yeah, I'm not used to splates having such different tastes than I. Though I haven't heard some of those and completely forgot that Chamillionaire existed.

I have never listened to Elliot Smith and really enjoyed it.

I'm in the middle of my third listen of this Original Silence album, and I think it's safe to say that it's a 2007 album worth listeng to.

There's a slim chance splates would like it (probably not), but a pretty good chance that cemeterypolka and anyone else who likes free jazz and noisy stuff would dig it. It's an improv group consisting of Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, Terrie Ex, Mats Gustafsson, and some other dudes.

bests, in random-ish order:
battles
st. vincent
andrew bird
ego plum and the ebola music orchestra
thurston moore
arcade fire
noisettes

much has been disappointing this year. I mean, I can't think of anything else I could honestly add to that to create a top-10. Hopefully if I actually sat down to think about this I would remember several others.

Or, better yet, hopefully there will be some amazing releases in the last part of the year. (Should, at the least, be a new Residents album.)

Since other people are doing it:

Stuff I'm really happy with
1. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
2. Battles - Mirrored
3. Neurosis - Given to the Rising
4. Boris with Michio Kurihara - Rainbow
5. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
6. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
7. Original Silence - The First Original Silence
8. The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
9. !!! - Myth Takes
10. Louis Sclavis - L'imparfait des langues
11. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
12. Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey

Stuff I'm kinda happy with
13. Vijay Iyer + Mike Ladd - Still Life with Commentator
14. Cornelius - Sensuous
15. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
16. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
17. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
18. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound
19. Marissa Nadler - Songs 3: Bird on the Water
20. Ghost - In Stormy Nights
21. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is
22. Animal Collective - People

Stuff I'm not so happy with
23. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
24. Low - Drums and Guns
25. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
26. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
27. Bill Callahan - Woke on a Whaleheart
28. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
29. Feist - The Reminder
30. Blonde Redhead - 23

Stuff I'm fairly unhappy with
31. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
32. Of Montreal - Icons, Abstract Thee
33. Menomena - Friend and Foe
34. Pharoahe Monch - Desire
35. The Clientele - God Save the Clientele

What does that mean? I'm still waiting for my recommendation.

I can hardly think of anything not already listed:

Panda Bear
Iron & Wine
Neil Young
Animal Collective
Pop Levi
Boris w/ Michio Kurihara
Earth
Amon Tobin
Battles
...

I haven't bought a single album from 2007, don't think, and am totally uninspired to spend my money, less because of the quality of music than the state of affairs.

?

Black Francis
St. Vincent
Dax Riggs
Pop Levi
Meat Puppets
J. Tillman

Just trying to name a few that haven't been thrown out there yet (or not a lot, anyway).

And albums I've only heard once or twice but sounded like they could be favorites down the line:

Seabear
Jose Gonzalez
Dirty Projectors
Sunset Rubdown

I was really not pleased with this album. I thought the last 4 songs or so were reasonably strong enough to save it, but the three droning trance-y instrumental tracks killed it for me.

Interpol
Animal Collective
National
Grinderman
Wilco
Neil Young

I haven't even heard a hip hop album all year.

what would you say stands out from what id usually list though?

needs more electro / rock crossover bands.

Sometimes I get concerned about you, Dalen. Like now. Though I do/did hate the Liars disc.

I've said this before, but if you seriously can't find more than ten or so albums in a year (more specifically, this year) that really kick your ass, then Jesus... you're actively avoiding good music.

exactly, which is why this list is so confusing to me.

what on this list am i missing that's so brilliant? i've heard them all.

How kinda shitty the practice of buying music is these days; the near impossibility of finding new what I want on a local retail level, particularly on wax; the chicken-egg fuckery of working in music but not being supported by it well enough to have the disposable income for it, so stealing while chiding the stealing.

Well, what can I say? I'm not the kind of guy that's ever been bothered by droning trance-y instrumental tracks.

Oh, but you might like the Fluorescent Grey EP.

I forgot the new Fiery Furnaces album. That'll probably make my top 10.

so how is this different than the "rolling best of 2007" thread?

Oh, its gonna get ugly in here.

That other thread is way too civil.

I guess Im not actively bothered by them, but they certainly arent endearing.

i'm counting on it!

I completely agree.

I also agree with those who consider nU pr0n and Shins disappointing.

For those who haven't heard the new (still not yet released, though) Frank Black, it is outstanding.

Outstanding until it's officially released, then it'll just be meh.