ThaBombShelter's Top Eleven of Two Thousand Seven

Well, it's December 26th and I'm finally ready to unveil our Top of the Year lists for 2007. We'll start off with a bang with the Top Eleven Albums of Two Thousand Seven

#1- Tie: "In Rainbows", Radiohead & "Octopus", The Bees


First off, we've got a tie for the Number One album. I know it's kind of a cop out, but I can honestly say these are the two best albums that were released this year. I tried to make a final decision as to which was number one, but I finally came to the conclusion that both of them were equal in their awesomeness. "Octopus" by The Bees was amazing in that it was the first album of the year to absolutely blow my face clean off, it was that good. And listening to it again these past weeks (not to mention the hundreds of times I spun this album through the year) just further cemented it's status as one of my favorite albums of all time. "In Rainbows" was revolutionary in it's distribution, as we all know, but it would have been easily forgotten had it not been such a fantastic collection of songs. Again, I tried to choose one over the other, but I felt like I was trying to pick my favorite kid; it was just impossible.

"Reckoner" Radiohead Buy
"Listening Man" The Bees Buy


#2- "Baby 81" Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

"Baby 81" vaulted to the top of the list after the absolutely incredible live show BRMC put on back in June. I mean, I thought the album was good to begin with, but combined with the sheer power of their performance at The Newport, I just couldn't stop listening to this disc. It's a pounding, slithering, sweaty, hunched over, swaggering, fist in the face kind of album that you don't come across every day.

"American X" Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club Buy


#3- "Once OST", Various Artists

The soundtrack had me hooked even before Emily and I were able to see the movie. The powerful voice of Glen Hansard and the the gentle, unsure vocals of Marketa Irglova combine in the most enchanting way. Toss in an impassioned howl by Hansard and one of the best songs of the year ("Gold" by Interference), and you've got a recipe for the best soundtrack to hit the shelves this year (the movie is great too, a perfect "musical" for folks that hate musicals).

"When Your Mind's Made Up" Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova Buy


#4- "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga", Spoon

I loved Spoon when I first heard "Gimme Fiction", and this album further cemented that love. An easy to listen to album that grows in depth and intensity the more times you spin it.

"Black Like Me" Spoon Buy


#5- "The Shepherd's Dog", Iron and Wine

I wasn't a big fan of Iron and Wine before "The Shepherd's Dog". I mean, I love "He Lays in The Reins", but that's more because of Calexico than Sam Beam. No matter how many times I tried, I was just frustrated with his whisper-singing. But with "The Shepherd's Dog" Sam shows us how well he can sing when he actually tries. Plus, with a full band and a decent production crew behind him, he can really churn out a great tune or twelve.

"Flightless Bird, American Mouth" Iron and Wine Buy


#6-"The Broken String", Bishop Allen

This is the first album of the year to blow me away, that was by a band that was new to me. I had heard of them, thanks to YANP, but it wasn't until I heard the fruits of their yearlong EP project that I was truly hooked. "The Broken String" has the best writing of any album I've heard since the glory days of Pulp (read- "Different Class" and "His n' Hers"). The songs are easy to digest on the surface, but eventually you catch the turns of phrase that elevate this album above mere pop-music. "Beneath his nimble hand that held the knife so long/so many times/the handles' changed to shapes/just like his fingers and his palms"

"The Chinatown Bus" Bishop Allen Buy


#7- "I'll Follow You", Oakley Hall

Score one for the Promo Team (many many thanks to Wendy at toolshed.biz for this one!). I got this in the mail, saw that it was from Merge and proceeded to get chills up and down my spine thanks to the one-two punch of "Marine Life" and "No Dreams". When I saw them at a too-late weeknight show, I formed a sort of bond that only comes when you're driving down dark, country roads with fog creeping down into the valley, punchdrunk on a big-gulp of truck stop coffee and aching for a bed, but you're still happy, thanks to the music you heard mere moments ago.

"All the Way Down" Oakley Hall Buy You really should get the vinyl, trust me.


#8- "Fancy Footwork", Chromeo

What do you do if you love Dungeons and Dragons, but you just have the uncontrollable urge to dance? You pop in "Fancy Footwork", bounce around your bedroom in your socks and boxers, and dream about all the fine ladies that are just waiting for you to move out of your parent's basement. The vox and beats and humor of this album are fun and there's no two ways about it, girl.

"Tenderoni" Chromeo Buy


#9- "Roots and Echoes", The Coral

I was so relieved that "Roots and Echoes" is as good as it is. After two near misses with "The Invisible Invasion" and "Nightfreaks and the Sons of Becker", I was elated to have another stellar disc of dusty, wry, energetic folk songs to hug to my ears.

"Fireflies" The Coral Buy


#10- "Leaves in the River", Sea Wolf

Blame this one on the radio. Well, check that - blame it's inclusion in this list on the radio. I got this album in the mail months and months ago, but it wasn't until I saw Sea Wolf at CD101 Summer Fest on my birthday that I revisited this album in earnest, and in so doing, I found a solid collection of tunes that I just couldn't argue with. Each one sounds like a single in it's own right, and I gotta admit, I love it when that happens (it also happened on a completely different level with "Aenima" by Tool, but that's another story entirely).

"Winter Windows" Sea Wolf Buy


#11- "Girls and Weather", The Rumble Strips

I love this album. When I intimated this fact to several of my blogger friends, I was ridiculed and everyone claimed that they were a Dexy's Midnight Runners ripoff, which I still don't believe. Anyway, they've got a ton of energy, horns, youth, exuberance, more horns, and they're a fuckload of fun. That is all.

"Cowboy" The Rumble Strips Buy



Honorable Mention:

These artists all released solid albums that got a lot of play here at ThaBombShelter HQ, but for some reason or another they just weren't quite as good as the above.

-"Take You Away" Megan Palmer Buy- Fantastic release by a local songstress on Sunken Treasure records
-"Look Out" The Hackensaw Boys Buy- Best Bluegrass album of the year.
-"Budos Band II" The Budos Band Buy- Great instrumental funk, phenomenal live show.
-"100 Days, 100 Nights" Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Buy- Is it still Neo-Soul if it's just straight up Soul?
-"Chase This Light" Jimmy Eat World Buy- Call it Freshman Year Nostalgia, but this album reminds me so much of "Bleed American" it's not even funny.