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...

brilliant albums for brilliant people #4

Oh, sure I've talked up The Broken Family Band plenty (see here). Welcome Home, Loser is probably the album I've listened to the most in the past few months. I'm feeling a bit short on words today, so I'll say this: Buy it. Love it. Thank me.

The Broken Family Band - Welcome Home, Loser
available: 2/14/2005
Track & Field

the best band you've never heard of

Really.



These are some bands/artists that my friend Tualla and I both listen to. A lot: The National, The New Pornographers, M. Ward, Centro-Matic, Sufjan Stevens, Calexico, Augie March, Josh Ritter, Elliott Smith, Okkervil River, Rock Plaza Central, Brakes, The Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, The Hold Steady.

And these are some bands that Tualla has introduced me to: The Wrens, You Am I, Reigning Sound, OX, Great Lake Swimmers. Tualla is awesome.

But one of the most recent (and most notable, outside of perhaps OX), Tualla-recommended bands is The Broken Family Band. These guys are fucking amazing. Do you love indie rock? Do you love americana? How about americana done British style with all the wit and candor you'd expect from a British americana band? If you love these things do yourself a favor and check out TBFB. Sadly, their albums can be kinda hard to track down, but I'm all for these guys being able to quit their day jobs and do a tour outside of the goddamn UK, ya know? So buy their shit. There's always Amazon.co.uk. The albums I've listened to and loved the most are Welcome Home, Loser and Hello, Love. Though no doubt the whole catalogue is worth checking out. Do it. Do it now.

I don't feel like John Belushi tonight
Poor little me I'm switching out my lights
I've had a busy week and I'd like to ease my brain
You can take drugs if you want but I'm taking a rain check made out

I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight

I don't feel like freaking out with your friends
They're nice enough people but the good times have to end
And I warned you that the slow time was coming soon
Tonight I'm laying down in a smoky darkened room
Well looky here

I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight

Don't feel like getting high this time
You go ahead I just need to rest my mind
I don't need that buzzing in my ear
I listen to my heart and baby it's bringing a tear to my eye

I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight

I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight
I'm not wired at all tonight