The MacManus Sessions

 Δέκα (10) είναι πολύ λίγα, στα τριάντα (30) άλμπουμς μπερδεύεσαι και χάνει η μάνα το παιδί και το paidi την mamy του! Είκοσι (20) νομίζω πως είναι υπεραρκετά διά μιά λίστα!

 Και γιά πρώτη φορά ως blogger, μετά από τρία χρόνια μέσα κι όξω από τα ιστολόγια, δημοσιοποιώ μιά σχετική λίστα, διότι φέτος με την adsl άκουσα σχεδόν ό,τι πετάει κι ό,τι κολυμπάει! Όπως τις παληές καλές ημι-επαγγελματικές εποχές στον Rock FM (1993-94). Σχεδόν τα πάντα που λέτε! Από το ιδίωμα [alternative-indie μέχρι κλασσικό Rock] που προσωπικώς μ’ενδιαφέρει φυσικά! Αυτό εξυπακούεται βέβαια!

 Kαι αυτά τα είκοσι άλμπουμ ΔΕΝ είναι τα καλύτερα της Χρονιάς! Προφανώς!

 Είναι τα είκοσι άλμπουμ που έλειωσα από το ατέρμονο-repeat-άκουσμα! Που δεν βαρέθηκα να τ’ακούω συνεχώς! Αν ζούσαμε σε εποχές βινυλίου θα΄χαν μπόλικες γρατζουνιές σήμερις αυτά τα συγκεκριμμένα δισκάκια! Αλλά ζούμε στην εποχή του ενός κλικ με το ποντίκι του υπολογιστή μας!

 Άσχετα αν εγώ προσωπικά και φέτος έξησα παρέα με όλα σχεδόν τα μουσικά μέσα αναπαραγωγής: μετατρέποντας τις παληές κασσέττες σε mp3, εξακολουθόντας ν’αγοράζω βινύλια και cd’s boxes αλλά και μ’ mp3’s “κατεβασιές”.

 Όλα συνυπάρχουν αρμονικά εδώ μέσα με βασική κυρίαρχη πάντα την μουσικούλα:

 Νο. 01 Voxtrot - s/t
 No. 02 The National – Boxer
 No. 03 Iron & Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog
 No. 04 Shins - Wincing the Night Away
 No. 05 Reverend and the Makers – The State of Things
 No. 06 Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
 No. 07 Bruce Springsteen - Magic
 No. 08 P J Harvey – White Chalk
 No. 09 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
 No. 10 Lucinda Williams - West
 No. 11 Kings of Leon – Because the Times
 No. 12 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
 No. 13 Interpol - Our Love to Admire
 No. 14 The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
 No. 15 Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
 No. 16 Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
 No. 17 Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future
 No. 18 Editors - An End Has A Start
 No. 19 Jack Peñate - Matineé
 No. 20 The Rumble Strips – Girls and Weather

THE BEST OF 2007. All the records, reissues, tracks and DVDs that rocked our world. Including: MOJO’s coveted Album Of The Year award. Plus: interviews with The Arcade Fire, Alex Turner, Dion, Damon Albarn, Johnny Marr, Little Steven, Paul Weller, PJ Harvey, LCD Soundsystem, Robert Wyatt, David Crosby, Rufus Wainwright and Elvis Costello.

***

01 Radiohead-In Rainbows
02 Arcade Fire-Neon Bible
03 Bruce Springsteen-Magic
04 Arctic Monkeys-Favourite Worst Nightmare
05 LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver
06 The Good, The Bad & The Queen-s/t
07 The White Stripes-Icky Thump
08 PJ Harvey-White Chalk
09 Robert Wyatt-Comicopera
10 Kings of Leon-Because The Times
11 The Klaxons-Myths of the Near Future
12 The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls in America
13 Rufus Wainwright-Release the Stars
14 Shins-Wincing the Night Away
15 Andrew Bird-Armachair Apocrypha
16 Bright Eyes-Cassadaga
17 Field Music-Tones of Town (*)
18 Grinderman-s/t
19 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss-Raising Sand
20 Nick Lowe-At My Age
21 Neil Young-Chrome Dreams II
22 Wilco-Sky Blue Sky
23 Efterklang-Parades (*)
24 Bjork-Volta
25 Joni Mitchell-Shine
26 Pissed Jeans-Hope For Men (*)
27 Linda Thompson-Versatile Heart
28 The Cinematic Orchestra-Ma Fleur (*)
29 Iron and Wine-The Sheperd’s Dog
30 Thurston Moore-Trees Outside The Academy
31 Gruff Rhys-Candylion (*)
32 Panda Bear-Person Pitch >>> ΔΙΣΚΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΧΡΟΝΙΑΣ ΔΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΘΗΝΑΪΚΗ FREE PRESS “LifO”
33 Seasick Steve-Dog House Music (*)
34 Willy Mason-If The Ocean Gets Rough (*)
35 Βettye LaVette-The Scene of the Crime
36 Tinariwen-Aman Iman_Water is Life
37 Edgar Jones And The Joneses-Gettin’ A Little Help (*)
38 The Besnard Lakes-Are the Dark Horse
39 Battles-Mirrored
40 Yoko Ono-Yes, I’m A Witch (*)
41 Amiina-Kurr (*)
42 Gravenhurst-The Western Lands (*)
43 Interpol-Our Love to Admire
44 Les Savy Fav-Let’s Stay Friends
45 Matthew Dear-Asa Bread
46 Kevin Ayers-The Unfairground (*)
47 Edwyn Collins-Home Again (*)
48 Babyshambles-Shooter’s Nation
49 Voice of the Seven Woods-s/t
50 Alasdair Roberts-The Amber Gatherens (*)

***

Americana: Lucinda Williams- “West”
Jazz: Empirical- “s/t”
Blues: Watermelon Slim & The Workers- “The Wheel Man”
Folk: Lisa Knapp- “Wild and Undaunted”
Reggae Reissues: Lee Perry & Upsetters- “Ape_ology”
Underground: Om- “Pilgrimage”
Urban: Klashnekoff- “Lionheart_Tussle with the Beast”
World: Tinariwen- “Aman Iman_Water is Life”
Soundtrack: John Barry- “Themependium”

***

Reissue of the Year: David Crosby- “If I Could Only Remember My Name”
Trend of the Year: THE DEATH OF THE RECORD SHOP
Solo Artist of the Year: P.J. Harvey
DVD of the Year: Bob Dylan- “The Other Side of the Mirror”
Debut of the Year: Klaxons- “Myths of the Near Future”
Track of the Year: LCD Soundsystem- “All My Friends”
Band of the Year: Arcade Fire

From the Magazine: The Ten Best CDs of 2007

Radiohead – In Rainbows: Overdiscussed for its delivery method and often the recipient of praise so unthinkingly rapturous that it was mildly insulting, In Rainbows is nevertheless Radiohead’s best and most playable collection of songs since the Year Zero anti-music of Kid A. There are beautifully flickering guitars, dirges, reconfigured Funky Drummer and drum’n'bass beats, rock jeremiads, hummable songlets and, yes, moments of real, unalloyed joy… Who says there’s nothing new under their sun? (Andrew Harrison)

Nick Lowe – At My Age: Rooted in the idioms of country and soul, profoundly romantic but English as tuppence, At My Age is Nick Lowe’s masterpiece. He gives a lot of credit to “the Bloke”, a muse of his own invention who comes up with the best material. What he provides Lowe gratefully accepts, knowing the songs will seem to sing themselves and all the musicians have to do is stay out of the way as they weave their spells. (David Hepworth)

Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge: Maybe it was some forgotten, pigeon-like race memory of lush pre-Beatles rock’n'roll ballads that finally brought the nation to Hawley’s music this year. Lady’s Bridge feels as familiar and beguilingly alien as a stack of old EPs you might find in your late nan’s radiogram; these songs are full of the romance of simpler times but feel more contemporary than those of many a method indie band. In Club Hawley, the carpets may be sticky but the dreams are pristine. (Andrew Harrison)

Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water Is Life: A timely reminder of how thrilling rock music can be when you have little inkling of what it’s going to do next. The great joy here lies in the marriage of the familiar – Bo Diddley beats, Muddy Waters growls, Stonesy riffs – to the deliciously alien musical world of the southern Sahara. Ruthlessly rhythmic and suffused with a sweet melancholy, this is simply oustanding music – no “world” caveat required. (Graeme Thomson)

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible: After 2003’s fabulous Funeral, Arcade Fire opened the Good Book, flicked on the rock stadium lights and invented a new genre: death-rave. Songs exploded with the feverish energy of life rather than death – from the Bruce Springsteen ramalama of (Antichrist Television Blues) to the New Order-on-opium clamour of No Cars Go to the dark, turbulent waters of Ocean Of Noise. All that and politics, church-baiting and tons of modern-world malaise turned up to 11. Rave on! (Jude Rogers)

Laura Veirs – Saltbreakers: A constant companion on long car journeys, this spacious and extraordinary record by the 34 year-old Oregon-based singer-songwriter is a confetti of sense impressions mostly set in the oceanside wilderness of the Canadian border, and magically arranged by her band. I can’t get enough of its ringing textures, muted horns and slightly curdled harmonies. She sings about “a handful of dreamdust” at one point and it doesn’t sound preposterous at all! (Mark Ellen)

Epic45 – May Your Heart Be The Map: I genuinely can’t stand difficult music, but often easy music’s even worse. Happily, May Your Heart Be The Map is experimental enough to build a track like, say, Winterbirds from acoustic harmonic loops and snadpapery tactile electronic glitches, but human enough for the whole thing to end up as a drowsy, sun-lit folk-pop humalong. Staffordshire duo Rob and Ben ’45 are proud masters of the minimally melodic, and experiencing this brilliant record is like watching the sun burn off the last lazy layers of morning mist. Only with significantly better tunes. (Rob Fitzpatrick)

Chemical Brothers – We Are the Night: It’s not common for anyone to deliver their best work six albums in, least of all in the Logan’s Run world of dance music, but We Are The Night took the Brothers’ modern-day psychedelia to heights that beat all comers. To their stock-in-trade cosmic mind-expansion and euphoric dance tracks they added a more sophisticated introspection, suggesting that of all the rave progeny, Simons and Rowlands might the ones in for the longest haul. (Andrew Harrison)

Maps – We Can Create: The heartening level of success and broad critical acclaim that We Can Create has enjoyed this year proves that – happily – the nation’s hunger for knee-trembling, room-spinny rush-of-Persians-to-the-head, saucer-eyed medicine-pop is as keen as it ever was. Revelling unrepentently in that perfect pop place where hip-shakingly propulsive music meets I-can’t-actually-feel-my-thumbs lyrics, We Can Create is that most deeply cherishable of items, an album that will make your wig spin while providing up-to-the-minute, friend-impressing dinner-party thrills at the same time. Result, no? (Rob Fitzpatrick)

Cherry Ghost – Thirst for Romance: Cherry Ghost’s debut album was a perfect accompaniment to 2007’s gorgeously gloomy summer. Here were huge-hearted, whisky-soured stories full of torment and love, with Simon Aldred’s smoky rasp introducing us to a bleak Northern England populated by “beautiful girls wrapped in black icicles”, stiff drinks and three-time divorcees. Backed up by warm, country-influenced rock that summoned up the spirits of Johnny Cash, Elbow and Sparklehorse, this gorgeous record kept the pulse racing. (Jude Rogers)

  Είναι και η πρώτη Βρετανοκεντρική ματιά που πέφτει στα χέρια μου διά τον Απολογισμό της φετεινής χρονιάς! Αναμένω και τις λίστες των ΝΜΕ, “Q” και Mojo διά πιό οριστικά συμπεράσματα. Πάνω-κάτω, όπως κάθε χρονιά, τα ίδια άλμπουμς θ’ανεβοκατεβαίνουν θέσεις! Παρατηρείτε την αισθητή διαφορά με την λίστα των Αμερικάνων του PaStε. Πάντως η επιλογή των LCD Soundsystem δι άλμπουμ του 2007, ομολογουμένως με κούφανε… Τέλος πάντων! Εδώ έχουμε μιά πιό open mind προσέγγιση από την μονολιθική επιλογή της λίστας των Αμερικάνων! Κι ethnic-world πινελιές (Manu Chao-Tinariwen) και σκληρότερους ήχους (QOTSA) αλλά και πανέμοφρες αμερικανιές που πέρασαν απαρατήρητες φαίνεται στην πατρίδα τους κι εκτιμήθηκαν δεόντως πέραν του Ατλαντικού (Rilo Kiley,The Hold Steady, Kings of Leon). Φυσικά θα συναντήσουμε και Αγγλικά κολήμματα που αυτοί που τα ψήφισαν πρέπει να΄ναι της γενιάς μου (Nick Lowe), δεν εξηγείται αλλοιώς….

01. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
02. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
03. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
04. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
05. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
06. Robert Wyatt – Comicopera
07. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
08. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
09. Radiohead – In Rainbows
10. Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future
11. Björk – Volta
12. Battles – Mirrored
13. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
14. M.I.A. – Kala
15. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
16. Grinderman – s/t
17. Super Furry Animals – Hey Venus!
18. Voice of the Seven Woods – s/t
19. Feist – The Reminder
20. Bruce Springsteen – Magic
21. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
22. Babyshambles – Shooters Nation
23. Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight
24. Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
25. Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
26. Manu Chao – La Radiolina
27. Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
28. Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
29. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes and the Dark Horse
30. The Good, The Bad & The Queen – The Good, The Bad & The Queen
31. Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
32. Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
33. Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water is Life
34. The National – Boxer
35. Bill Callahan – Woke On A Whaleheart
36. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
37. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
38. The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever
39. Interpol – Our Love to Admire
40. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
41. Justice – †
42. Richard Thompson – Sweet Warrior
43. Manic Street Preachers – Send Away the Tigers
44. Maps – We Can Create
45. Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
46. Von Sudenfed – Tromatic Reflexxions
47. Nick Lowe – At My Age
48. Thurston Moore – Trees Outside the Academy
49. Ry Cooder – My Name Is Buddy
50. Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond

(*) Mε bold γράμματα, τα διαφορετικά άλμπουμς που δεν θα συναντήσετε κι εις την λίστα του PaStε magazine!

[TOP 100 ALBUMS OF 2007] [STAFF PICKS] [WRITER PICKS]

1. The National – Boxer
2. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen – Magic
4. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
5. Feist – The Reminder
6. M.I.A. – Kala
7. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
8. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
9. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
10. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
11. Radiohead – In Rainbows
12. Avett Brothers – Emotionalism
13. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
14. Loney, Dear – Loney, Noir √
15. Kanye West – Graduation √
16. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
17. Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
18. Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend √
19. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Living with the Living
20. Blonde Redhead – 23
21. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
22. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver √
23. Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil
24. Patty Griffin – Children Running Through
25. Over The Rhine – The Trumpet Child
26. The Shins – Wincing the Night Away
27. Derek Webb – The Ringing Bell
28. Mary Gauthier – Between Daylight and Dark
29. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
30. Björk – Volta √
31. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
32. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
33. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
34. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
35. Peter Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block
36. Joe Henry – Civilians
37. Eleni Mandell – The Miracle Of Five
38. Olof Arnalds – Vid Og Vid
39. The Perishers – Victorious
40. Damien Dempsey – To Hell Or Barbados
41. Brandi Carlile – The Story
42. Lifesavas – Gutterfly
43. The Everybodyfields – Nothing Is Okay
44. Norah Jones – Not Too Late
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights
46. Justice – † √
47. Linda Thompson – Versatile Heart
48. The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
49. Carolina Chocolate Drops – Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind
50. Battles – Mirrored √
51. The Frames – The Cost
52. Thurston Moore – Trees Outside the Academy
53. Fionn Regan – The End Of History
54. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew – Spirit If…
55. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
56. Kate Nash – Made of Bricks √
57. The Clientele – God Save The Clientele
58. Romantica – America
59. Imperial Teen – The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band
60. The Broken West – I Can’t Go On I’ll Go On
61. Prince – Planet Earth
62. Joseph Arthur – Let’s Just Be
63. Explosions In The Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
64. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
>>>65. Caribou – Andorra >>>Download: “After Hours”.wma
66. Apples In Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder
67. St. Vincent – Marry Me
68. Office – A Night At The Ritz
69. Bat For Lashes – Fur & Gold
70. Ween – La Cucaracha
71. Josh Rouse – Country Mouse City House
72. Bettye Lavette – Scene Of The Crime
73. Warm In The Wake – American Prehistoric
74. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
75. Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara
76. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
77. Jeremy Fisher – Goodbye Blue Monday
78. The New Pornographers – Challengers
79. Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
80. Akron/Family – Love Is Simple
81. Art Brut – It’s A Bit Complicated
82. Dan Deacon – Spiderman of the Rings
83. Deerhunter – Cryptograms
84. Liars – Liars
85. Menomena – Friend and Foe
86. Ruthie Foster – The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
87. White Rabbits – Fort Nightly
88. Do Make Say Think – You, You’re A History In Rust
89. Anat Cohen – Noir
90. Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
91. The Fratellis – Costello Music
92. Jesse Sykes – Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul
93. Lori McKenna – Unglamorous
94. Suzanne Vega – Beauty & Crime
95. The Good, The Bad & The Queen – The Good, The Bad & The Queen
96. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
97. Marissa Nadler – Song III: Bird on the Water
98. Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
99. The Fiery Furnaces – Widow City
100. Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War