the best of 2007... part 2

Are we halfway through 2007 already??? I should believe it, what with all the new releases this year that I can't seem to keep up with. I have done the best I can, and would like to share the fruits of my "labor" with you - part 2 of 2007's best new music tracklist:

01 Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping
02 Cloud Cult - Pretty Voice
03 Revival - Favorite One
04 Get Him Eat Him - The Coronation Show
05 White Rabbits - While We Go Dancing
06 Good Shoes - Never Meant To Hurt You
07 Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
08 The Veils - One Night On Earth
09 Dan Deacon - Pink Batman
10 Handsome Furs - Dead + Rural
11 Art Brut - People In Love
12 The Teeth - Shoulderblade
13 Pela - Trouble With River Cities
14 Voxtrot - Firecracker
15 The National - Apartment Story
16 Elliott Smith - Looking Over My Shoulder
17 Ryan Adams - Pearls On A String
18 Bright Eyes - If The Brakeman Turns My Way
19 Page France - Pigeons
20 Blonde Redhead - Spring And By Summer Fall
21 Narrator - A Decade In Kentucky

download it!

And I've re-posted my tracklist from January-March at sendspace, in case you missed it the first time around:

01 - The Apples In Stereo - Can You Feel It?
02 - Deerhoof - +81
03 - LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
04 - The Broken West - Down In The Valley
05 - Apostle Of Hustle - Chances Are
06 - Of Montreal - A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger
07 - Menomena - Air Aid
08 - CYHSY - Mama, Won't You Keep Them Castles In The Air...
09 - Illinois - Nosebleed
10 - Modest Mouse - Spitting Venom
11 - The Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
12 - The Besnard Lakes - Devastation
13 - Panda Bear - Take Pills
14 - Beirut - Scenic World (Version)
15 - Andrew Bird - Dark Matter
16 - Jamie T - Calm Down Dearest
17 - Dr. Dog - Worst Trip
18 - The Shins - Girl Sailor
19 - Papercuts - Take The 227th Exit
20 - A Sunny Day In Glasgow - 5:15 Train
21 - Do Make Say Think - A Tender History In Rust

download it!

And again, my favorite albums, take two. These are the ones I listened to the most from April - June... some released during those months, some released earlier that I didn't hear about or have a chance to get to (no order here other than good ol' alphabetical...). I tried to limit myself to 10 again, I really did. But to no avail:

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare:
I gotta say that nobody is more surprised than me at how much I am loving this album. Last year's overhyped Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not didn't really do a whole lot for me. The sophomore effort from these kids is a completely different story. It's fabulous.

Favorite tracks: Brianstorm; Teddy Picker; Fluorescent Adolescent; 505







Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated:
The UK isn't holding anything back this year; Art Brut has delivered another highly enjoyable sophomore album from across the pond.

Favorite tracks: Direct Hit; People In Love; I Will Survive; Post Soothing Out











Bright Eyes - Cassadaga:
I wasn't expecting a lot from this album, especially after the mediocre showing of the Four Winds EP. But Conor yet again turns in a very nice effort.

Favorite tracks: Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed); Four Winds; If The Brakeman Turns My Way; Classic Cars









Cloud Cult - The Meaning Of 8:
Cloud Cult has been, hands down, my find of the year so far. I'd never heard of them until about 4-5 months ago, but they've consumed much of my time during those months. They are incredibly talented both live and on record, they are environmentally sound, they are amazing. If you haven't heard them, do it now.

Favorite tracks: Chain Reaction; Chemicals Collide; Pretty Voice; Your 8th Birthday; The Deaf Girl's Song






Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings:
I never thought I liked the so-called "electronica" music. This year is seeing LCD Soundsystem and Dan Deacon unequivocally change my mind.

Favorite tracks: The Crystal Cat; Wham City; Pink Batman









Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday:
It's hard not to feel guilty sometimes by gleaning so much enjoyment from someone else's suffering. In the case of Elvis Perkins, his father (Anthony Perkins) died of AIDS when Elvis was just a teenager. And if that wasn't enough, his mother was aboard one of the planes flown into the World Trade Center on September 11. If only we could all take our tragedies and craft something so lovely as Ash Wednesday...

Favorite tracks: While You Were Sleeping; May Day!; Emile's Vietnam In The Sky; Ash Wednesday




Good Shoes - Think Before You Speak:
Even more from the 2007 UK invasion. This is not a deep album, but it sure is a helluva a lot of fun.

Favorite tracks: The Photos On My Wall; Never Meant To Hurt You; Small Town Girl; Ice Age











Narrator - All That To The Wall:
Bouncy, spazzy, catchy, and wonderful.

Favorite tracks: August 32nd; Speeding Up The Gang; All The Tired Horses; A Decade In Kentucky














The National - Boxer:
Good fucking lord. I'm not too keen on giving away my secrets before the end of the year, but this one and Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha are (at this early stage) duking it out for album of the year. This one is like auditory crack, it is.

Favorite tracks: Fake Empire; Slow Show; Apartment Story; Gospel









Page France - ...And The Family Telephone:
Since the first time I heard Page France, I felt that Michael Nau's voice should be terribly annoying to me. But it isn't... In fact, it's rather endearing. Even more endearing is this album filled to the brim with incredible melodies, lyrics, and musicianship. Brilliant.

Favorite tracks: Wet Dog Afternoon; Be My Pianist; Pigeons; Here's A Telephone






Pela - Anytown Graffiti:
Seeing these Brooklynites live a few weeks ago no doubt has a lot to do with their album appearing here. They are incredible live, and my enjoyment of Anytown Graffiti has increased exponentially since the show. Really really great stuff.

Favorite tracks: Waiting On The Stairs; Drop Me Off; Trouble With River Cities; Song Writes Itself








Revival - Horses Of War:
I guess when you consider how I've taken to all things horses the past couple of years, it should come as no surprise that I fell in love with album immedately. Another great new find.

Favorite tracks: OK, honestly? This is one of those rare albums where every track is just as strong as the next. I have tried to choose favorites, but every time I listen to this album, the conclusion is always the same. I can't choose. You should have seen me trying to pick a song for my playlist! And I'm sure I'll change my mind on that tomorrow... lol.




Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger:
I'm admitting it now - I was afraid to have high hopes for this album. Ryan hasn't released anything "officially" since 2005, which was hit or miss for me. I loved Cold Roses, I liked Jacksonville City Nights, and I likely listened to 29 about 3 times before deleting it from the iPod. But apparently I needn't have worried at all... with Easy Tiger Ryan has released a masterpiece, critics be damned. I love this album, it's a very healthy mix of all the styles Ryan's adopted over the years. And like many of his fans, I've harbored some concerns about him in the past few years... I gotta say that nobody is more thrilled than me to know that he's working clean and sober these days. xoxo.

Favorite tracks: Goodnight Rose; Two; Tears Of Gold; Pearls On A String

Voxtrot - Voxtrot:
Poor Voxtrot. Over the past couple of years they've released 3 EP's to some very critical acclaim. Come their first full-length, though, they've had to really take one on the chin. Personally, I don't get all the negativism about this album. I think it's amazing.

Favorite tracks: Introduction; Firecracker; Easy; Every Day






White Rabbits - Fort Nightly:
My goodness, where did this band come from? I love this album, and I'm proud to say that I heard of them before I read about them on Pitchfork OR NME... yeah, that's right.

Favorite tracks: Kid On My Shoulders; Navy Wives; While We Go Dancing; Tourist Trap








And of course, some more albums that are certainly worth a listen:

Aereogramme - My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go
Au Revoir Simone - The Bird Of Music
Battles - Mirrored
Bear Colony - We Came Here To Die
Ben + Vesper - All This Could Kill You
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81
Blackstrap - Steal My Horses And Run
Blonde Redhead - 23
Cary Brothers - Who You Are
The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
The Comas - Spells
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
Dntel - Dumb Luck
Dungen - Tio Bitar
Electric Soft Parade - No Need To Be Downhearted
Elliott Smith - New Moon
Feist - The Reminder
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
Fields - Everything Last Winter
Frog Eyes - Tears Of The Valedictorian
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Get Him Eat Him - Arms Down
Grant-Lee Phillips - Strangelet
Grinderman - Grinderman
Guster - Satellite EP
Handsome Furs - Plague Park
Idlewild - Make Another World
Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom & The Ys Street Band
The Kissaway Trail - The Kissaway Trail
Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
Land Of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures
Moonbabies - Moonbabies At The Ballroom
Mouthful Of Bees - The End
Neko Case - Live At ACL
Odawas - Raven And The White Night
Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida
Palomar - All Things, Forests
Peel - Peel
Pelican - City Of Echoes
The Photo Atlas - No, Not Me, Ever
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - No More Beautiful World
The Rosebuds - Night Of The Furies
The Sea And Cake - Everybody
The Shaky Hands - The Shaky Hands
Shapes And Sizes - Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner
The Tailors - Wakey Wakey
The Teeth - You're My Lover Now
Travis - The Boy With No Name
Tupelo Honeys - Tupelo Honeys Salute You
The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters
The Veils - Nux Vomica
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Yacht - I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real

Crazy to think that some albums I love won't even make it into the top 50 for this year.

Another yay for 2007!

weird. fucking. night.

Yup. So, I found out last month that Dan Deacon was coming to Denver. I really like his new album, Spiderman Of The Rings, so I figured I'd check it out. However, even with the best of intentions, I often don't go to shows on weeknights at the Hi-Dive because they are typically late, and I have a job, for god's sake.

But, partly because I've heard nothing but good things about Dan's live show and partly because I feel guilty about missing a lot of recent shows that I should have attended, I decided to venture out tonight. Now, here is what I have learned about the Hi-Dive... normally they have 3 acts per night, generally starting at 9:00. From my experience, they never start anything before 9:30, so I have made a promise to myself never to get to the Hi-Dive before 9:30. Tonight, doors were at 7:00, show at 8:00, BUT... 4 bands, not 3. I thought to myself that typical rules should apply, so I left home just after 10:00. Boo.

The first weird thing is that about halfway to the venue I realized I forgot my phone. I forgot my FUCKING phone!!!! Never mind that I could get an important text (although Leah, my most reliable concert-going buddy, is in the Yukon at the moment) but my phone is what I use to take show notes. I felt completely naked without it.

The next weird thing was that when I got to the Hi-Dive, the guy at the door asked me if I was going to the show. Huh. Why the fuck else would I be here? I gave him my $8 and got my wristband, and upon entering I assumed that Video Hippos were on stage (they were the band before Dan).

The next, not so weird - but mildly annoying thing, was that the Hi-Dive had "THE FENCE" up. I've only had to deal with THE FENCE once, when the Spinto Band played. I don't really get it... I've been to other 16+ shows there where they didn't have THE FENCE up... When THE FENCE is up, you can't take any alcohol into the stage area, you have to stay on the bar side. It's weird. Since I was under the assumption that we were still in opening band territory, I got me a PBR and stationed myself outside THE FENCE to watch the show. What I noticed was that the stage was dark and all I could really see was a skull on a post that intermittently decided to emit some strobe lighting.

After about 5 minutes, as I was thinking how great the music was for an opening band, I realized that it was Dan Fucking Deacon playing. I missed the goddamn beginning of the show, despite the fact that I got to the Hi-Dive at 10:30. What's a girl to do? I downed my PBR and made my way into the rather BO-smelling stage area so that I could get the fuck down. I stood toward the back for a few songs, but when Dan said he only had two more I knew I had to make my move. I wormed my way up to the third row for the last two, and I gotta tell ya... I danced like I was fucking 18 years old again. And it was great. Dan played not on stage, but in front of the stage. The crowd was ideal - dancing and having fun but not obnoxious. The hour that I was actually there flew by like it was 10 minutes.

So, was it worth the 30-minute round trip drive and the $8 for the hour that I got to see Dan Deacon? Goddamn right it was. I only hope that it's not too long before Dan shows his face around here again. If you ever have him in your town, go. No shit.

Good god, what a fun fucking show.

lots of tour dates

Dinosaur Jr. - The new album, Beyond, is awesome!

05-16 San Francisco, CA - Slim's *
05-17 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *
05-18 Seattle, WA - The Showbox *
05-19 Olympia, WA - Capitol Theatre *#
05-20 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight *
05-22 Victoria, British Columbia - Sugar Nightclub *%
05-23 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom *%
05-25 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall *#
05-26 Edmonton, Alberta - Starlite Room *#
05-27 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Odeon Events Centre *#
05-28 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Garrick Centre *#
05-29 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *
05-30 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *
05-31 Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub *
06-01 Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub *
06-02 Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub *#
06-03 Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig *
06-04 Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig *
06-06 New York, NY - Irving Plaza *
06-07 New York, NY - Irving Plaza *
06-08 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre *%
06-09 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda *
06-10 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground #
06-11 Cambridge, MA - Harvard Square
06-15 Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theater
06-16 Denver, CO - Westword Music Showcase
06-17 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
06-26 London, England - Scala
06-27 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
06-28 Friborg, Switzerland - Fri-Son
06-29 Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium ^
06-30 Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof
07-01 Hamburg, Germany - AOL Arena ^
07-05 Byron Bay, Australia - Hotel Great Northern
07-06 Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli
07-07 Sydney, Australia - Metro
07-08 Sydney, Australia - Metro
07-09 Auckland, New Zealand - The Studio
07-11 Canberra, Australia - University of Canberra Union
07-12 Melbourne, Australia - The Forum
07-13 Adelaide, Australia - The Gov
07-14 Perth, Australia - The Capitol
07-20 Valencia, Spain - Ibecassim Festival
07-27 Storas, Norway - Storasfestivalen
07-28 Emmaboda, Sweden - Emmaboda Festival
08-11 Tokyo, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-12 Osaka, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-25 Reading, England - Reading Festival
08-26 Leeds, England - Leeds Festival

* with Awesome Color
# with Lou Barlow
% with Uncut
^ with Red Hot Chili Peppers



Battles - I haven't heard the new album, Mirrored, yet, but it's getting rave reviews...

05-10 Berlin, Germany - Maria
05-11 Bielefeld, Germany - JZ Kamp
05-12 Cologne, Germany - Studio 672
05-14 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso (Room 2)
05-15 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
05-16 London, England - Scala ^
05-17 Sheffield, England - The Corporation ^
05-18 Bristol, England - The Cooler
05-19 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (All Tomorrow's Parties)
05-20 Leeds, England - Stylus Uni ^@
05-22 Manchester, England - Academy 2
05-23 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC2
05-24 Birmingham, England - The Barfly
05-25 Dublin, Ireland - Temple Bar Music Centre
05-26 Paris, France - Maroquinerie
05-27 Lille, France - Le Grand Mix
05-30 Oullins, France - MJC Oullins
06-01 Rome, Italy - Dissonanze Festival
06-02 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-04 Dortmund, Germany - FZW
06-05 Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
06-13 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom
06-14 Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
06-15 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
06-16 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
06-17 Orlando, FL - The Social
06-18 Miami, FL - Studio A
06-19 Tampa, FL - Crowbar
06-20 Tallahassee, FL - The Beta Bar
06-22 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
06-23 Houston, TX - Numbers *
06-24 Austin, TX - Emo's Jr.
06-25 Denton, TX - Hailey's
06-27 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad #
06-28 Phoenix, AX - Rhythm Room
06-29 San Diego, CA - Beauty Bar
06-30 Los Angeles, CA - Troubador
07-02 San Francisco, CA - Slims
07-03 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
07-04 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
07-05 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café
07-06 Boise, ID - Neurolux
07-07 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
07-08 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
07-10 Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar
07-11 Minneapolis - Triple Rock Social Club
07-12 Iowa City, IA - The Picador
07-13 Milwaukee, WI - Stonefly Brewery
07-14 Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival) %
07-16 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
07-17 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
07-18 Boston, MA - Paradise
08-31 New York, NY - Seaport Music Festival

^ with Clark
@ with Beans
* with Sharks and Sailors
# with Marnie Stern
% with Yoko Ono, Cat Power, Clipse, Iron and Wine, Girl Talk, Grizzly Bear, Califone, the Twilight Sad, Fujiya & Miyagi, Oxford Collapse, Dan Deacon, Beach House, Professor Murder, Ken Vandermark's Powerhouse Sound

Bob Dylan at Red Rocks? Well, I probably won't be able to afford it. plus, My Morning Jacket is opening, and I have no desire to see them again...

6/22 Atlantic City, New Jersey - Borgata Hotel Casino
6/23 Atlantic City, New Jersey - Borgata Hotel Casino
6/24 Hershey, Pennsylvania - The Star Pavilion
6/26 Florence, Massachusetts - Pines Theatre
6/27 Uncasville, Connecticut - Mohegan Sun Casino Arena
6/29 Wantagh, New York - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
6/30 Bethel, New York - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
7/1 Essex Junction, Vermont - Champlain Valley Exposition
7/3 Quebec City, Quebec - Colisée Pepsi Arena
7/4 Montreal, Quebec - Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
7/5 Ottawa, Ontario - Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest
7/7 Orillia, Ontario - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
7/8 Orillia, Ontario - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
7/10 Interlochen, Michigan - Kresge Auditorium
7/11 Sterling Heights, Michigan - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
7/12 Toledo, Ohio - Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
7/14 Cleveland, Ohio - Plain Dealer Pavilion
7/15 Indianapolis, Indiana - White River State Park
7/16 Kansas City, Missouri - Starlight Theatre
7/19 Morrison, Colorado - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/21 Telluride, Colorado - Town Park
7/26 Costa Mesa, California - Pacific Amphitheatre
7/27 Paso Robles, California - California Mid-State Fair
7/28 Kelseyville, California - Konocti Field Amphitheatre
9/16 Austin, Texas - Zilker Park

Dan Deacon - check out his new album Spiderman Of The Rings!

05/16 : FREE SHOW 7pm at SOLAR ONE, NYC (Studio B Rain Location)
05/25 : Two Art Chicks, Greensboro, NC
05/26 : Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
05/27 : Harvest Records, Asheville, NC
05/28 : Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN
05/29 : Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
05/30 : Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA
05/31 : The Jinx, Savannah, GA
06/01 : TSI, Jacksonville, FL
06/02 : Back Booth, Orlando, FL
06/03 : TBA, Miami, FL
06/04 : New World Brewery, Tampa, FL
06/05 : Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL
06/06 : The Beta Bar, Tallahassee, FL
06/07 : Thirsty Hippo, Hattiesburg, MS
06/08 : The Green Space, New Orleans, LA
06/09 : Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA
06/10 : Mink, Houston, TX
06/12 : Emos Lounge, Austin, TX
06/13 : The Cavern, Dallas, TX
06/14 : Warehouse 21's Luna Space, Santa FE, NM
06/16 : ExPlx, Los Angeles, CA
06/17 : Che Cafe, San Diego, CA
06/18 : Pehrspace, Los Angeles, CA
06/19 : Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
06/20 : 21 Grand, Oakland, CA
06/21 : Fools Foundation, Sacramento, CA
06/22 : Holocene, Portland, OR
06/23 : TBA, Seattle, WA
06/24 : Higgins Hall, Missoula, MT
06/25 : Grouse Mountain Lodge, Whitefish, MT
06/26 : Neurolux, Boise, ID
06/27 : Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
06/28 : Hi Dive, Denver, CO
06/29 : The Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS
06/30 : Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
07/02 : Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis, MN
07/03 : Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
07/05 : The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL
07/06 : TBA, Kalamazoo, MI
07/07 : Scrummage University, Detroit, MI
07/08 : TBA, Hamilton, ON
07/09 : Sneaky Dees, Toronto, ON
07/10 : Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, ON
07/11 : La Sala Rossa, Montreal, PQ
07/12 : Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA
07/14 : Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
07/21 : Whartscpae Festival, Baltimore, MD