Saturday, December 15, 2007

bestofs

Albums I can actually place in some definitive, album of the year order

1. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
Here's how I know this is my favorite album of the year
a. Of the top 16 tracks played on my last.fm tracker, 12 are the tracks on cryptograms. and that does not count the number of vinyl plays i got.
b. I purchased both CD and vinyl versions of the release, something I almost never do. I think the last one was for Ghostface's Fishscale.
d. I can fully support sad-bastard/my-life-sucks lyrics from a frontman that has Marfan syndrome.
c. It was the best album of the year.

2. Low - Drums and Guns
The "I'm Sick to Death of Low" sticker that came with the album was quite fitting for my impression of the band. I just have never "got" Low. It sounds like a lot of the Low faithful are not too keen on this album because it doesn't "sound like Low." Sometimes change is good. That's why I still listen to Yo La Tengo and Liars. Folks, Low can't keep making albums with Mimi Parker's rhythm section and Sparhawk's plodding Open G guitar forever. Also, how is it that Dave Friedman has managed to have his hand in two of my favorite albums of the past three years that were both by bands I never cared for beforehand (the other being Sleater Kinney The Woods)?

3. Radiohead - In Rainbows
This really just highlighted how shitty Hail to the Thief actually was.

Albums that i cannot, but are all pretty worthy

liars - liars
love of diagrams - mosaic
gui boratto - chromophobia
no age - weirdo rippers
parts and labor - mapmaker
lcd soundsystem - sound of silver
a place to bury strangers - a place to bury strangers
prinzhorn dance school - prinzhorn dance school
baroness - the red album
robert wyatt - comicopera
stars of the lid - and their refinement of the decline