Faronheit's December Listmas Presents: The Top 50 Songs of 2007 (#20-11)
Yes, I know this post is coming in very late on a Thursday, compared to showing up early in the AM hours every other day. As some form of explanation, let me just say my schedule has flip-flopped for the next couple days. You'll see the final 10 songs on this list get posted at a very late hour on Friday night. But the main point is that the list continues! And today we've cracked the Top 20 Songs of 2007. I hope you've liked the list thus far, and will keep enjoying it all the way through #1. As another reminder, next week will be spent with my Top 50 Albums of 2007. Now then, here's #20-11 of the Best Songs of 2007. Forward, march!20. Kevin Drew- TBTF
Choosing just the right Kevin Drew track was tough. With actual Broken Social Scene records, picking out the stand out tracks are moderately easy for me because they've usually got high energy and driving rhythms. You know, tracks like "7/4 Shoreline" or "Cause = Time." They stand out from the more serene atmospherics of what the rest of the album typically sounds like. Most of the Kevin Drew project wasn't so much atmospherics as it was easy listening and generally mid-tempo cuts. In the end my choice in tracks was more of a crap shoot than anything else. I narrowed it down to my favorites, including "Safety Bricks," "Fucked Up Kid," "Lucky Ones" and "TBTF." I guess the final straw was that I'd listened to "TBTF" the most, and happened to like the lyrics of it better than any other track on "Spirit If..." That about sums it up.19. Tegan and Sara- The Con
My disappointment with the choice of "Back In Your Head" as the first single off of Tegan and Sara's album "The Con" instead of the title track. Thankfully, that problem has been righted by releasing "The Con" as the second single from the record. The video turned out pretty great too. While I loved most every song on the album, it really was the title track that stuck out the most to me. I don't know if it was the lyrics or the great hook and bridge combination (or all of it), but there's really something special about this song. Yes, I suppose you could say the track is a little "emotional" in nature, but who doesn't get emotional now and then? This is perfect for those times when your life isn't going quite the way you want it to.18. Burial- Archangel
I'll tell you, it feels a little strange to hear all the people raving about Burial these days. Ever since "Untrue" dropped several weeks back and got rave reviews, people have been all over the man. I completely understand their enthusiasm - I really do - but a lot of it just rings hollow to me. That is, I get the idea that though the album is as great as many people claim it is, their descriptions of the music don't seem to give me the idea that they completely understand what's going on with it. Rather, it's more praise just to go along with the crowd. That being said, I doubt this short little paragraph will sum up how I might have interpreted and understood this album to be great. Instead, let me say a brief word about the soul dubstep track that is "Archangel," which served more as a gateway to "Untrue" instead of a general portion of it. If you have no idea what Burial sounds like, I'm hard-pressed to give you a concise idea of the concept behind the music. The track really does more justice than any of my words could do, and I guess you either like it or you don't. This is the standout cut from "Untrue," and what I wonder is how long it'll be before I start hearing this played in the dance clubs. Hot damn this is good.17. The White Stripes- Icky Thump
Oh yeah, I missed Jack White's guitar on the last White Stripes album, "Get Behind Me Satan." That was a much more piano-focused record, and for me it took away some of the band's magic and lustre. That, along with the Raconteurs serving more as a collaborative supergroup than a hot spot for Jack to show off his shredding skills, made me beg for Jack White's true return to the lost art of solo guitar. My wish was granted with the album "Icky Thump," and especially on the album's title opening track. It became clear that The White Stripes were up to their old tricks again. And it was just as great as it used to be. Strangely enough, it was while listening to "Icky Thump" the song that I finally started to fully appreciate what a tremendous guitarist Jack White really is. The man can straight-up compete with some of the best living guitarists today, and will probably someday go down in history as one of the best. So for all that awesome guitar, plus the line "you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too," this song cracks the Top 20.16. Jens Lekman- The Opposite of Hallelujah
Everybody can use a little Jens Lekman in their lives. His music has such a happy 60s vibe to it that you can be cheered up by it in mere minutes. All the clapping, toy pianos, regular pianos, violins and drums (among other instruments used) in "The Opposite of Hallelujah" makes me think of one of those classic "frollicking in the grass" montages you'd see in TV and movies back in the day. Look! A dad and his kids are holding hands in a circle and dancing around! Two young boys are play wrestling and shoving grass into each others' mouths! A small group of kids are rolling down a hill on their sides! So much fun on this warm, sunny day! Nothing can go wrong when you listen to "The Opposite of Hallelujah," and that's the great power of it. If there was one, I'd subscribe to the Church of Jens.15. Kanye West- Stronger
How much do I need to say here? Kanye West, one of hip hop's brightest shining stars these days, decides to get his mix on with Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger." First of all, if you're sampling Daft Punk and they let you get away with it, you already get some major, major kudos in my book. But to turn that classic dance electronica track into a hip hop hit- that takes some talent...and balls. Not that I'm opposed to Kanye West, but I've never full-on LOVED one of his songs until I heard this. His rap material has always been great, but when you toss the Daft Punk in there like that- it becomes a whole new beast of excellence. I'm not surprised that this is one of the biggest hits of 2007, but I am surprised that something so popular would make its way to spot #15 on my list of this year's best songs.14. Andrew Bird- Heretics
Honestly, I had high hopes for this song. For the first couple months of listening to it I completely expected Andrew Bird to break out big time. If there was any Andrew Bird song in his long and storied career that might make him loved by the masses, "Heretics" was it. There's just something about the song structure and surprisingly restrained chorus that seem to welcome popularity. Alas, the song didn't quite make the footprint for Andrew Bird that I had hoped for. Still, it may have been the man's biggest hit to date, and I did hear it on the radio every now and then (which was always a true pleasure). Maybe it really was the way the song holds itself back from becoming a blown out anthem that explains why it didn't connect with more people. All I really know is that "Heretics" is a careful exercise in precision that may be Andrew Bird's finest track to date.13. Los Campesinos!- You! Me! Dancing!
Well whaddya know? A song from my favorite EP of 2007 made its way onto this list. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Despite the blatant overuse of exclamation points in both the band name and song title, "You! Me! Dancing!" somehow manages to be the finest 6-minute indie pop song of this year. What makes it even better is how fast it flies by. I would've sworn the track is 2 minutes long, had I not checked the time at the end. That's always the sign of a great track- when it ends and you're pretty sure it only just got started (actually, for some 2-minute song bands, that may just be 100% true). Aside from the song moving quickly, the generous use of xylophone, the incredibly snarky lyrics, the "ooh oohs," the handclaps, and the easy-to-shout chorus make this the best indie pop song of 2007.12. Spoon- The Underdog
Wow was I underwhelmed when I heard the first song to leak off of Spoon's latest record "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga." It happened to be the song "The Ghost of You Lingers," and felt completely out of character and strange for a band like Spoon to be playing. Suddenly, I was scared for what that new Spoon album would sound like. Thank goodness "The Ghost of You Lingers" was something of a one-off standout track. The rest of the album is more solid than gold. That especially rings true for "The Underdog," a song that finally got the band making some waves in more popular circles. The great use of acoustic guitar, combined with the incredible Spanish horns, really bring the song home and turn it into a true-blue hit. The radio stations that took chances and played it seemed to be pleased with the results, and I was happy just to see the band making some headway. Spoon are the next Death Cab for Cutie, methinks, and "The Underdog" is their dress rehearsal for the big show.11. M.I.A.- Paper Planes
This is your obligatory M.I.A. track to make most any "best of" list this year. Maya turned in another wonderful album this year, but by far "Paper Planes" was the best thing to come out of it. I never really expected a track with a chorus dominated by sound effects could turn into the absolute finest hip hop/world beat cut of 2007, but here it is- gunshots, cash registers and all. Perhaps that very unique quality of the track is its big selling point and the reason why it has caught so many ears. Sure, I don't listen to a ton of hip hop so who am I to judge, but it's always nice to hear something that breaks stereotype a little. Of course the song is about much more than just sound effects and a dope chorus- the beats are hot and Maya's words speak volumes. Enjoyable only begins to describe how amazing and wonderful this track really is.
PREVIOUSLY:
Top 50 Songs #30-21
Top 50 Songs #40-31
Top 50 Songs #50-41
TOMORROW: The Top 10 Songs of 2007!
Labels: andrew bird, best songs, burial, jens lekman, kanye west, kevin drew, listmas, los campesinos, mia, spoon, tegan and sara, the white stripes
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