Song of the Year

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

Song of the Year

Every week each of our writers chooses his favorite song. This time around we’re rounding up 2007 by selecting our song of the year.

Mozzer
No Cars Go by The Arcade Fire
Picking out one song out of 2007 is no easy task. However, if I must choose one, it has to be Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go”. The song is grandiose with its multi-layered sounds and diverse instrumentation. It then crescendos with an exultant choral and you get the feeling of utopia unfolding before you.

Kendall
If the Brakeman Turns My Way by Bright Eyes
After much deliberation and toil trying to make my choice for song of the year, I finally chose If the BrakemanTurns My Way by Bright Eyes. Lyrically, this song will stand up to any of the greats like Dylan and Young. The opening of the song sets the tone:
When panic grips your body and your heart is a hummingbird
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you’re breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out
It was said that King Xerxes watched his troops march to battle against the Spartans and in a moment of clarity stated, as he looked upon his army, “None of these men will even be alive in another 100 years.” It takes an earnest realization about life to make sense of the time, and the lives we lead. That being said, Connor Oberst hit the nail on the head with this one.

D Thompson
Cage In A Cave - Rasputina
This year two songs came out that really lodged themselves in my head. One was by a band known primarily for its work in the 80’s that hasn’t put out a decent tune in decades, the other by a band introduced to me here on the plugg. Devo’s heard-it-in-a-commercial-first song “Watch Us Work It”, is a welcome return to form from a band I’d written off long ago while “Cage In A Cave” by Rasputina is a marvelous entwining of cello heavy classical instrumentation and historical narrative. These totally different but entirely fantastic songs have been dancing a pas-de-deux in my brain for most of 2007. However, since it has been decreed that I cannot have a “songs” of the year, and since anyone with a TV has already been innundated unto garment rending with the Devo number, I’m going with the moreobscure Rasputina. Poor Fletcher Christian, talk about can’t win for losing!

Ryan
What We Had by The Handsome Furs
This was a terribly tough choice for me. I listened to more music in 2007 than I have during the same stretch during any time in my life. I have 40 favorite albums - but after three hours of soul searching I selected this track for your lineup. Wolf Parade’s Dan Broeckner and wife Alexei Perry are the Handsome Furs. Their “Plague Park” album is undeniably one of the year’s best. One listen to “What We Had” and the duo won me over. The components of the song are simple and they have a raw sameness - and yet a jangling cacophony that creates a full frame. Everything is right on and something is wrong. The song is short and sweet yet challenging and epic.
Happy New Year’s - Ryan in Boston

Charbarred
While you were Sleeping by Elvis Perkins
Somehow I ended up with my first song of the week being my song of the year. I get sick of songs very quickly especially if they are simple tunes. While You Were Sleeping is as simple as it can get but something about the minimal approach and great delivery just gets me every time. I can’t think of a single song I’ve listened to more times this year.

RustyCat
Heart it Races by Architecture in Helsinki
I felt bad about forgetting to add Architecture in Helsinki’s latest album ‘Places Like This’ to my top albums of 2007 list. Heart it Races is just one of their awesome collection of feel-good songs. For me it always felt like everytime I heard their album on my playlist or on VIRV, this song, and especially the video, was exactly what I wanted to listen to that same moment. And for that reason they receive my Song of the Year award, not for being the best song I actually heard all year, but for being in the right place at the right time whenever I needed a pick me up with a good video and tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2bqsWU1R3k

Lee H
Smithereens (Stop Crying) by EL-P
I love all things Nina Nastasia so her album with Jim White this year was a revelation but did I listen to it in my car as much as I did Jay-Z’s American Gangster? Lupe Fiasco’s nerdy approach to music was wonderful but did I sing along to every word like I did Two Hours Traffic’s “Little Jabs?” I could go on for ever so I’ll just focus on a subgenera that I think made some interesting music this year: underground hip-hop. For years underground hip hop has been about telling people why they’re better than the mainstream, saving hip hop, pretending it was 1988 and ZZZZZZZZ. Thanks mostly to J Dilla (R.I.P) the underground awoke from it’s coma. I heard near perfect albums from Aesop Rock, Hi-Tek, Madlib, Oh No, Jazzy Jeff, Sean Price, Little Brother and Ratatat made a great remix album too. The winner has to be El-P. Any video that was banned by almost ever American outlet is all right with me. There’s also a video of him performing this at the Plug Awards and being introduced by David Cross which I thought was kind of cool but the actually video is more interesting.

[youtube]XgSweMvre30 [/youtube]

So, what’s your song of the year?

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Posted on December 30, 2007

Comments

5 Responses to “Song of the Year”

Charbarred on December 30th, 2007 7:11 am

Trivia - In the top picture, one of the artists featured has not actually made song of the year. This is due to a last minute change of heart by someone. If you can name that artist and the artist that should have been there instead you will be crowned “Plugger of the Year”

Jan on December 30th, 2007 10:10 am

1. Kate Nash - Foundations (I know, I know..)
2. Beirut - Nantes
3. The National - Start A War
4. CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors
5. The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour

For the rest of the top 20 check http://deplayer.be/blog/jan/

Rusty on December 30th, 2007 3:23 pm

I guess I know…I will never tell..

Have a happy new year guys!!!

Ryan of the RSL Weblog on December 30th, 2007 7:34 pm

Thanks for letting my participate. I had a great year working with you here on the Plugg. I have my top albums list running right now and would appreciate everyone’s input. There is bound to be lots of disagreement… but passion for music is pretty awesome.

Happy New Year!