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THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: NaS, JAY-Z, AND KANYE WEST (#12) 2007-12-16 04:36:44 The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of major-label hip hop. I’m splitting this entry between all three albums, because each offers something special but all three are, at bottom, no better than industry rap. I don’t say that like it’s a bad thing—you won’t find a bigger fan than me of The Black Album – but corporate hip hop as a rule lacks a deep racial or political message: It scratches the surface, but doesn’t go deep. For depth, you have to go to The Coup, Blue Scholars, Brother Ali, etc. It also tends to have a single point of view, even if it tells that view through multiple voices. In other words, it generally doesn’t confound expectations or, if it does so, it does it in a safe manner. Again, that doesn’t mean it isn’t as good as underground rap. It just is what it is. It’s like comparing Bruce Springsteen to Arcade Fire. Bruce has the bigger influence, but Arcade Fire is more provocative. Having said that, all three of these records are great. So why ...

THE BUDDYREVELLES-”Don’t Quit” 2007-12-15 19:58:17 There’s a definite retro feel to The Buddyrevelles, which I find occupies a space between the ‘50s and the light rock of the ‘70s—but that may be just because I can’t hear the name “Buddy” without thinking of the late great Mr. Holly. Still, with both humor and innocence, the band’s new album, on Solitaire Records, makes for a nice listen on an afternoon drive in the fall. (And isn’t fall late this year? There’s still a huge tree in my yard, waiting to crap leaves all over my driveway!) The band hasn’t recorded a record since their 1998 debut, “September, November,” on Motorcoat Records. But they don’t seem to have lost their chops. It’s good, solid music. Aggravated Robbery I Dream of Rodney ...

THE BIG BEST OF 2007 T.V. POST 2007-12-15 12:58:53 Wherein I opine about something I have absolutely no basis for opining about, and no credentials. But since that doesn’t stop me with music, why not expand my lack of expertise? THE TEN BEST T.V. SERIES IN 2007. 10. Planet Earth (Discovery Channel). Here’s random words from reviews of this show: Breathtaking; biodiversity; beautiful; fascinating; family friendly; bad voiceover; staggering; green; blue; vast; powerful; mountains; deserts; underwater; never-before-seen; how did they film; captured; environmental; moving. I can’t do any better than that. 9. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX). I hated season one, missed season two, and tuned into season three only under protest, to find some of the funniest raunchy humor I’ve ever seen. If you’re easily offended or over the mental age of 16, you’ll probably hate it. But if you’re like me, you’ll love it. Where else can you find a woman beating a masturbating wino senseless with a souvenir baseball bat? 8. ...

THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: MODEST MOUSE (# 11) 2007-12-15 04:55:34 11. Modest Mouse-We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Of all the albums on this list, this one was the hardest for me to rate. Clearly, the band enjoyed the money they made off of “Float On,” because “Dashboard” is pretty much the same concept: An unforgettable chorus, a catchy hook, and Isaac Brock’s characteristic, unique and gravelly falstetto. And being that I’m a fan of pop and accessibility, I loved it. I also enjoyed the rest of the album (obviously), but I recognized all the criticism they got for neither breaking new ground nor going back to their indie roots after their huge and unexpected success. At the same time, though, I found this record to synthesize the best of MM’s commercial sensibilities with their older, rawer material, leading to what may be the most accessible indie-rock-sounding album in history. Indie purists will be able to find merit in at least half the tracks, it will have pop fans’ toes tapping as well. By trying to be everythin ...

BEST 40 ALBUMS OF 2007: KATE NASH AND BETTYE LAVETTE (#s 17, 19) 2007-12-14 17:15:47 17. Bettye LaVette-Scene of the Crime (Review) 19. Kate Nash-Made of Bricks. Kate Nash with the Spice Girls: Bodes Badly for Kate’s Future Although Lily Allen will probably get her Grammy nomination this year, because her U.S. release dropped in early ’07, true music fans were already hip to her and, in my case, sick of her. I like Lily’s album, it’s catchy pop, but like most sugar highs, it wore off quick and left me wanting more. This year’s answer to Lily Allen (and a far superior artist), is Kate Nash. Syrupy pop voice? Check. Songs about sex and sexiness? Check. Verse chorus hook? Check. But Kate also offers a few more eccentric songs on her record, like Skeleton Song, which approaches Tori Amos territory in both its weird lyrics and its hard-to-capture melody. I haven’t had this much fun listening to an album for the first time since I heard King Missle’s debut. On the exact opposite of this spectrum is Betty LaVette, a hard-working, hard-living bl ...

THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: GHOSTFACE AND WU TANG CLAN (#s 5 and 21) 2007-12-14 03:36:31 5. Ghostface Killah-Big Doe Rehab. 21. Wu Tang Clan-The 8 Diagrams. How the fuck does GFK do it? Album after album, he consistently brings the best beats, and wittiest verses, in all of hip hop. And instead of bringing in name-dropping cameos to add a verse after he’s done, he truly collaborates with his guests, punctuating their verses with his own characteristic, breathless rants. This year–nay, this very month–Pretty Toney made the ballsy move of competing with his own band: And slammed their impressive, long-awaited reunion album right down to the streetop. But even if the full Wu couldn’t compete with its lone member, The 8 Diagrams is far from disappointing. In their first studio release since the death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, GZA, RZA, Method Man, Raekwon, U-God, Inspecta Deck, Masta Killa, and Ghostface Killa reform like Voltron to produce their second greatest album ever. RZA is still brilliant in both his choice of beats and his complex, layered app ...

BEST 40 ALBUMS OF 2007: BLOC PARTY (#14) 2007-12-13 15:44:11 14. Bloc Party-A Weekend in the City. I’ve read more than one blogger opine that this album was a disappointment, and didn’t deliver on the promise of BP’s first album and EPs. Those reviews almost swayed me. Until I went back and listened to “Song for Clay,” the first great track on this extraordinary album. It’s got about half-a-dozen more standout tracks, including “Hunting For Witches,” “Waiting for the 7.18,” and “I Still Remember,” and my doubt quickly slipped away as I listened to it again to make sure it truly belonged in the top 40. Yes, it’s straightforward and doesn’t take risks, but every artist can’t be Arcade Fire. If they were, who would we dance to? AS GOOD AS THIS ALBUM WAS . . . The band screwed its fans by releasing bonus tracks in scattered CDs, and got an award for worst distribution plan of the year. England (special bonus track) We Were Lovers (special bonus track) Version 2.0 (Bonus track) ...

TOP 10 INDIE DEBUT ALBUMS OF 2007 2007-12-13 03:43:25 Note: Artists represented on the top 40 of the year list are not also represented here, to give someone else a chance. 10. Vampire Weekend-The Blue CDR (Review). Vampire Weekend, as a band, can’t rate higher (yet) because they’ve only officially released a single, and this a “best debut albums” list. But their “Blue CDR,” a full-length demo, shows undeniable promise, and has created a huge amount of buzz. The official album is rumored to be dropping in January. Until then, I’m content with this unofficial release. A-Punk Oxford Comma 9. Eastern Conference Champions-Ameritown (Review). The songs aren’t amazing or innovative, but they’re played very well, they’re tons of fun, and the vocals make little spiders dig holes in my spine. Noah 8. George Byrne-Foreign Water (Review). Quiet folk/rock from down under. A very, very nice album that I’ll bet none of you have heard of. Paint it Grey 7. Bat for Lashes-Fur and Gold. Also known as Natasha Khan, ...

GRAVEYARD-”s/t” 2007-12-12 20:17:59 Fans of Wolfmother’s style of indie metal should be happy with Graveyard, the new TeePee Records psychedelic metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. And folks who don’t dig Wolfmother, like myself, can apparently like this band, too. I like it because it eschews the vocal fuzz that dominates so much new metal—instead using the kind of ridiculous falsetto employed by heavy metal singers from the classic Ozzy to the borderline-satirical guy from Darkness. My favorite track has to be the Steppenwolf-like “Don’t Take Us For Fools,” which features a guttural, greasy, junkyard-dog growling over chug-a-chug-a guitar-and-drums. Or maybe I prefer the machine-gun drumming and swirling drama of “Submarine Blues.” It’s so hard to pick one seat on the rollercoaster of an album. This is music you want—need!—to hear live. Word of advice, though: If you’re going to call your band “Graveyard,” don’t release a self-titled album. Try googling “Graveyard” and you’ll ...

THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: BOOT CAMP CLIK, MF GRIMM (#s 10, 26) 2007-12-12 15:40:29 10. MF Grimm-The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man (Review) 26. Boot Camp Clik-Casualties of War There’s not much more I can write about MF Grimm’s “concept” album, The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man. My glowing review said enough, and my feelings about the record have only improved since I wrote it. The Hunt for Gingerbread Man-MF Grimm But as for Boot Camp Clik, they’re a group I’ve been trying to push on my readers for several years now. And now I’m going to do a huge post to try once again to get you to listen to them. (Much of their stuff can be got on the cheap at emusic.) Vastly underappreciated in mainstream rap media, Brooklyn crew contains a group of guys who, in most cases, have had success as solo acts—much like Wu Tang Clan. There’s Buckshot who, as half of the duo Black Moon, has recorded some of the best streetfighting rhymes I’ve ever heard. There’s Smif-N-Wessun, a.k.a. Cocoa Brovaz, a.k.a. Tek and Steele, a pair of extraordinary gangsta rappers. ...

THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: THE DEADSTRING BROTHERS, CHRISOPHER BLUE (#s 22, 31) 2007-12-12 03:58:47 22. The Deadstring Brothers-Silver Mountain (review). 31. Chrisopher Blue-Room Tones (review). Do I love The Deadstring Brothers because I saw them live? Maybe. Do I also love them because they sound like Exile-era Rolling Stones? Absolutely. Chrisopher Blue is a nice counterpoint: Gentle, contemplative music for a rainy afternoon. Silver Mountain-Deadstring Brothers Heavy Load-Deadstring Brothers Ghost in the Night-Chrisopher Blue The Moon I Dream Of-Chrisopher Blue ...

THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2007: THE FOO FIGHTERS (#24) 2007-12-11 18:33:31 24. The Foo Fighters-Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. Just like almost every Rolling Stones song from the mid-70s, “The Pretender,” the lead track on “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” begins softly with a soft, acoustic verse and then kicks in hard. In no time, Dave is shouting at a woman who messed with him. Classic Grohl, classic Foo. And it should be; it marks the band’s reunion with Gil Norton, who produced the band’s most exciting CD, “The Colour and the Shape.” Since then, what’s changed? Some bands evolve, some push envelopes, but these guys just keep churning out fantastic rock melodies, one after the other. The only difference between this one and their last is that here the acoustic and electric songs alternate and/or integrate, rather than being on separate discs. Like Ryan Adams, the band shows its versatile ability to fit into any FM format. There’s adult contemporary (”Let It Die”) and adult soft rock (“St ...

THE BEST AND WORST RECORD DISTRIBUTION PLANS OF 2007 2007-12-11 04:00:34 This year saw the major labels struggle with business as usual, and independent releases offered hope for the future. Here’s some of the most innovative record release plans of the year. Take note, RCA/EMI/Virgin/etc.: The future is now. You can sue folks for illegally uploading or downloading your products, but that’s just a symptom. To cure your problems, you need to embrace the new realities. TOP 5 RELEASE METHODS OF 2007 5. Cam’Ron-Public Enemy #1. In the middle of a the night, a pink range rover stops before a crowd of rabid fans and throws CDs at them. True, this is a mixtape so nobody was really looking to make money off it, but in terms of building hype for an artist who had suddenly disappeared, and clearing up all kinds of rumors about him, this showed style and flair. Too bad Killa Cam himself wasn’t there to make an appearance. I’m a Hustler, Barry 4. Division Day-Beartrap Island (and tour). Inviting full participation from the blogosphere, Division ...

THE 40 BEST OF ALBUMS 2007: KINGS OF LEON (#13) AND DUNGEN (#16) 2007-12-10 18:02:38 13. Kings of Leon-Because of the Times. After breaking through with Aha Shake Heartbreak (proving that a sophomore album can not only be better than a first album, it can also sell better), the Kings of Leon bust out a third hard rocking barroom brawl. This is on a (typically stingy) major label, so I’m not posting any cuts off the album. And their website doesn’t offer much either. So you’ll have to take my word on this one . . . But for this live track from ‘06. Slow Night, So Long-Kings of Leon and Eddie Vedder 16. Dungen-Tio Bitar. Literally translated as “10 Songs,” the title of this Swedish metal band’s latest record instantly recalls Fugazi’s “13 Songs.” And the reference is apt. Both have a hard crunching D.I.Y. sound, but where Fugazi revel in punk, Dungen harken back to the days of Black Sabbath. Psychedelic metal that is far more complex and interesting than Wolf Mother, this was a slept-on release that deserved much, much more atte ...

TOP 6 EPs OF 2007 2007-12-10 03:55:31 6. The Features-Contrast (Review). I can’t express myself on these guys any better than I did the last time I wrote about them. I’m a huge, huge fan of this band and have been for years. (And by huge fan, I don’t mean I’m fat. I mean they’re great!) Contrast 5. Illinois-What The Hell Do I Know? I have often said that Pitchfucked is a site full of overintellectual sissies who refuse to like anything with a beat. Well, I don’t often say that. But I’m saying it now. They gave Illinois a 6.8, which is just absurd. This EP is like the return of Beck, back when he was indie! Hopefully, after reading what I just wrote, you aren’t asking me what the hell I know. Instead, I hope you’re nodding your head enthusiastically to this great EP. Original Review Screendoor Alone Again 4. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Is Is. This doesn’t rate higher because all these songs are old. But it’s still great to hear them engineered and maste ...