The begining of the tops of 2007 lists

Everyday from now until the new year, I will be doing my tops of 2007. I have not figured out what I am doing for all of them, but I know I will be finishing with the top albums of 2007 (can you guess my #1?) And tonight, I will star with the top 10 albums I first heard in 2007, but were not made in 2007.



#9: Frou Frou Details:
I just started listening to this a few weeks ago, and it is very nice. It may not stay in my rotation very long, since it has a clean sound, but a little out of my ordinary range. It is a sudo-electronica sound, but nice vocals, and very good production. It is good for background while at work.



#8: Beck The Information:
A great return for Beck, with a return to producer Nigel Goodrich (a la Radiohead fame). This apparently was written soon after Sea Change (which is a gorgeously pain-filled album) There is still the typical Beck sampling and weirdness, but some very solid song writing, and there is hardly a dud on the album.



#7: Kings of Convenience Quiet is the New Loud:
I had the second KOC album for a long time, but just got their first. The lyrics are much darker, but the smoothness of the music makes everything better. It's because of these guys that I heard about Feist.



#6: Seu Jorge The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
If you've seen the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zisso, then you know about Seu Jorge. He was an actor in the film, but his role was to play music for the crew while searching for the elusive Jaguar Shark. The songs he sings though are acoustic Portuguese adaptations of David Bowie songs. The original soundtrack had only 5 of Jorge's versions, but back in 2005, they released a full studio album. I have never been a big Bowie fan, but these versions are a great listen.



#5: Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot:
I am just beginning to work my way through the Wilco catalog. Not sure why I waited so long cause they are pretty damn good. From what I hear, this is album that put them on the map, and like the first album of their's I heard, A Ghost is Born, it takes a couple of listens to fully understand. But very well written and full songs that easily get stuck in your head craving another listen.



#4: Of Montreal Satanic Panic in the Attic:
My friend Pat got me this album (via Enron) as well as three others on this list. This is a fun album, high on creativity and uniqueness without making themselves unreachable. There is fun guitar play, and a nice smattering of samples. P.S. They are not actually from Montreal, they are from Atlanta.



#3: The Sea and Cake Oui:
This is another album from Pat/Enron. This is a group out of Chicago that writes some damn good crisp music. They guitar and vocals mix in a smooth wave, almost like a lava lamp keeping you occupied for 45 minutes, but with good music not magic florescent blobs.



#2: Danger Doom The Mouse and the Mask:
The mixing of Danger Mouse (beats) and MF Doom (MC) is a great combo. Not that I know w whole lot about hip-hop and who's hot, but these two guys know how to make music. Danger Mouse is well known for is work as one half of Gnarles Barkley, and MF Doom is famous for wearing a metal mask, and being a little off, but he has such a smooth flow and it melds perfectly with Mouse's beats.



#1: k-os Exit AND Joyful Rebellion:
Yes, this is two albums, but I couldn't choose between them which was better, so they get to share top honors. These are the first two albums by one of my new favorites. It is great to hear the growth he made of the beginning of his career, and how he has transitioned to a little more R&B sound, his roots will always be in hip-hop. There is more a a Reggae feel to some of the songs, reflecting handful of years he grew up in Jamaica, but his rock influence strong. Exit a more brash lyrically, and shows his youthful arrogance as he brags about himself from time to time. But he doesn't stay there very long. Neutroniks is a tight song, with samples and a fairly repetitive beat, but it's one of those songs you can't not dance to. Which is followed by the album closer Superstar Pt Zero, which sets the stage for what is to come.



Joyful Rebellion starts with a weird song Emcee Murdah, which slow and talks about the risks of being a hip-hop MC. Track 4 Crabbukit is a killer must listen. He uses more samples on this album, but still it is predominantly a live instrument creation.


So there is my Top 10 albums I first heard in 2007, but we not made in 2007. Check back tomorrow for the next list.