Despite the gloom and doom spouted by the music industry in 2007, I have to say that I felt like it was a GREAT year for music. I saw some amazing shows, zeroed in on several albums that have placed themselves among my all-time favorites, and populated both the Radio Free Cruze Podcast, and the OnLine Radio Station with tracks that I truly loved, and kept enjoying all year.
Since I love lists, I thought I’d share my personal favorite tracks of the year. I’ve gone with songs instead of albums, because it seemed like such an awesome year for individual songs. And here’s the disclaimer: Yes, I know that some of these came out before 2007. But I spent most of the year listening to them, so they are 2007 songs to me. Deal with it.
That said, here is the RADIO FREE CRUZE Top Songs of 2007, as according to my own personal taste and passion!
#10) THE FRATELLIS/Flathead
From the second I saw this on the iPod commercial, I knew it would be playing in my head all year. Infectious, undeniable, alt-cool and totally pop at the same time, and from a surprisingly good album called COSTELLO MUSIC. For sheer fun, this was one of the year’s best!
#9) FALL OUT BOY/Thnks Fr Th Mmmrs
Okay, I know I am going to take all kinds of crap for this, but if you can put aside all the hype, forget everything that Pete Wentz has ever said publicly, and somehow ignore the fact that millions of teenage girls love them, the truth is that FALL OUT BOY is a really good pop-rock band that writes catchy-as-hell, awesome four-minute pop-rock songs. And this track may be one of their best. File it under “guilty pleasure” if you have to, but you know that you turn this up and sing along when no one else is around.
#8) MODEST MOUSE/Missed The Boat
I wasn’t sure what to expect from MM’s follow up to 2004’s wildly successful GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS. And initially, I was a bit underwhelmed by most of the tracks on WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK. But as is so often the case, these subtler songs snuck up on me. And none more so than MISSED THE BOAT. This is just a beautifully crafted song. Here’s hoping the next album continues in this vein…
#7) SICK PUPPIES/All The Same
This got a little bit of airplay on mainstream radio, but its real claim to fame in ’07 was the You Tube video of the “Free Hugs” campaign. I was a bit of a latecomer to this track, but this Australian band is a really good, straightforward act that reminds me of a hipper version of COLLECTIVE SOUL. Please click through if you’ve never watched the video…it’s pretty awesome!
#6) SAOSIN/You’re Not Alone
A good friend of mine, (and one whose musical taste I totally trust) gave me a copy of this cd toward the end of 2006. I listened to it a few times, but it wasn’t until February or March that this track started to zero in on my cerebral cortex and implant itself as one of the tracks I just couldn’t get enough of. The lyrics may be a little simple, but they are really on target if you’re feeling a little down, and the anthemic way the chorus rises is something I will admit to being a total sucker for. The whole disc is good, by the way, but this song is really special…
#5) JIMMY EAT WORLD/Big Casino
I’m a major fan of this band, so I was already poised to like this track before I even heard the jangly guitar riff that launches the first single from CHASE THIS LIGHT. With the catchiest chorus of the year, and lyrics like, “I’ll accept—with poise, with grace—when they draw my name from the lottery,” these guys not only stepped up to the plate, they hit it all the way into the cheap seats.
#4) BAND OF HORSES/Is There A Ghost
By 2010, this should be the biggest band on the planet. Seattle’s BAND OF HORSES put out a great debut several years ago, and then made it almost irrelevant by taking a quantum leap with CEASE TO BEGIN, their sophomore album. It’s full of great tunes, but none so arrestingly beautiful as this first track. Gorgeous and moving!
#3) AGAINST ME!/Thrash Unreal
I read a review somewhere (Rolling Stone?) that mentioned AGAINST ME!’s new album NEW WAVE as a candidate for Album Of The Year. It’s good, but this track is still a standout. The Florida band manages to make the storyline of the song sound new even though it’s been used in at least a dozen songs over the last few years. By combining punky, thrashy rock with great storytelling, AGAINST ME! practically nominates themselves for this list. And there are “Bap-Bap-Ba’s” in the chorus! Genius.
#2) KILLERS/Read My Mind
Wow. Even after hearing this song hundreds of times, Brandon Flowers still manages to take my breath away with this one if I am paying any attention at all. I’m not really even sure WHY this song is so good, it just IS. They throw so many unrelated things into the lyric lines that it is almost Beatlesque, but somehow they evoke emotional responses as if you actually KNEW what they were talking about. REM tries this and used to succeed occasionally, but it’s been years since they put out anything this provocative. I have no idea what Flowers is trying to say here, but I understand exactly what he’s getting at…
#1) ARCADE FIRE/Keep The Car Running
I had a feeling when it came out that ARCADE FIRE’S album NEON BIBLE would be my favorite disc of the year, but I wasn’t initially as taken with this track. But after a brilliant performance on Saturday Night Live (as well another one in D.C. when I got to see them live this spring), the unmistakable hook of this song just wouldn’t let me go. Make no mistake—this is the most important band recording music right now…and KEEP THE CAR RUNNING is their most infectious, memorable song. So there’s my list! Feel free to make fun of it in the comments, if you like…or better yet, give me your own list and tell me what I missed!!
Here’s to a great 2008!!!
==Cruze==
Vully Bully Ranch
January 2, 2008
