After reviewing a few dozen releases this year this is my top ten of reviewed albums plus a few select tracks of items that I went out and hunted down myself. These weren't easy to select out of the great stuff I received so it was a challenge. I'd like to thank the labels and their PR agencies for hunting me down and sending CDs to me. I reviewed everything that I received this year......

!!! aka Chk Chk Chk (or any other triple repeated expletive) played at the Avalon a couple weeks ago to a large crowd of friends, supporters, party-people, and folks who just effing wanted to dance. The band is 8 months into touring to support their incredible album Myth Takes and are about to embark for another pass through Europe. !!! loves LA - they have a lot of friends here, they make a pilgrimage......

LAist reviewed !!!'s excellent album Myth Takes earlier this year. Here's a chance to see what can only be described as a tribal experience. They've got the horn section, they've got crazy needs-more-cowbell jams, they've got the nutty electronics, and they've got the energy to drive this machine. Members of this band are also involved with other amazing groups like Out Hud and LCD Soundsystem if that helps you identify this pseudo-dance-punk-funk genre. If......

Air - Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks) Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours to Keep [US] (New Line) Antibalas - Security (Anti) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge) !!! - Myth Takes [Bonus Disc] (Warp) Joss Stone - Tell Me ‘Bout It [SINGLE] (Virgin) KMFDM - Nihil [Bonus Track] (Metropolis) Mary Chapin Carpenter - Calling (Zoe) My Brighest Diamond - Tear It Down (Asthmatic Kitty) Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy (Nonesuch) Son Volt - Search......

Artist: !!! Title: Myth Takes Release Date: 3/4/07 Label: Warp Records !!!'s MySpace !!!'s Website If, like me, you’ve been fortunate enough to see a live !!! show, then you’ll know that their recordings are just snapshots in time, a place for the band to step off on extended sweat-inducing punk funk jams. Enough about their bizarre name, call them chkchkchk, uhuhuh, whatever. The band is comprised of Mario Andreoni (guitar), Dan Gorman (horns/percussion/keys),......