faves of ‘07

so what if there are several ipod or zune commerical-type songs on this list? i’ve always liked stuff that tugs at the heart strings a bit and this year that happens to be in vogue. or maybe i’ve gotten old and lame? check some songs and tell me what you think.

25. rogue wave “lake michigan”
the clapping makes it pretty irresistible. get the asleep at heaven’s gate lp .
24. the clientele “somebody changed”
more elegant pop from this trio. they’re so reliable! get the god save the clientele lp .
23. the shins “sleeping lessons”
great lyrics. “collect your novel petals for the stem”. get the wincing the night away lp .
22. spoon “you got yr. cherry bomb”
like a motown song with rock vocals. get the ga ga ga ga ga lp .
21. cool kids “88″
these dudes have a smart formula. keep the beats simple and just let their humor and style shine.
20. jens lekman “and i remember every kiss”
so damn romantic! over huge horns he sings, “i swear i’ll never kiss anyone/ who doesn’t burn me like the sun”. get the night falls over kortedala lp .
19. feist “past in present”
the rare song where the chorus is less raucous than the verse. the chorus is more of a breakdown that builds. kinda gives me chills. get the reminder lp .
18. percee p feat. madlib “legendary lyricist”
madlib has probably made beats for 1000 tracks. this is one of my faves. get the perserverence lp .
17. mirage “lake of dreams (demo)”
goes seamlessly from triumphant and happy to mysterious. a great synthy disco track. you can get the italians do it better comp feat. mirage .
16. julie doiron “yer kids”
has my fave guitar solo from recent memory. so beautiful. get the woke myself up lp .
15. roman ruins “100 million reasons why”
this track from our pal roman ruins builds from an orchestral piece into an ultra-inspirational rock anthem. you can get roman ruins music at .
14. sleeping states “september, maybe”
solid, pretty indie rock. love it. get the there the open spaces lp .
13. baby panda “sods on sods”
the singing is so nice on this one. paul from . get a copy of his enforcer lp .
12. john maus “do your best”
a beautiful, plodding, ethereal jam. “someone’s alone in the city tonight”. you may at some point be able to buy his love is real lp .
11. andrew bird “plasticities”
skillful and intricate, but sounds natural and effortless. get the armchair apocrypha lp .
10. dan rossen of grizzly bear “deep blue sea”
just guitar and voice is more than enough on this folk standard. get bomarr’s grizzly bear remix .
9. richard hawley “lady’s bridge”
delicate crooning that sounds like it could be from the 50’s. get the lady’s bridge lp .
8. lavender diamond “open your heart”
probably the best melody on this list. almost no lyrics. i want to hear it again and again. get the imagine our love lp .
7. first novels “weaverville”
acoustic guitar sorcery. pretty darn perfect.
6. thurston moore “fri/emd”
straightup acoustic guitar pop, straightup lyrical nonsense. “decode the sizzle softly/prehistoric love electric catacomb”. get the trees outside the academy lp .
5. thee more shallows “oh yes, another mother”
great drumming and the genius idea to not add bass until the big finish. get the book of bad breaks lp .
4. shocking pinks “this aching deal”
i’m complete sucker for an emotive danceable rock song. get the shocking pinks lp .
3. animal collective “fireworks”
i finally “get” this band. kinda. amazing rock vox and mysterious instrumentation. get the strawberry jam lp .
2. st. vincent “marry me”
stunning piano-based song about a fickle yet needy lover and the fool she’s after. the song is as sickly seductive as its narrator. the lyrics seem to say “let’s fall in love for a few weeks, i promise it won’t hurt that much”. get the marry me lp .
1. lcd soundsystem “someone great”
dance and cry with this classic. “the coffee isn’t even bitter… because what’s the difference?” get the sound of silver lp .

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