Quarter-Pole 2007 2-CD Mix

April has arrived and therefore 25% of 2007 is over, if my math, which is known to be highly suspect, is correct. The first quarter of the year has been fairly abundant in terms of quality releases. Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna took me aback with its glorious pop numbers reminding me of the glam era. Similarly, Panda Bear brought me back to my childhood days of car rides to the tune of Paul Simon and Brian Wilson. Many of these songs have been previously featured here, which isn't surprising seeing as they are my favourites of the year, thus far. What does the rest of 2007 have in store? New releases from Bjork, Art Brut, and the Beastie Boys sound promising, and hopefully some waves will be made from now-unknowns. Anyways, these 28 songs are a representation of 2007's best, I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I have. Oh, and they're not ordered for any purpose other than a tracklisting. Your thoughts and opinions are welcome, don't hesitate to post them!

1. Blonde Redhead - 23
2. Air - Once Upon A Time
3. El-P - Run the Numbers
4. Klaxons - Golden Skans
5. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
6. Menomena - Air Aid
7. The Mary Onettes - Void
8. Modest Mouse - Dashboard
9. The National - Fake Empire
10. Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
11. Panda Bear - Bros
12. The Ponys - Double Vision
13. Windmill - Fluorescent Lights
14. Maia Hirasawa - And I Found this Boy

15. Prince Ali & Incise - Drift (ft. Thieven & Blue)
16. Venetian Snares - Pink + Green
17. !!! - All My Heroes Are Weirdos
18. The Besnard Lakes - For Agent 13
19. The Aliens - Setting Sun
20. Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash
21. The Apples In Stereo - Energy
22. Dalek - Paragraphs Relentless
23. The Field - Over the Ice
24. Sister Vanilla - Jamcolas
25. Voxtrot - Kid Gloves
26. Tunturia - October 4, 1957
27. Tokyo Police Club - Box
28. Hieroglyphics - You Never Know (Domino Remix)

2006 - 50 Best Singles

2006 is nearly gone, and while I'm compiling my list of favourite albums from the year past, here's a small warm-up. The best singles of 2006 according to me. Please don't read into the ordering - it's merely alphabetical. Lookout for the corresponding list of albums on January 1, 2007. Big thanks to Eric Spano for the art-work.

MP3: The Antennas - Adapt!
MP3: Arctic Monkeys - When the Sun Goes Down
MP3: Art Brut - Modern Art
MP3: Asobi Seksu - Thursday
MP3: Beirut - Postcards from Italy
MP3: Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
MP3: Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
MP3: Cansei de Ser Sexy - Alala
MP3: Cassius - Toop Toop
MP3: Danielson - Did I Step on Your Trumpet?
MP3: Editors - All Sparks
MP3: The Egg - Walking Away
MP3: El Perro Del Mar - God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)
MP3: Ellen Allien & Apparat - Turbo Dreams
MP3: Franz Ferdinand - Eleanor Put Your Boots On
MP3: Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries
MP3: Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
MP3: Gorillaz - El Mañana
MP3: Hot Chip - Over and Over
MP3: I'm From Barcelona - We’re From Barcelona
MP3: Islands - Rough Gem
MP3: Jim Noir - Eanie Meany
MP3: Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone
MP3: The Knife - Marble House
MP3: Le Sport - It's Not the End of the World
MP3: Lily Allen - Smile
MP3: Love Is All - Busy Doing Nothing
MP3: Lupe Fiasco (Ft. Jill Scott) - Daydreamin'
MP3: M. Ward - Chinese Translation
MP3: Malajube - Montreal -40 C
MP3: Mew - Why are you Looking Grave?
MP3: The New Pornographers - Use It
MP3: Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks
MP3: Phoenix - Long Distance Call
MP3: The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
MP3: The Presets - Girl and the Sea (Cut Copy Remix)
MP3: The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste in Music
MP3: The Rapture - W.A.Y.U.H.
MP3: Ratatat - Wildcat
MP3: Serena Maneesh - Drain Cosmetics
MP3: Spank Rock - Rick Rubin
MP3: Shitdisco - Reactor Party
MP3: The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
MP3: Tapes 'N Tapes - Insistor
MP3: Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill
MP3: T.I. - What You Know
MP3: TV on The Radio - Wolf Like Me
MP3: We Are Scientists - It's a Hit
MP3: Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything
MP3: Yo La Tengo - Mr. Tough

Art

Certain albums resonate very personal affinities and ties with us. Familiar sounds; clattering cymbals; wry remarks; incorrigible attitudes, whatever. Album art gives these aural qualities a face. Political undertones, philosophical connotations, or perhaps something as simple as an aesthetic pleasantry are reasons for this allure. I'm no anthropologist, nor do I particularly care for the study of human nature, so suffice to say that we like this art. Interpretations are imperative. Artistic freedom allows for the simple pleasure of having no single correct view, but multiple possibilities. Unless of course the artist has blatantly stated what their art is representative of - tough luck.

Here are a select few of my own favourites:

Killing Joke - What's THIS For...!

Desolate, dystopian, and gloomy. This looks like a ghastly isolated town recently hit by a nuclear bomb. The emptiness suits the hollow feel of the album. And that woman's also got some strong calves, she must work out. Unfortunately her gym is a pile of rubble.

Primal Scream - Screamadelica

This here is the delightful blob of paint that I've come to know as Mr. Screamadelica. Many a time have I received compliments regarding him (he has been my IM display picture on several occasions) and I greedily accepted them without mentioning that I never painted him. I wish I did paint him.

The Human League - The Dignity of Labour Pts. 1-4

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, is depicted on his way to receiving an honourary medal from Nikita Khrushchev, to the delight of the ecstatic crowd. Small in stature, he became a Soviet celebrity and a critical piece of propaganda to gain sufferance towards his nation's cause. Is there much dignity in labour? Perhaps, but he's clearly put on a pedestal, looking down on the mere peasants that constructed his ship. Isolation. That's a big theme in this EP. It's extremely isolated and atmospheric; vast meandering sounds reflecting the space-world. Proto-Industrial from Sheffield.

Gang of Four - Entertainment!

It's fair to say that Gang of Four were a bunch of politicos, both in word and voice. Chants of injustice and hypocrisy abound, they took the extra step to ensure their views were noticed - as is seen in short phrases depicting the "white man" robbing the indigenous.























Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords

A battle on a chessboard - Chessboxin'. This album carries on with the Wu-Tang fascination with samurai culture and the animation shows. Gza's rhymes and wit are lyrical swords, knocking down his prey. Checkmate.

Killing Joke - The Fall of Because [mp3] [buy]
Primal Scream - Don't Fight It, Feel It [mp3] [buy]
The Human League - The Dignity of Labour Pt. 1 [mp3] [buy]
Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It [mp3] [buy]
Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords [mp3] [buy]