guest post from Elliott

I don't think any of these bands were technically new this year, but
I'm pretty sure I first heard them in 2007...


Deerhunter
http://myspace.com/deerhunter

The Besnard Lakes
http://myspace.com/thebesnardlakes

Pharaoh Overlord

The Twilight Sad
http://www.myspace.com/TheTwilightSad


bonus:
my little brother's band, javelin
http://myspace.com/hotjamzofjavelin

guest post from Chris

I'm not really an "... of the year!" kind of guy, but Rachel Unthank and The
Winterset came to my attention recently. Would probably be destined for big
things if they weren't annexed in the Folk section.

http://www.myspace.com/rachelunthank
www.*rachel**unthank*.com/

guest post from Martin

From Sweden the most magnificent singer since Jeff Buckley saw the
light of day:

Moto boy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flaGOFYZ9i8

The US band I'm looking forward to buy plane tickets for and place on
a Swedish stage in 2008 is Chromatics

http://www.myspace.com/chromaticsmusics

guest post from Julian

if there's one artist that blew me away: Julia Kent with her debut Album
"Delay"
http://www.myspace.com/Julia_Kent that is.

Apart from that i'd like to mention the following albums:

M.I.A - Kala (XL Recordings)
Burial - Untrue (Hyperdub)
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (DFA)

Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn (Touch & Go)
Boxcutter - Glyphic (Neuton Med)
Mira Calix - Eyes Set Against The Sun (Warp)
Whitehouse - Racket (Susan Lawly)
Throbbing Gristle - Part 2: The Endless Not (Mute)
Alvin Lucier - Ever Present (Mode)
Rechenzentrum - Director's Cut (Mille Plateaux)
Stereo Total - Paris <-> Berlin (Disko B)

My concert of the year was by the way Fennesz & Rechenzentrum @
Volksbühne Berlin.
Music website discoveries of the year:
http://awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com and http://www.toneshared.com

Most tragic moments in music this year: To hear about the deaths of
Alice Coltrane and Lady Jaye Breyer P.Orridge

guest post from Thomas

Without being too redundant, i present my top 10 (in no particular order of
course):

1. Various Artists - After Dark
2. Justice - + (cross, not plus)
3. Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
4. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
5. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
6. Jay - Z - American Gangster
7. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter
8. Various Artists - Coming Home: Fats Domino Tribute
9. Lyle Lovett - It's Not Big It's Large
10. Lil' Wayne - Da Drought 3

guest post from Bryan

I'm not a "music critic" anymore -- this list simply represents my favorite
albums of the year, for anyone who cares. Happy Holiday, from Bryan:


1 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
2 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (Rounder)
3 Lewis Taylor - The Lost Album (Hacktone)
4 The Valerie Project - The Valerie Project (Drag City)
5 Leslie & The Badgers - Leslie & The Badgers (Self-Released)
6 Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971 (Warner Bros./Reprise)
7 Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
8 Band of Horses - Cease To Begin (SubPop)
9 The Clientele - God Save the Clientele (Merge)
10 Lucinda Williams - West (Lost Highway)
11 Future Clouds And Radar - Future Clouds & Radar (Star Apple Kingdom)
12 Iron + Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (SubPop)
13 Jim Ford - Sounds of Our Time: The Harlan County Album + bonus tracks (Bear Family)
14 Elliott Smith - New Moon (Kill Rock Stars)**
15 Gram Parsons & The Flying Burrito Brothers - Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1969 (Amoeba)
16 Nick Drake - Family Tree (Island)
17 Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
18 The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge)
19 Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade (New West)
20 Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground (Lo-Max)

guest post from Joseph

My top 10s (warning: I'm a corny pop guy at heart) :

ALBUMS:
1. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
[Every single person I know who has heard this album has raved about it
to others; I wish that word of mouth had really done something.]
2. Josh Rouse - Country Mouse, City House
3. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
4. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
5. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
6. Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army
7. VA - Binky Griptite's Ghetto Funk Power Hour
8. Travis - The Boy With No Name
9. Ryan Shaw - This Is Ryan Shaw
10. Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction

SINGLES:
1. Jens Lekman, "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
2. Hellogoodbye, "Baby, It's Fact"
3. Josh Rouse, "Sweetie"
4. Orson, "Ain't No Party"
5. MIA, "Jimmy"
6. Marilyn Manson, "Heart Shaped Glasses"
7. The Gossip, "Careless Whisper"
8. James Blunt, "1973"
9. Musiq Soulchild, "Buddy"
10. Maroon 5, "Makes Me Wonder"

If remixes are allowed, then toss in there Frankie Valli & the Four
Seasons' "Beggin' (Pilooski edit)."

guest post from Nick

*60 Watt Kid* - local bayarea boys did some amazing sheet on their
Absolutley Kosher debut - it's a folky-ADD version of the beach boys, in the
vein of Fiery Furnaces & Animal Collective - superbad.

http://www.myspace.com/60wattkid

guest post from my friend Will

http://www.myspace.com/creaturecreature

Creature are one of many Montreal acts which tore it up at SXSW this year. Believe - that French-Canadian city is punching well above its weight! Pigeon hole it under Disco slash Punk slash Pop, Creature come with a healthy dose of sarcasm (the female singer is called "Cowbella") and some of the best pop production I've heard in over a decade.

guest post from my friend Scott

I think the best album of the year is Tillbaka Till Samtiden by Kent. Here are some
links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k2RdYza8OQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RhDR-ks6vI

Best email tips of the month

"The song is the single and the single sucks" from BARR

somewhere described as cubist pop, which seems about right...

also

A cool Josh Ritter song performed at Los Angeles' Natural Museum of History.

Even plants enjoy music

Read the article here.