Erik's Top 25 Songs of 2007

Upon seeing fellow editor Joey post up his favorite songs of the year, I figured I'd give a stab at making my own top 25 list. Traditionally, I have been terrible at choosing my favorite songs in a particular year. Songs are just frustratingly subjective. But here it is, with some rules. Firstly, no more than one song per album, no matter how good that album may be. Secondly and finally, I'm not reposting mp3s that Joe already put up. If there's no link in the song title, look below for one.
EDIT: I have linked the mp3s that Joe put up to my list here.

First, some honorable mentions:

ABX - I'm A Flirt (Shoreline)
This may be the greatest mashup that I have ever heard, so despite not being a real song, it makes my list here. The video for this is fantastic too, mashing up the audio mashup with the real I'm A Flirt music video. The link will take you to the video, so watch it.

Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing!
I was disappointed with Los Campesinos! debut EP "Sticking Fingers Into Sockets," mainly because this song, released before the EP, was so damn catchy and showed so much potential for the young band. The EP is okay, but nothing on it matches the sheer energy and fun that you can hear on this track. Give it a listen if you like fun indie-pop.

Now, the list!:

25. Lupe Fiasco - Dumb It Down
As Joey has already stated, Lupe's rhymes on this are dope to the 10th degree. The whole song is basically one big wordplay, which is astonishing in today's world, where rappers seemingly are allowed to rhyme lines like: "I'm into distribution / I'm like Atlantic / I got them motherf***ers flyin cross da Atlantic." Never will you hear Lupe rhyme Atlantic with Atlantic.

24. Feist - 1234
I absolutely adore the banjos in this song. And the horns. And Feist. Enough said.

23. Andrew Bird - Heretics
This is really a great example of why Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha is in my top 10 albums of the year (come back Dec. 17 to see the full list). It is one of his best vocal melodies, plus I love his violin playing here. Just overall a fantastic track, by an awesome artist.

22. Modest Mouse - People As Places As People
In a perfect world, this song would be a number one smash hit. It is a better song than Dashboard, and it's just as catchy. I have a very indifferent attitude to post-Good News MM. Yet I consider this song to be at least worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as "I Came As A Rat" or "Doin' The Cockroach." It's a shame no one cares about good music anymore.

21. Iron And Wine - Carousel
You should read my previous post on Iron and Wine to get a better idea of my opinion on this song, but I will sum it up briefly: best song on Iron and Wine's most consistent full-length record to date.

20. Okkervil River - Unless It's Kicks
Basically Bright Eyes, minus the emo, plus a tad more theatrics. Probably OR's finest song that I have heard; you'll likely want to buy the album after hearing it, just like all my friends seem to have.

19. Menomena - Wet and Rusting
I don't want to rehash what my colleague said about this song, but it is truly mind-boggling that this whole record was recorded with a special computer program (a la GarageBand). What should, in theory, sound sterile and bland does just the contrary and sounds emotional and honest. These guys don't even have to use instruments to make beautiful music (although they certainly can, their live show is great).

18. Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost
Beautiful song, really epitomizes BOH's sound in a concise 3 minutes. My only problem with it is its repetitiveness, but they really manage to make the listener put that on the backburner with the song's catchy melody and Ben Bridwell's emotional crooning.

17. Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races
This song really plays to AIH's strengths, which are their playfulness and their ability to use, like, 35 instruments at the same time. I think that the Take Away video for this song really demonstrates why this is a song that needs to be heard.

16. Of Montreal - Cato As A Pun
Has a sort of 70s porno-funk feel to it, creating a unique vibe. If you don't understand why Of Montreal are so interesting, maybe you should take a listen to this song.

15. Wilco - Impossible Germany
Where else can you hear Nels Cline engaged in a duel with two other guitars? Nowhere else, that's right. Best track off of Sky Blue Sky.

14. Beirut - Guyamas Sonora
Wow. That was all I could say the first time I heard this song. Zach Condon really takes his time in letting this song develop, adding various instruments as the song goes on, until it explodes in the final verse. By the time the song has finished, you will wonder what hit you. Condon has really come a long way since Gulag Orkestar, which was a fine album in itself. He is truly an artist with unlimited potential.

13. Handsome Furs - What We Had
This song shows that all you need to make a great song is Dan Boeckner, a guitar, and a drum machine. Actually, I think his wife is technically a Handsome Fur, so throw some keyboard in there. The best part of this song is the bridge; with a contagious keyboard riff and Boeckner's yelping, it almost sounds like Wolf Parade.

12. Frog Eyes - Bushels
Frog Eyes are a bit of an acquired taste, in my opinion. But once you can get past that, you will understand the magic behind this tune. Everyone in the band is basically bouncing off the wall and throwing hooks back and forth at one another, but somehow it stays coherent for 9 minutes. This makes for a fun song.

11. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
Yes, I know this song is technically from 2003, but this re-recorded version is far superior. It is also in my opinion the best song on Neon Bible. 5 and a half minutes of full-band Arcade Fire jamming is always a recipe for success.
PS. I would have put the song Intervention on this list, but I prefer the old acoustic version that was played sometime in the post-Funeral era. Look for it, it's amazing.

10. Interpol - Pioneer to the Falls
I'll tell you this right now, I was really disappointed in Interpol's new record. It really just outright stank. I don't know what happened, especially since this gem came out of the album's sessions somewhere. Sparse guitar starts us off here, then in kick the drums and bass, and then finally the song just explodes with guitar riffs abound. You can almost taste how great this song is. No joke.

9. Black Kids - I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Please, if you download one song from this list, make it this one. A definitive Cure influence with an original twist, this four-piece from Atlanta, GA is easily the most potential-laden band to arise out of the year 2007. Nothing expresses their unbridled energy and enthusiasm better than this track here.

8. Dinosaur Jr. - We're Not Alone
We already know that Dinosaur Jr. made a ferocious comeback with last year's "Beyond." What most people fail to realize, though, is that the best track on that record is "We're Not Alone," buried in the back half of the album. First of all, the tempo change which occurs halfway in is enough to elevate it up a level, but it is really J Mascis' guitar work that makes the song. The last 90 seconds are a blistering solo from Mascis, which would normally be terribly out of place in a ballad like this, but somehow the band makes it work.

7. Spoon - The Underdog
This was the first time on this list that I actually ran into a dilemma. Put The Underdog on the list, or You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb? Or even Rhthm and Soul was a possible candidate, for that matter. In the end, The Underdog made the cut, as you can clearly see. It was just so catchy...it may even be the catchiest song of the year. The horn riff in particular is very hard to get out of your head. Should be a major radio hit, but hey, what can you do.

6. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
I really can't say anything about this song that Joey already didn't say. James Murphy somehow takes these simple electronic dance songs and turns them into real masterpieces. Out of the whole of standout record "Sound of Silver," this track stands tall, with its simple, yet catchy piano riff and sparse additional instrumentation.

5. The National - Apartment Story
Again, big problem choosing a National song. I just love the album "Boxer" as a whole. This song is definitely one that stands out at me, though. Dark and moody, it has been known to occasionally send a chill down my spine. Just hearing Matt Berninger's trademark baritone vocals can do that to me sometimes. It reminds me of prom for some reason, and no, it's not all because he tells the female in question to "please hold still for a second / while I try and try to pin your flowers on." Also, the chorus is just brilliant. It is unfair that someone can write these majestic tunes so easily, it really is.

4. The Shins - Sleeping Lessons
Best album opener of 2007. Yes, that's right, the best opener isn't "Fake Empire" by The National, although it is close. I can't even really explain Sleeping Lessons. It quite literally sends a chill down my spine when I hear the buildup culminate around 2 minutes in. Normally I say this in a metaphorical sense, like I actually don't get a chill down my spine. That is not the case here. Of course, the album itself could only go downhill from here, and it did...but that's probably the only flaw I can find with this song.

3. Beirut - Elephant Gun
The quintessential Beirut song. I almost forgot this song came out this year, but it did in January, on the Lon Gisland EP. If you want to introduce yourself to Beirut, this is probably the song you want; it really summarizes everything that is good about Beirut. Also get the version of Scenic World from that same EP, it is really kick-ass.


2. Sunset Rubdown - Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days
You knew this was coming. Basically, it's Spencer Krug at his most eccentric and playful. Enough said.
EDIT: I did not realize that Joey said "enough said" to this album also. Apologies for stealing your thunder, Joe.

1. Radiohead - All I Need
I'm getting sick of all the hype around In Rainbows, not because the album is bad, but simply because no one really cares about this overrated marketing scheme they used. People who don't even like Radiohead are talking about it like it's some sort of revolution, but it's really not, it's just the internet. I won't get into my argument though. In Rainbows is obviously fantastic. I didn't even know how I was going to pick a track out to put on this list. In the end, that award goes to All I Need, for many, many reasons. First of all, I'll have you know that my roommate literally punched me in the face upon 37th listen of this song. As you can deduce, he dislikes Radiohead. But I was perfectly willing to take his punishment to continue listening to this song, that's how epic it is. The entry of the cymbals and piano in the second half of this song is the best thing I've heard all year. I have no regrets in naming this my favorite song of the year.

Best 25 Songs of 2007

While the HowsThePie staff is busy working on our highly anticipated ;) end-of-year albums list, I ranked my favorite 25 songs of the past 12 months. While I titled this the best 25 songs of 2007, let me emphasize the fact that they are my favorites and that years (or even days) down the road I could stumble upon a worthy gem. Usually, the indie community forms a concensus of sorts regarding the year's best records, but appreciation of songs is so totally subjective that I decided to post this one solo. DECEMBER 17 at the latest for that albums list, though, so keep your eyes peeled, folks, and enjoy the following indisputably brilliant cuts, counted down from 25. to 1. As usual, any mp3s will removed upon request.


25. "Superstar," Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos

The grim metaphors that characterize The Cool (according to Lupe himself) are nowhere to be heard on single "Superstar." Essentially, this is Lupe's "Heard 'Em Say": infectious hook from Adam Levine sound-alike, laid-back, easy-to-follow yet impressive ryhmes (certainly better than Kanye's), and a gentle piano backdrop (this time around matched with pleasant synth work). "Wanna believe my own hype but it's too untrue," Lupe spits. Aww, don't be so modest.

24. "Stronger," Kanye West

Before Kanye's Graduation highlight became uber popular and wore out its welcome, it was pretty damn awesome. Sure, the Klondike/blonde dyke line is cringeworthy, but Kanye takes Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (a classic in its own right) and transforms it into a K. West digital epic...the K. West digital epic, actually, as Kanye masterfully pushes the envelope of mainstream hip-hop (and his own music) once again.


23. "From Here We Go Sublime," The Field

I sorta cheated by putting this one on the list, considering its greatness can only be truly observed within the context of the whole record. After nine (lengthy) ambient pieces, the faint doo-wop sample of "From Here We Go Sublime" hits every corner of your brain like a Gatorade hits every muscle in your body after a marathon. Around the halfway point, Alex Willner allows the doo-wop to stand naked, free of slicing and dicing, before slowing it to a crawl and, during the final stretch, simply destroying it. A perfectly weird ending to one of the year's best records.

22. "While We Go Dancing," White Rabbits

The opening drum beat may not suggest greatness...hell, the verses aren't even that brilliant. However, the guitar flies in during the prechorus and then...BOOM! One of the year's catchiest chorus rampages shamelessly, the climactic "There is something that you want to say/I'm not asking" soaring over a rising piano progression. My personal track favorite from my favorite indie rock debut of the year.

21. "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)," UGK feat. Outkast

I actually didn't have the guts to tackle the massive 26-track comeback album Underground Kingz, but there was no escaping "Int'l Players Anthem" in 2007. The jubilant horns of Willie Hutch's "I Choose You" provided the perfect launching pad for UGK's return to hip-hop, and this successful re-emergence only makes Pimp C's death more tragic. R.I.P. Pimp C.

20. "Winter Wonderland," Animal Collective

I really could have put every Strawberry Jam track on the list, but I managed to restrain myself to two (sorry "Fireworks" and "Cuckoo Cuckoo"). "Winter Wonderland" is AC's simplest new track, and stands with "Who Could Win a Rabbit?" and "Grass" as the band's purest pop moment. Where other moments of Jam excellence thrived on their precise, dynamic arrangements, "Wonderland" is a refreshing, unabashed blast of "ooh-ooh"-ing, clocking in at under three minutes yet leaving the mark of an odyssey.

19. "All I Need," Radiohead

One great strength of In Rainbows is its tight sequencing: 10 songs, 42 minutes, no bullshit. At the same time, there isn't any one clear standout; asking ten different fans about their favorite track could get six or seven answers. For me, only "All I Need" manages to establish both "Fake Plastic Trees"-type drama and "Kid A"-type eerieness, fitting perfectly with the Head of old and the Head of new.

18. "The Greater Times," Electrelane

Oh Electrelane, we never knew ye! Actually, I really didn't know the now disbanded prog-tinged indie rockers until their good (if slightly monotonous) No Shouts, No Calls dropped earlier this year. "To The East" was showcased as the single, but opener "The Greater Times" provides the record's wonderfully melodic focal point. The organ hook consists of no more than three chords (possibly even two, not sure) and the vocal melody, though equally simple, is unforgettable. You say you don't know what love means anymore?


17. "Now Now," St. Vincent

I have heard the opening track from Annie Clark's fantastic Marry Me 20 times, and the way she sings "I'm not one small atomic bomb" still gets me every time. The "any-any-any-anything" chorus is still delightful, the crazy "Day in the Life"-type build-up still juxtaposes the song's delicate first half perfectly, and the album that ensues is still one of the year's most overlooked.


16. "Winged/Wicked Things," Sunset Rubdown

Krug crooning, "Chaos is yours/...and chaos is MINE!" 'Nuff said.

15. "Wet and Rusting," Menomena

That this song (and the whole album) was recorded on a labtop still baffles me: this is one of the most emotionally gripping tunes I've heard this year. "Muscle 'N Flo" and "The Pelican," good as they are, couldn't possibly prepare the listener for this, the constantly shifting somber centerpiece of Friend and Foe. When the drums explode a minute and a half in, stand back and watch this thing go, moving from a tricky little piano line to acoustic guitar to the colossal, free-for-all conclusion.

14. "20 Dollar," M.I.A.

For all of the moments on Kala in which M.I.A. goes postively bananas, the most "accessible" track is my favorite. I love "Bamboo Banga" and "Paper Planes," but laying down the "Blue Monday" bassline and singing the chorus to my favorite song of, like, ever scores some points with me. The socio-political themes of the song make it all the more potent, packing more heat than an AK-47 (ok, bad example).

13. "Say Hello," Jay-Z

DJ Toomp didn't deliver another "What You Know" this year, but he came damn close with the sweeping climax to Jigga's fantastic American Gangster. The swaying strings and triumphant horns display why Toomp is one of the hottest producers around, and Jay-Z's flow displays why he's the one getting the hottest producers: "Only he without sin/Can tell me if my means justify my ends/...When Jena 6 don't exist/Tell them that's when I'll stop saying bitch/BITCH!"

12. "Golden Skans," Klaxons

I'm really not the biggest fan of Klaxons, likely due to my non-Britishness. However, "Golden Skans" is one hell of a pop song. Don't call Klaxons' material dance music, because this is indie rock through and through, and "Golden Skans" makes the inferior material of the rest of Myths of the Near Future all the more disappointing. We could have it so much better.


11. "1234," Feist

Oh my, the power of the iPod. "1234" actually hit Billboard's top ten for a week (!), but the song is wonderful outside of Apple commercials and its colorful choreographed video. For me, parts of The Reminder just lacked a certain luster (maybe I expected a little more BSS and a little less Cat Power), but "1234" struck a perfect balance, captivating the 30-something mom and the indie community at once, launching Feist to stardom and a new level of critical acclaim without breaking a sweat.

10. "Yolanda's House," Ghostface Killah feat. Method Man and Raekwon

Wu-Tang may not be as "forever" as I had hoped, but Ghostface may very well be. "Yolanda's House" is Rehab's finest, playing like a mix of traditional rapidfire Wu storytelling and a musically legitimate "Trapped in the Closet." Believe or not, Method Man upstages Ghost on this one, as he expresses irritation at Ghost for drawing him into legal trouble and for, uh, ruining his sex. I mean, in Meth's defense, she is asthmatic, and Ghost did laugh.

9. "Bros," Panda Bear

Hey man, what's the problem? In Person Pitch's hazy, dreamlike reality, nothing much: everyone converses in pure harmony, gets stoned, and lays back to asbord the sunny light eminating from Noah Lennox's reverb-drenched vocals. And on "Bros," we get a full 12 minutes of this paradise. Woo-hoo!

8. "Someone Great," LCD Soundsytem

Oh my, did James Murphy learn how to write songs or what!?! He recreates some of his debut's sneering dance punk on Sound of Silver, but ultimately, the tables have been turned: the beats don't steal the spotlight this time around, but rather are simply the propulsive backdrops for LCD Songwriter. On "Someone Great," Murphy operates with a vocal and lyrical quality never even hinted at on LCD Soundsystem, penning heart-wrenching, grief-ridden verses and hurling every ounce of his soul behind them in the studio. Can electronic music get any better than this? Hmm, keep going....



7. "It's the Beat (single version)," Simian Mobile Disco

The condensed version of "Beat" fits better into the full record, but the intial single version kicks ass for a full six and a half minutes, giving SMD time to build up twice the momentum before lauching into the song's blissful synth trip (also twice as long here). The contrast between the jolting, acidic squirming of the Ninja (of Go Team!)-sung sections and the weightless, airborn climax sparks the type of magic that makes non-dance kids (cough, me) slaves to the beat, even if we don't actually wanna dance to it.

6. "Reverend Green," Animal Collective

The guitar buzzes, then fades, then buzzes again, then a different, glittering guitar line slowly creeps forward, soon the two join in perfect unison, and Avey Tare comes in and absoutely blows shit up. "I think it's alright to get together now!" he hollers on the best track from AC's masterpiece Strawberry Jam. "Reverend Green" showcases just how perfect a frontman Avey Tare has become, and it almost seems weird to think of the Here Comes the Indian days, days when Tare would bury his vocals within AC's tribal singalongs, acting simply as another instrument alongside the nature-sampling ambience. Oh, how far we've come.

5. "My Piano," Hot Chip

One of those songs that I proudly proclaim as the Greatest Song of All Time while I'm listening to it, and then come to my senses after its over. It's easy to get swept up by this shit, and even after the post-listening comedown, it's impossible to deny Hot Chip's uncanny ability to craft incredible electro-pop when the hit the mark. Here, they nail the mark. While it doesn't possess the enveloping sentimentality of Hot Chip's 2006 wonder "And I was A Boy From School," the core piano hook and "It's my piano!" chorus are almost unrealistically catchy to the point where I occasionally must listen to this song for like an hour straight (not kidding).


4. "He Keeps Me Alive," Sally Shapiro

A cover of Swedish twee poppers Nixon, "He Keeps Me Alive" was one of three new tracks added to Disco Romance for its stateside release. I cried the first time I heard it...and the second...and I still kind of get teary-eyed when I hear it. You know what, I'm perfectly fine with that, because this song (and Shapiro's mind-blowing 2006 tracks "I Know" and "I'll Be By Your Side") sparks emotions I didn't even know I could feel. "Heavenly" and "angelic" are really the only two adjectives that properly describe the beauty created between Shapiro's elegant, delicate voice and the heart-breaking disco paradise I modestly refer to as a "beat." If this song doesn't tear out your heart, you don't have one to begin with.

3. "Dumb It Down," Lupe Fiasco

"Dumb It Down" is good for its DJ Toomp-style dramatic synth, and for its explicitly anti-commercial rap chorus: "We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)/Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down)/...You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)." However, "Dumb" is great not for when Lupe talks the talk, but rather when he walks the walk: the tongue-twisting verses. Lupe never mocks his "dumb it down" critics on the verses, opting instead to essentially rap about nothing just to show he can. The five-senses-conceit just gives Lupe a chance to show off, and implicitly proclaim that when you're flow is this disgustingly agile, clever, and relentless, to suggest dumbing anything down is pure blasphemy.

2. "Is There a Ghost," Band of Horses

Though two minutes or so shorter than "The Funeral," "Is There a Ghost" is the song's rightful sequel, just as epic as the original, and ultimately just as good. Though the lyrics do not necessarily align, one could interpret the title as a bit of self-referential sarcasm from BoH: okay, so now that the funeral is over, is there a ghost that exists beyond the grave? In other words, can we replicate the majestic sweep of "Funeral" (and Everything All the Time as a whole)? "Is There A Ghost" provides an emphatic yes, a song so simple in structure yet so massive in scope, one that is almost impossible to downplay.



1. "All My Friends," LCD Soundsystem

A truly amazing song. Just two piano chords act as the only driving instrumental force throughout the entire song, and yet its always gaining momentum: a little guitar here or there, some synth work on the dramatic chorus. Of course, James Murphy's vocals blast this thing to monumental levels of emotion, singing nostalgiac lyrics with such unrestricted force that we know this is personal, not the arrogant put-on of Murphy's debut that alienated many listeners. Literally every lyric seems to push the song to new places, exposing some new sentiment of its creator, all building up to the wholly satisfying "If I could see all my friends tonight!" climax. A song everyone should here (and, preferably, should sing) before they die.