Top 10 Albums of 2007

Before I delve into the volumes of cool India pictures and a description of our holiday trip I thought I'd share my top music selections of 2007. Not that anyone cares, or can tolerate my tastes but it's my blog!

I flew about what seemed to be 1,000,000 miles last year and I had my iPod on most of that time. I do have a need to listen to good tunes. In 2007 I was in a kind of nu-jazz, hip hop, Latin, chill lounge, electronic, girl singer, R&B stage. While it is hard to find all these genres in each CD I do usually get a good blend of at least a couple in each.

My top ten CDs (not that I've bought an actual CD in while thanks to iTunes) of the year are-

1) Skye - Mind How You Go (2006)

Voice of the band Morcheeba this smooth Brit singer/songwriter is easy on the ears. The orchestration is a subtle and smooth of electronic and organic. Still good after 100 listens. For added pleasure there is a nice live at KCRW set available on iTunes.

2) Lambchop - Damage (2007)

My favorite band. A blend of country, folk and soul that is hard to describe. Kurt Weber's singing is not for everyone (Sophia hates them), but his songwriting is awesome. I can't say I understand it all but no matter. The 17 musicians are superb. Their album "Is a Woman" is on my top 5 all time list and this one is in the same ballpark.

3) Ceu - Ceu (2007)

Ceu is a Brazilian singer. Cut from the mold of Astrid Gilberto she may or may not be able to succeed on her voice alone. What makes this so great is the music. Traditional Brazilian Samba meets modern lounge, jazz, reggae and R&B. the mix is fresh and hypnotizing. There are also a few good remixes available on iTunes.

4) Pacha Massive - All Good Things (2007)

A Dominican and a Colombian in NYC mixing urban, Latin, Hip Hop and even some big funk sounds. These guys rap, sing and rock in English and Spanish. Danceable and also very listenable on the pod. A live in Soho set is available on iTunes (I sound like an ad for iTunes...)

5) Wilco - Blue Sky Blue (2007)

Probably the most mainstream on my list and the only straight forward rock band on the list. I knew of them from WXPN in Philly but always seemed to avoid listening much or becoming a fan but this is a great CD. Lots of energy and surprisingly fresh sounding songs even though you can hear hints of many other bands including the Beatles. I like it!

6) Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself (2007)

She got me hooked with her singing on a CD by Frou Frou and her solo effort is a big hit. Great lyrics, a unique voice and a good mix of musical sounds make this an A+ must have.

7) Club 8 - The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming (2007)

A recent discovery of mine, this Swedish duo make some really clever pop music. I think this is about their sixth CD but it's the first one I've heard and it is really quite good.

8) Lisa Shaw - Cherry (2005)

I tracked her done as she is the singer on many of my favorite club/lounge CDs like Blue Six and Miguel Migs. She has a great R&B, soul voice and her solo effort is filled with really good tunes.

9) Spiral System - In Your Dreams (2006)

Each song has a slightly different sound and features different singers. A bit of reggae some hip hop, a jazz cut and more make this a great variety pack of sound from start to finish.

10) Natalia Y La Forquetina - Casa (2005)

I've had this for over a year but it still looms large on my play list. This Mexican group is fresh sounding. The tunes are really good and Natalia's nice voice is clear enough for me to be able to listen and improve my Spanish at the same time - which I need to do to survive here in Singapore.

Honorable mention go to two things my brother Noah got onto my play list. The first is Flight of the Conchords. Their stuff is hilarious (as is the HBO show) and the music is really good too. they only have an EP with a few songs but most of their tunes are on YouTube. The second extra is Soul Position - Things Go Better With- hop hop rappers RJ and Blueprint - spin some intelligent (albeit a bit crude) rhymes and rhythms that break form the gangster rap norm.

So, not that you care, but I hope if you chose to listen to any of these they bring you pleasure.