Music: What a year for the kind of music I enjoy. I actually have a top 15 and even at that leave off lots I loved. There were great albums from The Editors, De/Vision, Bjork, Lakeside X, Assemblage 23, Dave Gahan, Komputer, LCD Soundsystem, Marsheaux, Obscenity Trial, Pink Grease, She Wants Revenge (though this one fell far, far below expectations), Mobius Band (who would rank #16 if I expanded the list) and dare I admit it, Britney Spears, who delivered the first listenable music of her career, save for Toxic). I enjoyed all of these albums a lot and they helped balance out just how bad the mainstream charts were this year (which were exceptionally bad in 2007), but the "best" of the year were:
1.
Dragonette: Galore. Imagine Gwen Stefani, but, you know...good. Also as an electronic act. And also as an artist who performs songs about dirty illicit sex, cheating, and from the perspective of a call girl. A better pop album I can't recall in recent memory.
2.
Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero. A concept album that worked on every level. Preachy at times but musically adventerous and utterly listenable many months after it was released.
3.
Backlash: Shape of Things to Come. 12 months ago I had no idea who this Swedish band were. Now they are the one band to genuinely excite me this year. An electronic band that jams more notes into a typical beat than any band I've ever heard. They have a sound so distinct, so unique it defies description. The moment I hear a Backlash song I know it's them. It's busy music, to be sure, but exciting for how new and original it feels. This third album from the band is a perfecting of their distict style.
4.
Necessary Response:
Blood Spills Not Far From the Wound. Hard to explain why this album is so damn good. It's not all that original (it's very traditional EBM), on the surface it doesn't bring anything at all new to the table but good lord it's well done. Fantastic melodies that hook you right in and though I may barely remember this album this time next year, right now it feels fresh and fun.
5.
Radiohead:
In Rainbows. Move past the hype and you'll find some really well crafted pop songs. It's not the big sonic "return to form" many have been reporting, though less experimental than say, Kid A. I didn't love this album at first listen but it's really grown, and "Nude" now ranks among my favourite Radiohead songs.
6.
VNV Nation:
Judgement. In my opinion, their best album to date (many on last.fm strongly disageed with me but months on I still beg to differ). Less repeatative banging and more melodic than anything they have ever done. Almost, but not quite a pop album. Still very much Futurepop/EBM, but with a sweeter feel. "Illusion" marks their first truly "pretty" song.
7.
Shiny Toy Guns: We Are Pilots. Discovered this band through Rolling Stone magazine, though the song they recommended, "Le Disco" leaves me cold. The balance of the album is that rare creature, really good American electropop. "
You Are the One" is among the best pop songs of the year, spanning all genres. "
Shaken" is the kind of stadium power rock Queen would be proud of. They cover a lot of ground on this breakthrough album and are deservedly getting a lot of buzz.
8.
The Shins: Wincing the Night Away. Before this year I did not know this band. I didn't know they were on the Garden State soundtrack. I wasn't part of the "Discover the cool new indie band" movement so I missed their big cool wave. And I somehow even missed their appearance on SNL. I just happened upon "Sea Legs" one day, loved it, got the rest of the album and fell in love with it. "Australia" is one of my favourite songs of the year, and packs one of the best melodies ever. If i did a singles list (I don't. Too overwhelming.) it would top it for the year. The rest of the album kicks ass too.
9.
The Secret Meeting:
Ultrashiver. This combination of members of Collide and Curve turned out the year's moodiest album. Dark electronic swirls, crunchy guitars and the lovely voice of Collide's Karin combine for a rock-solid release.
10.
Client: Heartland. Released early in the year I was worried when I heard a band that made a wonderful record completely on a Mac laptop was adding drums and guitar (I tend to like my electronic music truly electronic), but the songcraft here is staggering. You have likely never heard of Client but they are capable of writing a pop melody on par with anything on the mainstream charts you enjoyed this year. Listen to "
6 in the Morning" or their version of "
xerox machine" and tell me a better pop melody out there.
11.
Technoir:
Deliberately Fragile. Not memorable. Not half as good as their previous album, "Groundlevel" but still as catchy as anything released this year. Six and a half years was too long to wait for a new album from this German duo. Hoping the next one comes sooner.
12.
Diorama:
A Different Life. Ditto the above. My favourite album from yet another German band (everything I liked this year seemed to come from Germany or Sweden of all places), and while on the surface it's pretty ordinary, song for song it just works. Another one released at the very top of the year I still listen to every day at the end.
13.
Michigan: Pulse of Pain. Another Swedish effort. Some lyrics smack of a little more Christianity than I like in my music but I can't deny the songcraft here. Check out "
The Nomad" for another song I'd call a top five single of the year.
14.
Recoil: SubHuman. Largely a collaboration between former Depeche Mode keyboardist Alan Wilder and delta blues musician Joe Richardson. And it works so very well. One of the most original albums of the year it perfects the elusive "electro-blues" formula, originated by Yazoo in 1982. Dark as hell (lots of "guy in prison for life singing the blues" type of lyrics) and many of the songs are way too long (12 minutes in one case) but it sticks with you. Wilder did a similar mash up with gospel and he succeeds again (my favourite musical styles are electronic, blues and gospel so Wilder sure knows the way to my heart.)
15.
Sono: Panaramic View. Another German band. I was hooked at first listen. Expertly crafted electro pop. "
All Those City Lights" sound like it could have been on the charts in 1983 (literally - it reminds me of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra"), and "
Someday" cleverly samples the hook from The Cure's "Lullaby". Song after song, not a dud in the bunch.
And there are so, so many more that rocked my world this year. God bless this series of tubes called the internets for opening up and democratizing the music business. One can access quality music without enslaving oneself to the dictates of the major labels and genre be damned. If it's good, and it's out there, go get it (but pay for it please. These kind of artists tend to need it more than the mainstreams).
Necessary Response