Lost Sock: Best Albums of 2007

Damn it was an outstanding year for music. I had a hard time just picking 25 albums, hence all of the honorable mentions. What can I say, this barely covers one of the best years in music I have been alive for. I hope you all enjoy my picks. Nothing is in a particular order.

LCD Soundsystem – Sounds of Silver : No album this year felt more urgent and alive in the present than James Murphy’s sophomore effort. Forget terms like electroclash, neo punk disco, or any other genre combos that people have tried to attach to this album. If you truly love music, then you will love this, it breaks down any barriers critics try to set around it. The middle of the album peaks with two of the best songs of the year, “Someone Great” and “All My Friends.” I have to admit, throughout the whole year I have always had a copy of this album with me rather it be on my iPod, in my car, or out spinning in the clubs. A masterpiece and my pick for album of the year.

Radiohead – In Rainbows : Certainly the way Radiohead chose to release this album is groundbreaking and should make it the album of the year. In fact, this is by far the most personal and subtle album of Radiohead’s career, and one of their best. After what some may call a long trip into electronica, Radiohead focus their efforts on a perfect blend of guitars, swirling strings, and precise drumming only sparkled with digital tweeks and R&B influences centering around Thom Yorke’s beautiful voice. This is as accessible as Radiohead has been and in no means does that mean they have given something up. In Rainbows has zero weak spots, a flawless record made by a band who proves they can do anything they want to. “House of Cards” is the sexiest Radiohead song yet.

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible : Thank God this album didn’t suck. Funeral is one of those albums that will forever have a special spot in my heart. Neon Bible didn’t achieve the same effect personally, but that shouldn’t distract from the fact that this is a strong, well crafted follow-up. To see them live this year, only cements my love for them and every song upon this album. Neon Bible is about living with fear and dread in this world, with everyone looking for some spiritual answer. Unlike Funeral’s more personal inverted nature, Neon Bible looks outward to find “not much chance for survival.” “Keep the Car Running” and “No Cars Go” feel like anthems for my generation.

Feist – The Reminder : She’s the singer of our generation. I am so pleased by her growing popularity because she’s let it come to her. This album isn’t perfect, especially in its tin can production, but the songs on here feel timeless and familiar but new and fresh. Something tells me Feist will go down as a legend. “1234” is the obvious hit here thanks to the iPod commercial but “My Moon My Man” and “The Park” are equally amazing songs. The thing about this album that gets me every time I listen to it is how effortless it feels. Its as if it were recorded on the cuff without any pretensions. Feist’s greatest strength comes for her ability to let the strength of her songs stand on their own without ornately dressing them up with a large band.

Burial – Untrue : The headphone album of the year without a doubt. In fact, I would say there is no other way to experience this album. Untrue is so atmospheric, that while listening to it, it transports you to lonely back alleys of dark streets laced with fog and rain. The vocal samples scattered throughout sound like long lost lovers dying to reach you again. Dubstep has never been a music I gravitate towards but Burial has expanded so much upon the genre and created an undeniable classic. There is so much going on in this record that the only thing to do is to surrender to it and be transported someplace otherwordly.

Deerhunter – Cryptograms : I wish records where still made with the intention to be played in two different listening session, side A and side B. Deerhunter granted my wish with this ethereal, psychotic meditation on frontman Bradford Cox’s loneliness and desire to be a part of a larger whole. Side A is frightening and troubled as guitars drone and the bass thumps through a sea of reverb on the turbulent “Lake Somerset.” Side B finds more control and subtle melodies as guitar riffs become beautiful representations of hopeful desire on the standout “Hazel St.”

The Field – From Here We Go Sublime : When I hear critics and scholars talk about the transformative power of music, the ability for a song to take you to some unknown landscape in your mind, I think of this album. It’s unlikely for me to give such high praise to a techno album(is that word even used anymore) but when I listen to this album it takes me somewhere icy and cold but comforting at the same time. I used to criticize electronic music for never feeling human or rather connected to emotions. This album proves me wrong. “A Paw in My Face”

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? : Finally this band has reached its peak that I believed it could. This is their masterpiece. An album of love and loss as seen through some crazed Ziggy Stardust loving madman. Gone are the overly pop filled songs of make believe lands. In its placed are dark, self seeking therapy themed, glam tinged tunes. This band has gone from a well liked but easily written off psych-pop outfit to a worldly yet self aware group making a record intended to save themselves from going nuts and lashing out on the ones they love. “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” is easily one of the best songs of the year as it swells over 12 minutes to become an anthem of an honest need for stability. “Cato As A Pun” is also an album highlight.

Kanye West – Graduation – This is simply the best hip/hop album of the year. In fact, I think its one of the best ever. West proves to be the hardest working man in hip/hop. This album is full of unique, challenging hooks and rhymes. Blending everything from Daft Punk to Coldplay, West is making music of the future and so far this is his best album. Graduation sounds far ahead of anything else coming out against it. West seems fearless and determined to set himself apart from the rest of the pack, commenting specifically on how he is differs from the majority of other rappers. His alienation works wonders for him making him beloved by both indie kids and mainstream music lovers. “Flashing Lights” is the album’s highlight with its electro-club synths mixed with a smooth R&B chorus.

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black : The best production on any album this year. Maybe its because I am a huge Motown fan, maybe its just because Mark Ronson brings something modern to a classic sound, but I love this album. Winehouse is a true music legend in the making. The world of music needs reckless people like her that everyone is waiting to see how long it takes for her to drink herself to an early grave, its essential to rock n’ roll. None of this would matter if the music wasn’t beautiful, heartfelt, and brutally honest. Her lyrics are like windows into a troubled soul yearning for relief behind a stubborn exterior. “Rehab” is a cry for help under the guise of a rebellious chorus. Every time I listen to this I feel as though I have found some lost classic.

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga : This band’s sixth album proves them to be one of the most consistent rock bands around. However, this album feels like a new peak for them. The songs are so carefully structured yet so catchy it’s almost too easy to miss the brilliance within them. This is music that makes you tap your toes as you ponder the craft and execution. The songs here range from sparse to full blown, which has always been the bands strength, while holding a familiar yet new sound. This is Spoon’s pay off after years of crafting minimalist rock tunes.

Caribou – Andorra : A cleverly disguised tribute to the Zombies’ Odyssey and Oracle album, Andorra is soaked in 60’s psychedelia. It feels as though Dan Snaith has been working towards this album in some sort of backwards fashion. His earlier efforts are loaded with experimentation putting the melodies in the deep recesses of the songs. Here, the experiments float around more standard structured tunes. Snaith voice finally rises to the front and so do some catchy melody lines. Overall, Andorra is the full realization of music that has been toiled on over 3 albums.

M.I.A. – Kala : A true original, M.I.A.’s music is at once pop and political. Her music is worldly yet completely accessible. On Kala, she has truly embraced her strengths, that of humor and importance. Her songs are playful yet aware, catchy yet uncompromised. “Paper Plans” makes a good argument for song of the year. It’s a song of competing layers whether it be musically with a Clash sample warring with gun shots or lyrically with kids singing chillingly about cash and ammo. Kala is a remarkable, fierce soundtrack for the world.

Panda Bear – Person Pitch : A record of an overwhelming wall of sound that is so warm and glowing that comparisons to Brian Wilson are unavoidable. However the album deserves to stand on it’s own as a singular, personal, and daring new version of psychedelic pop. This is music best heard with eyes closed and the sun beating on your face. The overall analog sound to an album that must have been comprised of several loops, the album’s repetition is part of its charm, feels drenched in sunlight. Pop in this album, hit play, and listen to the new psychedelia.

Justice - + : The comparisons to Daft Punk are almost too easy and for me don’t paint the brilliance of Justice properly. Justice’s music, unlike Daft Punk’s, comes from an infusion of heavy metal, Italo disco, and good old pop super compressed to sound like its being squeezed out of an amplifier against its will. “D.A.N.C.E.” is a club track way ahead of its time while still throwing homage to the insatiable sounds of the Jackson 5. However, Justice doesn’t rely on just one catchy tune. Cross is a dance album that manages to avoid the usual slump. They keep it interesting right up to the closing moments. That may sounds easy, but electro is a finicky genre and Justice have managed to master it.

The National – The Boxer : I admit, this isn’t as strong as Alligator, their previous record, but The Boxer is full of heartbreakingly beautiful and dark moments that haunt me long after listening to them. I have melodies from this album floating in my head without having listened to the record in weeks. The staying power of many of these songs astounds me. The comparisons to Joy Division are finally starting to make sense. I often get a feeling of suffocating while listening.

Battles – Mirrored : I have never been one for projects seeped in showmanship however this is the exception. Battles features many a talented player with in it but none of that would matter to me if the music wasn’t mindblowing to match the credentials. On Mirrored, it is. “Atlas” is a stunner as a myriad of sounds cycle a thunderous drum pattern. The song has a power and energy equal to thunder and lightning. It is an album of highs. Everything is at its fullest, the cymbals crash louder than anything I have heard, the vocals pushed and pulled to their extremes. The album with the biggest balls of the year.

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala : An easily looked over artist that can be said to be a mix between Belle & Sebastian and perhaps Donovan but that would be doing an injustice to the power of Lekman’s storytelling abilities. Through the course of this album, Lekman paints funny and sweet tales of love and lesbians and the Swedish countryside. These are songs that grow more familiar and beloved to me every time I hear them without losing their comic nature. Musically, Lekman borrows from styles all over the world, mainly setting on crooning pop that allows his lyrics to be front and center. I will never forget how hard I laughed the first time I heard “A Postcard To Nina.”

Kevin Drew – Spirit If… : Kevin Drew breaks off from his collaborative super-group Broken Social Scene here but only kind of. This album still manages to sound like a BSS album if not only more acoustic driven. Found here are the dream-like atmospheres that surround tunes of love and lost. Drew sounds much more confident by himself here letting his voice take center stage for once. The result is a haunting record of desire. The scattered guests on the album only add to the multi-layered songs.

The White Stripes - Icky Thump : To be honest, I am waiting for this band to disappoint me. This record, however, reminded me of every reason I love The White Stripes: crazy, catchy riffs, weird tangents, and cute sing-a-longs. Every track on Icky Thump was another reason to keep loving Jack and Meg, especially “Rag & Bone.” Rock groups simply don’t get better than these guys. They are destined to become legends of their time.

Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare – I wasn’t all that big a fan of their first album, which is why this was such a surprise. The most satisfying rock record of the year. I put this on every time I needed something loud and rude. The Arctic Monkeys show they are more than just another band in the post-new wave rock flood of British bands. This album shows range for soft, sweet tunes, as well as rocking, critical tunes about scenesters and punks.

Beirut – The Flying Club Cup : A mood album that is at once a personal collection of self-reflective songs, by virtuoso Zach Condon, as it is a love letter to France. The music of Beirut sounds both fresh and profound while still holding a clear tie to an older form. Not for everyone’s tastes but certainly became a favorite of mine as winter closed in. This album seems to live in another time where past and present exist as one.

Menomena – Friend and Foe : A groundbreaking debut from these Portlanders, Friend and Foe finds the perfect mix of electronic sequencing and standard rock band structuring. This reminds me of Elbow’s Cast of Thousands in that it mixes the dark and sinister with the glorious and heavenly. Menomena is the band I look most forward to hearing a sophomore effort.

Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity : A consistently amazing experimental rock band that found all its right parts on their latest album. By far the band’s most focused and accessible album, Friend Opportunity is a bombastic blast of pop. Every song is a controlled venture into new territory. It’s an amazing feat for a band well into its career. Believe me, this one grows on you until you know every song inside and out.

Talib Kwali – Ear Drum – The other remarkable hip/hop album of the year that was unjustly overlooked. This should have been the album to push Talib Kwali into mainstream success. Instead, I will view this as I did Ghostface Killah’s Fishscale of last year, an unnoticed gem admidst a sea of half-assed hip/hop releases. The production on this album is insane. Several tracks defy easy description as they combine hooks from several eras and genres of music. This is a hip/hop album for music fans. Plus, why hasn’t anyone else used Norah Jones’ sultry voice to such memorable effect.


Best Album of Last Year I Found This Year
Cold War Kids- Robbers & Cowards : A collection of ragged tunes that clink and clank together like broken beer bottles. Cold War Kids produce a surprisingly rich debut here. The songs hold a reckless power to them that is cathartic to listen to. This is the kind of album that has a homegrown, pots and pans type of feel that will charm some and repulse others. I am hopeful of what is to come from Cold War Kids.


Honorable Mentions

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights

Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover

Shocking Pinks – Shocking Pinks

The Bees – Octopus

The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Woman’s Needs

Les Savy Fav- Let’s Stay Friends

Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future

White Williams – Smoke

Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

The Shins –Wincing The Night Away

Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil

Modest Mouse -We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

Digitalism – Idealism

The Go! Team – Proof of Youth

St. Vincent – Marry Me

Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline

Wu-Tang Clan – 8 Diagrams

Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

Liars - Liars

!!! - Myth Takes

Lost Sock: Music Videos of 2007

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction [EXCLU]
Uploaded by PeteRock

Lost Sock: Music Videos of 2007

"Atlas" by Battles

Radiohead - Ceremony (New Order)

Lost Sock: Music Videos of 2007

Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing!

Lost Sock: Music Videos of 2007

Escort: "All Through the Night"


Boredoms: "77Boadrum" (excerpt)


Throughout the week, I will be posting some of the best music videos of the year. These should keep everyone busy while I finish up my Best of...lists.

Lost Sock: Funny or Die.com (Continued)

Lost Sock: Funny or Die.com (Continued)

Lost Sock: Funny or Die.com (Continued)

Lost Sock: Funny or Die.com

Check out Funny or Die.com for some of the best internet based videos on the net. Judd Apatow, Will Farrel, Adam McKay, John C. Reilly and Bill Murray all lend their talents to some hysterical sketch comedy. Above is a one of my favorites. I will be posting favorite videos of mine from this site all week long.

Lost Sock: White Williams

White Williams is Joe Williams, a DIY producer whose first debut album "Smoke"is pure electro-pop bliss. Imagine Hot Chip covering T-Rex or Talking Head covering Junior Boys. His music is electronic beats accented with electric guitars and pumping bass. His tendency towards catchy grooves outweighs his occasional experimental fancies, which is a welcome change to his touring compadre Dan Deacon. Williams plays his influences out over 11 tracks that hint on Brian Eno, glam rock, and perhaps Daft Punk. At times, his songs fall into simple grooves a bit too long but overall this is a strong debut and will certainly keep my ears satisfied until the new Hot Chip album comes out. Check White Williams out at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51784914

Oh How I Love Human Tetris...Let Me Count The Ways

Lost Sock: Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle

I know very little about this band other than they are French and Emmanuelle is married to Roman Polanski. However, I want to tell how I came to find this band. A new movie by artist turned director Julian Schnabel came out last week. It is titled The Diving Bell and The Butterfly after the amazing and uplifting memoir written by Jean-Dominique Bauby. In the trailer for the film, which I must say is a great example of an effective trailer that doesn't reveal the entire story, there are three separate pieces of music used. The second one in the trailer is by Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle. I heard this 20 second sample and immediately needed to know who it was by. After a good long search I discovered this band and the song's title "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye." To describe them easily, they sound a lot like The Velvet Underground with Nico. But that isn't a fair description in that it makes their music seem like a copy. They have only one self titled album as far as I can find. The album has a good collection of songs that encapsulate the hazy, mod streets of Paris in the 60's. This is music that is cinematic and atmospheric. Check them out and listen to "Sing Sing," a great track, at: http://www.myspace.com/ultraorangeemmanuelle

Christmas Is Cool

Great photo from Sufjan Stevens!

Lost Sock: Beirut

Think of a less drunken, more Eastern orchestrated Devotchka with a knack for writing cleverly disguised pop songs and you've got Beirut. There music lives in attics and foggy empty streets lit dimly by candlelight. It is a music that transports the listener to places that feel familiar because they only exist in our heads like some picture book European adventure. Horns, accordions, violins, a soaring deep voice swirl around loose drums and rhythmic guitar. Beirut is one of the most unique bands to come out avoiding easy comparisons but somehow retaining a sense of history. The large orchestra sound of Beirut is largely due to 20 year old Zach Condon whose lyrics are youthful and playful contrasting the Balkan horn throwbacks nicely. The band has two albums and an EP, let's hope they stick it out for a long hall. The progression of a band like this will no doubt have many surprises in store. Check out their great tunes "Nantes" and "Elephant Gun" at: http://www.myspace.com/beruit

Lost Sock: "Guts" a short story by Chuck Palahniuk

First off, this is not for the faint of heart. I was reading one of the last books by cult superstar writer Chuck Palahniuk that I had not yet experienced. The book is titled Haunted and follows a group of writers who all respond to the same ad for a writer's retreat. Things go from there and get dark and twisted quick. The book has a broken structure, inserting poems and short stories into the narrative thread. Overall, the book was a bit of a disappointment for me. However, one of the short stories in the novel is simply unforgettable. The story is title "Guts." I warned you once and I will warn again, this is not for the faint of heart. But if you're feeling as though literature has lost its power to make you feel anything, such as I did when I cracked open the page and read this sick yarn, then read "Guts" and tell me it doesn't make you sick all over. The allure of words and stories had never felt more like a punch to my stomach, a choke of my neck, a blow to the head, and a painful enema. Palahniuk ends Haunted by telling readers that over the course of his book tour for the novel, 70 some people fainted while listening to him read "Guts." The story achieves what the novel suggests. It haunts you for days. Read at your own risk.
http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/books/haunted/guts.php

Lost Sock: Menomena

Portland, OR holds a special place in my heart. It's where the girl I love is from but also in the last few years, Portland has been the genesis of several great bands (The Decemberists, The Shins, The Thermals). Menomena are yet another dynamic, original band to come out of most likely the healthiest music scene in America right now. Their sound is most easily compared to the moody English sound of Elbow or Doves. However, unlike those bands, Menomena incorporate electronic sounds and loops as essential pieces of songwriting and not as frills to add layers to a song. Their album Friend and Foe shows great promise as it shifts from bombastic rockers to surreal soundscapes. It's an album full of risks and fresh sounds and is easily one of the finest indie releases of 2007.

Lost Sock: Burial

I first heard of Burial through Thom Yorke. He mentioned the artist in an article about Yorke's taste in music and the influence it had on Kid A's overall sound. The connection is obvious, especially heard on Yorke's solo album. Burial is a London based dubstep artist who keeps his identity hidden in hopes of keeping his music free of any associations to some back story or hype. Burial's music speaks on its own terms then, a rare uncompromising sound that reminds me in its intentions of those mystic Icelandic boys Sigur Ros. Untrue, his new album, lives in a personal space where beats fly over each other around gorgeous synth pads and sparse but soulful vocals. At times, the music is hard to distinguish as tempos and tones blend over each other. At times, this is a mess but its never boring, Burial's songs hit peaks of genius surrounded in earnest mistakes. The album has a feeling of decay or of teetering on the brink of collapse. Speckled throughout are pop line vocals and haunting melodies. Burial's Untrue is quickly becoming an obsession for me. Check a sample of it at http://www.myspace.com/burialuk

Lost Sock: Downtown 81

Starring the great Jean Michel Basquiat, this NY film captures the 80's art scene as it follows a day in the life of a painter trying to pay his rent. The film, on a technical level, is amateur at best. The acting and plot are barely there. However, Basquiat has a natural screen presence, full of cool wit, and is a joy to watch. Downtown 81 is best viewed as a time capsule of the art scene in New York. Great music and surprising appearances by several artists make this film worth checking out. It's a unknown gem, a snapshot of post-punk and modern art.

Lost Sock: Beach House

This Baltimore band seems to fit the fall season more than any other band I can think of right now. Their self-titled album is so easily compared to such bands as Mazzy Star yet for me remains a standout in the moody boy/girl duo genre. For 35 minutes, I am washed from head to toe in a soundscape of autumnal oranges and reds, memories float on melodies. The ultimate feeling of the album is nostalgic for a time I'm not sure I have ever known. Beach House manage to create such a distinct mood that I can't imagine listening to it any other time of the year. "Master of None" is my favorite track, both soulful and sparse.
Check Beach House out at http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic

Lost Sock: Pangea Day

The whole idea is that film can change the world. I believe this is possible and was so glad to find I am not alone in my lofty beliefs of the power of cinema. Pangea Day will be a collection of short films from around the world all with the purpose of giving viewers a window into someone else's world. Think about it, millions of people will see films about people from all over the world. Each film has the power to enlighten others about a culture and people they are unfamiliar with. It's things like this that remind me hope can exist still in this violent, ugly world.
Please check out the website: http://www.pangeaday.org/

Lost Sock: Bande à part

Ok, so I know this isn't something new but more people need to see this film. It seems to me to be one of a handful of the most influential films on modern movies. The film is Jean-Luc Goddard's ode to friends and crime. The film follows two robbers as they convince a young student to help them with their heist. This may not be Goddard's most innovative film but its certainly one of his most enjoyable. The film features a couple of my great scenes in cinema history, one where the three friends race through the Louvre in 9min and the other a impromptu dance sequence in a cafe. The characters loosely riff on cinema and pulp literature a style very common to the modern films of Kevin Smith(minus the dick and fart jokes). Quentin Tarantino is also largely influenced by Bande à part, even naming his production company after the film. This film is pure cool and is worth your time.

Random Post #1

5 stages of hearing that you might lose your job:


1) Apathy...who cares about this place or what I do

2) Anger...they can't do this to me after all I have done

3) Fear...what if I do lose this job...what will I do

4) Empowerment...I must fight for my position and show them all my worth

5) Apathy again but this time with smugness...who cares what happens...the company will fall apart without me but whatever I am over that

Lost Sock: White Rabbits

The White Rabbits are a great new band out of New York City. Their music is a blend of post-punk, tropical, and indie rock. They describe themselves as honky-tonk calypso, a description that perfectly explains what is to be found on their debut album Fort Nightly. The White Rabbits have a sound that is rarely heard in indie rock. Island percussion and a strong dose of Joy Division peppers the album making it one of the years standouts. Check out the song "While We Go Dancing" on the band's MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/whiterabbits) to hear what I am talking about.

Lost Socks Is Here

Hello Everyone!

This is Lost Socks, a blog about things that are seldom found without a little help. I will basically be highlighting some things I think are great that may have not got the attention deserved. If I recommend something, its just my opinion not a command, so don't get to upset if you don't like one of my lost socks.