Favorite Songs & Albums of 2007

I just re-read my blog for 2006 music and surpringly I found myself disappointed with that year. A lot of records from then I still have in my rotation. Plus any year with Ys is automatically a great year. I remember being really excited for 2007 as the line-up seemed incredibly promising. Tons of great bands would have new albums coming out... it would be a blast. Too bad most of those releases were mediocore or just outright bad.
The new Bjork, Interpol, Wilco, Rilo Kiley, and Explosions in the Sky albums were huge disappointments. Sophmore albums by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Go! Team and Sunset Rubdown (though technically their third) didn't even come close to their previous albums. Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, and the Arcade Fire were hyped more than ever this year, and while all the albums are solid, they are far from the spectucular work they are all capable of and have previously achieved. Oh and of course that "Smashing Pumpkins" atrocity also came out this year.

However, the good albums were really really good. This year the year of the Panda for sure, with Animal Collective putting out a fantastic album, as well as Panda Bear. Of Montreal recorded their best album in years, arguably since The Gay Parade. My favorite record though is Deerhoof's "Friend Opportunity" as it marks a different approach for the band, yet at the same time has some of the best songs the band has ever recorded.

I struggled a bit to make my list, as compared to previous years I listened to far less new music. There's a lot on my plate from this year that I intent to check out, or give a more thorough listen to, with LCD Soundsystem, Low, Blonde Redhead, The Fiery Furnaces, Dirty Projectors, and the National high on that list. On the other hand, I listened to more older music than ever this year, building a pretty solid post-punk collection and discovering some amazing overlooked bands. I just like older music better. That's not what this entry is about though...here's the mix, with the songs in no order, through I tried to place them in a order where there would be no jarring transitions.

Favorite Songs of 2007 Mix

1. Panda Bear - Bros
2. Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
3. Deerhoof - The Perfect Me
4. Dinosaur Jr. - Almost Ready
5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan Said Dance
6. Arcade Fire - Intervention
7. Feist - 1234
8. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
9. Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races
10. Bright Eyes - Four Winds
11. Beirut - Elephant Gun
12. Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me
13. Radiohead - Nude
14. Dean and Britta - The Sun is Still Sunny
15. Joanna Newsom - Colleen
16. Devendra Banhart - Seahorse
17. Animal Collective - For Reverend Green

Download Link:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GW208WZL

Favorite Albums:

10. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond


9. Radiohead - In Rainbows


8. Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain


7. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings


6. Panda Bear - Person Pitch


5. M.I.A. - Kala


4. Feist - The Reminder


3. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam


2. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?


1. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity


Hooray 2008!