411 Music Presents...2007 Year In Review: Part 2 – Review Roundup

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 01.08.2008

Check out the 411 Music review crew's required listening for 2007. From metal to alternative to indie to rap to rock, we've got you covered...



PART 2: REVIEW ROUNDUP
A New Year is upon us. That means resolutions, taking down Christmas decorations, upcoming snow days and all manner of winter activities. But January also marks the end of our journey through the old year. With 2007 in the bag, the 411 Music review crew is taking a moment to look back at some our favorite (and not-so-favorite) albums of the past twelve months. To this end, we've rounded up a couple dozen or so records that, one way or another, just may rock those parkas and long johns right off. So study this list, print it off and take it to your local CD store. Whether you're a metal head, indie snob, rap aficionado or just like to rock the fuck out, these are 411 Music's best buys of the year that was:

Note: Just click on any album for their full, original review!



The term "indie", at its core, simply refers to an album released independent of a major label. It used to be that an indie record had very little chance of reaching the ears of anyone but hardcore fans and the staunchest of music store snobs. In 2007, however, indie neither refers to a certain defined style nor indicates that a record won't be a hit.

As far as style goes, our list once again runs the gauntlet, from legendary singer/songwriters to a young dance rock band. From punk to piano. And as indie sounds continue to be sought after in the mainstream, be it through movie soundtracks or television ads, the world has opened up to the seemingly small order of folks who decide to grab some recording time and do it themselves. Here's the best of those inspired musicians that 2007 had to offer. – Mitch Michaels

	#1 Elliott Smith - New Moon The 411: …[feels] like much more [than] just a demos and rarities album... The songs are just as good as Smith's landmark mid-90's output…New Moon captures Elliott Smith in a hopeful place, when the drug problem hadn't gotten too bad and before the major labels had made him doubt his own talent. There's an air of assuredness and forward-thinking here that makes for a lovely listen, and it's the way Smith should be remembered.
	#2 The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible The 411: This band is making important music, and you should hear it…their new sound has retained the artistry, innovation, and mindfulness that helped win the immense and well-deserved respect that this band enjoys. Huzzah!... An essential listen from beginning to end...the kind of second album you would expect from a band whose popularity is sky-rocketing, yet still remains unknown to the average music fan.
	#3 Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City The 411: …finds Block Party moving away from quirky UK art rock band to full on rock stars…There's a sense of oneness, not only in the band's skillful, rocked up playing, but also in Kele Okeleke's heady songwriting and that singularity makes this album a true contender for one of the top of the year. If you're ready to be challenged, excited and wowed, as well as prepared to see your favorite "little" indie band grow into full-fledged rock stars, this CD is for you.
This album has been out for months now and I still haven't gotten tired of spinning it. At 24 tracks, I'm still finding new treasures. If you love quiet indie music, you must own this record. - Mitch Michaels	#4 Andrew Bird– Armchair Apocrypha The 411: …an expansive and surprising [album]…an eclectic mix of indie pop and downcast blues. Bird's vocals are easy on the ear and blend perfectly with his wide range of instrumentation…Armchair Apocrypha is just aching to be loved.
	#5 Bad Brains - Build A Nation The 411: …[there is] much praise already accruing for this release from fellow musicians influenced by one of punk's most unique bands…it's great to have the Bad Brains back…Excellent…

At the end of 2006, Nas proclaimed that hip-hop was dead. In 2007, rappers consistently proved him wrong. Was there plenty of crap in the mainstream? You needn't look past the spectacular rise of Soulja Boy for proof of that. Still, not only did the usual group of underground MCs manage to hit homeruns over the past twelve months, several big time stars like Kanye West and Chamillionaire delivered on their massive success by putting out progressive and interesting CDs.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of hip-hop's continued success was the 9/11 sales battle between West and 50 Cent. When the smoke cleared, both men had sold millions of albums and rap found itself in the music headlines for months to come. Long live hip-hop. - Mitch Michaels

#1 Lupe Fiasco's The Cool The 411: …Lupe isn't for the average listener. His lyrics and vocabulary are ridiculously advanced and he certainly doesn't dumb it down for the mainstream…if you enjoyed his debut album [or have] an open mind, [this is] an extremely enjoyable listen…[do] not hesitate to pick up a copy as soon as possible. Highly recommended.
#2 Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab The 411: Ghostface albums are known beautiful production and fantastic lyricism…The Big Doe Rehab delivers well beyond expectations on both counts…some of Ghost's best songs since even Ironman. You would be absolutely insane as a hip-hop fan to not give this album a listen…easily an Album Of The Year candidate…a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience that is highly recommended.
#3 Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory The 411: Outstanding production backed by Chamillionaire's signature catchy hooks combined with his ability to address a wide number of topics…an extremely entertaining and satisfying listen…not only one of the best hip-hop albums to come out this year, but easily an Album Of The Year candidate.
#4 Kanye West - Graduation The 411: Graduation sees Kanye West mellow, but only a little… West's third record could have been a celebration of indulgence and excess or an isolating braggadocios mess. Instead, Kanye has managed to keep his ego in check and churn out a left-of-center hip-hop album full of synthesizers, samples and laid back beats…shows that West is still adventurous in the studio and able to crank out his own hits with ease.	…Lupe's rhyming and lyrically ability are way, way beyond anything else in the music business today, making it a little inaccessible to the average listener. Don't let that deter you though, if you have an open mind, you will LOVE this album, as it is a true treasure to listen to from start to finish. The production was excellent throughout and it surprisingly doesn't feature many "big time" producers or guest appearances. - Patrick Robinson
#5 Prodigy - Return Of The Mac The 411: P and [The Alchemist] have definitely put in work with this release…hands down, the best Mobb-related album since Murda Muzik and H.N.I.C.…Prodigy shows more focus…ALC knows exactly what P sounds good over…[This album] cannot be fronted on…cop this RIGHT NOW and tell your friends to cop it too.

Victory! Modern Rock has finally vanquished that devil known as Rap. 2007 was a great year for headbangers everywhere. The albums that follow are just small examples of what best displays rock for the year. So, throw up your rock-fist and leave these albums on repeat, because what you have here, folks, is quality. Some of these albums had unique and viral marketing strategies (NIN and Radiohead). Others just followed the regular scheme; either way, these artists have created some of the best music you'd want to hear... - Ben Czajkowski

	#1 The White Stripes - Icky Thump The 411: …The White Stripes' confident return to blazing rock…Jack and Meg jam to some burning rock and searing blues, all the while keeping that lo fi, quirky sensibility that has made them indie and critical darlings…[there's an] assuredness with which [the album is] delivered [because] they know you're gonna like it... Another masterpiece…[some of] the best songs the White Stripes have ever written. An outstanding release that is one of the top 5 releases of 2007.
	#2 Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero The 411: Many [are calling] Year Zero the best Nine Inch Nails album to date. It's an opinion you can respect…a very good album…the best I've heard in a long time…[it] brings Nine Inch Nails back to the frontlines of innovative music…not quite like anything [Trent] Reznor has made before, Year Zero works as the most confident, sonically rich collective statement he's released in years. .."not a particularly friendly record", but then again, in a musical climate saturated by Fergie and Nickelback, it's hard not to give him credit for creating a daring, aggressive album.
	#3 Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris The 411: …a leaner, heavier hitting record than Lullabies To Paralyze, but it's no more accessible…Queens Of The Stone Age prove they know how to rock with the best of them…they show little care for the pop set or big radio success…[fans will] no doubt enjoy this sixth set of balls-out, pissed off stoner metal…rock was ready to give QOTSA the "saviors of rock" award back in 2002. Lullabies To Paralyze was the single finger response to that. Era Vulgaris is the return of a band that just wants to rock.
…definitely up on my top ten list. I find myself pulling Icky Thump out more than their last record and still enjoy the guitar heavy sound that the White Stripes have created this time around…shows the duo of Jack and Meg White expanding their sound yet again…to make a monster of an album…one of the band's best albums and that's saying a lot. - Dan Marsicano	#4 Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank The 411: …a challenging, fantastic record…This band is light years away from losing steam and I believe they will only continue to surprise everyone with what they have yet to accomplish…artful and tight…nothing extraneous…no throw-away tracks…catchy singles to lure you in and madcap, lush album cuts to luxuriate in…Captivating.
	#5 Radiohead – In Rainbows The 411: …Radiohead always delivers, and they deliver once again on their seventh album. The atmosphere of mild fear and creepy apprehension is sure to be a favorite of fans…and the ten tracks are tight and full of quality…you can't say In Rainbows is anything but the "Radiohead sound"…if you've never given [Radiohead] a chance, naming your own price is a pretty attractive reason.

Hopefully, since June, you've mastered your poor abilities at dancing around the mosh pit. How many hours did you spend, in front of your mirror, listening to these albums, trying to perfect how to look cool in front of your friends? Hopefully, this music has inspired you to kill little animals (maybe even a baby). If not, then you're not listening to them loud enough. The hard rock/metal genre requires so little of you. You just need to indulge in violence, epic bass, angry drums, dark lyrics, and the love for a vocalist that you cannot understand. Listening to these top five albums is guaranteed to leave you black and blue or your money back. And in this list, there's a little of something for everyone. - Ben Czajkowski

#1 Shadows Fall - Threads Of Life The 411: Shadows Fall [keeps] their metal sound [while] experimenting with more acoustic guitars [and] clean vocals…The band is able to evolve while maintaining their edge…overall, Threads of Life is a great album.
#2 Dark Tranquility - Fiction The 411: A compelling release...that has the band sticking to their guns while evolving their sound a bit…a solid [album] that will have fans of melodic death metal satisfied.
#3 Between The Buried And Me - Colors The 411: …a modern day masterpiece that will appeal to almost any metal fan…blast beats and growling vocals…slow melodic sections with masterful clean singing…Between the Buried and Me has taken the next step as a band…pick up Colors as soon as possible.	Between the Buried and Me is a band that has been on the edge of greatness for years. I liked their last album Alaska a lot, but it;s Colors that really shows the true potential of this [band]…No band this year has shown the songwriting, emotion, and creativity that Between the Buried and Me has. …you've got to get your ass out and find this album ASAP…an underrated progressive metal masterpiece. - Dan Marsicano
#4 Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked, Part 1 The 411: Iced Earth succeeds with creating an interesting story that is backed up by solid musicianship…highlights include "Framing Armageddon", "The Clouding", "The Domino Degree" and "Ten Thousand Strong." Any fan of Iced Earth…should pick this up ASAP.
#5 Nile – Ithyphallic The 411: …a great death metal album…one of the best this year…you should welcome Ithyphallic with open arms. The Egyptian influences are well done and not too distracting, the slower pace leads to a more evil sound, and the melodic soloing throughout shows the band branching out from their core sound, while maintaining [their signature] brutal technical death metal.

While 411 covers all corners of the music world, from underground hip-hop to the darkest of metal, the sounds that come out of your Top 40 radio stations still provide a vital core to our existence. Do we listen to pop music because we're miserable? Or are we miserable because we listen to pop music?

Mainstream pop and rock will always be the common language that binds people, and 2007 provided Americans with plenty of reference points, be it through the jingoistic return of future Hall Of Famer John Mellencamp or the campy Brit pop of Lily Allen. It's another diverse list for the review crew, as we conquer all things popular. - Mitch Michaels


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	#1 John Mellencamp - Freedom's Road The 411: He's been away for far too long, but John Mellencamp has returned in full force. The hooks, jangly guitars are Mellencamp's master songwriting are all here. …In a perfect world, Freedom's Road could yield two or three big radio hits, but we'll probably have to settle for a Chevy commercial and one of the most honest sets of political rock to come along in a while…actually CELEBRATING America…What a novel idea.
	#2 Lily Allen - Alright, Still The 411: …catchy, funky, and full of pep. Allen seems to take pride in not taking herself too seriously…an enjoyable listen that doesn't fade with repeated [spins]…perhaps the most enjoyable bubblegum record in some time.
	#3 Bruce Springsteen - Magic The 411: Another great album from Springsteen and the E Street Band…moods range from fun and upbeat to soft and sorrowful…[Bruce] tackles love, death, war, and radio on this enjoyable album and shows that he's still got what it takes…
No doubt the best and most underrated rock album of the year. - Mitch Michaels	#4 Gary Allan - Living Hard The 411: …some of the hardest rocking pure country that has come along on the radio in years…big love ballads, jangly pop rock, heartbroken honky tonk jukebox numbers and ass-kicking country rockers. If you can't find something to like on this album, you're never going to like country music.
	#5 Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long The 411: …worth the wait…the perfect pop record…takes the soul of the 70's and brings it into the present…It couldn't be more current….unlike most of the over-hyped #1s of recent months, It Won't Be Soon absolutely deserves [the hype]…built to be huge, but also built with plenty of skill.

With any luck, albums should have gotten a little better in the second half of 2007. However, part of you believes that there was no making up for another shitty year in the music industry. Another year gone by full of disappointment and sullen glares at the album cover (or bittorrent). The single you listened to obsessively on the radio or on Myspace is older than "Good Times" reruns. You continue to blame the record label, the frontman getting clean, or, you lie to yourself and say, "It's okay to have one bad record". These five albums are a sampling of how bad things can get, whether you're trying to rework your old music for an acoustic set, trying to keep a career that died in the 1980's going, or just trying to break onto the music scene. - Ben Czajkowski

#1 Korn - Unplugged The 411: …very little good in this record…difficult to listen to…some fans will denounce [Unplugged] as sacrilege…a huge mistake…steer clear of this one…I have no idea who would subject themselves to this performance…nothing more than a small footnote on their lengthy, bland career.
#2 Bizarre - Blue Cheese & Coney Island The 411: Blue Cheese & Coney Island really isn't for anyone…longtime fans of Bizarre and D12 will be disappointed [with] the lack of D12 appearances…Bizarre himself seems "watered down" on many songs…irritating hooks, poor subject matter and even poorer execution. Avoid at all costs.
#3 Puddle Of Mudd - Famous The 411: …a mess. Puddle of Mudd sounds exactly like they did seven years ago, except they don't have a "Control" or a "Blurry" to save them… a bland rehash of the same tired riffs and cliches. Puddle of Mudd have resigned themselves to touring with Saliva for the rest of their lives.	… this album is terrible…imagine an album full of laughable attempts at "shock humor", inconceivably bad lyricism, a terrible flow and someone called King Gordy on every other track sounding like he's having his hair removed by the roots…this makes souljaboytellem.com look like Illmatic…Stay away. FAR. AWAY. - Patrick Robinson
#4 Poison - Poison'd The 411: …there is no reason to own this record…decent moments are few and far between…"Suffragette City" is especially offensive…[Poison'd shows] how lame Poison's cover songs have always been…
#5 Sum 41 - Underclass Hero The 411: …just too slow and plodding for the most part, as the band seems lifeless…too much like any other punk-rock band that "matured" their sound.

And now, from the home office in Sioux City, Iowa, we bring…aw, fuck it. Here's 411 Music's top 10 sure bets of 2007. Buy these albums, listen to them, worship them. We'll be busy keeping our eye out for the next big thing. - Mitch Michaels

	#1 The White Stripes - Icky Thump This is your album of the summer, if not the year. - Mitch
	#2 Beatallica - Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band …this is perfection…thank God Metallica's back, better than ever before, as Beatallica! - Jesse Coy
	#3 Lupe Fiasco's The Cool Whilst Food & Liquor served as a showcase of his ability, it is The Cool that truly shows us what Lupe is capable of if you are willing to listen. - Dan M.
...you'll never be able to listen to Metallica or The Beatles in the same way…this release has far more life to it than just [a novelty project]…Beatallica captures that chaotic, wild energy that the real band once had but has long since lost. - Jesse Coy	#4 Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab Ghost remains THE most consistently entertaining members of the [Wu-Tang] Clan and this album should not be ignored. - Patrick R.
	#5 Between The Buried And Me - Colors The band has set the bar high for themselves, as Colors shows Between the Buried and Me at the height of their creativity. - Dan M.
	#6 Sara Bareilles - Little Voice …of the highest order…a record with staying power and variety, a debut truly worthy of [Bareilles'] immense talent and potential…a reminder that there is truly great music yet to be discovered. - Samuel Berman
	#7 The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts …no other record released this year has knocked me out like this one has…an ambitious record and it pays off on every front…worth every penny of the import price. - John Nagle
	#8 Puscifer - 'V' Is For Vagina …[an] album that warrants multiple listens to try and dissect the elements that make it great…a contender for best album of the year… - Jesse Coy
…easily the band's strongest album in a long time…strikes a perfect balance between the progressive and metal elements that the band has seemed to search for since Awake…not only the best Dream Theater album in a long time, but one of their best albums period. - Brandon Ratliff	#9 Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits …proves that Garth stayed as strong on the radio throughout his career as he did on the album charts…the new essential Garth Brooks collection. If this set doesn't at least bring back some good memories of the big country boom years, you just suck. - Mitch
	#10 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos …definitely one of their best albums in years…[it] shows the band renewed and full of energy - Dan M.

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And that's all, folks. We'll see you tomorrow for Part 3 of our 2007 retrospective, where we look at some brilliant musical careers that were sadly ended over the year. Also, be sure to stay glued to 411mania's album review section so you'll never miss out on what the music world has to offer.