A Trip Down Memory Lane: My Secret Love of Dance Music

Music took on a rather strange role in my life as I grew up. No, I wasn't a really ignored child or cast aside by parents with issues. I just always seem to grasp the epic powers of sounds that I heard growing up. On rides to school when mom would crank the oldies station, I never failed to get lost in the sounds of Motown, Doo Wop, Stax, bubblgum psychedelia, garage rock or the occasional surf gem that would haunt me throughout the day. Then there was my aunt who, without her knowledge, played a role in acquainting me with a fledgling MTV when she would babysit my cousins and I. She was still in her teens and, thankfully for me, she didn't understand the impressionability of kids. Thus, I was exposed to the early 80s synth pop/new wave revolution that caught specifically because of the network. The moment that made me want to understand where it all clicked came shortly after my mother remarried. I was at my new grandparent's house playing in the basement while grandpa worked at his desk. "Do you mind music?" he asked politely. I don't remember how I answered, but he then pulled out a metallic disc (what I eventually learned was called a 78) and introduced me to jazz, specifically swing, by playing Benny Goodman's masterpiece "Sing, Sing, Sing." I was six and the year was 1985.

Somewhere between 5th and 6th grade (91-92), I had another little revelation. I was introduced to techno music. I choose my wording for a specific purpose. I remember hearing "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited at an Iowa Cubs game and trying so hard to find out who that was. Next thing I knew, I was trying to get hold of every beat heavy, synth hook-laden pseudo anthem I could find. Then I tried to label all the various tapes I'd amassed from late night radio as well as friends and music store junkies. This is where it all really hit. This stuff sounds exactly the same. I felt a bit stupid. Luckily, this little fever hadn't lasted enough for me to give massive financial investment outside the couple of cd's of 2 Unlimited that I'd already bought. Naturally, in a fit of anger, I took magnets to all the recorded tapes and found myself lured away into the Native Tounges vibe of hip-hop simultaneously with 70s funk and disco. My newfound knowledge of fickle techno ended up being slowly washed away by tides of James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, De La Soul, Brand Nubian, The Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest among others. The difference was that this whim was dictated by scrutiny. Therefore, the groups I fell in love with ended stayed with me because of their quality as well as the fact that I took time going in rather than diving with reckless abandon. Now, all that's left of my stupidity is a couple of 2 Unlimited discs and I don't feel like I miss anything.

1996 saw the delivery of some retroactive vilification from my friends when I began raving about Daft Punk. "What is it with you and all this techno bullshit? What happened to loving Zeppelin, Floyd, Pearl Jam and that other band you like that no one else does? Hello, disco died. It was killed by all those baseball fans, remember?" Those are some of my favorite remarks when I tried to get "Around the World" into rotation at the radio station I was on. Unfortunately, there were other meetings where I tried to get The Melvins some airplay that fell on deaf ears as well. Thus, I sort of retreated into my own little dance-loving world. Which, unless you're a severe club-hopper - and believe me, I'm not - tends to be an uncrowded affair.

In 1998, I learned how to actually love dance music, if I didn't know before. One night in the summer before I went to college, I received the last great gift MTV would ever give me. It was after a rather dreary encounter with my girlfriend at the time. I don't think it was a date, I think we would've been hanging out at her place and I decided to come home early. I watched a movie and still wasn't tired, so I threw on MTV (which still played music late at night)while I doodled in a notebook. Surprisingly, I caught the show Amp which I'd never seen before that day and couldn't catch again because it's timeslot constantly seemed to change. After a few videos, I started yawn. After making a decision to call it a night, I heard the opening guitar twitches to "Music Sounds Better With You" by Stardust. Completely captivated I stared at the screen trying not to blink and not to hear anything but the gliding disco beauty that track is. This was the moment that affirmed any reservations about liking dance music. It's simple chorus of "Ooh baby / I feel like music sounds better with you" over a simple, sunny, disco groove said everything about everything to me that night. I immediately wrote down the artist/song title over my drawings that had filled the notebook page and spent weeks trying to find it in stores. I eventually found it at a place called CD Now which peddled used discs about a year later. That disc would eventually get stolen by a close friend of mine at the time. But like Mr. Burns to his teddy bear, Bobo, my love for that song would never ever falter.

I eventually learned that it's the brainchild of Thomas Bangalter, half of Daft Punk and realized I didn't want it any other way. It's also interesting how this single pointed the way to Discovery for them. It also closes the set to the masterful Alive 2007 album. Without hearing this cut, I would've missed out on Air, Cassius, Dimitri from Paris and others while simultaneously not really gave a damn about Electronica as a whole. That means no Orbital, Aphex Twin, Autechre and I probably would've never tried an artist like Herbert whom I absolutely adore. I couldn't imagine my life without this track. Sadly, but possibly for the better, Bangalter never followed this single with a full project. The optimistic heart still probably thinks, "Maybe someday..." But I doubt that'll ever come. How I came to write about it like this you might ask? I was browsing through my iTunes last night and realized it's been around for 10 years, so happy birthday.

Sometimes the Year Doesn't Start Till March

A pop culture year is very much like the average human week. Most Mondays are slow, boring and dealing with leftovers of the weekend, Tuesdays seem bland and mechanical and on Wednesday, the week begins to take shape. At that point we all know exactly how this week will be remembered, if at all.

January can be a boringly horrid month for someone like me. I hate the cold, I just returned home from vacation and another is too far off to think about. However from a personal vantage point, '08 is getting a kick start compared to years past. A friend turned me on to Times New Viking's Rip it Off a couple of weeks back as well as Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut and I had the pleasure of getting to review Dub Trio's new album, Another Sound is Dying. Now, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and say that these will be around come Album of the Year time, but at least the wheels are moving at idling speed for now.

Now, since January is usually the Monday of any year, most of it is spent following up on previous year leftovers. Certain art house films that were massively praised by critics mid-year are just now seeing American screen time next to also-ran blockbuster (supposed) releases that just weren't good enough to see light in the last set of 365. Last year about this time is when masterpieces like Caché and Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada saw their releases. These were give deserved praise by critics, but forgotten by audiences by the time they hit theaters which is a shame.

Music is a different kettle of fish altogether. Sure, blogs start buzzing about albums rather early, prophecizing the coming of musical saviors and/or disasters that readers could probably take or leave, but sometimes proper exposure never comes till the next calendar year. Such is the case of the album Here Comes the Future by The Honeydrips. I'm not saying that this album is a lost masterpiece or one of the best albums of the year by any stretch, but it's sweet, groovy little dream pop gem that could've gone a long way with some push behind it.

In fact, that album is the reason for this writing. While I chose my top 20 very much in the vein of Rinus Michels' coaching methods for Dutch Total Football in the '70s - where every player barring the keeper, should play every position with the captain as the leader on the pitch - it's common sense that every football team needs substitutes and most leagues allow 5 on the bench. Thus, here are the 5 substitutes if my 20 starters couldn't get a proper result. Shockingly, the inspiration for this piece didn't make the cut.



S1. Tomahawk - Anonymous

With the first substitution slot usually slated for a goalkeeper (in the off-chance they might need him). I can't think of more important musical figure that I could bring on with more confidence than Mike Patton. Though I can't say I'm a Mike Patton "fan" yet because I simply don't meet the requirements. I've not followed his every move ever nor have I been able to hear even half of his output since Faith No More. Hell, I haven't even heard all the Faith No More stuff, either. However, Tomahawk's Anonymous continues a tradition of consistency that's evident in all of his work as well as the hallmarks of all things Patton. No one can say it better than Patton Superfan Raymond Flotat, "It defies name, genre, convention and heretofore all expectations for the group. Anonymous is a marvelous achievement. It's unique and enjoyable in the best way possible, an attempt at pushing boundaries of which Tomahawk should be proud."


S2. Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs

I can't claim to be an expert on bands who've pimped themselves to success via the internet, but I can say that the best work I've heard from a band where the internet was the sole means of exposure exists in the 4 tracks from this EP. The band's mix precious, lo-fi indie rock augmented with synths and lyrics of pure romantic yearning is also one of the best examples of EP usage in a long time. There's no time for it to overstay its welcome and never boring over repeat listens. I would encourage anyone and everyone with a love for good-hearted rock and power-pop balladry to give this a shot. Not since Big Star's Radio City or Chris Bell's I Am the Cosmos has a band embodied all of the beautiful possibilities of romantic guitar rock. Couple that with C-86 preciousness and you have a unique package that I can't wait to hear more from.



S3. Joanna Newsom - The Ys Street Band

Then there was the darling of 2006. To me she came out of nowhere. I'd no knowledge of who Joanna Newsome was before I heard Ys. After the first listen, I couldn't have cared less. However, something in that album held on tightly to the back of my mind and waited ever so patiently to tap into my 'Must go back and Check' sense. When I went back, I still wasn't totally bowled over by what many raved as the best album of the year. Frankly, I'm still not sold. But I can't consider her overrated or overhyped as all the accolades she's received are deserved on some level or another. Ys getting album of the year, for me was probably how some felt when Annie Hall got the Oscar in 1977. There were better albums in 2006, but I don't think any of them touched it in terms of sheer songwriting intellect and bravery. The Ys Street Band EP may serve as overrun for that album, but this is a display the could prove Newsom's worth. "Colleen," the leftover from Ys coupled to live renditions of older Newsom tunes shows her at full strength in studio and on stage. At only 3 songs, she'll leave many of her fans absolutely salivating for more. Too bad the wait will probably be long.

S4. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy

If there's anyone who could write a book on how to age gracefully, it would be this man - The book would have its forward written by James Murphy. His band Sonic Youth have made waves for nearly 3 decades and have failed to falter. Sure, some of their albums aren't as good as others, but they continue to move forward without stagnating. In fact, the only times laurels are ever rested upon seem to be on his solo releases and, seeing since there aren't many, it's never a bad thing. Trees Outside the Academy may be on the heels of SY's latest masterpiece, Rather Ripped, but it's another song-driven affair full of pop hooks and trademark Sonic Youth noise. What's so great about Thurston and SY is that though they get older, their music, however linked to 90s alternative it might be, still seems ageless after all these years.


St. S5. Vincent - Marry Me

Rob, if you read this, thanks for this one. This was an album that I didn't listen to based on my childish tendency of looking at the cover. While that tendency has gotten me into many a great band (Massive Attack, Portishead, Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, etc.), it has failed me on several occasions as well. This was one of them. Annie Clark really delivered here. Lush yet chaotic arrangements would seem out of place if not for her beautifully full voice. While I've not heard anything previous to this release except The Polyphonic Spree's Fragile Army, which she appeared on, I can say that I've not heard a more idiosyncratically masterful album in quite some time. Song's like "Now Now," "You're Lips Are Red" and "Jesus Saves, I Spend" reveal an artist of truly original talent. While this effort is consistent, clever and absolutely lovable, I would pick this woman as highly likely to drop a creative masterpiece in the near future. While Marry Me has laid a strong foundation for the future, it still feels like a rose at half-bloom. Once this woman reaches full confidence, there's not going to be much that'll stand in her way.

Even with an extra 5 entries, the list doesn't feel complete. Of course, I could go into others still left off like Grizzly Bear's Friend EP, Air's Pocket Symphony and the aforementioned album that inspired this writing. I declare that to be an utterly pointless task. That could raise questions about the fruits of this labor. For that, I can provide no other answer than I really dig writing about music, among the other things that this series of writings might contain.

The Carling Cup: It May Not Be Much, But What A Game Tottenham v Arsenal Was!

Football is sport of beauty, art, strategy and athleticism combined. No, this is not about the upcoming Super Bowl. On January 22nd, I had the pleasure of seeing a souvenir moment. I saw a North London derby of immense proportion in the second leg of the Carling Cup semifinal. Sure, in terms of silverware on offer to be won in England the Carling Cup may not garner the most respect, but still, a trophy is a trophy. Anyone who has anything bad to say about it is jealous they didn't win it. The stage: an absolutely buzzing White Hart Lane. The combatants: Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Before I jump into the action, a bit of background.

The 2007-08 season began with sheer anticipation for the white half of North London. Spurs still had Martin Jol at the helm, Gareth Bale, Younes Kaboul, Darren Bent and Kevin Prince-Boateng were purchased in the summer and Dimitar Berbatov was celebrated at the Lane as last season's best signing. Couple that with pundits confidently touting Tottenham as the team to take 4th spot in the league away from Arsenal without hesitation and things were looking up. While the big names weren't coming to Arsenal over the summer, that's no surprise because they almost never do anyway. However, mystery surrounded the signing of Eduardo da Silva, the Brazilian-born Croatian that Arsene Wenger brought in to replace recently departed legend, Thierry Henry.

2007 was a year of pain for Arsenal. They lost the Carling Cup final to Chelsea, were out of the title race and within 10 days were sent packing from The Champions League by PSV Eindhoven and muscled out of the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers leaving them with essentially nothing to play for. They got themselves into 4th place so they could qualify for Champions League play and went into autopilot for the remainder of the season.

Determined to rectify that season, Arsenal kicked off 2007-08 in flying fashion refusing to lose in the league till December when the hapless Middlesborough would somehow rise up and take them down. However, that doesn't blemish their season in the least as they are still in the title race, level on points at the top with a Manchester United side almost without weakness. Leading into the match at hand. Tottenham's season started bad with a loss to newly-promoted Sunderland and got worse as they lost one after another to opponents they should've put away without a breath. Though they participated in several thrillers. It was not enough for Martin Jol to keep his job. Enter a new era of change with the hire of 2-time UEFA Cup winner with Sevilla, Juande Ramos.

There was the birthday miracle where they went 4-1 down and clawed their way back in the final 10 minutes. Also the Fulham game where they went up 3-0 and crumbled in the second half and came away only with a draw. Of course, how could I not mention the 10-goal thriller that was Spurs' 6-4 victory over Reading. It was the Reading game that really signaled Tottenham's intent to finally start outscoring opponents.

Then came the Carling Cup semifinal draw that pitted Arsenal against Spurs over 2 legs. The first leg was an open game with attacking flare from both sides that finished 1-1, but saw Arsenal very lucky to come away without conceding another goal. In the build-up towards leg 2, there was something in the air about Arsenal coming to White Hart Lane this time. The stoic Juande Ramos had been the picture of absolute confidence on the sidelines and as time has passed in his tenure, Spurs look more the business every time they play. Even the squad selection by Arsene Wenger showed his nerve. Sure, he's used the Carling Cup to give his younger players experience, but after that first leg he knew he needed Gallas and Gilberton in defense and put his big guns Fabregas, Adebeyor and Eduardo on the bench. This had to have thrown the youth off. The rest is for the highlights.

It was great to see Tottenham finally get the better of Arsenal. I'm not a supporter of either club, just a lover of the game. So what's next for Spurs? Well, they get to play Manchester United in the FA Cup and probably lose. It would be really hard for God to go to Old Trafford and get a result against that team. Then they need to try to climb back up the table to the top 7 where the should be. Of course, the Carling Cup final will be a tough ask as well since they'll be pitted against a damn near indestructible Chelsea side that, without its huge stars, still refuses to lose. At least they can say they finally beat the gunners and for the first time in 9 years, Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves have to make room for Spurs in their monopoly of North London.

That's A Wrap! Films of 2007

If there was ever a thing for me to kick myself about in 2007, it's the movies that I didn't get to see. Over the past few years, I'd been developing an almost natural ability to see somewhere in the area of 50-75 of the movies that came out that year. For those who don't know, that's really saying something. The average film critic will review 175-250 movies a year, not including blurbs they write at film festivals. However, not the case this time around.

After scouring through various sources on the films of 2007, I topped out at just over 20 films. So, basically, I could do 2 lists: The 10 that I saw and 10 that I most wanted to see. So, without further ado, here's the best half of the films that I saw.

10. The Simpsons
Directed by David Silverman
Written by Matt Groening and others

Well, it happened. It actually happened. The oft-fabled movie project came out and, in my mind, turned out to be the best movie to come directly from a TV show that I can remember at the time of this writing. There's enough focus on Springfield's first family, the massive cast of secondary characters as well as enough attention paid to the idea that it exists totally outside the show. Granted, that's not to say it could be as good without it.










9. Ratatouille
Written and Directed by Brad Bird

This film along with Monster House, is as close as big studio animation companies can get to B-movie material before their bottom line is in danger. I mean that as an honest complement. Look at the concept; A rat that's a top drawer chef in Paris and running a restaurant. From the outset this film is on thin ice in terms of suspending disbelief. The fact that Bird deals with this content so honestly and without deluding the characters to stupidity is why it succeeds. That Patton Oswalt delivered a sincere, human performance as the voice of Remy makes it all the better.









8. Superbad
Directed by Greg Mottola

Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

What seemed in previews to be somewhere between American Pie and PCU ended up being a smart, human tribute to friends that ultimately grow up and apart. Though the novelty of McLovin and various one-liners spewed out by slack police officers will eventually wear thin and go out of style, the heart of this movie lies in the performances of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill that gently display a wealth of talent below the obvious molds their characters create.









7. I'm Not There
Directed by Todd Haynes
Written by Todd Haynes and Oren Moverman

Hearing about this film was simultaneously sickening and intriguing. It has art-house gimmickry written all over it with multiple actors in the lead, color and black and white usage and Todd Haynes at the helm. That this film is about Bob Dylan set it up for failure. Surprisingly, instead of exposing all that is behind Dylan, this film shows the Dylan that most of his fans already know and puts the mythology of his career on display in all of its contradictory glory. Sure, the names of all involved have been changed except for Allen Ginsberg, but if attempted in different fashion, the need for absolute fact trumps all and all of the myths don't work in thrilling fashion like they do here.








6. Zodiac
Directed by David Fincher
Written by James Vanderbilt

This is a police procedural in the vein of JFK. This mystery won't be solved and I'm not ruining anything by saying so. This film is about passion for the work. Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr. reminded me of Hoffman and Redford in All the President's Men in their display of relentless drive to find the answers and possibly impending doom from the publicity surrounding them. Apart from the content here, Fincher is displaying his directorial prowess with digital photography. This is one of his best films.










5. The Golden Compass
Written and Directed by Chris Weitz

I did not see this one coming but am I glad I tried it. In my opinion, Chronicles of Narnia fell on its face and The Lord of the Rings just became a bloated leviathan of a trilogy. I didn't even know about the His Dark Materials books, but I wish I did and I plan on familiarizing myself with these before the next movie comes out. This film, like Pan's Labyrinth is perfect for CG and vice verse. This is a film for everyone as well as a nice idea for the science vs. religion debate. Could the ideas that give us supposed salvation be the very things holding us back? Discuss.










4. Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Diablo Cody

Massive acclaim from critics and audiences can often be smoke and mirrors, but every so-often, everyone really gets it right. Expect to see this earn some awards. I doubt it'll take the biggies, but Ellen Page and Michael Cera deserve noms as does J.K. Simmons and Diablo Cody produced the best dialogue of the year without a doubt. This is the film where Jason Reitman steps out of his father's shadow, though it may not mean much. This film is full of humanity and wit rather than just being funny.










3. There Will Be Blood
Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

There's a shot in There Will Be Blood that says it all. It's composed of Daniel Day-Lewis' oil-covered face staring in wide-eyed, with flames lighting it up against the night sky. This shot personifies the monster that we know he is with an insatiable thirst for money from oil. There's a poignancy in this film about certain peoples' values that have come to the fore in recent years. I'm not going to go into it, but no actor could embody that soulless juggernaut better than Daniel Day-Lewis. If his masterstroke of a villainous portrayal deserved an Oscar for Gangs of New York, then he should be a shoe-in here. This is a brutal, meditative epic of coruption, deceit and greed that stretches for almost 3 hours. And it's a masterpiece.







2. No Country For Old Men
Written and Directed by Ethan and Joel Cohen

The Cohen brothers fell pretty far from grace there for a while. What a righteous return to form this film is. Javier Bardem will be there come award time due to his performance of pure, merciless evil in this crime film turned character study. His narrative is played against Tommy Lee Jones' aging state patrolmen who relentlessly presses on to do the right thing while slowly building to the realization that he may be well in over his head. Josh Brolin is caught in the middle as n'er do well who's unafraid of adversity and all are on a collision course towards each other. The result is an austere, beautiful film that is in every sense perfect.








1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Written and Directed by Andrew Dominik

Here's a film that marks a high point in the modern western. Easily the most beautifully photographed film of the year, it's subject matter encompasses the spirit of the old and the intelligence of the new in equal parts. Where The Proposition saw the outlaws have to pay for their crimes and law's fallibility exposed in the land of lawlessness that is, for lack of a better word, hell, this film harkens back to heroes and villains and how they were often on the same side. However, their interaction was often deeper than suggested. Casey turns out to be far and away the better Affleck as Robert Ford. He so blindly worships Brad Pitt's Jesse James to the point that it shades into lust. Jesse James is aware and understanding of the threat he poses while indulging in his fame as Ford follows his every command. The scene mentioned in the title is almost Bresson-like in its beautiful depiction of what both characters saw coming since they got to know one-another. Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck reminded me of John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in their camaraderie, the idolism and the inherent sexual undertones that come along with the worship. Andrew Dominik struck gold with Chopper, but catapulted himself into a pantheon of greats with this, the best of 3 perfect films I saw in 2007.

That's A Record! 2007 Is Over and I'm Back On the Internet

The last time I wrote a blog, some bad things happened. Let's just say that lives were destroyed and in a maze of implications, governments were brought down. Like in Mr. Arkadin, what began with a dead naked woman on a beach, though not literally, ended with a pilotless plane flying somewhere over the rockies rather inexplicably. But, I've decided to make a return. Those few survivors who were courtside as the empire crumbled have marched on with little to no psychiatric damage and I'm now in a better place.

All that said, what a year 2007 was for music. From my little corner of the world, I was simply dumbfounded on a frighteningly frequent basis as marvels in album form spewed into the world one after the other like lemmings treading fearlessly to the cliffs of my ears. There were so many that came out that I could make 3 unique Top 20's, all of which could inspire rampant argument. After some stress, I figured out my own little approach thanks to the help of David Winner's book Brilliant Orange. Instead of "ranking" these, I just decided on the 20 that I would want to hear again the most and, in the Rinus Michels coaching style at Ajax, simply give them a number, but keep in mind that the numbers are not labels determining position. For the numbers are unimportant, it's the players that matter. However, on the field there must be a captain. That is the only ranked album on this list. Obviously, the captain is very important, so I put it at number 1. My top choice is the one album the leaped out at me above all others.

Now, to the list.


20. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

This won't be the only time I say this here, but I'm not one to suckle at the teet of all that is Animal Collective. I dig their style and their methods, but that alone won't win me over. With Feels, they seemed to be getting soft to me. Many of those songs sounded, well, normal. Here, they're back to their indulgent and odd ways. This album makes a case for them as one of the VERY few Felliniesque bands I've ever heard.






19. Chromatics - Night Drive

This album really captured a feeling for me. I've always kind of felt an outcast in my family. Not really in a bad way, but whenever I take a trip home, it usually involves me taking a 2-3 hour drive at night just to relax and think. This year at Christmas, there was no time for one of those, just a quick trip down memory lane with my wife, but listening to this album proved very therapeutic in that sense for me.






18. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

There were plenty of times when I looked at this jacket while listening to this and being surprised that I wasn't looking at an Aphex Twin/Richard D. James composition, though that's not to say it's derivative. All comparison aside, this is one of the beautiful masterpieces in ambient techno that I've heard, but I'm no expert in the style.







17. Radiohead - In Rainbows

It's been a decade since the last time I was truly comfortable with a Radiohead release. I'm not going to go into the particulars because it would take way to long. Let's just say that's good enough for me.









16. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Six albums in and these guys refuse to get worse. Spoon is the Mr. Reliability when it comes to concise, efficient, true blue rock and roll.










15. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

I came to the party on Funeral quite late. I can't really say that I've ever really come around to calling it the masterstroke everyone else wasted no time doing. Neon Bible is a different barrel of monkeys for me. There's enough heart and sheer belief on this album and it goes a very long way.

14. No Age - Weirdo Rippers

It's odd how white noise and distortion can provide accessibility to abstract rock experimentation. This album has an ebb and flow that, like the tide, sees ocean waves of post-rock splash against the rocky shores of that alternative rock sound and then back out into the sea.









13. The National - Boxer

With Matt Berninger's beautiful lower tenor voice and music steeped in American indie rock with touches of Joy Division here and there, this record is packed to the brim with goodies. The haunting opening piano on "Fake Empire," the claustrophobia of "Apartment Story" and solid rockers like "Mistaken For Strangers" and "Squalor Victoria" have paradoxical qualities that could both wake one up in the morning as well as put you to absolute rest at night. They're also addictive enough to have everyone come back for more.




12. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - The Good, the Bad and the Queen

What do you get when you take 2 Brit-poppers (Damon Albarn and Simon Tong), add a dub-loving former punk rocker (ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon) and the former drummer for Fela Kuti (for those unaware, Fela was funkier than James Brown, Sly Stone, Parliament and Funkadelic put together)? You get an un-named supergroup (according to Damon Albarn) that dropped one beautifully murky album that sounds in and of itself and not being born or influenced by anything but its creators.





11. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

To be honest, I could take or leave most of what comes from Animal Collective. Still, that doesn't stop me from listening to all they put out because their heads and hearts are in the right place. Panda Bear from said group truly astonished me on this one. I completely missed its arrival. This was another that I was lucky to hear because of my affiliation with mxdwn. Person Pitch is the first time I can remember hearing Wall of Sound-style production and not wishing for the angelic voices of either Darlene Love or Ronnie Spector. Songs like "Bros," and "Comfy in Nautica" have such a heavenly quality about them - as do the rest of the cuts here - that makes them irresistable.

10. Caribou - Andorra



Dan Snaith sure put the ball of wax into this one. This album succeeds in that XTC way of bringing very distinct ideals together and almost creating something better. While XTC focused more on the lyrical stylings of The Beatles and Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys-style production, Caribou takes aim at Odyssey and Oracle by The Zombies and Forever Changes by Love. It's one of the few contradictions that could exist in music. A sunny bleakness or a happy sadness, if you will.






9. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver



Finally, an album containing truly GREAT SONGS rather than one novelty and a bunch of ideas. Cuts like "Get Innocuous!," "All My Friends," "Someone Great," "Us vs. Them" and even "North American Scum" are simply dazzling. However, the only fault for it at this time is that I literally heard way too much of it by the time of this writing. This is the album that James Murphy will be remembered for. "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" put him on the map, but this elevates him to artistic legitimacy; something hard for a modern day dance rocker to achieve.







8. A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers





Ah, that good ol' big guitar sound. APTBS should just use this album's opener "To Fix the Gash in Your Head" as a business card. Similar to "Just Like Honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain, this band may have a hard time escaping the beautiful darkness and sheer repeatability of this track. Very rarely does an opener capture the essence of an album so well while still leaving room for exploration over the rest of it. Even more stupefying is how consistent the remainder of the album is.








7. King Khan & The Shrines - What Is?!


I love the Nuggets boxes with a passion. Sure, that's no excuse to champion something. Derivative can often be a bad thing, but King Khan & The Shrines don't imitate. Much like Justice to Daft Punk,
they understand their influences and adore their style. What Is?! has unfathomable love for all things '60s from its use of fuzz to Motown-style bass and Stax-style horns. Songs like "Welfare Bread" and "Land of the Freak" astutely use all at once. At times, King Khan sounds like a modern day Captain Beefheart minus the abstract lyrics. This album is a testament to how love and adoration of the past can go quite a way to sounding more inviting than self-imposed limitations, but I'm not going to name names.


6. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals

To quote fellow mxdwn-er Brendan Welsh, "When every member of a band sings at once it can be great or terrible. In this case, when coupled with varied instruments and creative production techniques, it creates the raucous, psych-pop atmosphere Yeasayer needed to complement their complicated, inspired and ambitious songwriting." I'm not a huge fan of using others' words, but if it weren't for Brendan nominating this for our Album of the Year poll, I probably wouldn't have heard this majestic disc.









5. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline


To me, Stars of the Lid seems to be an almost pragmatic successor to the ambient throne of Brian Eno. Rather than tackle the environment construction and moods of the former Roxy Music man, this duo tackles a penchant for space. No, not the heavens, but abstract space within songs and even notes. Much like the ethos of how Ajax dominated world football in the '70s, Stars of the Lid find sheer beauty in space rather than structure and over 2 discs and 2 hours, this is one stunning work.




4. M.I.A. - Kala

Talk about comin' back wit powah powah. I was unfortunate not to have heard Arular before hearing this bombastic sound cornucopia of an album. However, I was immediately won over by M.I.A.'s approach to production and overall use of sound. Very rarely does an album sound so vibrant and alive. Even the sampling of "Straight to Hell" by The Clash sounds completely new in her hands on "Paper Planes." There's even a nod to The Modern Lovers with her monotone delivery of "Roadrunner, Roadrunner / Moving hundred miles per hour" in "Bamboo Banger." M.I.A. uses so many different sounds and noises and churns out a beautifully kaleidoscopic disc.




3. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala


Now here is a guy that not only knows his strengths and weaknesses, if any. Lekman uses these 12 songs to brilliantly place his voice, words and sheer pop knowledge on display. From the Sinatra-esque "And I Remember Every Kiss," to the sly lyrics of "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar," to the bluntly honest "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" and the beautiful "Kanske Är Jag Kär I Dig," his voice shines through clouds of any bad day. He also has an astute knack for creating oddly human, interesting characters in "Shirin" about a meloncholy hair stylist and in "A Postcard to Nina" about the protagonists inability to lie about dating her to hide her lesbian romance. "The Opposite of Hallelujah" with its sunny,bouncy melody rises above all as a truly human take on worrying about a younger sibling.


2. Justice - †

While Daft Punk created a disco euphoria in 2002, the ominous album artwork and "Imperial March"-esque intro almost pave the way for a Darth Vader-like villain in French house. This duo's debut is consistently dark, funky and groove-heavy while chainsaw-like synth groans and grinds tear the mix apart in a chaotic, anything-goes manner that is equally entertaining and invigorating. Pepper this with an immediate smash in "D.A.N.C.E," a sweetly melodic "Valentine" and the near-annoying "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" and we have a complete package. I must say that this album was the only candidate for vice captain.




1. Daft Punk - Alive 2007

In April of 2006, this robotic French duo landed in California just in time to give Coachella spectators what would be the most unexpected and talked about live surprises until...well maybe people will eventually stop talking about it. It became like all those other backwoods country UFO sightings with the exception of the audience being smart enough to take pictures. As that show reached mythic status, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Hommem-Christo decided to take it to various other stages around the world. Stunning as the images were, what came to shelves in December '07 surpassed them far and away. The real oddity here is that it's a live album from a dance artist. Hardcore cynics might have a point when they say all an electronic or dance artist really has to do is show up, press play and let the lasers entertain. However, just as Daft Punk did 10 years ago on Alive 1997, they mash up and deconstruct their material brings new life to material from the already masterful albums, Homework and Discovery while simultaneously making cuts from their lone misstep, Human After All interesting and worthwhile to listen to.