• Enon's drummer's hair
• Vanderslice sleepover party 2007
• Sparklehorse at the Showbox
• Blonde Readhead at the Showbox
• Apples in Stereo at Neumos
• Patton Oswalt referring to Heather Hydra as a "Ghost World Action Figure."
• Drinking coffee at Ritual Roasters with THE Ian Bjornstad
• Multi-threaded Finder in Mac OS X Leopard
• New Order/Smiths/Cocteau Twins/Echo/Cure/J&MC/ played on continuous shuffle
• Radiohead

Musics:

• Fiery Furnaces, Widow City
• The Good, the Bad & the Queen, S/T
• The Owls, Daughters and Suns
• Pseudosix, S/T
• Charlotte Gainsbourg, 5:55
• James Figurine, Mistake...
• Gothic Archies, Lemony Snicket soundtrack
• Enon, Grass Geysers...
• Arthur & Yu, In Camera

Books:

• U.S.!, by Chris Bachelder
• The Inspector Barlach Mysteries, Friedrich Durrenmatt
• Dark Voyage, Alan Furst
• Shining at the Bottom of the Sea, Stephen Marche
• The Revisionist, Miranda Mellis

• Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You (Merge)
• Tom Waits - Orphans, Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (Anti)
• Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch (Astralwerks)
• Birdie Busch - Penny Arcade (Bar None)
• Micah P Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and The Opera Circuit (Jade Tree)
• Maria Taylor - Lynn Teeter Flower (Saddle Creek)
• www.garfieldvariations.com
• www.marriedtothesea.com
• Yo Gabba Gabba (on Nick Jr.)
• Charlie White - Monsters (monograph)

Best record was "Rise Above" by the Dirty Projectors in a landslide.

Nothing else came close.

So I will give you "Top 10 Gospel Songs I Found This Year."

1. "Amazing Grace," Aretha Franklin
2. "I Got Shoes," Clara Ward
3. "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," Patsy Cline
4. "Children Go Where I Send Thee," Joe and Eddie
5. "The Old Rugged Cross," Mahalia Jackson
6. "His Eyes Are On The Sparrow," Marvin Gaye
7. "God Bless The Child," Abbey Lincoln
8. "Jesus Gave Me Water," The Soul Stirrers
9. "Go Tell It On The Mountain," Five Blind Boys of Alabama
10. "Every Time I Feel The Spirit" The Bronzemen

1. Sea Wolf - "Leaves in the River"
2. Tim Williams - "When Work Is Done"
3. The Pipettes - "We Are The Pipettes"
4. The Bird And The Bee - "s/t"
5. Jimmy Eat World - "Chase This Light"
6. Bayside - "The Walking Wounded"
7. St. Vincent - "Marry Me"
8. Menomena - "Friend and Foe"
9. Nightmare Of You - "Bang!" EP
10. Patton Oswalt - "Werewolves And Lollipops"

1. frontline(the tv show)-maybe the only source of truth on tv besides the daily show and real time
2. vampire weekend(the band)-best new band that does not have a album out yet
3. yo gabba gabba (the tv show)-We have kids so ya
4. santana shreds(you tube)-the best mentally challenged video clip on you tube
5. caribou(the band)-they played our little club and broke the rule like more bands should
6. iphone-its cliche but we love ours
7. Mcdonalds cha cha slide commercial (bad food, good ad)
8. banned vw terrorist commercial(you tube)-did this really get past the boardroom in germany?
9. Dirty Projectors(the band)Different really different!
10. Man Man(the band)Tom waits meets devo(kinda) yes!

In order not to diss any particular client, I have chosen not to do a top ten new releases but rather top ten reissues of the year 2007:

• THE BONGOS: DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON – SPECIAL EDITION/ COOKING VINYL RECORDS CKV-CD-389 CD
• JOHN COLTRANE: MY FAVORITE THINGS – COLTRANE AT NEWPORT/ IMPULSE RECORDS B0009076-02 CD (JULY 1963 & JULY 1965)/2007
• CULTURE: TWO SEVENS CLASH – THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION/ SHANACHIE RECORDS 45065 CD (1978)/2007
• BILLIE DAVIS: WHATCHA GONNA DO? SINGLES, RARITIES AND UNRELEASED 1963-1966/ RPM RECORDS 326 CD 2007
• MILES DAVIS QUINTET: LIVE AT THE 1963 MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL/ MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL RECORDS MJFR30310 CD (SEPTEMBER 20, 1963)/2007
• THELONIOUS MONK: LIVE AT THE 1964 MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL/ MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL RECORDS MJFR30312 CD (SEPTEMBER 20, 1964)/2007
• CHARLIE PARKER: THE COMPLETE CARNEGIE HALL PERFORMANCES/ DEFINITIVE RECORDS DRCD11375 4xcd (SEPTEMBER 29, 1947-JUNE 19, 949)/ 2007
• PINK FLOYD: THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN/ EMI RECORDS 50999-503919-9 3xCD LTD EDITION (1967)/2007
• THE MODERN LOVERS: MODERN LOVERS/ CASTLE RECORDS 02182-36294-2 CD (1976)/2007
• YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS: COLOSSAL YOUTH & COLLECTED WORKS/ DOMINO RECORDS DNO135 3xCD (1979-1980)/2007
• VA: FLORIDA FUNK – FUNK 45s FROM THE ALLIGATOR STATE 1968-1975/ JAZZMAN RECORDS NA5029 CD 2007

Other things that made my heart go fluttering this year the 160gb iPod and my prized AMI Rowe Jukebox Model R90 which holds 100 7" singles and lastly, seeing Bright Eyes backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl.

1. Freaks and Geeks DVD box set - I know, I know. Released in 2004. But I watched it in 2007.
2. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
3. Pseudosix - s/t
4. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
5. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
6. Malibu: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VGDwScgb_Y0
7. Hall and Oates comeback - this is the year.
8. Menomena - Friend and Foe
9. Andy Samberg "People Getting Punched Just Before Eating" - this will no doubt be completely played out by the time this list comes out, but for now it rules. Jovi punch!
10. Rose McGowan in Planet Terror
11. Nina Nastasia and Jim White - You Follow Me

This year I have actually been checking out a lot classic records like:

Quincy Jones - Walking in space. This is a great record by one of greatest producers and composers in a long time.

As far as new stuff this year, I would have to say the new M.I.A record - Kala. She is great! That's all I can say.

Album: Release the Stars: Rufus Wainwright - Amazing songwriting, stellar instrumentation - I'm horrible at writing about music, but I really like it.

Movie: 300 - This movie makes me want to workout, but I never follow through.

Television Ad: The Cadbury spot with the Gorilla and "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. It's seriously the best thing ever. I watch it daily and I make everyone that I know watch it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=CbLr2NEV_7o

Show: Flight of the Conchords

top 10 things of 2007!!

1. st bavo cathedral in ghent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Bavo_Cathedral)
2. turner classic movies
3. canyon market in glen park, san francisco (http://www.yelp.com/biz/H39BoDMLpgiYNvoidKFDCw)
4. radiohead!
5. there will be blood
6. echium, all varieties! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugloss)
7. transatlantic flight + atavan = happiness
8. 1952 Gibson j-50
9. touring with bishop allen, st vincent, and bowerbirds
10. isabelle fix!

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Is Is"
• Studio "West Coast"
• Peter Bjorn & John "Writer's Block"
• Menomena "Friend And Foe"
• Schoolyard Heroes "Abominations"
• Figurines "When The Deer Wore Blue"
• Enon "Grass Geysers: Carbon Clouds"
• Amy Winehouse "Back To Black"
• The White Stripes "Icky Thump"

• Wes Howerton – Wes Sings the Blues
• Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
• Bat for Lashes – The Horse and I
• Menomena - Friend and Foe
• Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
• Radiohead – In Rainbows
• Mark Ronson - Version
• LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
• White Stripes – Icky Thump
• Fujiya and Myagi – Transparent Things
• Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature

Worst Album of the Year

• Wes Howerton – Wes sings Hip Hop’s Crunkest Crunk Hits

If I was stranded on an island that had a CD player that could only play albums from 2007, I would constantly listen to:

• MENOMENA – Friend & Foe
• SPOON – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
• RADIOHEAD – In Rainbows
• ENON – Grass Geysers… Carbon Clouds
• CARIBOU – Andorra
• AQUEDUCT – Or Give Me Death
• BLONDE REDHEAD – 23
• ELLIOTT SMITH – New Moon
• PANDA BEAR – Person Pitch
• JOHN VANDERSLICE – Emerald City
• ARTHUR & YU – In Camera
• CORNELIUS - Sensuous
• JENNIFER GENTLE – The Midnight Room

It would also be nice if this island had a restaurant.

Some Music I Enjoyed This Year In No Particular Order (Including Reissues and Excluding All Barsuk Releases)

• Nathaniel Mayer - Anthology (Vampi Soul)
• Paul Duncan - Above Trees (Hometapes)
• Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound (Touch & Go)
• The Dynamics - First Landing (Hacktone)
• Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
• Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
• Neil Young - Live At Massy Hall (Reprise)
• Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
• Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir (Sub Pop)
• Various Artists - Florida Funk : Funk 45s from the Alligator State (Now And Again)

And, 5 Day Time TV Predictions for 2008!

5. Drew Carey will leave the Price Is Right because of public outcry over his Medical Marijuana stance and will be replaced by Steve Doocy. Score!

4. Dr. Thad Montouri will be revealed as Augstine St. Netherworth's father in As The World Turns

3. NBC will add three additional hours of the Today Show

2. ActivOn will spin off into 6 more products (including OrangeOn, DepressionOff, HearingOn) and, in general, the annoying commercials for these products will continue into 2012 and beyond... God help us all!

1. Martha Stewart will continue to be the most unintentionally funny show on TV.

TOP TEN KINDS OF AWESOME

1. The reunification of the dismembered Plan in Washington, DC.
2. John Vanderslice.
3. Patton Oswalt calling me a "hipster Barbie".
4. Barsuk Mafia summit in DC.
5. The New Pornographers - Challengers.
6. John Roderick's missing tooth.
7. The Most Serene Republic - Population.
8. Brent Knopf (Menomena) confessing to me how much he SINCERELY loves and admires Will Smith.
9. Sean Nelson covering Harry Nilsson.
10. Aimee Thorne coming to Seattle for part of her honeymoon.
10a. Aimee Thorne leaving Seattle. (j/k wifey!)

• Neon Bible -- The Arcade Fire
• Liars -- Liars
• 23 -- Blonde Redhead
• Person Pitch -- Panda Bear
• No Country for Old Men
• Into the Wild
• In Rainbows -- Radiohead
• Rainbow -- Boris and Michio Kurihara
• Ichiro re-signing with the M's
• The Bacon Cheeseburger at Red Mill Burgers

music

• amy winehouse back to black
• MIA kala
• Pj harvey white chalk
• lucinda williams west
• springsteen magic
• spoon gagagagoogoo
• bettye lavette
• nicole willis
• kanye west graduation
• fountains of wayne traffic and weather
• jimmy eat world chase this light
• killers sams town
• radiohead in rainbows
• steve earle washingon square
• the kaiser chiefs yours truly angry mob
• little mamma lip gloss song

ten favorites in 2007:

• kings of leon – because of the times
• feist – the reminder
• tegan & sara – the con
• spoon – ga ga ga ga ga
• pearl jam – immagine in cornice: picture in a frame
• maria taylor – lynn teeter flower
• boat – let’s drag our feet!
• two sticks audio
• sukie.co.uk
• beard on bread by james beard

1. Fovea Hex; "Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent Pt. 3" on Janet Records
2. Jesu; "Conquerer" on Hydra Head
3. Jesu; "Lifeline" on Hydra Head
4. Wolves in the Throne Room; "Two Hunters" on Southern Lord
5. Scout Niblett; "This Fool Can Die Now" on Too Pure as 180g vinyl w/free lp download, (brilliant! wanted the vinyl & was rewarded with digital version as well)
6. Robert Plant & Alison Kraus "Raising Sand" on Rounder; Plant can still really sing.
7. Mekons "Natural" on Quarterstick; untouchable punk folk freak grandmammies & daddies REissues of;
8. Circle "Sunrise" on No Quarter from the volumes of Finnish masters
9. Lee Hazelwood "Hazelwoodism, It's Cause and It's Cure"
10. Amon Duul, "Wolf City"
11. Discovering 1970s French band Heldon

Ten releases I loved this year omitting all Barsuk records:

• Richard Swift – Dressed Up for the Letdown (Secretly Canadian)
• The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)
• The National – Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
• Low – Drums & Guns (Sub Pop)
• Grinderman – S/T (Anti-)
• Radiohead – In Rainbows (self)
• Feist – The Reminder (Polydor/Arts&Crafts)
• Kings of Leon – Because of the Times (RCA)
• Nina Nastasia & Jim White – You Will Follow Me (Fat Cat)
• Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) - minus that Halloweenhead song what was he thinking?

Other songs I loved:

• Beyonce – “Irreplaceable”
• Josh Ritter – “The Temptations of Adam”
• Amy Winehouse – “Rehab”
• Mark Ronson – “Stop Me”
• Tegan and Sara – “Back in Your Head”
• Andrew Bird – “Imitosis”
• Arcade Fire – “Keep the Cars Running”
• Soulsavers – “Revival”
• Against Me! – “Trash Unreal”

Albums I listened to the most - but were not necessarily released - in 2007 (excluding Barsuk releases):

• Colourbox - Colourbox (1985)
• Rilo Kiley - Initial Friend EP (1999)
• Menomena - I Am the Fun Blame Monster (2003)
• His Name Is Alive - Detrola (2006)
• M. Ward - Post-War (2006)
• Shortbus soundtrack (2006)
• Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (2007)
• His Name Is Alive - Xmmer (2007)
• Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
• The Real Tuesday Weld - The London Book of the Dead (2007)

entenmann's chocolate doughnuts
i'd forgotten how tasty do-nuts are. this year i remembered. entenmann's has many fine flavors to choose from. chocolate doughnuts are particularly exciting because they often have a lot of extra chocolate accumulation on their undersides, where said chocolate dripped down onto whatever surface the entenmann's engineers use as a forum for chocolate-dripping. when the doughnut is lifted off, said accumulation comes with and the consumer is psyched.

mitch hedberg, koalas
"my apartment is infested with koala bears, it's the cutest infestation ever.... when i turn on the light, a bunch of koala bears scatter, and i don't want 'em to, you know? i'm like 'hey, hold on fellas, let me hold one of you..."

teenage fanclub, songs from northern britain
this year, i listened to this album for the 82nd through 110th times. rough approximation, but i've listened to it many many times. for. it. is. perfect.

umbrella, rihanna
it's rare that i really like a song in the top 40, but i'm always excited when i do, because a) i don't have to buy the song, it will come at me through car windows, store doorways, etc. and b) i feel connected to everyone else in the country in a way that i usually don't.

touring with sea wolf.
fine folk, great songs.

les savy fav / cheesebuger / williamsburg music hall
best frontmen ever along with robert pollard. non-stop entertainment.

tom vek, C-C (you set the fire in me)
sent to me by my friend nick. amazing.

okkervil river, our life is not a movie
listened to it for two days straight. beautiful.

starting american pastoral by philip roth and getting to page 25, to a paragraph that starts with the following sentence, and keep that ball right up in the air for another twenty-two lines: "You fight your superficiality, your shallowness, so as to try to come at people with unreal expectations, without an overload of bias or hope or arrogance, as untanklike as you can be, sans canon and machine guns and steel plating half a foot thick; you come at them unmenacingly on your own ten toes instead of tearing up the turf with your caterpillar treads, take them on with an open mind, as equals, man to man, as we used to say, and yet you never fail to get them wrong."

listening to the beatles, the rolling stones and the byrds in mono this was a revelation. turns out, and it seems obvious now though i was very late in learning this, that the mono mixes were what i was all about, what all the work went into. sometimes the bands weren't even there for the stereo mixes, which were done as an afterthought, to satisfy the few listeners that had actual stereo systems. the mono mixes are more detailed, more effective and flat-out better.