Band's Albums Of The Year

Following on from Foals last week Gigwise has asked yet more of our favourite artists, new and old, to tell us which album was their favourite of 2007 and why. The like of The Maccabees, Good Shoes, Maps, Malcolm Middleton and Hot Club de Paris have all put their thoughts into words for us and some interesting tips there is too. Read on…

Malcolm Middleton

'Fur & Gold' - Bat For Lashes

"I've pretty much given up on modern music, which is a thing I knew would probably happen to me when I reached 30. I'm starting to work backwards through the icons now, but a few things did seep through this year as a result of friend's recommendations or leaving the TV on in the background. Stuff like Goodbooks, Band Of Horses, To My Boy and Rhianna. The album I've most cherished though is "Fur And Gold" by Bat For Lashes. Forgetting the boring stuff like warm production and exciting wee things going on in the background, it is a great collection of songs that gives the impression of being part of a concept. It draws you into a strange world which is familiar; pop music for smiling too and also ambient music that provides great imagery for those dozing hypnagogic cinemas. I don't know much about the band but the album reeks of honest expression, seems like musical creation for it's own sake, not for that of the outside world. Blah blah blah, I love it and will be listening to it for years like an old friend."

Orlando Weeks of The Maccabees

'Panic Prevention' - Jamie T

"Jamie T's album Panic Prevention is the best album of 2007. It manages to tread the line between innovation and pop perfectly. It's charming, British and out of all the recently released records will stand the test of time best."

Hadouken!

‘Variations On Swing’ - Meet Me In St. Louis

"Meet Me In St. Louis are a post-hardcore band form Surrey on the Big Scary Monsters label. They're massively talented and ambitious musicians and are the first to admit their intricate riffs and many time signature changes should be 'a recipe for disaster,' and yet while their debut album may sound unduly awkward and inaccessible to some ears on first listen, with persistence the tracks reveal themselves as not just technically impressive feats but exhilaratingly urgent and passionate songs, with massive vocal hooks."

Jack Barnett of These New Puritans

'Comic Opera' - Robert Wyatt

"Because he is a genius!"

Matthew Smith of Hot Club de Paris

'Panic Prevention' - Jamie T

"I normally ignore or never hear about mass press hyperbole and in this case the same was true, fortunately somebody passed me some songs of his and we checked him out. We were lucky to catch him in some smaller venues at the tail end of last year and he's just incredible. The cut and paste style production of the album really gets across the shambolic energy of the live shows. This is a punk rock record and a really fucking good one at that."

'SSS' - SSS

"Technically this came out in 06 but it was reissued on Earache in 07. It sounds like a thrash classic from 1986. The musicianship is technically brilliant and the lyrics are exactly what you want from thrash, perhaps only needing a bit more about the environment/toxic waste to top off the authenticity. This is testament to the fact that being derivative doesn't mean that a band is devoid of their own ideas. It's a homage to bands like Anthrax, Death Angel, Suicidal Tendencies etc but isn't just a cheap imitation. This is one of my all time favourite metal records."

Paul Rafferty of Hot Club de Paris

'Rise Above' - Dirty Projectors

"The idea of covering Black Flag's first full length didn't strike me as a particularly good one, but this record has spent the last 6 months convincing me that it actually is. David Longstreth's latest masterpiece was conceived from his teenage memories of Damaged and he has delivered an incredible pop record brimming with crooned melodies and webs of clean, shimmering guitar lines. This record challenges the format of the traditional rock quartet and is as much fun as it is experimental."

'Discography' - Spy Vs Spy

"This is a collection of the two records Stoke on Trent's Spy Versus Spy made before their break up in 2001. They recently reformed and have been touring again. 10 years ago, I couldn't help but think this band were making the most important and vital music I'd ever heard. It sent me searching for the bands that were responsible for influencing their sound and soon enough I discovered a whole bunch of records I wouldn't have known about if it hadn't been for them."

Rhys Jones of Good Shoes

'Colour It In' - The Maccabees

"I think its hard to chose a favourite album, there are plenty of albums I like equally to this one, but with this album I could listen to it over and over again, it sound tracked my whole year really, well the part of the year it was out! And I think they're the best band within their genre! Hopefully next year will be sound tracked by their second album."

Sebastien Tellier

’Alive 2007’ - Daft Punk

"I was at these wonderful shows in Bercy and the recording does manage to capture the energy and beauty of the experience. I like to play it very loud. Daft Punk are genius."

Luca of Cazals

‘Myths Of The Near Future’ – Klaxons

"My favourite album of 2007 is ‘Myths Of The Near Future’ by Klaxons. The song-writing on it is superb and the production is great too. Forget the Mercury prize and all the nu-rave bullshit; these are just labels that journalists seem to need in order to make sense of a band. I see this simply as a great pop record that owes more to Bowie and a certain kind of prog rock than 90's dance music. Of course there are some references to that but they're certainly not the focus on this album. Infectious vocal melodies, abstract lyrics and interesting arrangements; this is what ‘Myths Of The Near Future’ is all about."

Nate Smith  of Shy Child

‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’ – Simian Mobile Disco

Album of the year is tough because for Shy Child this was Year of the Track. Simian Mobile Disco "Attack Decay Sustain Release" has to be our favorite full album because every song is one of the best tracks of the year. Our favourites are ‘Sleep Deprivation’, ‘Hot Dog’, ‘I Believe’, and even ‘Scott’, which sounds straight out of Fantastic Planet. Props to Buraka Som Sistema, Metronomy, Timbaland, Klaxons for some of the other best tracks of the year.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

‘Cease To Begin’ – Band Of Horses

"I'm not sure whether the trend towards downloads is responsible but it definitely seems this year that there were more big tracks than big albums. 'Cease To Begin' by Band Of Horses has to be my favourite, fantastic melodies and full to the brim with passion and soul. I remember hearing the front end of the album in Berlin thinking there is no way the rest will be as good, but I was wrong. One of the few records this year that gets better with each listen but still manages to blow your mind on first spin. The Radiohead and Burial records were strong contenders and show that the UK is still giving birth to the most forward thinking albums in the world."