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)

Winners of the 4th Annual Cale Awards.

Well folks, after a month of polling, campaigning, and annoying you with updates you don’t care about, the 4th Annual Cale Awards have finally finished. Below you’ll find the winners according to the general readership of Audio Overflow, as well as my own personal pick for each category. Thanks to all of you who participated! Have a Merry Christmas!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Britney Spears: Blackout
2nd – Boddicker: Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man
3rd – Interpol: Our Love to Admire

Cale’s Pick:
Boddicker: Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man – Because I’ve been trying to think of worse albums for the last 10 months and I’m still coming up empty. It’s the single worst thing I’ve ever heard!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Britney Spears – “Toy Soldier”
2nd – Boddicker – “Bon Vivant”
3rd – Maroon 5 – “Kiwi”

Cale’s Pick:
Boddicker – “Bon Vivant” – Because I’ve been trying to think of worse songs for the last 10 months and I’m still coming up empty. It’s the single worst thing I’ve ever heard!

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Readers’ Pick
1st – Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight
2nd – Feist: The Reminder
3rd – Air: Pocket Symphony

Cale’s Pick:
Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight – I waited 3 years for a new Rilo Kiley album and what I got was a mediocre attempt at trying to sound like Fleetwood Mac. Personally, I’d aim a little higher.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Caribou: Andorra
2nd – LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
3rd – ContraNova: Infinity in all Directions

Cale’s Pick:

ContraNova: Infinity in all Directions – I went in expecting the worst, and came out with one of the most memorable and lasting musical experiences of the year.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
2nd – The Flaming Lips: At War With the Mystics
3rd – The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes

Cale’s Pick:
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife – It wasn’t my album of the year in 2006, but I’ve been surprised to find that it is just as good today as it was way back then. Perhaps better.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The Flaming Lips
2nd – Of Montreal
3rd – The New Pornographers

Cale’s Pick:
The Flaming Lips – What can I said that I haven’t already ranted about? The Lips are the best live act I’ve ever seen in my life, and when I saw them a few months back I was spinning for days. Pure 100% awesomeness.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Spoon – “The Underdog”
2nd – Bjork – “The Dull Flame of Desire”
3rd – Okkervil River – “A Girl in Port”

Cale’s Pick:
Architecture in Helsinki – “Hold Music” – The brass in this song is strong and biting. Playing at triple forte to enhance an already out of control song has never sounded so good!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Explosions in the Sky: All of a Sudden I miss Everyone
2nd – Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam
3rd – Radiohead: In Rainbows

Cale’s Pick:
Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam– It’s such a strangely satisfying album. One that makes absolutely no sense, and yet it makes even less sense to deny the genius of it. It is, quite simply, amazing.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
2nd – Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works
3rd – Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist

Cale’s Pick:
Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works– Band of Horses? Seriously? It’s a great album, but Dillinger Escape Plan would eat them alive, regurgitate them, and then sacrifice the regurgitation to Vulcanus! That’s what this category was really all about.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Kanye West: Graduation
2nd – El-P: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
3rd – K-Os: Atlantis: Hymns for Disco

Cale’s Pick:
Absaining – I didn’t really hear any hip hop this year that I enjoyed. K-Os was good at times, but not his best, so I can’t credit him for that.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Caribou: Andorra
2nd – Justice: †
3rd – LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

Cale’s Pick:
Justice: † – While all of the top three are great albums, I have to say that I enjoyed Justice’s log-awaited debut the most. Big ups to Caribou too though, that album is stunning.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Okkervil River: The Stage Names
2nd – Iron & Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog
3rd – Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir

Cale’s Pick:
Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir – It’s folk from Sweden, poppy folk, singer-songwriter folk. Hell, it’s just good.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War
2nd – Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
3rd – Beirut: The Flying Club Cup

Cale’s Pick:
Field Music: Tones of Town – It’s brilliantly composed and executed, and one of the most relentlessly enjoyable albums of 2007! Not bad for a pop album.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2nd – Tegan and Sara: The Con
3rd – The New Pornographers: Challengers

Cale’s Pick:
Band of Horses: Cease to Begin – I missed out on their debut, but I was fortunate enough to hear this one. It is without a doubt one of the best albums of 2007, and sure to please most everybody.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead: In Rainbows
2nd – Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
3rd – Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist

Cale’s Pick:
Radiohead: In Rainbows – Probably the only award that Radiohead actually deserves this year. The hipsters are out in full force, proclaiming In Rainbows to be the second coming of Christ, but it’s not. It is an awesome album though, and a long time coming for Radiohead.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
2nd – Bright Eyes: Cassadaga
3rd – Stars: In Our Bedroom, After the War

Cale’s Pick:
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? – It may not have been Of Montreal’s most artistic cover to date, but everything from how the album is opened, to the insert, to the clear, glossy sleeve it comes packaged in is beautiful.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – St. Vincent
2nd – Feist
3rd – M.I.A.

Cale’s Pick:
St. Vincent – This really isn’t even a contest. Annie Clark not only put out the best female album of the year, but one of the best…period. She is 2007’s Shara Worden.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Iron & Wine
2nd – LCD Soundsystem
3rd – Loney, Dear

Cale’s Pick:
Loney, Dear – His debut album here in the states was absolutely breathtaking from start to finish and he’s got one of the most unique styles in music today. That’s why I love it!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – St. Vincent
2nd – The Twilight Sad
3rd – Dan Deacon

Cale’s Pick:
St. Vincent – She put out an album that most established artists only dream about; a perfect album with clever lyrics and beautiful performances on both vocals and intruments. Annie Clark blew away the competition, and ended up winning this category with over 70% of the votes tallied: the most lopsided category of the year! That’s how good she is.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Feist – “1,2,3,4”

2nd – Band of Horses – “Is There A Ghost”
3rd – Architecture in Helsinki – “Heart it Races”

Cale’s Pick:
Feist – “1,2,3,4” – Feist should be writing a letter right now to whoever directed this video. It should read, “Dear director, thank you for making my career. I love you.”

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead

2nd – The Besnard Lakes
3rd – Of Montreal

Cale’s Pick:
Band of Horses – 2007 is the year that first heard and fell in love with Band of Horses. They may not have had the best album of the 2007, but their music will stick with me for years and years to come.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The New Pornographers – “Challengers”
2nd – Of Montreal – “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse”
3rd – Feist – “1,2,3,4”

Cale’s Pick:
Find out on December 31, 2007 in the Top 31 of 2007 Countdown

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead: In Rainbows
2nd – Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
3rd – Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

Cale’s Pick:
Find out on December 31, 2007 in the Top 31 of 2007 Countdown

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Again, thanks to all of you who voted! And thank you for reading Audio Overflow.

Vote Now for the 4th Annual Cale Awards!

In case the giant, obtrusive banner above wasn’t enough of a hint; the nominees for the 4th Annual Cale Awards have been announced and you can vote for you favorites RIGHT NOW!

There are a total of 22 Categories in which to vote, and voting will last through December 20th. Among the wide array of nominees are: St. Vincent, Of Montreal, Menomena, The Besnard Lakes, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, El-P, and even our good friends Kanye West and Britney Spears! As always though, you are able to write-in your own candidate simply by leaving a comment below each category.

Voting will only take a few minutes of your time, so head on over to the polls and vote today! Make sure your favorite artists get what they deserve (which is money from you…but you know… also a vote on some random music blog. It’s pretty important).