Mix Tape
For those who know me, my list should come as no surprise. My love for Canadian artists is clear -- Arcade Fire in particular with the heartbursting Springsteen-esque "Keep the Car Running" and Spencer Krug crooning away on "Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days". While I didn't enjoy Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover as much as last year's effort, it was still noteworthy. And Polaris nominees The Besnard Lakes with their epic "Disaster" - most prefer "Devastation", but not me.
Leslie Feist has truly come into her own with The Reminder. A casual glance at Amazon.com reveals the best-selling MP3 of the year was "1234". Could that be because it's an excellent song? Methinks that's the case.
The Welsh band Los Campesinos! blindsided me with Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, and while I eagerly await their early 2008 LP release, I'm satisfied with the dancey, but at the same time lyrically fulfilling, "You! Me! Dancing!" Patrick Wolf's eponymous "The Magic Position" -- if this tune doesn't make you feel good, then I don't know what else will.
Radiohead have come back with a vengeance, and a new marketing technique that set the music world ablaze. I picked "House of Cards" for my list, but the album is so solid that any track would suffice.
Traditionally, I don't like noise rock, but 2007 offered some excellent material from Noal Lennox (aka Panda Bear) and his bigger project, Animal Collective. I've been converted. Where can I go from here?
Oh, and I couldn't resist the temptation to put a track from Guitar Hero III on here -- yes, "3s and 7s" by Queens of the Stone Age. Not only does it have the best guitar riff of the year - it's hellafun to play.
- by Kyle Rea