411 Music Presents...2007 Year In Review: Part 1.2 - Staff Picks, Vol. 2

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 01.07.2008

The 411 music staff looks back at some of their favorite albums and artists of 2007. What were the best CDs? Who made the biggest breakthrough? What songs made us want to drive an ice pick through our skulls? How many times will Radiohead appear in the column? Find out the answers to these questions and more, in this first part of our 2007 Year In Review!!!

Remember to check out PART ONE if you haven't already done so.



PART 1.2: STAFF PICKS, VOL. 2

Well, folks, it's that time of year when every good music lover is making his or her lists and reflecting on the past 365 days of rock ‘n‘ roll. The esteemed staff here at 411 Music is no different. We've assembled all the 411 brothers and cousins for one last family holiday gathering. Put down your Rock Band controller for a moment (haven't you realized you can't play the drums?) and peep what really rocked our individual socks off this year.

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Matt Reno
(Reviewer)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

1. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace. Their last album, the double-disc In Your Honor, showed two sides of the Foos. This album showed those same sides successfully blended together into one excellent album. "The Pretender" may very well be the band's best hard rocker while the rest of the album demonstrates their impressive versatility. Twelve years ago we thought the Nirvana drummer's band would be a short-lived side project. Now, the Foo Fighters are one of today's best rock bands, and this album only solidifies that further.

2. Bruce Springsteen - Magic. The Boss has had a prolific decade so far, and Magic is clearly his most triumphant work from the double zeroes. Back with the E Street Band, Springsteen delivers brilliant rock songs that span from angry to hopeful to somber, all the while staying thoroughly enjoyable. "Radio Nowhere" is one of the year's best singles, but there's plenty more here that harks back to the Born to Run days while still sounding fresh.

3. Down - Down III: Over the Under. New Orleans supergroup Down rebounded from the tragedy of Katrina to put out a terrific third album. It's dark, sludgy, heavy, and damn cool hard rock straight out of the bayou. It's packed with great metal tracks like "I Scream" and "Three Suns and One Star," but the slower songs show off their chops just as nicely. My personal favorite is the bluesy "Never Try," which features one of the best lyrics of the year: "Never try / You either do it or don't waste your time."

4. White Stripes - Icky Thump. The title track is easily the year's coolest and most riff-tastic song, but the rest of the album is pretty darn good too. As usual, the Stripes explore several different sounds and instruments, creating a varied but cohesive album. It's not their best, but it certainly holds up with the rest of their stellar catalog.

5. Dropkick Murphys - The Meanest of Times. On their sixth full length album, the Dropkick Murphys deliver their most straight-ahead punk album since 1999's The Gang's All Here. It takes a few listens for the standouts to grab your attention, but once they do, they won't let go. When it comes to fast-paced punk with heart, soul, and bagpipes, the Murphys do not disappoint.

6. Hellyeah - Hellyeah. The idea of this supergroup sounded promising enough to Vinnie Paul to bring him back to the metal scene for the first time since his brother Dimebag Darrell's death in 2004. It turned out to be a wise decision as Hellyeah gave us an album of pure, balls-to-the-wall hard rock. Though much of it is pretty angry, it makes for a fun soundtrack to a night of partying. They even take their sound behind metal, mixing in the touching "Thank You" and the country-rock drinkin' song "Alcohaulin' Ass" along with all the pummeling rock.

7. Megadeth - United Abominations. Though many metal fans wrote them off in the latter part of the 90's, Megadeth has come roaring back with some pretty kickass material in this decade. United Abominations is chock full of tight, thrashing tunes that show there's more to be pissed about than getting dumped or disrespected. Dave Mustaine gets political and rails against the uselessness of the United Nations in a way that just might make you think while you're headbanging.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: The Used - Lies For the Liars. Actually, this album is not that bad for the most part. The most annoying part is that after a whole bunch of good songs, they go back to the whiny crap that marred their last album. If it weren't for the last three songs, this album wouldn't get this award, but they just had to go and appeal to the twelve year old girls and get all sappy on us.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Radiohead's release of In Rainbows. Since I'm not a huge Radiohead fan, it wasn't the album itself that thrilled me (though it was pretty good). What got me excited was the way it was released. Radiohead showed that, at least for upper-tier artists, labels are unnecessary. They made a ton of money offering this album for free, showing that people are willing to pay money for music, so long as it's good. Hopefully more artists will follow their lead and continue to challenge the industry.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Tool. I saw some good ones this year – Shadows Fall, Trivium, Clutch, and, for the ninth or tenth time, the Dropkick Murphys. All were fun, but none blew me away as Tool did in Montreal this past July. The music was tight as expected (including a lengthy version of my favorite Tool song "Lateralus"), and the visuals were amazing. From the video screens to the lights to the smoke, by the end of the show I felt like I was inside a Tool video. Tool is one of those bands that makes their concerts more than performances; they are experiences.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Puscifer - V Is For Vagina. Sadly not everything Maynard James Keenan has a hand in is top-notch. I was psyched when I heard about a new project from the Tool and A Perfect Circle frontman, but I was under whelmed by the album. While it had plenty of good material, very little stood out and grabbed my attention. I'll certainly listen to it again, but not nearly as much as my other MJK material.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor. I had never heard much from Atreyu before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was that this band can make some really good metal. Tracks like "Becoming the Bull" and "Doomsday" rock hard, and "Blow" is one of ‘07's most fun rock songs. Even the unnecessary Faith No More cover is a cool album closer. I realize they pissed off a lot of old fans with this one, but I think it will prove to have been worth it to have made an album this enjoyable.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Flyleaf. I was thrilled to hear my local alt-rock station had finally picked up on this band when they released "All Around Me" as their latest single. The album is great, and while I have yet to see them, I hear they put on a good live show. A lot of people can attest to that since Flyleaf have placed themselves alongside high profile headliners. Though they began picking up steam in 2006, I think 2007 was the year Flyleaf really broke through. Good for them.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Smashing Pumpkins. In a year packed with so many big reunions, it's hard to pick just one. Led Zeppelin was huge, but it was for one night only (so far). It was good to see Van Halen back with David Lee Roth, but without Michael Anthony, it was incomplete and there was just too much drama. The Police were clearly the most successful in terms of touring, but screw it, I'm playing favorites here. I was most excited about the Smashing Pumpkins, who not only toured but also released a very good album. Yes, I know the Pumpkins reunion is also incomplete, but the fact that there is a cool album along with the tour tells me that Billy Corgan and whoever else is in the Pumpkins this week really are interested not just in making a few million bucks but also in creating more music for their fans to enjoy, and that is what a true reunion should be.

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Phil Watts, Jr.
(Reviewer, Loop Digger)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

1. The Cold Chillin' Records reissues (ALL OF THEM). Are you new to hip-hop music, and you keep hearing about "golden-age" this and "golden-age" that and want to know what they're talking about? Traffic Entertainment's reissues of some of the Cold Chillin' catalogue is a great place to start. From MC Shan's Down By Law, to Biz Markie's Goin' Off, to G. Rap & Polo's Wanted Dead Or Alive, to (pre-Khadafi) Tragedy's Intelligent Hoodlum and Saga Of A Hoodlum.

2. Talib Kweli - Eardrum. "Yeah, they say I'm back, but I ain't go nowhere though...been here the whole time. Where YOU been? YOU back! Matter fact, apologize!" Hey, I never left, either…I was just waiting on YOU to put out something good!

3. Little Brother - And Justus For All. Many wonder why I've always picked this over Getback. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of gems in Getback, but as a whole, And Justus For All felt more like a Little Brother album than Getback did. Plus, it was FREE!

4. Prodigy & ALC Return Of The Mac. "What you think I've been doin' all this time - BULLSHITTIN'?!" [Checks out last the three Mobb Deep albums] To put it simply - YES!

5. Black Milk - Popular Demand. "Producer/rappers get the most criticism/until they heard Black--now they feel different!"

6. KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip-Hop Lives. "Answer records were big then/After [Roxanne] Shanté did it everybody was trying to spit them/So we spit off/ to tell you the truth it was the only way an MC could get on/We answered MC Shan's "Queensbridge"/A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived..."

7. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab. When it comes to catalogues, very few could touch Ghost. The RZA should've been begging him to contribute more to 8 Diagrams, even if he had to push the shit back.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: T-Pain - Epiphany. T-Pain, a.k.a. tha RAPPA-TURNT-SANGA, is an embarrassment to music. Despite his obvious lack of talent, everybody wants to sweat him, put him in their videos and do records with him. Many compare him to the late great Roger Troutman, which is an insult because those names should never be in the same sentence. When you saw Roger perform, you saw him behind the keyboard, with the tube in his mouth, making the robotic vocals he's famous for. On the other hand, when you see T-Pain, he's out there, singing off-key, with no stage presence, and no computer effects to mask his wack voice. The sickest thing of them all, just like Ja-Rule in 2003, he's everywhere! You can't turn on the radio without hearing his shit vocals stinking up every song being played. Hopefully someone will pull a 50 and run his ass out too…only without the "taking his place and becoming a worse version of him" part.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Kanye & 50's 9/11 Campaign. Let's put aside the annoying personalities of the two artists involved (DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!) and look at things through a different perspective. Despite all the talk of dwindling record sales and internet downloads taking away from physical record sales, the main problem is that the industry has failed to promote their artists and build their releases the way they should. Usually (if you‘re LUCKY), they'd throw a single on the radio, throw a video on TRL or 106, and then sit at a computer for Soundscan numbers. This time, however, the industry actually did its job. They built up these releases, they brought up the anticipation level, they made the fans want to line up at the music store to buy these releases. Bear in mind, both albums were leaked to the net a few weeks in advance…and yet, because of all the promotion thrown behind them, both Graduation and Curtis became the highest selling hip-hop albums of the year. That right there should be the key to getting the record industry out of the rut they put themselves in. Of course not everybody has the notoriety of a 50 Cent or a Kanye, but that is what ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT is for (you know - another thing that the labels USED TO BE GOOD AT!)

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams. What can be said about an album so disappointing that even members of the group have went on record saying it sucks, and that the group has so much faith in this album that in a recent concert (where they performed minus the RZA), they performed NOT ONE SINGLE SONG from this release during the course of their 90-minute show? To me, it says that 8 Diagrams takes this category HANDS DOWN! Despite all of Bobby Digi's lofty speeches about the growth and maturity of his production work on this album, it seems that the only one feeling his growth is himself. While Method Man and Deck made the most of things, Raekwon came less than motivated, and Ghost only made minimal contributions. I do fear for the future of this group. In my opinion, this album should've never seen the light of day and all 8 members should've been involved in its creation.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip-Hop Lives. Twenty years ago, Kris started his career by making a song calling Marley Marl, Mr. Magic, and MC Shan "Gay" and that Roxanne Shante was "only good for steady fuckin'!" Over the years, he has made peace with all of them, showing up on Mr. Magic's radio show, doing a Sprite commercial with Shan, and in 2007, making an album produced by Marley. In the song called "Rising To the Top", he out rightly admits that if not for all these individuals, he would not have any career to speak of! On top of squashing the beef with them, he also buried the hatchet with the SCREWBALLS' Blaq Poet, a.k.a. MC King Poet, the guy who was dissed in the "I'm Still #1" remix. Of all the people who battled KRS, Poet was the ONLY one who came the closest to ethering him with a HILARIOUS rhyme about KRS-One's ex-wife Miss Melody (and an explanation to why KRS really went vegan) in a record called "Takin' You Out" nearly 19 years ago. KRS colabs with Poet in "The Victory", which also feature DJ Premier, whom KRS hasn't worked with in over 10 years. So what makes this album a surprise? The fact that a man who is often accused of being overbearingly egotistical to the point of being on his own dick way too much spends much of 2007 displaying some HUMILITY.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Black Milk. There are a lot of parallels between this man's career and that of the late great J-Dilla. J-Dilla had his first big break playing fill-in, covering for the departing J-Swift in the Pharcyde's Labcabincalifornia album and carrying most of the production weight on the last two Tribe called Quest albums. Likewise, Black Milk, as part of the production duo TR Gunna (with Young RJ), had his first big break covering for J-Dilla on the last two Slum Village albums. In 2007, BM decides to strike out on his own, with his unique production style that will hopefully make him a household name and continue building the Detroit sound that Dilla popularized. Oh…and he isn't that bad on the mic, either.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Chaka Khan. It says something when Mary J. Blige had to go back and redo her verse in "Disrespectful" after hearing Chaka's vocals in it. After a ten year hiatus from R&B, Chaka is back and has not lost her step, sounding just as powerful as ever. With the help of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, as well as a reunion with Rufus guitarist/vocalist Tony Maiden, Chaka returns with an album that brings it back to the good ol' days, while proving she can play with today's R&B chicks. Hopefully, she'll stick around and make more music.

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John Nagle
(Reviewer)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

1. The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts. Just when I think my love affair with hard rock has reached a plateau, a record like this pulls me back into the fold. Once again, Ginger has proven that he is the most underrated songwriter in all of hard rock. He keeps a delicate balance between pop melodies and heavy guitar riffing, never letting one outshine the other. He even adds a new layer to the classic sound by trading dueling guitar solos with guitarist CJ. Unfortunately this record has only been released in Europe and the UK, but it is worth every penny of the import price.

2. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight. I was slightly disappointed when I found out that Jenny Lewis was going back to Rilo Kiley, but my disappointment was short-lived. There is an undercurrent of danger that runs throughout this record, especially on songs like "The Money Maker." Blake Sennett's guitar is soaked in sex, and Lewis has never sounded more seductive.

3. The Joneses- Keeping Up With the Joneses. The Joneses were victims of bad timing. Originally released in 1986, this record was too raw for the mainstream hair metal fan. If the album had been released a year later, it would have been huge. All the elements of great sleaze rock are in place: Great Stonesy riffs, simple songs, and truckloads of attitude. Their cover of "Crocodile Rock," is especially noteworthy, because it takes the innocence of the original and turns it on its head.

4. Bruce Springsteen - Magic. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard "Radio Nowhere" for the first time. Bruce's folk diversion was pleasant, but if I want to hear "Froggy Went A-Courtin'," I'll listen to Raffi. The striking thing about Magic is that it gets better with repeated listens. The first time I listened to the album all the way through, I remember thinking that "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" was contrived. However, with each listen I heard something new, and now it is my favorite song on the record. Once again, Bruce Springsteen has shown that he is one of music's most valuable songwriters.

5. Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me. I want to make this perfectly clear: Even If It Kills Me is NOT an emo record. Yes, the music is fast-paced and poppy. Yes, all the songs deal with relationships in one form or another. Yes, the lead singer wears horn-rimmed glasses. So how is this album anything other than emo? The wittiness and complexity of Joshua Cain's lyrics place it firmly in the realm of power pop. Cain's lyrics often come close to being corny, but they are delivered with such sincerity that it is impossible to hate them. Don't we all want a girl who loves Cap'n Crunch and listens to the Ben Folds Five?

6. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga. I feel like Strong Sad when I listen to this album, but the richness of the music sucked me right in. The thing that sets Oberst apart from a million other indie singer songwriters is that he uses metaphors that nobody else uses. A soul singer in a session band? It's amazing nobody has thought of that before. The way he moves from country-ish sounds to complex orchestrations is also really impressive. Somehow Oberst has found a way to make music that sounds pretentious on paper, but doesn't sound pretentious at all.

7. Knugen Faller - Lugna Favoriter. This band is from Sweden, and they sing in Swedish. Therefore, I have no idea what they are talking about. According to their MySpace the album is "a three chord journey through the new right wing Sweden." All I know is that this band has written some of the best power pop this side of The Go-Go's. It's probably better that I don't know what they are talking about.

Honorable Mention: The Carbonas - The Carbonas, Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero, The Fratellis - Costello Music, Sebastian Bach - Angel Down, Down - Down III: Over the Under, Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather, Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare, The White Stripes - Icky Thump, Arcade Fire - Neon Bible, Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger, Radiohead - In Rainbows

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Good Charlotte - Good Morning Revival. I don't think I've ever felt such visceral hatred for a record. The remarkable thing about Good Charlotte is not their music, but their ability to rip off whatever influence is popular at the time. Four years ago it was cool to namedrop The Cure, so the band went goth for The Chronicles of Life and Death. New wave has become popular again, so Good Charlotte has picked up a synthesizer. To be a great new wave band, you have to be stylish and glamorous. No matter how many parties they attend, or how many anorexic blond starlets Joel Madden dates, there is NOTHING glamorous about Good Charlotte. As the final cherry on the cake, Madden wrote lyrics decrying the vapid Hollywood scene with a straight face. Do you actually think dating Hilary Duff makes you any better Mr. Madden?

Biggest Music News of the Year: The Continuing Saga of Britney Spears or How to Lose Your Remaining Sex Appeal in 12 Months. I don't really have much to say, except this is the biggest trainwreck I have ever witnessed. I'm actually amazed that she is still alive, because I was kind of waiting for it to happen. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest Hollywood tragedies of all time. She has become the female version of 70's Elvis.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. I was lucky enough to see some great concerts this year, but Bruce Springsteen is the greatest show I have ever seen. It was not really a concert, but more like a pep rally and a revival meeting rolled into one. There was so much emotion in that room, and the emotion was not based on hype or pyrotechnics, but based on the power of the music. It's something that you have to experience to understand. I wish I could bottle up how I felt on that night and feel that way all the time.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Iggy and The Stooges - The Weirdness. I usually don't get my hopes for reunion albums, but the reunited Stooges' live performances set my hopes sky-high. I should have known better. The Weirdness tarnished The Stooges' perfect batting average forever. The most disheartening thing about it was Iggy's performance. He sleepwalks through every song, and the lyrics are inane and uninspired. The man who once proclaimed that he was a "street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm," reduced himself to "My idea of fun is killing everyone." Pathetic.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Van Halen Reunites. I never thought I'd witness it in my lifetime. Money talks.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Amy Winehouse. How do you sell an artist that has no track record in the US? Exploit her addictions and personal problems for all they are worth. It worked like gangbusters, because Back to Black was the one record we all had to have in 2007. I want my $9.99 back please.

Comeback Artist of the Year: The Wildhearts. The Wildhearts did not make the headlines like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen or the Eagles did. They didn't top year end best lists like Rilo Kiley did. In fact, the only way you got word that they had a new album out is if you were a fan. However, I think The Wildhearts comeback is more noteworthy than the big three, simply because it wasn't a cash grab. These guys quietly went into the studio and arguably made the best record of their career. Cheers Ginger, you did well.

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Jamie Buttineau
(Sexy Newsy Violinist)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

1. LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver. James Murphy finally delivers on the potential for awesomeness he showed with his debut album as LCD Soundsystem and hits Sound Of Silver out of the park. 2007 was a good year for music, and I feel that LCD Soundsystem had the album that was the catchiest and most danceable while at the same time maintaining a strong emotional core that so many artists are unable to establish. I'm not even sure what to classify LCD Soundsystem as anymore, I used to say dance rock, but they could be under electronic, indie rock, dance punk, trance, and many other genres. LCD Soundsystem is a unique entity that can't be pigeonholed into any one genre. Some of James Murphy's best songs are on here, like "All My Friends", "Someone Great" and "North American Scum" among others. In my oh so humble opinion, this is the best album 2007 had to offer.

2. Feist – The Reminder. I think I may have a rather inflated opinion about this album as I seem to be the only one who outright loves it. But for some reason this really stuck with me, and it seemed to stick with a lot of people in the mainstream as The Reminder has really caught on with the public. When you see a member of the Broken Social Scene doing iPod commercials, that's when you know something has hit it big. And really it couldn't have happened to someone better. Feist is immensely talented and this album is a gorgeous pop romp. Every song has a kind of strong emotional undercurrent to it which is of course powered by her amazing voice. If you liked any Broken Social Scene material or pop in general then check this out.

3. Radiohead – In Rainbows. Well this one just came out of nowhere didn't it now? I'm just glad after all that hullabaloo about releasing the album on the interwebs for however much you wanted to play and announcing it a mere week or so before it actually was announced that in the end it turned out to be a great album. It's classic Radiohead, lots of Thom Yorke hitting the high notes over lots of layered tracks with spacey guitarwork going on. It's not as earth shattering as OK Computer or Kid A but it doesn't have to be. It's just Radiohead at their finest.

4. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible. The only bad thing about debuting with an album like Funeral is that you face the possibility of having to spend the rest of your career trying to top it. Arcade Fire will probably have to deal with that obstacle for a long long time. But thankfully they didn't fall victim to any sophomore slump, as their second album is a tremendous emotional ride with many moments that are surprisingly reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen. It seems like aping the boss is the new craze in music. Still, any band that can employ a hurdy-gurdy and church organ in their music without sounding completely ridiculous gets my vote.

5. Kanye West – Graduation. You know, I really should hate this guy. I should hate his guts and should be able to declare him one of the worst people in the world for his blatant arrogance and crybaby antics. And yet, he keeps on making great album after great album after great album. Seriously, he's now made three classic hip-hop albums in a row, that's uncanny. Sure, his lyrical skills may be somewhat lacking ("so many aunties we could have an auntie team" is still one of the worst rap lyrics I think I've ever heard) but the beats and samples he uses are some of the best in hip hop today. Plus, any guy that uses Zach Galifinakis in his videos is ok by me.

6. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala. The Swedish king of pop scores again with yet another album of songs about heartbreak and wanting to fall in love just so he could be heartbroken. Jens has the ability to write some of the strangest love songs I've ever heard. Like "A Postcard For Nina" which is about him pretending to be a girl named Nina's lover so her dad thinks she's straight when in reality she's dating a girl on the side. Oh Jens and his lesbians.

7. Burial – Untrue. This just came out in November, but I can say for certain it is one of the most haunting and captivating albums I've heard this year. Still gives me goose bumps just listening to it. If you're a fan of dubstep or know what dubstep is or even if you don't you should definitely give this a try.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long. Now there may have been worse albums released this year, the High School Musical/Hannah Montana abominations, Rascal Flatts, anything remotely having to do with "American Idol", but none of them annoyed me as much as this piece of crap. Why? Because of that damned title! "It Won't Be Soon Before Long"? What the hell does that even mean?! That doesn't even say anything! It's like they're trying to be all mystical and profound but in actuality they end up sounding like Confucius with downs syndrome! Even worse, this inane title comes from a group of hacks who rip off whatever they think is trendy at the time. Their first album sounded like Coldplay and this one sounded like they were trying to ape Justin Timberlake. So, when you combine a ridiculously idiotic title with crappy music from a group of talentless copycat hacks what do you get? You get one pretty fucking annoying album.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Radiohead Gives Their Album Away Online. There were lots of big news stories in 2007, like the several thousand different reunions that happens. The Police, Led Zeppelin, My Bloody Valentine and The Sex Pistols all reunited and are either about to tour, touring or releasing new material. Then there's the fact that this year indie artists suddenly became mainstream darlings with Feist, Modest Mouse, The Arcade Fire, The Shins, Spoon and other suddenly selling thousands of albums and reaching their highest positions ever on the Billboard charts. And of course there's the various tales of starlets like Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse and their oh so hilarious misadventures.

But I think the fact that Radiohead literally woke up one day, started up a website and said "hey, who wants a new album?" trumps all of that. I mean I remember literally waking up one day, coming on the internet and finding out that Radiohead's newest album would be released in a mere week. And that wasn't even the craziest part; it was going to be free! Well, technically you could pay whatever you wanted but that meant you could pay nothing. They ended up selling/giving away over a million digital downloads of In Rainbows and since then other artists have been trying to follow in their footsteps, adopting a similar pay as much as you please system with their music. I doubt this will have any real significant impact on the music industry, but you gotta give Radiohead credit for saying fuck the labels and getting their album out there all by themselves…Even if they did sign to a label and distribute the album through that label later on…Ahem.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Daft Punk & Their Giant Rainbow Pyramid Of Doom. Admittedly and regrettably I didn't get the chance to really go to any concerts this year. A lack of disposable income and an influx of schoolwork prevented me from doing so. But thanks to Youtube, us poor folk can watch videos of concerts and feel like we're really there! Yay for technology! And judging by the clips that I've seen Daft Punk's mashup lightshow seems like it should have been the talk of the concert season this year. And with good reason. These series of shows seem to have singlehandedly revitalized Daft Punk's career, hell they even managed to make of the stagnant and uninteresting tunes off of Human After All seem exciting and kickass. And I don't know where the idea came from to perform inside of a pyramid with the lights going insane all around them but they are a bloody genius. Never before have I seen such an absolutely badass spectacle like that. These shows were so good I went out and bought the live CD, and it's quite possibly one of the best live CDs I have ever heard. I would even list it as one of the best albums of the year but I don't count live albums unfortunately. It sounds crazy, but in my opinion the best live performances this year came from two robots inside of an electric triangle.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: The New Pornographers - Challengers. Don't get me wrong, the new album isn't terrible. But, to be honest, with these guys I always expect more and more. On this latest album well, it just doesn't work nearly as well as their last three have. I dunno, something just didn't work here and it makes me kind of sad. I hate seeing any band that I adore fail to deliver the goods. But they can't all be classics I suppose. It was evitable that they'd stumble eventually. I just hope that their next album brings them back to the top of their game.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Radiohead Releases In Rainbows. Hate to use the same story twice but come on, it was the biggest news story of 2007 and the most surprising in my opinion. Nobody really saw this coming, I mean Radiohead said they had a huge announcement and people thought it was just going to be the announcement of their new album. They didn't know that they were going to announce that the new album was actually going to come out a week later. Like I said, I went to bed in a world without a new Radiohead album and awoke to one with not only a new one but a free one as well. If that's not the biggest surprise of 2007 then it's certainly the most pleasant one.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Feist. This was certainly one of the best years in Feist's musical career. I mean, The Reminder aside from being her best solo work has also exploded across the musical landscape and become a hit. You hear her music now on iPod and Verizon phone commercials, she made an appearance on SNL and just about every other talk show, and she's receiving more press now than she ever has before. And it's for good reason too, Feist deserves the praise as this is without a doubt some of her best work ever. It's nice to an artist finally receive their due as a result of their talent, not some ridiculous marketing strategy.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Jay-Z. Let's face it, Kingdom Come was not a very good album. It's a blotch on Jay-Z's otherwise spotless record as a top notch rap artist. After this many people were convinced that he no longer had what it took to be in the rap game anymore and that he should hang it up before he embarrassed himself. Then, somehow due to inspiration from the movie American Gangster, he suddenly became invigorated and wrote all new material. Before anyone knew it, Jay-Z had dropped a new album and had somehow returned to his former greatness with an absolutely kickass CD. American Gangster proves that once Jay-Z is relaxed and isn't rapping for anybody else but himself that he can still pull of the magic that he's best known for. It's certainly one of the most surprising comebacks of the year, I don't anyone could have predicted that Jay-Z's return greatness would be inspired by a decent if not mediocre Russell Crowe film. Weeeeeird.

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John Cullen
(Journeyman)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

1. The National - Boxer. I read one review of this album that called it "sepia-toned", and I think that accurately describes The National's brooding, introspective sound. What I can tell you is this album is simply brilliant. It's almost polite, the sort that knocks on your door and patiently waits in the cold for you to let it in. It starts out with a slow trickle, "Fake Empire", and never looks back. A stunning combination of beautiful arrangement, fabulous drumming, and sparse but inspired guitar work, this album stands out above the pack for its sheer beauty. This band deserved all the popularity they got this year and then some.

2. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times. This was my FAVORITE album of 2007, and that's why it warrants such a high place on my list. Was it the BEST? Certainly not. Musically, this band can't even be compared or put in the same list as bands like Radiohead and Menomena. However, this album probably caught the most air-time from me out of any other this year, and mostly because it's just plain FUN. The musicianship out of the four boys from Tennessee got a whole lot better since Youth and Young Manhood, particularly in the case of drummer Nathan Followill, who is allowed to stretch his wings here further than ever before. The result is a tight, fantastic party album that holds its own musically with any other album on this list.

3. Radiohead – In Rainbows. Much like Kanye's album, I fear there isn't much this lowly 411 writer can say about Radiohead's In Rainbows that hasn't already been said. But wait, there might be one thing: this may very well be Radiohead's finest album to date. The indie community has had a hard-on for OK Computer for years, but I think this album at least competes with that…and might even surpass it. Most people were so concerned with the free downloading thing and all that that they forgot to realize how great this album is. And it is really great.

4. Circa Survive - On Letting Go. Who? Circa Survive happen to be my favorite band. A fantastic art-rock outfit from Philadelphia, I had pretty much assumed this album would make my number one spot. However, I have to put my bias aside and recognize that while this album is splendid, there were just too many good albums this year. This album is still fantastic though, as Circa Survive manage to make everyone else in their genre look silly and immature by comparison. Genius stuff, and Anthony Green still has one of the best voices I've ever heard.

5. Kanye West – Graduation. Could I possibly say anything about this album that hasn't been said? Ooh, I can think of one thing: this is Kanye's best work to date. I know what you're thinking. But give it time…it will be far more kind to this mature, evolved Kanye than it will be to his other recorded output. Kanye has never been more inspired than on this album, and I think that's worth more than anything.

6. Menomena - Friend and Foe. The little band from Portland who could, this album was released in early January and I would have never thought it would have survived to make my top albums at the end of the year. However, the more I listened to the album, the more it grew on me. And grew. And grew. Then I saw them live in a truly inspiring performance and I knew this album deserved its lasting impression on me. To try and describe this album is futile, and I often opt for comparing them to both TV On the Radio and Weezer. Sound odd? It is. But it's good. Really good.

7. Jay-Z - American Gangster. An album driven by the inspiration of Ridley Scott's gangster biopic, this album rattles. Jay-Z's flow has never been in such a form, and the inspired production by P. Diddy, et. al. and guest performances make this album stand out.

Honorable Mention: Honorable Mention: Feist - The Reminder, The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Josh Groban - Noel. THIS is what broke Billboard records? A Christmas album? Give me a break. This guy has never done anything inspired, but when he approaches his LEAST inspiring project ever (which is saying something given his back catalog), he is rewarded with sales records. If I ever form a pop band, the first person I'm going to is Oprah. What a disgrace to those bands and albums that actually deserved those records before this dink.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Led Zeppelin reunion show. This had to be the biggest news this year, as it garnered the most attention, the most rumors, the most EVERYTHING in 2007. Since they announced their O2 Arena show, it seems nearly every day we're greeted with another rumor of a reunion tour, a Bonnaroo headline, etc. Their potential SET LENGTH for the show garnered more interest than people dying, going to rehab, having babies, whatever. Not to mention the 20 million-plus who registered to get a ticket to the show and those who paid tens of thousands of dollars to get one after losing. Unbelievable.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Menomena. Why did I include so many honorable mentions? To attempt to give more weight to the concert that I actually picked. I go to a ton of shows every year, and this was by far the most memorable and best show that I attended. Menomena had just been picking up steam when they played this show, after a favorable review from Pitchfork. The crowd at Pat's seemed to be more than the band was expecting, as the venue is tiny, and the stage even tinier (Menomena are a three-piece and the stage felt beyond crowded). The band proceeded to whip through an amazingly tight 60-minute set, playing older songs mixed with a lot of new material from Friend and Foe. The usually stoic Vancouver crowds can ruin shows, but the crowd was so into this one, Menomena were forced to play an encore for the first time in their careers, as the crowd refused to let them leave the stage. The band bartered with the crowd and agreed to play an encore, so long as we agreed to let them leave afterwards. They treated us to three more songs and the crowd was still reluctant to let them go. A memorable night and a wonderful performance that completely sold me on this band.

My favorite local show of the year was by a Vancouver-based band called Elias on New Year's Eve. They started at midnight, so the show technically counts as 2007, and it was some of the most fun I've had at a show in years. I urge you to check them out at eliasband.com.

Honorable Mention: Circa Survive, The National, Dredg, Kings of Leon, Annuals, Deftones, Menomena (at Red Room, Vancouver, BC)

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Knowing we can get screwed on file-sharing. This year, it happened. Someone was sued for file-sharing, and lost. I live in Canada, where we pay a tax to be able to download music, but for the rest of the world, this could have potentially troubling implications. A huge disappointment where previously the precedent had not been set.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Reunion, Reunion, Reunion. I think this might be a cop-out, but honestly, the biggest surprises for me this year were all the reunions by bands from the past. Bands that we thought could never possibly tour again came back for love or money (okay, probably money) and each time, it seemed to get more and more surprising. The Police reformed, and Sting and Stewart Copeland hadn't spoke for years. Led Zeppelin reformed when Page and Plant have lost their breath over the years saying it will never, ever happen. Van Halen reunited with David Lee Roth after so many public jibes at each other I didn't think one person could actually lack that much humility. The Spice Girls. Rage Against the Machine. Overall, it's been a crazy year for reunion shows, and I'm sure 2008 will bring more and more as the tours by these bands continue to be such a great success.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: The National. Lots of times, MTV hands out a "Breakthrough Artist" award, and they give it to some pop princess who's been groomed to sell albums and make young boys feel bothered. To me, a Breakthrough Artist is someone who's paid their dues, been around the scene, and has finally made it, and I think in 2007, you cannot argue that has to be The National. Going from being relegated on tours from headliner to opening act after the previous opening act gets too big to open to multiple tours behind albums that got critical recognition and not much else, The National appeared from virtually nowhere this year, and ran with their success. An appearance on Letterman cemented their status as indie's next big thing, and I'd look towards some festival performances in 2008 to guarantee them a place in the upper echelon of touring bands right now.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Eagles. How could it be anyone else? Three times platinum for their first album in nearly 20 years? Billboard #1? I don't even like the Eagles and I can't help but recognize this achievement.

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Ben Czajkowski
(Columnist we cannot do without)

Top Seven Albums of 2007:

Sticking with the genre that I associate myself with the most, my Top 7 delve into the rock/alternative/metal categories. Since I don't particularly believe in a ranking system for something so arbitrary, these seven albums are in no particular order, yet are probably those that stood out the most over the last 365 days.

1. Haste the Day - Pressure the Hinges. This album surprised me and pleasured me the most. Pressure is HTD's fourth album from the Christian metalcore band and their first with new lead vocalist Stephen Keech. Since the departure of Jimmy Ryan, I had no idea what was in store for the band. What I found out on March 20 when I picked up the album was the future of metalcore in America. Simply the best album you'll never listen to of the year.

2. Still Remains - The Serpent. After waiting what seemed like an eternity for this follow-up effort to 2005's Of Love and Lunacy, The Serpent slithered its way into the top of my playlist for much of the second half of the year. This is yet another quality album in the metal world and one of the best of the year.

3. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. A beautiful, fresh compilation of tracks from David Grohl and company, lead by the fantastic and dynamic single "The Pretender." This is a great disc from start to finish, and that is referenced by the number of Grammy nominations it has received.

4. Chevelle - Vena Sera. This is the most underrated album of this year, definitely not coming close to the amount of sales it should have seen. My most played and favorite rock album of 2007, Vena Sera has fantastic tracks, both creative and accessible to everyone.

5. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero. Oh, Trent Reznor, I could not forget about you. This was the final full-length LP that Reznor will put out on a major label, and thank God for that. This album was built up by the viral marketing techniques that I spent most of the early part of the year chronicling in my news column, All You Cannot Live Without. The enigmatic promotion gave way into another epic NIN album and yet something else to add to the success repertoire of Reznor.

6. The Used - Lies for the Liars. This album was most surprising to me this year, as I found this to be a solid kick-ass, barn-burner of an album. Lies had high highs and low lows in what made for a kick ass effort for screamo.

7. Seether - Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces. Creeping in the end of my list comes Seether, who just set a single-record recently for their single "Fake It." This is Seether's best album since their debut, an effortless stream from "Like Suicide" to "Waste."

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Nickelback - All The Right Reasons. Oh, this definitely goes to Chad Kroeger and Nickelback. What the fuck does it take to knock this album off of the charts?! Apparently, nothing in 2007. Week after week, it kept bringing in 28-35,000 in discs sold to, what I expect to be, homeless people or the elderly. All The Right Reasons is full of all the wrong songs. It was bad in 2006 and even worse in 2007. How many times is the band going to release the same, tired song so that Mix stations can play them over and over? Thank God my radio burned out long ago. We get it; you want to be a big rock super star. No one cares.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight. The world was ready for this disc, since it had been four years since new LP. The first single "What I've Done" was not really all that strong, yet everyone had hopes that the rest of the album would be solid. I have yet to meet a single person that thought Minutes was quality. And even more of those people consider Linkin Park to have sold out. Thank God for the solo careers of Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: The epic failure of Britney Spears, but not musically. Tunefully, I could not care less about her. I've always been told that when you have a kid, it turns your life around. I thought for sure that would happen, especially after marrying K-Fed. What could get worse?! Apparently, not wanting your daughter and losing custody and visitation rights to her. And who the hell misses their own deposition? Your children are going to hate you up until the moment you die, Britney, and leave them a fat wad of cash. That'll be the only useful thing you ever do for them.

Best Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Amy Winehouse. Despite all of the negative hype around her, my vote goes for new paparazzi figurine Amy Winehouse. From the cover of tabloids to your audioboxes, she is everywhere these days. This was a step back into the Motown R&B era, and a right direction for the music world. So many people could take a page from this girl (just not from her habits). I rate her "Best Platinum Artist of 2007".

Comeback Artist of the Year: Smashing Pumpkins. Does it surprise anyone that I'm throwing the Smashing Pumpkins into the ring for this one? After failing miserably as a solo artist, Billy Corgan manages to bring things together under his former moniker despite not having all original pieces. Zeitgeist, while not in my top list for the year, was a step in the right direction if the Pumpkins want to remain in our hearts and not just on "Flashback Weekend" radio. There were plenty of quality songs, despite what I deem as a "massive amount of filler" between real tracks. Never thought I would say something positive about Corgan.

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And that's it for our 2007 Staff Picks. Keep an eye on 411 for the rest of our 2007 Year In Review, including some of the best reviewed albums in the zone.