Thursday, December 20, 2007

MFR's First Annual Readers Poll: 2007



Thanks to all of you readers who participated by sending in your polls! You responded in exactly the way we hoped you would. In many cases, we were pleasantly
surprised by the results. Especially noteworthy is the hometown love for acts such as alterna-rapper Brother Ali and Replacements disciples The Evening Rig. Furthermore, LCD Soundsystem being voted both one of the most innovative and overpraised albums is definitely worth pointing out (Ditto Arcade Fire). Unexpected entries from Ted Leo, Pissed Jeans, and MPLS-based Skoal Kodiak were results that were met with chagrin and delight.

Here now are the records of the year in terms of innovation; in terms of songwriting/listenability; the 5 overlooked records of the year; and the 5 overpraised records of the year. Tomorrow, we'll have our staff picks for all of these categories. In the meantime, here's the list, along with MP3s from each selection. Enjoy!

The Ten Best Records Of 2007: Innovation:

1. Animal CollectiveStrawberry Jam
Download: Animal Collective- "Chores"

2. RadioheadIn Rainbows
Download: Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"

3. Panda BearPerson Pitch
Download: Panda Bear - "Take Pills"

4. Aesop RockNone Shall Pass
Download: Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"

5. BattlesMirrored
Download: Battles - "Atlas"

6. LiarsLiars
Download: Liars - "Freak Out"

7. LCD SoundsystemSound Of Silver
Download: LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum"

8. Pissed Jeans - Hope For Men
Download: Pissing Jeans - "People Person"

9. Skoal Kodiak - Three People Are Keep Having Grape Emergency's
Stream songs at Skoal Kodiak's MySpace Page

10. Brother AliThe Undisputed Truth
Download Brother Ali - "Truth Is"

Runner-up: Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings
Download: Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"

The Ten Best Records Of 2007: Songwriting/Listenability:

1. The NationalBoxer
Download: The National - "Apartment Story"

2. The White StripesIcky Thump
Download: The White Stripes - "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You're Told)"

3. Ted Leo And The PharmacistsLiving With The Living
Download: Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - "The Sons of Cain"

4. Kanye West - Graduation
Download: Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

5. Arcade FireNeon Bible
Download: Arcade Fire - "Intervention"

6. Andrew BirdArmchair Apocrypha
Download: Andrew Bird - "Heretics"

7. Jens LekmanNight Falls Over Kortedala
Download: Jens Lekman - "A Postcard To Nina"

8. New PornographersChallengers
Download: The New Pornographers - "Unguided"

9. Tegan And Sara - The Con
Download: Tegan and Sara - "The Con"

10. The Evening Rig - Never Been'Er
Download: The Evening Rig - "Playing House"

Runner-up: Feist - The Reminder
Download: Feist - "I Feel It All"

The 5 Most Overlooked Records Of 2007:

1. Lamps - LampsLampsLamps
Listen to songs at the band's MySpace Page

2. Nicole Atkins - Neptune City
Download: Nicole Atkins - "The Way It Is"

3. Cinematic OrchestraMa Fleur
Download: Cinematic Orchestra - "Breathe" (feat. Fontella Bass)

4. Explosions In The Sky - All The Sudden I Miss Everyone
Download: Explosions In The Sky - "Welcome Ghosts"

5. Blockhead - Uncle Tony's Coloring Book
Download: Blockhead - "Cheer Up, You're Not Dead Yet"

Runner-up: Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth
Download: Brother Ali - "Take Me Home"

The 5 Most Overpraised Records Of 2007:

1. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
Download - Deerhunter - "White Ink"

2. MIAKala
Download: MIA - "Bamboo Banga"

3. Arcade FireNeon Bible
Download: Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go"

4. InterpolOur Love To Admire
Download: Interpol - "Pioneer to the Falls"

5. LCD SoundsystemSound Of Silver
Download: LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"

Runner-Up: Kanye WestGraduation
Download: Kanye West - "Stronger"

Buy all the albums mentioned here at your local brick-and-mortar record stores.

(MFR Staff)

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

My mother saw Feist on the Today show. She then started singing 1-2-3-4; I threw up in my mouth a little bit. If I have to hear that track one more time, I might actually hurl completely.

1:14 PM  
Blogger Jon said...

Christopher -
Yeah, Feist on the Today Show was pretty surreal, wasn't it? To be fair, though, it's no more surreal that when Husker Du played "The Joan Rivers Show".

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vefkvjcjNj8

1:26 PM  
Blogger evan said...

I am completely with you on MIA. Only women who don't like hip hop and overly intellectual music critics (and persons in both categories) really dig her. I'm also really with you on Brother Ali, which I picked as the 3d best of the year, and the year's best rap album. Simply awesome.

9:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the not-so-veiled misogyny that comes w/criticizing MIA. I think women who remember hip-hop in all of its dancey, over-the-top, ridiculous (i.e. fun) days dig MIA. But hailing her as some second-coming of hip-hop (as the critics do) is a bit overblown.

3:27 PM  

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