October 27, 2007
The Times weighs in on 2007

These dudes didn't make the list.
The year is already over for L.A. Times pop critic Ann Powers; in a piece dated tomorrow, she lays out an unremarkable top 10 albums of 2007. Maybe Powers gave up on 07 when she couldn't get on OiNK anymore. Or perhaps, like Christmas decorations and presidential primaries, top 10 lists are just going up earlier than ever this year. Either way, I guess she's not waiting on Nas' hotly anticipated "n-word album." (It's hotly anticipated by me, anyway.)
Powers places Radiohead's low-bitrate publicity machine "In Rainbows" at the top of the pile. She also lauds the zzzzzz-worthy Feist album, rehashes a Robert Hilburnesque irrational love for the Boss, describes the Arcade Fire as driven by "unfettered joy," and – perhaps worst of all – reminds us of her baffling review of M.I.A.'s Kala. In a year marked by the emergence of an invigorated indie house scene, the most electronic album that she recognizes is Kanye West's Graduation. It hardly bears mentioning that no L.A. artists made the cut.
There's no accounting for taste, sure, but if you have the audacity to headline your list "The Year's Best Music," you're asking for a rebuttal. Powers' complete top 10 is after the jump.
1. Radiohead – In Rainbows
2. Kanye West – Graduation
3. M.I.A. – Kala
4. Bruce Springsteen – Magic
5. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
6. Feist – The Reminder
7. Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
8. LCD Soundsystem – The Sound of Silver
9. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
10. Lil' Wayne – "Unlimited downloads" (various mixtapes & guest spots)
Photo by sundogg via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.



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I didn't know where to post this but I wanted to let everyone know about a new documentary I keep seeing all over the place called "Desert Bayou" It looks really good and it just starting playing here at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood. I already went and saw it and I have to say that is brilliant. And it's already getting a lot of oscar buzz.
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Hi. Ann Powers here. I just wanted to note that this list wasn't meant to represent my personal favorites. I actually state that in the introduction to the piece. Rather, these are albums that I think will be on most critics' polls and other best-of's to be published later this year. (Also, I didn't write the headline.)
I was just trying to point out that there were a lot of strong, unifying releases this year, despite the media focus on the music business falling apart and music culture fragmenting. I do regret not putting the Justice album on the list, though. It deserved to be there. But regretting your list is part of making and publishing your list, right? The morning after effect...
Anyway thanks for arguing, that's what lists are all about!
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pitchfork killed music