Check out the 35th annual edition of the Village Voice Pazz and Jop music rankings. It’sa comprehensive guide to the year in sound based on votes by 577 music critics.
- 1. LCD
Soundsystem Sound of Silver - 2. Radiohead
In Rainbows - 3. M.I.A.
Kala - 4. Amy
Winehouse Back To Black - 5. Arcade
Fire Neon Bible - 6. Kanye West Graduation
- 7. Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - 8. Robert
Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand - 9. Bruce
Springsteen Magic - 10. The
National Boxer
Like James Surowiecki, says crowds sure can be smart. Looking it over, 2007 certainly stacks up as a good year in music. But tell me Pazz and Joppers, how did you rate Taylor Swift ahead of Kevin Drew, Wooden Ships, and Daft Punk? For my money, Feist, Rilo Kiley, Robert Plant and Allison Krause, and Iron and Wine are better than P&J, while Herbie Hancock’s Joni Mitchell tribute, Neil Young Live at Massey Hall and Jill Scott are a whole lot better. LCD System and Bruce Springsteen – fine albums mind you – seem to benefit from home-field advantage. I’m slightly less enamored of them and of the White Stripes’ latest. And when it comes to hip-hop, I take the fifth – ever since Biggie.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I’m impressed with your knowledge of alternative music…
January 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Al – we’re just starting our music project as you know. getting it into gear. thanks for the comment. R
January 30th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I would have liked to see the Shins higher up the album chart, but it looks like they did all right with the single. Good to see that the critics still listen to the “old guys” (Fogerty, McCartney, Joni, Nick Lowe all placed fairly high).
I notice we’ve got at least one husband/wife placing separately (Springsteen and Scialfa), one ex-husband/wife placing separately (Richard and Linda Thompson), and a father/son placing separately (Loudon and Rufus Wainwright).
My daughter is quite disappointed that Fall Out Boy isn’t higher up. I have to admit them to be a guilty pleasure myself, along with their proteges, Panic at the Disco.
It does seem that Jazz gets short shrift in this poll. Besides Hancock, I would expect Michael Brecker’s album to be on the first page.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I’m such a dinosaur. CD’s, iPod and jazz radio have made it possible for me
to live in my own musical isolation chamber universe. We get all the way to
Paul McCartney before there’s even an album I’ve heard and it was a
disappointment.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:49 am
JR – FOB and PD seem a little formulaic, power-poppy for me. I liked Fountains of Wayne way better, and I think they were kinda making a joke. But they do have a strong sound and nice hooky melodies. Agreed about the Shins. They have an intriguing unique sound.