My Top 10 Songs of 2007

It's End Of Year List Time, everybody. We'll skip the boring generalizations about "the year in music 2007" and skip straight to my ten favorite tracks from the past year, along with some honorable mentions. Enjoy!

10. Efterklang- Parades-

Cutting Ice to Snow

The thrilling denouement to the excellent Parades, "Cutting Ice to Snow" finally delivers the release and triumph the rest of this sturm-und-drang-heavy record leaves you begging for. Best experienced in the album as a whole, but it's still a damn good tune in its own right.

9. Baroness- Red Album-

Wailing Wintry Wind

If 2006 was the year of the Mastodon, 2007 definitely belongs to Baroness. These guys bring the metal, soaked in bourbon and southern-rock riffs, and "Wailing Wintry Wind" is perhaps the one song that best demonstrates what Baroness is about. Excellent riffs, bitchin' songwriting, and a healthy dose of rawkk.

8. Daft Punk- Alive 2007-

Human After All/Together/One More Time/Music Sounds Better With You

Yeah, it's a mashup off of a live album. It's also DAFT FUCKING PUNK. I'd never have guessed that all these tracks by one band could be blended and layered so successfully, let alone create something that is arguably more compelling than the original tracks themselves. This whole record is a must-hear, but this track (the band's encore) is, for me, the highlight among highlights.

7. Maserati- Inventions for the New Season-

Show Me the Season

Maserati write spacious, echoey instrumental rock like a more muscular, technically proficient Explosions in the Sky. "Show My the Season" is the peak of the record, featuring a galloping rhythm section that propels the shimmering, crackling guitars along like an [insert high-speed transit metaphor of your choice here]. If you listen to this song while driving you will get pulled over.

6. The Field- From Here We Go Sublime-

A Paw In My Face

The Field was 2007's most refreshing dance act (sorry, Justice and Digitalism and Boys Noize) and "A Paw In My Face" demonstrates Sublime's sound better than any other track on the record. Fuzzy, chopped and looped snippets of pop songs, in this case the guitar solo from Lionel Richie's "Hello," recontextualized into warm, engaging, and supremely accessible techno.

5. Dan Deacon- Spiderman of the Rings-

Wham City

The sing-along vocals may be this song's signature element, but the real endorphin-trigger for me is the arpeggiated synth breakdown that kicks in at about 3:45. I can only imagine how hard this track must slay live.

4. Apparat- Walls-

Arcadia

I can't think of another record that came out this year that's as polished, elegant, and impeccably designed as Apparat's Walls. "Arcadia" opens with an immediately engrossing drum loop that blooms into a melancholy Radiohead-meets-Brian Eno electronic rock tune. For bonus points, check out Ellen Allien's Fabric 34 mix, which features "Arcadia" with a killer reggaeton-esque beat sequenced into it.

3. Matthew Dear- Asa Breed-

Deserter

Matthew Dear may be better known for his abstract, rhythm-heavy techno as False and Audion, but Asa Breed showcases Dear's quirky, thoughtful, and sometimes-silly approach to pop songwriting. "Deserter" is a post-comedown aubade that would be David Bowie's big comeback single had he written or sung on it. Dear does a damn good job with it himself.

2. Battles- Mirrored-

Atlas

Hands down, the heaviest tune of 2007. "Atlas" doesn't feature downtuned (or even particularly distorted) guitars, or scary demon-vocals, or hyper-technical double-bass drumming. It doesn't need any of that bullshit. It has John Stanier pounding out the most crushing drum beat this side of Led Zeppelin while the rest of the band builds and builds and builds and Tyondai Braxton's insanely pitch-shifted vocals hammer the melody into your brain, logic and reason be damned. This song causes neck injuries, car accidents, and cancer in lab animals. This song will simultaneously make you dumber and smarter. This song will take off three years of your life. Hyperbole aside, this song will probably make you sprain your neck, at the very least.

1. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver-

All My Friends

Jesus, what to say about this song? It's essentially perfect in every way, from its production, arrangement, context, track placement, delivery...the list of superlatives goes on and on. James Murphy sounds haggard, hunted, and still hungry as hell as he frantically belts out an almost stream-of-consciousness ode to the pressures of being creative, getting old, and fucking up. This song is what every angsty songwriter should look to for inspiration- it's sad without being maudlin, desperate without being contrived, intense without being trite. Easily the most affecting song of the year, and without question the best piece of pop music to come out in 2007.

Honorable Mentions (AKA things which Jeph really liked but couldn't shoehorn into his top 10): Aril Brikha- Leaving Me, The Besnard Lakes- And You Lied To Me, Justice- Newjack, Gui Boratto- Acrostico, Modeselektor- The White Flash, Radiohead- 15 Step, Gabriel Ananda- Sweet Decay