TOP Records of the Year:

18. Soft Circle – Full Bloom : Somewhere between African dance and electronica, member(s?) of Black Dice make up this weirdly rhythmic music. It’s one that grows on you.

Soft Circle – Stones and Trees

17. Shellac – Excellent Italian Greyhound .

16. Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass ; Aesop ups and moves to my old home San Francisco and he makes his best album since Labor Days. Some of the real stand out tracks on this record are: None Shall Pass, Coffee and Getaway Car. Really liked this record.

15. Vampire Weekend – s/t .

14. Kanye West – Graduation (oops) ; His blackest album to date. I love this B side of him sampling Thom Yorke.

Kanye West – Us Placers (feat Lupe and Pharrell) .

13. 31knots – The Days And Nights Of Everything Anywhere . This is one of those bands that I try to convince every one of my “90′s midwestern emo” buddies that they would fucking love. This is exactly what at the drive in might sound like if they weren’t half hispanic and didn’t become the mars volta. I love this fucking band.

31knots – Man Becomes Me .

12. O’Death – Head Home . Another entry in the best of 2007 that doesn’t sound like anything else on here. Southern friend punk rock with bangos, oil cans and fiddles, this band from Brooklyn puts on pretty amazing live show. With barely a tshirt between the whole band, this sweaty bluegrass meets the energy of punk band put out a great lofi record. I am really looking forward to their next release.

11. Pelican – City of Echoes: Once again, my favorite instru-metal band makes a dynamic new record. This time, with acoustic meets long drawn out epic songs, City of Echoes, is really a different kind of metal album for me. This is the kind of metal album I want to listen to while I work, people watch or while I sleep. (yes, sleep.) It’s a great record.

10. Elliott Smith – New Moon . A compilation from one of my favorite artists of all time. I really love some of these tracks and the acoustic versions of the two Heatmiser songs are like a gift from god to me. The only reason this isn’t higher on my list is that cause of my friend Kevin, I have heard 80 percent of the tracks before.

Heatmiser – Not Half Right .

9. A Place to Bury Strangers – s/t: A great 80′s inspired record, think early New Order, Joy Division, etc, recorded in what must have been someone’s ass. Really catchy dark songs, if you can get past the awful production.

A Place to Bury Strangers – I Know Ill See You .

8. Radiohead – In Rainbows . something something, best band, something, self released. check it out.

Radiohead – Videotape (Live Demo)

7. LCD – Sound of Silver: LCD Soundsystem – All of my Friends (Live on WXPN) .

6. Battles – Mirrored; This band for some reason seems to polarize people. To me this band seems to be a real musician’s band. With that being said, I don’t have a fucking decimeter of musical talent, however, I like Rush and Don Caballero, so I am able to fake it. Battles is the best of both worlds for me; an intricate complicated band with a bit of soul and danceability to them.

5. Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature: Jose Gonzalez – Teardrop (Live) .

4. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible: So what can be said about this album that hasn’t already been said over and over? Ill say this that it took me a bit to really get into this record and the more I listen to it the more I like it. I think THIS clip, believe it or not, made me totally reevaluate this record. A friend thinks this record sounds like an old Bruce Springsteen record. I think she meant it as a compliment.

the Arcade Fire – keep the car running (Live on SNL)

3. Menomena – Friend and Foe: I must be into the eclectic this year cause Menomena is not really like any other release on the top of thepunkguy. 3 singers, all playing at least two instruments (not at once.) As you know I have been a proponent of this band forever and when this record came out I was more than excited and I am so glad that it exceeded my expectations. And this band finally got the attention it’s due. Anyway, Friend and Foe has horns, some guitars and a tons of great melodies.

Menomena – Wet and Rusting (live from the take away show) .

2. Beirut – the Flying Cup Club: Last year’s number 1, this year’s at a comfortable number 2. The Flying Cup Club is like a 20 year old moves to Paris, engulfs himself in French music, plays tons of horns and then recruits the dude from Final Fantasy to make a record that doesn’t sound like anything else released all year. Wait, that is exactly what it is. It’s different, in a good way.

Beirut – Nantes (live on KEXP) .

1. EL P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead: Living in New York City means finding the perfect soundtrack to walking around the city. Never in all of my almost ten years living here have I ever found a cd that felt so comfortable walking around the city. It’s intricate, it’s hip hop, it complicated and it’s hard as fuck. I mean this record has everything for me. I really do love it and it makes New York fit just right.

EL P – Tasmanian Pain Coaster .

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Some runner ups: Sage Francis – Human the Death Dance, Wilco – Sky Blue Sky, Two Gallants – Two Gallants, Ted Leo – Living with the Living, Spoon – Ga ga ga ga ga, Rocky Volotato – Brag and the Cuss, The National – Boxer (sorry James and Dan) and Iron and Wine – the Shepherd’s Dog

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TOP 5 SHOWS of the YEAR:

5. tie – Grizzly Bear at Bowery Ballroom, NYC (03.07.07); My first proper time seeing Grizzly Bear and I was really blown away. I was expecting a slow moving boring show and got a really dynamic powerful one. Check out picts and review HERE.

O”death at Asterick Art Space, Bushwick, Brooklyn (03.09.07); Also my first time seeing O’Death and didn’t know what to expect. The show was energetic, fun and a lil smokey. Had a blast tho. Check out more picts and review HERE.

(GB)

(OD)(picts by Dan, I’m on fire!)

4. Sufjan Steven present the BQE – BAM Theater, Brooklyn (11.01.07); Sufjan performs a new piece entitled the BQE, starring a film shot by him, performers with hula hoops and a full fucking orchestra. Holy shit. read the review HERE.

3. EL P – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (10.19.07); A reunited Company Flow, a song by Del the Funkee Homosapien and a full set by EL P with a back up band. Fuck man.

2. Menomena – Bowery Ballroom, NYC (03.28.07). Menomena in March included a birthday cake, a sing along and tons of sax. So much fun. SEE REVIEW and MORE PICTS HERE.

(pict by Dan, I’m on fire!)

1. Beirut – Secret Show at Coco 66, Greenpoint Brooklyn (09.19.07). A great place to see a small intimate show of a 8 person band. Had the best time, was right up there. Probably didn’t hurt that I was drunk and singing along like I was at an Irish Futbol game. SEE REVIEW AND MORE PICTS HERE.

TOP 5 BLOGS:

PHOTO: DURHAM TOWNSHIP .

MUSIC: ABSOLUT NOISE .

SEX: HOTEL ROOM NUDES . (NSFW, most of the time)

MISC: LIFEHACKER .

COMEDY: BEST WEEK EVER .

SOCIAL COMMENTARY; THE ASSIMILATED NEGRO .

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contributors’ top tens..

DAN, I’M ON FIRE

1) Menomena – Friend And Foe
2) Radiohead – In Rainbows
3) Liars – Liars
4) Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
5) The National – Boxer
6) Deerhunter – Cryptograms
7) Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew – Spirit If…
Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
9) Akron/Family – Love Is Simple
10) LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver

GONZ’ TOP TEN (his site HERE):

10) Bad Brains-Build A Nation
9) Coliseum- No Salvation
Portugal The Man- Church Mouth
7) Hot Cross-Risk Revival
6) Ghostface Killah- Big Doe Rehab
5) Bayside-The Walking Wounded
4) Explosions In the Sky- All the sudden I miss everyone
3) Every Time I Die- The Big Dirty
2) (tied) Jimmy Eat World-Chase The Light/As Tall As Lions-Into The Flood
1) Minus The Bear-Planet Of Ice

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GOOD THINGS THAT WEREN’T MUSIC OR PHOTO RELATED (in no order):

1. Pushing Daises on ABC!

2. Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”

3. Finishing up the film “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” Great crew and cast!

4. My new film cameras, (ok film related)..

5. My trips to Buenos Aires HERE and my trip to Sweden HERE.

6. My friends, loved ones and family. Thank you.

7. My long over due appreciation of Bob Dylan. (i know I know)

8. My De la Soul Nike Air Force Ones.

9. A great LOST season Finale.

10. YOU!

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SOME RANDOM PICTURES I’VE TAKEN THIS YEAR:

as some of you know I just got back from a trip to Argentina, read all about it HERE.

BUY OTHER RELEASES HERE. CHECK OUT MORE MUSIC FROM ALL THESE ARTISTS HERE. BACK TO HOMEPAGE HERE .

ALL PICTURES ARE TAKEN BY KRISTIAN SORGE (unless otherwise noted.)

feel free to comment below. If not, have a great new years!