Year-End Critics' Polls '07

But first, seriously, let's discuss the album without being total assholes...we can talk about this album without being so confrontational about it.

LQTM.

I don't know what that means.

I also have not previously liked much of what I've heard of Of Montreal, and I had to get past the first track on this one before it started to make sense and to sound good to my ears. Honestly, the first time I heard the first track I thought it sounded like a bad production of a high school musical. Now I think it's great! I love the glam/gay sound, the joyful melodies and incredible harmonies, the perversity of the lyrics, the humor, and the quick stops/starts/turns. It's dense, but in a very good way.

If Strawberry Jam’s won your heart (or ears), great! I'd love to read why, about what it has or does that Hissing Fauna... or In Rainbows don't. But to suggest, as your posts imply, that either of the latter two are more sonically dense than the effects cornucopia-slash-delay pedal laden Strawberry Jam misrepresents all three.

Certainly being sonically dense is not de facto a bad thing. Nor is it de facto good. These three albums are a good example of the spectrum. I find the cornucopia of sounds on Strawberry Jam to be used in surprising ways. “Peacebone” for instance is full of sounds—effects, instruments, vocals—that drop in and out and are like little unexpected presents. My comment about In Rainbows was mostly an observation, not a damnation—I realize I called it a “complaint,” but I meant of the quibbling variety. (If you’re curious, here’s what I wrote about In Rainbows when it came out, expanding on what I’ve said in this thread.) I like In Rainbows, though that doesn’t stop me from noting its sonic density and questioning whether it’s totally successful.

In other words, if Hissing Fauna... or In Rainbows did not favorably impress you, criticism of either's merits/aesthetics/etc. are valid. But, to me, your "repulsion" to the former and criticisms of the latter are not based on considered listens of either.

To be “repulsed” and to be “repelled” are two different things. I never said I was repulsed. I think there is something about Hissing Fauna that causes resistance. I think it has something to do with the way Of Montreal apply a certain density of sounds across the record. All three of these bands are using this density in different ways. (It is, after all, kind of a vague term, “sonic density”—not to mention kinda pretentions sounding.)

…your opinions are not based on subjective impressions or objective measures of either album as they exist, but rather on, at best superficial, listens to both.

I’ve admitted up front that I’ve only listened to Hissing Fauna a few times, and I’ve explicitly said I’ve listened to the Radiohead quite a lot. You have me confused with another poster in that respect.
Honestly I can’t argue with you too much on Of Montreal. My original post was meant to describe my first impression of the album Unfortunately, my impression is that they made a pop record that is antagonistic and not inviting, and hence I have difficulty wanting to go back to it. (Yes, in the “arcane” sense of the word, as in magnets, the album repels me… is there a more modern way to describe how magnets work?)

I can't say what you'd hoped for in terms of "silence" or "space" on an album, much less on an Of Montreal album given your alleged familiarity with their earlier, and more importantly, recent work

Heh. “Alleged” – yes, I’m inventing my familiarity so as to convince you of my ability to listen to Hissing Fauna correctly! :)

It’s really not so much that I want “silence” on the album, or even “space.” More that I found myself wishing in some places that there’d just be one less instrument or one less sound. It sounded busy and full, more so than it needed to be. That was my impression. Like I said in my original post, that was likely Barnes’s intent. Good for him.

Further, what is a grating harmony? Other than an oxymoron? If harmonies wrought with falsetto aren't your cup of tea, than say so. But, to me, for a harmony to grate, it would require dissonance.
Compare the harmonies on Hissing Fauna to, say, the Byrds—or for that matter “Disconnect the Dots”—and I think you could quite easily describe the former as “more grating.” There is something rather harried in the vocal delivery of many of the songs on Hissing Fauna, for example on “Suffer for Fashion.”

For a second instance, you ...had a similar complaint about In Rainbows, which is that...there is no air in the record at all..., ...there is little to no silence, and rarely is there just one thing happening (aside from the beginning of the first song). There's a constant wash of instruments or white noise in every corner of every song... Really? You see, such sweeping and demonstrably inaccurate statements immediately call into question the validity of your criticism. Songs like "Nude," "Videotape" and "Faust Arp" (the latter featuring only acoustic guitar, a voice and occasional strings) have plenty of room for additional instrumentation and yet there’s space aplenty unoccupied.

I promise to listen again if you do. I feel there is some form of white noise painted across 90% of In Rainbows. To the level of constant distraction? Not for the average listener, no. But like I said, once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing it. It’s like how graphic designers can’t help but notice bad design in the world, or writers/editors can’t help but notice typos or bad grammar. Obviously the band intended it to be textural, but I noticed.

http://img429.imageshack.us/img429/562/41071051mariopa203bf2.jpg

Top 5 Songs of 2007
1. Kanye West – “Flashing Lights”
2. Wyclef Jean – “sweetest girl”
3. Justin Timberlake – “What Goes Around Comes Around”
4. Alicia Keys - “Like You'll Never See Me Again”
5. Rihanna – “Umbrella”

Top 10 Albums of 2007

Alicia Keys - As I Am
Common - Finding Forever
Cassidy - B.A.R.S.
Incubus - Light Grenades
Jay Z - American Gangster
Kanye West - Graduation
Plies - The Real Testament
Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke
T.I. - T.I. vs TIP
J. Holiday - Back Of My Lac

http://creative.myspace.com/cms/Music_Best_Of/archive/mario.html

I guess what I don't get is the general outrage that Hissing Fauna wasn't consensus album of the year.

You do realize that all those "outraged" kornrulez posts upthread were poking fun at people who complain about there not being enough indie in lists that are 90% indie anyway, right? I think there was some comment complaining about the low placement of Hissing Fauna on Stylus' list that triggered it.

http://i4.tinypic.com/87b8s92.jpg

AP's Best Album
Article Tools Sponsored By
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 29, 2007

Filed at 10:01 a.m. ET

With the hundreds of albums released this year, finding ten that rose to the top was surprisingly difficult -- few were special enough to merit repeat listens, let alone remain in your brain long after the CD stops playing.

Here are the rare records with a permanent place on our playlists in 2007:

1. ''Back to Black,'' Amy Winehouse: The tragedy of 2007 is that Amy Winehouse is now simply known as the ''Rehab'' chick with the drug habit, not as the gifted singer-songwriter who created the most compelling album of the year. Winehouse's raspy, soulful voice is dazzling enough on its own; add the retro-soul licks and the alternately hilarious, heartbreaking lyrics, and it's an album that you just cannot shut off. While ''Rehab'' was a clever, gimmicky hit, it can't begin to reflect how amazing ''Back to Black'' truly is.

2. The Bird and the Bee, ''The Bird and the Bee'': Imagine the Carpenters on an acid. That's the best way to describe the surreal pop debut of The Bird and the Bee, comprised of the duo Inara George and Greg Kurstin. George's vocals are dreamy and angelic, but the lyrics are anything but -- one of the album's best tracks is ''(Expletive) Boyfriend.''

3. ''Finding Forever,'' Common: Maybe Common is just too darn clever and crafty for his own good. Once again, he put out an excellent rap disc that didn't get the attention it deserved, but perhaps only a select group can appreciate the intellect, wit, and charm he dispenses with each rhyme: This ain't for the ''Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)'' crowd. Though rap certainly needs some Common Sense these days more than ever.

4. The ''Once'' soundtrack: ''Once,'' starring Marketa Irglova and the lead singer of the Frames, Glen Hansard, was the perfect romantic movie that flew under mainstream radar. The same could be said about its wonderful soundtrack. Irglova's sweet voice is the perfect accompaniment to Hansard's raspy vocals -- they don't need much else, and the simple production of just a piano here or guitar there makes the music even more intimate than the touching lyrics convey.

5. ''Graduation,'' Kanye West: Truth be told, ''Graduation'' is actually West's weakest album -- but when you consider the first two, ''The College Dropout'' and ''Late Registration,'' were nothing short of brilliant, it's OK that this one rates as just very, very good. West's use of techno beats give some tracks a more experimental sounding vibe, but it's his always clever rhymes that make you listen again and again.

6. ''Double Up,'' R. Kelly: Given the nonsense that permeates 1/3 of this disc, ''Double Up'' shouldn't even be on this list. But how can it not be when the rest of the songs are so crazy and so good? When you can make a prison visit a must-listen-to groove (''Best Friend''), you are truly creating the stuff of genius. Plus, he gets extra credit for that whole ''Trapped in the Closet'' saga.

7. ''As I Am,'' Alicia Keys: Though it's not a perfect album, it contains perhaps three of the most perfect songs you can find in pop today -- ''Wreckless Love,'' ''Lesson Learned'' and the slow-jam piece of ecstasy otherwise known as ''Kiss Me Like You'll Never Kiss Me Again.'' And thankfully, unlike her past albums, most of the other songs on ''As I Am'' are strong enough to make you want to listen to the CD in its entirety, instead of cherry-picking the best tracks.

8. ''Alright, Still,'' Lily Allen: Lily Allen doesn't have the greatest voice, and is not much of a stage presence, as her live performances this year bore out. But you'd never guess that by listening to her charming debut, buoyed infectious ska-pop beats and wry lyrics. Like Winehouse's ''Back to Black,'' producer Mark Ronson's handiwork elevates this CD.

9. ''Good Girl Gone Bad,'' Rihanna: Rihanna's hard-driving sophomore CD blended pop-rock, electronica and a dash of R&B for slick and sexy club music. It also separated her from the wanna-be Beyonce pack. Though much of the credit for this disc's allure goes to the producers who came up with the catchy beats, Rihanna delivers a powerful punch despite her somewhat thin voice -- its her emotive vocals that helped to make ''Umbrella'' one of the most requested songs of the year, and what makes the ballad ''I Hate That I Love You'' so passionate.

10. ''Kala,'' M.I.A.: The British born, Sri-Lankan raised rapper got even more eclectic -- if that's even possible -- with ''Kala,'' a mish-mash of Indian beats, African rhythms, electronic synths and fierce rapping. It's not as hypnotic as her debut CD, ''Arular,'' but it's just as fiery.

--------

Honorable mention:

''Because of You,'' Ne-Yo

''American Gangster,'' Jay-Z

''Sound of Silver,'' LCD Soundsystem

''In My Element,'' Robert Glasper

''Blackout,'' Britney Spears (YES, I SAID IT!)

Parallel worlds: "This year belonged, in part, to Gebhard Ullmann, who turned fifty."

West's use of techno beats give some tracks a more experimental sounding vibe

You do realize that all those "outraged" kornrulez posts upthread were poking fun at people who complain about there not being enough indie in lists that are 90% indie anyway, right? I think there was some comment complaining about the low placement of Hissing Fauna on Stylus' list that triggered it.

-- The Reverend, Saturday, 29 December 2007 05:47 (11 hours ago)

I do get that, and that's the so-called consensus I was referring to, since I'm seeing that 'outrage' in comments sections everywhere.

...there is some form of white noise painted across 90% of In Rainbows.

I think the primary point of my "frothing" is that most of your assertions are based on a "feeling" - my query, boiled-down, is: what are some examples that drive your intuition?

Not to be all CSI and fact-based, but perhaps you could start by citing examples of the white noise painted across "Faust Arp" or "Nude" or "Videotape" or "House of Cards" or "All I Need"?

Corny indie fuxx be corny. (xp)

Tijana Ilich's top 10 salsa

http://latinmusic.about.com/od/cdtoppicks/tp/TPSALSA2007.htm

click on the link for her blurbs on all 10

1. Issac Delgado - En Primera Plana

Cuba's master of timba released his first album from his new U.S. home. En Primera Plana means "On The Front Page" and that's where this album belongs. I like it for the changes in rhythms, the many breaks and the outstanding command of the genre that is Issac Delgado's.

2. Gilberto Santa Rosa - Contraste

3. La Excelencia - Salsa Con Conciencia

4. NG2 - Al Fin

5. Marc Anthony - El Cantante

6. Jerry Rivera - Caribe Gardel

7. Andy Montanez - The Godfather of Salsa

8. Victor Manuelle - Live At Madison Square Garden

9. Tito Nieves - Live In Colombia

10. Cubanismo - Greetings From Havana

Who is this person? I only ever see her name on about.com.

Two of those are from '06, and they weren't big secrets or anything in '06, so it's hard to justify her listing them so late. I haven't heard all of that, but it looks like a pretty dull list to me--not that it hasn't been a dull year in salsa.

your opinions are not based on subjective impressions or objective measures of either album as they exist, but rather on, at best superficial, listens to both.

Gawd.

Not to be all CSI and fact-based, but perhaps you could start by citing examples of the white noise painted across "Faust Arp" or "Nude" or "Videotape" or "House of Cards" or "All I Need"?

I'm not going to go into detail on every minute of the record, but "House of Cards" is the perfect example. For what is essentially a simple acoustic ballad, there is a lot aural wallpaper in that song. For one, Thom Yorke's voice is drenched in echo. Also the backing vocals in this song - those long notes, vague oohing and humming - are prevalent throughout many of the songs on this album. The strings, too. All this adds up to atmosphere surrounding what is otherwise, at its core, the simplest song on the album, which could easily have succeeded as a song with nothing more than acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and effect-less vocals.

Many, if not all, of the the songs on this album have similar atmospherics. There is nothing "crisp" about this album's sound, except in the first minute of the first song. There is a layer of atmosphere over each song on this album; maybe not every second of every track--maybe--but its prevalent enough to give the album an overall tone, hence my "feeling."

...As if musical opinions are somehow tainted or made less valid by being based on "feelings" in the first place.

Pgswp has now gone from dismissing the Radiohead album by saying There's a constant wash of instruments or white noise in every corner of every song to now saying There is a layer of atmosphere over each song on this album . I think "white noise," "constant wash of instruments," and "atmosphere" are not all the same thing.

Oh and xp to RS, I do not know who Tijana Ilich is either, I just had not seen any (other) top salsa lists so I thought I'd post that one. Latin beat magazine usually publishes lists in their hardcopy but I don't think they put their lists online.

As if musical opinions are somehow tainted or made more valid by being based on the music in the first place.

Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid
Imagine the Carpenters on an acid

Okay here's mine. Have a happy new year, folks. Somebody get me a drink.

http://www.fastnbulbous.com/best_2007_sm.jpg

1. Burial - Untrue (Hyperdub)
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows (ATO)
3. Apparat - Walls (Bpitch Control)
4. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (We Are Free)
5. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (Universal/Polydor)
6. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed (Ghostly International)
7. Jesu - Conquerer (Hydra Head)
8. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (Graveface)
9. Maxïmo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures (Warp)
10. Tinariwen - Aman Iman (World Village)
11. White Rabbits - Fort Nightly (Say Hey)
12. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark)
13. Moon Wiring Club - An Audience of Art Deco Eyes (Geophonic Audio Systems)
14. Good Shoes - Think Before You Speak (Brille/EMI UK)
15. Mothers and the Addicts - Science Fiction Illustrated (Chemikal Underground)
16. Islaja - Ulual Yyy (Fonal)
17. Field Music - Tones Of Town (Memphis Industries)
18. Parts & Labor - Mapmaker (Jagjaguwar/Brah)
19. Tunng - Good Arrows (Thrill Jockey)
20. Witchcraft - The Alchemist (Rise Above)
21. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Anti)
22. Dax Riggs - We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love (Fat Possum)
23. Dälek - Abandoned Language (Ipecac)
24. Studio - West Coast (Information)
25. James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing (Tompkins Square)
26. Laub - Deinetwegen (Agf Producktion)
27. Sally Shapiro - Disco Romance (Paperbag)
28. A Place To Bury Strangers (Killer Pimp)
29. Kemialliset Ystävät (Fonal)
30. The Rakes - Ten New Messages (V2)
31. The National - Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
32. Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! (Bpitch Control)
33. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead (Definitive Jux)
34. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)
35. The Tough Alliance - A New Chance (Sincerely Yours)
36. The White Sripes - Icky Thump (V2)
37. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris (Interscope)
38. The Maccabees - Colour It In (Polydor)
39. Strategy - Future Rock (Kranky)
40. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (DFA)
41. Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land (V2)
42. Gudrun Gut - I Put A Record On (Monika)
43. PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
44. Pinch - Underwater Dancehall (Tectonic)
45. Maps - We Can Create (Mute)
46. Editors - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware UK)
47. Menomena! - Friend And Foe (Barsuk)
48. Caribou - Andorra (Merge)
49. Balkan Beat Box - Nu Med (JDub)
50. The Focus Group - We Are All Pan's People (Ghost Box)
51. White Denim - Let's Talk About It EP (White Denim)
52. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera (Domino)
53. Grinderman (Anti-)
54. Wooden Shjips (Holy Mountain)
55. Muscles - Guns Babes Lemonade (Modular)
56. Pale Young Gentlemen (PYG)
57. HUMANWINE - Fighting Naked (Nervous Relative)
58. !!! - Myth Takes (Warp)
59. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City (Vice)
60. Shape of Broad Minds - Craft of the Lost Art (Lex)
61. Pharoahe Monch - Desire (SRC/Universal/Motown)
62. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)
63. Chloe - The Waiting Room (Kill the DJ)
64. Holy Fuck - LP (Young Turks)
65. Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
66. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino)
67. Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado)
68. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde (Profound Lore)
69. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (Atlantic)
70. Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks (Hydra Head)
71. Eluvium - Copia (Temporary Residence)
72. Echospace - The Coldest Season (Modern Love)
73. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
74. Pram - The Moving Frontier (Domino)
75. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City (Thrill Jockey)
76. Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
77. Noisettes - What's The Time Mr. Wolf? (Vertigo)
78. New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom (Universal/Island)
79. Oh No - Dr. No's Oxperiment (Stones Throw)
80. Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian (Absolutely Kosher)
81. Om - Pilgrimage (Southern Lord)
82. Mammatus - The Coast Explodes (Holy Mountain)
83. St. Vincent - Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)
84. The Dirty Projectors - Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
85. Celebration - The Modern Tribe (4AD)
86. Dragons of Zynth - Coronation of Thieves (GTC)
87. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Wea/Relapse)
88. Tokyo Jihen - Variety (EMI)
89. Gallon Drunk - The Rotten Mile (Fred)
90. Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today (CND)
91. The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (V2)
92. Busdriver - RoadKillOvercoat (Epitaph)
93. Cassius - 15 Again (Astralwerks)
94. Deerhunter - Flourescent Grey EP (Kranky)
95. The Good, The Bad And The Queen (Virgin)
96. Shannon Wright - Let In The Light (Quarterstick)
97. Eleni Mandell - Miracle of Five (Zedtone)
98. Café Tacuba - Sino (Universal Latino)
99. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days 100 Nights (Daptone)
100. M.I.A. - Kala (Interscope)

"Faust Arp"

did they get this from the stereolab song-title generator?

haha probably, though it seems as working-title-that-stuck as anything

interesting list as always F'n'B, look forward to it every year. have a good New Year as well and that goes for everyone on ILM.

28. A Place To Bury Strangers (Killer Pimp)

Bravo! Interesting list overall, btw.

xpost (sort of)

I'm not going to go into detail on every minute of the record, but "House of Cards" is the perfect example.

One does not successfully prove, much less defend, one's fallacious white noise thesis by the simple expedient of very cleverly selecting the lone example that marginally supports it; particularly whilst eschewing (i.e., not going to go into details of) the example(s), including, but not limited to "Faust Arp," "Videotape," and "Nude," that debunk it.

In other words (and again): extrapolating from one song to hastily generalize about an entire album, invalidates your theory - no matter how frequently you repeat it, or how strongly your "gut" fuels your feeling. That is, unless, of course, pgwp is actually zee nom de plume of Michael Chertoff.

For what is essentially a simple acoustic ballad, there is a lot aural wallpaper in that song.

For what is actually and essentially an acoustic electric ballad, Jonny Greenwood's (and, really, Radiohead's) not-so-secret and longstanding use of effects, might explain some of the song's (i.e., the guitars') aural wallpaper (AKA atmospherics).

For me, it's difficult an apparent desire to discuss this album (and Hissing Fauna...) with an even more apparent unwillingness to concede that blanket statement(s) do not apply to every corner of every song of either LP. My concession: "House of Cards" is one example that backs up a very generalized white noise theory. A theory from which you refuse to back down (or concede has cracks) and, simply put, can't back up.

Allow me to reason by analogy: after only a couple of listens to The National's Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, I said to a friend that I didn't care for it as much as I did Alligator or Boxer because of "all the shouting" I thought I heard from Matt Berninger. However, having revisited Sad Songs..., I've discovered that that "shouting" - that I was so convinced ran throughout - is, in reality, limited to two tracks - rather than every corner of every song. I've come to terms with that. I can live with being initially amiss in my "feeling."

The $64K question is: can you?

For me, it's difficult to reconcile an apparent desire...

dudes, house of cards has some awesome whale-noise sigur-rossery gwan down, that is all.

Uncle.

Pgswp has now gone from dismissing the Radiohead album...

Seriously, I didn't dismiss the album. I said multiple times that I LIKE the album. I said I had a complaint, a QUIBBLING complaint, relating to the "aural wallpaper" that runs throughout the album. I pointed to my longer review of the album which expanded on this OBSERVATION--which by the way was a tangential comment in the first place. Now I'm being pressed, five days on, to defend my "thesis," as if I need to break each song down second by second. Ridiculous.

This thread became very boring - Chris Brown's timely interjection excepted.

it's because i went away. no, wait, it's because you went away.

uh you mean Mario's timely interjection?

but yeah I agree with him more than 95% of the critics represented on this thread.

This thread became very boring

My apologies for my part in knocking it off the rails...it's a tolerance thing...I'd love to read more about Rumpelzirkus if you're up for it.

Shit that's mario! Ha ha at least I'll have a good excuse for all my ILX stuff-ups from now on.

i'm gonna write something about Kalabrese for a very very slowly accumulating year end thing I'm doing.

I look forward to it (and, btw, welcome back!)!

And another "amen" is in order for A Place To Bury Strangers (Killer Pimp); wicked (and, agreed, underappreciated [although not exactly widely available/reviewed could 'splain some of its year-end undermentioning]).

Great list Fastnbulbous, love seeing Tinariwen and Yeasayer in your top 10.

newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-2007music-latin,0,6399852.story

Newsday.com
2007 in music: Top 10 Latin music
BY ED MORALES

Special to Newsday

December 30, 2007

This year reggaetón, instead of fading away, merged with the mainstream, and salsa continued to embrace a more urban sound. Pop bachata broke through with younger groups and Latin alternative held on with key releases by old favorites. But Juan Luis Guerra swept the Grammys and won everyone's heart.

1. Juan Luis Guerra "La Llave de Mi Corazón" -- Stellar production, arrangements, and songwriting could make this one of his best albums ever. The five Grammy awards signaled not only commercial success but strong aesthetic accomplishment. Rides the strength of title track hit, but innovative and bracing all the way through.

2. Marc Anthony, "El Cantante" -- This is a case where the soundtrack is more rewarding than the film. Sure, Marc is no Héctor Lavoe and producer Sergio George is no Willie Colón, but that's a small argument. This music is the emotional center of a generation, and though Marc's throaty performance isn't exactly on point, it's a brilliant homage.

3. Calle 13 "Residente o Visitante" -- Strongly Puerto Rican yet globalized at once. The duet with Orishas was one of the highlights of the Grammy awards. The songs, though not as stunning as on their debut, grow on you and the duets with La Mala Rodríguez and Tego Calderón are classic. 4. Isaac Delgado "En Primera Plana" -- Guest stars Cachao, Victor Manuelle and Gonzalo Rubalcaba make this salsa like no other. Delgado brings a Cuban looseness, breaking out of rigidly commercials salsa. Producer Sergio George the key, and songs like "Paquito Va" have the soul of a salsa anthem.

5. Daddy Yankee, "Impacto" -- Daddy singlehandedly wills reggaetón into becoming a universal pop music. He makes shrewd use of producers Scott Storch and Kanye West; guest stars Akon, Fergie, and will.i.am. From the futuristic title track to the "underground" reggaetón nostalgia of "A lo Cláscio," "Impacto" is a relentless joyride.

6. La Mala Rodríguez, "Malarísimo" -- Impressive duets with diverse talents Tego and Julieta Venegas make this album special, as do the talents of several Spanish producers and DJ Rectangle of Las Vegas. She pushes limits while coming off as a generous spirit and playful mistress of ceremonies.

7. Voltio "A Lo Claro" -- Suddenly a major voice in reggaetón, Voltio dabbles in multi-genre-ism, dabbling in cumbia, salsa, bolero, rock, and post-disco. He's the appealing middle ground between the archly suburban Calle 13 and the larger than life pop-gangster Daddy Yankee, and his embrace of the street is neither overbearing nor pretentious.

8. Juanes, "La Vida Es ... Un Ratico" -- The Colombian pop-rock megastar turns his own personal tragedy into material for yet another hit album. While not breaking much new ground musically, there's enough originality and passion in the songs to push his career forward.

9. Café Tacuba, "Sino" -- In some ways a comeback album, "Sino" allows the band to go back to the music of their youth. What results is an interesting flux between classic-rock jamming and '80s synth-pop terseness. Best appreciated if you're into the droning guitars but the songwriting still has plenty to say.

10. Papo Vasquez Pirates Troubadours, "From the Badlands" -- This "Latin jazz" collection of chaotic tunes embracing bomba, guaracha, plena, mambo, and aguinaldo erases genre boundaries. Propelled by Vásquez's insistent trombone, and aided by people like Edsel Gómez, Sherman Irby, Milton Cardona, Richie Flores and Hernán Olivera, this is groundbreaking stuff.

(Was going to copy the lists from the other critics, but they are too inconveniently formatted.

Pop bachata broke through with younger groups

I think this has been going on for a few years now, though I don't have anything to concrete to back that up with. But Aventura has clearly targeted a teenage, maybe pre-teen, audience, and they've been big since 2002.

Thank you year end lists for giving me Dan Deacon. Now I am listening to Snake Mistakes and just in time for it to be one of the best things I've heard all year.

x-post: The title of the album Daddy Yankee put out this year is El Cartel: The Big Boss.

Punknews Bestof Lists
(http://www.punknews.org/article/27110)

20. Tegan and Sara - The Con
19. Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere in the Between
18. Fake Problems - How Far Our Bodies Go
17. Joel Plaskett Emergency - Ashtray Rock
16. The National - Boxer
15. Filthy Thieving Bastards - I'm a Son of a Gun
14. The Menzingers - A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology
13. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
12. The Copyrights - Make Sound
11. Against Me! - New Wave
10. American Steel - Destroy Their Future
9. Big D and the Kids Table - Strictly Rude
8. Feist - The Reminder
7. Chuck Ragan - Feast or Famine
6. Crime in Stereo - Is Dead
5. Career Suicide - Attempted Suicide
4. The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
3. Attack in Black - Marriage
2. Lifetime - Lifetime
1. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Good to see Streetlight Manifesto get some love.

Jason Tate's (EIC of Absolutepunk.net) List
http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=281275

30) Steel Train - Trampoline
29) Lifetime - Lifetime
28) The Wonder Years - Get Stoked on It!
27) Sherwood - A Different Light
26) A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
25) The Graduate - Anhedonia
24) New Found Glory - From The Screen To Your Stereo Part 2
23) Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
22) The Spill Canvas - No Really, I'm Fine
21) Logh - North
20) Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
19) The Starting Line - Direction
18) Straylight Run - The Needles, The Space
17) The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
16) Against Me! - New Wave
15) Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
14) Eisley - Combinations
13) Anberlin - Cities
12) Saves the Day - Under the Boards
11) Iron and Wine - The Shepard's Dog
10) Four Year Strong - Rise or Die Trying
09) Yellowcard - Paper Walls
08) Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
07) Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home
06) Motion City Soundtrack - Even if It Kills Me
05) Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
04) Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
03) Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
02) Cary Brothers - Who You Are
01b) Thrice - The Alchemy Index
01a) Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre

haha Say Anything was on my year-end list, I AM ON THE ABSOLUTEPUNK TIP.

if you follow the myspace link there's a bunch of other artistes who've done 07 lists, but mario's was the only one that struck me as not having an eye on just dapping collaborators/labelmates etc etc. i should check that incubus out huh?

crit lists that i guess did not bore me senseless: j-shep parts
one and two, and maybe prancehall (who i've really come to like lately! maybe it's since he left vice? if he even did.) enjoyed al's breakdown too, he can link that himself tho if he wants

Yeah, I like the Mario list, too.

oh I don't want anybody else, and when I think about you I link myself

mario's was the only one that struck me as not having an eye on just dapping collaborators/labelmates

true, although he's also friendly with Cassidy and they've done a bunch of songs together, which is the only reason I didn't give him props for singling out the otherwise underrated Cassidy album

OTM re: Alicia Keyshia