Top 5 Albums of 2007

It's time start the new year. We've done all the mandatory festivities: dinner with auntie Claire, getting drink or high and making a giant fool of yourself by attempting to take every girl at the party to bed, including the inflatable doll, and getting slapped every time, and finally clanging those pots and pans at midnight with a sound that resonates the North American Christian earth(how many different new year's dates are there?). Now there is one last thing to do. The funeral of the previous year. Clinging on to every single month as if you'll never see it again. To ease you with the pain, I've collected the top 5 albums which in my opinion, shone in a year full of good music.

Notable runners up: The White Stripes - Icky Thump, The Arctic Monkeys - Your Favourite Worst Nightmare, Jamie T - Panic Prevention

So without further ado; READ.

1. Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
Now, the album officially came out late December of 2006, but it started to get noticed in January '07, and is very dear to me. In a world where most music is either solemn, with sad lyrics, and depressing if pretty arrangements, it was completely refreshing to put a disc into my stereo, and fill my living room with a party to accompany my 12 o'clock breakfast. Tackling issues from unfair treatment of workers; "Where have all the miners gone? The Chinese cemetery everyone." to meaningless hook-ups; "We'll fuck in the hot-tub. We'll rub and suck and tug. We'll be in love forever, 'til my vacation's over." and emotions from naive and horny to worried or pissed, all with the same party aesthetic. Throughout the album, the group breaks into a musically endearing, yet excitingly disorderly full band a'capella chants, with other conversation and yelling going all around, giving the complete vibe of one fucking amazing party. Now why can't Ottawa high school parties be this fun?

2. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
Stars have been in my list of top artists to watch ever since I first saw them back in 2003 at Hillside after the release of the wonderful Set Yourself on Fire. I'm pleased to say that they have grown immensely since said date, and their new album sealed the deal. With influences including bossa nova, funk, and of course, a trademark style of the band, melodramatic pop. The albums is full of well-rounded and miserable characters, dismal locations, and all around depressing vignettes throughout. This sounds like a review for an Irvine Welsh novel, but my point is that this album feels like one of those beautiful, fascinating books which you can't put down for fear of the magic disappearing. Every chord makes you miss it by the next one. Every hook leaves you more attached to the music than your beloved childhood pet. Every time Torquil Campbell swoons his tales of regret, you feel as if he is speaking for you, as if you are him. Every time Amy Millan sings, whispers, or wails stories of loss, you want to comfort her, put a blanket around her, save her from the horrors of the world shown in this album, which constantly parallel our world. Every listen brings forth newly found details that seem to make the album just as fresh as when you first unwrap it. An album that will stick with you for years, in nightmares, in hopes, in all emotions.

3. Young Galaxy
When I first saw this early last year during Winterlude, it was freezing on the canal, with cold wind forcing us to huddle into the hoods of our coats. We were all they're to see Apostle of Hustle, Amy Millan, and Jason Collett do a special arts and crafts preview of the material from their new albums. I and my faithful compadres had read of Young Galaxy, and were intrigued but hadn't yet given it a listen, mainly because this album wasn't out at the time. After the mandatory, "look how cultural Ottawa is" drum fire and sparkly light show, Young Galaxy hopped on stage, all clad in Canadian winter-wear (Stephen Ramsay wearing the parka he would later become synonymous with). Unfortunately, they were only able to perform about 3 songs before Catherine McCandless caught some sort of instantaneous illness (I myspaced her, voicing concern and she actually replied. Fuck yeah to musicians in my favourite bands emailing me.). But what we heard started small, ended tall, and had resonance comparable to the northern lights illuminating in a deep dark cavern off the coast of Australia. If you know what I mean, you understand why for months I couldn't stop listening to their debut album. From the spacy, idealistic lyricisms of "Swing Your Heartache" to the beautiful acoustic transitions of "Embers", this album keeps you listening to every note with a stirring anticipation of the strong, arching bridges that complete that songs in a way that by the end of your first few listens, you wonder what you've just heard, and suddenly having an aching urge to listen to the album again. And again. And again... While listening to "embers" you may feel like time has stopped, and the quiet, soothing movement of the notes carry you and the vocals of Catherine McCandless soaring through the sky on a flying couch. A really fucking comfortable couch. If my review seems obtuse or like the ramblings of a pothead, that's because that's the effect that this music evokes. You find yourself lost in the album, and never fully recover after listening. Come take the trip, let yourself be sucked in. Rehabilitation not included.

4. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Dancing vicariously while listening to confessions of heartbreak and depression seems to be one of the high values of the indie-kid subculture, and while I cannot deny that I partake my fair share in this passionate past-time, I had no interest in the idea of Of Montreal's new album earlier this year. Sadly, I had not heard of the band before, and simply assumed they were one of those bands where the whole album sounds like one single chord that goes on for ages, and ends nowhere. I must sincerely apologise to these natives of Athens, Georgia. Your albums rocks so many fucking socks, that if there was a law against sock rocking in Texas, you would be strung up 42 times over. And then some. The sounds that emit from this album are reminiscent of disco, electronic music of the 80s and 90s pop, while managing to be incredibly fresh and original. In a world where all music sounds can be fitted into a genre, stuck in a case, and served to the sheep at Bawl-Mart for $15, Of Montreal seems to be pushing forward, discovering new techniques, styles, and tricks that make their music incredibly new. Listen to this album if you want to hear the future of indie music. Listen to this album if you want to hear some damn catchy songs about suicide. Just listen to the motherfucking album... NOW.

5. Feist - The Reminder
In one year, Broken Social Scene's famous songstress, went from being an bright, sexy, emerging prodigy in the Canadian indie scene, to a worldwide indie icon. This is due to her 3rd studio-album since her no-longer-in-print debut album "Monarch". "The Reminder" is a beautiful addition to her already lovely discography, and is worthy to be a career starter on it's own. What's so wonderful about this album is the extremely vast accessibility of it. This is the album you can talk about with your grandmother. This is the album to bridge the gap between a republican and an anarchist. Unlike some indie music, no matter what music you listen to normally, you will enjoy this. It has it's fault, mainly the fact that I got sick of it after listing to it every day for 3 months straight. But this is the album that is knocking on people's doors and showing them what they've been missing by only listening to top 40 for all these years. This is the album that is going to introduce indie music to the rest of the world. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you. But what can't be denied is that Lesley Feist has something to say, and she's going to say it through simple yet beautiful orchestrations and lyrics. Some may not like her new album simply because it made her famous. Fuck you. I like it. A lot.

An Ending Has a Start

Many of you who have read my previous blog noticed that I have posted in it in over 6 months. I'd like to continue working on that for more personal reflections on today's society, complete with pretentious poetry which no-one reads if I ever get around to it. But this new blog is meant to exercise my essay and article writing hobbies. Much like my now defunct film blog "Royale with Cheese", this blog is going to detail my opinions on new material by artists. THis time the target is music. If I like it, I'll tell you why. If I love it, I'll tell you why. If it sucks (or alienates my soul as a wise drama teacher told me to say), I'll tear it to pieces, feed it to my dog, and wait till spring to find it decomposed in my backyard. Hopefully then it'll taste good. I believe all music has the potential to sound good, as long as the musician is inspired, driven by a desire to make music they like, and worked on. I also believe that it is impossible to hate an entire genre, music snobs who claim to hate rap really have no idea what they're talking about as they can't possibly have listened to every artist who considers him or her self to be a rapper. I'm merely outlining my general opinions on music so you will understand if I compliment an artist that you see as terrible, and so you can catch me when I trip up and say something completely hypocritical. Now, without further ado, my first article of this blog and of the year. Enjoy.