Ten Best Albums of 2007

Having recently passed the halfway point of 2007, I decided it would be a good time to get all retrospective on y'all. Thus, Monday night I unveiled my Top Ten Albums of the First Half of 2007, highlighting 2-4 tracks from each as I counted down on the show. It was a good time. I also through in a couple of my favorite tracks by artists who have yet to release a full album this year but who have shown great promise. Here Goes:

10. The Shaky Hands - The Shaky Hands
Played:
Why and How Come
I'm Alive

Single Track Highlight: Ghosthustler / Parking Lot Nights

9. Justice - Cross
D.A.N.C.E.
Phantom

8. Datarock - Datarock
Laurie
I Used to Dance with My Daddy
* Note: I fully understand that this album was originally released in 2005 but only in Europe. It did not see its North American debut until June of 2007. If this bothers you, slot Simian Mobile Disco's album "Attack Decay Sustain Release" in at #10 and move the Shaky Hands and Justice up a notch.

Single Track Highlight: Professor Murder / Champion

7. Menomena - Friend and Foe
Muscle n Flo
Wet and Rusting

6. The National - Boxer
Fake Empire
Apartment Story
Slow Show

5. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
Get Lost
Augustine
Overture

4. Feist - The Reminder
1234
Past in Present
I Feel It All
So Sorry

3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Well + Lighthouse
Keep the Car Running
Intervention

2. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
Gronlandic Edit

1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Someone Great
New York, I Love You But...
All My Friends

Feel free to comment, debate, and leave behind your top ten

Parental Visitation

My Parents were in CB earlier this week and I was happy that they were able to drop by the studio Monday night before they retired for the evening. Here's what went down:

Artist / Song

Architecture in Helsinki / Heart it Races
Of Montreal / Suffer for Fashion
Spoon / The Underdog
Interpol / The Heinrich Manuever
Appleseed Cast / February
Polyphonic Spree / Section 28
Two Gallants / Lady
The Chiffons / One Fine Day *mom's request
Zach Condon / Venice
Beirut / Elephant Gun
Beastie Boys / The Kangaroo Rat
Spring Creek Bluegrass / Waterline Blues
Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs / Feast Here Tonight
The National / Slow Show
Neil Diamond / Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show *dad's request
The National / Fake Empire
Feist / I Feel it All
Feist / My Moon My Man
Jackson 5 / I Want You Back (Z-Trip remix)
Matthew Dear / Pom Pom
LCD Soundsystem / Freak Out
Architecture in Helsinki / Debbie
Datarock / I Used to Dance with My Daddy
Fiery Furnaces / Single Again
Fiery Furnaces / Here Comes the Summer
Fiery Furnaces / Evergreen
Of Montreal / The Past is a Grotesque Animal

Twas a fun show. Look for more theme weeks to be approaching as my work schedule calms down and I have more time to prepare. Also, a mid-year retrospective highlighting the best releases of 2007 so far is on the horizon.

Catching Up

Playlist for 7/2/07

Artist / Song

Beatles / Lovely Rita
Beastie Boys / The Kangaroo Rat
Blitzen Trapper / Wild Mountain Nation
White Stripes / 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues
M. Ward / Duet for Guitars #2
Metric / Soft Rock Star
Rufus Wainwright / Going to a Town
Art Brut / Pump Up the Volume
Frank Black / Threshold Apprehension
White Stripes / Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
Spoon / Don't Make Me a Target
Beatles / Track 5 / Love
Sonic Youth / Within You and Without You
Matthew Dear / Pom Pom
Chemical Brothers / A Modern Midnight Conversation
Lion / The Transformers (theme) / 1986 Animated SDTK
Vince diCola / Autobot/Decepticon Battle / 1986 Animated SDTK
Bonde Do Role / Marina do Bairro
Chemical Brothers / Saturate
Bonde Do Role / Solta O Frango
Bonde Do Role / James Bonde
Matthew Dear / Fleece on Brain
Beastie Boys / 14th St Break
Sonic Youth / Teenage Riot
B52s / Rock Lobster
Spoon / The Underdog
Datarock / Computer Camp Love
Polyphonic Spree / Section 29 (Light to Follow)
Two Gallants / Lady
White Stripes / St. Andrew
and finally a reprise of Autobot/Decepticon Battle because it rocks