M.I.A.
Welcome to the second quarter of our chart, formed by a couple of long awaited returns; several minor misteps; a prolific genie; a few hip-hop “saviours”; lots of new folk and some golden ocasions to drop the words “chamber pop”.
All of that and more, after the jump.
75-RICHARD HAWLEY-Lady’s Bridge (Mute)
No alarms and no surprises, the new record by the ex-Pulp guitar player presented us with another timeless colection of romantic ballads, the kind you don’t need to be ashamed to listen to; descending from the classics, from Sinatra to Sun Records. Our favorite crooner’s voice portrayed again in his fifth work some everyday emotions from his Sheffield birthplace, showing no signs of creative exhaustion.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
74-PAPERCUTS-Can’t Go Back (Gnomonsong)
Not the best year for Devendra Banhart and his entourage. Despite the tepid reception of his latest opus, some of the artists on his label’s roaster still managed to produce more palatable fruits. That was the case of Jason Quever, collaborator in Vetiver and lead of Papercuts, whose second album connected with pop’s most classic purveyors, from The Beatles to The La’s, in a production plagued with delicate harmonies, lush orchestration and his own warm, high-pitched vocals.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
73-GHOSTFACE KILLAH-MORE FISH (DEF JAM)
2007 began with Ghostface picking the outtakes from his former masterpiece “Fishcale”, adding some recent recordings and collaborations (Amy Winehouse, Ne-Yo) to compile an irregular follow-up that captured only partially the energy and brilliant narratives of its predecessor. It finished with the release of the, as controversial as long-awaited, reunion of the Clan back to back with the new offering from his most relevant solo member, without any of them living up to the expectations.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
72-ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS-Raising Sand (Rounder)
At this point, a new Robert Plant record that is anything else than a repetition of stereotypes worn-off during five decades of career, more than a surprise is rather a miracle. And yet the miracle happened by teaming up with the always dependable bluegrass star Alison Krauss. A marriage made in heaven, their voices sounded taylor-made for each other. From country to rock and roll, at their most evocative they weren’t far away from the serene magic of bands like Low. Results were so awesome that Plant parked negotiations for a Led Zeppellin tour, to support this record live.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
71-THE GO! TEAM-Proof Of Youth (Memphis Industries)
The juvenile British bunch applied the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” principle for their sophomore album, recreating once more their impossibly cool universe of indie riffs, winks to classic hip-hop and 70’s soundtracks, retro attitude and anthemic vitality. They covered Sonic Youth and even Chuck D answered their call. On paper, a winning formula that, due to its lack of evolution, failed this time to seduce a modern audience always in search of the next big thing.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
70-SUNSET RUBDOWN-Random Spirit Lover (Jagjaguwar)
If you lived in the US and listened to “alternative radio” or read any music blog, the presence of Spencer Krug has been impossible to avoid, as he’s an important part in four different releases this year, even when his main band, Wolf Parade, is still on holidays. Sunset Rubdown, moniker used for recording solo, with which Krug unleashes an unstoppably fertile talent in the shape of multi-layered compositions; histrionic in his vocals and musically excessive, covering a wide spectrum from plain lo-fi to progressive rock with an intensity unheard since the times of Frank Zappa.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
69- BORIS WITH MICHIO KURIHARA-Rainbow (Pedal)
Japanese drone masters taking another style twist and mellowing down to join ex Damon & Naomi pal and Ghost member Kuhihara and his psychedelic guitar. A rest for their fans’ eardrums while moving around more chilled-out grounds, coming from a band unlikely to get stagnated, thanks to the whole unpredictability of their ever changing nature.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
68-VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS-Voice Of The Seven Woods (Twisted Nerve)
When the American antifolk movement reached saturation point, in other parts of the globe the genre kept growing stronger. From Manchester, Rick Tomlinson encapsulated hippy essences and mixed The Middle-East with the West; sitars with guitars, in his personal blend of acid-folk.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
67-SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO-Attack Decay Sustain Release (Wichita)
Formerly known just as Simian, their clash with Justice lifted them among London clubland’s most influential agents. Their name was enlarged, so was their reputation. Floorfillers like “Hustler” or “It’s The Beat” conquered the dancefloors all over the world, toying with electro and acid-house and defining the parameters of hip kids’ latest trend, nu-rave.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
66-FROG EYES-Tears Of The Valedictorian (Absolute Kosher)
Our favorite among the four albums with the seal of Spencer Krug released this year is the one from the band he is only a temporary member of. Casey Mercer takes the lead in this four-piece group from the British Columbia, returning after a five year hiatus with a handful of dense, spiritual and cryptic stories that culminates in the almighty “Bushels”, where Krug’s displays all his vocal grandeur.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
65-ROBERT WYATT-Comicopera (Domino)
Wyatt, surrounded by friends (Manzanera, Weller, Eno), dealt with love and war in a record with the structure of an Opera and minimal instrumentation, where jazz touches and simple arrangements prevailed. Divided in three acts, two of them easily matched the Soft Machine creator’s best work. The third of them, though, disfigured the whole by singing political songs in broken Italian and Spanish, ending with a lackluster cover of the infamous Ché Guevara tribute “Hasta Siempre Comandante”.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
64-SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS-100 Days, 100 Days (Daptone)
Alter being hired as Amy Winehouse’s tour band, The Dap-Kings came back to the studio, fronted by the superb Sharon Jones to record their most compact album to date, in which each and every track made us forget than more than half a century is gone since the golden days of soul. A revival so passionate and genuine that could stand proud next to Stax or Motown’s classic icons.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
63-PATRICK WOLF-The Magic Position (Island)
In his third effort, Patrick Wolf went through an attempt of transformation into a proper pop star, flirting with ambiguity in his image and with electropop on his singles. The rest of the album was bathed in lush orchestrations, giving a new meaning to the concept of chamber pop and collaborating with members of the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra and Marianne Faithful. At 23 the South London musician amazed the world with his ambition and the scope of his talents.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
62-OKKERVIL RIVER-The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
A reflection about the lifestyle of the rock musician is the leit motiv in the fourth album by the rising band from Austin, Texas; leading a new generation of Springsteen’s heirs alongside The Hold Steady, keen on revisiting the values of American rock’s finest tradition. Nine sad stories, full of poetry, spiked with the self-confessions of their singer Will Sheff.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
61- AKRON/FAMILY-Love Is Simple (Young God)
Lightening up the prog load of former albums to focus in their freak-folk side, the Brooklyn-based collective filled a bundle of tribal chants, warmth harmonies and congregation sing-a-longs, keeping an eye on their taste for experiment. A joyful celebration of human spirit, close to the 60’s hippy movement, that shows the band is enjoying the best of shapes.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
60-DIZZEE RASCAL-Maths & English (XL)
Dizzee tried to break the US market, adapting his grime origins to current hip-hop trends: cranking it up by moments; criticizing the faux gangsta poses; rhyming next to UGK in “Where’s the G” and teaming up with young pop stars like Lily Allen and Arctic Monkey’s Alex James to widen his commercial horizons. The results were uneven and UK purists turned their backs, but he still kept his flame alive in smashes like “Flex” or “Pussy’ole”.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
59-FUTURE OF THE LEFT-Curses (Too Pure)
Sort of an indie supergroup formed from the ashes of McLusky and Jarcrew, this trio from Cardiff kept the puzzling lyrics and noise-friendly sounds of their original bands. Fiercely intense, their debut didn’t disappoint, filled with brief energetic assaults containing as much sense of humor as hardcore punk’s typical rage. Unlike most of the artist drinking from the same sources, they avoid to appear like a mere Pixies tribute band.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
58-NO AGE-Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat)
Two kids from the LA underground skater-punk scene followed the DIY route with astonishing success. The ex-Wives built up a solid reputation for incendiary live shows and their first album collected all their former 12” output, where My Bloody Valentine, The Ramones and Jesus and Mary Chain were remembered in bite sized psycho candies. Sub pop was listening and opened its cheque book.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
57-DINOSAUR JR.-Beyond (Fat Possum)
When live shows become the healthiest side of an industry in crisis, any past glory is a valuable appeal to satisfy its growing demand for nostalgia. Reunions and comebacks multiplied everywhere to feed an infinitely expanding festival circuit. Dinosaur Jr. stood up as one of the most worthwhile. J. Mascis’ guitar restored the freshness and urgency of its “Freak scene” days, a decade after it went stale in the arms of the majors.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
56-NICOLE ATKINS-Neptune City (Columbia)
An overwhelming production needing to be amended in the studio came in the way of Atkins’ world domination, delaying the release of her debut album. She had all the other right ingredients: a classic voice to die for; a skill to pen timeless chamber pop melodies and a good band to tour with, The Sea; but somehow it finished being ignored among the pile of big releases for Christmas. We hope that 2008 brings her the second chance she surely deserves.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
55-JAY-Z-American Gangster (Def Jam)
Coming back once again from his self-imposed retirement, encouraged by Ridley Scott’s biopic of infamous gangster Frank Lucas, with whom the mogul clearly identified himself due to the alleged similarities between their lives, Jay-Z left no one unconvinced with his inspired verses, benefiting from the wealth of soul & funk from the Seventies era the movie depicted. So old skool than even got to sample early Beastie Boys. For once, his output was at the same level than his ambition.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
54-PHAROAHE MONCH-Desire (SRC)
For many the best hip-hop album of the year, Monch’s sophomore work after remaining in limbo for a decade due to the trials of his record label worked as an antidote against all evils affecting the genre. His rhymes showed a militancy and combative power unheard since long time ago. His rhythms, though, suffered from lack of uniformity, due to the use of many different producers (Alchemist, Black Milk, Himself) whose ideas were not always compatible.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
53-GUI BORATTO-Chromophobia (Kompact)
The title suggested fear of colors, but the music couldn’t be any more polychrome; a rollercoaster of different beats, tones and textures; from minimal house to anthemic techno moments like “Beautiful Life”. The Sao Paulo DJ joined the dance aristocracy via Germany with this superb debut.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
52-THURSTON MOORE-Threes Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace)
For those who grew up in fear of Thurston Moore’s experiments outside Sonic Youth, as the test to aural patience they really were, every new solo release came filled with unrest, conjuring unpleasant memories better left forgotten. That’s why when Moore released a near acoustic album with the help of neo-folk friends close to his label (Charalambides, Samara Lubelsky, Sunburnt Hand Of The Man, etc) a feeling of relief overtook us all. Having few concessions to his avant-garde noise past and writing beautiful, nearly conventional pop songs instead was the best treat Moore could possibly offer.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
51-LIARS-Liars (Mute)
Compared with their former career highlight, “Drum’s Not Dead”, the arty trio based in LA seemed positively tamed in this follow-up. Some songs recalled Beck (Horseclouds), many others jumped in the crowded Jesus & Mary Chain wagon and only a few of them stood up as the rocking kicks (Plaster Casts Of Everything) or the unclassifiable art-rock ventures (Sailing To Byzantium) the band used to be acclaimed for. Yet the album offered just enough interesting moments as for them to retain their avant-garde crown.
HYPEMACHINE MYSPACE YOUTUBE
[…] TOP 100 ALBUMS 75-51 […]
[…] 100 ALBUMS 50-26 (And rest of the Top 100). TOP 100 ALBUMS 75-51 TOP 100 ALBUMS 100-76 TOP 100 SINGLES TOP 50 COMPILATIONS & […]