Legacy Recordings

Typically I share my “Top 10 Film” list with friends around the middle of January.  But this year I was tardy.  It’s not that I was late in compiling the list — that was no problem.  It’s just that I never got around to typing and sending it out.   

In the wake of the Oscars, several folks have asked me what I thought about last night’s telecast.  And more than one has remarked, “Why didn’t you send out your Top Films list this year?”  So with the blush of Oscar fever still rosy on my cheeks, I’ve decided to cave in to pressure and present my top cinematic picks from calendar year 2007.  The astute among you will notice that the film at the top of my list, The Lives of Others, received precious little fanfare this year.  That’s because it won the Oscar for best foreign language film LAST YEAR.  The film, however, didn’t reach most U.S. screens until January 2007, which, in my book, makes it eligible for consideration on my list for 2007.

Now a few random thoughts about last night’s Oscars. 

I was quite pleased with the winners.  Daniel Day-Lewis deserved the statue for Best Actor.  I was equally pleased about the wins for Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton.  The Best Picture and Best Director awards for Joel & Ethan Coen were right on the money.  I was disappointed that No Country For Old Men failed to win for Best Cinematography; I found it much more evocative and haunting than There Will Be Blood.  I thought Tilda’s dress was striking and futuristic – down with the fashion police who attacked her for it!  I’m glad the Academy allowed Marketa Irglova, who shared the Oscar for Best Song (“Falling Slowly” from Once), to return to the stage and express her uplifting views on working in the independent film sector.   And how could you not be happy for Diablo Cody?  Talk about a rags to riches story — Oscar gold with her first screenplay!  I’m looking forward to the next installment of her monthly column in Entertainment Weekly, in which she will hopefully take us behind the scenes on her big Oscar night.

So now, without further procrastination, are my own personal picks for the year’s best.

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2007

“The Lives of Others” (Florian Henckel von Dommersmarck)

“No Country For Old Men” (Joel & Ethan Coen)

“There Will Be Blood” (Paul Thomas Anderson)

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Andrew Dominick)

“Control” (Anton Corbijn)

“Eastern Promises” (David Cronenberg)

“Margot at the Wedding” (Noah Baumbach)

“Death Proof” (Quentin Tarantino)

“Paranoid Park” (Gus Van Sant)

“Zodiac” (David Fincher)

ALSO WORTH YOUR TIME: “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” (Sidney Lumet), “The Savages” (Tamara Jenkins), “La Vie en Rose” (Olivier Dahan), “Brand Upon the Brain” (Guy Maddin), “Southland Tales” (Richard Kelly), “This Is England” (Shane Meadows)

BEST DOCUMENTARY:  “No End In Sight” (Charles Ferguson).  RUNNER UP: “Helvetica” (Gary Hustwit)

Since Sam raked me over the coals for not doing this sooner, here are my top 10 albums for 2007, in no particular order:

Cotton Teeth
by [The Snake the Cross the Crown]
Equal Vision
(indie rock/americana of the year, as far as i’m concerned)
Listen for FREE

Beauty & Crime
by [Suzanne Vega]
Blue Note
(one of the most underrated female voices in music delivers her freshest and most cohesive work since Solitude Standing)
Listen for FREE

Re-Imagination
by [Eldar]
Masterworks Jazz
(yes i worked it, and yes i can keep listening to it. this kid is not yet 21 and can jam with ANYONE. crazy good. go to http://www.giantstep.net/artists/920 for a remix by Nicolay, too.)
Listen for FREE

Absolutes
by [Barcelona]
Self-Released
(the second Keane album was a dissapointment. This makes it all okay.)
Listen for FREE

Young Galaxy
by [Young Galaxy]
Arts & Crafts
(ok maybe i’m an arts and Crafts nut, but this one gets me every time too.)
Listen for FREE

Centuries Before Love and War
by [Stars of Track and Field]
Wind-Up Records
(the Travis album dissapointed me, but this made me feel better)
Listen for FREE

Matchless Years
by [Aarktica]
Darla Records
(certainly worth listening to if you haven’t and you enjoy lush indie pop. The default song on my myspace for months.)
Listen for FREE

Kurr
by [Amiina]
Ever Records
(delicate, fragile, gentle and lovely)
Listen for FREE

Untrue
by [Burial]
Hyperdub
Listen for FREE
(I keep going back to it. yes i know its not really dubstep. i can’t stand 99% of dub/reggae so this is actually not a bad thing. reminds me of my first impression of the first The Streets record, without the brain-numbing vocals.)

Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge
by [The Pierces]
Lizard King
(the creepy pop record that Bat For Lashes wants to be)
Listen for FREE

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
by [Spoon]
Merge
(nobody does indie guitar pop like Britt)
Listen for FREE.

Time on Earth
by [Crowded House]
ATO
(I love Neil Finn more than is right. Was looking forward to this one since the reformation announcement, it really grows on you.)
Listen for FREE on Rhapsody

A Strange Education
by [The Cinematics]
(Eat your heart out, other Joy Division cover bands.)
Listen for FREE

Other Categories:

Records everyone else liked that I did not like as much as they did:
Panda Bear
LCD Soundsystem
Radiohead
Battles
Yeasayer
Bat For Lashes (But that might just be cause I dont like bjork much)

Records i wanted to be better:
Tracey Thorn
Lou Rhodes
Underworld

well, it’s that time of year again where i get to pretend to be a world renown music maven, recommending the best 2007 has to offer.  in no particular order, below are my top 8 albums and songs, plus what i’m excited for in ‘08.  merry christmas, feliz navidad, happy holidays and a rocking new year.

albums

alicia keys - as i am
- as soon as i heard the first note to the single “no one” i was hooked.  there was just something about the steady beat of the drums, the familiar sound of the keys going up and down the scale, and the voice.  favorite track - “sure looks good to me”

kanye west - graduation
- fantastic album from beginning to end.  favorite track - “everything i am”

travis - the boy with no name
- one of the best concerts i saw this year.  favorite track - “closer”

chrisette michele - i am
- “it’s my time to find the best of me”  favorite track - “best of me”

wyclef jean - carnival vol ii…memoirs of an immigrant
- my favorite project.  favorite track - “slow down”

a fine frenzy - one cell in the sea
- ok, i jumped on the bandwagon with this one.  favorite track “almost lover”

onerepublic - dreaming out loud
- couldn’t turn on top 40 radio without hearing “apologize” every freaking 15 minutes.  i was so tired of that song and didn’t want to listen to the album.  but alas, one day i caved in and was truly caught off guard by how good this album is.  favorite track - “say (all i need)”

rihanna - good girl gone bad
-  i heard “umbrella” and thought, nelly furtado has another single out?  it was the “ella, ella, eh, eh, eh” part that reminded me of her.  if you like the song, check out the version by marie digby.  favorite track - “hate that i love you”

songs

musiq soulchild - b.u.d.d.y.
- i saw him open for paolo nutini and thought, he should have been the headliner.

joshua james - fm radio
- one of this year’s best free songs

band of horses - no one’s gonna love you
- i was flipping thru the tele one night and caught the end of ‘chuck’ on nbc. they had this song playing in the background and i couldn’t get it out of my head. i scribbled down some of the lyrics, went online and found a last minute addition to this list.  afterwards, i found their free buckies card and realized i had the song the whole time.  just didn’t get to downloading it.  sigh.

t-pain - buy u a drank (shawty snappin’)
- my favorite part “now walk it out, think about it, awww snap”

glen hansard & marketa irglova - falling slowly (from the ‘once’ soundtrack)
- they were amazing live.  beacon was completely silent when they sang this song.

peter, bjorn and john - young folks
- go on, whistle along.  it’s pretty damn catchy.

ingrid michaelson - overboard
- i remembered her from last season of grey’s anatomy.  she had the season finale track and was on good morning america the next day.  this is from her new album, which is pretty damn good too.  she would have made the list if it was top nine.

sara bareilles - gravity
- every once in a while, i hear a song and think, my god, they read my mind.  towards the end, when she sings “down” and holds on to the second half of the note…i mean, i’m not cryin’ or nuthin’ but, man, that part always hits me hard.

looking forward to in ‘08 - mariah carey!, coldplay, rachael yamagata, corinne bailey rae, aterciopelados, u2, madonna, whitney houston, janet jackson, julieta venegas.

 *the original note was for 8 albums and songs.  since this blog is 10, below are my additions.

albums
mark ronson - version
bruce springsteen - magic

songs
foo fighters - statues
common - drivin’ me wild w/lily allen

My favourites of the year.

Not the best year ever for music, but some notable highlights including Reading Festival, The Big Chill, and the Control movie (which everyone should see).

The good thing about sharing these lists is to find out what I haven’t yet heard. One of the best albums for me this year was Midlake, which was a purchase based on so many people’s recommendations this time last year. This year’s still to be discovered for me include the new albums from Burial, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, and Radiohead.

Happy and Peaceful Christmas, and a wonderful 2008,
Tim.

Albums

The top 5:

Bruce Springsteen “Magic”

Arcade Fire “Neon Bible”

Eagles “Long Road Out Of Eden”

Manic Street Preachers “Send Away The Tigers”

Richard Hawley “Lady’s Bridge”

Honorable mentions:

Neil Young “Chrome Dreams II”

Candie Payne “I Wish I Could Have Loved You More”

Foo Fighters “Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace”

Kings Of Leon “Because Of The Times”

Chemical Brothers “We Are The Night”

Maximo Park “Our Earthly Pleasures”
Mark Ronson “Version”

Singles

Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love”

Klaxons “Golden Skans”

Peter Bjorn & John “Young Folks”
Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse “Valerie”
Eagles “Busy Being Fabulous”

DJ Shadow “This Time”

My Chemical Romance “Teenagers”

Manic Street Preachers “Autmnsong”

Prince “Guitar”

Camera Obscura “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”

Compilations

Various artists

“Savage Pencil Presents Lion vs Dragon In Dub” (Trojan) - the best dub compilation I’ve ever heard

“Greasy Truckers Party” (EMI) - the complete sets from Hawkwind, Man, and Brinsley Schwarz from a magical night 35 years ago. If only I’d been a bit older….

“Riot Radio Broadcast” (Trojan) - The Dead 60’s trawl through the Trojan archives.

“Nervous Tension” (EMI) - 20 killer post-punk tracks, most of them could easily be mistaken for this year’s releases

Single artist

Sandy Denny “Live At The BBC” - arguably the finest female vocalist of all time already on her second box set of the 21st century

The Rolling Stones “Rolled Gold” - still the best ever Stones compilation, and finally on CD over 30 years after the LP release.

Van Morrison “Still On Top - The Greatest Hits”

Miles Davis “The Complete On The Corner Sessions”

Bob Dylan “Dylan” (3CD)
Donald Fagen “Nightfly Trilogy”

Reissues

Magazine expanded editions - 3 fine albums and the other one

Man expanded editions - 6 albums in 2 months, the highlight being an unreleased concert added to Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics. Those who know me will understand

Genesis “A Trick Of The Tail” - the best remastering job ever?

Steve Hillage expanded editions - wonderful sonic upgrades and bonus tracks. It will not surprise some of you to learn I am in the audience for half the live album

Joy Division deluxe editions - sound is amazing, and I was at the bonus concert on the Still disc!

John Martyn “Grace And Danger” Deluxe edition

The Alan Parsons Project expanded editions

Prefab Sprout “Steve McQueen” Legacy edition