Music Blogs

We continue with the fourth installment of our top 100 albums of 2007 year end list.

70.  Night Falls Over Kortedala by Jens Lekman
26-year old Swede Jens Lekman has released his second full-length in North America this year to much critical acclaim. It's a sensitive, abundantly orchestrated affair that fans will love. It falls softly somewhere between Burt Bacharach and Beck, which makes it a big winner for me.

69.  The Scene of the Crime by Bettye LaVette
2007 has given us some stunning soul recordings. The Scene of the Crime by veteran Bettye LaVette is one of them. It's a smoldering masterpiece that's also a storybook comeback for an exceptional talent who was swept under the rug by major label bullshit. LaVette is backed by The Drive-By-Truckers on this fine record, who do a superb job of supporting this singular voice without bringing attention to themselves.

68.  Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective
Animal Collective have mastered the art of tightrope walking. Their newest, Strawberry Jam finds the band perfectly balanced between artsy, mind-expanding experimentation and appealing pop structure. It could be that they're fooling us all, but does it really matter? This record offers something new to discover with each listen, and will keep me coming back throughout 2008 and beyond.

67.   Fantastic Playroom by New Young Pony Club
It's true that I have a big tender soft spot in my heart for 80s new wave. And although the aughties have given us our fair share of 80s revival, not many have reached the heights of Fantastic Playroom by the London five piece New Young Pony Club. This record is a herky-jerky, candy-coated gift of love, wrapped in shiny teal parachute pants.

66.  Build A Nation by Bad Brains
Get down on your knees and praise Jah for Bad Brains. I had their debut on the cassette only ROIR label in the early 80s and although other influential heroes of the period have passed (R.I.P.: Ramones, Clash), Bad Brains continue. And they don't just continue in order to pay the bills with club dates, but with truly inspired songwriting and 100 MPH chops that are on par with some of their best . A true inspiration.

65.  Altitude by Groundtruther
The last installment of the Groundtruther trilogy, Altitude is a 2-CD set that finds Charlie Hunter, Bobby Previte and John Medeski reaching for the stars. Admittedly, this will fly above the heads of the masses, but if you enjoy a challenge Altitude is a must. It pulls out all the stops and stretches the boundaries further than anything you've heard in a while.

64.  Marry Me by St. Vincent
Annie Clark has emerged from her stints as a back-up singer with The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens as a force to be reckoned with. You can hear the influence of her previous employers on Mary Me, but her Kate Bush-like vocal style and original musical ideas stand firmly on their own two feet.

63.  Ear Drum by Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli new albums features cameos by a myriad of talents including KRS-One, UGK, Musiq Soulchild, Norah Jones, Raheem DeVaughn and many more. But the star of the show on Ear Drum is Talib Kweli. This is his masterwork and one of the best hip-hop efforts of the year.

62.  Jarvis by Jarvis Cocker
Pulp front-man Jarvis Cocker delivers the goods with this solo effort simply titled Jarvis. The first single "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" is about as tasty as a British indie pop song can be. The record has numerous tracks that stand up to, or exceed the very best of what he produced with Pulp, and that my friends, deserves a nod.

61.  Desire by Pharoahe Monch
It's been a long 8 years since Pharoahe Monch's last proper full-length, but you'll forgive him for the wait when you hear the record. His rhyming skills can freeze you in your tracks, but so can the production and soul-filled singing. Desire does more than get the job done, something so prevalent in today's :30 second television ad music culture.

Continue to #71 to #80