My Top 25 Records of 2007

Time to jump start this blog again, with a posting that originally appeared on my Lastfm profile fact fans. It's my personal faves from last year (I'm nostalgic for the days when I listened to something other than Crystal Castles), although I've updated it since it's original appearance, given the rather baffling placings for Okkervil River and Bon Iver first time around. KK. Who will be number one????? Check it:

25. Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder

Listen to this too much and you're gonna get a pretty quick face to face reunion with your dinner. Pure sugar on a disc.

24. M.I.A. - Kala

Riggerz says he's sick of hearing 'Paper Planes' booming outta ma room, but fuck the haterz. 'Come Around' is also a 'choon'.

23. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

Think I prefer the first album :( Still, out of the hundreds of Libertines wannabees who are still clogging up the charts (when's dance coming back!?) the Arctics are clearly not only in a different league, but on a different planet. CLICHES FTW

22. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Can be pretty dull at times and that woman's song is perhaps the worst piece of music heard since that fateful day when 'Strange Apparition' forced its unwanted way into the world. Good though. Well, at least it is as long as you don't mention, y'know, that certain other album they did.

21. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If...

Not quite sure what's going on with the bizarre naming here. It's probably something to do with this supposedly being a solo record for BSS frontman Kevin Drew, and yet it sounds just like yet another BSS album. Huh. Not a bad thing mind.

20. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

Aside from the obscene cover art that gags your eyeballs and then proceeds to gang rape them in every orifice, my personal favourites are 'Carousel' and 'Flightless Bird, American Mouth'.

19. The Takeovers - Bad Football

Ageing drunk Bob Pollard takes time out from his busy schedule of endless shit solo records to team up with some other ex-GbVers, Malkmus and some random Decemberist. Cue a great album. Who'd a thunk it?

18. Justice - Cross

DVNO was like, the best thing ever. Then they gave it like, the best video ever. Now it's definitely...well, the best thing ever. The rest of the album's not bad either.

17. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil

'O Katrina!' may well have been the 'hit' (kinda) but the rest of the LP holds up just as well. Gooood stuff.

16. Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart

Quite what the point in going solo is when you were the only member of your old 'band' in the first place is probably beyond any sane being. Still, it didn't stop Callahan binning the Smog moniker. Resulting album in sounds just like a Smog record shocker.

15. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin

Man, if the music wasn't so good, this band, and their endless 'WE WANT TO BE AS BIG AS U2' bullshit, would be deserving of a good slapping.

14. New Pornographers - Challengers

Rivaling only Iron and Wine in the visual molestation stakes comes this horrendous cover courtesy of Canada's finest. The album itself is arguably their weakest yet. Still great though.

13. A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers

Brutal distortion-fest from NYC. Production perhaps leaves a little to be desired, but there's no denying the quality of the songs.

12. Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Not as good as Black Sheep Boy (what is?) but still delicious. A few rockin' upbeat numbers and the pwetty 'Savannah Smiles' make for a good listen.

11. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

Garden State looks so bad.

10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Packs in the tunes. 'Someone Great' in particular is perhaps an all-time fave. Although if I ever hear 'North American Scum' again I'll probably vomit so much the room will be filled with half-digested brocolli and people will run screaming but they won't be able to escape the ocean of sick and they will all get swept away to their deaths. Heard. It. So. Many. Times.

9. Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets

First 'official' EP from indie-pop darlings of the moment. Teh amaze, and the full album that came out last month is also aces.

8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

'Satan Said Dance' and 'Yankee Go Home' rock the set yeah. Rest is more difficult than first album to get into, hence the backlash from the lightweights. Yeah, yeah.

7. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

Usually sounding exactly like you did in 1987 wouldn't be considered a good thing. But in the reformed Dino's case it most certainly is.

6. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

It ain't no LCW, but ignoring the ridiculously shiny production the songs are gooood. Epic sell-out Brock needs to forget all that grubby money he's now got and start getting angry again though.

5. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation

Slightly demented indie rock record, with a noticeable country-ish twinge to it. Throw in some traditional distorted songs, as well as the odd acoustic ballad, and it's aces.

4. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Once past the pretty uninteresting opening two tracks everything is ace, and definitely an improvement on the rather dodgy Hail to the Thief. Kinda wish 'Videotape' still had the big explosive finish though :(

3. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Amazing album that seemingly came out of nowhere. Haunting, desolate, blah, blah, blah. It's just incredible and has to be heard. Apparently Zane Lowe has started playing it now, so it must be good, right kids?

2. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

'For Reverend Green' pretty much ends music such is its awesomeness. Nine tracks of what is essentially perfection. And it's insane as usual of course.

1. The National - Boxer

Ah, sheer greatness. That it renders its classic predecessor 'Alligator' utterly irrelevant pretty much says it all really. Depressing in a lovely rich and warm way.