Fuzzy Lion

It was very hard for me to compile a list of only 20 albums for this year’s “best of” list and there were some really strong records which didn’t make the cut. For example, Jimmy Eat World’s Chase This Light was a very solid offering, as was Elk City’s New Believers and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Some Loud Thunder. While I do like (not love) Radiohead’s In Rainbows, I do give the band a lot of props for trying to shake up the music industry with their “pay what you want” plan.

All that being said, I present to you my Top 20 Albums of 2007. As usual, if you like what you hear, buy the music and support the artists, or go see them live and buy their merch!

Fuzzy Lion’s Top 20 Albums of 2007

	20. The Snake The Cross The Crown – Cotton Teeth Best Tracks: “Gypsy Melodies” “Cake Walk” / “Behold the River”
	19. Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills Best Tracks: “Normandie” “Tonight I Have To Leave It” / “South America”
	18. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger Best Tracks: “Pearls On a String” “Two” / “Halloweenhead”
	17. Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight Best Tracks: “Silver Lining” “Under the Blacklight” / “Breakin’ Up”
	16. Minipop – A New Hope Best Tracks: “Like I Do” “Butterflies” / “Someone To Love”
	15. Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion Best Tracks: “Lollipop” “Love Today” / “Any Other World”
	14. Matt Pond PA – Last Light Best Tracks: “Sunlight” “Last Light” / “Until the East Coast Ends”
	13. Jeremy Enigk – The Missing Link Best Tracks: “Tatseo Show” “Chewing Gum” / “Oh John”
	12. Patty Grifin – Children Running Through Best Tracks: “Heavenly Day” “No Bad News” / “I’m Getting Ready”
	11. Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War Best Tracks: “Take Me to the Riot” “The Night Starts Here” / “Today Will Be Better, I Swear!”
	10. Kate Nash – Made of Bricks Best Tracks: “Birds” “Foundations” / “Pumpkin Soup”
	9. Travis – The Boy With No Name Best Tracks: “Closer” “Big Chair” / “Selfish Jean”
	8. New Pornographers – Challengers Best Tracks: “Myriad Harbour” “My Rights Versus Yours” / “Challengers”
	7. Okkervil River – The Stage Names Best Tracks: “Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe” “Savannah Smiles” / “A Girl In Port”
	6. Young Galaxy – Young Galaxy Best Tracks: “Embers” “The Sun’s Coming Up and My Plane’s Going Down” / “Outside the City”
	5. Band of Horses – Cease To Begin Best Tracks: “No One’s Gonna Love You” “Is There a Ghost” / “Ode to LRC”
	4. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible Best Tracks: “Intervention” “Black Mirror” / “Keep the Car Running”
	3. The National – Boxer Best Tracks: “Apartment Story” “Fake Empire” / “Start a War”
	2. Pela – Anytown Graffiti Best Tracks: “Song Writes Itself” “Waiting On the Stairs” / “Lost to the Lonesome”
	1. The Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist Best Tracks: “(Come On) Let’s Go” “Pomp and Circumstances” / “Zeitgeist”

Zeitgeist takes the #1 spot of the year for me not just because it’s a Smashing Pumpkins record, but because it’s the record I wanted the band to make for a long time. Corgan and Chamberlin went back to their rock roots and created an album that schools all mainstream wanna-be rockers how it’s done.

Pela and The National round out my #2 and #3 spots. Pela’s Anytown Graffiti is a work of art from start to finish. The National’s Boxer proved to everyone that the hype surrounding Alligator was no fluke and it’s possible for a band to experiment and grow without abandoning their roots.

Please feel free to post your best-of lists in the comments or links to your own blogs, as I always love to see what the readers opinions are.

I can’t tell you why I love Kate Nash. If I try to describe her to people, I usually say that she sounds like a mix of Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Regina Spektor. With the exception of Regina, whom I adore, I absolutely loathe the other two. That is why I find it very strange that I can’t stop listening to Made of Bricks!

Kate’s lyrics are what best draw the Lily Allen references to me. Her witty, sometimes potty-mouthed story-telling work for her, unlike Lily, who I feel sings and says things just for shock value. Quite a few of her songs are very heavy on the syncopated piano, which create immediate visions of Ms. Spektor dancing around in my head, while her use of throwback horns and rhythms scream Amy Winehouse. Throw in a little Mike Skinner phrasing and dialect and you’ve got yourself a Kate Nash. (It also doesn’t hurt that she’s very, very pretty in a Jenny Lewis-esque way.)

I almost feel bad describing Kate as such a conglomerate, as she’s really a breath of fresh air. I will be shocked if she doesn’t blow up in 2008 on the strength of her debut album, Made of Bricks.

Listen to “Skeleton Song”: