Tuesday, January 15, 2008
So Close to the Top 50 Songs of 2007
75 “Need Your Needs” Georgie James Places [Saddle Creek]
I've never liked a guitar that sounded like this, but it's just so fun that it's undeniable. Plus, pop songs that have verses, choruses, and post-choruses that are all equally infectious are a rarity. Dig that lone hand clap!
74 “Lake Michigan” Rogue Wave Asleep at Heaven's Gate [Brushfire]
A song so pretty and glossy from a band I've never found to be anything more than mediocre that it makes me question my own judgment when I sing along screaming the obviously wrong lyric "get off my 'stache!" Oh well, I cannot deny what I love.
73 “Crossing Line” The Sea and Cake Everybody [Thrill Jockey]
As the video suggests, I wish I could listen to this song blaring while laying in the bed of a truck staring up at the summer sky. Being able to follow along with Sam Prekop's slacker ramblings is just the icing on the cake. What a roaring low end!
72 “Circumstances” Magic Bullets A Child But in Life Yet a Doctor in Love [Words on Music]
This is the definition of jangle pop. That guitar sounds so much like a ray of sunshine it could burn your skin with its brightness. Warbling about commies and/or coffee with a voice that almost demands wild hand gestures to accompany it, the song as a whole is delightfully reserved and modest while still being energetic and engaging.
71 “Huntsman” Tulsa Drone Songs From a Mean Season [Dry County]
My mother got me a dulcimer for my college graduation. Weirdness aside, it's an amazing instrument and its tiny percussive melodies are woven throughout this happy droning rocker, along with a saw, a hypnotic e-bowed guitar, and steady confident drumming. The fadeout literally is the sound of drifting off to sleep.
70 “Bronson” Calla Strength in Numbers [Beggars Banquet]
I don't know if that is a marimba or a synthesizer getting busy underneath the tense acoustics of this grower of a morose pop song, but whatever it is, it digs its way into your skull along with the falsetto ooohs of the chorus. And when the song falls apart midway through, suspense and delicate left-right panning brings it all back to the death rattle of the snare drum.
68 “On & On” We All Have Hooks for Hands The Pretender [Afternoon]
It's quiet, so make sure you've got it turned up to get the full effect. Isn't it depressing when people who are younger than you kick your ass in songwriting? Yes, but it's also invigorating to hear such fervent youth encapsulated into two minutes of pure love for life, with a guitar strummed faster than the wind and an organ slammed with the fingers of a giant.
67 “I Kissed the Dirt + She Kissed Her Bobtail” Guitar Dealin With Signal and Noise [Onitor]
Forget what I said earlier about left-right panning - this is the song right here to get your fix. And who ever thought to hook up delay pedals to acoustic instruments is a bloody genius - this is the sound of riding your bike through lush green grass, falling over silently, not caring, and pulling dandelions all afternoon until your best friend shows up and you go get ice cream.
66 “Comfy in Nautica” Panda Bear Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]
It seems most people find an overt sense of warmth in Panda Bear's music, whereas I find not just that, but also a healthy serving of uneasiness and briskness. This is what makes the music so unforgettable, and this song in particular, because it's coming at you from all directions with a voice that is heavy, a beat that is ominous, and loops that overstay their welcome. Can't shake it.
65 “Alone Again” Illinois What the Hell Do I Know? [Ace Fu]
La-las, bum-bums, or ooh-ahs are a surefire way to be remembered if used correctly. With a dirty slide guitar and clean vocal melody accompanying two out of three of these nonsense syllables, this song demands an intimate listen by your lonesome, as the title implies. When it's over, you'll feel refreshed, reflective, and smiling - happy and emo can belong together.
64 “D.A.N.C.E.” Justice Cross [Downtown/Ed Banger]
Justice have proved themselves to be the only DJ duo to actually have learned something from listening to Daft Punk - dance songs can indeed be sugary as hell, make you want to bust a move, and listen carefully all at the same time. Every aspect of this song could be listened to on its own, from the Jackson 5 vocals to the soulful strings to the funky bass, and still be complete.
63 “Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun” Joy Wants Eternity You Who Pretend to Sleep [Beep Repaired]
An afternoon nap this summer made me fall in love with this song. Sun (apparently a theme in this countdown) was pouring in through my red curtains, it was humid with a breeze from the oscillating fan, and this song was playing softly from my dresser. The hi-hat that comes in halfway through practically lifted me off my bed in a spirited haze and blasted me away.
62 “Pearl” Maritime Heresy and the Hotel Choir [Flameshovel]
Davey's voice plus a dream-pop guitar duet make for an angelic listen. Listen to what that guitar does at 1:22 and hopefully your heart will burst like mine did. It continues to burst my heart multiple times throughout the song with multiple different riffs, including at 1:39 and 4:21. Add the fact that Maritime has never crafted such an epic tune and you've got quite a sprawling gem.
61 “Phantom Mountain” Laura Veirs Saltbreakers [Nonesuch]
First you've never heard a bass so confident and angry, and then all of a sudden there's that same melody, only this time played by either a cello or upright bass and you're like, "no, that's definitely more confident and angrier!" And then you get riled up, your fist pulsing along with the infrequent maracas, Laura's sexy ululations telling a tale of confusion and imminent death.
60 “Reasons to Go” Last Days These Places are Now Ruins [N5MD]
Field recordings can either detract from a song or add a necessary level of realism and naturalism to it. Obviously the sounds of cars rushing by, faint police sirens, and pages turning all contribute to the latter option here. It's four minutes that force you to slow down, close your eyes, and breathe with more attention. By the time the xylophone pops in, you should be ready.
59 “All My Heroes are Weirdos” !!! Myth Takes [Warp]
If you've never seen !!! live, then your life is not complete yet. I've probably rambled on about this in my writings on "Dear Can" and "Intensify" in years past, but this past year I officially sweat the most in a public place ever at their show here in the Minneap. This is the first time where I've latched onto one of their songs that's so in your face, but then again, I've never sweat that much either.
57 “Mirador” Efterklang Parades [Leaf]
Rock bands don't usually sound like chamber orchestras, so when they do, the average listener is awakened with both a sense of urgency and a fragile cinematic soundtrack filling the room. Woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion pound through your eardrums with a rare whirlwind candor until it all dies down and a yelping troupe of solider singers take over at 2:26 for yet another one of those screw-the-apocalypse moments.
56 “Little Victories” 65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas [Monotreme]
Every time I listen to this, the production sounds soooo wrong that it's right. Not until the synth kicks in at 0:55 does anything start making sense and even then, everything still sounds at totally the wrong volume or in the wrong speaker. It's so magnificently screwed up that every crushing electronic or dirt-laden guitar that leaves and re-enters makes a devastating impact.
55 “Prescilla” Bat for Lashes Fur and Gold [Caroline]
Like dulcimers, harpsichords don't get enough play now that Quasi has left us. With every strum on the beat of the rudimentary percussion, I get chills - and the sultry vocals don't hurt either. Especially when, like old one-hit wonder White Town's "Your Woman," the chorus is so awesomely pronoun-ambiguous - "she really loves him, Prescilla" - who loves who?!?!
54 “Developing Active People” Via Audio Say Something [Sidecho]
It's almost impossible to make a ballad this catchy without being overly sentimental. This song treads that line so well you'd think they've spent year perfecting this song...and they have! I first heard a version of this song as a shining light on an otherwise mediocre charity compilation two years ago, so when I heard this song come up again this year, complete with expertly matched vocal harmonies, bubbling synths, and slinky guitars, I nearly fainted.
53 “Son of the Son of the Kiss of Death” The Narrator All That to the Wall [Flameshovel]
Once a straight-up emo act, it's more than comforting to hear this ferocious Chicago band evolve more and more in the right direction with every record, staying angsty without being whiny. You can just imagine the eyes widening in the audience and on stage every time the vocals strain or legs jumping in the air every time the snare gets a double hit. Then those faint strings? Oh swoon!
52 “Lovely Allen” Holy Fuck LP [Young Turks]
Traditionally, a loop is a fragment of sound repeated over and over again for underlying unification of a song or part of a song. But when your band is ostentatiously named Holy Fuck, a loop is a nuclear orgasm, compacted by the world's top scientists into aural form, for use in this song. All those wires and keyboards have to be just for show - there's no way an actual human created these noises without the help of some form of divinity or science fiction.
51 “Walcott (Insane Mix #2)” Vampire Weekend Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Demos [Self-Released]
And we've officially entered the terrain of countless "impossible to not sing along to" descriptions. If you have two ears and a heart, even if you've never been to Cape Cod or had someone near to you disappear to there, you will want our mysterious protagonist Walcott to get out of Cape Cod by the end of this song. You'll also want to hear more synths that sound like they're broken paper shredders and fake drums that sound like looming cuddling monsters. ¶ posted by chris at 2:12 PM
75 “Need Your Needs” Georgie James Places [Saddle Creek]I've never liked a guitar that sounded like this, but it's just so fun that it's undeniable. Plus, pop songs that have verses, choruses, and post-choruses that are all equally infectious are a rarity. Dig that lone hand clap!
74 “Lake Michigan” Rogue Wave Asleep at Heaven's Gate [Brushfire]
A song so pretty and glossy from a band I've never found to be anything more than mediocre that it makes me question my own judgment when I sing along screaming the obviously wrong lyric "get off my 'stache!" Oh well, I cannot deny what I love.
73 “Crossing Line” The Sea and Cake Everybody [Thrill Jockey]
As the video suggests, I wish I could listen to this song blaring while laying in the bed of a truck staring up at the summer sky. Being able to follow along with Sam Prekop's slacker ramblings is just the icing on the cake. What a roaring low end!
72 “Circumstances” Magic Bullets A Child But in Life Yet a Doctor in Love [Words on Music]
This is the definition of jangle pop. That guitar sounds so much like a ray of sunshine it could burn your skin with its brightness. Warbling about commies and/or coffee with a voice that almost demands wild hand gestures to accompany it, the song as a whole is delightfully reserved and modest while still being energetic and engaging.
71 “Huntsman” Tulsa Drone Songs From a Mean Season [Dry County]
My mother got me a dulcimer for my college graduation. Weirdness aside, it's an amazing instrument and its tiny percussive melodies are woven throughout this happy droning rocker, along with a saw, a hypnotic e-bowed guitar, and steady confident drumming. The fadeout literally is the sound of drifting off to sleep.
70 “Bronson” Calla Strength in Numbers [Beggars Banquet]
I don't know if that is a marimba or a synthesizer getting busy underneath the tense acoustics of this grower of a morose pop song, but whatever it is, it digs its way into your skull along with the falsetto ooohs of the chorus. And when the song falls apart midway through, suspense and delicate left-right panning brings it all back to the death rattle of the snare drum.
69 “Accident & Emergency” Patrick Wolf The Magic Position [Polydor]
I see this as a turning point in the list. Here's where the songs change from simply "great" to "mind blowing" and these 19 songs are what convinced me to go all the way to 100 this year. So many bells and whistles going on in this song that it never gets tired: whooshes and high-pitched sequencing and blasting horns are all cherries on top of cherries on top of Wolf's whipped cream.
I see this as a turning point in the list. Here's where the songs change from simply "great" to "mind blowing" and these 19 songs are what convinced me to go all the way to 100 this year. So many bells and whistles going on in this song that it never gets tired: whooshes and high-pitched sequencing and blasting horns are all cherries on top of cherries on top of Wolf's whipped cream.
68 “On & On” We All Have Hooks for Hands The Pretender [Afternoon]
It's quiet, so make sure you've got it turned up to get the full effect. Isn't it depressing when people who are younger than you kick your ass in songwriting? Yes, but it's also invigorating to hear such fervent youth encapsulated into two minutes of pure love for life, with a guitar strummed faster than the wind and an organ slammed with the fingers of a giant.
67 “I Kissed the Dirt + She Kissed Her Bobtail” Guitar Dealin With Signal and Noise [Onitor]
Forget what I said earlier about left-right panning - this is the song right here to get your fix. And who ever thought to hook up delay pedals to acoustic instruments is a bloody genius - this is the sound of riding your bike through lush green grass, falling over silently, not caring, and pulling dandelions all afternoon until your best friend shows up and you go get ice cream.
66 “Comfy in Nautica” Panda Bear Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]
It seems most people find an overt sense of warmth in Panda Bear's music, whereas I find not just that, but also a healthy serving of uneasiness and briskness. This is what makes the music so unforgettable, and this song in particular, because it's coming at you from all directions with a voice that is heavy, a beat that is ominous, and loops that overstay their welcome. Can't shake it.
65 “Alone Again” Illinois What the Hell Do I Know? [Ace Fu]
La-las, bum-bums, or ooh-ahs are a surefire way to be remembered if used correctly. With a dirty slide guitar and clean vocal melody accompanying two out of three of these nonsense syllables, this song demands an intimate listen by your lonesome, as the title implies. When it's over, you'll feel refreshed, reflective, and smiling - happy and emo can belong together.
64 “D.A.N.C.E.” Justice Cross [Downtown/Ed Banger]Justice have proved themselves to be the only DJ duo to actually have learned something from listening to Daft Punk - dance songs can indeed be sugary as hell, make you want to bust a move, and listen carefully all at the same time. Every aspect of this song could be listened to on its own, from the Jackson 5 vocals to the soulful strings to the funky bass, and still be complete.
63 “Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun” Joy Wants Eternity You Who Pretend to Sleep [Beep Repaired]
An afternoon nap this summer made me fall in love with this song. Sun (apparently a theme in this countdown) was pouring in through my red curtains, it was humid with a breeze from the oscillating fan, and this song was playing softly from my dresser. The hi-hat that comes in halfway through practically lifted me off my bed in a spirited haze and blasted me away.
62 “Pearl” Maritime Heresy and the Hotel Choir [Flameshovel]
Davey's voice plus a dream-pop guitar duet make for an angelic listen. Listen to what that guitar does at 1:22 and hopefully your heart will burst like mine did. It continues to burst my heart multiple times throughout the song with multiple different riffs, including at 1:39 and 4:21. Add the fact that Maritime has never crafted such an epic tune and you've got quite a sprawling gem.
61 “Phantom Mountain” Laura Veirs Saltbreakers [Nonesuch]
First you've never heard a bass so confident and angry, and then all of a sudden there's that same melody, only this time played by either a cello or upright bass and you're like, "no, that's definitely more confident and angrier!" And then you get riled up, your fist pulsing along with the infrequent maracas, Laura's sexy ululations telling a tale of confusion and imminent death.
60 “Reasons to Go” Last Days These Places are Now Ruins [N5MD]
Field recordings can either detract from a song or add a necessary level of realism and naturalism to it. Obviously the sounds of cars rushing by, faint police sirens, and pages turning all contribute to the latter option here. It's four minutes that force you to slow down, close your eyes, and breathe with more attention. By the time the xylophone pops in, you should be ready.
59 “All My Heroes are Weirdos” !!! Myth Takes [Warp]
If you've never seen !!! live, then your life is not complete yet. I've probably rambled on about this in my writings on "Dear Can" and "Intensify" in years past, but this past year I officially sweat the most in a public place ever at their show here in the Minneap. This is the first time where I've latched onto one of their songs that's so in your face, but then again, I've never sweat that much either.
58 “Monster” You Say Party! We Say Die! Lose All Time [Paper Bag]
A choral arrangement is not the same thing as all the band members singing the same lyrics in unison. YSP!WSD! know that. Not only do the slightly off-kilter mountains of gorgeous female vocals act as the song's high point, but when they sing about tearing out the strings connected to our hearts, it's one of those moments in song where the world crash down and as long as my headphones were still on, I wouldn't care.
A choral arrangement is not the same thing as all the band members singing the same lyrics in unison. YSP!WSD! know that. Not only do the slightly off-kilter mountains of gorgeous female vocals act as the song's high point, but when they sing about tearing out the strings connected to our hearts, it's one of those moments in song where the world crash down and as long as my headphones were still on, I wouldn't care.
57 “Mirador” Efterklang Parades [Leaf]
Rock bands don't usually sound like chamber orchestras, so when they do, the average listener is awakened with both a sense of urgency and a fragile cinematic soundtrack filling the room. Woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion pound through your eardrums with a rare whirlwind candor until it all dies down and a yelping troupe of solider singers take over at 2:26 for yet another one of those screw-the-apocalypse moments.
56 “Little Victories” 65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas [Monotreme]
Every time I listen to this, the production sounds soooo wrong that it's right. Not until the synth kicks in at 0:55 does anything start making sense and even then, everything still sounds at totally the wrong volume or in the wrong speaker. It's so magnificently screwed up that every crushing electronic or dirt-laden guitar that leaves and re-enters makes a devastating impact.
55 “Prescilla” Bat for Lashes Fur and Gold [Caroline]
Like dulcimers, harpsichords don't get enough play now that Quasi has left us. With every strum on the beat of the rudimentary percussion, I get chills - and the sultry vocals don't hurt either. Especially when, like old one-hit wonder White Town's "Your Woman," the chorus is so awesomely pronoun-ambiguous - "she really loves him, Prescilla" - who loves who?!?!
54 “Developing Active People” Via Audio Say Something [Sidecho]
It's almost impossible to make a ballad this catchy without being overly sentimental. This song treads that line so well you'd think they've spent year perfecting this song...and they have! I first heard a version of this song as a shining light on an otherwise mediocre charity compilation two years ago, so when I heard this song come up again this year, complete with expertly matched vocal harmonies, bubbling synths, and slinky guitars, I nearly fainted.
53 “Son of the Son of the Kiss of Death” The Narrator All That to the Wall [Flameshovel]Once a straight-up emo act, it's more than comforting to hear this ferocious Chicago band evolve more and more in the right direction with every record, staying angsty without being whiny. You can just imagine the eyes widening in the audience and on stage every time the vocals strain or legs jumping in the air every time the snare gets a double hit. Then those faint strings? Oh swoon!
52 “Lovely Allen” Holy Fuck LP [Young Turks]
Traditionally, a loop is a fragment of sound repeated over and over again for underlying unification of a song or part of a song. But when your band is ostentatiously named Holy Fuck, a loop is a nuclear orgasm, compacted by the world's top scientists into aural form, for use in this song. All those wires and keyboards have to be just for show - there's no way an actual human created these noises without the help of some form of divinity or science fiction.
51 “Walcott (Insane Mix #2)” Vampire Weekend Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Demos [Self-Released]
And we've officially entered the terrain of countless "impossible to not sing along to" descriptions. If you have two ears and a heart, even if you've never been to Cape Cod or had someone near to you disappear to there, you will want our mysterious protagonist Walcott to get out of Cape Cod by the end of this song. You'll also want to hear more synths that sound like they're broken paper shredders and fake drums that sound like looming cuddling monsters. ¶ posted by chris at 2:12 PM
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Oooh...Joe, Mike, Dan and I were like 10 feet away from the person who took that !!! video at Lolla!
Also, I have really had to knock that Dappled Cities song down a notch since viewing that video. Ayiyi...
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Also, I have really had to knock that Dappled Cities song down a notch since viewing that video. Ayiyi...
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