Alright, I know this is late. Please cut me some slack. However, these are my picks for the best media of 2007.
Music
In years past, I have ordered this category as a top ten list. This year it seemed too difficult to make a distinction. As a result, I chose my three favorite albums, and decided to include honorable mentions for other albums I enjoyed throughout the year.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
If I were judging this contest by album titles alone, Spoon would be near the bottom of the list. Fortunately, Brit Daniel is much more talented at writing undeniably catchy songs than naming albums. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga picks up where Gimme Fiction left off, combining indie and pop in a way that makes so much sense. Songs like “The Underdog” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” showcase the straightforward pop likability, while the lyrics of “Black Like Me” reminds everyone that Spoon can do more than just write catchy songs.
The National - Boxer
I never listened to Alligator. The dark “Fake Empire” served as my introduction to The National… and I hated it. I listened to the song, and decided The National wasn’t for me. About a week later, I found myself craving the dark, driving melody of the song. Now, after digesting the band for most of the year, I can confidently say that this is one of my favorite albums of 2007. The deep bass tones of Matt Berninger, just add such depths to the sound. “Fake Empire” has grown on me, so much so that I would include it in the top five songs I heard this year.
Feist - The Reminder
Leslie Feist can flat out sing. While I had never listened to her solo work, I have been a fan of Broken Social Scene for a couple years now. Then came “1 2 3 4.” You know, that song from the iPod commercial. This song infiltrated pop culture in a way that few advertisements have in a while. Luckily, this inspired me to pick up the album on a trip to Target at some point last fall. With gems like “I Feel It All” and “So Sorry,” The Reminder easily sets itself above just about anything else I listened to this year.
Other Notable Records: The Stage Names by Okkervil River, The Bragg and Cuss by Rocky Votolato, Easy Tiger by Ryan Adams, The Reunion Tour by The Weakerthans, and Help Wanted Nights by The Good Life
Albums I Finally Listened to in 2007: Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions in the Sky, Meadowlands by The Wrens
Movies
No Country For Old Men
I’m not even sure if any other movie should be listed alongside this film. I am still digesting what I saw, more than a month later. No Country For Old Men is the Coen brothers’ masterpiece. The characters and themes are fantastic. The suspense persevered throughout the entire movie. Is their a more ruthless villain than Javier Bardem? I doubt it. That man still haunts my nightmares… and I love it. You can either hunt and die, or give up and live. Which will you choose? If this movie doesn’t clean up come Academy Awards night, I will be amazed. If only some cinema near me would pick up There Will Be Blood, which I cannot wait to see.
Juno
I love Oscar Season, if only because all of the good movies come out in a short span. Juno showed up right after No Country For Old Men, and presented another beautiful story. This one had a much more pleasant theme, however the characters were just as intriguing. I have loved Micheal Cera since the first episode of Arrested Development, but Ellen Page was new to me. I love her. She definitely earned her Oscar nomination. After picking such a dark movie for my favorite of the year, it felt good to be able to follow that with such a heartfelt and honest film.
Other films of note: Charlie Wilson’s War, Atonement, Ratatouille, and American Gangster
1. The Hold Steady – Boys & Girls in America: This album was wonderful on so many levels. Whether it was the masterful storytelling exhibited by Craig Finn, or the arena rock throwback to years gone by, The Hold Steady put it all together and pulled out all of the stops for the most entertaining album of 2006.
2. Moneen – The Red Tree: For the majority of the year, this album was a staple in my car. I always knew I liked Moneen, but this album was leaps and bounds above anything they have ever created. They finally found a way to harness their eternally long songs (and titles) and make the album they were always capable of producing.
3. Joanna Newsom – Ys: I admit that I probably have not listened to this album nearly as much as I should have, but I can already tell you that this is easily one of the best records this year. Ms. Newsom further refined her vocal style and added a more orchestral sound, giving her deep lyrics even more life.
4. Rocky Votolato - Makers: When I first listened to this album, it didn’t jump out at me. After I finally listened to it again, I hated myself for how long I had let this album sit beneath a number of other less impressive records. Rocky has a feeling of humility and realness that seems absent in so many other songwriters.
5. The Lawrence Arms - Oh Calcutta!: I have loved The Lawrence Arms for some time now, and this record showed them finding the balance they always needed. The shared vocals on almost all of the songs were fantastic. I still can’t get “Are You There Margaret? Its me God” out of my head.
6. The Loved Ones - Keep Your Heart: I’m not sure that anything on this album is necessarily groundbreaking or original, but its all just so much fun. The Loved Ones know what they are good at, and they do it well.
7. Brand New - The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me: I think most everyone had been waiting for this album, and it lived up to expectations. Brand New took another gigantic leap with their new album. It is hard to imagine that this is the same band singing “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad.” However, I couldn’t even imagine hoping that they would go back.
8. Rise Against - The Sufferer and the Witness: I still miss Revolutions Per Minute, but this was a step in the right direction. I never doubted that Rise Against would let a major label hold them down, and they proved that they have given up none of their creative control in this album. Although, I’m still not a fan of “Ready to Fall” yet.
9. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain: I will be perfectly honest, I just bought this album on Monday. If I had acquired it sooner, there is a very good possibility that it would be much higher on this list. I’m still in the process of taking it all in.
10. Headlights - Kill Them With Kindness: When I went to the concert this October, I was hoping to see Owen. However, I ended up falling in love with The Headlights. This band proved that indie is far from dead in Champaign. It has a few noticeable flaws, but the rest is so much fun that they are easily overlooked.
