The end of the year is nigh, which can mean only one thing. Yes, it’s time to recall the musical highs and lows of 2007.
To do this, we need your help. As well as our writers trying to recall what rocked and what didn’t, we want to hear from you, the reader, for our review of the year. What albums made you smile? What gigs do you remember fondly?
Have your say in the comments field below.
Musical moments of the year:
Getting called up on stage to play guitar with the Hold Steady in the TBMC was pretty cool. “Can any of you play guitar?” “I can.” “Get up here so.”
Probably only trumped by Kevin Whelan waving me over to the mic to sing the end of “She Sends Kisses” with him after I’d already joined The Wrens (and I’m a definite contender for the title of “World’s Biggest Wrens Fan”) on stage to play piano with them on that song in Whelan’s.
Best gigs:
- Final Fantasy at EP.
- The National, night 2 in Dublin.
- Dosh opening for Andrew Bird at Crawdaddy.
- Sonic Youth at EP
- Slint in Tripod
- Le Savy Fav in Crawdaddy
- Both of the second nights of Arcade Fire’s visits to Dublin.
- Deerhunter
- Cathy Davey (night 2 of the Whelan’s residency)
- Handsome Furs in Whelans
- Si Schroeder at EP
- Deerhoof
Loads of others.
Album:
- Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover
- Handsome Furs: Plague Park
- The National: Boxer
- Panda Bear: Person Pitch
- Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam
- St. Vincent: Marry Me
- Radiohead: In Rainbows
- Liars: Liars
- Okkervil River: The Stage Names
- Dan Deacon: The Crystal Cat
- Beirut: The Flying Cub Cup
- LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver
Musical highlight of the year was down at Oxegen (pains me to include this festival). Straight after seeing Arcade Fire for the first time myself and a friend went to see Bright Eyes finish up in the Pet Sounds tent. Rain was pouring through the holes in the tent but he shined through it all. At the end of the gig we walked around the back to see if we could grab a photo with Conor. Suddenly REM appeared with Josh Hartnett and Helen Christensen. Then a bus pulled up with Babyshambles (minus Pete) and then another bus with Rufus Wainwright and band! As we stood there slightly shell-shocked Fionn Reagan walked over and said hi. I think he was as dazed as we were!
Next highlight was Castlepalooza festival in Tullamore in August. Loads of great Irish bands including Noise Control, Star Little Thing and Sick Boy. Brilliant venue, terrible weather and some great friends along to boot! And slightly embarrassed to admit it but Sister Sledge stole the show!
Album highlights included:
Interpol – Our Love To Admire
Dan Deacon – Crystal Cat
St. Vincent – Marry Me
Cathy Davey – Tales of Silver Sleeve
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Feist – The Reminder
Battles – Mirrored
Justice - +
Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Gigs:
Junior Boys @ Whelans
Deerhunter @ Whelans
Of Montreal @ Crawdaddy
Albums:
Feist: The Reminder (even it’s launch into the mainstream didn’t effect my affection for this eclectic record)
Battles: Mirrored (like falling in love with a new genre)
Deerhunter: Cryptograms & Fluorescent Grey EP (satisfied the MBV shaped hole in my life - don’t ask why)
Justice: Cross
M.I.A.: Kala (some of it was infuriating, but every morning in the shower I was singing “Bamboo Banga” - ‘When I’m doggin’ on the bonnet of your red Hondaaaa’)
Menomena: Friend & Foe (this is woefully underrated - Evil Bee is one of my favourite tracks of the year)
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer? (this year’s masterpiece)
Okkervil River: The Stage Names (best Bruce album of the year)
The Postmarks: The Postmarks (just charming)
Sally Shapiro: Disco Romance (equally charming - 80’s disco doesn’t sound that appealing - but it is)
Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (they will never release a bad album - You Got Yr. Cherrybomb is too infectious)
My biggest disappointment was Jens Lekman - I know it was a critical success but it leaves me feeling cold compared to the first album, which is one of my favourites to date.
Comment by Steve KAlbums:
- Justice - Cross
- Okkervil River - The Stage Names (even the extra disc of demos is brilliant)
- Interpol - Our Love To Admire (hey, it’s better than Antics)
- Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (miles better than Good News For People Who Love Bad News)
- Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger (not as shit as some reviews would have you believe)
- Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
- Cherry Ghost - Thirst For Romance (arguably the best debut of the year by a band named for a Wilco lyric)
Gigs:
- Wilco - Vicar Street
- Richard Hawley - Vicar Street
- Okkervil River - Whelan’s (I know they haven’t even played there yet, but past experience dictates it should be a stormer)
- The National - The Olympia
- Modest Mouse - Electric Picnic
- Duke Special - Tripod
- Andrew Bird - Tripod
- Oneida - Whelan’s
- REM - The Olympia
Disappointments:
- Smashing Pumpkins, generally
- The postponement of Neil Young’s Archives for yet another year
- Beirut at Tripod
- Iron & Wine at The Ambassador (purely because of the amount of mouthy culchies I was surrounded by)
- The weather at Oxegen
- The crowd at Oxegen
- The Village, generally
Surprises:
- Meeting Jeff Tweedy on O’Connell St
- Seeing cool commemorative posters at merch stalls (cheaper and prettier than a t-shirt)
- People paying loads of money to see Babs
crowded House at Marley Park was a cracker. I’d not seen ‘the house’ before live, although I’d seen Neil & Tim at the Olympia. I’d never heard such male dominated mass singing done so, er, sweetly. It wasn’t like at any other gig where people just bawl out the words along with the band - at this, people sang along to ‘fall at your feet’ in as gentle a manner as it was recorded. And it still sounded great!
Album of the Year - for me, has to be Lady’s Bridge by Richard Hawley. 11 songs that all seem to recall an era of before the Beatles…but i mean that in a good way!
Comment by ivanA few of the best albums I’ve heard this year are
El-P ‘I’ll sleep when you’re dead’
Cadence Weapon ‘Breaking Kayfabe’
Caribou ‘Andorra’
Super Furry Animals ‘Hey Venus’
Animal Collective ‘Strawberry Jam’
And some of the best gigs:
Charlie Parr at Crawdaddy
Pharoe Monche at Tripod
Beastie Boys at EP
Jinx Lennon at Mantua
Bloc Party in Phoenix Park
El-P in crawdaddy and button factory.
And for the absolute hilarity of it, that comical night myself and my mate packed some buckfast and took a trip outside our demographic to Peter Gabriel in Marley Park. SLEDGEHAMMER!
I’m sure theres loads more stuff i just can’t think of right now..
Comment by CoI think you know what I’m going to say…
Best gig was Dan Deacon at Crawdaddy. I’m still buzzing from it! Looking forward to the whelan’s gig.
Irish album of the year for me is Super Extra Bonus Party.
Best Irish live band, who for me have been the most consistent and cool at every gig is Dry County.
Biggest disappointment was M.I.A. at the picnic.
There’s lots more but that’s what comes to mind this morning!
Have a good weekend Jim
Albums (& EPs):
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Jonquil - Lions
Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Magic Arm - Outdoor Games
Beirut - The Flying Cub Cup
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
Gigs:
Grizzly Bear - Whelans
The 1st Andrew Bird gig - Tripod (I’ve seen him 4 times this year, but this was the very first for me, and long awaited at that. He was sick that night, but somehow it just…worked!)
David Thomas Broughton - 93 East
Vampire Weekend
Final Fantasy - Electric Picnic
O’Death/Dirty Projectors/Menomena - on the same bill, for free, in Paris.
Disappointments:
Sly & The Family Stone live. Oh, dear.
The realisation that various drunken idiots shouting: “I love you Joanna” helped to create at Newsom’s gig in the Olympia.
The Shins, live. Mechanic, soul-less.
Grant Lee Phillips - Strangelet.
Amon Tobin - Foley Room.
Surprises:
Liars, live. Wow!
Jonquil - set for big things.
Ryan Adams, live. Quite uncool (there is a stigma!) but great live presence and one hell of a tight band.
David Shrigley’s ‘Worried Noodles’ project - didn’t see that comin’.
Best albums, in no particular order…
Battles - Mirrored
Radiohead - In Rainbows
The National - Boxer
Si Schroder - Coping Mechanisms
LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Best Gigs, again no order
The national - Olypmpia
Justice - Primavera
Battles - Tripod
Sonic Youth - Primavera
Beirut - Primavera
Si Schroder - EP
The Jimmy Cake - EP
Final Fantasy - EP
Arcade Fire - a big tent in Dublin
Best TV
Thw Wire
The Sopranos
Battlestar Galactica
Charlie Brookers Screenwipe
South Park
The Mighty Boosh
Twin Peaks Season 2
Not a great year for albums but I liked the albums by Les Savy Fav, The Twilight Sad, Stars of the Lid, Qui and Sunset Rubdown.
Great year for concerts and I’d agree with all of the above; Wilco, The National, Arcade Fire, Les Savy Fav especially.
Disappointments: Cat Power in the Tripod; actually the Tripod generally. Still no sign of a Pavement reunion. A Really bad album by the Shins. Why hasn’t Bono just given Gavin Friday say, a million euro to just stay quiet? Record Companies who continue to release any old crap from dead rock stars ie. Elliot Smith. Dodgy reunions; I thought the Doors without Jim Morrison was a joke but The Jam without Paul Weller??
Comment by Overfriendly Conciergeerm the gig of the year was without a doubt grizzly bear in whelan’s…magic stuff. Deerhunter in whelans are a close second, although I want to include Built to Spill in spain that probably doesn’t count.
O’Death-Whelans
Best consistent live act was fight like apes.
Best dance act was Modeselektor in Tivoli.
Oh and super furries were the best old skool gig.
Beirut in Tripod were an absolute soul-crushing disappointment.
Best album was Stars of the Lid-And their refinement of the decline, closely followed by the field..from here we go sublime
Other great albums were Deerhunter-cryptograms
Animal Collective-Strawberry Jam
Panda bear-Person pitch
Best EP-Deerhunter Flourescent grey
2nd best: Grizzly Bear-Friend EP
Best tracks:
Animal Collective-Fireworks
Deerhunter-Flourescent Grey
The Field-Over the Ice
hmm no sign of in rainbows as of yet…curious.
Comment by gardenheadactually sorry ian, saw your post just there…
Comment by gardenheadReleases:
Deerhunter- Florescent Grey EP
A Hawk and a Hacksaw and A Hawk And A Hacksaw And The Hun Hangar Ensemble
Panda Bear- Person Pitch
Okkervil River- The Stage Names
Gigs:
BUILT TO SPILL at Primavera, Barcelona
DEERHUNTER in Whelans
The Apples in Stereo in Whelans
Grizzly Bear in Whelans
Spiritualized at Electric Picnic
Slint at Tripod
Okkervil River in Whelans (it will be fucking amazing as their gig in whelans last year was my gig of 2006)
NO ONE has mentioned Fight Like Apes, so i feel they really deserve to be in the list for both their EPS and their live shows.
Comment by Loreanamy favourite albums of the year are:
Aliens - astronomy for dogs
feist - the reminder
bjork - volta
cornelius - sensous
the cooper temple clause - make this your own
lo fi fnk - boylife
super extra bonus party - super extra bonus party
dry county - unexpected falls (2 excellent irish albums instead of the dulcet moaning of so called irish singers)
radiohead - in rainbows
hamell on triall - songs for parents who like drugs
super furry animals - hey venus
Best Gig:
DAFT PUNK - Oxegen ‘07
As much as music snobs may try to ignore it in favour of smaller more intimate venues,such as tripod or whelans, for some gigs a massive earth moving crowd just can’t be beaten and for this-you’ll find none better than Oxegen ‘07 and Daft Punk.I didnt know a lot about Daft Punk until that fateful day in Punchestown,and to be honest I probably still dont know much about them,but I do know this-they are simply THE BEST LIVE ACT ON THE PLANET!!!!From the moment the first note burst out of the massive speakers,the 50,000 odd crowd became entranced by the electronic genius that is Daft Punk.For an hour and a half,the crowd jumped,danced and sang their hearts out to the pulsating melody of those French gods.From their more well known tunes such as ‘One more time’ to just about anything else they played,the whole place went berzerk.Their lights show was also absolutely stunning,as all kinds of mad shapes flashed across the screens- but somehow it just seemed to work with the music and created an even more stunning live show-The likes of which we will probably never again see on these shores.I was so impressed and enthralled with them live that Im off to see tham in Tokyo in two weeks.Im only going over the night before and coming back the day afterward but it’ll be worth it to see those musical gods just one more time!Daft Punk-Simply THE best gig you will ever see!!
Comment by JoeALBUMS
God Is An Astronaut: ‘Far From Refuge’
Best Irish band since Whipping Boy.
Explosions In The Sky: ‘All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone’
Yes, they have ripped off the peerless Mogwai but there is something truly haunting and magical at work here.
The National ‘Boxer’
All killer, no filler.
GIGS
Slint at Tripod
The most miserable looking band I have ever seen on stage. Maybe it was the Tripod staff? But hearing ‘Spiderland’ from beginning to end live was a strange yet compelling experience.
Wilco at Vicar Street
Like The National earlier in the month there were no duds in the set, no boring bits, no mid-set slump. Quality from beginning to end.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings/Richard Thompson at Midlands Festival, Mullingar.
On the main stage as the evening sun slowly set behind them, Welch and Rawlings were mesmerising. Seeing Richard Thompson playing guitar up-close just made your jaw drop. Just a couple of highlights from this wonderful event in the most beautiful festival location in the country. Can’t wait for next year.
Biggest disappointments:
Cat Power at Tripod (tedious, infuriating)
Battles- Both album and Tripod gig (overrated and pretentious but worst of all, boring), Electric Picnic (something strangely amiss..maybe it was the permanent grey skies, the cold, the rubbish and filth everywhere, the insidious ‘Oxegen’ element creeping in but quite probably it was the rather underwhelming line-up though Iggy, Candie Payne and M.I.A were great), the continued existence of The Village, idiots talking at gigs (WHY THE FUCK ARE THERE??!!!), idiots heckling at gigs, idiots generally.
Personal highlight: Meeting the God-like genius and personal hero of mine that is My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields at a Mogwai gig in London. And him turning out to be a really pleasant, down-to-earth and unassuming type of chap who waited patiently as I told him ‘Loveless’ changed my life. Never meet your heroes??? Fuck that. He told me what we all know now: new album and gigs next year.
Best film: ‘Garage’
It will haunt you for weeks.
Comment by QuintNo mention of the best gig of the year by a mile yet.
A wet Thursday.
February 15th.
Tripod.
Long Island’s finest:
Brand FUCKING New!
Nothing will top that gig.
They played the entire of their second album “Deja Entendu” right through, mixing it up with tracks from “Your Favourite Weapon” and “The Devil & God are Raging Inside Me!”
Best part - The after-party in Anseo with the band. Got to hangout with the frontman Jesse Lacey (the reason I started playing guitar). 
The only thing that can top that is, oh, I don’t know - meeting Interpol! 
Neilo - Totally agree with you re: Modest Mouse & Interpol albums.
And 100% back you on the “mouthy culchies” thing.
SFA in Vicar St was a fucking amazing gig. 10 years worth of hits, and a fantastic new album - they played for over 2 hours.
Also, Grizzly Bear in Whelans.
ALbumwise, I thought Favourite Sons “Down Beside Your Beauty” was a cracker - featuring Ken Griffin from Rollerskate Skinny.
Musical event of the millenium was that someone finally uploaded the full Speed To My Side video onto YouTube!
Quint - i met Kevin Shields once and I only wanted to talk about how good rollerskate skinny were! He agreed with me though… Then I had to tie his tie for him cos he didn’t know how to. It was at the IFTAs.
Comment by OneForTheRoad2007 albums I love:
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Air - Pocket Symphony
Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night
Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 [not sure if this was released in early 2007 or late 2006]
Crowded House - Time On Earth
Justice - +
Girls Aloud - Tangled Up
Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers
Bjork - Volta
Timbaland - Shock Value
Kanye West - Graduation
Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
Fave gigs of 2007:
Arcade Fire in the Big Top
R.E.M. in the Olympia
Stuff i liked:
Cathy Davey’s new album, and revisiting her debut over and over.
Rufus Wainwright, in tights in Vicar Street, really enjoyable gig.
Most of Electric Picnic, but especially Dans le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and !!! were really amazing,
That great Justice album - Cross
discovering Beirut,
That Stax anniversary edition.
Discovering Malajube and professor Longhair thanks Jim,
Grizzly Bear
Bruce Springsteen
Jamie T
Roisin Murphy
Messiah J and the expert
Fionn Regan
Modest Mouse
Springbreak
Tom Waits
Some Blues
Bat for Lashes
Stuff i didn’t like:
well, getting completely trapped in traffic at Electric picnic, and missing all the Friday night acts.
being disappointed by a couple of gigs i’ve been to.
That’s about all that’s popping into my head at the mo.
Comment by caitCan I add my nominations for “Hissing Fauna” and “Sound of Silver” as albums of the year? I’d also add Iron and Wine’s “The Shepherd’s Dog”.
(closely followed by Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”, of course
(btw, I’d go so far as to say that “45:33″ was my album of the year, although it came out last year and wasn’t really in the LP format
Favorite Irish Music,
Cathy Davey- Tales of Silver Sleeve,
Fight Like Apes- horribly titled thing they did
Jenny Lindfors - When the night time comes
Future Kings of Spain-
Favorite General;
Steve Earl, Washington Square serenade,
Gogol Bordello - super taranta
Machine Head- the Blackening
Shellac- excellent Italian greyhound
QOTSA- Era Vulgaris
Dropkick Murphys- The Meanest of Times
Best gigs in Ireland;
QOTSA at Oxegen,
Interpol at Oxegen,
Battles at TBMC,
ISIS at TBMC,
NIN supporting FF at Marley Park
Best gigs abroad: Gogol Bordello at Pukklepop in Belgium,
NIN at Pukklepop
Battles at Pukklepop
(note- I will never go to Ox again havin been abroad to a festival as cool as Pukklepop, seriously much better fun all round, no comparison all in all. Best festival food ever! Of course its no Feile but those days are gone…)
Comment by MutchAlbums of 07
1: Editors: An End has a Start
2: 30 Seconds To Mars: A Beautiful Lie
3: Paramore: Riot
4: Madina Lake: From them through us to you
5: Vesta Varro: Exit Here
Singles of 07
1: Editors: Smokers outside the hospital doors
2: 30 Seconds to Mars: The Kill
3: Air Traffic: Shooting Star
4: Madina Lake: House of Cards
5: Delorentos: Basis of everything
Gigs of 07
1: Editors: Glastonbury - June
2: The Hold Steady: Terminal 5 NY - November
3: Beastie Boys: Electric Picnic - September
4: Foals: Button Factory - November
5: Black Soul Strangers: Hub - January
Tips for 08
1: Lesley Roy
2: Foals
3: Adele
4: The Black Kids
5: Santogold
Pedro: Thanks for the support. I’d hate to think it’s purely a Dublin-centric knee-jerk reaction to people mouthing off at gigs, despite all outward appearances.
Comment by NeiloI’ve been trying to remember the start of the year, so that it’s properly representative and can only conclude that it’s all a blur.
REM @ the Olympia was sublime.
Feist (Reminder & Tripod), Beirut, Kings of Leon, Bruce albums and currently addicted to Cathy Davey’s new one.
Arcade Fire in the big top and Pet Shop Boys at IMMA (GREAT fun!)stood out too.
Special mention to the blogs @ The Irish Times - a different kind of music on occasion that made me smile!
Cheers lads.
Comment by LizThe re-emergence of the Boss springs to mind first, I’ll sleep on the rest
Comment by National Disgrace** Gig Highlights **
I can’t really remember anything prior to the month of November. I can see how keeping a blog may be of benefit in this modern age. Anyway. Here are some thoughts of my 3 favourite gigs, which have all, admittedly with an air of convenience, taken place in the past month.
- The National - Olympia [I know the band have been on tour pretty much consistently since the summer but still they managed to convey the sense that everything they’d be doing on tour was just a leadup to this… Also great to see St Vincent 365 days (to the minute) after first seeing her as support to Sufjan Stevens.]
- Jape - Crawdaddy [Richie continues to create a more distinctive musical sound more akin to a band like The Knife than the sounds of the first album which now sounds incredibly dated. Also featured the very best vocoder action of the year - Mr. Mattie Bolger IS Ireland’s most under-rated band member.]
- Wilco - Vicar Street [Sky Blue Sky may not be all that exciting or ground-breaking, but you wouldn’t think it by these 2 shows (i saw night 1). The 45 minute encore also broke that increasingly annoying Irish rule of 11pm curfews. Which is great because encores are fake and silly enough without the band orchestrating them to finish at exactly 10.59]
If I think back to before that then I guess Redneck Manifesto in Whelans, The National being the only truly great thing about Oxegen, Kevin Drew & BSS in Tripod, Duke Special in Dundalk’s Spirit Store and Bats for Lashes and Channel One at E.P. (not performing together. But wouldn’t that be beautiful…).
The most disappointing gig of the year was without doubt Cat Power at Tripod. She’s not exactly reknowned as a good live act, but I’d no idea that on the back of one of the best albums and such a tight band, that her show could be this MEH.
** Record Highlights **
1. The National - Boxer. This is the record that will define the year in the way that Funeral, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Come on Feel the Illinoise and Kid A have done in recent times.
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sounds of Silver. Brought James Murphy to a whole new audience and set him off on a great with a string of great shows (E.P., Tripod).
3. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy. This has received little to no love, but is actually a brilliant little album and establishes the Sonic Youth front-man’s side interests as being just as worthwhile as the day job of de-tuning his guitar at festivals.
4. PJ Harvey - White Chalk. I hated the idea of Polly going off and doing something piano-centric like this, but surprisingly it’s actually brilliantly spooky and takes her sound, that many may say had reached it’s limits on Uh Huh Her, to a whole new dimension.
5. I’m Not There (Original Soundtrack) - An awesome attempt at re-interpreting the many voices of Bob Dylan. Highlights are the Stephen Malkmus, Jim James, Mira Bilotte and Yo La Tengo contributions. There are a few duds but on a 34 song compilation that’s to be expected.
Also excellent, Caribou, Iron & Wine, The Field, Bright Eyes, Beirut, Josh Ritter, White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, St. Vincent, Jens Lekman, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Kevin Drew, QOTSA, Ryan Adams and Animal Collective and reissue of the year (how UNCUT of me) is Elliott Smith’s New Moon ,but it’s time to leave him alone now. That’s not its full name incidentally, but it should be.
** Stuff that will be great about 2008 based on what happened in 2007! **
- Shows and new releases from Jape, Dry County, Redneck Manifesto, Darkroom Notes and Channel One.
- The Radiohead tour coming to play Crawdaddy. It could happen.
- The Cat Power covers record. It was sloppy as hell live, but it’s bound to be brilliant on record.
- The words “Celine Dion” replacing “Barbara Streisand” in all the usual media complaint outlets.
- Led Zeppelin at Oxegen. hahahhaa. But seriously please don’t make us go there ever again….
Gigs:
4- Richmond Fontaine, Cleeres, Rhythm and roots festival
3- The National, The Ambassador
2 - Willy Mason, TBMC
1- Bob Frank and John Murry, Ryans, Kilkenny rhythm and roots festival
Albums:
3 - The National - Boxer
2 - Richmond Fontaine - Thirteen Cities
1 - Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
Incidentally, you must have been fecking joking to have picked the arcade fire as gig of the week a while back. Biggest disappointment of the year by far. Went along the second night. In fairness, they weren’t helped by the shambolic acoutics, which were parish -hall poor. More worryingly, though the samey nature of their songs was uncomfortably obvious. Meanwhile, lack of big screens meant for most people they were dots running frantically about. Big letdown.
Comment by BarIncidentally, you must have been fecking joking to have picked the arcade fire as gig of the week a while back. Biggest disappointment of the year by far.
Bar - Ticket gig of the week decisions are not made by me. If you have any comments to make about them, best write to theticket@irish-times.ie
Comment by Jim CarrollNigel - i’m with you on that new Cat Power record.
Comment by caitOh hang on.
I forgot Gruff Rhys in Vicar St. It was like a fancy dress meets vic reeves big night out with a perfect pop music background. And we all got 3D glasses. And he sat inside a giant television. Dressed as a pilot.
Comment by OneForTheRoadAlbums (in no particular order)
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Deerhunter - Cryptograms
Grizzly Bear Friends EP
LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver (though it gets less exciting with each listen)
Bill Callahan - Woke on a whaleheart (can’t believe it hasn’t been mentioned already!!)
The Walkmen - Pussycats
In general I found more albums to disappoint (Shins, Band of Horses, Wilco-despite having some of their best work to date on it, Air)
Gigs:
Both nites of Wilco.Hands-down winner.
I watched Animal Collective from the side of the stage in Paris and it was incredible, though Panda Bear’s cameo performance at Tripod was fantastic too.
Art Brut - la route du rock/France.Thought I would hate them,but Eddie Argos was amazing to watch.
El-P - Crawdaddy & TBMC
Jape-Crawdaddy..Should be massive in 07
Emanuel - Black Earth Tiger is Album of the Year (hands down).
Fucking immense record.
2008:
New albums by:
Brand New
Taking Back Sunday
City & Colour
Alexisonfire
GLASSJAW!!!!!!!!!!
2008 is going to be pretty fucking awesome for new albums.
Comment by PedroA word for Damon Albarn, whose The God The Bad And The Queen album I like very much.
How is it that a guy can form three fantastic bands (Blur, Gorillaz, and TGTB&TQ) when most people have difficulty creating just one?
Comment by Conor FurlongBest Gig:
Declan Nerney & The Nerney Beat @ The Border Fox Inn, Belcoo.
Next Best Gig
Bertie Ahern @ Dublin Castle (it beats Ian Brown anyday)
music:
burial- untrue (hyperdub)-
panda bear- person pitch (pawtracks)
ricardo villalobos- sei es drum ep (ostgut)
liars- liars (mute)
feist- the reminder
donnacha costello- colorseries (minimise)
i know, it’s a compilation but i missed the 12″s first time round and it’s been on repeat round my bit since I got it
various- shut up and dance (ostgut ton/berghain compilation)
books:
clive james: cultural amnesia
cormac mccarthy- the road
ally kennen- berserk
ali smith- girl meets boy
alisdair gray- old men in love
films:
lives of others
michael clayton
control
to die in jerusalem
Tip for 2008
wounded knee- wounded knee (benbecula) fantastic modern loopy scottish hymns. people who liked person pitch would love it.
http://www.benbecula.com/release/wounded_knee/wounded_knee.shtml (link to myspace with tons of downloads etc on page)
Albums of the year:
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Feist - The Reminder
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
David Geraghty - Kill Your Darlings (Bellx1 guitar players solo effort which was a tasty album that seems to have slipped through the net)
Gigs of the year:
Arcade Fire - Olympia
Feist - Tripod
Ryan Adams - National Stadium
I know it wasn’t asked but my disappointment of the year was Bill Callahan in the Village. Probably more to do with the venue than the man himself. The Village is just terrible for live music. If Tom Waits was playing there I think I’d give it a miss.
Comment by SocGig of the year:
Without a doubt: Dan Deacon at Crawdaddy in August. Was standing above him at the front of the stage. Never been so amazed by a show in my life.
Best festival:
The Great Escape in Brighton.
Best new band: Foals (only managed to see them 5 times - it helps to live in Brighto 9 months a year).
Blogger: Jim! I have to be biased on this site!
Best new genre name:
BLOG HOUSE.
Best albums have to be
Machine Head the Blackening
PJ Harvey- White Chalk
Best gigs in Ireland were Mastodon- March 3rd-Ambassador (got to meet em as well!!)
65 days of Static at Roisin Dubh in Galway
Go it Alone at Sally Longs in Galway
but the absolute highlight of my year was PJ Harvey at the Royal Festival Hall London, absolutely AMAZING!
Biggest disappointments of the year would be the closure of so many record stores both here and in Ireland. Fopp records and 3 Galway independent record shops (zhivagos eyre square branch, redlight records shop st branch and Mulligan Records Middle St)
Music Magazine of the Year has definitely gots to goto AU. Ye guys feckin rock!
Best film - A tie between Lives of Others and Control for me.
Best TV
Flight of the conchordes- brilliant! Love the prince/bowie inspired comedy songs
Californication also been really good
Comment by nicolaBest gig of the year - The National at the Olympia
Worst - Arcade Fire at the same venue, also get my vote for most disappointing album of the year
Comment by TonySIrish highlight - Cathy Davey by a mile.
Irish disappointment - The Immediate calling it a day, should have been something special.
Irish overrated - Fionn Regan, “I’ve got to build the ocean liner with a butter knife” my hole.
Gigs - Arcade Fire (March), The National, The Hold Steady.
Albums - The National, LCD Soundsystem, Cold War Kids if that counts (Field Music otherwise)
2008 - That our nation of see and be seen event junkies don’t hoover up all the tickets to the festivals months before the line-ups are announced.
Comment by dealgaI’ll keep it short.
Albums:
Crippled Black Phoenix - A Love of Shared Disasters
Deerhunter - Cryptograms/Fluorescent Grey
The National - Boxer
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Fight Like Apes - 2 EPs
Holy Fuck - LP
Modest Mouse - WWDBTSES
The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Gigs:
The National @ The Olympia
Wilco @ Vicar St. (second date)
Sonic Youth, the Stooges, Polyphonic Spree, the Fall and Deerhoof @ Electric Picnic
Ten Past Seven @ Crawdaddy (HWCH)
Oh bloody hell, I left out:
Shellac - Excellent Itlian Grey hound.
it seems as if a lot people see it as cool not to mention Neon Bible, but it is still hands down one of the best of 2007. Just get over it and admit it’s brilliant. Kings of Leon - Because of the times is also a belter, even if they’re becoming an oxegen band. Ditto Interpol - Our Love to Admire.
Other albums that made my year:
LCD - Sound of Silver
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Burial - Untrue
The Field - From here we go sublime.
Pantha du Prince - The Bliss
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Feist - The Reminder
Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If
Caribou - Andorra
Donal Dineen’s Foggy Notions Compilation is just the best thing ever so it makes the list in somewhat controversial circumstances
Easy Star allstars - Radiodread. Not for the purists but I loved it.
Modeselektor - Happy Birthday!
The National - Boxer
Trentemoller’s BBC essential mix is not an album. I’m pretty sure it wasnt recorded in 2007 either. But it gave me so much good times in 2007 that it makes the list.
Outside the studio, highlights of the year were:
Music on the big screen recently: Sigur Ros - Heima. And Control. Amazing films.
Modeselektor in the Tivoli. Crazy shit.
Marco Corola at EP.
Si Schroeder, Channel One, Donal Dineen, Lisa Hannigan at EP - these acts gave me the will to get up and go again early on the saturday and sunday.
BSS/Kevin Drew in Tripod. If this was on a Fri/Sat it could have been gig of the year. amazing atmosphere/energy. His blunders added to the charm IMHO.
Nouvelle Vague in tripod. these ladies charm the pants off me.
The Field at EP. All our group was together for the only time all weekend for the swedish geniuses. and they put on “America F**k yeah at the end. Anyone remember that? Unreal!!
Modest Mouse - Float On at EP. People losing the plot.
Wu Tang at Oxegen. Method Man in Control of ten thousand-odd people the whole way through.
arcade fire + kings of leon at oxegen. confirmed great reputations.
Air at oxegen. shit sound, but got to see one the best bands of the last twenty years.
SiSi playing the last 110th st in the Vic galway, late March. Huge night for all concerned.
Highlight of the year by a mile however, is the experience that was EP in its totality. It is the simply the most beautiful place to spend 3 days of your life and i wish i could go more often. humph.
Comment by Fergugk - underground kingz [jive]
Comment by magoooGigs
No Age @ BoomBoomRoom
LCD SoundSystem @ Tripod
Meneguar @ Boom Boom Room
Crystal Castles @ Kennedys
Cap Pas Cap & Twinkranes @ Neptune Boat Club
Deerhunter @ Whelans
White Magic @ Boom Boom Room
Records
Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
Big A Litle a - gAme
No Age - Weirdo Rippers
Antifamily - DF005
Chromatics - IV
Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Brooken Arm
Magik Markers - BOSS
best albums of the year -
cathy davey - silversleeve
pj harvey - white chalk
delorentos - in ove wih detail
interpol - our love to admire
lots of gigs, enjoyed oxegen surprisingly
overhyped -
beruit
fight like apes
Bar - Ticket gig of the week decisions are not made by me. If you have any comments to make about them, best write to theticket@irish-times.ie
Apologies, Jim. Didn’t mean it in an accusing kind of way, just thought it was a bizarre choice. Jayzus, looking down the list here, it’s amazing how many times The National are mentioned. At this rate, they are going to be feckin’ huge!
Comment by BarMusical highs: Seeing Wilco Live at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, spine tingling!
Seeing Of Montreal play live, bunch of crazebags!
Musical Low: Waiting for Fionn Regan to visit San Francisco to play live for ages only to have a very drunk man pee on my leg in the audience. Buh-mer 
PS I know Im cheating talking about things that happened in america but I love your blog Jim
Comment by jenniferWhat does one have to do to get listed among the blogrool???
Comment by sarah jane wow
It may be colourful, but the new Suzuki Splash causes few ripples
10:50 am
Gigs
rem : july 4
grizzly bear : whelans
and numero uno : dan deacon in crawdaddy on two yokes. best gig of the year.
Television
Comment by QSeason 4 of The Wire. They managed to outdo the previous three seasons. No mean feat. Nothing else comes close but at least Battlestar Galactica gives it a go. Brilliant series. Total bs that we have to wait till april for season 4 on sci fi.