2007 Favorites

Posted: December 13th, 2007 | Author: justin | Filed under: 2007, favorite, music | No Comments »

In a year that was pretty volatile, full of ups and downs, music was the one thing that was constant. For this year end whathaveyou, I picked my five favorite records, which wasn’t as difficult as I first expected. To pick 10 would be a little more challenging, but these are the standouts, the ones that have had the biggest impact and have made a lasting impression. Following my album picks, I also chose some of my other favorites from the year, like shows, artist, video, label, etc.

THE FIELD: FROM HERE WE GO SUBLIME
Kompakt
No big surprise here to see The Field topping my 2007 favorite list as I’ve made it pretty evident how much I loved this record from day one. Willner has this unique talent of taking loops, letting them dangle, extracting them to infinity, and then layering other endless repeats over what he already has, crafting a complex sound. My spring anthem, “The Little Heart Beats So Fast,” is perhaps the most dancefloor ready track on the album and centered around chopped up female grunted “uh’s” and a driving beat to boot. It feels like you’re listening to the song from the outside, like you’re standing in line waiting to get into a club and you can just barely make out the dance beats as the acidic bassline permeates out through the brick walls and punches you in the heart. Sublime is a stunning and enduring debut.

[MP3]: The Field  ”A Paw In My Face”

RADIOHEAD: IN RAINBOWS
Self-Released
Again, no big surprise to see Radiohead on my favorite list. When one of your favorite bands releases some of their best work in the last seven or so odd years you would expect it to be on a year end list. Personally speaking, In Rainbows is Radiohead’s best work since Kid A. Both discs are absolutely gorgeous. Can’t wait to see them live in 2008.

[MP3]: Radiohead  ”Nude”

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: SOUND OF SILVER
DFA
I wasn’t crazy about LCD Soundsystem’s first record, I liked it fine and all, but it wasn’t something that I continued to listen to after the initial excitement wore off. James Murphy’s sophomore effort, however, received heavy play and I caught his incredibly tight live show a handful of times throughout the year . The standout track would have to be the thumping “Someone Great,” but honestly, the whole fucking thing is brilliant.

[MP3]: LCD Soundsystem  ”Someone Great”

GUI BORATTO: CHROMOPHOBIA
Kompakt
Gui Boratto’s single “Beautiful Life” alone is enough to get this record on my favorite list, not to mention the album’s other 12 solid tracks. My fondest memories of this record (and song) is being at either Hiro or Studio B with my friends and everyone would go nuts when we heard the blissful synths and pumping beats of “Beautiful Life.” Pure exhilaration.

[MP3]: Gui Boratto  ”Beautiful Life”

A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW: SCRIBBLE MURAL COMIC JOURNAL
ntnf
This record is forever going to remind me of looking for a place to live in Philadelphia. Countless train trips and car rentals from New York to Philly and on most of these treks, A Sunny Day In Glasgow’s Scribble Mural Comic Journal was playing. I didn’t go back to listening to the record over the summer and fall, but as we get deeper into the winter months I see this one resurfacing for some repeated plays. Ben Daniels truly proves his mastery of layering samples and nearly hypnotizing electronic textures on this debut that suspends the listener in a world somewhere between a murky dream and real life. The album abounds with samples, swirling layers, and the ethereal vocals of Daniels sisters that swim around each another in a soup of reverb and noise. A record all shoegaze fans should own.

[MP3]: A Sunny Day In Glasgow  ”No6 Von Karman Street”

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ARTIST: THE FIELD
Duh.

SINGLE: INTERPOL “NO I IN THREESOME”
Will forever remind me of this summer, V-Fest, my friends, and Philly.

LABEL: KOMPAKT
The Field, Gui Boratto, Supermayer, Total 8, Pop Ambient 2008. Enough said.

REISSUE: LODEN, VALEEN HOPE
Originally released in 2005, I first heard about this gem this year when it was released this year on Mush.

MAGAZINE/BLOG (PRINT OR ONLINE): XLR8R
Kick ass site and badass print magazine – their covers are worth the price of the subscription alone. So well done.

SHOW: TIE: DAN DEACON @ THE MERCURY LOUNGE 5.12.07 AND DAFT PUNK @ KEYSPAN PARK 8.9.07
A FRICTION warehouse party at The Mercury Lounge and a surreal experience at Keyspan Park.

PARTY: MAKING TIME (PHILADELPHIA)
This Philly institution held at Transit and Pure celebrated its 7th year in 2007 and hosted acts like Digitalism, New Young Pony Club, Voxtrot, Simian Mobile Disco, and Boys Noize tomorrow night. Resident DJs Dave P, Mike Z, Adam Sparkles, and the Rock Tits dudes always rock my face off.

NEWS: MY BLOODY VALENTINE REUNITING
Umm, YEAH!

VIDEO: GUI BORATTO “BEAUTIFUL LIFE”
Director Cadú Datoro does an amazing job of capturing Boratto’s lyrics about seeing life and feeling love by showing a family going about their daily tasks. Check it below.

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