact. In this band's world, we can't see the trees for the wood, and it's a pity because these trees are exquisite. Yet if any of these nine tracks had been THE instrumental track on an otherwise conventional rock album, they would probably work beautifully. The minimal, piano-led Darkfall is as varied as things get. Actually, I really enjoyed this phase of the album, from Darkfall through Tempus Horizon and onto the close of the album with Beyond the dying light.

It's pleasure to see God Is An Astronaut back. They've allayed my inner fears that they might have been a spent force, and I'm delighted that they've shown the ambition they have and not merely stand still. Just be warned, they are no longer the comfy pair of slippers that they used to be.”

- Brent Spaceman (Evil Sponge)

God Is An Astronaut Info:
Homepage - http://www.superadmusic.com/god/
MySpace - www.myspace.com/godisanastronaut



8.) Kent - "Tillbaka Till Samtiden"

This band should be playing stadiums. For the duration of the musical journey Kent have been on for the last 10+ years they have consistently delivered some of the best pop music available to erudite ears – albeit in the beautiful Swedish language most of the time. "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" is in the same vein as the preceding records, but here they sound even more polished, concise, and catchy that ever before. This is an excellent album to listen to while driving, working out, or shopping at Ikea. Good stuff.

“Kent is probably the most popular Swedish band in Finland (with permission of The Hellacopters or The Ark), and good proof of it is the massive amount of followers that attract in every visit here, with venue after venue sold out.

The band is back from studio and in excellent shape with this Tillbaka Till Samtiden. The opening track, Elefanter, starts slowly and languid, but step by step grows with glittering guitars on top of the electronic beats and bass. That could be a perfect metaphor for the whole album: the first time you listen to it seems to be another one more in a million, but you need to taste it step by step to appreciate all the connotations. And once that the sensuality of the Swedish language gets inside you, turns impossible to escape from the spell; Joakim´s intriguing voice just conquers your ears even if you cannot understand more than 5 words in Swedish (as it is my case).

Touches of instrumental dance music like in the catchy Våga vara rädd that counts with a hypnotic trumpet, mixed with darker atmospheres that remind their beloved Depeche Mode like in Berlin or especially in Columbus which sounds like a slower Swedish version of I feel You. No wonder that these guys cram people together whenever they come to play to Finland. With excellent release after release they show why they continue on the top of the charts after more than one decade of existence.”

- Antonio Díaz (Free Magazine – Finnish Culture)

Kent Info:
Homepage - www.kent.nu
MySpace - www.myspace.com/kentsweden



9.) Radiohead - "In Rainbows"

My thoughts: Best Radiohead album….ever. ‘Nuff said.

“Like many music lovers of a certain age, I have a lot of warm memories tied up with release days. I miss the simple ritual of making time to buy a record. I also miss listening to something special for the first time and imagining, against reason, the rest of the world holed up in their respective bedrooms, having the same experience. Before last Wednesday, I can't remember the last time I had that feeling. I also can't remember the last time I woke up voluntarily at 6 a.m. either, but like hundreds of thousands of other people around the world, there I was, sat at my computer, headphones on, groggy, but awake, and hitting play.

Such a return to communal exchange isn't something you'd expect to be orchestrated by a band who's wrung beauty from alienation for more than a decade. But if the past few weeks have taught us anything, it's that Radiohead revel, above all else, in playing against type. It's written in their discography; excluding the conjoined twins that were Kid A and Amnesiac, each of their albums constitutes a heroic effort to debunk those that came before it. Although 2003's Hail to the Thief was overlong and scattershot, it was important insofar as it represented the full band's full-circle digestion and synthesis of the sounds and methods they first toyed with on OK Computer. So, after a decade of progression, where do we go from here?

If the 2006 live renditions of their new material were anything to go by, not much further. With few exceptions, the roughly 15 songs introduced during last year's tour gave the impression that after five searching records, Radiohead had grown tired of trying to outrun themselves. Taken as a whole, the guitar-centric compositions offered a portrait of a band who, whether subconsciously or not, looked conciliatory for the first time in its career. Although a wonderful surprise, their early October album announcement only lent further credence to the theory. Where they'd previously had the confidence to precede albums like OK Computer and Kid A with marketing fanfare worthy of a classic-in-making, this sneak attack felt like a canny strategy to prepare fans for an inevitable downshift.

The brilliant In Rainbows represents no such thing. Nonetheless, it's a very different kind of Radiohead record. Liberated from their self-imposed pressure to innovate, they sound-- for the first time in ages-- user-friendly; the glacial distance that characterized their previous records melted away by dollops of reverb, strings, and melody. From the inclusion and faithful rendering of longtime fan favorite "Nude" to the classic pop string accents on "Faust Arp" to the uncharacteristically relaxed "House of Cards", Radiohead's sudden willingness to embrace their capacity for uncomplicated beauty might be In Rainbows' most distinguishing quality, and one of the primary reasons it's an improvement on Hail to the Thief.

Now that singer Thom Yorke has kickstarted a solo career-- providing a separate venue for the solo electronic material he used to shoehorn onto Radiohead albums-- Radiohead also sound like a full band again. Opener "15 Step"'s mulched-up drum intro represents the album's only dip into Kid A-style electronics; from the moment Jonny Greenwood's zestful guitar line takes over about 40 seconds in, In Rainbows becomes resolutely a five-man show. (For all of Yorke's lonely experimental pieces, it's easy to forget how remarkably the band play off each other; the rhythm section of Phil Selway and Colin Greenwood are especially incredible, supplying between them for a goldmine of one-off fills, accents, and runs over the course of the record.) A cut-up in the spirit of "Airbag"-- albeit with a jazzier, more fluid guitar line-- "15 Step" gives way to "Bodysnatchers", which, like much of In Rainbows, eschews verse/chorus/verse structure in favor of a gradual build. Structured around a sludgy riff, it skronks along noisily until about the two-minute mark, when the band veers left with a sudden acoustic interlude. By now, Radiohead are experts at tearing into the fabric of their own songs for added effect, and In Rainbows is awash in those moments.

The band's big-hearted resurrection of "Nude" follows. The subject of fervent speculation for more than a decade, its keening melodies and immutable prettiness had left it languishing behind Kid A's front door. Despite seeming ambivalent about the song even after resurrecting it for last year's tour, this album version finds Yorke wrenching as much sweetness out of it as he possibly can, in turn giving us our first indication that he's in generous spirits. Another fan favorite, "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" brandishes new drums behind its drain-circling arpeggios, but sounds every bit as massive in crescendoing as its live renditions suggested it might. "All I Need", meanwhile, concludes the album's first side by dressing up what begins as a skeletal rhythm section in cavernous swaths of glockenspiel, synths, pianos, and white noise.

With its fingerpicked acoustic guitars and syrupy strings, "Faust Arp" begs comparisons to some of the Beatles' sweetest two-minute interludes, while the stunning "Reckoner" takes care of any lingering doubt about Radiohead's softer frame of mind: Once a violent rocker worthy of its title, this version finds Yorke's slinky, elongated falsetto backed by frosty, clanging percussion and a meandering guitar line, onto which the band pile a chorus of backing harmonies, pianos, and-- again-- swooping strings. It may not be the most immediate track on the album, but over the course of several listens, it reveals itself to be among the most woozily beautiful things the band has ever recorded.

With its lethargic, chipped-at guitar chords, "House of Cards" is a slow, R.E.M.-shaped ballad pulled under by waves of reverbed feedback. While it's arguably the one weak link in the album's chain, it provides a perfect lead-in to the spry guitar workout of "Jigsaw Falling Into Place". Like "Bodysnatchers" and "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" before it, "Jigsaw" begins briskly and builds into a breakneck conclusion, this time with Yorke upshifting from low to high register to supply a breathless closing rant.

Finally, the closer. Another fan favorite, Yorke's solo versions of "Videotape" suggested another "Pyramid Song" in the making. Given the spirit of In Rainbows, you'd be forgiven for assuming its studio counterpart might comprise some sort of epic finale, but to the disappointment of fans, it wasn't to be. Instead, we get a circling piano coda and a bassline that seems to promise a climax that never comes. "This is one for the good days/ And I have it all here on red, blue, green," Yorke sings. It's an affecting sentiment that conjures up images of the lead singer, now a father of two, home filming his kids. A rickety drum beat and shuddering percussions work against the melody, trying clumsily to throw it off, but Yorke sings against it: "You are my center when I spin away/ Out of control on videotape."

As the real life drums give way to a barely distinguishable electronic counterpart, Yorke trails off, his piano gently uncoils, and the song ends with a whimper. The whole thing is an extended metaphor, of course, and, this being Radiohead, it's heavy-handed in its way, but it's also a fitting close to such a human album. In the end, that which we feared came true: In Rainbows represents the sound of Radiohead coming back to earth. Luckily, as it turns out, that's nothing to be afraid of at all.”

- Mark Pytlik (Pitchfork Media)

Radiohead Info:
Homepage – www.radiohead.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/radiohead



10.) Elsiane - "Hybrid"

In a year when trip-hop enthusiasts and downtempo fans received the long-overdue yet incredibly disappointing return of Portishead, a band like Elsiane comes along to soothe the wounds of dissatisfaction with one of the most surprising debuts of the 2007. “Hybrid” is a wonderfully creative record, the vocals are smooth, the chill out overtones consist of a haunting groove, on the whole the record is an almost ethereal and sexual escape into a different state of mind. Brilliant release, and far better than any Portishead release (blasphemy I know). I sincerely hope that Elsiane are able to avoid the sophomore curse that plagues those bands that release extraordinary debut records. Check out “Hybrid” folks, you’ll love it.

“Until recently, I’ve held the cynical belief that no artist would ever emerge to rival Bjork in terms of utter confidence in getting across musical emotion through a uniquely personal use of vocals. Elsieanne Caplette does it by shaping her mouth differently than the rest of us; her pronunciation and timbre are unusual. In addition, she opts for odd note choices creating highly original music with fresh oddness.

Her style evokes a magical soundscape: a heavenly dream with groovy electronic overtones. She accomplished this feat by using layered keyboards and a smattering of melodious violins, guitar and bass; all are held together by an unassuming rhythm, tastefully held down by drummer Stephane Sotto. Caplette’s voice, the centrepiece of the soundscape, is remarkable, as she becomes an enchanted fairy intently whispering stories in your ear in an oddly familiar language. A great record for deep breathing, it allows you to reconnect with love after a lonely day at work.”

- The Manitoban Online

Elsiane Info:
Homepage - www.elsiane.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/elsiane



11.) Bat for Lashes - "Fur And Gold"

Yet another amazing debut release for 2006-2007! I must see this band live. I can’t say enough positive things about this record or the woman behind the music so I’ll let someone else do it for me. Get your hands on this one.

“Fur & Gold is the stunning debut album from Bat For Lashes, aka former nursery school teacher Natasha Khan. Inspired by tales of Joan of Arc and a particularly vivid dream, Natasha set about crafting an album of exquisite beauty – one that haunts and captivates in equal measure. Her music is cinematic in scope, no doubt inspired by her degree in film and music, and in live form includes thunderous marching bands, desert guitar, ballet school piano, harpsichord, sub-bass snarls, hand-claps and naive beats.

Underpinning many of the tracks is a sombre piano – heartbreakingly beautiful but tellingly effective. While Natasha’s mournful vocals emerge as a cross between the ethereal quality of Bjork and the fragile beauty of Imogen Heap. Thematically, it embraces Natasha’s vivid imagination and tells of natural forces and animal kingdoms, rugged English cliff tops and engulfing oceans.

Opening track Horse And I was inspired by a dream involving a black horse at her window and unfolds in suitably mesmerizing fashion – delicate chords hooking you from the outset before a marching band-style drum kicks in and Natasha’s voice transplants you into a different, magnificent world. From that point onwards, as the lyrics themselves state, “there is no turning back” – you should be hooked. Second track is the brooding live favorite Trophy, one of three tracks to feature the backing vocals and guitar of Josh T Pearson. Vocally, it’s very striking, thriving on the moody boy-girl trade-off, while the instrumentation is extremely atmospheric.

Sombre love song What’s A Girl To Do? is a gutsy lament about a dwindling passion that unfolds in curiously upbeat fashion – the beats are top-notch. And they come in stark contrast to the achingly poignant Sad Eyes – a piano ballad that has reduced many fans to tears in live form. It’s supremely fragile and packed with sad but beautiful words. Prescilla is another highlight, built around hand-clapping beats and more layered instrumentation that seems to work in perfect accompaniment to Natasha’s tender vocals – the chorus, in particular, is genuinely inspiring. And Bat’s Mouth is another firm favourite, once again placing the piano to the fore to intoxicating effect, as well as some background strings.

Fur & Gold is nothing short of a stunning debut – an album as unique in style as it is breathtakingly brilliant. You can’t fail to be captivated by its charms.”

- Jack Foley (IndieLondon)

Bat For Lashes Info:
Homepage - www.batforlashes.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/batforlashes



12.) Promise and The Monster - "Transparent Knives"

Yet another fantastic debut album in 2007. What an incredibly mature release from such a relatively young person, the Swedish Billie Lindahl, only 19 years of age. I would never have guessed that someone her age could deliver such a gripping and poignant recording that sounds so established and passionate that it puts many of her elder peers to shame. The light and dark contrasts on the release lend it a certain kind of unsettling ambiance that I particularly enjoy, and I think many of you will as well. Give it a try.

“Promise and the Monster is a children's book about a pony named Promise and a monster called, well, presumably, Monster. Promise and the Monster is also the adopted name of Swedish singer/multi-instrumentalist (guitar, cello, flute, organ, glockenspiel) Billie Lindahl, who, at 19, isn't that far-removed from picture-book reading herself. As if traced from some market-tested "indie girl" template, Lindahl has Feistian dark bangs and a coltish, eye-skirting demeanor, and sings in a high, breathy, elfin chirp in the neighborhood-- though with nowhere near the fence-building potential-- of Joanna Newsom.

That sounds unbearably precious, but it isn't. Lindahl's songs are as indebted to pre-adolescence as her moniker, but they don't document devotion to ponies or, I dunno, Disney's mind-bogglingly successful High School Musical, but anxiety over skin, bodies, adult sexuality.

"I think I'd rather be made out of porcelain. Because I hate the body as a physical object," Lindahl has said, sounding like that girl at the party with her nose defensively buried in a battered copy of The Sorrows of Young Werther, wishing she had the courage to speak to someone (so stated, hopefully, with a smidgeon of self-mockery). But her first LP, Transparent Knives, pursues this theme relentlessly with a succession of frigid motifs: shivering lips, frozen sheets of skin, steel veins channeling cold, roots recoiling into winter soil. Lindahl's vocals perch high in the songs' chilly mixes like carrion birds dispassionately surveying snow-sheathed hills for fresh kill. At the same time, she articulates repulsion's inevitable corollary-- attraction. "When I watch you sing/ Along with that song/ I love the way you move," she coos contradictorily in "Night Out", more fire than ice.

Lindahl shares a label (and has toured) with countryman José González, and fingerpicked figures and classical guitar cadences mark Transparent Knives' surfaces. The common carp about González-- that all the songs sound the same, even the covers-- might also implicate Promise and the Monster. "Antarktis", "Light Reflecting Papers" and "Trials" are powered by low steady currents rather than fuse-blowing surges, their arabesque guitar figures shapeshifting languorously via subtle tempo and tone permutations. This makes for ethereal and mesmerizing, but not always memorable, music. Lindahl's capable of dynamic arrangements, though. "Night Out"'s chorus explodes like a thicket of fireflies against the midnight sky, its double-tracked vocals and string section marking the album's warmest, and Euro-poppiest, moment. While "Sheets'" organ vamps aren't exactly electrifying, they shade the track with spooky gothic menace. And her version of Carter Family staple "Single Girl, Married Girl", trades mountain-folk fatalism for percolating plucked strings and a sprightly singsong.

Sweden's thick on the ground with chanteuse-troubadour types these days, and the more obviously charismatic El Perro del Mars and Jens Lekmans of the scene could easily overshadow Promise and the Monster's dark, diffident presence. Which would be a pity. Transparent Knives is a tuneful, complex-- and surprisingly mature-- debut from a kid who's likely to have even more to say as she accumulates life experience.”

-Amy Granzin (Pitchfork Media)

Promise and the Monster Info:
MySpace - www.myspace.com/promiseandthemonster



13.) Piano Magic - "Part Monster"

Though not the best Piano Magic record by any means, it is still head and shoulders above many of the other releases I heard in 2007, regardless of genre. If asked what albums would be ample starting points for new listeners to the band, I would immediately suggest my personal faves “Disaffected” and “Writers Without Homes”. However, “Part Monster” is not without merit because it’s a very solid record from start to finish. Piano Magic is among a handful of the most criminally underrated artists that I have ever heard, so check this band and release out. I highly recommend it.

“I'd already hear the latest Piano Magic record a couple of times when I received it to be reviewed in Heathen Harvest, which was a pleasant surprise. Piano Magic is one of those bands that have been combining dark pop, experimental sounds and folk during many years. They sound haunting, like many 4AD artists (they've actually released a record there themselves), distorted and dark like Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine and delicate. Although the main voice of the England based and partially French composed band is masculine, Glen Johnson, they have already been accompanied previously by the rasp and sensual voice of Angèle David-Guillou. They have called themselves 'ghost-rock', yet the influences from dark wave are very obvious. At times, references like Pink Turns Blue or The Chameleons pop up, while at moments they seem lost into a whimsical world of folk.

They have also released music on Morr Music (yet they don't go as far into happy pop as many of their other artists) and Important Records. In Spain they are extraordinarily popular; they seem to have connected very well with the indie public that comes from dark 80s guitar-based bands. They have visited most of the large music festivals and have even written the soundtrack for Bigas Luna's 'Son de Mar'.

The problem with bands that are recognized in the alternative scene (well, as big as not being in the mainstream can be) it that many dark guitar sounding lovers will look at them with suspicion. Piano Magic have been active for more than ten years and have released up to seven long plays and various Ep's and maxis. Yet many people than are very willing to listen to 80s pop, or labels that have moved after-punk, death rock or post-rock in all the 'dark' magazines' are oblivious to their existence. That's ok, I guess. They sound much better than most of those bands anyway.
'The last engineer' opens with drum work.

The instruments are introduced one by one: the guitar, the piano melody, the voice. They slowly blend. The song is repetitive and clean, the melody mostly falls into the voice line and the responding, mellow piano. Distortion comes in with the instruments when the voice finishes its reciting. Then comes the pleasure of pure music: during three minutes each instrument with its highlight, variations galore and, of course, the thick wall of distortion that becomes painted on the canvas of their first song. In 'England's Always Better (as you're pulling away)' the energy is sucked into silence again, and expulsed slowly yet surely through the voice. The sadly ironic lyrics tumble through Glen's half-talking, half-moaning voice. A guitar is the responsible for the background melody. At the end of each phrase, the female voice underlines it. For the long chorus, a circling melody walks in, through a trumpet and synthesizer - the percussion makes the image of a faltering carousel moving on its broken hinges.

'Incurable (reprise)' belongs to the female voice. A catchy bass and drum line construct a brooding pop song, full of dark images that develop with a exceptional candor. The chorus picks up many of the other instruments and doesn't forget its distortion. All in all, it is a compact, excellent, dark rock song. Think of The Chameleons, The Smiths, JAMC with a raspy female voice blended together into Piano Magic. 'Soldier Song' keeps Angèle's voice and is purely folk. Dreamy and languish, the voice carries the easy melody wrapped by a double chord line and subtle percussion. The instrumentation is frail and full of beauty.

Piano Magic push another rock song with 'The King cannot be Found'. The bass line combined with the screechy guitar and the heavy accompanied synth are so purely dark rock somebody could actually told me it had been made in 1991 and I would believed them. Powerful, coherent and good. 'Great Escapes' already opens with a complex bass/drum line and high-pitched guitars - it transforms into an orgy of music, where the sounds develop, evolve and return, in a wave-like manner. Clearness comes with 'Cities and Factories' with the voice and guitar opening. Yet in the next compass many more instruments are introduced. It carries a slow-paced tempo, soaked in a dark crooning feeling. 'Halfway Through' brings back a compact energy with an 80s feel, a slightly out-of-synch singing brings Morrisey to mind, yet the song is, for good and bad, much more complex than his original band's. The long, distorted guitar notes remind me personally of a 'Songs of Faith and Devotion' DM sound. - Might be my imagination, though. The trumpet use has reminisces of Tindersticks. So, imagine how richly detailed this song is.

A blast of energy marks 'Saints preserve us', where the contrast between piano, savage guitars and dense bass is exceptional. It is sort of like a battle between voice and instruments. As soon as one takes over, the other gives it a couple of compasses and then takes over. The pace is full of trepidation. To close, 'Part-Monster' is dedicated to Joseph Carey Merrick (The Elephant Man) - a slow song, clean and sad: "Though I stare into the mirror, it does not tell me how I look". Perhaps not all the songs are classics, but they have enough quality to overthrow numerous other bands if you want to compare. Perhaps 'Part Monster' is not Piano Magic's best record, but it holds many jewels if you want to prove its worth. So just listen to it a couple of times - purchase it if you enjoy it. I don't doubt many of you will.”

- Isis (Heathen Harvest)

Piano Magic Info:
Homepage - www.piano-magic.co.uk
MySpace - www.myspace.com/lowbirthweight



14.) Onetwo - "Instead"

As a devoted Claudia Brücken fan (and I enjoy Propaganda and OMD) I completely loved this debut release. While I enjoyed every single track (except one: the Pink Floyd cover of “Have a Cigar”), there are a few incredible songs on the record that I have continuously listened to over and over again. The most notorious of those is the beautiful and ominous “Home (Tonight)”, which I have probably spun more than any other single track from 2007. This is a relaxing, addicting, somber and yet uplifting release that while paying homage to a decorated past also looks towards an innovative future. Love it.

“I am pretty sure my first encounter with the existence of Onetwo spells Martin Gore. Rumours kept floating around, several years ago, that Gore supplied some guitar melodies for a song called "Cloud 9", sung by Propaganda legend Claudia Brücken. I did not realise at the time that OMD's Paul Humphreys, one of the electronic pop movement's most under-rated musicians, was a part of the Onetwo lineup until their "Item" EP was released in 2004.

I went into "Instead" hoping for something vital and vibrant, attributes rarely heard when eighties pop stars return to the spotlight, and I got it. The Humphreys/Brücken combo has squeezed pure ear candy from their machines, forging ahead seemingly unaware and uninfluenced by past stardom. "Instead" is no club staple, but it cunningly builds on foundations laid by both OMD and Propaganda. The stale grandeur of the latter blends well with the pop atmospheres of the former, creating a unique, rich sounding project. Fast or slow, this is an album charged with quality and catchy hooks.

Seeing Paul Humphreys back in business in such a vital musical environment is indeed a pleasure to witness. I just wished he would take the step up to the microphone more often, as his brittle vocals radiate emotion. I have always had a special place in my heart for the OMD songs sung by Humphreys, especially "Souvenir", an all time favourite and the simplistic "Promise" from the "Organisation" album. On "Instead", this happens only once, in the ballad "I Don't Blame You".

It took me a while to get into Propaganda and their industrial pop machine, but I have always liked Claudia Brücken's power and it is showcased well on this, the evenly great, debut album by a constellation to watch out for in the future. Suddenly, a new OMD album on the horizon does not seem so scary anymore.”

- Niklas Forsberg (Release Magazine)

Onetwo Info:
Homepage - www.theremusic.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/weareonetwo



15.) Ólafur Arnalds - "Eulogy For Evolution"

Simply put, this is some of the most beautiful and interesting music I have ever heard. To listen to the entire release from start to finish is the only way to truly appreciate a record such as this elegant piece of orchestrated work. Ólafur truly is an Icelandic mastermind! I have already heard the 2008 EP and it is equally as brilliant and beautiful as prior efforts. I can’t wait to hear what he does next.

“Icelandic composer and multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds is bound to find himself met with comparisons to his fellow countryman Johann Johannsson: Arnalds' highly cinematic approach has that same instantly digestible quality that Johannsson, and for that matter Max Richter, are able to tap into. After its initial string swells, the sweetly sorrowful opener '0040' starts to sound vaguely reminiscent of the mournful piano music at the end of the '70s Incredible Hulk movies, and that certainly isn't intended as a jibe, it's lovely stuff, if rather dramatized.

The ensuing pieces maintain this wistful, downbeat sound, riffing on various permutations of string and piano arrangement, only for Arnalds to whip the rug from under your feet with the brash guitar distortion of closer '3704/3837' which features some seriously histrionic quiet-loud post-rock action, only for all the drums and fuzz to crumble away abruptly for the lonesome, organ-fuelled coda. Gorgeous."

- Anonymous (boomkat.com)

Ólafur Arnalds Info:
MySpace - www.myspace.com/olafurarnalds



16.) Ab Ovo - "Mouvements"

I love electronic releases such as this one. “Mouvements” was as ominous and bleak as it was beautiful and reassuring. Yet, throughout the release there is a semblance of claustrophobic tension and subtle malevolence lurking within the dark corners of each of the haunting and sometimes minimalist tracks. What I enjoyed most about the album is that unlike much of the power noise/industrial material that is released on Ant-Zen, “Mouvements” takes its time delivering a precise and unhurried ambiance that lulls the listener into an evocative soundscape that is altogether as comforting as it is unnerving. Wonderful record.

“Like their fellow Ant-Zen artists, Ab Ovo's Jerome Chassagnard and Regis Baillet have a fondness for cold electronics and distorted drum patches, but the duo's latest offering, Mouvements, has more in common with Boards of Canada than Synapscape. There's certainly no shortage of dark and unsettling material here; "Hemisphere" opens the album with subtle ambience and then builds into some wicked downtempo breaks adorned by ominous analog arpeggios, and "La Memoire du Futur" takes a spooky soundtrack approach that relies on haunting strings but ratchets up the tension with bursts of stark drum & bass rhythm. The overall feel of Mouvements, though, is almost soothing. The aptly titled "You Are Very Far Now" sends the beats off into the distance, drenched in reverb and floating serenely in a lush pool of soporific drones, and "Nevermore" tempers a clanking rhythm with fuzzy ambient textures. "In Some Ways" starts off with a return to abstraction, but sustained organs build a sense of warmth even as guest vocalist Judith Juillerat's breezy, dreamy vocals make their appearance. It is "L'ecume d'un Soir," though, that stands out as the highlight on this album.

It's a lovely downtempo IDM piece that deftly combines quiet breakbeats with softly overdriven electronic tones, then adds a wavering piano to add a sense of the organic. It also manages to use sampled birdsong without coming off as schmaltzy. Instead, the unhurried twittering effortlessly evokes a sense of pastoral calm. It's about as far as you can get from the bone-crushing power noise most people would expect from an Ant-Zen artist, but it's hard to imagine any fan of electronic music not being moved by this masterpiece.”

- Matthew Johnson (Regenmag.com)

Ab Ovo Info:
MySpace - www.myspace.com/abovomusic



17.) Hannu - "Worms In My Piano"

“Worms In My Piano” was yet another brilliant debut release in 2006-2007. For anyone who has a penchant for beautiful, innovative, and relaxing music, this is the album for you. I await Hannu’s next release with unbridled anticipation and hope that they are able to build upon the sensation of the extraordinary atmosphere they were able to produce on their first release. The following review says it all…

“The sinewy piano compositions of this Finnish collective, dappled with mutating electronic atmospheres and granular flecks, brim with a languid, windswept resplendence that is meditative, gently hypnotic and oftentimes completely involving. Theirs is a skewed energy, a music that relies on creating clouded visual impressions of its sonic inputs.

From the beginning, eerie, plaintive piano chords collide with helter-skelter harmonics, are torn asunder by divergent responses, or are filled out by interjections of vast reverberant chasms. Many works are thereby richly spatial; and the slightly discordant or otherwise murky electronic accents act as a cut or traumatic obstacle that, to the albums advantage, unsettles the smooth operation of its self-satisfying melancholia. A track such as ˇMetsaˇ, for one, is notable as a result of its ability to disseminate organ chords into atmospheres of swirling vapor, which rush through a slipstream of trippy surges and twittering insects.

On occasion, the group decides to get rid of these ’dark spots’ and renders their sound more fully exposed. During these sections, the previously gentle, atmospheric gambits are gradually transformed into a megaton stomp or otherwise lurching rhythm section, a move which, perhaps counter-intuitively, over constrains these pieces and all but suffocates them in the clean air. Nonetheless, for a debut effort, it no doubt shows promise, as the hazy mirages of the aforementioned moments are endlessly absorbing and fertile.”

- Max Schaefer (Cyclic Defrost Magazine)

Hannu Info:
Homepage - http://hannumusic.com/
MySpace - www.myspace.com/hannumusic



18.) New Model Army - "High"

My only criticism of this release was that in these politically charged times I was hoping for something more…well, political from the band. Perhaps a release indicative and analytical of current international atrocities; perhaps a record more reminiscent of their reputation for delivering honest and sincere messages, something more urgent, more evocative, more controversial. However, I am anything but disappointed with “High”. New Model Army are among the most consistent artists I have ever heard, and their 2007 release is as essential as any other they have ever recorded in their long and brilliant career. “Into The Wind” is probably my favorite track found on this album, but as with all New Model Army releases, they grow on you with time. Excellent record.

“It’s been three years since their last album, Carnival, which was a rhythm section led masterpiece and now New Model Army have just released High, an album that sounds a little more akin to their typical songwriting style, but is no less compelling. The band have been described as being everything from punk to goth to folk, but the truth is that they have always eschewed categorization by just being themselves, a unique rock group led by Justin Sullivan, who continues to write intelligent, passionate music without effort. In this regard, High picks up where Carnival left off and New Model Army remain instantly identifiable and yet constantly evolving with another excellent release.
The new album sounds more traditional to their early sound than the last few have, but it also sounds like it was more of a band effort too.

Their last few records sounded like they had less input from the band members. So what do we have here exactly? High features all of the usual New Model Army ingredients: great songwriting, rock and folk guitar songs, scaling bass lines, fire, passion, anger, politics and the inimitable voice of Justin Sullivan. Like all of the previous ones, it is a spiritual record in the true sense of the word. New Model Army have always sounded inspired and full of spirit for writing music. There is hardly a dull moment on any of their records, which is far from common among a band who has been around for almost thirty years.

The overall theme, if there is one on this record, seems to be resignation. Although the songs are as exultant, desperate and radiant as ever, one can’t help but notice a certain amount of defeat in the vocals and the lyrics. In the song “No Mirror, No Shadow,” a great track booming full of finger picked electric guitar and some equally great drumming and bass parts, Sullivan sings “It seems so simple, but they just don’t get it/I meant what I said at the time that I said it/Nothing is ever to last.” On a similar note, he sings the lines “You can lose too much to ever want to start over again” is the acoustic based track “Dawn.” This song carries with it a jaded, fed-up set of lyrics, but also contains a drive to the vocals and music that charge down the stairs in fury.

There are some beautiful songs on the album as well. “Sky in your Eyes” is particularly moving. The instrumental track is gorgeous, but it is perhaps the vocals of Sullivan that make the song so captivating. It is a song full of questions and mystery. “Between the chords of a song years ago/You saw a crack of light or was it a cause to follow?” These lines are just the beginning of many more fantastically written lines accompanied by a melancholy soundtrack. “Rivers” is another marvelous song that meanders along, led by some truly cool jazz-like drumming. Once again, there is sadness and a degree of desertion in the lyrics with lines such as “And so I came to this dream-like place/But I can’t remember why/I was never quite ready for what came my way/But I’ve always been ready to die.” It is difficult to say if the song reflects a beginning or an end, but it succeeds in sending shivers down your spine.

This is yet another essential album for anyone interested in New Model Army. The album, like many of theirs, grows on you and it continues to grow more with each listen. It is full of and bubbling over with secrets and a rare unhinged honesty. The production is good on High and the sound is reminiscent of their brilliant 1993 album, The Love of Hopeless Causes, but the songs themselves are of a new era. Consistent artists are hard to come by, but New Model Army have never sold out and have remained true to themselves throughout their unwavering career.”

- Andrew Boe (UsSounds.com)

New Model Army Info:
Homepage - www.newmodelarmy.org
MySpace - www.myspace.com/newmodelarmymyspace



19.) Beirut - "The Flying Club Cup"

I love this band. If I ever visit Istanbul, this would be the perfect soundtrack while walking its city streets. What I enjoy most about Beirut is that I have never heard anything particularly like it in terms of sound. Exceptionally original stuff, Beirut are truly an enigma in an otherwise cluttered music scene. “The Flying Club Cup” is a wonderful release. Give it a try if you haven’t already.

“More than three minutes into the Lon Gisland EP's "Elephant Gun", the horns pause, and the song lingers on a few of Zach Condon's syrupy syllables before returning to Beirut's strongest melody. It's the sound of Condon and his band shedding its layers of self-packed cultural baggage. As Pitchfork's Brandon Stosuy wrote earlier this year of Lon Gisland: "Condon has shown that, yes, there are songs behind the international flavors, that his work would be interesting even if he kept the trumpet at home."

Surprisingly, Condon's horn remains in Brooklyn for the bulk of his sophomore album, The Flying Club Cup. Condon himself returns to France-- the place where he was first exposed to the Balkan music that colored much of this debut, Gulag Orkestar. It's clearly a place he loves. "Once we got there, we kept trying to go to other places, but we didn't feel like traveling so much as being in Paris," he said when I interviewed him a year ago. It's reflected here, with both Gallic brass and accordion and song titles that reference French cities and locations. Crucially, however, Flying Club Cup would be a triumph even with those layers stripped away; that's not to say that the cultural patina obscures the "real" songs underneath, but its removal allows us to sidestep mind-numbing questions about authenticity and intention.

Flying Club Cup deftly showcases Condon's gifts: "Nantes" sounds exotic without directly referencing a particular era or feeling, and "A Sunday Smile"-- despite being about specific people and places-- evokes universal sensations such as sleepiness and warmth. "Un Dernier Verre (Pour la Route)" and "Guyamas Sonora" show off Condon's increased love of piano-driven pop songcraft-- as well his band's frequent trick of introducing the best part of the song (here, the way the lithe percussion and ukulele contrast with the heavy accordion and his vocal layering) three-quarters of the way through. "In the Mausoleum" begins with some "Come On! Feel the Illinois!"-ish piano (Sufjan Stevens playing the U.S. cultural cannibal to Condon's worldly connoisseur), but what I like best is the violins, arranged by Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett (in conjunction with Beirut's violinist Kristin Ferebee), which are strong throughout the record and provide a perfect, light-as-lashes counter to Condon's thick instrumentation.

Vocal layering is another Beirut gift, but it also weighs heavily on each track, which is appropriate when nearly every song is about feeling weary or old beyond your years. But despite the well-traveled themes, Condon's vocal melodies, as on standout "Cliquot", are still dangerously romantic, veering closely to musical theater. Condon also does well by "Forks and Knives (Le Fête)", where the instruments hold back to give him more room to sing. And here, once you get past this spent-cigarette, empty-hotel story he's selling, it's obvious that what Condon lacks in lyrical ability, he more than makes up for in prosody. He has an impressive flow, a delicate glide that perfectly compliments the oft-commented-upon exoticism that tends to divide Beirut listeners.

On The Flying Cup Club, and maybe on all of Beirut's records, this exoticism takes the form not of alienation but of a search for a familiar place within what seems (or sounds) unfamiliar, difficult, or repulsive. It's the process of searching that untethers the record from any limiting sense of place, be it an Arrondissement in Paris or a village in the Balkans.”

- Jessica Suarez (Pitchfork Media)

Beirut Info:
Homepage - www.beirutband.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/beruit



20.) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Dig Lazarus Dig"

I am more torn in regards to this release than any other of the year. Also, probably more so than any other record in the legendary discography Cave & co. have accumulated over the course of three decades, “Dig Lazarus Dig” took the longest to grow on me. While not the best effort Cave and the Bad Seeds have recorded, it is surely not the worst either, but somewhere in between. Lyrically, however, it is easily one of the strongest releases to date. “Dig Lazarus Dig” has the potential after further listens to move up in my Top 20 of 2007, but even if it isn’t as good as “Henry’s Dream”, “Let Love In”, or many of the other memorable classics Cave devotees swear upon, it is still better than just about everything else by everyone else out there. Bottom line: This is an incredibly amusing reinvention of the sound you are expecting from Cave and the Bad Seeds, and few records were as fun to listen to in 2007.

“Up to a point, you always know what you're going to get with Nick Cave. He's unlikely to swerve off into glam disco or start boo-be-dooing the great American songbook in evening attire (although, come to think of it...), so Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! is compelled by instinct to return to certain obsessions in the same way that a murderer always returns to the scene of the crime. There's oodles of sex; a bevy of dangerous women, often clad in red; death, literature, religion and a very generous bellyful of laughs.

As a man who perennially runs the risk of toppling into caricature, however, Cave recognises that, as he sings near the end of this hugely entertaining album, 'The game is never won/By standing in any one place for too long.' After the barely evolved Stoogian clatter of Grinderman, heroically dedicated to the pursuit of a single idea, Cave and the Bad Seeds regroup this time around with a little more consideration and restraint. Indeed, at first Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! sounds a little too straightforward, before the sheer extent of its expansive ambition becomes thrillingly evident.
Musically, the album is a triumph from first to last. Built around a deep, Doors-y swirl of sound, the bass-heavy groove is crucial in binding together the scattered outpourings of Cave's fevered imagination. The faster songs drive and thrust without ever losing their sense of elegance and poise, while the slower set-pieces are loose and serpentine, allowing the words plenty of breathing space.

And my, what words. Only Dylan and Tom Waits people their music with such a rich cast of characters: Nubian princesses, Charles Bukowski, Lolita, Mr Sandman the Inseminator and - intriguingly for those familiar with Cave's past romantic entanglements - a Miss Polly, whom he instructs to tie him to the mast.

There is not a whiff here of the confessional, heart-sick soul who wept through The Boatman's Call. Cave pointedly avoids romantic love, with the exception of the outstanding 'Jesus of the Moon', where he leaves a woman 'curled up like a child' in the St James Hotel and walks through the streets, struggling with faith and fidelity in the face of temptation.

Alongside the desolate 'Moonland', it's as close to teary as the album gets. Elsewhere, the songs are often beautiful, but never tortured. Instead, Cave sounds mad but rather chipper, playing the deranged preacher man with relish.

Of all his records, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! scores highest in the rib-tickling stakes. On the thick soul-stew of 'Midnight Man', he roars, 'Everybody's coming around to my place!' as though leading a press gang through the doors of Valhalla. The rollicking 'We Call Upon the Author', a rant against God, self-importance and, not least, Cave himself, boasts the punchline: 'Prolix! Prolix! Nothing a pair of scissors can't fix!' The title track, too, is laugh-out-loud funny, a blackly comic travelogue following the doomed 'Larry' as he cannons around New York and LA.

This is an entire, self-contained world, melodic and accessible without ever being easily decipherable. Words and ideas spill out all over the place. If there is one overriding message it seems to be that the world is burrowing into hell but there is much fun to be had as it does so. Rarely has the exhortation to pick up a shovel and start digging sounded quite so life-affirming.”

- Graeme Thomson (Guardian.co.uk)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Info:
Homepage - www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com
Other Info - www.nick-cave.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/nickcaveandthebadseeds

Honorable Mention:

Alamaailman Vasarat - "Maahan"
Alaska In Winter - "Dance Party In The Balkans"
Andrew Bird - "Armchair Apocrypha"
Antimatter - "Leaving Eden"
Arc Lab - "No Spectre"
Arms and Sleepers - "Black Paris 86"
Asobi Seksu - "Citrus"
Band of Horses - "Cease To Begin"
Björk - "Volta"
Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago"
Caribou - "Andorra"
Crippled Black Phoenix - "A Love Of Shared Disasters"
Deas Vail - "All The Houses Look The Same"
Division Kent - "Gravity"
Efterklang - "Parades"
Emancipator - "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough"
Explosions in the Sky - "All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone"
Helios - "Ayres"
Iron & Wine - "The Shepherds Dog"
M83 - "Digital Shades (Vol. I)"
Maps - "We Can Create"
Marsheaux - "Peeka Boo - Now You Are Mine"
Moving Mountains - "Pneuma"
Mus - "La Vida"
Neverending White Lights - "Act II - The Blood and the Life Eternal"
Null Device - "Excursions"
November Növelet - "Magic"
Partha du Prince - "This Bliss"
Piana - "Eternal Castle"
Pink Martini - "Hey Eugene!"
Pooma - "Persuader"
Porcupine Tree - "Fear Of A Blank Planet"
Rumskib - "Rumskib"
Solar Fields - "Earthshine"
The Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible"
The Snake the Cross the Crown - "Cotton Teeth"
To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie - "The Patron"
Tuxedomoon - "Vapour Trails"


Fine ~*

This, ladies and gentlemen, was a glaring example of false advertising - well, at least the first part. In fact, it's entirely possible that this isn't the best and maybe even the most complete journal ever - so I'm not aiming quite as high, and the 'Most boring, overlong, stupid and generally useless journal' award will actually do. But the number is true - 891 albums. I don't think it's really that much, but people usually tell me otherwise - often with the added remark that I'm clinically insane. But it's okay, even my second personality doesn't mind.

However, one thing really bugs me - all those 'Best albums of 2007' journals popping all over last.fm lately. You open them with anticipation of something interesting, original, worthwhile or just plainly funny to read, and then you see it's just another generic 'My favorite visual-kei albums'. Or emo. Or pretentious indie faggotry, whatever. So you're closeminded or simply not interested in any music other than Radiohead - which is of course perfectly fine, just save me that click and extra loading time and specify it in your journal title, thank you. While I'm thinking about it, as far as I can remember, not one of these journals were about hip-hop, which is kind of odd - maybe they're too busy hopping around their BMW's or riced out Civics and keepin' it real to write anything on here, I guess. And now I don't even know what I wanted to say, so I'll probably leave it at that. Wow, this is getting stupid even faster than I expected...

Oh right, the genres! I listen to pretty much everything on regular basis, but it's evident that I'm strongly interested in rock, metal and electronic music in general, with healthy dose of hip-hop, so-called 'indie' and jazz thrown in for a good measure. In general, I try to stay away from... well, bad music? I don't actively seek out hard electronic, emo, roots rock, blues and country, and majority of stuff found on MTV - so yeah, I've heard the latest Linkin Park album, but what's the point of rating it when the knitting needle in my ear would be probably much more pleasant experience, right? (that means - the new LP album was just as bad as I expected).

I'll break this into a few separate sections, just because I can, and besides, everyone LOVES subgenres! This journal is probably gonna be really huge anyway. And we'll start with [cheesy voice]METAAAAAAAAL![/cheesy voice]




Thrash metal

1. Fastkill - Nuclear Thrashing Attack
Short, fast, sweet, and fast. Did I mention it's fast? Basically a bit late Japanese answer to the 80's European thrash metal movement, and damn good at that - the influences of Destruction, Hypnosia or Onslaught are blatantly evident, but thrash metal was never about originality, so they can easily get away with that - what really counts is a huge amount of neckbreaking riffs, and fortunately, they have them in spades. The best thing about Fastkill is their obvious passion for the genre - not one second is wasted on acoustic interludes, slow sections or (god forbid!) ballads, and everything is played exactly the way how it's supposed to be - at the 150% speed and intensity. Unique thing here are the vocals - Komori Toshio's vocal delivery is absolutely freakin' insane, as he screams though the whole album like a complete lunatic. He instantly reminded me of Sean Killian from Vio-Lence, with a little bit of Mille from Kreator style thrown in. The only downside of this album is - their debut was even better. It's hard not to compare these two albums, because they're essentially the same, and Infernal Thrashing Holocaust was just as raw and fast, but with even more insane vocals, cheesy gang choruses (with an amusing Japanese accent), much louder bass, and grittier production. But still, it's full of monster riffs coming out of nowhere and crushing you into oblivion, and that's what really matters.

2. Meltdown - Executioner
I can't believe this came out in 2007, it seems more like an early 80's material. Imagine Exodus jamming with Metallica around 1982, and you're pretty much there. Actually, it's total Kill'Em All worship, and I really love these guys for that alone. Of course, it's full of nice riffs, not great, but appropriate vocals, awesome legato-based solos and solid songwriting, but most importantly, it's just friggin' catchy. If you love old-school metal, you can use this album as your personal time-travel machine.

3. HYADES - And The Worst Is Yet To Come
So what do we have here - Italian band with cover art straight out of the 80's (courtesy of Edward Repka), and the music goes with it very nicely - 11 tracks of hi-octane, no holds barred pure thrash with occasional thrashcore influences (think Nuclear Assault). You can't go wrong with this formula, so if your idea of fun is similar to mine (which basically means 'meeting up with friends in a garage somewhere in the outskirts of the city, drinking and playing our own butchered covers of Seek & Destroy and Bonded By Blood), then go out immediately and buy yourself a copy. Wops still thrash!

4. Municipal Waste - The Art Of Partying
I just love these guys and the way they suddenly break out into some crazy awesome necksnapping riff. Granted, it's considerably weaker than their previous efforts (Headbanger Face Rip is pretty much worthless, although that great little break right before the end saves it), but principally still the same, so it should be satisfying enough for those of you who want their usual dose of crossover thrash.

5. Destruction - Thrash Anthems
As you probably already know, this is essentially a 'best of' compilation, though all songs have been re-recorded with current line-up - and it's really interesting to hear 'Cracked Brain' with Schmier on vocals. Production absolutely slays, the riffs literally jumps out on you, and that main break in Mad Butcher almost gave me a heart attack - which is a good thing. Oh, and the two new songs suck.

6. Bonded By Blood - Extinguish The Weak
+ the sheer awesomeness hits you instantly like a raging tsunami
+ RIFFS!
+ LEADS!
+ absolutely flawless thrash production, the drums sound huge and thunderous
+ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme as a bonus track - how awesome (and nerdy) is that?
+ it's just great, over the top, totally non-serious and friendly fun
Cons:
- 6 tracks, clocking in less than 17 minutes
- it's just an Exodus worship, but ... who cares?

7. Sodom
The same thing as the last Destruction offering, The Final Sign of Evil is a re-recorded version of the first EP 'In The Sign Of Evil' and seven previously unreleased songs, all of which were originally written for that EP. And believe or not, it's pretty good. So in short, if you're already a fan, you'll love this - and if you're not, you can easily become one after a few listens.

8. Short Sharp Shock
We're going to have a little test now, so sharpen your mind tools! Do you like D.R.I.? And what about Cryptic Slaughter? And S.O.D.? If you've answered 'fuck yes!' three times (or more, but in that case you may want to lay off the beer for a while), it's mandatory for you to obtain this album. And if you've answered 'yes' less than three times, then go listen to the Robbie Williams, you fag. (ok, that was a joke... and not a good one, I admit).

Fag.

9. Evile - Enter The Grave
As one of the most praised and talked about thrash metal albums of 2007, I expected a lot from Evile's debut. In theory, it's nearly textbook example of thrash record in all aspects. Nice riffs, really cool vocals with noticeable English accent, and perfect production by Flemming Rasmussen (yes, the one responsible for Master Of Puppets). Funny thing is, the perfect production also represents Enter The Grave's biggest downfall - it's just too artificially flawless for it's own good. Goddamn, we're talking about thrash here, not some overproduced and polished pop, and thrash is supposed to be as raw and aggressive as possible. While pretty tame, Evile is certainly far from 'fluffy-pink-bunnies-frolicking-in-the-park-on-a-sunny-sunday-afternoon' harmless bands like Sacred Reich or Testament, but I just like my thrash a little bit more dangerous.

10. Skeletonwitch - Beyond The Permafrost
Thrash with black metal rhythm section? Interesting... They maintained the same sound and style of writing used on previous album and EP, highly reminiscent of melodic black metal, and while I usually can't stand that horribly sterile, super-compressed production, it kinda fits here. Somewhat. Maybe. Ok, I honestly think it's rather crappy, and they need to get rid of it. More thrash, less suck, please.

Honorable mentions

11. Angelus Apatrida - Give 'Em War
While not good enough to be in the final top 10, I really feel the need to mention this album. Sure, the songwriting is pretty average, vocals are nothing special (although there are some shining moments too), and a lot of ideas end up sounding a bit juvenile, but there's this one little thing that saves this album from mediocrity - RIFFS. Actually quite a redeeming feature, because some of these riffs are so unbelievably THRASHTACULAR it's not even funny, and I mean classic Exodus or Dark Angel territory there - just listen to that one particular thrash break at 3:05 in 'In The Heart Of Nations' and try not to bang your head, I dare you. Unfortunately, they really fuck it up 30 seconds later, which pretty much sums up the reason why this album got only a 7/10 rating - a lot of good ideas that fall apart because of poor execution.

12. Mekong Delta - Lurking Fear
This could be so awesome, if only ... *sigh*. First off, the vocals really suck - I'm not a fan of high-pitched vocals in thrash, but these are straight-up Halford rip-off. Second, the production and mastering job are so atrocious, it actually gives me headaches, especially combined with those ear-piercing vocals so high in the mix and 'tic-tic-tic' drums. Sad thing is, there's some pretty interesting riffs and ideas behind this trainwreck of an album.


Death metal

1. Impaled - The Last Gasp

2. DeathevokatioN - Chalice Of Ages
I like old school death metal and I cannot lie. Possessed, Deceased, Obituary, Grave, Hellhammer, you name it. This release is a wonderful blast from the past, an unpretentious slab of honest midpaced death metal full of crushing harmonized riffs and melodic leads, with absolutely zero modern influences - the distinct early 90's atmosphere is just spot-on here. So if you even remotely liked anything that came out of Morrisound or Sunlight Studios in that era, I can highly recommend this one. A proof that music doesn't necessarily have to follow trends to be good.

3. Demiurg - Breath Of The Demiurg
Dan Swanö produced this one, so if you're familiar with his name, you probably already know what to expect. If not, why the hell are you reading about death metal anyway? Great nod to the old school, and besides, I just love The Primitive Machinery - the main riff is, as the name suggests, primitive, mechanical sounding, and totally freakin' awesome.

4. Benighted - Icon
Awesome brutal death metal from France. Groovy riffs, amazing vocals, not too flashy, but neat drumming not relying entirely on blast beats, which is great and rare nowadays, and there's even the bass somewhere, I guess. Given the fairly straighforward song structures, it's suprising that Benighted can keep things interesting and varied enough through the whole album - I especially loved that little French rapping interlude in Slut, which seemed totally out of place, heh heh. Indeed, there are some moments that could be labelled as 'deathcore', but as long as they're not overusing them, who cares, really.

5. Diskord - Doomscapes
One word - mindfuck. This is how I imagine Morbid Angel would sound like today, if they were actually good. And tripping on LSD all the time. Diskord play an incredibly weird, unusual and quite technical death metal with strong old school roots. I can't quite pinpoint what's so strange about them, but I'm sure I haven't heard anything like it before. The riffing is totally bizarre, based on a rather percussive style, and the bass is really prominent in the mix, which enhances the listening experience quite significantly. The drumming fits just perfectly, as it sounds kinda loose and almost sloppy at times, effectively bringing up the crazed atmosphere of the record even more to the forefront. Actually, it reminds me of Nicke Andersson's (Entombed) style on Clandestine. My favorite song is definitely the last one, Instauration - Carcass worship with an original twist. All in all, Diskord is at least a hundred times more interesting band than, say, Necrophagist will ever be.

6. Odious Mortem - Cryptic Implosion

7. Alchemist - Tripsis

8. Mithras - Behind The Shadows Lie Madness
This is a strange one. At first, I totally and absolutely loved it. However, once the initial excitement started to wear off, I slowly began to notice some considerable flaws. For example, the clean vocals - they suck. The guitar solos drenched in delay and reverb get old very quickly. And I know you play an 'experimental' metal, but some actual riffs instead of mindless scale wanking in odd time signatures would make this so much better (although the song The Twisted Tower shows some promise in this area). Don't get me wrong, it's still really good and undoubtely original, but there's certainly room for improvement.

9. Hacksaw To The Throat - Wastelands

10. NOX - Ixaxaar
This sounds like a ride straight through hell, you don't even know what's going on at times - it's the type of music that grabs you by the throat and pummels you into submission. Of course, every song sounds the same and you won't remember any of it after the first listen, but that's a small price to pay for such sheer brewtal death-metality *snickers*.


Black metal

1. Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum

2. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters

3. Blut aus Nord - Odinist

4. Sigh - Hangman's Hymn

5. Cobalt - Eater Of Birds

6. Stíny Plamenů - Odpadní Galerie
Cult Czech band lead by black metal mastermind Lord Morbivod, playing classic black metal with a slightly original twist. The most interesting thing about this band though are the lyrics - they don't deal with usual black metal stuff like Satan, Christianity, burning churches or being grim in the frostbitten forests, but instead, they're about sewers. Yes, you heard it right. It's of course funny as hell, because they explore this unusual topic with scientific approach that is truly fascinating. Can't get much more underground than that.

7. Graveland - Will Stronger Than Death

8. Shining - V - Halmstad

9. Watain - Sworn To The Dark
They decided to openly rip-off Dissection on this one, and I like it much better than any of their other albums. Go figure.

10. Ravencult - Temples Of Torment
Vicious and raw black metal, totally unoriginal, yet quite enjoyable. Kvlt recommendation.


Grindcore/goregrind

1. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
I'm sure this is a big surprise to all of you, heh-heh. Absolutely relentless, heavier than a ten ton hammer, even dirtier than Terrifyer, and about as subtle as a kick in the balls, that's a fairly accurate description of the new Pig Destroyer album. Guitar work is great and really inventive (in the genre, at least), drumming totally chaotic, but still groovy enough, and the vocals... well, just as convincingly crazy as usual. I also dig the more old-school, but still crystal clear production work. Of course, nothing is perfect, and Phantom Limb is not an exception - I sure could do without all those deathcore-ish breakdowns. Luckily, they're not too distracting and cheesy, so you can suffer through them quite easily.

2. Lymphatic Phlegm - Show-off Cadavers - The Anatomy Of Self Display

3. Insect Warfare - World Extermination

4. Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition - Inventory Of Fixtures

5. Splitter - Avskräckande Exemplar

6. Psychotic Despair - Psychotic Despair
I'm not much of a patriot, to be honest, and I take every stab at our little nation I can. The thing is, every single joke you ever heard about checks Czechs is pretty much spot on. But we can do at least one thing really well, and that is grindcore and it's offshoots. They say there's something in the water here, hmm... Anyway, this rules, and should please any fan of the genre.

7. Looking for an Answer - Extincion

8. Tu Carne - Culto A La Muerte

9. Mistress - The Glory Bitches Of Doghead

10. Graf Orlock - Destination Time: Tomorrow


Doom metal

1. Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today
I felt like a kid at Christmas when Witchcult Today finally came out, as I sat at home listening to it probably ten times in a row. And of course, it doesn't disappoint - songs are great and appropriately tripped-out, full of huge and memorable riffs with occasional ambient interlude. Jus Oborn even showcases his limited singing ability, and suprisingly, it works reasonably well in the context of the album. But nothing is flawless, and Witchcult Today is not an exception. Before recording this album, Electric Wizard said they wanted the to use more stripped-down, analogue sound, reminiscent of early Black Sabbath records. Which is a great idea, but only when properly executed. And while the production is pleasantly vintage-y and nice, the drum sound is so weak it's pathetic - you can't even hear the drummer over the guitar track at times. And fuck, I demand more Dopethrone earmelting brutality! Or at least more of those hypnotic, trance-like elements found on Come My Fanatics - you can't really 'zone out and drift away' to Witchcult Today, it's much more rock-oriented and 'in your face' (in an old-school, 70's kind of way). Which is still cool, I guess. D'oh.

2. Reverend Bizarre - So Long, Suckers

3. Mammatus - The Coast Explodes
What do you get if you mix OM and Dead Meadow? Excellent heavy psychedelic stoner doom, a lot heavier than Dead Meadow, but also much more textured and complex than OM.

4. OM - Pilgrimage
While heavier and more fuzzed-out, Variations On A Theme still remains my favorite. But it's OM, so why should I complain?

5. Burning Witch - The Crippled Lucifer

6. Evoken - A Caress Of The Void

7. Buried at Sea - Ghost

8. Runemagick - Dawn Of The End

9. Ahab - The Oath

10. Worship - Dooom


Sludge/post-metal

1. The Ocean - Precambrian
Holy shit... HOLY SHIT. I'm always a little bit skeptical about the modern sludge in general, but this caught me totally off-guard. This is an absolute behemoth of an album, intense and entertaining from the opening riff to the final symphonic section, which is a huge accomplishment, considering the almost hour and a half long playing time. And not only that, but every song is even better than the previous one - the last half of the album is just unbelievably good, but the first half is no slouch either. Nothing more needs to be said, this is bar none the best thing that came out last year.

2. Cable - Last Call
One of the best bands that you probably have never heard of, Cable's farewell album is just as unclassifiable as the rest of their catalogue, but if any kind of heavy music is your thing, you'll most likely to find it here - sludge, noise, punk, stoner, hardcore, doesn't matter. Did I mention it absolutely fucking rules? Only drawback obviously is that Cable has decided to call it quits.

3. Ramesses - Misanthropic Alchemy
Strip the Electric Wizard off all laid back trippy grooves, replace them with pure hate and anger, and the result would sound probably a lot like Ramesses. The comparison is not coincidental though, as two of the former Electric Wizard members are present in the band. This is the type of album that will give you nightmares.

4. High on Fire - Death Is This Communion

5. Rwake - Voices Of Omens

6. Neurosis - Given To The Rising
Christ, it's Neurosis... what do you need to know? Just buy (or steal) it.

7. Baroness - Red Album

8. Minsk - The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment

9. Black Cobra - Feather And Stone

10. Bongripper - Hippie Killer

11. Ufomammut & Lent0 - Supernaturals Record One

12. Unsane - Visqueen

13. Sun of Nothing - ...In The Weak And The Wounded
This is some seriously sick shit. Extremely dirty sludge with vocals that can easily give Demilich a run for their money - I haven't heard anything else like that in a long time.

14. Zozobra - Harmonic Tremors

15. Rosetta - Wake/Lift


Damn subgenres... whose dumb idea was that anyway? Oh, mine... so that wasn't exactly the brightest one I've ever had.


Stoner rock

1. beehoover - The Sun Behind The Dustbin
Guitarless stoner rock? Why not, as it works suprisingly well. These guys got that whole groovy desert rock vibe down with no trouble.

2. El-Thule - Green Magic

3. Witchcraft - The Alchemist

4. Bomb The Sun - Bomb The Sun

5. Brant Bjork - Somera Sol
Everything this man touches turns to gold. I don't think there's anyone who can do pure enjoyable rock'n'roll better than him.

6. Ahkmed - Chicxulub
Dreamy space rock that takes you somewhere else, but when it hits, it hits hard. Pure bliss for the fans of Kyuss, Hawkwind, Spirit Caravan or Mogwai.

7. Causa Sui - Free Ride

8. Clutch - From Beale Street To Oblivion

9. RotoR - 3

10. Fu Manchu - We Must Obey
Stoner rock veterans strike back with another solid release. Sure, it's not anywhere near King Of The Road or In Search Of, but they constantly deliver their trademark fuzzed-out and cool as ever groove without recycling their old material. To this day, I still can't quite figure how they manage to sound so angry and yet so laidback at the same time.


Post-rock

1. World's End Girlfriend - Hurtbreak Wonderland

2. Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I

3. Crippled Black Phoenix - A Love Of Shared Disasters

4. Grails - Burning Off Impurities

5. Caspian - The Four Trees

6. Lento - Earthen

7. God Is an Astronaut - Far From Refuge

8. Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss

9. Tuna Laguna - Ripples And Swells

10. Aereogramme - My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go

11. port-royal - Afraid To Dance

12. té - It Be The Thinking As 'The Song' Of Realistic Sound From The World Which Resounds

13. Atlantis - Carpe Omnium

14. The World on Higher Downs - Land Patterns

15. Maserati - Inventions For The New Season


Progressive rock

1. Pineapple Thief - What We Have Sown

2. Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring
After the colossal disappointment that was Fear Of A Blank Planet, I was a bit worried about the future of Porcupine Tree. No, they don't 'sold out', as the most of the songs on FOABP were more progressive than anything on In Absentia and Deadwing, but it just seemed so boring and uninspired that I thought for a while this will be the beginning of the end of one of my favorite active bands at the moment. Fortunately, FOABP was almost immediately followed by the release of this short, four-song EP called Nil Recurring, and it's easily much, much better than anything on FOABP. And while Normal is basically just an expanded and 'slightly' reworked version of Sentimental, it's so superior in all aspects, it's not even funny. Thank you Steven Wilson, I have faith in you again.

3. Ritual - The Hemulic Voluntary Band
This record brought a smile to my face. Influenced by and blending elements of Jethro Tull, Comus and Camel among others, while mixing in their own ideas and good amount of folky elements, this album is an interesting Scandinavian take on classic 70's vintage British prog - certainly much more interesting than recent and kinda lame Kaipa or The Flower Kings releases. Highlight would be definitely the closer, 26 minutes long epic A Dangerous Journey, and I even like the most 'out of place' song on the album, Waiting By The Bridge, which to me represents a clever and enjoyable homage to the progressive rock veterans Caravan. If you're a 70's prog rock fan, you need to pick this one up.

4. Blackfield - Blackfield II

5. 3 - The End Is Begun
Pros:
+ great musicianship, especially a quite clever use of acoustic instruments
+ pretty solid songwriting
Cons:
- vocals are almost unbearably whiny at times - just grow a pair and try to sing like a man, and not a castrated version of Gerard Way. But to be fair, they're good enough for the most part.

6. Anekdoten - A Time Of Day

7. The New Caledonia - Lotus

8. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times

9. Nightingale - White Darkness
Dan Swanö, marvelously hyperactive as usual. While I think about it, there's nothing progressive about this album, aside from the fact that majority of songs on here are driven by cheesy Rush-inspired keys. Other than that, it's nothing more than very straighforward melodic rock. But hey, it's catchy, enjoyable, Dan Swanö's vocals are great as always, and it's still quite a bit more progressive than last three Dream Theater's albums combined.

10. Rush - Snakes & Arrows


Electronic/ambient/IDM

1. Venetian Snares - My Downfall (Original Soundtrack)

2. Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye

3. Odd Nosdam - Level Live Wires

4. Ólafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution

5. The Valerie Project - The Valerie Project

6. Boxcutter - Glyphic

7. Prefuse 73 - Preparations

8. Eluvium - Copia
Gorgeous. Captivating. Enthralling.

9. Klute - The Emperor's New Clothes

10. The Tuss - Rushup Edge

11. Burial - Untrue

12. Stars of the Lid - Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement Of The Decline

13. Sylvain Chauveau - Nuage
A collection of short instrumental songs (more like interludes) composed for the film by Sebastien Betbeder, heavily focused on minimalistic musical approach - a piano, some strings, and the guitar in a few songs, that's it. It's hard to classify this, and while it's far from post-rock or electronica, it sounds incredibly jazzy at times, but it's not jazz or classical either - just 35 minutes of pure beauty.

14. Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol. I

15. Efterklang - Under Giant Trees
See Eluvium.

16. Pan Sonic - Katodivaihe

17. Amon Tobin - Foley Room


Downtempo/nu-jazz

1. Emancipator - Soon It Will Be Cold Enough

2. Stateless - Stateless

3. Blockhead - Uncle Tony's Coloring Book

4. Pepe Deluxé - Spare Time Machine

5. UNKLE - War Stories

6. The Juju Orchestra - Bossa Nova Is Not A Crime

7. Air - Pocket Symphony

8. Flevans - Unfabulous

9. Flow Dynamics - Flow Dynamics

10. Jabberloop - And Infinite Jazz...
Surprisingly deep and mellow Japanese nu-jazz, well-played and interesting enough compositionally that it doesn't get boring and serves as much more than just background music. You won't find anything new or groundbreaking here, but what they do, they do well.


My head hurts.


Jazz

1. SOIL & "PIMP" Sessions - Pimpoint
After a first few seconds, I immediately knew that this band is Japanese. And I don't even have any kind of asian fetish, nor do I think that Japan is some kind of a fantasy fairyland, where men are always weird and psychotic, and women exist solely in a form of a 12-year old schoolgirl. Anyway, this one really kicks ass - a freejazz album that is actually listenable AND accessible. Jazz that RAWKS!

2. Michael Brecker - Pilgrimage

3. John Abercrombie - The Third Quartet

4. Hiromi - Time Control

5. Nostalgia 77 Octet - Weapons Of Jazz Destruction

6. Eivind Aarset - Sonic Codex

7. Erik Truffaz - Arkhangelsk

8. John Zorn - Six Litanies For Heliogabalus


Hip-hop

1. Arts the Beatdoctor - Transitions

2. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Dark and dope as hell, no real weak points at all. This is a good album, Walter.

3. Sole and the Skyrider Band - Sole And The Skyrider Band

4. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass

5. Busdriver - Roadkillovercoat
You know, say what you want about hip-hop, but guys like Busdriver make it more than worthwhile.

6. dälek - Abandoned Language

7. Madlib - Beat Conducta Vol. 3-4: In India
Madlib is back with another record full of ... well, does anyone even know what it is? Cinematic hip-hop, maybe? Granted, it could be a bit more balanced and coherent, but it's still a great piece of work.

8. Subtle - Yell&Ice

9. Atmosphere - Strictly Leakage
Pros:
+ You can't beat the price - as it's free. A great gift to the fans.
+ Slug's distinct flow - he's just very talented and instantly recogizable rapper
+ the atmosphere (*snickers*) of this album is more than slightly reminiscent of the classic Beastie Boys party-centered style
+ Ant's production, of course
Cons:
- all those funk and soul samples - after a while, I feel like I'm listening to the fucking James Brown tribute album. It's not bad by any means, but gets old really fast.

10. The Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft Of The Lost Art


Ok, I officially hate subgenres more than anything right now. And probably will for the rest of my life. So to avoid the dilemma of whether album X is freak folk, twee, shoegaze, noise rock, alt-country, americana, indie-that or post-whatever, I'll just lump it together into one big section.


Indie

1. Low - Drums And Guns
Truth to be told, I didn't even really like it at first, and while Breaker, Dragonfly and Violent Past were love at first sight, I thought the rest of the album plodded along quite slowly, with uninspired and tedious songs, devoid of anything remotely interesting. Oh, how wrong I was. Over the last few months, Drums & Guns has grown on me immensely, and though there's still a few songs that could be a tiny bit better, I like them all. Also, I'm glad they abandoned the more rock-oriented style set on The Great Destroyer, but without going back to what they've already done in the past - Drums & Guns is stripped-down, full of sparse electronics and basic drum loops, all with Low's trademark minimalistic approach backed up by outstanding vocal harmonies. The most important thing is - it sounds fresh, original, and still like Low.

2. Logh - North

3. The Most Serene Republic - Population
One of the biggest surprises of the year for me, complex orchestrated indie rock, heavily layered and almost proggy at times, with excellent use of vocal harmonies, which I'm a sucker for. It's also extremely dense, chaotic and all around complicated yet enjoyable listen, there's so much going on at once, it's really hard to keep up at times. It also dies a little bit before the end, as the first half of the album is definitely much stronger. Nonetheless, I can't wait for their next release.

4. Six Organs of Admittance - Shelter From The Ash
I want to marry Ben Chasny. Really, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's pretty much evident that I'm completely over-obsessed fanboy, so any attempt at reviewing this album would be kind of pointless, right? So I just say it's just as good as any of his previous ones, and leave it at that.

5. St. Vincent - Marry Me

6. The Angels of Light - We Are Him
Pros:
+ it's Michael Gira
Cons:
- it's Michael Gira - if you don't like him, this one definitely won't change your mind

7. Blonde Redhead - 23

8. Caribou - Andorra

9. Boredoms Super Roots #9
You think you know what trance is? Check this album to really find out.

10. Hearts of Black Science - The Ghost You Left Behind

11. The Dragons - BFI

12. Pinback - Autumn Of The Seraphs

13. Magik Markers - Boss
Image if PJ Harvey recorded a noise rock album - wouldn't that be great? This is pretty much it, or at least as close as possible, anyway. And yes, it IS great.

14. Tub Ring - The Great Filter

15. Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land

16. Parts & Labor - Mapmaker
Great poppy & punky noise rock, woo-hoo! One of the most fun albums of the year, especially their drummer is extremely energetic and pure pleasure to listen to. I guarantee you'll be singing along in no time (and looking totally stupid while doing it). The vocal effects and samples remind me of Devin Townsend, which is of course a good thing. Shame about the slightly muddy production, though.

17. Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom & The Ys Street Band
Greatest thing she's ever done. Colleen is a wonderful song with it's somewhat Celtic feel and almost folky prog rock atmosphere, and the reworked versions of Crab, Clam, Cockle, Cowrie and Cosmia are a lot better than originals. Also, the vocals are really good, I wouldn't say great, but definitely much more bearable - you don't feel like you're listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks most of the time anymore.

18. Jeremy Enigk - The Missing Link
Maybe I'm slowly turning into a sixty-year old woman, but I really like this. The reworked versions of the songs from World Waits album are especially nice.

19. The Makes Nice - This Time Tomorrow
I've been told that this band features some ex-members from The Fucking Champs, which would be awesome, but I don't know if that's true or not, and I'm too lazy to check it out right now. Oh well... as for The Makes Nice, they play really happy sounding, 60's inspired power pop - the obvious influence would be The Beatles, though most of the songs on This Time Tomorrow are quite dumbed-down and straighforward. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as it's very easy on the ears.

20. Seabear - The Ghost That Carried Us Away
While this album unmistakably combines all ordinary features of substandard indie pop, for a somewhat strange reason, it just ... works. Reminds me of Beck for some reason. Good stuff.


Uncategorized

1. Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient

2. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

3. Ulver - Shadows Of The Sun

4. The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand

5. Collapsar - Integers

6. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde

7. Professor Fate - Inferno

8. Blotted Science - The Machinations Of Dementia
Ron Jarzombek can do no wrong. Accompanied with Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) and Charlie Zeleny (Behold... the Arctopus), the result is indeed quite impressive - much heavier (although not as quirky) than Spastic Ink, while not utilizing standard song structures like in Watchtower, this is over the top instrumental metal that could be accurately described as sonic assault in it's purest form, so it could be somewhat overwhelming and hard to take for most listeners - and the excessive playing time (almost 60 minutes) is not helping either. Highly recommended to fans of technical metal.

9. Tomahawk - Anonymous

10. Behold... the Arctopus - Skullgrid


Worst albums

1. Hellyeah - Hellyeah
This sucks even more than Damageplan (which is already hard to imagine) - it's gayer than two guys fucking at the Tegan and Sara concert.

2. Oxbow - The Narcotic Story
Umm guys, you made a really nice beer coaster here, but I think you forgot the music somewhere along the way... Oh, and Eugene Robinson, thanks for ruining an otherwise perfectly good song on the last Capricorns album.

3. C-187 - Collision
Technical thrash metal with Tony Choy on bass and Sean Reinert on drums - sound awesome, right? But the reality is... oh god, I don't even know where to start. Try to imagine a big mean cookie monster rapping over a second-rate Meshuggah riffs, and you'll get a basic idea of what to expect. The lyrics are straight up 50 Cent, plenty of bitches, hoes, riding dirty and cruisin' 4 a bruisin'. The result is of course absolutely hilarious, all hail gangsta prog metal!

4. Elvenking - The Scythe

5. Ancesttral - The Famous Unknown
Skullcrushing riffage. Expertly-crafted songwriting. Awe-inspiring ideas. Brilliant musicianship. Perfect production. Tons of memorable hooks. Sounds great, right? Shame you won't find any of it on this album, though. If Trivium are a crappy Metallica copy, then Ancesttral are even crappier copy of Trivium.

Most overrated albums

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
I like Radiohead, I really do. The Bends was one of the most important albums of the 90's, and rightfully so. You can't even hate Radiohead, because they're pretty much everyone's favorite band. But come on, they're also without shadow of a doubt the most overhyped thing in the whole known universe. Thom Yorke's vocals are even more annoying then ever before (which in itself is quite an accomplishment), and a lot of the songs verge on being too Coldplay (yes, I'm using the word Coldplay as a synonym for 'fucking shitty'). Does anyone ever care about the other four guys in the band, by the way? Ok, Jonny Greenwood is now famous, but ask your average Radiohead fan to name their drummer, and you'll probably going to get a blank stare. And I still think that the In Rainbows marketing gimmick was rather silly. Anyway, it's not a complete disaster either, and Bodysnatchers, Reckoner and Videotape are cool songs.

2. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
- stupid marketing gimmick? Check.
- creepy cult of personality thing going on? Check.
- angsty pseudo intellectual lyrics? Check.
- unnecessary and overblown concept/mysticism, involving some kind of political conspiracy? Check.
No, I'm not talking about Tool. Trent, don't you think it's about time to lay off that teenage angst now?

3. Machine Head - The Blackening

4. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

5. Grinderman - Grinderman
I'm a Nick Cave fanboy, and I whole-heartedly love almost everything he's ever done, but I just don't get this. Boo-fucking-hoo.


Dumbest album title/band name

1. !!!
Picking a band name that's impossible to find on internet search engines = great idea.

2. Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
Jesus... leave Bowie alone. At least the music is good, though.

3. Lesbian
Umm... yeah, right.


Best album cover/packaging

1. The Ocean - Precambrian



2. Graf Orlock - Destination Time: Tomorrow



3. Bongripper - Heroin



That's just cute.

4. Artanker Convoy



You know... it's impossible to not include this one.

5. The Angels of Light - We Are Him



Does anyone see the resemblance?



That's all for now, folks. Wow, that sucked.

No Best of, Re-releases, compilations etc. The album has to contain mostly new material.





Honorable mentions:

Trans Am - Sex Change
The Ladybug Transistor - Can't Wait Another Day
Primordial - To The Nameless Dead
Jesca Hoop - Kismet
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
EL-P - I'll Sleep When Your Dead
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With The Living
Neurosis - Given To The Rising
Jeru the Damaja - Still Rising
Ceremony - Disappear
Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Ok, avrei voluto ascoltare qualche disco in più, ma di questo passo a giugno ancora non avrò stilato una classifica, e nel frattempo mi sarò dimenticato qualcosa.
E' giunta quindi l'ora di buttar giù qualche nome che ha reso speciale questo 2007.

1.Hearts of Black Science - The Ghost You've Left Behind
2.Vladislav Delay - Whistleblower
3.Strategy - Future Rock
4.Beirut - The Flying Tea Cup
5.Black Lips - Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo
6.Burial - Untrue
7.Hans Appelqvist - Sifantin och mörkret
8.To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie - The Patron
9.The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
10.Parts & Labor - Mapmaker

Ero molto indeciso sulla prima posizione: da una parte il synth indie pop degli Heart Of Black Science, dall'altra le installazioni dub di Sasu Ripatti, entrambi in grado di trasmettermi sensazioni come pochi altri dischi. Ho preferito il duo scandinavo per il semplice fatto che ogni ascolto di The Ghost You Left Behind è stata una continua riscoperta, un album in grado di cambiarmi l'umore ed entrarmi sotto la pelle, a dispetto di una formula semplice e di una spiccata attitudine al melodrammatico.
Whistleblower l'ho atteso a lungo, sono da parecchio un fan di Ripatti, e non sono rimasto deluso: ascoltare Whistleblower è come guardare varie barche nel mare: la distesa d'acqua domina il nostro campo visivo, ma lo sguardo fa attenzione alle barche in movimento(questa l'ho presa in prestito da una recensione di Irrlicht, si addice a Whistleblower anche se in un senso diverso). Ha del paradossale come un disco del genere riesca ad essere così melodico ed emozionale.
Future Rock è una piacevole scoperta fatta grazie a Blow Up, un'altra escursione nell'elettronica dub a cavallo tra l'hypersoul di Burial ed il pop ambient di Andrew Thomas. Nonostante ciò, in Future Rock non si può non percepire una certa vena funk, anche se messa quasi a tacere.
Gli altri, bene o male, li conoscono tutti, quindi non mi dilungo, ma mi preme citare altri dischi che, in un altro momento e con un altro umore, avrei potuto piazzare da qualche parte dalla 7 in giù:

Future of the Left - Curses
Black Dice - Load Blown
Zs - Arms
Aa - gAame
Pushy! - Hors Not
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
White Flight - White Flight
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
El-P- I'll sleep when you're dead
Arve Henriksen - Strjon
Secede - Vega Libre
Popnoname - White Album
Antibalas - Security
Circa Survive - On Letting Go
The National - Boxer

Belli, ma non da top10:
The Berg Sans Nipple - Along The Quai
Lymbyc Systym - Love Your Abuser
port-royal - Afraid to Dance
Shannon Wright - Let in the light
Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water
People - Misbegotten Man
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
[[[Powerhouse Sound]]] - Breaks
At Swim Two Birds - Returning to the Scene of the Crime...
Exploding Star Orchestra - We are all from somewhere else
Porn Sword Tobacco - New Exclusive Olympic Heights
Heliocentrics - out there
Talibam! - Ordination Of The Globetrotting Conscripts
Alex Taylor and the Evil Eye - Alex Taylor and the Evil Eye
Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
Blonde Redhead - 23
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Gravenhurst - The Western Lands
Battles - Mirrored
Dosh - Triple Rock
Far Corner - Endangered
Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
Murmur - Undertone
September Collective - All The Birds Were Anarchists
PlatEAU - Kushbush
ttttttttttttttttttttt - ttttttttttttttttttttt
Minsk - The Ritual Fires of Abandonment
Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft of the Lost Art
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds
Morgan Packard - Airships Fill The Sky
Fridge - the sun
Guy Gerber - Late Bloomers
Les Joyaux de la Princesse - Aux Volontaires Croix De Sang
The Eunoia Plague - Halos Within Voids
Stars of the Lid – and their refinement of the decline
The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Patrick Wolf – the magic position
Pantha du Prince - This Bliss
Caribou - Andorra
Stateless - Stateless
Pissed Jeans - Hope for men
Bachi da pietra - Non io
Ignatz - II
Sylvain Chauveau - Nuage
Epic45 - May Your Heart Be The Map
Apparat - Walls
ST - People I Barely Know

Evito di citare i dischi che non mi sono piaciuti, a parte la delusione dell'anno, ovvero l'altro disco di Ripatti, questa volta con l'altro suo progetto Uusitalo. Karhunainen non è un brutto disco, sia chiaro, ma dopo Tulenkantaja(tra i miei dischi dell'anno, l'anno scorso) e Vapaa Muurari e la prova d'ispirazione di Whistleblower mi aspettavo molto meglio.

p.s.: eventuali errori di battitura sono da imputarsi a sta cazzo di tastiera nuova alla quale mi devo ancora abituare.

1. How did you get into 31?: UNKLE
Found them through an other user's profile and tried them out.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?: Dragonette
I think it was I Get Around.

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29?: Lacuna Coil
Tough..probably :Falling Again - I know I live but like a stone I'm falling down...

4. What is your favourite album by 49?: The Gossip
Just know one by them: "Standing In The Way Of Control".

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?: Regina Spektor
Just "Soviet Kitsch" =/

6. What is your favourite song by 50?: Blonde Redhead
The Dress.

7. Is there a song by 15 that makes you sad?: Persephone
Lullaby, Coming Home & Drowning Theme.

8. What is your favourite song by 4?: Angelspit
Not easy as well. Currently it's Elixir.

9. What is your favourite song by 6?: Emilie Autumn
At the moment: Mad Girl.

10. Is there a song by 5 that makes you happy?: Nightwish
Whoever Brings the Night.

11. What is your favourite album by 40?: Amy Winehouse
"Back to Black".

12. What is your favourite song by 12?:
I have no #12 at the moment haha.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 33?: Blaqk Audio
None, yet.

14. What is your favourite song by 37?: Kate Nash
It always changes, but currently Nicest Thing.

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?: Jem
There is, Come on Closer.

16. How many times have you seen 24 live?: Evanescence
Never.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?: Peaches
I think it was Downtown.

18. What is your favourite album by 11?: Ashbury Heights & Hearts of Black Science
They both have just one album: "Three Cheers For The Newly Deads" & "The Ghost You Left Behind".

19. Who is your favourite member of 1?: The Birthday Massacre
O-en xD

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?: Muse
No. I think I'd have to pay a lot to see them live <.<

21. What is a good memory involving 45?: Tarja Turunen
Seeing her in that bath tube in the old version of Nightwish's Sleeping Sun video hahaha.

22. What is your favourite song by 16?: Gregory and the Hawk
Can't decide between Isabelle and Crixit.

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 48?: Darzamat
That was Secret Garden.

24. What is your favourite album by 21?: The Knife
Uhm, I think their self-titled album.

25. What is your favourite song by 18?: Kate Havnevik
Se Meg.

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?: Diablo Swing Orchestra
Balrog Boogie.

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?: Yann Tiersen
His music doesn't need any lyrics :)

28. What is you favourite song by 2?: Autumn
Oh hard. Currently Solar Wake & Who Has Seen Her Wave Her Hand.

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?: Puscifer
Well, that was The Undertaker (Reinholder Mix).

30. What is you favourite song by 8?: Katatonia
Unfurl & July at the moment.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?: Epica
The gig on Feb 12th will be my 3rd time! :D

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?: Cat Power
No haha, at least I only listen to her calmer songs.

33. What is you favourite album by 27?: IAMX
"The Alternative".

34. What is the worst song by 41?: After Forever
Being Everyone.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 35?: Siouxsie Sioux
Into A Swan.

36. What is you favourite album by 42?: CocoRosie
It's "The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn.

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?: Stars
None

38. What is your favourite album by 25?: Björk
Both "Homogenic" & "Post".

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?: Stolen Babies
Filistata.

40. What is you favourite album by 7?: Within Temptation
"Mother Earth".

z roku na rok mam na podsumowania coraz mniej siły. ten miniony był, podobnie jak 2006, zdominowany przez muzykę ex yu, niekoniecznie nową, niekoniecznie "dobrą", (chociaż, co to jest DOBRA muzyka?) ale na pewno dostarczającą dużo przyjemności w odbiorze.
z tak zwanego "mielenia" już wyrosłam, albo po prostu jestem na nie za stara i zbyt leniwa.
dlatego właśnie to lista przede wszystkim tych albumów, którym poświęciłam najwięcej czasu, i które gdzieś tam utkwiły w pamięci, czy uchu.

#Hearts of Black Science - The Ghost You Left Behind
#Klima - Klima
#Frida Hyvönen - Frida Hyvönen Gives You: Music From The Dance Performance Pudel
#Piano Magic - Part Monster
#The Rosebuds - Night Of The Furies

#Blonde Redhead - 23
#Akron/Family - Love Is Simple
#Crippled Black Phoenix - A Love Of Shared Disasters
#Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
#Art of Fighting - Runaways

#port-royal - Afraid To Dance
#Husky Rescue - Ghost Is Not Real
#The Honeydrips - Here Comes The Future
#The Bird and the Bee - the bird and the bee
#Air Formation - Daylight Storms

#Thee More Shallows - Book of Bad Breaks
#Chromatics - Night Drive
#The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
#French Teen Idol - Enlightened False Consciousness
#Toše Proeski- Игри без граници

+ pewnie gdyby wpadły w moje ręce wcześniej na przykład
A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers i Christian Fennesz-Ryuichi Sakamoto - Cendre to pewnie gdzieś by w tej 20stce znalazły miejsce.

amen.

p.s pełna lista tego, co o uszy moje miało szczęście, bądź nieszczęście się obić: http://rateyourmusic.com/list/nurka/2007

Digg? http://puddlegum.net/daniel-anghede-leaving-hearts-of-black-science/

Saddest news I have heard recently. Daniel Änghede of Hearts of Black Science is calling it a day with the band. According to the band’s Myspace blog, some personal and family reasons made Änghede to come to this point. What a shame for fans, fareweling the vocals of this talented duo. How sad to hear this before catching a chance to see them live!?

Hearts of Black Science will still go on its own way with Tomas Almgren along with new member(s) and I am still expecting wonders from this project. It just will be different from how it has been so far without Daniel’s soft vocals, I suppose.

Wishing the best for both Daniel and Tomas in their future careers.

Here is the announcement: (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=69628231&blogID=333785247)

Daniel quits Hearts of Black Science
Dear friends, Daniel here!

It is with great sadness and emptiness that i have to inform you all that i am no longer a member of Hearts of Black Science. Due to both personal and family reasons i simply had to step down from the band. Personal things that has happened over the last year has made it impossible for me to dedicate 100% in the band and everyhting less than 100% was not enough for Tomas who felt he needs to have this as his main priority in his life. I understand his point of view but i still think we could have done this different. I feel that i still have alot to give in the band and i know that we could have created another great record together but this is probably the best for both of us, no use in arguing and not having fun. It is better that i step down and handle over the guitar and microphone to someone else. I feel empty and dissapointed and i love what we have created together over the last 2 years as a band and i am very proud over the album we recorded.

Hearts of Black Science is and always will be the most interesting project that i have ever been part off and i will miss it to death. And to all the fans that i´ve met during my time i´d like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH, you have been amazing and i will miss every single one of you! I´d also like to thank all the magazines and promoters that has tought me so much.and last but not least, a special thanks to Nick, Robin and Duncan over at our recordlabel Club AC30 for all the amazing support and good fun we´ve had, i will miss you brothers!


Hopefully i´ll see you again somewhere else another time, with another band cuz i plan to continue making music, but for now it is goodbye...

I´d like to wish Tomas and / or possible future members of Hearts of Black Science all the best of luck!

Sincerely /

Daniel Änghede