My 10 Favorite Albums of 2007:
1. Tegan and Sara - "The Con": Big surprise, right? This was the first album I checked out by the duo, and after a week of listening to it nonstop I declared them my new favorite band. Consequently, this also became my favorite album (their others are all great as well). It's hard to accurately describe the sound of T&S; it's kind of a crazy amalgamation of indie, punk rock and singer/songwriter acoustic. In all honesty, they're really the kind of band you just have to check out for yourself. But I have yet to find anybody who didn't like T&S after I introduced them to their music. My Favorite Track: "The Con."
2. The Birthday Massacre - "Walking With Strangers": Not only do TBM have a great name, but they look and sound like they stepped straight out of the '80s: synth-heavy, old-school Goth (you know, before Emo came along and watered it down) and totally glammed-out. And yet, their music sounds fresh and completely modern at the same time. TBM are dark without being depressing; I would compare listening to their music to watching a really fun '80s horror film, or going to a prom for serial killers. On second thought, maybe it'd be better if you just checked them out for yourself. My Favorite Track: "Goodnight."
3. Against Me! - "New Wave": A lot of AM's older fans gave the band a lot of crap when they signed to a major label, but "New Wave" proves it was unwarranted. They created a punchy, powerful rock and roll album. If Bruce Springsteen was a punk-rocker, this is what his music would sound like. And it doesn't hurt that they brought in Tegan Quin, of Tegan and Sara, to duet on "Borne of the FM Waves of the Heart," aka my favorite song of 2007. My Favorite Track: "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" (duh).
4. Paramore - "RIOT!": I've been a big Paramore fan pretty much the moment their first album, "All We Know Is Falling," was released in the summer of 2005. When I first listened to "RIOT!," their sophomore release, I knew they'd become huge... and I'm glad I turned out to be right. And as their latest stuff on the "Twilight" soundtrack proves, they're only getting better with time. My Favorite Track: "That's What You Get."
5. Kittie - "Funeral for Yesterday": Kittie were my favorite band before Tegan and Sara, and it's a little ironic that the year that changed is also the year they released their best album. Originally more of a full-fledged metal band, Kittie embraced more of their softer and atmospheric side for this album. Lead singer Morgan Lander almost completely dropped her metal-death screams and instead focuses more on singing instead. It pays off; the material on "Funeral for Yesterday" is more accomplished and inspired than anything else the band has put out previously. It's a pretty bleak album, though, so you might want to take it in smaller doses. My Favorite Track: "Everything that Could Have Been."
6. Anberlin - "Cities": Along with Skillet, Anberlin are a band that understand how to make spiritually minded music without letting preaching get in the way of completely rocking out. The surprising thing about "Cities" is that, unlike most bands of their ilk, the album is very synth-heavy... what's even more surprising is that it works incredibly well. I also had the good fortune of seeing them in concert that same year, and not only are they an amazing live band, but lead singer Stephen Christian just might be the nicest guy I've ever met. My Favorite Track: "Reclusion."
7. Kanye West - "Graduation": Since Eminem's taken a long leave of absence, Kanye West has become the rapper liked by people who don't normally like hip-hop. That's because Mr. West isn't afraid of being different and trying new things (mainly synth-based tunes this time). He's the guy that everybody else in the rap game looks up to. Even Lil Wayne, who is getting more praise and selling more records than anybody these days, considers Kanye to be the top dog in hip-hop. West may be on top right now, but "Graduation" sounds like it came straight out of the future. My Favorite Track: "Flashing Lights."
8. Thrice - "The Alchemy Index: Vol. I & II - Fire and Water": I'm pretty sure there aren't any other bands who can make four-EP project devoted to each element and have them sound this good. This release contains the first two EPs, which revolve around fire and water respectively. "Fire" is straight-up heavy, take-no-prisoners post-punk, while "Water" is slower-paced and more of a haunting, synth-based experience (synths sure seem to be popular in 2007, don't they?). What Thrice have been able to accomplish musically on these first two EPs is amazing. But will the second two, "Earth" and "Air," make 2008's list? Only time will tell... My Favorite Track: "Firebreather" (Fire); "The Whaler" (Water).
9. Northern State - "Can I Keep This Pen?": The best way to describe Northern State? Imagine a female version of the Beastie Boys. These ladies possess the same musical inventiveness, clever wordplay and penchant for being silly and serious at the same time as their Brooklyn brothers-in-arms. This album takes the more straight-ahead hip-hop of their first two albums and adds a good deal of indie and punk-rock into the mix. The result sounds like nothing else out there. I saw them live opening for Tegan and Sara and they blew everyone in the crowd away, including me. If you're up for checking out something completely different and original, give these girls a few minutes of your time. My Favorite Track: "Sucka Mofo."
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Is Is": This is actually just a five-song EP, but it's hands down the best music the band has ever released. It's still the kind of no-holds-barred rock and roll the YYYs do so well, but there's a darker and more atmospheric side showcased on these tracks than on their previous full-length albums, "Fever to Tell" and "Show Your Bones." If this was a full-length album it would have charted a lot higher on my list; it's essentially like a really great-tasting snack that makes you hungry for more without actually filling you up. Hopefully the band's next album will retain the same awesome flavor. My Favorite Track: "Isis."
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