The Top 31 of 2007 – #5

Cale’s Pick

Bright Eyes: Cassadaga

Released: April 10, 2007

My list has seen a lot of changes since I began compiling it months ago. #1s shifted constantly, an album that was once in the Top 10 didn’t even make the list, and other crazy things went down too. Through all that, pretty much the only constant was Cassadaga, an album that started at #5 and stayed at #5. Conor Oberst’s unique style of making music is so familiar to me now, that it’s hard to be surprised by anything he does. I either like it or I don’t, and that feeling is pretty concrete at the beginning so it rarely changes. Fortunately for Bright Eyes, I loved Cassadaga. It is, in my opinion, the best Bright Eyes album to date. Conor spends less time wallowing in sorrow, and more time dwelling on personal antecdotes or commenting on the state of the world (without using names…I hate when people use names). The songs are sometimes catchy (really?), sometimes touching, always poignant and relevant. As it is with pretty much Conor Oberst has ever been a part of, many people will be turned off by his admittedly horrendous voice (he does sing, “Well I could’ve been a famous singer if I had someone else’s voice” afterall). But if you can suck it up and just take it for what it is, you’ll walk away entirely satisfied. Hopefully.

For outdoing himself, Conor Oberst (and whoever else is in Bright Eyes) make it to #5.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 – #5
“1, 2, 3, 4” by Feist, from the album, The Reminder.

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Jill’s Pick

Kanye West: Graduation

Released: September 11, 2007

I personally think that Mr. West is some kind of musical genius. (There’s that word again and someday we’ll talk about that.) I do. I can’t help it. The beats are tight (to borrow a phrase from, oh, I don’t know, NWA) and the lyrics tend to run on the smirking smart side. I always look to his lyrics for the cleverness, the subtle jabs, the oh-so-poetic groupings of words that either make me chuckle (like “…since OJ had Isotoners…”) or snort out a “Oh, that’s so true.”

There’s a lot to be said about Kanye West. To me, it’s like he gets what Hip-Hop and Rap was and what it should be. If you don’t like him, this album won’t do a thing for you. If you do, you should be able to appreciate, as I do, the ways he forges ahead even further into his ego, his talent, and his production standards. That genius thing puts so much space between himself and other rappers that maybe he is as awesome as he says to be.

My favorite thing about this album is his use of Labi Siffre, a 1970’s Folk/Jazz performer on the track “I Wonder”. I like that rappers like Kanye West and Nas aren’t afraid to push the limits of their genre by bringing in a little Jazz or Folk or Gospel, all things you wouldn’t expect to hear on a Rap album.

The best track: “I Wonder”

My favorite tracks:

–“I Wonder”

–“Stronger”

–“Good Life”

–“Can’t Tell Me Nothing”

–“Flashing Lights” (which really I think is my favorite song on the entire album)

The way of the Dodo they’ve gone…

Yeah. She’s not so NEW.

First, a little vocabulary lesson. I know we’re all smart creatures and have a grasp on the meaning of this particular word, but I feel it needs to be here as a reminder: New: (as defined by Webster’s Dictionary) 1. having just come into being or been made or acquired or discovered; 2. having no previous example or precedent or parallel; 3. fresh; 4. unfamiliar; 5. recently.

Each of these artists are nominated for Best New Artist category for this year’s Grammy’s. You might have heard about this since it was just a few days ago these were announced. It should be noted that the elegibility year to be considered for a nomination in this category is October 1st 2006 to September 30 2007.

Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

According to Google:

Feist has 5 albums, the first dating back to 1999’s Monarch (Lay Down Your Jeweled Head)
Paramore has 2 albums, the first dating back to 2005’s All We Know Is Falling.
Amy Winehouse has 2 albums, the first dating back to 2003’s Frank.
Ledisi has 3 albums, the first dating back to 2001’s Soulsinger.
Taylor Swift. One album. October 24 2006’s self-titled Taylor Swift.

Please. Again. Read this: New: (as defined by Webster’s Dictionary) 1. having just come into being or been made; 2. having no previous example or precedent or parallel; 3. fresh; 4. unfamiliar; 5. recently.

Here’s the truth: I gave up watching the Grammy’s when Maroon 5 won the Best New Artist category in 2004. I developed a fine hatred for the Grammy’s when Maroon 5’s “This Love” off of Songs About Jane won for Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal in 2005. (It’s no secret, though, that I don’t at all for any reason like Maroon 5. Adam Levine’s voice makes me want to poke something really sharp into my ears. It’s true. There is not one other singer out there that I can think of that irritates me instantly.) This wouldn’t have been an issue had Songs About Jane HADN’T BEEN RELEASED, oh, I don’t know, IN 2002. Let’s not forget there was also a “surprise” nomination for Fountains of Wayne, who had also been around releasing albums for awhile when their name was called.

I will give the Grammy’s this: I didn’t know who the hell Ledisi or Taylor Swift was when I read the list. In fact, that’s what I said, “Who the hell are these people?” and it gave me a little hope. I thought, hey, maybe the Grammy people finally picked people who are new! Maybe these are fresh new artists this time around! Actually, that came after my huge sigh of relief when I looked up Taylor Swift, because honestly, I’d been walking around for a few days thinking it was actually Taylor Hicks, the American Idol guy. But it came around, that disbelief and wonder about these two people I’d never heard of being properly nominated. Then my bubble was burst when I found out Ledisi has several other albums and that left me with Taylor Hicks, who by default, I will be rooting for to win.

Seriously, though. Best New Artist. Why don’t they just change it to Best Artist? Or Best Artist That Has Had 2+ Previous Releases But Thanks to iTunes/Verizon/Nike Commericials Are Only Just Getting Into Their (Mainstream) Popularity Between the Dates Oct. 1 – Sept. 30th?

I’ve heard the argument that even though some of these artists have had had previous releases, they don’t really “count” because they weren’t on “major” labels. That doesn’t even make sense: an album is an album and if you’ve put out 2 or more of them, then you’re an established act. You have past sales, past shows, and a fan base. I don’t care what label you’re on. You aren’t NEW. You’re almost…old. New no longer applies. Maybe Best Artist That Has Had 2+ Previous Releases But Thanks to iTunes/Verizon/Nike Commericials Are Only Just Getting Into Their (Mainstream) Popularity Between the Dates Oct. 1 – Sept. 30th is the way to go because Amy Winehouse, Feist, and Paramore all hit their stride with the MTV/Radio crowd in the elegibility period.

It’s disappointing. Seriously disappointing that an institution that is supposed to weed out all the garbage and give us a definitive answer as to what is “the BEST” continually fails when it comes to new artists. They have Taylor Swift, but what about…well…I’m hard pressed to find someone truly new. Sean Kingston? Soulja Boy? A Fine Frenzy? Ingrid Michaelson? Colbie Caillat? The Last Kiss Goodnight? Emerson Hart? Boys Like Girls? Sure, they aren’t the greatest artists ever, but they at least fall into the label of “new”. (Well, okay, Emerson Hart is iffy…but this is a solo album and all other work before was done with Tonic. But still.) They’ve somehow managed to turn Best New Artist into a joke and this year’s nominations only goes to prove that once again.

Let’s face it, just because some people haven’t heard of these acts before, it’s not enough to qualify them as new and I don’t know why the Grammy’s insists on passing them off as so. As soon as I finished that sentence, I realized why: popularity = money = people watching the broadcast. If you’re going to load up on a bunch of acts no one has ever heard of, those who are truly new, you run of the risk of losing viewers. (If you’re a college football fan, it’s like the BCS of music!) It’s all about money when it should be all about music and I fear it’ll never be all about music again. You can’t give awards to artists people don’t know because said people won’t tune in, no matter how blockbuster your live acts may be. People like their favorites to win awards, it’s that simple. I’m fine with that, but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. If the Grammy’s aren’t going to properly give new artists a chance, then they need to drop the category; offering it to one true new artist just isn’t enough to keep it around.

With that said, Go Taylor!

2007’s Top 5 Songs From Bad Albums

It’s always unfortunate when you hear a really great song and then run out to buy the album based on that one song, only to find that the rest of the album sucks! This is particularly why I’m an advocate of free online music (be it streaming or P2P). Sometimes you just need to hear the whole album before a purchase can be justified. Case in point, the following five songs. They’re great songs, some of 2007’s best! But they make you greatful for online music stores like iTunes where you’re able to buy by the song. The following are the Top 5 songs of 2007 that were on crappy albums!

#5: “Icky Thump” – The White Stripes, from the album Icky Thump – While all the major media outlets were raving about the return-to-form that was Icky Thump, us levelheaded folks were busy wondering what the fuss was all about. Aside from about 2 to 3 decent tracks, Icky Thump sucked. Not only that, it was the same crap we’ve been hearing from The White Stripes for over a decade! The band showed no progression, and hardly any justification for positive feedback. “Icky Thump” was the biggest exception to this. An upbeat, infectious, and unapologetic rock song, “Icky Thump” really proved how bad the album was. It kicked things off with a bang, and everything else just whimpered.

#4: “Don’t Make Me a Target” – Spoon, from the album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon has this habit of making 4 or 5 really great songs and lumping them on an album with 6 or 7 really forgettable songs. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was a really good example of this. Tracks like “Don’t you Evah” and “The Underdog” were fantastic tracks, while a song like “Japanese Cigarette Case” is just begging for you to skip it. My favorite track on the album is the powerful, toe-tapping opener, “Don’t Make Me a Target.” Brit Daniel’s vocals are spot-on as usual, and the infectious groove created by the guitar is just unstoppable. I love every minute of it; both on the CD and live!

#3: “Sugar Assault Me Now” by Pop Levi, from the album The Return to Form Black Magick Party – Wow, what a mediocre album. With only two songs that I listen to occasionally, The Return to Form Black Magick Party is an album that doesn’t need to exist. Not good enough to enjoy and not bad enough to make fun of, Pop Levi’s debut album was just mediocre enough to forget. “Sugar Assault Me Now” is yet another lead-off track that showed promise, only to find that promise squandered on annoyingly repetitive guitar riffs and vocals. It’s as if Pop Levi thought to himself, “What’s the best way I could ruin this?” and then did exactly that. This song is still one of my favorite on my running playlist, and if it weren’t for that, Pop Levi would’ve been forgotten about a long long time ago.

#2: “Lake Michigan” by Rogue Wave, from the album Asleep at Heaven’s Gate – Oh man, what a disappointment! Rogue Wave is one of my favorite bands, so I was so hyped about their newest album. When I found out that it’s only about half an album with a bunch of filler, I was as close to heartbroken as you can be over music. Their first two albums were flawless. This one, not so much. There are some fantastic song on here though, “Lake Michigan” being the stand out by far! And people are taking notice too, thanks to Microsoft. While I’m not the biggest fan of the album, I’m finally happy that the band is getting the attention that they deserve. If only it were for Descended Like Vultures.

#1: “One Two Three Four” by Feist, from the album The Reminder – To say The Reminder was a disappointment is an understatement. The album has one great song in “One Two Three Four” and then a bunch of mediocre to terrible songs filling in the rest of the space on the CD. It’s a shame when you consider how great Let It Die was. Like Rogue Wave, Feist has gotten a lot of attention recently thanks to Microsoft Apple, which is good. She’s too talented of an artist to not be heard, and the video to this song is much too magical to be ignored. If anything, I’m happy for Feist. But my feelings remain the same about The Reminder. It’s bad!