A New Wave of Radiohead

Stumbled upon this on YouTube. It’s Radiohead doing a cover of New Order’s “Ceremony”. It’s part of a ‘Thumbs Down’ session. Not 100% sure what that means, but there’s a few others, too.

Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas

I’m a purist when it comes to some things, so when I saw a Long Winters version of “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)” and not Harvey Danger, I was a little ticked, considering they’re the original writers/performers of the song…and no one seems to realize this. Harvey Danger has put out some great music, with a definite Seattle feel to them, and they’re a lot more worthy of a listen than just their 15 minutes of fame singles. This songs on of ’em:

Harvey Danger – “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)”

Best of 2007: Top 25 Favorite Songs

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25. Jimmy Eat World – “Carry You”
I have a (secret) special place for Jimmy Eat World in my heart, and this album, as overproduced as it was, was no exception. Some classic Jim Adkins lyrics.

24. Akron/Family – “Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead”
I dig the choir/campfire-esque chorus.

23. Zookeeper – “Trumpets”
This song is a perfect rainy day track that reeks of Simon & Garfunkle.

22. Jens Lekman – “The Opposite of Hallelujah”
Again, could’ve been higher had it not been previously recorded and released on an EP. Great strings and superbly simplistic beat.

21. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – “Down Boy”
This might’ve been higher on the list had it not surfaced as a lo-fi b-side way back when. I’m not quite sure if this is a remake of that song, or just a remaster. Either way, it rocks a lot harder than most anything off “Show Your Bones”.

20. Justice – “D.A.N.C.E.”
This song was probably at every dance party I’ve gone to this year, and certainly had it’s 15 minutes of fame.

19. Jarvis Cocker – “Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time”
Pulp is a great band and Jarvis a great lyricist. Technically this was released in 2006 on “Jarvis” but the song was released as a single in 2007. This would be a lot higher if the 2007-factor didn’t come into play.

18. Menomena – “Rotten Hell”
Love the album, love the “chill out” quality of this track in particular. Sort of Beck-ish.

17. Arcade Fire – “Keep the Cars Running”
Totally Springsteen, totally catchy, totally a great single to really put Arcade Fire on the map.

16. Bill Callahan – “Diamond Dancer”
Why Bill Callahan decided not to go by Smog this time around is a mystery, but this track has an unconventional catch-factor to it.

15. The National – “Apartment Story”
This song is what really turned me on to the National. I was sort of a late bloomer on that bandwagon. Great rythym. Love the lyrics.

14. Interpol – “Pace is the Trick”
Interpol is one of my favorites, but one hang-up I have with them is their less than literal lyrical content, and lack of harmony. This song delivers both:

“You can’t hold it too tight,
These matters of security,
You don’t have to be wound, so tight,
Smoking on the balcony…”

13. Okkervil River – “Love to a Monster”
I’m not entirely impressed with this album as a whole, but this track is worth a great deal of praise. To sum it up, it’s basically a “Fuck You” song. The lyrics are brutally honest:

“Yeah, I hope you get angry and hurt,
and have the hardest of landings.
And i hope your new man thinks of me,
when he sees what a number I did on you.”

The Joni Mitchell/”Blonde in the Bleachers” reference is a nice touch too.

12. Modest Mouse – “The Parting of the Sensory”
This track never fails to blow me away. It’s certainly up there with Modest Mouse’s best work.

11. The Rosebuds – “The Night of Three Furies”
At first I was a little weary with the Rosebuds’ shift in genre, but I quickly fell in love with it. The harmonies in this are charming, and the beat is great. It’s a great driving around in summer song, because it goes on longer than you’d expect, everytime.

10, Peter Bjorn & John – “Amsterdam”
Like Menomena’s “Rotten Hell” it’s got a Beck-ish quality. It’s catch-factor is a little off, and for that it’s loveable. I love the keyboard in this.

9. Spoon – “Don’t You Evah”
I had hoped Spoon could pull off another “I Turn My Camera On” and they did just that. If anything, I like this track better.

8. Phoenix – “Long Distance Call”
This band makes some super catchy music, and I love them for that. This was the album’s first single, and a worthy one at that. The best part? The synth that’s just a little off beat.

7. Albert Hammond, Jr. – “In Transit”
Strokes’ guitarist goes solo and makes a catchier album than his band. Who’d a thunk? This track’s my favorite off the album.

6. The Shins – “Australia”
Since this album came out so early, I think it’s going to get overlooked way too much. In my opinion, it’s the Shins’ most solid album to date. This track saw a lot of repeat and mix CD action.

5. Radiohead – “All I Need”
Like most Radiohead fans, I’d been waiting for a new album for years, so when “In Rainbows” came out of nowhere like it did, it was pretty amazing. “All I Need” was a track I had never heard before the studio album was released, and I instantly fell in love. It’s fairly simple, with a to-the-point chorus which is all you need sometimes.

4. Band of Horses – “No One’s Gonna Love You”
At first I was totally disappointed with the album, but it grew on me more and more with every listen. This song in particular got stuck on repeat more often than not. It’s definitely got “single” written all over it, and I can accept that. Simple delayed guitar and a lyrically simple but powerful chorus.

3. Animal Collective – “For Reverend Green”
Animal Collective has never been my cup of tea no matter how much I try, but this song continues to blow me away.

2. Soulsavers – “Revival”
Mark Lanegan’s new outfit blew me away with their first single the very first time I heard it. It’s amazingly powerful. It’s got a vintage quality to it, but it’s real modern at the same time. Again, simplicity in the chorus proves to make a deep impact.

1. Iron & Wine – “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”
I first heard this song off a bootleg that surfaced in January or February, perhaps the first time anyone had really heard it performed. I obsessed over the bootleg as a whole, and all the new songs on it, regardless of the crappy recording quality. The obsession grew to the point of absolutely dieing to hear a studio version. Like ‘I’d kill a person to get it’ dieing. Lucky for me “The Shepherd’s Dog” leaked super early. This is my favorite Iron&Wine song to date, which is saying a lot, considering they’re a top contender for my favorite band.

NOTE: To save myself some time and bandwidth I’ve only linked tracks that were already hosted from previous posts. If you like what you hear, buy the album or at least get the track of iTunes. Afterall, these are some of the best songs 2007 had to offer.