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 Soul
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
Nice 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:
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.
