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January 12, 2008

Seven Favorite Songs of 2007

Every January I make a huge list of my favorite albums from the previous year, as some of you who've been on the burned-CD-receiving end of these lists will know. I'll do that again shortly, but in the meantime, here are seven individual songs that meant the most to me in 2007--all of which, spiffily enough, have YouTube LIVE-version videos to accompany them.

(1) Radiohead, "All I Need"
My favorite track from the not-a-single-clunker-in-the-bunch In Rainbows. Below is the gorgeous "Scotch Mist Version" of the song, which, after you wade through the lead-in and get to the music, reminds me oddly of one of my all-time favorite songs EVER, and also really showcases the cathartic ending.

(2) The National, "Mistaken For Strangers"
A beautiful stripped-down live version from AOL's sessions. A song for walking through the streets drunk. The promo video for the song is pretty cool too. Oh, and this one has my favorite lyric of the year: "So you swear you just saw a feathery woman / Carry a blindfolded man through the trees"

(3) Band of Horses, "No One's Gonna Love You"
Performed live at a Seattle record store. Thanks to its lyrics, one of the songs I will put on Michael's iPod when he goes away to Brazil in February and leaves me alone and lonely for two months.

(4) Blonde Redhead, "Silently"
Hard to pick a favorite from their excellent 23, but this was the one I kept replaying and replaying. The chorus to this song is total heaven.

(5) Apparat, "Arcadia"
Proof that mostly electronic music can still sound great live. And again, the promo video for the song is terrific.

(6) The Twilight Sad, "That Summer, At Home, I Had Become the Invisible Boy"
Not the best live recording, but cool nonetheless. As with the other four on this list, I recommend you to get the original studio versions if you haven't already.

(7) Sigur Rós, "Hljomalind"
Okay, so this isn't a live video, but it's amazing visually.