Favorite Albums Of 2007

First off, Merry Christmas to all and I hope everyone is doing well. 2007 was filled with a large sum of quality albums. I think this year has been my largest album quantity yet (~320) and I still have more to download/listen to. Yes, this list may eventually change because I probably haven't listened as much as I would have liked, however with the time that I did listen, these are what I have enjoyed the most and or caught my attention. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments.



50. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
49. Colleen - Les Ondes Silencieuses
48. The Sea And Cake - Everybody
47. Sean Hayes - Flowering Spade
46. Field Music - Tones Of Town
45. Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart
44. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
43. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
42. Luke Temple - Snowbeast
41. Battles - Mirrored
40. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
39. Nicole Atkins - Neptune City
38. Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch
37. Eluvium - Copia
36. Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
35. Menomena - Friend And Foe
34. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
33. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
32. Caribou - Andorra
31. José González - In Our Nature
30. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
29. Fionn Regan - The End Of History
28. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
27. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter
26. Dr. Dog - We All Belong
25. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses
24. Handsome Furs - Plague Park
23. Phosphorescent - Pride
22. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
21. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
20. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
19. Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up
18. Feist - The Reminder
17. Willy Mason - If The Ocean Gets Rough
16. St. Vincent - Marry Me
15. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
14. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
13. J. Tillman - Cancer And Delirium
12. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
11. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse

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10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

09. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

08. The National - Boxer

07. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

06. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

05. Ferraby Lionheart - Catch The Brass Ring

04. Bowerbirds - Hymns For A Dark Horse

03. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

02. Radiohead - In Rainbows

01. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

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Honorable Mention (in no particular order)

!!! - Myth Takes
The 1900s - Cold & Kind
Apostle Of Hustle - The National Anthem Of Nowhere
The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
Bishop Allen - The Broken String
The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust
Figurines - When The Deer Wore Blue
Georgie James - Places
Johnathan Rice - Further North
Joshua James - The Sun Is Always Brighter
Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers
Limbeck - Limbeck
M.I.A. - Kala
Mother Mother - Touch Up
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Santogold - I Believe In Santogold
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
White Rabbits - Fort Nightly



[Count Me Out] Favorite Albums Of 2006
[Count Me Out] Favorite Albums Of 2005

Favorite Songs Of 2007

In preparation for my Favorite Albums Of 2007 list, I give you my Favorite Songs Of 2007. Yes, many will coincide with that list, but there are some others as well. To be honest, I feel like there may be some slight bias because I haven't given everything a fair listen and I think it is hard to officially rank these songs, but here's what I have come up with.



50. Luke Temple – Serious
49. Crowded House – Don't Stop Now
48. Caribou – Melody Day
47. Paul McCartney – Ever Present Past
46. Johnathan Rice – End Of The Affair
45. Panda Bear – I'm Not
44. J. Tillman – Ribbons Of Glass
43. Willy Mason – Gotta Keep Walking
42. The 1900s – Georgia
41. Miracle Fortress – Maybe Lately
40. Bishop Allen – Rain
39. The Besnard Lakes – Disaster
38. St. Vincent – Jesus Saves, I Spend
37. Feist – Intuition
36. José González – Down The Line
35. Kanye West – Everything I Am
34. Josh Ritter – Mind's Eye
33. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
32. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
31. Beirut – Nantes
30. Iron & Wine – Lovesong Of The Buzzard
29. Battles – Atlas
28. Page France – What I Have Done
27. Arcade Fire – Antichrist Television Blues
26. Bon Iver – Skinny Love
25. Beirut – Elephant Gun
24. Spoon – Don't You Evah
23. Vampire Weekend – Walcott
22. Grizzly Bear – Deep Blue Sea
21. Wilco – Hate It Here
20. Fionn Regan – Be Good Or Be Gone
19. Apostle Of Hustle – The National Anthem Of Nowhere
18. The Cotton Jones Basket Ride – Had Not A Body
17. LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
16. Vampire Weekend – Mansard Roof
15. Julie Doiron – The Wrong Guy
14. Andrew Bird – Simple X
13. Limbeck – Wake Up
12. Sondre Lerche – Phantom Punch
11. Willy Mason – Save Myself
10. Richard Hawley – Serious
09. Modest Mouse – Florida
08. Kings Of Leon – McFearless
07. Feist – I Feel It All
06. Dr. Dog – Heart It Races (Architecture In Helsinki Cover)
05. Ferraby Lionheart – Vermont Avenue
04. Arcade Fire – Keep The Car Running
03. Department Of Eagles – No One Does It Like You
02. Radiohead – Jigsaw Falling Into Place
01. The Shins – Sleeping Lessons

Favorite Live Shows Of 2007

I attended around 25 shows this year, mostly by myself, which is more than usual because in years past I've been away at school. Now that I am done with school, I am more able to attend these shows, however I'm sure most of the other music bloggers out there attend a much larger number. Anyway, here is a list of my Favorite Shows of 2007:



15. Page France + Bishop Allen at Subterranean (08.09.07)

An overall good show.


14. St. Vincent + Jolie Holland at Schubas (01.23.07)

This was my first time seeing St. Vincent and Annie just blew me away. She's so good live. Although she was sick, Jolie was great, but seemed to play somewhat of an overly long set.


13. the 1900's + Drug Rug at the Empty Bottle (10.12.07)

This was the record release show for the 1900's new album Cold & Kind and it was definitely a fun show.


12. Page France + Margot & The Nuclear So & So's at Beat Kitchen (03.09.07)

This was my third time seeing Page France and first time as a 6 piece. Mike Nau and gang rocked it. Margot's set was great too, although everyone was about to pass out from heat exhaustion.


11. Great Lake Swimmers + Sean Hayes at Schubas (06.29.07)

Sean Hayes really impressed me and the Great Lake Swimmers set was lovely.


10. Ferraby Lionheart + the Brunettes + the Lucksmiths at Schubas (09.26.07)

I'd been listening to a lot of Ferraby over the summer and it was great to finally see him live. the Brunettes were fun and the Lucksmiths standing singer/drummer was pretty neat.


09. Broken Social Scene Present Kevin Drew’s Spirit If... at the Metro (11.03.07)

This was my first time seeing Broken Social Scene and it was great to see/hear them play for 2.5 hours, but to be honest, the dragged out banter was a little weird/unnecessary.


08. Okkervil River + Damien Jurado at Logan Square Auditorium (09.18.07)

Finally got to see Okkervil live and they were great. Damien was great too.


07. Vampire Weekend + Grand Ole Party at Schubas (12.11.07)

I'd been listening to a lot of Vampire Weekend a few weeks before this show and still can't stop listening to them. I expect big things in 2008. I was impressed with Grand Ole Party as well.


06. Regina Spektor + Arcade Fire + Spoon + Willy Mason at Austin City Limits (09.14.07)

I wasn't officially at this show, but I did watch it online. Regina's set blew me away, much better than her Coachella set. Arcade Fire & Spoon were amazing as always and Willy Mason's solo performance & duet w/ his mom was nice too.


05. Wilco + Dr. Dog at the Pritzker Pavilion (09.12.07)

Not my personal favorite Wilco show because I was pretty far back, but the weather was amazing and they played around 26 songs (a few I've never heard live). Dr. Dog's brief set was also pretty sweet.


04. Grizzly Bear + Beach House at Park West (10.10.07)

A very intimate concert with two great bands playing great music.


03. Beirut + Colleen + Alaksa In Winter at the Portage Theatre (10.04.07)

A strange, but nice venue with a packed crowd. Beirut live is amazing, go see them. Colleen was great too.


02. Feist + Grizzly Bear at the Vic (06.17.07)

You can't go wrong with Miss Leslie Feist, she's just pure amazing and although I missed most of Grizzly Bear's set, their sound in the Vic was breathtaking.


01. Midlake + St. Vincent at Schubas (02.14.07)

A well spent Valentine's Day, but would have been better if Annie Clark was my Valentine. Annie’s set unfortunately was very short, maybe 15 minutes, but it was amazing as usual. Midlake were flawless. So so good live and I loved the short films playing in the background for every song.



A Few Shows I’m Mad That I Missed

- Daniel Johnston at Lakeshore Theater
- Arcade Fire + Electrelane at the Chicago Theatre
- The Police at Wrigley Field
- Iron & Wine + The 1900s at the Pabst Theatre (Milwaukee)
- José González at Park West
- Bowerbirds + Papercuts at Schubas
- Menomena + Field Music at the Empty Bottle
- Dr. Dog + Apollo Sunshine at the Empty Bottle
- Battles + Caribou at the Metro
- Josh Ritter at Park West
- Sondre Lerche at Park West


[Count Me Out] Favorite Live Shows Of 2006