# 2nd Annual Album of the Year Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019 "2007-11-19T07:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/1 "2007-11-19T07:21:05Z")
Going through my records I see I started a thread with the same premise last year, so what the hell. Here’s a thread to pimp your Album of the Year. Here are my votes: **The Fratellis** - _Costello Music_. Flathead was a justifiable hit, but I can’t get over just how solid this album is. In a world with quick hits, commercials and starbucks taking on music distribution roles, it is surprising to see an album this good from top to bottom. **Eastern Conference Champions** - _Ameritown_. The Radiohead comparisons are unavoidable and deserved, but this is still a great album, and “Hollywood…” might very well be my favorite song of the year. **Bishop Allen** - _The Broken String_. One of my favorite new bands, these guys are amazingly consistent - they almost never write a bad song. The highlight of this album is a song called “Rain.” **Animal Collective** - _Strawberry Jam_. I find earlier efforts from this band a little too out there, but so far this album is the most interesting album I have heard in recent years. Upset of the year: **Modest Mouse** released an album that DIDN’T make my top list. This band has been so consistantly amazing, they amaze me now when they don’t amaze me… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/2 "2007-11-19T14:40:47Z")
Coheed and Cambria - No World for Tomorrow. It’s sort of “Forward to the Past” in that it is a combination of mature prog-rock with some frail emo-singing of their _Second stage Turbine Blade_. It’s not produced hard-hitting enough for the subject matter, unlike _In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3_, but you can still sense the power and urgency through the singing alone. And the wrap-up section of the story is possibly the best I have ever seen in a long-form linear art form, novels and symphonies included, in the last song “On the Brink,” which contains the best Floydian guitar this side of _Comfortably Numb_. Anberlin - Cities. I’m sort of conflicted about my like for the band, because they seem to be record executive’s wet dream in that they represent a mash-up of **all** the pop-punk cliches of the past 10 years. But they do it better than most of the examplars of the other styles, for instance the medium-speed piano of **Something Corporate**. And **Godspeed** certainly is the rockingest pop-punk song of the past 5 year, which is saying a lot, even though my previous conflict is in evidence even in this song because they have exactly two “Oi! Oi!” moments in the song in which to pump ones fist exactly as if some record producer said “I think it needs to be 10% more Oi!” But what I learned most from Cities, as if I didn’t learn it already from _A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out_ by Panic!, is that as long as your emo-singing is good enough I will like your music, because even in the parts where Anberlin fails to deliver keepin-it-real-wise, or less often, content-wise, they make up for by their delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/3 "2007-11-19T20:45:18Z")
And I guess I will include an upset as well, although it and **Traffic and Weather** by Fountains of Wayne are the only other 2007 albums I bought this year: _Heresy and the Hotel Choir_ by **Maritime**. While it certainly has a couple good songs, and the rest is listenable as background music, I was expecting more of their extremely-hooky album _We, the Vehicles_, instead of what it is, which is a disappointingly only slightly-more-hooky version of their mediocre _Glass Floor_, and to make it worse there was a bunch of senseless feedback, which in places is, I’d have to admit, better than the slightly twee Glass Floor offerings. The worst thing about this album is I bought it in order to know the songs for their concert this Wednesday, and they will no doubt be playing mostly those songs rather than the ones from **We the Vehicles**. I am debating mouthing the words to Dan and Davey’s previous sound-alike work (and one of the top 5 songs ever created) “Best Looking Boys” when they play “Be Unhappy” and see if they mess up or notice I am singing another song (it’s in a SMALL club!), but I don’t want to punish them for singing one of the only good songs from that album (not to mention the dickishness even if I only mouth the words.) ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/4 "2007-11-19T21:03:12Z")
[**Bran Van 3000** -\* Rose\*](http://www.officialbranvan3000.com/) This album wasn’t worth their long exile/hiatus, but it’s still really good. **Annie Lennox** -_Songs of Mass Destruction_ She’s still got it. [**Imani Coppola** -_The Black and White Album_](http://imanicoppola.net/) This is the album that’s engrained and entwined with Summer 2007 with me. Especially the track “Keys 2 Your Ass”. [**Josh Rouse** -_Country Mouse, City House_](http://www.joshrouse.com/) This man can do no wrong. [**Tim Minchin** -](http://www.timminchin.com/media/) _So Rock_OK, I think this is technically 2006, but I didn’t discover it til '07 as it’s not readily available in the states. Hillarious and talented. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/5 "2007-11-19T21:08:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] … The worst thing about this album is I bought it in order to know the songs for their concert this Wednesday, and they will no doubt be playing mostly those songs rather than the ones from **We the Vehicles**. I am debating mouthing the words to Dan and Davey’s previous sound-alike work (and one of the top 5 songs ever created) “Best Looking Boys” when they play “Be Unhappy” and see if they mess up or notice I am singing another song (it’s in a SMALL club!), but I don’t want to punish them for singing one of the only good songs from that album (not to mention the dickishness even if I only mouth the words.) [/QUOTE] Yeah, that would be considered by many to be a colossal dick move. Just as say, going to a Make Believe show and screaming about kitty cats. They share tempo and general strong structure, but “Best Looking Boys” has an interesting bassline, nice instrumental breaks, more dramatic vocals, none of that annoying ska upstroke nonsense, and backing vocals, compared to that strange choirboy thing in “Be Unhappy.” Bishop Allen would probably break the top 50, but Charm School was a lot better. In many cases, I liked the EP versions of the songs found on Broken String way more satisfying. Live, though, they were amazing. That fucker duck walked! I’m still compelling my list, but my contenders are: Panda Bear, Good Life, Taken by Trees, Jens Lekman, Deadly Syndromes, Okkervil River, Menomena, Vampire Weekend (well, EP? I don’t know), Arboretum, Arcade Fire, Benjy Ferree, Bat for Lashes… whatever, doesn’t matter, I know a whole lot of modern bands. I’ll through Panda Bear - Person Pitch in the mix for being so different than what is out there. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/6 "2007-11-19T21:16:49Z")
Three words: **Sky Blue Sky** Now, I _loved_ Wilco’s **A Ghost is Born** and so I had absurdly high expectations for **Sky Blue Sky**. Perhaps even “impossible to meet” expectations. But that album met each and every one, and then some. It is brilliant and gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/7 "2007-11-19T21:29:40Z")
This thread gives me a little bit of faith in people’s musical tastes. I just about gave up on humanity after watching the completely dreadful AMAs last night. They’d have you think that the only people who released albums this past year were Carrie Underpants and Justin Timberlake and that Beyonce is somehow now an American legend. (insert puking emoticon here) ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/8 "2007-11-19T21:42:28Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] This thread gives me a little bit of faith in people’s musical tastes. I just about gave up on humanity after watching the completely dreadful AMAs last night. They’d have you think that the only people who released albums this past year were Carrie Underpants and Justin Timberlake and that Beyonce is somehow now an American legend. (insert puking emoticon here) [/QUOTE] [Plug Awards](http://www.plugawards.com/) (Oh, yea. It isn’t perfect, it is more of the popstars of the indie world. That’s to be expected.) ---
**Author:** ![ACC\_Expat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ACC\_Expat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ACC_Expat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/9 "2007-11-19T22:08:34Z")
I’m certainly not qualified to name an ‘Album of the Year,’ (especially as I haven’t had a lot of petty cash this year to buy a lot of the music that I’m interested in) but the album I have enjoyed most is **Random Spirit Lover** by Sunset Rubdown. However, I haven’t heard all of Aesop Rock’s newest album… ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/10 "2007-11-19T22:14:47Z")
I’ll offer Steve Earle’s _Washington Square Serenade_. Damn but I can’t get that thing out of my CD player. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/11 "2007-11-19T22:15:36Z")
I second The Fratelli’s Costello Music. Most solid album I’ve heard in a while; not a song on it that I’d skip. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/12 "2007-11-19T22:42:57Z")
[QUOTE=pepperlandgirl] Three words: **Sky Blue Sky** Now, I _loved_ Wilco’s **A Ghost is Born** and so I had absurdly high expectations for **Sky Blue Sky**. Perhaps even “impossible to meet” expectations. But that album met each and every one, and then some. It is brilliant and gorgeous. [/QUOTE] Seconded. I came here to add this album to the list. It’s truly great. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/13 "2007-11-20T02:17:38Z")
Gotta put in a good word for Nick Lowe’s “_At My Age_”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/14 "2007-11-20T02:28:29Z")
First of all, no one should be allowed to come up with a Best of the Year list until January 15th at the earliest. There is still plenty of music to be released and listened to in 2007. However, my best of the year SO FAR includes Band of Horses, The New Pornographers, Dizzee Rascal, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and the National. I’m also really digging the new Octopus Project album, but I’ve only listened all the way through once so far. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/15 "2007-11-20T03:17:30Z")
I don’t buy CDs like I used to, but some of the new albums I’ve enjoyed this year are: Bitter:Sweet - _The Mating Game_ (super-sexy, loungey trip-hop is back, and I love it!) Rilo Kiley - _Under the Blacklight_ (not their best, but still a solid effort, and they were awesome live, touring in support of it.) New Pornographers - _Challengers_ Were Amy Winehouse’s \*Back To Black \* and Lily Allen’s \*Alright, Still \* this year, or last? Because I am still enjoying the hell out of both of those. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/16 "2007-11-20T18:07:21Z")
[QUOTE=HowieReynolds] First of all, no one should be allowed to come up with a Best of the Year list until January 15th at the earliest. There is still plenty of music to be released and listened to in 2007. [/QUOTE] A fair point, which caused my favorite album of 2006 to go unmentioned so I’ll add it here: **Califone** - _Roots & Crowns_. An amazingly textured, beautiful album that is consistantly interesting and maybe my favorite album of the last 5 years. I just picked up tickets to see them open for Iron & Wine at the Paramount in Oakland, I couldn’t be more excited! ---
**Author:** ![EvoDevo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@EvoDevo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvoDevo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/17 "2007-11-20T21:15:39Z")
Radiohead - In Rainbows Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Tegan and Sara - The Con Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/18 "2007-11-20T21:31:44Z")
Jens Lekman, _Night Falls Over Kortedala_ The National, _Boxer_ Lily Allen, _Alright, Still_ (came out in the US this year, anyway) Peter Bjorn and John, _Writer’s Block_ (ditto) Okkervil River, _The Stage Names_ Iron and Wine, _The Shepherd’s Dog_ Radiohead, _In Rainbows_ This year has had a lot of great songs on OK albums. These are the ones I can think of that are really solid throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2nd-annual-album-of-the-year-thread/427019/19 "2007-11-21T17:21:32Z")
**Richard Leo Johnson & Gregg Bendian** : _Who Knew Charlie Shoe?_ Possibly even better sequel to Johnson’s fantastic _The Legend of Vernon McAlister_. Mesmerizing, low-key blend of bluegrass, psychedelia, prog-rock, free jazz, and backwoods weirdness.