My 2007 Must List

As the year draws to a close, and as “Top 10” and “Best Of” lists run rampant, here is the only list you’ll need.

Oscar-noms aside (as those will be mentioned in detail later), there were a few stand-out films:



Musical
Best romance disguised as a musical, involving vacuum cleaners and the lead singer of The Frames
Once

Romance
Best romance involving pie
Waitress

Comedy
Best chance to leave the theater with a laugh-induced bellyache
Death At A Funeral

Double-Feature
Best use of a machine gun/Kurt Russell
Grindhouse

Comedic Family Drama
Best Wes Anderson flick
The Darjeeling Limited

Documentary
Best rock doc involving faux instrument playing
Air Guitar Nation

Western
Best use of non-American actors playing cowboys (Take that, Seraphim Falls!)
3:10 To Yuma

“Kids” Movie*
Best appearance by a rat in the kitchen
Ratatouille

Best use of Daniel Radcliffe in a role not involving horses
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
*Tie


Music

I’m not going to lie, I did not listen to every album that came out this year. But I did listen to as many as I could get my hands on, and with the conceits that I A) like indie rock and B) like to dance – here are my picks for 2007’s top albums.

First, the obvious:

The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
The follow-up album to the band’s breakthrough 2004 disc Funeral is jam-packed with upbeat instrumentation and automobile imagery. The effort from “Canada’s Most Intriguing Rock Band” is polished and optimistic – even without any “Neighborhood” tracks.

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
Say what you will about the disc’s diva, Back To Black is a flawless effort that manages to escape sounding like a “throwback album,” yet still sound both fresh and retro. Thanks to the deft production from visionary Mark Ronson, Back To Black lends itself to the dancehall as easily as it does a lazy smoky bar.

Music to mellow out to:

Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin

Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills

Blonde Redhead – 23


Worth a listen:

Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight

Okkervil River – The Stage Names

Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer?