The new year is here, but before we plow straight into 2008, let's reflect a little bit on '07.
It's always difficult for me to come up with "best of' lists for a year because I hear so much music that it kind of starts to blur together and I feel like I'm forgetting something. I think 2007 was a good year for new music. There was a lot of interesting stuff that came out. But to be honest, there's nothing that is jumping out at me as an immediate "best of" CD for the year. With that in mind, here's some stuff that came out that you may have missed but I think you should check out:
Strata "presents the End of the World"
Eisley "Combinations"
Devin Townsend Presents "Ziltoid the Omniscient"
The Bravery "The Sun and the Moon"
Chris Cornell "Carry On"
Blackfield "II"
Porcupine Tree "Fear of a Blanket Planet" and "Nil Recurring"
Dream Theater "Systematic Chaos"
Tomahawk "Anonymous"
Radiohead "In Rainbows"
She Wants Revenge "This is Forever"
Eddie Vedder "Into the Wild"
Ulver "Shadows of the Sun"
Most Anticipated CD of 2008: Ours "Mercy"!
Best Concert of 2007: IMPORTANT NOTE: I am too closely involved with our X shows to fairly include them! Of course, I think the X-mas Bash shows and X-fest were stellar events! Also of note were the Army of Anyone and Satellite Party shows at the Varsity... Other than X-shows, I really enjoyed:
PEEPING TOM @ the House of Blues in New Orleans, April 2: Mike Patton! Dan the Automator! Butterscotch (the North America Female Beatbox champion)! Imani Coppola! The Dub Trio! Playing just about ALL of Peeping Tom's debut CD, plus some B-sides, and even a track from General Patton vs the X-ecutioners AND two Motown covers! It was a big party that night, and Mike Patton is the most entertaining live singer out there. Awesome show.
And
OURS @ The Parish, May 19: Jimmy Gnecco, lead singer of OURS, has one of the best live voices I have ever seen and blew me away at this show in front of a tiny crowd. I"m very much looking forward to their new CD in March.
Best Movie of 2007:
I'm going to go with NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN because it had me scratching my head and thinking for a long time after I saw it, which I think is a good thing. Coming in a close second, I'd say INTO THE WILD.
