Well, 2008 is here, so it’s time for me to wrap up 2007. Let’s start with the music scene:

Albums of 2007:

  1. Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
    Sure, Led Zeppelin reunited in 2007 (with what I understand was a phenomenal concert, by all accounts). But the real treat from the Zep set was Robert Plant’s first foray into American roots music with Alison Krauss. Raising Sand challenged Plant do sing in harmony with another performer – something he admits to never having done before sessions started for this album. Yet it doesn’t show in the performances: Plant and Krauss make glorious harmony with each other. Whether it’s the rockabilly “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” or the daring reworking of Page & Plant’s “Please Read The Letter,” the two utilize their strengths – Krauss’ crystaline alto and Plant’s growling tenor – to playfully interact in voice, painting sonic landscapes that are both immediate and endearing. When they tour in 2008, this is on the top of my must-see list.
  2. Challengers – The New Pornographers
    This album only recently made its way into my collection, but it immediately grabbed my attention with its playful harmonies, excellent lyrics, and peppy beats. This band knows how to shape a hook into something catchy, yet not cloying, and keeps it up for an entire album’s worth of fun.
  3. Dirt Farmer – Levon Helm
    I’m a late-comer when it comes to liking The Band. Only after Sam burned me a copy of the complete version of The Last Waltz did I really “get” the whole “Band thing.” And one of the things that I love about The Band is Levon Helm’s singing. But recent years have seen Helm battle throat cancer, which temporarily silenced his voice. But this album shows that facing death can make a person stronger: Helm is in top voice, singing songs that are mostly traditional, with a level of energy and conviction that he hasn’t displayed since the days when he performed with Danko, Hudson and Robertson.
  4. The Bird And The Bee – The Bird And The Bee
    This album’s soft release in 2006 meant that it was tough to find in stores until 2007. Yet the song “Again And Again” hooked me from the start, with Inara George’s crystalline vocals shimming in a semi-retro, semi-kitsch, stripped-down sea of grunge-lounge background. It all works remarkably well, and the album is probably the most well-worn of those on my iPod.
  5. Chrome Dreams II – Neil Young
    An album that surprised me, given that Young’s songwriting has been all over the map in recent years. But this album is a re-recording of songs written in the 1970s, where the session tapes for the original recording were shelved, then lost. And having heard some of the ROIOs of the original recordings, these are far better. Young leans toward his acoustic side, and really knocks this one out of the park. Possibly his strongest album since Harvest Moon.
  6. Magic – Bruce Springsteen
    Bruce brings back the E Street Band for another rocking album, and with great effect. While I’m not enamored of the first single, “Radio Nowhere,” which is too repetitive for my tastes, the rest of the album stands up well to repeat listening. “I’ll Work For Your Love” and “Last To Die” work well on record and in a live setting – and that’s the mark of a good Springsteen creation.
  7. Memory Almost Full – Paul McCartney
    Macca’s first release on Starbucks’ Hear Music label finds him returning to songwriting form in a way he didn’t quite pull off with Chaos And Creation In The Backyard. From the ukulele ditty of “Dance Tonight” to the acidic “House Of Wax” to the reflective “That Was Me” and “The End Of The End,” this is Macca at his most personal and open – something rarely seen over his career, and worth cherishing when he opens the door to his inside world.
  8. Long Road Out Of Eden – The Eagles
    This sounds “more like The Eagles than The Eagles,” in some respects. The two discs have very different vibes, which works well for the batch of songs that Henley, Frey, Schmidt and Walsh assembled for the band’s first new studio album in 25 years. I’m still a bit peeved that the only outlet for the CD version is Wal-Mart, but they were nice enough to offer the whole thing at a discount from their website, and in multiple formats: CD, MP3 or lossless FLAC files (which was my choice).
  9. In Rainbows – Radiohead
    I really thought I’d hate this album. After all, it was all hype with it’s “name your own price” initial release. But it also has a lot of great songwriting and subtle sounds that are quite atypical of Radiohead. Additionally, it’s about the only time that I’ve heard Thom Yorke sing consistently in tune – perhaps a side-effect of the presence of so many acoustic and quiet instruments on this album. And now that it’s out on “solid-state” media, so much the better, as the package is gorgeous and fun (a DIY jewel case kit is included, which is a nice nod to folks who prefer plastic to paper).
  10. Myths Of The Near Future – Klaxons
    The best new thing out of the UK in 2007, the song “Golden Skans” is infectious and fun. And the rest of the album is full of big riffs, fun mixes, and subtle harmonies. This may be a flash-in-the-pan band (as many of the newest British rock phase seem to be), but this album outdid many sophomore albums from “it” groups (I’m pointing the finger at you, Arctic Monkeys).

Honorable Mentions:

  • We’re About The Business – Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers
  • Neon Bible – Arcade Fire
  • New Magnetic Wonder – The Apples In Stereo
  • A Weekend In The City – Bloc Party
  • Costello Music – The Fratellis
  • Country Mouse, City House – Josh Rouse
  • Yours Truly, Angry Mob – Kaiser Chiefs
  • Boxer – The National
  • Hissing Fauna, You Are The Destroyer – Of Montreal
  • Person Pitch – Panda Bear
  • Thirteen Tales Of Love And Revenge – The Pierces
  • Hey Eugene! – Pink Martini
  • Season Of The Witch – The Strangelings
  • Living With The Living – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
  • Voices of Animals and Men – The Young Knives
  • The Light Divides – Winterpills

Reissue of the Year: Full Tree – Nick Drake

Comeback of the Year: Levon Helm.

Most Overrated Albums

For some reason, these albums had a lot of bloggers and writers atwitter, but left me cold:

  • Favourite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys
  • Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon
  • Icky Thump – The White Stripes

Notes: as with 2006, these acts just left me cold. I didn’t like the Arctic Monkeys’ first album, and this one was just as bombastic, atonal, and vapid. Spoon used to be quite good, but now? Not so much. And I still don’t get folks’ infatuation with Jack White. Sure, he did great work with Loretta Lynn, but he and his ex-wife, Meg, just don’t seem to make a great album. And Jack doesn’t know from modulating vocal ranges at all: it’s all scream, all the time. Whatever – not my thing.

Concerts:

  1. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (Verizon Center)
    Bruce was my top concert of 2006, and this year he brought the E Street Band to rock DC for two nights. I was only in attendance at the first show, but they really kept the place lively the whole night. I’m definitely a concert to the church of Bruuuuuuuuuce – he’s a must-see in a live setting.
  2. The Police (Verizon Center)
    I’d become a bit disenchanted with Sting’s solo shows, but working with Copeland and Summers has raised his game. The result is one of the most potent reunion tours in many years, one that saw The Police recapture the energy of their early days, combined with a musical maturity that is very fitting for a bunch of “older punk dudes.”.
  3. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (DAR Constitution Hall)
    Great artist, great venue, crappy audience. Many in the audience expected Adams to honor any and all requests, which irked him so much that he played the second half of the show with all the tracks segued into each other – no gaps, no room for hecklers. Adams and The Cardinals certainly know how to rock, though, and it was great to hear him life at a great venue like DAR Constitution Hall.
  4. The Who (Verizon Center)
    A new album from The Who warrants a new tour, and this one didn’t disappoint. They played a liberal smattering of tracks from Endless Wire, all of which fit in perfectly with the older Who gems. Townshend was in fine, witty form with his inter-song patter, as well.
  5. The Polyphonic Spree (9:30 Club)
    I almost missed the show, until sprite urged me to just go. And while I’d missed the opening song or two, the rest of the concert was so much fun: great showmanship, excellent sound, and a crowd that was into the whole thing.
  6. The Pipettes (The Black Cat – March 5)
    Retro kitsch from a UK trio – fun, no? They were, indeed.
  7. Smoosh (The Black Cat)
    This sister act opened for The Pipettes, and put on quite a show.