Top Ten Albums of 2007

I know that my musical opinion is no more important than anyone’s, but since I do have a place to do it, I’m going to give my top ten albums of the year. All of the top tens I see in Rolling Stone or any other “hip” music magazine all have roughly the same list. I can assure that my list will not contain any Amy Winehouse or Animal Collective (a band that I can’t understand why anyone would listen to.) I know this blog focuses mainly on songs, but what I’m giving you here is my top ten albums of the year. I’m not saying these are the top ten singles or songs, but these are the albums that spent the most time in my CD player. So without further ado, I give you the
list:

10. Mae - Singularity
Despite what my brother, my sister-in-law or my roommate might tell you, Singularity is actually a good album. True, it doesn’t come near what Mae has done in the past and I think they could’ve done a little better, but there are still some great songs here. Mae is still one of my favorite bands and I wish Singularity would’ve landed higher on my list, but I couldn’t not include it. Here is the song that should’ve been the first single, “Brink of Disaster.”



Mae - "Brink of Disaster"

9. Future of Forestry - Twilight
Twilight is about as good as a debut can get. Future of Forestry sound huge on this record, due in part to the amazing production skills of Ken Andrews. FOF kind of renewed my hope in worship music and hopefully they showed a lot of people that Christian music can be innovative and doesn’t have to suck. “Thinking of You” is probably the catchiest track and is a good example of what the band is capable of. I can’t wait to hear more.



Future of Forestry - "Thinking of You"

8. As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep
As Cities Burn’s sophomore album may as well be a debut, considering they completely retooled their sound and changed lead singers. What they came up with was one of the most emotionally raw records of the year. The lyrical content is spiritually deep and inspiring. Singer Cody Bonnette really finds his voice on this album and the guitars sound amazing. “Our World Is Grey” probably has the best lyrics on the album and a great guitar explosion at the beginning that reminds me of Thursday. Always a good sign.


As Cities Burn - "Our World Is Grey"

7. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect from Modest Mouse after they hit pop gold with “Float On” in 2004. Would they cater more toward radio now or would they go back to their old ways? I’m glad to say that Isaac Brock and the gang didn’t try to cash in with another hit single. We Were Dead takes a little longer to get into, but once you listen a few times, you can’t stop listening. “Spitting Venom” has one of the most dynamic changes I’ve ever heard in a song, going from a strummed acoustic, to a barrage of guitars courtesy of Brock and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Especially great is the outro, where the song takes an unexpected turn, complete with horns.


Modest Mouse - "Spitting Venom"

6. Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Relient K further honed their pop prowess on Five Score and Seven Years Ago, an album that includes more piano than ever before but still plenty of guitar crunch. They’ve pretty much perfected the three minute pop-punk song as evidenced by first single “Must Have Done Something Right.” Another highlight is the epic 11 minute album closer “Deathbed.” “Forgiven" really shows how far Relient K has come in recent years with some great piano, not to mention the outstanding melody and lyrics.



Relient K - "Forgiven"

5. Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
Okay, okay, Manchester Orchestra's debut technically came out in late 2006, however it didn’t see a national release until July of this year so nobody really knew about it. This is just an amazing debut that I bought on a whim after hearing one song and it’s one of the most impressive albums I’ve heard in a long time. Singer Andy Hull’s voice fits the music so perfectly and his lyrics are spiritually thought provoking. “Colly Strings” is my favorite track and a great way to wrap up the album because of its slow build and anthemic ending. Well done.


Manchester Orchestra - "Colly Strings"

4. Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre
When I first got Say Anything's sophomore release I was a little apprehensive about the fact that it was two discs. With that many songs, there is sure to be some filler and of course there is. But if you remove one song from the first disc and add three or four from the second disc, you have an amazing collection of 15 or 16 tracks and possibly the best album of the year. Max Bemis can craft hooks with the best of them and he has the ability to make a song do a 180 right in the middle and it still works. “The Word You Wield” is the best song on disc two and it reminds me so much of Weezer, right down to the “whoa-ohs” in the chorus.


Say Anything - "The Word You Wield"

3. Anberlin - Cities
Anberlin’s third album Cities finds them stepping up their game and branching out with a few acoustic based tracks. They still bring the rock as good as ever on songs like “Godspeed” and “Hello Alone.” The epic closer “Fin” shows great diversity as well. Anberlin have signed to a major label and hopefully it won’t change them at all. “Alexithymia” has a great hook and is one of the most rocking tunes on the record. It’s title is a medical term for the inability to express one’s feelings, which is ironic because singer Stephen Christian does such a good job of that on this record.


Anberlin - "Alexithymia"

2. Matthew Good - Hospital Music
Hospital Music is Matthew Good’s third solo album since this dissolution of Matthew Good Band earlier this decade. This record was born out of his time spent in the hospital after he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. It’s also quite influenced by his recent divorce. Keeping these things in mind while listening brings a whole new perspective to songs like “She’s In It for the Money” and the excellent cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You In the End.” “A Single Explosion” is a pretty simple song but it has great lyrics and cool guitar lick that really stays with you. Hospital Music is further proof that Matthew Good can’t put out a bad record. Hopefully there’s plenty more where this came from.


Matthew Good - "A Single Explosion"

1. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
I anticipated the release of several albums from some of my favorite bands this year. Of all that anticipation, Chase This Light is the one album that truly delivered on all my expectations. It had been three years since the release of their fourth album Futures and I was getting antsy for some new Jimmy Eat World. From the opening chords of first single “Big Casino,” I knew I would not be disappointed. Chase This Light finds Jimmy Eat World at the top of their game. There is no filler here. Even when they step out of their norm for a moody, string driven song like “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues” or the make you wanna dance “Here It Goes,” they still sound like themselves and it still works. “Dizzy” is the perfect song to end the album with. It’s full of emotional lyrics and Jim Adkins’ voice has never sounded better. A very poignant song indeed.


Jimmy Eat World - "Dizzy"

So there it is, take it or leave it, my list of the top ten albums of 2007. If you don’t have any of these albums I suggest you pick them up and hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Don’t ever let anyone tell that there is not any good new music these days. You just have to dig deep and find it for yourself. Happy New Year and here’s to another year of great music.

Motion City Soundtrack - "Resolution" (2005)

Motion City Soundtrack is an indie pop band from Minneapolis. Earlier this year I featured a song from their recently released third album Even If It Kills Me. That album was pretty good, but somewhat disappointing considering how great their sophomore album Commit This To Memory was. Every track on that album was great, filled with an equal amount of pop and angst. “Resolution” is one of two songs on Commit that focuses on the New Year, the other being “Together We’ll Ring In the New Year.” This is the better of the two and a great song for tonight, with the chorus refrain of “Let’s give it up for the New Year.” Happy New Year.


Motion City Soundtrack - "Resolution"

Edit: I erroneously stated that MCS were from Chicago when they are actually from Minneapolis,MN. Thanks to the anonymous commenter who pointed out my mistake.

Dan Wilson - "What a Year for a New Year" (2003)

You may not recognize the name Dan Wilson, but you’ve probably heard his songs before. Wilson was the front man for 90s rock band Semisonic, whose hits include “Closing Time” and “Secret Smile.” Today’s song is another New Year’s jam coming from Maybe This Christmas. It’s a pretty cool piano driven tune and it shows off Wilson’s pop song writing abilities. He just released his first solo album entitled Free Life this past October. You can hear songs from it here.


Dan Wilson - "What a Year for a New Year"

Belasana - "Bittersweet Eve" (2004)

Christmas may be over, but there are still plenty of holiday songs to go around. Today’s song comes from Belasana, which is a collaboration between The Juliana Theory front man Brett Detar and Sense Field guitarist Chris Evenson. “Bittersweet Eve” appeared on Maybe This Christmas Tree and is the only song the duo have made together. Since that time, both members’ bands have broken up and according to the Belasana website, they have been working on new music. I’m a huge fan of The Juliana Theory so I think that would be awesome, but for now we get to enjoy this great tune about New Year’s Eve.


Belasana - "Bittersweet Eve"

The Evan Anthem - "Good Night, Good Fight" (2003)

The Evan Anthem is a cool indie rock band that was one of the first signees to the Mono vs. Stereo record label, which is a sub label of Gotee Records, which is owned by DC Talk’s TobyMac. Their 2003 debut was called Prologue and was full of some catchy yet brooding guitar driven tracks. They followed up in 2005 with SENS an album with a little more depth and variety in the song writing, but the hooks weren’t as strong. The band released a two song EP entitled Crestfallen on iTunes in September of 2006 and appears to have been taking a break since then. Their Myspace page has been dormant for a while, so it’s hard to tell what their up to. Meanwhile, rock out to this song from Prologue.

The Evan Anthem - "Good Night, Good Fight"

Watashi Wa - "10 Years and Separating States" (2006)

Watashi Wa was an indie band from California fronted by Seth Roberts. Their name is Japanese for “I Am,” as in the name God uses to refer to Himself in the Bible. They released a couple albums before signing with Tooth & Nail Records in 2003 and releasing their most notable album The Love of Life. The band announced they were breaking up in the summer of 2004, but Roberts’ new project Eager Seas, would be putting out an album on Tooth & Nail. Eager Seas was supposed to decidedly different from Watashi Wa, with a more organic and acoustic sound. The album was to be titled People Like People and had a few set release dates but kept getting postponed. At one point there was even an ad in Alternative Press magazine with the album artwork and a release date, but it never happened. Apparently Tooth & Nail figured that Watashi Wa owed them another album and they decided to release the album with the title being Eager Seas and the artist being Watashi Wa. I’m sure there were lots of legal issues involved that I’m not aware of and don’t understand, but I think this just proves that even indie labels can sometimes be difficult. In any event, Eager Seas was finally released in January of 2006, without much of a marketing push from the label. The songs on the album are some of the best Roberts has written and they incorporate a lot of acoustic guitar and piano not found on previous Watashi Wa records. My favorite is probably today’s song, which is also the album opener. Since the name and title fiasco, Roberts has amicably parted ways with Tooth & Nail and has formed a new band called Lakes. This was reportedly to distance himself from any name confusion that might occur. Lakes has released an EP entitled Photographs via The Militia Group. You can hear songs from it on their Myspace page.


Watashi Wa - "10 Years and Separating States"

Filmmaker - "Breathing Room" (2002)

Filmmaker is a Canadian indie/emo/rock band that formed in 2000. After releasing an EP entitled Break This Fall in 2001, the band came out with their full-length debut An Invitation To An Accident in 2002. Today’s song is one that was in heavy rotation when I first started working at KXUL as a freshman in college in late 2002. I couldn’t get enough of this song then and I still think it’s great. The sound is reminiscent of early Jimmy Eat World and The Juliana Theory. I love how this song has distinct parts that are almost like mini-hooks within the song. This is the only song I ever heard from Invitation and apparently the band hasn’t released another record since then. The do have a Myspace page and it looks like they aren’t completely inactive, so keep your ears open.


Filmmaker - "Breathing Room"

Relient K - "I Celebrate the Day" (2003)

Relient K is one of the most original pop punk bands out today. I know that may sound like an oxymoron and yes they’re not that much different than a lot of bands but what really sets them apart is the songwriting ability of Matthew Thiessen. He always delivers some of the most hilarious and clever lyrics you’ve ever heard, with great melodies to boot. Despite the band’s mainstream success Thiessen has never been afraid to wear his faith on his sleeve and that can be heard on today’s song from the recently released Christmas album Let It Snow Baby…Let It Reindeer. This song, along with nine others from the album were originally released in 2003 under the name of Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, a bonus disc packaged with special editions of their third album Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do. (Did I also mention they have a knack for extremely long titles?) Let It Snow features those songs as well as six new ones, making for an excellent Christmas album featuring unique takes on classics like “12 Days of Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride,” as well as great originals like “Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town” and “Merry Christmas, Here’s To Many More.” The standout track has to be today’s song however. Thiessen opens his heart to Jesus, thanking Him for humbling Himself as a human and dying so that we may live. So as you celebrate today remember the reason that Jesus came to Earth and thank God for the most amazing gift ever. Merry Christmas.


Relient K - "I Celebrate the Day"

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" (1996)

You’ve probably heard of Trans-Siberian Orchestra by now. They’ve been making music for the past decade that can be described as orchestral heavy metal if you will. The band puts a rocking touch on some Christmas classics, mostly in the form of instrumentals. Their first album was 1996’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories, followed in 1998 by The Christmas Attic. In 2000 the band released their first non-Christmas record entitled Beethoven’s Last Night. They wrapped up their “Christmas trilogy” in 2004 with The Lost Christmas Eve. All three Christmas albums and a live DVD can be purchased in this package for a very fair price. I’ve had more than one person tell that their live show is phenomenal and not to be missed so I’m going to have to check that out for sure hopefully next year. For now, enjoy this song from Christmas Eve and Other Stories.


Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24"

Sleeping At Last - "What Child Is This" (2005)

Sleeping At Last is a cool indie band from Chicago. They broke onto the scene in 2003 with their major label debut Ghosts. The album is full of great atmospheric rock accompanied by the stellar voice of singer Ryan O’Neal. The band has since parted ways with Interscope Records and they released their third album Keep No Score in 2006. In late 2005 they released the Ghosts of Christmas Past EP which featured two b-sides from the Ghosts sessions as well as two Christmas songs. Along with “O Holy Night” there is also today’s song, an excellent version of “What Child Is This.” This has always been one of my favorite Christmas hymns. The melody is timeless and the lyrics are outstanding, reminding us that Jesus is the reason for Christmas.


Sleeping At Last - "What Child Is This"

MC Lars - "Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer" (2006)

As I’ve said before, MC Lars is a rapper like no other. A purveyor of what he calls “post-punk laptop rap,” Lars always has fresh and hilarious rhymes. His latest album The Graduate came out in 2006 and he has since released two iTunes only singles. He’s working on another album that should be out next year. Today’s song is another one from A Santa Cause 2. “Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer” is the tale of Rudolph’s illegitimate half brother who must save Christmas after Rudolph is kidnapped by Osama Bin Laden. It’s as hilarious as it sounds.


MC Lars - "Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer"

Fountains of Wayne - "I Want An Alien for Christmas" (1997)

Fountains of Wayne are power pop geniuses. Every song they write is very clever and they always get stuck in your head. They’ve released four full length albums, most recently Traffic and Weather which came out earlier this year. Their biggest success was the hit “Stacy’s Mom” which was inescapable in the summer of 2003, and not without cause. It was a great tune and turned a lot of people onto the band. Today’s Christmas song was originally released as a single in 1997 and later resurfaced on the band’s 2005 rarities compilation Out of State Plates. Check it out and I think you’ll agree that an alien would indeed make a great Christmas present this year.


Fountains of Wayne - "I Want An Alien for Christmas"