Thoughts, Raves & Outright Beatings

This was supposed to be my last oggcast of 2007. Stuff happened (don’t ask ) and here it is, 2008. With somewhat of a hangover in mind, I proudly present to you the first oggcast of 2008, featuring some fave songs of mine from 2007.  I don’t presume that these songs represent ALL the best songs of 2007, just the best representation of what I listened to last year.   I would not subject someone to EVERYTHING I laid my ears on during a 52 week period. :p

Some of these song selections came via my “Best Whatevers of 2007″ post, some were played on previous oggcasts, some came from albums I enjoyed last year, and other such sources.  So without further ado…

Here is today’s oggcast. Which contains:

1. Laura Veirs - Don’t Lose Yourself: Saltbreakers was an awesome album.  Laura is a true indie poet.  And this song is probably the lushest thing you will hear accompanying a wicked drum machine beat to come out of the Northwest.

2. Malcolm Middleton - We’re All Going To Die: Best…Christmas…song…EVER!! Oh, and yes, I miss Arab Strap.

3. Manu Chao - Tristeza Maleza: A lot of the music bloggers jumped on, then fell asleep on, La Radiolina.  Ok, the beat’s kinda weak, but certainly other things made up for it (the singing, the content, etc.).  Besides, we really need someone like him right now busting up the American charts, rather than that Soldja Boy Tell’em stuff, to be honest.

4. Feist - My Moon, My Man: This is the version that leaked back in January, 2007.   As with many folks, despite it’s charm, I got sick of “1,2,3,4″, after so many Ipod commercial repeats, so I’m really hoping this song becomes the big hit it deserved to be the first time around.  Kinda like Feist’s career, to be truthful. 2007, to quote an old Garrett Morris character from SNL, was ‘beddy beddy good” to her, but she should have had this success much earlier.

5. M.I.A. - Boyz: Richard, the proprietor of this blog, was the guy who finally woke me up to this woman.  Rather late in the year, but whatever.  I’m really glad he did.   This a delirious piece of multi-culti craziness.  And here’s the amazing thing about it.  Folks will pop around, just seeing her name, with the word “Boyz” next to it, and may assume that she’s just another hip-hop chick trying to hit it like Lil’ Kim.  Then they listen to the thing, and realize that its the…most…insidiously…infectious…antiwar…anthem…EVER….Makes you wonder about those visa issues she was having…

6. Calvin Harris - The Girls: Now come on! I had to include my jam of the year.  I just had to!  Just because the rest of the blogsosphere fell asleep on this guy once the Radiohead album took over everyone’s consciousness doesn’t mean that it’s all of a sudden BAD, or something…

7. Amy Winehouse - Me and Mr. Jones: It would have been too easy to include “Rehab” (along with the perquisite jokes referring to her brief stints in such).  Frankly this was a far superior song off her “Black to Black” album.   Even coined a new term (”fuckery”…weeeeeeeee!).

8. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings -100 Days, 100 Nights: While Amy is in “recovery”, this woman’s stealing both her thunder AND her backing band (actually, it was the other way around, but it sounded good. ).  As with Feist, this woman’s been around forever and is finally getting her due.

9. CSS (Cansei De Ser Sexy) - Let’s Make Love and Listen To Death From Above: Yes, I know this actually came out in 2006 - their international impact kicked in during 2007.  Let’s hope us Americans show them that much more love in 2008.

10. Muse vs. Justin Timberlake - Sexymassive Black Hole: Muse won my award for International Hangover of the Year, as Supermassive Black Hole was a huge hit in the rest of the world exactly one year before American modern rock radio station program directors got their hands on it.  And frankly, if it hadn’t been for Starlight making the girls swoon, the Americans (save for us hardcore Muse fans) may not have given it the time of day.    As I stated previously, the song was so popular internationally that the mashups to it came fast and thick. Such as this Justin Timberlake deal.  Who, as I recall, also had a very good 2007.

11. LCD Soundsystem - New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down: James Murphy put down his cowbell long enough to pen this ode to his home town that is both tongue in cheek and poignant.  It’s the kind of ballad Billy Joel would have penned back in his angry young man days.  And coming off of a CD such as Sound of Silver, an unexpected and welcome surprise ending to a bunch of smart ass, yet danceable, odes to approaching middle age in the 21st century.

12. Radiohead - Videotape (Live from Boston, MA, 6/4/2006): A lot of music bloggers bitched about how the studio version of this song (as well as other tracks on the “In Rainbows” CD) was not a patch on its live counterpart, as bootlegged from Radiohead’s 2006 tour (this version comes to us courtesy of “The Rocking Refuses to Stop“, BTW).  Personally, I think they were just miffed about the 160 kbps quality of the MP3s they initially listened to, when the CD was first made available for “free”.   Although, from the looks of things, they eventually got over it.  And to think they were a passing fancy to me before the hype started.

If you don’t feel like downloading, you can preview here.

Again, I’ll be updating this post with scintillating (!?!?!?!) commentary as time permits. ITMT, enjoy!