In My Esteemed Opinion

1. Sunset Rubdown
"Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings"
More of a three-act tragedy than merely a song, Krug slowly builds the tension until finally peaking with an uncharacteristically crisp hair-metal guitar solo, before easing into an 80's synth-pop dance beat. Track of the year, no battle.

2. TV on the Radio
"Wolf Like Me"
The guitar riffs slowly emerge through the thick haze of feedback and distortion, the drums and vocals kick in to provide a reference point in the blinding musical surge. It seeps deep into the bones and possesses one's senses. You are the werewolf; this track is the full moon. You don't listen to this song; you survive it.

3. Midlake
"Roscoe"
Probably the only track on the list anyone will be listening to in 20 years. Inviting and warm, "Roscoe" is a soothing throwback to the age of soulful singer-songwriters. A perfect soundtrack for melancholic mountian men or cruising in your 1970 Trans Am, top down in the middle of August. (I stole that last one from a friend)

4. Man Man
"Van Helsing Boombox"
Man Man reigns in some of their unbridled, volatile energy to craft a sublime, subdued, bluesy melody. Honus Honus's distinct growl hopelessly yearns for a woman using poetic, vivid, and well-structured lyrics. Vaudeville piano melodies stumble against a lazy bass line, while a brain-dead kick drum keeps pace. The funnest drown-my-sorrow-with-malt-liquor track of the past decade.

5. The Knife
"Silent Shout"
Chilly and otherworldly, Silent Shout haunts one's senses long after the song ends.

6. Islands
"Swans (Life After Death)"
The title of my blog should give you a clue as to how much I enjoy this track. It's a joyous, optimistic ode to death and the impending apocalypse.

7. Voxtrot
"Sway"
The prettiest song of the year.

8. Final Fantasy
"This Lamb Sells Condos"
Lively keys mingle with energetic violins and tightly arranged symphonic elements to emerge with a bouncy and exhilirating, tightly wound tune. Best Lyrics: "And his massive genitals refuse to cooperate/No amount of therapy can hope to save his marriage." Runner-up: "Conjured up a fire mage/Burned off both his eyebrows and half a head of hair."

9. Margot & The Nuclear So and So's
"Quiet As A Mouse"
A foot-stomping indie classic.

10. His Name Is Alive
"C*A*T*S"
Syrupy electric beats wobble like sheets of aluminum while Andy FM's soft vocals hypnotize the listener into a sublime daze.

11. Beirut
"Mt. Wroclai (Idle Days)"
Makes you feel like you are attending an Ukranian wedding.

12. Swan Lake
"All Fires"
"...must burn a life to live."

13. Sparrow House
"When I Am Gone"
Gorilla vs Bear said it best when he wrote, "Wes Anderson, I well expect this to be prominently featured in your next film."

14. Lil' Wayne & DJ Drama
"Georgia...Bush"
Empathy infects every facet of contemporaneous society. Wars continue to rage in the Middle East, Katrina hits, and hardly a collective peep is heard from the music industry. Why aren't more musicians writing songs about these events? Baby Weezy is, and this is one fiery condemnation of the Bush administration's lackluster response to Katrina. Bravo, Lil' Wayne.

15. Tap Tap
"100,000 Thoughts"
A lo-fi, fuzzed-out, twangy little diddy with a liberal dose of handclaps.

16. Two Gallants
"Las Cruces Jail"
Dusty, country-influenced track that gallops with the force of a locomotive.

17. Cold War Kids
"Hospital Beds"
The soulful piano riff and passionate vocals may leave you covered in goosebumps.

18. Shout Out Out Out Out
"Dude You Feel Electrical"
You are electric?

19. Junior Boys
"Double Shadow"
Nothing will get your entire car doing shoddy interpretations of the robot faster than this song. A focused, centered dance track that does nothing spectacular or wildly different, but still comes across fresh and engaging.

20. Klaxons
"Gravity's Rainbow"
A mescaline-laced roller coaster of love.

21. Annuals
"Carry Around"
"I've got magic in my head/Magic up my nose/Magic coming out my fingers/Magic coming out my eyes/I've got magic coming out every-fucking-where I look."
No arguments here.

22. Peter Bjorn and John
"Amsterdam"
Maybe it just reminds me of my trip to this eccentric city.

23. I'm From Barcelona
"We're From Barcelona"
A celebratory anthem about friendship performed with an earnestness unseen since those Mentos commercials.

24. Josh Ritter
"Girl In the War"
A folksy, natural, acoustic tune reflecting on war.

25. Phoenix
"Long Distance Runner"
I couldn't totally snub these french new-wave rock sensations.

26. The Fiery Furnaces
"Teach Me Sweetheart"
It might give you a headache, but I find it brilliant.

It's a little redundant when comparing it to my best albums. As you can see, I don't listen to many singles, just albums.

I had a particularly hard time leaving off ; "Wildcat" by Ratatat, "I Have No Sister" by Oh No! Oh My!, "Louie Louie" by Teitur, and "Shakey Dog" by Ghostface Killah. Consider these understudies, or add them on and call it an even 30.

In My Humble Opinion

1. TV On the Radio
Return to Cookie Mountain
A huge, inspired album packed with a dense, trapped-in-the-eye-of-a-hurricane atmosphere.

2. Sunset Rubdown
Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Quirky in the best sense of the word, Krug and co. build enchanting melodies out of a messy and jangly amalgamation of sounds.

3. Man Man
Six Demon Bag
Oozing primal energy, Man Man are the preferred music of drunk pirates everywhere.

4. Margot And The Nuclear So and Sos
The Dust of Retreat
Impeccable songwriting and a large stable of instruments combine to create moody, evocative chamber-pop.

5. Figurines
Skeleton
Fast and furious dutchmen unleash a flurry of fantastic tracks with just enough yelp and innovation to keep it engaging.

6. Islands
Return To The Sea
Unconventionally beautiful pop.

7. His Name Is Alive
Detrola
Haunting, detached, and entirely infectious, a record for your late-night drive home.

8. Cold War Kids
Robbers and Cowards
They cut me to the core, Baxter.

9. Tap Tap
Lanzafame
They rock and flail that whiny, lo-fi, hiccupy sound that is so hot right now.

10. Girl Talk
Night Ripper
Best dance party CD, ever. (of 2006 anyway)

11. Beirut
Gulag Orkestar
Accordion-filled rock songs straight from 18th century Eastern Europe.

12. I'm From Barcelona
Let Me Introduce My Friends
Hey buddy, let's go throw a frisbee at the park and drink a juice box.

13. GhostFace Killah
Fishscale
Who would have thought Ghostface would prove the most vital and talented of the Wu-clan?

14. The Knife
Silent Shout
Spooky, hypnotic house on the rocks.

15. DJ Drama & Lil' Wayne
The Dedication 2
Can anyone resist Baby Weezy's raspy, mouth-full-of-blunt-smoke drawl? Best mixtape of 2006 also finds Weezy at his best; relaxed and funny.

16. Annuals
Be He Me
Hums, whispers and drifting hooks combine with exuberant screams and emphatic percussion to create a distinctly unique and consistently satisfying record.

17. Midlake
The Trials of Van Occupanther
70's AM rock that is warm, smooth and undeniably appealing.

18. Peter Bjorn and John
Writer's Block
Cool, understated, and entrancing pop that sets the mood for overcast winter afternoons

19. The Decemberists
The Crane Wife
Hitting their stride with this album, The Decemberists sound more assured and bold than ever; but some of thier old eccentricities are noticeably absent.

20. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Show Your Bones
Solid album that rounds off the rough edges of their previous record, resulting in a restrained and more enjoyable experience.

21. My Brightest Diamond
Bring The Workhorse
She's got some incredible pipes; simply pristine.

22. Final Fantasy
He Poos Clouds
Mini-symphonies revolving around D&D and personal torment.

23. Icy Demons
Tears Of a Clone
Sitcom soundtracks and Nintendo scores for Yetis.

24. Clipse
Hell Hath No Fury
I think these two might sell crack.

25. Herbert
Scale
Subdued and confident after-hour beats.

26. Liars
Drum's Not Dead
Whoa. Tribal drum circle, anyone?

There it is. Please, point out the glaring omisions and ridiculous inclusions.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

Everyone's favorite band was kind enough to post two new tracks off their upcoming album, Some Loud Thunder.


CYHSY- "Underwater (You and Me)"
CYHSY- "Love Song No.7"

You can also listen to another track, "Satan Said Dance," on their myspace page, and it just happens to be the first great song of 2007.
Thanks for the heads up, Nic.

I'd Never Heard of Ramona Cordova...

Until about 15 minutes ago, when I stumbled across this video over at Skatterbrain.
Ramona had me at hello, (oh lord, did I really just say that?) and after replaying the video four times, I am now officially enamored with both the whimsical video and the beautiful song, "Giver's Reply." Weekend mission: track down more Ramona Cordova. Thanks, Matt.


You can buy the album, The Boy Who Floated Freely, here.