shows of interest for 12/31/07 - 1/6/08

Monday, December 31
DEV-Oh! @ Hi-Dive
The Greyboy Allstars @ Ogden Theater
Homemade Tank @ Larimer Lounge
Outformation @ Gothic Theatre
The Railbenders @ Soiled Dove
Rose Hill Drive @ Boulder Theater
Slim Cessna's Auto Club @ Bluebird Theater
Yonder Mountain String Band @ Fillmore Auditorium
Zilla & The Glitch Mob @ Fox Theatre

Tuesday, January 1
Asylum Cinema @ Larimer Lounge

Wednesday, January 2
The Way Things Go @ Hi-Dive
Yuzo Nieto & The Hand That Rocks The Dradle @ Larimer Lounge

Thursday, January 3
Gata Negra @ Larimer Lounge
Of The Wolves @ Gothic Theatre

Friday, January 4
Kort McCumber @ Boulder Theater
Left In The Fire @ Marquis Theater
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Bluebird Theater
Spring Creek Bluegrass Band @ Fox Theatre
Synthetic Elements @ Gothic Theatre
Widowers @ Larimer Lounge
Wymond & The Brethren Of The Free Spirit @ Hi-Dive

Saturday, January 5
3OH!3 @ Gothic Theatre
Havok @ Larimer Lounge
LC Committee @ Boulder Theater
Pena @ Hi-Dive
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Fox Theatre
Slaughterhouse Rootz @ Marquis Theater
Streetlight Manifesto @ Bluebird Theater

Sunday, January 6
Angela Bachman @ Larimer Lounge

shows of interest for 12/24 - 12/30/07

Monday, December 24
Misery Loves Company @ Sputnik

Tuesday, December 25
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wednesday, December 26
The Caves @ Larimer Lounge

Thursday, December 27
Ideal Fathers @ Larimer Lounge
Split Second Massacre @ Gothic Theatre

Friday, December 28
Born In The Flood @ Bluebird Theater
Congress Of The Crow @ Larimer Lounge
Holiday Metal Ball @ Gothic Theatre
Leftover Salmon @ Ogden Theatre
The Motet @ Fox Theatre

Saturday, December 29
Buzzard @ Larimer Lounge
Forth Yeer Freshman @ Marquis Theater
RJD2 @ Fox Theatre
Rocky Mountain Riptide @ Bluebird Theater
Wish We Were Floyd @ Gothic Theatre
Yonder Mountain String Band @ Fillmore Auditorium

Sunday, December 30
Beneath The Strangled Mass @ Larimer Lounge
EOTO @ Fox Theatre
The Helio Sequence @ Marquis Theater
Outformation @ Gothic Theatre
Rose Hill Drive @ Boulder Theater
Slim Cessna's Auto Club @ Bluebird Theater
Yonder Mountain String Band @ Fillmore Auditorium

my top albums of 2007 #10-01

10

Menomena - Friend And Foe
Menomena has been on the rise since the release of this fantastic album. The music is fresh, the lyrics are witty, and there's lots and lots of saxophone.
TLOBF review

09

Jamie T - Panic Prevention
This was one of the first 2007 releases that I heard. And it's barely left my playlist since.

08

Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation
Ah, yes, my love affair with this album is still going strong.
My review

07

LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
Soooooooooooooooooo good. And it became even better after seeing James Murphy & co. open for The Arcade Fire at Red Rocks earlier this year.
TLOBF review

06

Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
Brilliant.
My review

05

The New Pornographers - Challengers
I know I said it before, but the first four tracks of this album are about as close to perfection as any band can get. I put off listening to this one for a while because I feared it would not be too good. Obviously that was not the case... :)
TLOBF review

04

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon, self-released For Emma, Forever Ago back in July, creating quite a buzz in certain corners of the blog-world. Luckily for me I've got a friend in one of those corners who introduced me to it. In the meantime, Justin's been signed by Jagjaguwar and the album will be re-released in February. I'm definitely thrilled that I got my hands on a self-released copy early on... them things are gonna be rare. As for the album, it just may be good enough to land on next year's list too...

03

Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Well, this should come as a surprise to NO one... ;)
My review

02

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Andrew Bird indeed achieved the impossible by making an album even better than The Mysterious Production Of Eggs.

01

The National - Boxer
The National and Andrew Bird were pretty much battling all year for the #1 spot. The National clinched it with a stellar performance at the Ogden back in September. Boxer is just an amazing album...
TLOBF review

So there it is. I have to say I'd be hard-pressed to find any other year where my top 50 albums are not just good, but exceptional. I hate to say it, but I'm ready for a break in 2008... :)

my top albums of 2007... a slight detour

One more thing to throw at you before revealing my top 10 (though, seriously, I doubt there will be any surprises there). Here are a handful of albums that more than likely would have made it somewhere into the top 50 if I'd started listening to them before the first of December...



The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain
The Acorn is from Ottawa. Glory Hope Mountain is a concept album based on Acorn singer/songwriter Rolf Klausener's mother's emigration from the Honduras to Montreal, and all the hardships she dealt with along the way. It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The official US release is sometime next spring, though, so it has a chance for 2008!



Basia Bulat - Oh My Darling
Basia Bulat is Canadian too... are we sensing a theme here? We didn't review it at TLOBF, but here is a review that I would definitely agree with. Basia is also getting a US release in the spring.



Deer Tick - War Elephant
Another young kid doing some more alt-country. It's real good. I don't necessarily agree with the rating Kyle gave it, but:
TLOBF review



Phosphorescent - Pride
This one has been getting praise from all corners of cyberspace, yet I waited until after the last minute to finally give it my attention. Pity.
TLOBF review



Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Everyone, and I mean everyone, has been talking this album up. And there's little question as to why... it fucking kills, that's why. Yet again I put it off until the last minute. My theory is that I was afraid of whatever that is gracing the cover.
TLOBF review

Tomorrow... top 10.

my top albums of 2007 #20-11

20

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I never got into Spoon until Gimme Fiction. Ga x 5 is a lot better.
TLOBF review

19

Georgie James - Places
2007 was a great year for indie pop...
TLOBF review

18

Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
This is a lovely album. I am still kicking myself for missing Elvis Perkins In Dearland opening for My Morning Jacket way back in January. At least seeing him play would have kept that evening from being a total bust...
TLOBF review

17

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
This album is so great I didn't even bother with that Animal Collective one... :)
TLOBF loves...

16

Cloud Cult - The Meaning Of 8
I fell in love with this band from the first time I heard the album. I was also fortunate enough to catch them live twice this year, one of the best live bands I've seen.

15

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
I'm pretty sure I'm in love with everything that Zach Condon creates.
TLOBF review

14

Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
I have never been able to get much into Iron & Wine and almost didn't even bother with this one. I'm sure glad I gave it a chance though, this is some of the most gorgeous music to come out this year.

13

Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
Spencer Krug is god.
TLOBF review

12

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
And Kevin Barnes just keeps on delivering the goods...
TLOBF review

11

White Rabbits - Fort Nightly
One of the strongest debut albums in recent memory. Calypso rock at its finest, and a fabulous live band to boot.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...

my top albums of 2007 #30-21

30

Two Gallants - Two Gallants
Excellent folk-country-punk type duo.

29

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Blows their debut away. In my opinion.
TLOBF review

28

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Ah yes, the album that most everyone either loves or intensely detests. It's not as fun as the debut, but that's not to say there aren't a lot of solid songs. Plus you gotta love that CYHSY DIY business model...

27

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Yay for more Swedish pop music! I adore Jens and often have the feeling that this album should be higher than #27 on my list. But alas it's not.
TLOBF review

26

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Conor's growing up. He sounds great on this album and his songwriting keeps getting better.

25

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Banging Down The Doors
Ezra's a very young Chicagoan who's getting lots and lots and lots of Dylan comparisons. He kinda sounds like Alec Ounsworth a bit too. You should check this album out. It's real real good.
not a review, just something I wrote

24

Revival - Horses Of War
Wow, another great new find for this year. Kind of folky, kind of psychedelic.

23

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
I was so worried that this album was going to suck, but it completely blew me away. There are a couple of tracks I could do without, but for the most part, sobriety is treating Ryan and his songwriting very nicely indeed.
TLOBF review

22

Bishop Allen - The Broken String
This is indie pop at its finest. 'Nuff said.

21

Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter
Josh is another young artist who is just getting better and better. Great album.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...

my top albums of 2007 #40-31

40

Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated
Great sophomore effort from these guys. Witty, tongue-in-cheek humor, hooray!
TLOBF review

39

David Dondero - Simple Love
I still can't believe I'd never heard of this guy before this year. For lovers of the sensitive singer-songwriter type with a keen sense of humor.
TLOBF review

38

Handsome Furs - Plague Park
I'd almost forgotten about this one until I was revisiting some 2007 albums last month. Consistently very very good.

37

Dr. Dog - We All Belong
Sure, the album is great, but all the cool kids know that live is the only way to experience Dr. Dog...

36

Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
Excellent debut album. Unique mix of lots of different genres. Fun!
TLOBF review

35

Emma Pollock - Watch The Fireworks
I fully admit this one is a recent "discovery" for me. But oh, how I fell in love with Emma's voice and songwriting.
TLOBF review

34

1990s - Cookies
My cult status keeps me fucking your wife. Good god I love this album.

33

Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
This one didn't quite live up to the lofty expectations set by last year's Everything All The Time, but a solid album nonetheless.
TLOBF review

32

Pela - Anytown Graffiti
Nothing more than a lot of straight-forward rock n' roll!!

31

Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
Swedish pop is so great.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...

my top albums of 2007 #50-41

Just what the cyber-world needs, another "best of" list... but it's become a bit of an addiction for me, so there you go. Or, rather, here you go...

A handful of albums that just missed my top 50:

Angels Of Light - We Are Him
The Besnard Lakes - Are The Dark Horse
Blonde Redhead - 23
Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings
Narrator - All That To The Wall
Papercuts - Can't Go Back
The Ponys - Turn The Lights Out
Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!
The Teeth - You're My Lover Now
The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters


My biggest disappointments of the year:

Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky


50

Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
This was a nice little surprise, I didn't know that Stars were releasing a new album until it leaked. Very solid.
TLOBF review

49

Page France - ...And The Family Telephone
I love pop music.

48

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
There are a few tracks that never quite grew on me, but this one makes my top 50 based on the awesomeness of the handful of really awesome tracks.
TLOBF review

47

Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
My review

46

Peter Von Poehl - Going To Where The Tea Trees Are
My review

45

BOAT - Let's Drag Our Feet
The album art may be god-awful, but the tunes are poppy and goofy and great fun.

44

Voxtrot - Voxtrot
This was a really strong debut full-length for these Austinites. Firecracker = one of the best songs of the year, for sure.

43

Palomar - All Things, Forests
Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

42

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Earlier this year I was sure Neon Bible would land at least in my top 20. What a great year for music...

41

The Broken Family Band - Hello Love
One of the best finds of my year. Hello Love is not quite as strong as some of their previous work, but it's still pretty damn good.
TLOBF review

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...