Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Checking it twice

The end of the year is for what, if not compiling lists? Best this, most that, top 10, 50, 100... I understand the inclination to look back, but I wouldn't presume to declare prescriptively the best songs of the year. Rather, I have scrolled through all the music I've heard this year (that was released this year) and pulled out the tracks that resonated most strongly for me. There was no goal number in mind; I think there are 67 here, and that's as good a number as any.

Here, then, is my self-portrait in music for 2007; draw all the ethnographic conclusions you like. I hope you heard your share of great music this year that entertained you, moved you, maybe even changed your life.


Alarmists - 'Light a smoke'
Amerie - 'Take control'
Architecture In Helsinki - 'Heart it races (Trizzy's rusty tin can mix)'
Annie Barker - 'Kissed me'
Battant - 'Kevin (1989)'
Black Kites - 'Paper heart' [12/29 now with proper link; sorry Marcel!]
Blind Terry - 'The subtle art of how to break a heart'
Bloc Party - 'Sunday'
Blonde Redhead - 'Silently'
Brunettes - 'Her hairagami set'
Chungking - 'Stay up forever'
Cinematics - 'Keep forgetting'
Club 8 - 'Heaven'
Coco B's - 'Modern lover'
Cut Copy - 'Hearts on fire'
Devo - 'Watch us work it'
Division Kent - 'Pat the PanAm pilot'
Escort - 'All through the night'
Ex-Boyfriends - 'Situation'
Feeling - 'Love it when you call'
Feist - 'My moon my man'
Foals - 'Big big love'
Franz Ferdinand - 'All my friends'
Dave Gahan - 'Kingdom'
GoodBooks - 'Passchendaele'
Good Charlotte - 'Dance floor anthem'
Petra Haden - 'Don't stop believin''
Deborah Harry - 'Two times blue'
High Violets - 'Chinese letter (Ulrich Schnauss mix)'
Horrors - 'She is the new thing'
Imperial Teen - 'Shim sham'
Joel Plaskett Emergency - 'Fashionable people'
Killers - 'Shadowplay'
Avril Lavigne - 'Girlfriend'
Les Savy Fav - 'Patty Lee'
Pop Levi - 'Sugar assault me now'
Lykke Li - 'Little bit'
Lodger - 'My advice is on loan'
Lucky Soul - 'The great unwanted'
Ida Maria - 'Oh my god'
Metric - 'On the sly'
Mika - 'Relax (take it easy)'
Kylie Minogue - '2 hearts'
Moths - 'Wild birds'
Roisin Murphy - 'Overpowered (Loose Cannons remix)'
National - 'Mistaken for strangers'
New Young Pony Club - 'F.A.N.'
Nine Inch Nails - 'The beginning of the end'
Of Montreal - 'A sentence of sorts in Konsgvinger'
Raveonettes - 'Aly walk with me'
Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse - 'Valerie'
Mark Ronson feat Daniel Merriweather - 'Stop me'
Rumble Strips - 'Girls and boys in love'
Sally Shapiro - 'Jackie Jackie (spend this winter with me)'
Shout Out Louds - 'Hard rain'
Shy Child - 'Drop the phone'
Siouxsie - 'Here comes that day'
Snowden - 'Dreams'
Spoon - 'You got yr cherry bomb'
Sunday Drivers - 'The sweetest disguise'
Tegan & Sara - 'Back in your head'
Tracey Thorn - 'It's all true'
Trembling Blue Stars - 'November starlings'
Amy Winehouse - 'Back to black'
Yoav - 'Adore adore'
Young Love - 'Discotech'
30 Seconds To Mars - 'Stronger'