Best Songs of 2007

Now, without further ado...

23. Jens Lekman, "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo"

from Night Falls Over Kortedala

Jens Lekman makes me feel young and want to be old.  "Friday Night" is nostalgia for nights I've never experienced, orchestral pop without any hint of downswing.  Catchy and delightful.

22.  Tokyo Police Club, "Box"

from Smith EP

In their complete history as a band, Tokyo Police Club has released slightly under thirty minutes worth of music.  Those thirty minutes, however, are so damn good that by the time they give us something worth calling an album, the anticipation might be too much to bear.  The overlapping vocals and calm self-degradation reminds me of the bands we loved at fifteen--with all of the positive connotations and none of the negative.  

21. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Underwater (You and Me)"

from Some Loud Thunder

The hymn of my summer evenings.  Plunging steadily forward, open-eyed and resolutely hopeful.  

20. Dan Deacon, "Wham City"

from Spiderman of the Rings

A dizzying twelve minute build of jubilant shouts and dancing in circles.

Note: The song link above is to an edited version of Wham City.  To get the full twelve-minute effect, check out Spiderman of the Rings.

19.  Gogol Bordello, "Supertheory of Supereverything"

from Super Taranta!

If you haven't yet been introduced to the mania of gypsy punk, you're in for a treat.  Clever, wry, and unlike anything you've heard lately, for sure.  

18.  Wax Fang, "The Doctor Will See You Now"

from La La Land

Tune in on Wednesday or Thursday for a full sampling of what you'll be hearing this weekend at the Wax Fang/Protomen show at The Mercy.  

17.  Animal Collective, "Peacebone"

from Strawberry Jam

Bouncy, discordant, messy brilliance. 

16.  New Ruins, "Book Lung"

from The Sound They Make

15. The Little Ones, "There's a Pot a Brewin"

from Lovers Who Uncover\

whimsy-pop!

14.  Pela, "Tenement Teeth"

from Anytown Graffiti

13.  Small Sins, "It Keeps Me On My Toes"

from Mood Swings

12.  Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."

from [cross symbol]

11. Robyn Hitchcock, "Brenda's Iron Sledge"

from I Wanna Go Backwards

10.  Okkervil River, "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"

from The Stage Names

9. Le Loup, "We Are Gods!  We Are Wolves!"

from The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly

8. Of Montreal, "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"

from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

So yeah, I actually  heard this song somewhere around July 2006 along with the other thousands of people who got ahold of the leaked version of this album, but it's a testament to the utter staying power of Of Montreal that it's been in constant rotation since then.  

7.  The Clientele, "Bookshop Casanova"

from God Save the Clientele

6.  Spoon, "The Underdog"

from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

5. The National, "Fake Empire"

from Boxer

4.  Sunset Rubdown, "Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days"

from Random Spirit Lover

3.  Architecture in Helsinki, "Heart it Races"

from Places Like This

2.  LCD Soundsystem, "All My Friends"

from Sound of Silver

1. Black Kids, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You"

from Wizard of Ahhhs

Comments to come.  For now, I'm getting sick and I'm going to call it a night.  Tomorrow, I promise!  Also to come, updates on the tickets I'll be giving away this Friday, and the show you shouldn't be missing this weekend.  Night, Nashville.