best of 2007 (so far), pt. 1

Now that Joe and Yancey have both weighed in with some of their favorites, I thought I’d take a crack at it as well.

01. The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism

I couldn’t help sighing and nodding when I came across bdfstl2 calling me out a while back by starting a list that listed some of the possible antidotes to 17 Dots heavy coverage of electronic music. So, I decided to check out a couple of his picks. After listening to the Avett Brothers’ “Paranoia in B flat Major” about 213 times, I’m about ready to start on some of his other suggestions. Check out the always sharp Amelia Raitt on it:

The moment that you hear the twang of the banjo on “Die, Die, Die” you may think you’ve found yourself a bluegrass album. Listen a few moments longer, though, and you’ll hear that twang joined by a Beatles-esque harmony and a jaunty backbeat. If they weren’t talking about dying, you’d think the Avett Brothers were asking to hold your hand. Call it a theme: throughout Emotionalism you’ll hear the Avett Brothers subvert expectations at every opportunity. (“Shame” ends up pretty much rocking out, while “Paranoia in Bb Major” would fit easily on Jon Brion’s next soundtrack.) Like an Americana version of the Proclaimers, the Avett Brothers have somehow mastered the tricky art of making simplicity sounding easy. Be careful of mistaking it for anything other the tightly-crafted pop gem it is.

What Amelia didn’t mention (shame!) is that when the Avett Brothers play live, one brother plays the bass drum with one foot and the other plays a cymbal with another foot, all the while playing the hell out of their guitars. See it on Conan here.

02. Moonbabies - Moonbabies At The Ballroom

I haven’t stopped playing this since I reviewed it for the site. Judging by the number of ratings and user reviews, this one isn’t much of a secret…

You should be listening to “Take Me to the Ballroom” right now and enjoying the way the group takes the compass and heads towards melancholy, or “Cocobelle,” which has an extended intro that sounds a little bit like My Bloody Valentine covering the Pipettes. Like their contemporaries, Stars, the Moonbabies eat all kinds of pop (surf-, girl-, synth-, bedroom-, cod-alt.country-) and shit diamonds. (Which is no mean feat, considering the wasteland that is indie-pop these days.)

03. Antelope - Reflector

Once again, Ms. Raitt says it better than I ever could:

Almost Zen-like in their simplicity, Dischord Records’ Antelope strip punk rock to its bare essentials and, in the process, have turned in a stunning debut album. The formula is simple: motorik drums and a rock-steady bassline blend with two- or three-note guitar riffs while ex-El Guapo’s Justin Moyer adding color over top. And…that’s it. A tad warmer than their spiritual brethren Gang of Four, the group’s off-kilter funk rolls past in a blur of niggling guitar licks and cymbal-shunning drum patterns. As such, you’re advised to play these songs on repeat. A lot.

Much bigger post tomorrow, including some stuff that you can’t find on eMusic, as well as…yes…my electronic picks so far this year.