Paste Magazine's Top 100 CDs of 2007

[Sydneyfan]

I'll just post the top 50, see the link for the rest.

Thoughts?


1. The National - Boxer
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Feist - The Reminder
6. M.I.A. - Kala
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
8. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
9. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
10. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows
12. Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
13. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
14. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
15. Kanye West - Graduation
16. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
17. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
18. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
19. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
20. Blonde Redhead - 23
21. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
22. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
23. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
24. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
25. Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
26. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
27. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell
28. Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark
29. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
30. Björk - Volta
31. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
32. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
33. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
34. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
36. Joe Henry - Civilians
37. Eleni Mandell - The Miracle Of Five
38. Olof Arnalds - Vid Og Vid
39. The Perishers - Victorious
40. Damien Dempsey - To Hell Or Barbados
41. Brandi Carlile - The Story
42. Lifesavas - Gutterfly
43. The Everybodyfields - Nothing Is Okay
44. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
46. Justice - †
47. Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart
48. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
49. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind
50. Battles - Mirrored

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/5893/review/music/signs_of_life_2007_best_music?page=2

[SkortBrun]

Pretty good list. Glad to see Wilco in the top 10. Kanye West in the top 20, however :downyours

[Rob]

Wilco, Modest Mouse and RA should be in the 40-50 range.

[Sydneyfan]

I was very disappointed with Icky Thump and I'm normally a fan of the Stripes. Neon Bible didn't do much for me either, although admittedly I'm not that big on Arcade Fire in the first place.

Good calls on the Boss, Patty Griffin and The Avett Brothers. Ritter should have been much higher imo, and certainly well ahead of Ryan.

[Rob]

Neon Bible would be in the 10-20 range for me.

[SkortBrun]

Am I the only person who thought Neon Bible was way better than Funeral?

[Rob]

Am I the only person who thought Neon Bible was way better than Funeral?
From every opinion I've read, yes.

[FrigidRoses]

What is Kanye even doing on this list? :rolleyes

The White Stripes don't deserve to be in the top 10, while the Avett Brothers do.

St. Vincent deserves a better spot than 67.

[FrigidRoses]

Wilco, Modest Mouse and RA should be in the 40-50 range.

What does your top 10 look like Rob?

[Rob]

I think top 20 is a good place for the Kanye disc.

I think Layne would agree :upyours

[Rob]

What does your top 10 look like Rob?
I have yet to write one out yet. I may soon.

Top 3...no order:

In Rainbows
Boxer
Hissing Fauna

[FrigidRoses]

NO KINGS OF LEON? :downyours

[Sydneyfan]

I have just made a ********** must-read*********** thread about Top 10 lists for 2007.

[blueone]

I own 8 of the top 50, and I only really like 4 of the 8. :lol

[Rob]

I got 24 of the top 50....not too bad :\

[blueone]

I got 24 of the top 50....not too bad :\

:eek:

[blueone]

Neil Young should be in that list.

[FrigidRoses]

Neil Young should be in that list.

Forgot about that one. That's a bigger shaft than Kings Of Leon.

What about the live Bruce? That was 07' correct?

[blueone]

Yep.

Paste, you fucking suck.

[blueone]

Jason Isbell, that's another one they've missed.

[FrigidRoses]

Jason Isbell, that's another one they've missed.

:upyours

[raisemyglass]

IMO the list pretty much blows.

No Jason Isbell, Neil Young, Patrick Park, Elliott Smith.

And Ritter should be much higher.

[SkortBrun]

I've gotta give the new Neil some more listens. I love him, but so far I'm not digging the new album.

[foggy]

IMO the list pretty much blows.



I don't think much of it either.

[FrigidRoses]

No Rilo Kiley either.

[blueone]

Good point.

[hildegoat]

S, I agree that Neon Bible is better than Funeral. And sorry Jenny, but Under The Blacklight was correctly left out of the top 100. :downyours

[FrigidRoses]

99 Records better than Under The Blacklight? You smoke crack. :D

[blueone]

Neon Bible better than Funeral? :wtf

That ain't just crack he's smoking. :P

[hildegoat]

Okay, maybe not left off. I'll put it in the 90s. :P

[sipowicz]

Ok:

15. Kanye West - Graduation
24. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through

These way too high up, the Kanye is boring, and I really don't like Patty album at all.

And:

31. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

Is is the best album of 2007, hands down. Should be much much higher.

[Tim Simmons]

Good call on putting Kanye up there and leaving Rilo Kiley off.

St. Vincent deserves better. Ryan deserves worse (actually he shouldn't be in the 100 in my opinion).

[Tim Simmons]

Otherwise, decent list. While I don't agree with placements, I'd say those were the best albums of the year.


Except Bon Iver should be on there.

[Starlite]

I don't think Neon Bible should be at # 2. It should be much lower.

[Quincy]

75. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara

Nice to see them get a mention

[lukin]

Tegan and Sara should be on it.

On the Neon Bible thing, I really like it, but I don't think it's quite as good as Funeral, that album is near perfection. Trying to beat it would be like trying to beat the All Blacks.

What? Oh.

[Starlite]

Trying to beat it would be like trying to beat the All Blacks.

What? Oh.
:lol

[Faded Rose]

For me Neon Bible is better than Funeral so there are one or two of us who agree on that. However I think I'm the only one on here who thinks Historical Conquests is pretty poor and doesn't deserve a high ranking. It doesn't make my top ten and I really like Josh Ritter.

[ewok.online]

Is anyone else seeing the poll on the left side of that Paste page?

"What Modern artist best carries the torch of Bruce Springsteen?"

...Ryan is winning. :wtf

[raisemyglass]

Is anyone else seeing the poll on the left side of that Paste page?

"What Modern artist best carries the torch of Bruce Springsteen?"

...Ryan is winning. :wtf

I would say Ritter is more in the mold of Springsteen than Ryan, but it is nice to see the man getting some respect anyways.

[ewok.online]

My money's on Craig Finn. :upyours

[Layne]

I totally agree with the list, I mean I don't think the artist that I love should be higher up there because I love them, you've got to look at things in a diffrent way, I mean Neon Bible is no Funeral, but its a good solid album worth listening to

with Kanye, he's lyrically talented and beats are crazy... I don't understand how you could think he's boring

Ryan Adams does need to be lower on the list, prolly in the 40's, I don't think his album was solid enough for me to enjoy the whole album


but since uhh everyone is saying what artist should be there, I think Bloc Party should be there, but i'm content with the list, it does me justice


plus you gotta give it to Paste, they did a better job than Blender in my opinion

[Starlite]

However I think I'm the only one on here who thinks Historical Conquests is pretty poor and doesn't deserve a high ranking. It doesn't make my top ten and I really like Josh Ritter.
I think I agree with you about Historical Conquests. I say "think" b/c I've only listened to the album 4 or 5 times, so maybe that's not enough to form an accurate opinion. I love Josh, but this album just doesn't grab me.

[Sydneyfan]

I actually think it's probably his best album to date. Certainly his bravest and most musically diverse. Some of the songs are not immediately accessible, but everything clicks into place after a few listens. At least it did for me.

[Faded Rose]

Maybe that's my problem. I wanted it to be like the others and it wasn't and I'm not sure I've got to grips with this particular style.

[Sydneyfan]

Maybe that's my problem. I wanted it to be like the others and it wasn't and I'm not sure I've got to grips with this particular style.

Perhaps. I really liked the fact that he was willing to experiment with new styles and approaches. It would have been simple enough for him to produce another Animal Years, but he took the harder road. And while his lyrics are always great, they are sensational for this album. But still, that's just my view. Yours is equally valid.

[foggy]

I think Historical Conquests is a really good album. The Temptation of Adam is a great song, imo. There's a handful of songs I really love on it. I liked it previously, but seeing him perform it live made it gel even more for me.

[Starlite]

Maybe that's my problem. I wanted it to be like the others and it wasn't and I'm not sure I've got to grips with this particular style.
I think that's probably my problem too.

I actually think it's probably his best album to date. Certainly his bravest and most musically diverse. Some of the songs are not immediately accessible, but everything clicks into place after a few listens. At least it did for me.
:nod I'm willing to give it some more listens.

[blueone]

Is anyone else seeing the poll on the left side of that Paste page?

"What Modern artist best carries the torch of Bruce Springsteen?"

...Ryan is winning. :wtf

That's just plain wrong.

Even though I've only listened to the Hold Steady's 'Boys & Girls of America' a couple of times I'd put my money on Craig Finn too. There's moments in it that just strike me as very BTR.

[ewok.online]

The story songs and his voice are just VERY Bruce.

I'd love to see him guest sing BTR or Thunder Road with The ESB.

[sbors]

Top 100 lists just piss me off. I disagree with the placement and even inclusion of many of the top 50. Not that my opinion is correct but, honestly, neither is Paste's.

P.S. Neon Bible, to me, was possibly one of the most disappointing albums I have ever bought. I just don't get what makes it so great other than how great everyone says it's supposed to be.

[Faded Rose]

I think Historical Conquests is a really good album. The Temptation of Adam is a great song, imo. There's a handful of songs I really love on it. I liked it previously, but seeing him perform it live made it gel even more for me.

Temptation of Adam is a great song but for me it's the only one that is. Maybe I should listen to it a couple more times - perhaps in the car where I can't get away from it.

[littleamen]

Ritter, Mary Gauthier, Patty Griffin, Brandy Carlile and Okkervil River should all be above ET IMO. Honestly, I like Ryan Bingham's record better than all of them, but I realize he's not that well known.

Also, I think Band of Horses was better than Wilco's.

Thrilled to see Romantica made it on there, though. I just picket up their record last week and I love it.

[littleamen]

Jason Isbell, that's another one they've missed.

:upyours Love Sirens of the Ditch

[ewok.online]

Thrilled to see Romantica made it on there, though. I just picket up their record last week and I love it.

It's really good. Definately in my Top 10.
And seeing them on there made me smile.

[sipowicz]

:upyours Love Sirens of the Ditch

I actually hated the album at first, but now, I f'n love it. It took me like 10 listens to stop trying to hear the DBT sound...

[littleamen]

I actually hated the album at first, but now, I f'n love it. It took me like 10 listens to stop trying to hear the DBT sound...

There are a lot of the DBT songs that I really can't stand and some that I love. After I listened to Sirens, I went back and re-read the DBT liner notes. (Almost) all the songs I love are Isbell's.