another list

In 2007 Leslie Feist frolicked in an iPod commercial, Rihanna became Beyonce-lite, Radiohead showed everyone how it's done and did it for free, and I didn't discover one new artist. It would be a mistake to call myself a serious music connoisseur, but with the exception of a few unquestionably great albums, I felt like 2007 was limp on music worth listening to, much less purchasing. Music is in a strange time where the timelessness seems to evade most contemporary artists. Soulja Boy is fun, but he and his complicated dance will not be around longer than it takes to download his song. Timbaland is on the verge of wearing out his welcome, although I yearned for a "SexyBack" or "Promiscuous" for this year, but was left with him wasting his endless talent on the likes of Ashlee Simpson, Duran Duran, Nicole Scherzinger, or whatever pop star willing to pay the price for a top 40 smash. "Indie" (will another term ever do this genre justice?) music is just as exhaustive in terms of finding the new "it" band and proclaiming them a subcultural icon. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and uninterested by the prospect of knowing every esoteric band worth knowing. Who cares? They are just as disposable as the bands and artists that get the airplay and recognition they secretly want and work towards. I'm not a total cynic because I have managed to compile a list of my ten favorite singles and album of the year, but I hope things are looking up for 2008. Don't judge too harshly:

LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great"
Feist, "Sea Lion Woman"
Hot Chip, "My Piano"
M.I.A., "$20"
R. Kelly feat. T.I. & T-Pain, "I'm a Flirt"
Kanye West, "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
Justice, "Phantom Pt. 1"
Radiohead, "All I Need"
The Shins, "Sea Legs"
Jay-Z feat. Beanie Sigel, "Ignorant Shit" (tie) Lupe Fiasco feat. Kanye West and Pharell Williams, "Us Placers"


And the best album of 2007 was M.I.A.'s "Kala." Bold and beautiful in its sound, sharp and acerbic in its political punch, and brimming with a geo-danceable beat that pulsates on all twelve tracks, "Kala" reminds us of the hypocrisy and ugliness of the modern world, but wrapped up in a catchy and bombastic groove that is completely irresistible.

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