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Song: Auld Lang Syne
Album: A Soulful Christmas
Artist: The Platters
Selected by: Linda Ryan
Date: December 31, 2007
There's no song more appropriate on New Year's Eve than the Scottish traditional "Auld Lang Syne." Although Guy Lombardo made it synonymous with New Year's Eve back in 1929, we've chosen the Platters' version -- which adds a dash of soul.
There’s never an opportune time to go to jail. But Prodigy’s upcoming three-and-a-half year sentence for carrying an unlicensed gun truly couldn’t have come at a worse time for him, professionally. In ’07, the more lyrical half of the legendary Mobb Deep ignited an underground buzz by releasing Return of The Mac, one of the year’s best albums, and by injecting YouTube with some grimy old-fashioned New York street rap, via his dark and violent, straight-to-internet videos. But the man born Albert Johnson has not rested on his laurels or been idle in the months leading to his up-north trip. March will see the release of another solo album, H.N.I.C. 2 (mostly produced by his Mobb partner Havoc, and Alchemist), and he’s shooting videos for its every song – ensuring there’s plenty of material left behind. P got on the phone with Rhapsody over the holidays to talk some things out, like his feelings on kids and guns, on his long-standing beef with Jay-Z, and on Mobb Deep’s legacy.
When Damon Albarn guest hosted an episode of the BBC’s "Today" radio show, the media seized on his comments about how celebrity culture (including "X Factor," the U.K.'s equivalent of "American Idol") needs to be eradicated. But hidden within Albarn’s episode, available here, is far more interesting material—including this examination of Iraqi refugee musicians living in Damascus, Syria. The segment is a fascinating look at some of the lesser known consequences of the war.
The Internet, for better or worse, is a great experiment in democracy, giving everyone a critical soapbox to shout from. That can be a wonderful thing, but it does make for a daunting number of year-end “Best Of” lists. Certain artists appeared with predictable regularity: M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Panda Bear, Arcade Fire and The National all got ample amounts of love. We’ve sorted through the web’s detritus to come up with a handful of our favorite lists, from the mainstream to the underground and the just plain bizarre.
And if the following links don't quite satiate your need for meta-list craziness, check out the archival work of those
gracious overachievers over at Largehearted Boy.
by Matty Karas
Commercially speaking, 2007 was a worse year for pop music than 2006, which was worse than 2005. The Internet is ruining everything. As of this writing, exactly five albums have sold as many as two million copies this year. Two are Disney soundtracks, one a classic-rock album available only at Wal-Mart, one a Christmas album, and one a rock band that got its break on "American Idol" (thank god for "American Idol"). Fortunately, actual rock fans don't subscribe to Billboard or look at Soundscan every week. They just turn on the radio or go to clubs or surf YouTube and MySpace in search of Lil' Mama or Lil Wayne or a lil' techno or a lil' acoustic number. Or they actually watch "American Idol." Or make their own music. When everyone else is bitching about the rain, they simply open an umbrella and carry on. In all those ways and more, 2007 was a fantastic year for pop.
Song: Cada Macaco No Seu Galho (Cho Chu?)
Album: Tropicalia 2
Artist: Caetano Veloso
Selected By: Sara Bardeen
Date: December 28, 2007
Blah blah Brazilian blah blah greatest songwriter of the 20th century blah blah. Blah. I never get tired of listening to this song. The opening alone is pure joy. Even if you don't speak Portuguese, a title like "Each monkey on his twig" might give you a hint of what he and Gilberto Gil are getting at.
The more we reflect on the year in rock, the more it feels like a long afternoon spent at the multiplex. There were well-anticipated (if only occasionally) satisfying blockbusters, nubile starlets debuting in breakthrough roles, and a sprinkling of art-house crossovers. Like sequels to our favorite flicks, the parade of marquee reunions offered both spine-tingling and unsightly results. The year's other rock-related stories, like Phil Spector's trial, Van Halen's roller coaster and the lumbering maneuvers of the record industry, were chock-full of surprise endings. Here are the top 10 memorable rock'n'roll moments of 2007.
by Dan Shumate
'Twas an exciting year for alternative, indie and punk. There were many a fine album, most notably from LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, M.I.A. and Spoon. Radiohead's DIY approach to selling music demonstrated how a single band could instill change in an entire industry. Indie rock went top 10. Against Me! and the return of Bad Brains revived punk's feeble pulse. And Daft Punk blurred the lines between performance art, theatre and live concert. And now, for the top 10 highlights of 2007 ...
Song: Northern Industrial Town
Album: William Bloke
Artist: Billy Bragg
Selected By: Nate Cavalieri
Date: December 27, 2007
By this 1996 LP, Bragg had softened up his politics from "red to green." Amidst all the brassy, poppy tunes that celebrated this new mindset, hides a gray-skied homage to the "bash-'em-out" bands and work-a-day lads from Belfast that's lovely enough leave your heart in pieces.
Rhapsody hip-hop editors Sam Chennault and Toshitaka Kondo linked up to try and make sense of it all. Read on for their take on the year’s 10 biggest trends, events and releases.
