Harp Puts Okkervil River Atop Its Top 50 CDs Of 2007
It's not even December yet, but the list-giving season's in full swing. Stylus's last bequest was naming LCD Soundsystem's Sounds Of Silver as '07s LP champion, Paste gave that honor to the National, and now Harp plucks Okkervil River from the heap and names The Stage Names the year's superlative accomplishment. Their list:
50 Tunng - Good Arrows
49 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
48 Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You
47 Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
46 Manu Chao - La Radiolina
45 Bettye LaVette - The Scenes Of The Crime
44 Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
43 Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
42 Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back
41 Dr. Dog - We All Belong
40 Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads
39 Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
38 Eleni Mandell - Miracle Of Five
37 Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
36 Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35 Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
34 Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
33 St. Vincent - Marry Me
32 Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
31 Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
30 Grinderman - Grinderman
29 Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
28 Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - This Is Somewhere
27 of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
26 Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
25 Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust And the Open Halls Of The SoulNice mentions for Jesse Sykes and Robert Wyatt, way too nice a mention for The Good, The Bad & The Queen. We're still somewhat surprised to see of Montreal clocking in so low on these lists, but we're more disappointed that the Field and Dirty Projectors got shut out (again!), when they should be rising above a lot of the records on these things. And about #4: What are Future Clouds & Radar all about? Hear for yourself:
24 M.I.A. - Kala
23 Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart
22 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living With The Living
21 The National - Boxer
20 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
19 Bruce Springsteen - Magic
18 Georgie James - Places
17 The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
16 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
15 The New Pornographers - Challengers
14 The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
13 Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
12 Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
11 The White Stripes - Icky Thump
10 Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
09 Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
08 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
07 Radiohead - In Rainbows
06 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
05 Feist - The Reminder
04 Future Clouds & Radar - Future Clouds & Radar
03 Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
02 Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
01 Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Future Clouds & Radar - "Back Seat Silver Jet Sighter" (MP3)
There's more at their MySpace, should you care.
We're expecting some disgruntled, retaliatory commentary, but before you lash out, put that year-end animus to productive ends.
Posted at 5:48 PM
Tags: Okkervil River
Finally a list that makes sense...
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WAY better than Paste's list
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This list is the only one I like so far (well, mostly).
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glad to see rufus cracked top 50, though i'm not sure release the stars deserved it
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kudos to harp for making that georgie james cd so high up on the list--love that damn cd.
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no LCD, really? and i saw jesse sykes open up for i believe it was new pornos at webster hall, and she IMO should not be on any top 50 lists, especially one that leaves off LCD.
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Getting closer. Kala too low, TGTB&TQ and The Stage Names too high, but still. Getting closer.
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ballsy to put future clouds up that high--but i think i might actually agree with them...
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What?? Menomena couldn't even crack the top 50 in this rag?
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That's funny...I could have sworn that there were hip-hop records released this year.
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What the hell is Rilo Kiley doing above The National?
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Awesome, very happy to see Okkervil top a list, they definetely made my favourite album of the year.
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Does anyone really think Band of Horses' Walmart-endorsed album was even that good? Otherwise, great to not see LCD Soundsystem on every goddamn Best of 2007 list.
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Rocking the fuck out, that's what Rilo Kiley is doing.
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when did bloc party come out? it's getting left off these lists
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GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OKKERVIL RIVER
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Finally! It's about time. The Stage Names is easily the best release this year.
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nice to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. get some love. People need to get with it.
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Hipsters don't like hip-hop.
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dude, grace potter is cute but she sucks.
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What about Phosphorescent and Panda Bear? The "P"'s get no love.
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....wait! where is Clap your hands, say yeah!?......I kid, I kid.
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...okkervil rawks--it's about time a mag admitted it.
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all the previous grace potter albums were fantastic, but she severely dropped the ball on this one. it doesnt deserve the top 100 albums of the year even.
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Yeah Future Clouds & Radar is really, really good. There sure is a lot to that album. But most of it is fantastic. I think it's awesome they put someone so unknown in the top 5.
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No love for Lekman?
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honest list. its alright. arcade fire top 50 though?? haha
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Good to see Stage Names get the praise it deserves. Shepherds dog too. However, Band of Horses don't deserve to be in the top 50 let alone at number 2.
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FYI, Future Clouds and Radar is a project from Robert Harrison, the former leader of a band called Cotton Mather who had a minor radio hit in the '90s called "My Before And After." F.C.A.R. sound *a lot* like Cotton Mather, and I'd recommend anyone who's into this new disc, go find themselves a copy of Cotton Mather's "Kon Tiki," and wonder to yourself why it took you this long to hear something this good. You're welcome.
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First of all, Arcade Fire is going to be in every top 50. Get used to it.
This list is much better than Paste's overall, but Paste was closer with the #1. And why is everyone hating on Cassadaga? Conor Oberst put out another stellar record during an otherwise uneventful spring. No love?
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yea...how is of montreal not getting any top ten love?! it was definitely better than the shins and band of horses...and a lot of other things ranked above it, quite frankly. but okkervil is my second favorite cd of the year after hissing fauna, so that's cool.
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At first glance all I can think is "white" and that has nothing to do with the Stripes.
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i'm sorry but where the fuck is Random Spirit Lover?!
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@west: Yeah, as in "white bread". Anything the least bit challenging is conveniently excluded. And note the complete lack of hip-hop and electronic. I mean really... Battles, Jens, LCD, Deerhoof, Menomena, Justice... the list goes on.
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okkervil-fuck yeah!
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dont know how you define "challenging" but robert wyatt ain't exactly fucking "easy" listening..
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@james: You're right, and Animal Collective and Of Montreal are there to make things a little weirder (all in the bottom half, however). But on the whole this list, especially the top 20, is pretty damn Starbucks-ready.
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Menomena's Friend and Foe should have made the list :(
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Again, where the fuck is Panda Bear?
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Marry Me. Overrated much?
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1) M.I.A. “Kala”
2) Spoon “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”
3) Okkervil River “The Stage Names”
4) Radiohead “In Rainbows”
5) Iron & Wine “The Shepherd’s Dog”
6) Andrew Bird “Armchair Apocrypha”
7) The Avett Brothers “Emotionalism”
8) The New Pornographers “Challengers”
9) Feist “The Reminder”
10) Burial “Untrue”
Saying.
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Also Jens Lekman. Sorry.
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Any list that doesn't have Sky Blue Sky in its top 5 is a fucking joke.
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Hmm? I don't think they are particularly good at making lists. Perhaps no one is.
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Jesus. Christ.
Where the FUCK is Patrick Wolf?
Ugh. As someone who had to suffer through an Okkervil River set, I can attest that they suck donkey dick.
Everything belongs above The National.
And the new Rufus cd is balls. I love Want (1 and 2) but the new one is just piss. I went to the show just to see Neko Case.
Another shit list who is afraid to put In Rainbows at the top of the list even though it is eons better than everything else this year (Arcade Fire does deserve second though.)
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fds: Bloc Party is getting 'left off' these lists because "A Weekend in the City" was a disappointment save a couple songs (Kreuzberg and MAYBE The Prayer). The b-sides ("another weekend in the city"), if officially released as an album, would be in my top ten if not top five without question. Otherwise, you are the only person like "A Weekend in the City." Sorry. PS- "A Weekend in the City" was released in February '07.
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THANK YOU. Jesus Christ. The only list thus far that recognizes beautiful songwriting and not trendy blog-hype bullshit.
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The Besnard Lakes! Where the fuck are they on all these year end lists? Have we forgotten about them so soon? Definitely my favourite album of 07.
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It's nice to see Bill Callahan finally making a list. It's a list (which are bound to fail judging by stereogum comment numbers), but it's the best one I've seen on here yet.
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Good to see someone actually included Kings of Leon on one of these lists. How boring is this country if nobody recognizes how good this band is?
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Where the fuck is Panda Bear people?
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If these would have been the 50 best records of 2007 I would have stopped listening to music.
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What no Sunset Rubdown?
Fix.
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That's more like it!
Although Dr Dog and Radiohead can fuck off. Two shite bands that nobody needs.
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Originally by Nelly: "Although... Radiohead can fuck off. Two shite bands that nobody needs."
Nice joke there, jackass.
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Yeah, where's Random Spirit Lover?
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band of horses hurts my brain
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Yeah great to see Kings of Leon on somewhere there. This is much better than Pastry's beauty contest. At least these guy's aren't afraid about such bollocks as "indie cred". I seem to remember Pitchfork giving Kings of Leon's last 2 albums all shy of the 5.0 mark. Probably because they'd become too popular at that stage, didn't sound like they came from Canada, or equally something shite. Good straightforward rock doesn't matter buttons what with all these experimental pretensions being the new in-thing.
Shame to see LCD not on the list though. That's one great album AND band, well deserving of all the praise.
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Go FC&R! 30music.com has an interview with 'em here: http://www.30music.com/rev.php?rev=2287
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again, battles and panda bear get screwed. wtf?
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Okkervil Rocks!
The list aint perfect guys but it's far better than Paste's. Thank you Harp for not putting Prince or Norah Jones on your list.
Sorry guys but Panda Bear sucks.
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Don't know if Iron & Wine should have been number 3 (I thought it was a little dull) but glad to see Okkervil get some love. Also glad to see Jason Isbell get some attention. Overall, pretty good list for the most part.
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Glad to see Jason Isbell getting some love, and perplexed that Of Montreal is so low yet again. Replace the good the blah blah blah with Menomena and bump up OM, The National, and Ted Leo, and that's pretty close to my top 20, actually.
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Um, what about The Bird and the Bee, or Oren Lavie. Those were great albums and deserve to be in the top 50, hopefully someone will put them on their list.
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If only Okkervil River's album was exploring some new musical territory or somethig, too bad it's just the same ole' shit from another typical indie-rock band.
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Is *anything* coming out in December?
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Rilo Kiley at #20 is just retarded. I mean come on.
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Haha, another list from a roots-oriented "dad rock" publication, and another group of idiots complaining about not having artists like The Field and LCD Soundsystem in their top fifty. When Source comes out with their top 50 of the year, are you guys going to be complaining about the absence of Neon Bible? Know the publication before you start whining, fools
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WHERE IS SUNSET RUBDOWN, PANDA BEAR, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE?!?! THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR! Band of Horses album is AWFUL! These magazines are terrible, absolutely terrible.
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What are Future Clouds & Radar all about? Are you kidding?
It's the new band from Robert "Cotton Mather" Harrison and it's really, really, really terrific.
It'll make my Top 10, and it's charging hard at the Top 5.
C'mon Stereogum!
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kings of f-ing leon
that is all
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I'm glad to see Bill Callahan made the list, he had a rough year at Nebraska...
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It’s fantastic to see Okkervil River at #1 – well deserved! The only thing I don’t understand is why Cassadaga isn’t at #2? -- Clearly one the best efforts this year.
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My opinion is better than yours.
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I wish M.I.A. were M.I.A.
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Shoutout to the Avett Brothers! Good to see them make a year-end list, in the top 20 too!
Emotionalism is FANTASTIC
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Ah, the whining the accompanies year-end list season. It's almost comforting, like crickets in the country and car alarms in the city. Know this, whiners, your favorite band was probably somewhere between #51 and 5,000. Yes, there were more than 50 good albums this year. Please come to terms with it.
That said, Future Clouds & Radar was a nice discovery. There are many former SPIN writers at HARP. I'd guess a median age of 40. No big surprises, though I'm kind of surprised there's not at least one token entry each for metal, electronica and hip hop.
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at least this list didn't make me ashamed of being Irish ... for the record the frames are awful, Damien Dempsey is a trumped up busker who happens to have made friends with Sinead O'Connor and Fionn Regan is a moron ....
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hey Josh, it was Sparklehorse that Jesse Sykes opened for at Webster Hall (not the New Pornographers) and it was stunning!Get your shit straight f*cker.
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The US release of "Hey Hey My My Yo Yo" teabags all of these other records. Besides Jens Lekman.
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panda bear is #1
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What, no Tegan and Sara?!? Outrageous!
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I hate Band of Horses
-aka, the singer who has a completely different band than the one from the first album
-aka, the band that calls themselves Band of Horses
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so what if there's no hiphop or you don't think the list is 'challenging' enough? I was under the impression that music didn't have to be weird or inaccessible in order to be great. If you disagree then go back and listen to whatever crap Pitchfork are recommending this week. Most of the people here are just bitter because if they made a top 50 list, nobody would care.
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No love for Future of the Left? #1 for me, along with Of Montreal, but each to their own.
At least I'm sure Curses will make cokemachineglow's list.
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E'rry motherfuckers too scared it'll make them look like a cliche to put Radiohead or Panda Bear at the top!
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I can't believe anyone could put that annoying piece of shit MIA album ahead of all those beautiful songwriters. That album is just about my least favorite album I ever bought even though her other one was pretty fly, mostly due to the Diplo beats. I almost respect her for really going in a new direction with the hipster hip-hop scene but It's just annoying as shit.
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Okkervil River is Counting Crows for indie rockers. They blow me. What about Phosphorescent, The Black Swans, Marissa Nadler, Vic Chestnut?
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the good, the bad & the queen was excellent
i'm glad some of these these year end lists are giving them some much-deserved credit
...if we substituted band of horses for lcd soundsystem, this would be a pretty solid alt-rock top 50
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