Music Blogs

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

60.  Super Taranta! by Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello continued in 2007 with their gypsy punk cabaret show, and despite what Pitchfork says, they have given us another reason to love them in Super Taranta! This is maximum energy music that you either "get" or "don't get". And if you don't get it, try again. 

59.  Andorra by Caribou
The changes in tone, melody and arrangement on Andorra all fit within the confines of the mood Dan Snaith defines on this relatively short 9 track disc. It'll work equally well in the context of a chic uptown penthouse party, or around the campfire in the middle of the woods. But the most impressive thing about Andorra is how perfectly it balances pop sensibility with a willingness to stretch the boundaries into the realm of art.

58. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by Of Montreal 
There was a tremendous amount of critical buzz around this album in 2007. I loved the band's last full-length, 2005's The Sunlandic Twins, but Hissing Fauna... exceeded even this exceptional effort. The subject of love scorned is new for Of Montreal, but here the band keeps the inspiration fuzzy, and it's distance enables the band to utilize it's power to maximum effect. 

57. We'll Never Turn Back by Mavis Staples
There is no voice in any genre working today that can move like Mavis Staples, and she continues a white-hot streak of perfect releases with We'll Never Turn Back. She has officially moved from wise musical legend to living oracle. Her complete comfort with her immense talent is hard to beat, and I'm not sure how she could possibly raise the bar any higher than she has.

56.  It's Not Big, It's Large by Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band deliver big horns, gospel singers, and beautifully sparse country crooning all in one breath on their newest record. Lyle proves his ability to cross genres with ease on It's Not Big... But style is irrelevant in the hands of Lovett. The strength of song and delivery he employs would carry through if he chose thrash metal as his choice of genre.

55.  My Name Is Buddy by Ry Cooder
Although I still hold his 2005 concept album Chavez Ravine as a favorite, Ry Cooder delivers enough on My Name Is Buddy to make number 55 on my top 100 list this year. The record is another conceptual work that follows a cat during the dust bowl era. The concept was kicked off by a mysterious doctored photo of a cat's head on the body of Lead Belly. This alone could win an honorable mention, but Ry Cooder takes it to the limit.

54.  Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Jack White could have easily put The White Stripes on autopilot, or disbanded the duo altogether after the success of his "real band" The Raconteurs. But he did no such thing. Instead, he and Meg, who has suffered some anxiety issues lately, instead gave us yet another year-end-list worthy album .

53. Wincing The Night Away by The Shins
I was dumbfounded, and a little depressed, when I saw this new Shins album for the first time on the main new release shelf at Wal*Mart. Had indie music really come to this? Maybe so, but after hearing the record, who cares? It's would be a great record whether it sells 10 or 10 million.

52. Because Of The Times by Kings Of Leon
The third album by Kings Of Leon, Because Of The Times, scored them their first number one disc on the UK album charts. They have been gradually improving with each release, but Because Of The Times is a watershed, a true defining moment for this band.

51. The Con by Tegan & Sara
A case could be made that The Con was the indie-kid album of summer 2007. Okay, maybe not, but the 5th album by this Canadian sister duo is, in my mind, their best and most refined record to date. So much so that it's only one spot off of making my top 50 albums for the year.

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