The Unwritten Word's 20 of The Best from 2007 - Singles

The singles i felt worthy of being mentioned this year are:

1) Hot Puppies – King of England
Hardly a known classic, it barely registered on the dial, in fact I heard it only once on radio, but the figures hardly matter for this fan only stop gap single was certainly special, certainly exciting and in the year of new rave, not one synth was noticeable.

2) Blood Red Shoes – Its Getting Boring by the Sea
It’s getting boring by the sea is the coming of age single by Blood Red Shoes, the previous singles though showing of promise were scrappy and lacked the maturity that It’s getting boring by the sea has in abundance, it’s quality is in it’s heart in its sound and in its soul.

3) Elle Milano – My Brother, the Astronaut
Elle Milano gained an album lost a band member and released a brilliant slice of musical goodness. In 2007 Elle Milano were inactive for most the part, recording the album behind doors and finishing off degrees, My Brother, The Astronaut was born from the sessions and though not as instant as previous attempts, it grew and grew and became a stunner.

4) Lightspeed Champion – Galaxy of the Lost
Test Icles were frankly shit, a band who admitted as much split after a few singles and an album of beautiful failures. Dev Hynes one part of the Test Icles has comeback and far from being useless Galaxy of the Lost is sublime soaked acoustic social commentary and much more is expected in 2008.

5) Late of the Pier – Space in the Woods
Space in the woods was the first single by this 4 piece synthestias tagged with the ghastly NME scene “New Rave” Late of the Pier have the looks, the fashion and the moves to be written off, yet Space in the Woods and follow up single Bathroom Gurgle show substance beyond the style, and as they say shit hot just about sums them up.

6) Cajun Dance Party – Amylase
A child choir should never be used without exception, well except one and Amylase is that exception. An intro chanted in a ditty to blow the senses and a misunderstanding delivered in a childlike beauty.

7) Los Campesinos – You, Me Dancing
Some say twee, some say sick, some say pap I say pure pop of the sweetest kind. You, Me, Dancing is a lush epic 6 minute beauty, strange in its depth the Cardiff 6 piece delivered several pieces of outstanding pop in 2007, this was the greatest.

8) Foals – Mathletics
Hummer, Mathletics or indeed Balloons any of the three Foals singles could have been chosen. The oxford rejects are interesting, intriguing and in form the squealing intro in a stamp of action it’s stating fact, when in fact most of it’s nonsense.

9) Peter & the Pirates – Knots
Knots is a joyous foot stamping two minutes seventeen seconds tune that’s frantically played to the point that it seems there lives depend on it, which they do well sort of.

10) Shrag – Talk to the Left
More known for the name checked hit Mark E Smith, Shrag released this slice of sarcastic dialogue between a girl and a boy in the autumn months of the year. Talk to the Left is brilliantly clever in delivery of the acid tongue lyrics.

11) Beck – Timebomb
Tick Tick Tick Boom

12) Calvin Harris – Acceptable in the 80’s
Still acceptable in the noughties

13) I Was a Cub Scout – I Hate Nightclubs
Sarcastically sadistic in brilliance

14) Richard Hawley – The Night Belongs To Us
50’s slush lush rock and roll

15) The Be Be See – Disney Eyes
Dance Pop, Dance Pop, Dance Pop

16) Rosin Murphy – Overpowered
Sweet slush electro swirls sublime

17) Official Secrets Act – Snakes & Ladders
Up and Down, Up and Down success all the same

18) Strange Death of Liberal England – Oh Solitude
A total utopian bewilderment, brilliant.

19) XX Teens – Darlin’
Eccentrically daring, deliciously reliable

20) The Bee’s – Listening Man
Wistfully wandering on a summer’s day

The Unwritten Word's 20 of The Best from 2007 - Albums

The End of The Year became hectic and thus was my list, late as per usual but some goodun's

Enjoy......

1) Eugene Mcguinness – The Early Learning’s of…
A mini album yes, but that never stopped iLiKETRAiNS last year, and it won’t stop Eugene McGuiness. This reflected my views, my feelings and hopes, childlike in its delivery but with an ounce of humanity and courage, McGuiness delivers 8 songs of delight, very special.

2) Windmill – Puddle City Racing Lights
Captivating in its entirely, Windmills debut is special for his haunting vocals and brilliant musical shapes, just its beauty at the criticism of the human condition, special, special indeed.

3) Art Brut – its Bit Complicated
Almost an escape from the last album, covered in maturity and immaturity it’s almost a record dictating an order, a charm that can’t be heralded, maybe it can be applauded for staying together, a truly redundant diamond among others, it’s crass, happy and go lucky….

4) Crippled Black Phoenix – A Love of Shared Disasters
A haunting almost sceptical appearance of despair and hope, this was overbearing at times but brilliant. A Love of Shared Disasters was clinical in its hearing, and most of all special, haunting masterpiece.

5) Field Music – Tones of Town
Field Music are a band who have simmered for years yet now have burst upon the scene, but Tones of Town silently achieved that. For two people it created a buzz, an interest and something much more exciting than most.

6) Joy Electric – The Otherly Opus
Electro at it’s most inventive; Otherly Opus was one of the most intriguing and interesting records of 2007, from the title track to stand out “write your last paragraph”, it stood out like black on white.

7) Radiohead – In Rainbows
One word for this record………sublime from the opening beeps of 15 steps to the closing aching piano of Videotape, In Rainbows is sublime.

8) Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
Rilo Kiley went pop and pretentious indie types went all horrified and even people who are just slightly tasteful. Much like the Goldfrapp turn of the earlier naughties Rilo Kiley went pop and most went aghast, I frankly loved it and I’ll stand by that statement till the day I die.

9) Microfilm – Stereodrama
Microfilm, yes you’re possibly asking who? Well at number 9 and possibly the first band to include movie sound like clips over amazing cascades of sweeping delights Microfilm are spanking, did I say spanking yes I think I did.

10) Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven Of The Nations' Millennium General Assembly
Possibly the longest record title this year and one of the quaintest most surprising records too, Le Loup are quite quintessential in their post rock movements silence is golden yet sparse, a remarkable journey and yet very very enjoyable.

11) iLiKETRAiNS – Elegies to the lesson learnt
“Welcoming Armageddon with strings and horns”

12) Bear Colony – We Came Here To Die
“Remarkably special in a culture of boredom, destruction and despair” (Trademarked)

13) Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
“Mishmash washes of colour, heart and destruction”

14) Polytechnic – Down Til Dawn
“It’s a pop album to all intents and purposes but it’s sung in a heart that’s at odds with its cheery persona, quite the quality.”

15) Help She Can’t Swim – The Death of Nightlife
“Falling Over and Succeeding”

16) Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
“The heart aching beauty that Wolf creates is a treasure, his vocal is distinctive, his work enchanting and his heart continuously sits on his sleeve.”

17) Gravenhurst – The Western Lands
“It includes most of what is expected; loss, anger, sadness but a rarity for Nick Talbot it holds hope”

18) Bruce Springsteen – Magic
“Not a classic of Springsteen’s but rarely could you say it missed the mark.”

19) Strange Death Liberal of England – Forward March!
“A mess of joyfulness”

20) Battles – Mirrored
“Still for all the pointless over kill of the odd track, Mirrored holds it’s own.”