We’re scheduled to record the Episode 43 tonight if all goes well, and it appears to be. There’s a bit of tuning to the new format, but nothing groundbreaking. But that’s not why I’m posting.
No, there’s something in the air this time of year. Yes, you know what time of the year it is – it’s the Best Of time of year! This is my favorite time of the year because I like looking back and thinking, "that was released this year?!" Yeah, yeah it was. Also, because inevitably there are things that completely evade my radar that I get clued into at this time of year – The Hold Steady were a band that I found because they were on a Best Of list, and I’m deeply greatful for the discovery.
The recently-moribund Stylus magazine jumped the gun and released their top 50 list as they closed their doors on Halloween.
Today StereoGum printed the upcoming top 100 list from Paste magazine . Where Stylus put The National’s “Boxer” up at number 5, Paste put that disc at the number one spot. No argument here on that call, but I’ve got a few issues with the concept of a top 100 list. First and foremost, how many honest releases were there this year that didn’t make the list? Seriously, there are so many artists and albums on that list that you really have to wonder what’s left out. Looking at what is on a list that large makes you wonder how arbitrary the ranking process was.
An equally large beef with both lists is their omission of Bishop Allen’s “The Broken String.” This certainly goes to the core of many people’s complaints about top X lists of the year – what criteria is used for inclusion for judging. For example, the Bishop Allen album does contain a number of tracks previously “released” last year during their one-EP-a-month project. Although not new songs, they get completely new treatments on “The Broken String,” so is that album out of contention for 2007 because of a technicality? Obviously I like the album (it easily makes my list), but really I want to know how Paste could put something like The Frames “The Cost” up at 51 and miss Bishop Allen completely – I don’t mean too much disrespect to The Frames, but they’re really a poor-man’s Shins, and that album had one overly sappy (though I loved it) track worth listening to, the rest of the disc absolutely paled.
Well, the year is not over yet, and all the ballots have not been cast. Here’s the link for NPR’s All Song’s Considered top list – please note both Bishop Allen and Vampire Weekend are on the ballot (though a three song Vampire Weekend EP? And those three songs are going to be on their XL release next year also… huh).
…And, for the record (no pun intended), Mark and Owen, The Dirty Projectors are left off of both lists.