Top Ten Albums of 2007

By Sadie Dingfelder, Sarah Godfrey, Aaron Leitko, Kriston Capps, Casey Rae-Hunter, David Dunlap Jr., Ben Westhoff, Steve Kiviat, Brent Burton, Alfredo Flores, Michael J. West, Joe Warminsky
Posted: December 19, 2007

In November, we asked City Paper music contributors to submit their choices for the 10 best albums of 2007. In December, they got back to us.

1. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire (Merge)
2. Kala, M.I.A. (XL/Interscope)
3. In Rainbows, Radiohead n(self-released)
4. Emotionalism, Avett Brothers (Ramseur)

Bad boys tend to make good music but the Avett Brothers bucked that trend. On Emotionalism, Scott and Seth Avett sing like boys you could bring home to Mama, sharing sentiments like, “The weight of lies will bring you down/And follow you to every town/’Cause nothing happens here, that doesn’t happen there.” But their advice sounds hard-won rather than preachy, thanks to their earnest delivery, clever turns of phrase, and straightforward alt-country arrangements.

5. Let’s Stay Friends, Les Savy Fav (Frenchkiss)
6. From the Corner to the Block, Galactic (Anti-)
7. Sky Blue Sky, Wilco (Nonesuch)
8. Situation, Buck 65 (Strange Famous)

1. Waitin’ to Inhale, Devin the Dude (Rap-a-Lot)
2. Da Drought 3, Lil’ Wayne (Young Money Entertainment)
3. The Big Doe Rehab, Ghostface Killah (Island/Def Jam)
4. Graduation, Kanye West (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
5. M.A.D.E., Scarface (Asylum)
6. Finding Forever, Common (Geffen)
7. Underground Kingz, UGK(Jive)
8. American Gangster, Jay-Z (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
9. Return of the Mac, Prodigy (Koch)
10. Eardrum, Talib Kweli (Blacksmith/Warner Bros.)

1. Reflector, Antelope(Dischord)
2. Mirrored, Battles (Warp)
3. Person Pitch, Panda Bear(Paw Tracks)
4. Kala, M.I.A. (XL/Interscope)
5. Guitars From Agadez: Music of Niger, Group Inerane (Sublime Frequencies)
6. Eddy Current Supression Ring, Eddy Current Suppression Ring (self-released)

Short on looks and costumes but long on hard, sparse garage punk, Melbourne, Australia’s Eddy Current Suppression Ring get by with a minimum of affectation and a lot of attitude—perfect if you like Pink Flag, the Saints, and songs about ice cream. The music is nothing new, but ECSR play it like they own it.

7. Hope for Men, Pissed Jeans (Sub Pop)
8. Belly, Food for Animals (Hoss)
9. God Save the Clientele, the Clientele (Merge)
10. Fabric 36, Ricardo Villalobos (Fabric)

1. Liars, Liars (Mute)
2. Mirrored, Battles (Warp)
3. The Reminder, Feist (Cherrytree/Interscope)
4. In Rainbows, Radiohead (self-released)
5. Andorra, Caribou (Merge)
6. Spiderman of the Rings, Dan Deacon (Carpark)
7. Cryptograms, Deerhunter (Kranky)
8. Underground Kingz, UGK (Jive)
9. Smoke, White Williams (Tigerbeat6)
10. Rise Above, Dirty Projectors (Dead Oceans)

1. Radiance of Shadows, Nadja (Alien8)
2. Blood Is Clean, Valet (Kranky)
3. Draw Breath, Nels Cline Singers (Cryptogramophone)
4. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, Of Montreal (Polyvinyl)
5. Mirrored, Battles (Warp)
6. Nocturnal, the Black Dahlia Murder (Metal Blade)
7. Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Rounder)
8. The Coast Explodes, Mammatus (Holy Mountain)
9. Two Hunters, Wolves in the Throne Room (Southern Lord)
10. Person Pitch, Panda Bear (Paw Tracks)

1. Wagonmaster, Porter Wagoner (Anti-)
2. Conqueror, Jesu (Hydra Head)
3. Comicopera, Robert Wyatt (Domino)
4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Miranda Lambert (Columbia)
5. The Western Lands, Gravenhurst (Warp)
6. Verklighet and Beat, Eric Malmberg (Häpna)
7. Werewolves and Lollipops, Patton Oswalt (Sub Pop)
8. Ire Works, Dillinger Escape Plan (Relapse)
9. The Flying Club Cup, Beirut (Ba Da Bing!)
10. Person Pitch, Panda Bear (Paw Tracks)

1. Graduation, Kanye West (Roc-a-Fella/ Def Jam)
2. Places, Georgie James (Saddle Creek)
3. Da Drought 3, Lil Wayne (Young Money Entertainment)
4. Cease to Begin, Band of Horses (Sub Pop)
5. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic)
6. Don’t Give Up, Serengeti & Polyphonic (Audio 8)
7. Desire, Pharoahe Monch (SRC/Universal Motown)
8. The Undisputed Truth, Brother Ali (Rhymesayers)
9. 8 Diagrams, Wu-Tang Clan (SRC/Universal Motown)
10. Fort Nightly, White Rabbits (Say Hey)

1. Rokku Mi Rokka, Youssou N’Dour (Nonesuch)
2. Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem (DFA/EMI)
3. Motel Lovers: Southern Soul From the Chitlin’ Circuit (Trikont)
4. Graduation, Kanye West (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
5. Pay Before You Pump, Denise LaSalle (Ecko)
6. Residente o Visitante, Calle 13 (Sony BMG Latin)
7. Cryptograms, Deerhunter (Kranky)
8. Segu Blue, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba (Out Here)
9. The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru (Barbes)
10. Isabela, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca (Mopiato Music)

1. Conqueror, Jesu (Hydra Head)
2. Mirrored, Battles (Warp)
3. Red Album, Baroness (Relapse)
4. Wooden Shjips, Wooden Shjips (Holy Mountain)
5. Volta, Björk (One Little Indian/Atlantic)
6. Metheny Mehldau Quartet, Metheny Mehldau Quartet (Nonesuch)
7. Untrue, Burial (Hyperdub)
8. Person Pitch, Panda Bear (Paw Tracks)
9. Saltbreakers, Laura Veirs (Nonesuch)
10. The Modern Tribe, Celebration (4AD)

1. La Radiolina, Manu Chao (Nacional)
2. Residente o Visitante, Calle 13 (Sony BMG Latin)
3. La Vida...Es un Ratico, Juanes (Universal Music Latino)
4. Sino, Café Tacuba (Universal Music Latino)
5. Papito, Miguel Bosé (Warner Music Latina)
6. Regreso el Jefe, Elvis Crespo(Machete Music)
7. Malamarismo, Mala Rodríguez (Machete Music)
8. Esta Es Mi Vida, Jesse & Joy (Warner Music Latina)
9. CéU, CéU (Six Degrees)
10. El Cartel: The Big Boss, Daddy Yankee (El Cartel/Interscope)

1. Live at the Jazz Gallery, Jason Lindner Big Band (Anzic)

Live at the Jazz Gallery is a powerful testament to the old saw that big-band jazz is just plain fun. It’s progressive but far from the most progressive release this year; while the band does some impressive new things, they’re not particularly groundbreaking. But this double disc is almost orgasmic in its swoops of grand excitements and low-key amusements. Moreover, the band is so seamless and democratic that no single player can be called the star. Rarely has any jazz band, big or small, been so composed of equals and made a recording so nearly perfect.

2. Live Vol. 1, Robin Eubanks & EB3 (Kindred Rhythm)
3. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire (Merge)
4. A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), Terence Blanchard (Blue Note)
5. Sky Blue, Maria Schneider (ArtistShare)
6. Block Ice & Propane, Erik Friedlander (Skipstone)
7. In Rainbows, Radiohead (self-released)
8. Above and Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids, Billy Bang Quartet featuring Frank Lowe (Justin Time)
9. Jazz Cycles, Manhattan New Music Project (self-released)
10. Mirror, Jacky Terrasson (Blue Note)

1. Belly, Food for Animals (Hoss)
2. Phantom Limb, Pig Destroyer (Relapse)
3. Person Pitch, Panda Bear (Paw Tracks)
4. Underground Kingz, UGK (Jive)
5. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon (Merge)
6. Perseverance, Percee P (Stones Throw)
7. We All Belong, Dr. Dog (Park the Van)
8. Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky, Earthless (Tee Pee)
9. Dr. No’s Oxperiment, Oh No (Stones Throw)
10. Weirdo Rippers, No Age (Fat Cat)