Celebrating 3 years in business!
Marvel-Ous staff takes a look back at 2007 and picks their favorite Movies, Games and Music. (Note: All Music picks were chosen by Dack)
MUSIC
Top 20 Albums of 2007
20. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
Daft Punk is by far one of the best Electronica artists in the genre. This year saw them finally get some of the fame in America they deserve by producing Kayne West's hit single Stronger. Instead of just simply releasing an album of a live set of previously recorded songs, they released a CD of a live set of brand new remixed songs that were stellar. I can't wait until Daft Punk's next album.
19. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Aesop Rock is one of the best rappers I have ever heard -- and I don't say that lightly. The beats in every track of None Shall Pass rock. His lyrics rock. Everything about Aesop Rock screams unique and outstanding -- he was better than any popular rapper or Hip-Hop artist in 2007. Yet, if you ask someone who he is, chances are they won't know. Ask someone who the untalented and purely terrible Soulja Boy is, and they will start acting like a retard doing his little dance to one of the worst songs of all time. That's popular music for you.
18. Hard-Fi - Once Upon A Time In the West
Hard Fi's debut album, Stars of CCTV was one of the best albums of 2006. Now, just a year later, Hard-Fi is back with Once Upon A time In the West. Although this album isn't quite as sensational as their debut, it's a very impressive follow up. Stand out tracks Televesion and Suburban Knights make the album worth a purchase alone.
17. Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob
Kaiser Chiefs took the rock world by storm with the near-perfect heights reached by their debut album, Employment. Yours Truly, Angry Mob is not nearly as good as Employment, but that doesn't mean that it's not great. The single, Ruby, is one of the top tracks this year, and while there are some tracks on the album that don't make much of an impact, the tracks that do rank Yours Truly, Angry Mob as one of the best albums of the year.
16. Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures
Maximo Park's debut album, A Certain Trigger, is one of my favorite albums of all time. I was scared that they would fall into the Sophomore slump that many bands tend to fall into, but they didn't at all. What we got was a deeper and slower sound for the band. While I prefer the eccentric sound of the first album, the tracks here are much more refined, proving that Maximo Park deserves to be a top name in music.
15. Jamie T. - Panic Prevention
What a sensational debut. I've never seen Rap, Reggae and Rock combined to form such a great album, but Jamie T. has done just that. Some people call him the "One Man Arctic Monkey", which describes his vocals perfectly. I wouldn't hesitate calling Salvador, a song off Panic Prevention, one of the best songs of 2007.
14. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Klaxons came out of nowhere in 2007, suprising people with a strong and unique cut of tracks. Infact, it's so unique, people claim Klaxons have started a new genre of music called "New Rave". It's rare for electronica and Rock to blend so well, and only Klaxons and Datarock have done it in 2007.
13. The Hives - The Black and White Album
The Hives haven't cut a bad record yet. Every album so far has had memorable songs and popular singles. So what do they do? Change their sound. The Hives teamed up with the great producer Pharrell Williams to produce more of a pop-punk album. But, leave it to The Hives to create another stellar album. Even though they aren't the same garage band we're used to, almost every track on the Black and White Album shine.
12. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga wins the award for weirdest album name of the year. But, the album with the weird name also contains some great tracks. The Underdog, Don't Make Me A Targer, Finer Feelings and You Got Yr Cherry Bomb are all stellar. Spoon's best effort to date is one of this year's best album to date.
11. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party's debut, Silent Alarm, is one of my favorite albums of all time. With Weekend in the City, Bloc Party has found a darker, moodier sound. The album is very polished, working well as an album, not as a single maker. Later in the year, Bloc Party decided to add a new song called "Flux" to the album, which was considered when placing this album -- Flux is one of the best songs of the year.
10. Datarock - Datarock Datarock
Datarock rocks with Datarock Datarock. Guys in red tracksuits and big sunglasses shouldn't be making such amazing music, yet that's exaclty what Datarock has done. The whole album fuses Rock and Dance incredibley well. Fa-Fa-Fa, a track from the album, is the most fun song of the year.
9. LCD Soundsystem - 45:33
So LCD Soundsystem comes out with Sound of Silver, and it's one of the best albums of 2007. Just when fans thought it couldn't get any sweeter, they are commissioned to make a workout album that is 45 minutes and 33 seconds long. Instead of just using it as an opprotunity for a quick cheque, 45:33 is more like a fantastic DJ set, the likes of which doesn't come around often. The first five minutes alone rival anything any Electronica artist put out in 2007.
8. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
The Shins are back and better then ever. Wincing the Night Away is a mellow and beautiful album. The opening track alone has already inspired a series of Zune commercials. There is not a single weakspot on the album -- which can be listented to again and again, without getting sick of it. The Shins have done a great job of representing Indie Rock.
7. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
Gyspy Punk rocks! I'm not even going to begin the amazing sound that is Gogol Bordello, they truly must be listened to, to be believed. Every song on Super Taranta! rocks, from the perfect Ultimate, to American Wedding, the song I will eventually party to at my wedding. Keep on rocking, Gogol Bordello!
6. Justice - Cross
Justice is destined to be the next Daft Punk. I don't think anyone expected the album to sound as big as it does. It reminds me of a cross between Daft Punk's Discovery and Homework. The single of the album, D.A.N.C.E, makes you want to do just that. Keep your eye on Justice, they're the next big thing.
5. Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face
Kenna deserves to be famous. His debut album, New Sacred Cow, was hailed by critics, but ignored by music listeners. Finally, Kenna has made a splash with Make Sure They See My Face. Every track on here is pure gold. Kenna is a great man and his music is powerful and uplifting.
4. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Many albums on this list are Sophomore efforts that were great, and failed to not fall into the slump. Favourite Worst Nightmare, however, is actually better than Arctic Monkeys' debut. Every track on here is great, from the hard Brianstorm to the more tender Florescent Adolescent. If the Arctic Monkeys can put out such a great album in just a year, I simply cannot wait to see what they come up with for their third effort.
3. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
What a great year for LCD Sounsystem. They've somehow managed to produce two albums, and ontop of that, both rank in the top 10 of the year. LCD Sounsystem is one of the funkiest bands in the history of Rock. Or Dance. Or whatever they are. Every song on here is unique, and while most are upbeat, a few tender tracks are simply, in lack of a better word, beautiful.
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
When Arcade Fire's debut album, Funeral, came out a few years ago, people were hailing them as the next great rock artist, comparing them to the likes of David Bowie and Queen. They weren't wrong. With Neon Bible, Arcade Fire has managed to keep their simply amazing big sound (using the Pipe Organ to great effect). Arcade Fire isn't a big name in music, but if they were to have come out 10 years ago (Thanks for ruining popular music, crappy Hip Hop!), they'd be one of the best sellers of all time. Neon Bible needs to be listened to by everyone.
1. Album of the Year: Radiohead - In Rainbows
(Written by Leonhart) Anybody who is
unfamiliar with Radiohead is truly missing out on one of the
best bands of our generation. Their latest album, In
Rainbows is one of their best works yet. The music is
fantastic and extremely unique, and fans of any genre will
almost certainly enjoy In Rainbows. Equally unique
is the packaging for In Rainbows, which simply comes
with all the necessary parts of a CD case but makes you
ensemble it on your own - a daring and ingenious design to
reflect the state of the current music industry's
suffocation of independent artists.
