20. El-P – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: This album gets deep into the darkside within.
Download: El-P – Tasmanian Pain Coaster
19. Starta – Strata Presents the End of the World: Eons past their 1st record. However, some of the songs are a bit sappy and whiney for my taste. That did not stop me from loving this record though. Songs like Poughkeepsie, NY and Hot/Cold (Darling Don’t) are a sure sign that this band is a force to be reckoned with.
Download: Strata – Poughkeepsie, NY
18. theSTART – Ciao Baby: This band has come a long way to get the recognition they deserve. Ciao is not the record that will launch them into superstardom, it will however satisfy old fans, like me!
Download: theSTART – Runaway
17. Pharoahe Monch – Desire: I have yet to fully absorb this album, but so far I am having the most fun listening to it while I’m driving. This is hip-hop at its best.
Download: Pharoahe Monch – Free
16. Explosions in the Sky – All of A Sudden, I Miss Everyone: This band always delivers wonderful and beautiful records and this album; they capture that delightful sound once again
Download: Explosions in the Sky – Welcome, Ghosts (Live)
15. Caspian – The Four Trees: This band is quickly becoming one of my favorite instrumental bands and this record reinforces that.
Download: Caspian – Asa
14. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha: In his most recent album, Bird drops to practically neo-classical, and the results are flat-out gorgeous.
Download: Andrew Bird – Dark Matter
13. Battles – Mirrored: I love bands that do something so different it freaks people out. Battles are that band and Mirrored is that album.
Download: Battles – Atlas
12. Kanye West – Graduation: Definitely his best. No more silly skits or midget samples.
Download: Kanye West – Flashing Lights
11. Maritime – Hersey and the Hotel Choir: Maritime's sound on this album evokes from indie-pop to a kind of indie rock that feels both more mature and naive.
Download: Maritime – Guns of Navarone
10. Circa Survive – On Letting Go: This album teeters on epic. A balance between the subdued, yet meticulously crafted (Kicking Your Crosses Down / The Greatest Lie) to the punch in the face, no holds barred unexpected (Semi Constructive Criticism / Mandala). With a lineup as adaptable as talented, mediocrity and monotony is simply unheard of - this is the type of combination that guarantees an album that just delivers - especially at a consistent level.
Download: Circa Survive – The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose
9. Saul Williams – The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust: This album is still growing on me. So it’s only a matter of time before it gets higher on the list. The songs, however, have so many layers of language that the core message is a bit tough to grasp. Yet making the listener work doesn't necessarily make for a bad record, just a challenging one. Which is why I believe it may be ahead of it’s time.
Download: Saul Williams – Sunday Bloody Sunday
8. Sean Hayes – Flowering Spade: While not as relaxing as Alabama Chicken and not as danceable as Big Black Hole and The Little Baby Star; Flowering Spade still delivers with the soul and passion that makes Sean Hayes a great listen.
Download: Sean Hayes – Elizabeth Sways
7. Iron & Wine – Sheppard’s Dog: Compositionally, it is Iron and Wine's most ambitious and accomplished recording to date. It's also the most satisfying.
Download: Iron and Wine – The Devil Never Sleeps
6. The One AM Radio – In The Time That We’ve Got: I can’t even begin telling you how much I love this band. The embody everything I love about mellow coffee house music. Hrishikesh Hirway has not disappointed with his newest masterpiece. Every song flows perfectly with soothing lyrics and a rich tapestry of electronic beats that allow the listener to escape into a tranquil world.
Download: The One AM Radio – In The Time We’ve Got
5. Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice: When the first couple songs leaked from the new album, I had a goofy-ass smile on my face. I was thinking, if these are the early songs, what the hell is the rest of the album going to sound like? Well, it sounds like an icy landscape of sound that finds the band not so much transforming their sound as transcending it.
Download: Minus the Bear – Dr. L’Ling
4. Björk– Volta: This may surprise people that her record is #4. While this record is absolutely brilliant and much better than Medulla, Volta does not have the magic of Vespertine or the replay value of Post or Homogenic. This album, as Björk herself explained, is meant to hear live. The songs almost explode with so much creativity that it is difficult for the listener to pick up what this CD is all about. Regardless of its faults, Volta rocks.
Download: Björk - Innocence
3. Jonah Matranga – And: This album took a little while to appreciate. At first I thought it was kind of sappy and basic, very much like the Gratitude record and unlike his past solo releases. But after a few more listens I found this record to one of his best. This is a side of him that was meant to be released to his listeners. It just flows with emotion that can not be matched by any singer-songwriter right now.
Download: Jonah Matranga – I Can’t Read Yr Mind
2. Radiohead – In Rainbows: Marketing technique aside, Radiohead has constructed their best album since OK Computer. The long overdue return of one the UK's most fascinating bands finds them on mellow, accessible form.
Download: Radiohead – Weird Fishies/Arpeggi
1. M.I.A. – Kala: This is the best album of 2007. With her infectious beats and constant cut-and-paste style sampling, M.I.A has made a record that is both innovative and catchy. If I like every single song of a record, it’s my #1; Kala is that record.
Download: M.I.A. - Hussel