The Mong's Best and "Worst" of 2007

THE MONG’S TOP TEN OF 2007

1) Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Possibly a new top-ten of all time.

2) Trans Am – Sex Change
Self-aware and ironic: maybe. Rockin’, poppin’ ’n‘ lockin’: definitely. Kicks ass.

3) The Snake, The Cross, The Crown – Cotton Teeth
Sublime. Perfect. Amazing.

4) White Stripes – Icky Thump
A release that finally lives up to their critical regard.

5) Sleeping in the Aviary – Oh, This Old Thing?
As Jay S. said, either you get it or you don’t.

6) The Hives – The Black and White Album
Fuck yeah! The fucking Hives, man!

7) Okkervil River – The Stage Names
Favoring beauty and grace over power and innovation, this one’s almost as good as “Black Sheep Boy” and that’s saying a lot.

8) Wheat – Every Day I Said a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square
A return to their one-time greatness with a promise of more to come.

9) Sounds Like Violence – With Blood on My Hands
Lives up to the band’s name and the CD’s title. So why is it only number nine?

10) Blonde Redhead – 23
Listen to their first CD and listen to 23. Proof that musical growth towards mass appeal does not require selling out or mellowing out (well, maybe a little "mellowing," but in a good way).


THE MONG’S LETDOWNS OF 2007

Some stuff that didn’t meet MY expectations so maybe it’s just me. But it seemed that, this year, the disappointments were as notable as the best, hence...

SPOON – GA GA GA GA GA / GET NICE
This one seemed to be for the folks who thought “Sister Jack” was the best track from “Gimme Fiction.” Hey, you can't argue with an iTunes ad, right? And the release was a chart-topper so I’m happy for Spoon’s long overdue "success" and acceptance into the mainstream. Still, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga / Get Nice” is an okay listen by one of my all-time favorite bands but it just doesn’t seem to be as inspired or genuine as all of their other releases and so it seems a bit lazy and soulless, hence, a big letdown.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – ERA VULGARIS
Now this is, no doubt, a hard rock meets experimental rock meets progressive rock masterpiece. And I do like it. I don’t know, it just seems...uhmmmm...forced. Yes, forced. What makes their first full-length from 1998 a masterpiece is that it’s not trying to be a masterpiece. So by comparison, I guess I can sum it up with this: I don’t want to be impressed, I WANT TO ROCK!

THE BEASTIE BOYS – THE MIX-UP
I wanted to like an album of instrumentals but it’s just too passive a listen to be anything more than interesting. But they are the Beastie Boys … "And if you don’t like the Beastie Boys, then there’s the fucking door!" Guess I'm showing myself out my own door. Odd.

INTERPOL – OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE
RADIOHEAD – IN RAINBOWS
Please stop remaking the same records over and over again. Seriously, though...

BLOC PARTY – A WEEKEND IN THE CITY
MODEST MOUSE – WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK
These two albums just plain sucked, period. And I refuse to qualify that statement.


OLD STUFF

PROBOT – PROBOT = 3.5 STARS
Damn good metal. Really damn good.

THE MENDOZA LINE – 30 YEAR LOW = 3 STARS
The standout songs are almost eclipsed by a few too many filler tracks and the jarring inconsistency between the vocalists. Overall, a keeper, though.

ADJUSTMENT
John Doe’s 2007 release: Please upgrade my rating to a “4.”