Thumbing their nose at British legends, Canadian upstarts, and America in general, the NME has named the clattering debut from dance-rockers the Klaxons as the best album of the year and the band’s “Golden Skans” as the year’s best single. (But don’t worry, because Radiohead and the Arcade Fire both find their way into the Top 5.) The tabloid’s picks for its 50 favorite albums and 50 favorite songs are after the jump, but first our thoughts on a publication that really liked the nu-rave.
THE GOOD: Les Savy Fav’s Lets Stay Friends, an unexpected comeback from a favorite band that I initially filed away as “pleasantly non-embarassing” but that sounds better with every spin, makes a surprising (but not undeserved) appearance at No. 5.
THE BAD: Even accounting for my age and citizenship, the singles list is something of a foreign language. Totally willing to give it a fair shake, of course, but given the NME‘s blog-shaming track record for mercurial hype and band names like the “Ting Tings,” I feel more comfortable than usual with my cranky suspicions.
THE WHAAAA? “Umbrella” is once again a rock mag’s only cop to radio pop (as defined in the U.S.) or R&B (unless you count Ms. Winehouse). Did everyone just raise the white flag during its reign of terror earlier in the year?
TOP ALBUMS
50 Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
49 Interpol – Our Love TO Admire
48 The View – Hats Off To The Buskers
47 Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies
46 Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly Angry Mob
45 !!! – Myth Takes
44 Gruff Ryhs – Candylion
43 Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence Patience and Grace
42 Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
41 Menomena – Friend and Foe
40 EL-P – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
39 Jeffery Lewis – 12 Crass Songs
38 Justice – [that cross symbol thingee]
37 Jamie T – Panic Prevention
36 Holy Fuck – s/t
35 Super Furry Animals – Hey Venus!
34 New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
33 Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
32 Grinderman – s/t
31 The Pigeon Detectives – Wait For Me
30 QOTSA – Era Vulgaris
29 Lethal Bizzle – Back To Bizznizz
28 Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
27 The Horrors – Strange House
26 Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
25 The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls In America
24 The Maccabees – Colour It In
23 Maps – We Can Create
22 Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil
21 The Enemy – We’ll Live and Die In These Towns
20 Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
19 Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
18 The Good, The Bad & The Queen
17 Future of The Left – Curses
16 The Coral – Roots and Echoes
15 The White Stripes – Icky Thump
14 Babyshambles – Shotter’s Nation
13 PJ Harvey – White Chalk
12 The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
11 LCD Soundsytem – Sound Of Silver
10 Battles – Mirrored
9 The Cribs – Man’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever
8 Biffy Clyro – Puzzle
7 MIA – Kala
6 Kings of Leon – Because Of The Times
5 Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends
4 Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
3 Radiohead – In Rainbows
2 Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
1 Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future
TOP TRACKS
50 Biffy Clyro – Living Is A problem Because Everything Dies
49 Los Campesinos! – You! Me! Dancing!
48 QOTSA – Sick, Sick, Sick
47 Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
46 Richard Hawley – Tonight The Streets Are Ours
45 Black Lips – Bad Kids
44 CSS – Off The Hook
43 Kate Nash – Foundations
42 The Enemy – It’s Not OK
41 MIA – Boyz
40 The Horrors – She Is The New Thing
39 Late of The Pier – Bathroom Gurgle
38 Lightspeed Champion – Galaxy Of The Lost
37 The White Stripes – Icky Thump
36 The Hives – Tick Tick Boom
35 Bloc Party – The Prayer
34 XX Teens – Darlin’
33 Cold War Kids – Hang Me Out To Dry
32 Those Dancing Days – Those Dancing Days
31 Gallows – Abandon Ship
30 Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Let’s Make Out
29 Jarvis – Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time
28 Björk Earth Intruders
27 Howling Bells – Low Happening
26 Arcade Fire – Keep The Car Running
25 Kings of Leon – Charmer
24 The Gossip – Standing In The Way of Control
23 Justice – D.A.N.C.E.
22 Klaxons – It’s Not Over Yet
21 SFA – Run Away
20 Dizzee Rascal – Sirens
19 Santogold – LES Artistes
18 Hadouken! – That Boy That Girl
17 MIA – Jimmy
16 Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent
15 Battles – Atlas
14 Black Lips – O Katrina!
13 Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
12 Foals – Hummer
11 Grinderman – No Pussy Blues
10 LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum
9 Arcade Fire – Intervention
8 Foals – Mathletics
7 Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
6 The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
5 Rihanna – Umbrella
4 The Teenagers – Homecoming
3 The Cribs – Men’s Needs
2 Glasvegas – Daddy’s Gone
1 Klaxons – Golden Skans
this is where i reiterate my theory:
“golden skans” : 2007 :: “shattered dreams” : 1987
@maura: Wow. That’s…that’s brilliant.
(So who’s the new Curiosity Killed the Cat?)
No Wilco or Feist? Whaaaa???
@DHMBIB: I think you mean “Yaaay!”
Seriously, not bad. I love that NME has no problem naming several singles from the same artists in the Top 50 — there’s no need to show how hip you are ‘cuz you know 50 different band names.
Also, I lurvs that Cold War Kids track @ 33. One of my faves of the year.
I don’t understand any list that picks a track from Sound of Silver that isn’t “Someone Great” or “All My Friends”.
I’ve seen more diversity at a Connecticut country club…
I could never ever understand how the Klaxons are “rave,” or ahem, “nu-rave.” Gotta love the media virus.
@DHMBIB: agreeing with the Cold War Kids on the Top 50 singles.
The only thing that shocks me is no Kanye (as well as no Wilco/Feist, as noted by above) and The Shins being as high as they are. I still haven’t developed a strong love for the album after dozens of spins. And was Springsteen not released in Europe, or is he just not as well liked?
@aluberalles: *cough* Um, actually for my Idolator poll singles entries I’m picking “North American Scum” myself. What can I say, it’s the one that comes to mind the most whenever I think about the album.
@Cam/ron: glowsticks, duh.
How are the Klaxons not on the “Worst Album Artwork ’07″ poll?
“Standing In The Way of Control?” Did it really take that long for this song to get across the ocean?
I like the love for the Cribs. That’s a real fun album.
It’s nice to see Bloc Party finally make one of these year-end lists. I know the sheep over at Stereogum hate A Weekend in the City, but it was one of my favorite albums of the year.
okay, Kings of Leon put out a great album… but “Charmer” as the #25 single? The one with the unbearable screeching in place of vocals? I can think of at least every other song on the album that was better than that song.
@gofreescout: well it does cover 12 months, though i don’t know when it originally came out.
also, there was a time in britian when you couldn’t go two minutes without some sort of reference to beth ditto or the gossip.
and as for the list, i guess nme is sort of the mouthpiece for british music: which has become “indie” boy-centric rock. ie every other band on the list
@SomeSound-MostlyFury: Charmer is one of my least favorite songs of all time. It’s the reason I never really gave that album a chance.
Is it just me, or did this totally go to press like, three months ago or something? This is heavy on the first half of 2007 entries. That being said, I actually have very little beef with either list.
How refreshing that the Brits clearly don’t give a crap about Wilco, Fiest, or Kanye — easily the three most overrated albums appearing in 2007 best-ofs elsewhere. I’m pleasantly surprised. Frankly, I’d rather see a list heavy with up-and-comers rather than one full of disappointing second, third, fourth, and fifth efforts from established acts that are slipping into irrelevance.
@gofreescout: Er, did you miss this year’s big Gossip push into the UK entirely or what? Why do you think Beth Ditto was constantly in the British press in 07?
Another Jay-Z-free list…I’m really surprised that American Gangster, which easily made my Top 10 – is absent from so many of these year-end best-ofs.
@maura: Sorry Maura I told you the Klaxons rock, and now I am backed up by the most distinguished music establishment in the world. Seriously Myths of The Near Future best album of the year easy.
Glasvegas at #2??!? Do they even have a single out, or is that just based on their Myspace page? Somehow I know Alan McGee must be to blame for this.
really nice to see jeffrey lewis on the list. nyc’s best kept secret, for some reason totally ignored in the usa and loved in the uk. one of the most witty, self-effacing lyricists of our day. and he often does a history of the bolshevik revolution in the middle of his shows, complete with hilarious cartoons. what’s not to love?
[www.youtube.com]
Er, no one’s really surprised that there’s no hip hop on this, right? It’s bloody NME!
That Ting Tings song has to be the worst single released in this era. Another fail, NME.
@extracrispy: You’re not alone. I loved A Weekend in the City.
@therichgirlsareweeping: 3 rap albums from what I can see. Bit surprised 50 Cent didn’t make it considering the fortnightly “WE WROTE ABOUT HIM BEFORE HE WAS FAMOUS”
features they used to r@therichgirlsareweeping: 3 rap albums from what I can see. Bit surprised 50 Cent didn’t make it considering the fortnightly “WE WROTE ABOUT HIM BEFORE HE WAS FAMOUS” they used to run.
That said, I predicted #1 and 2 back in April, and I would have predicted In Rainbows back then if I’d known it would surface before year’s end.
@SomeSound-MostlyFury:
excuse me did you just say kings of leon put out a great album????
Very happy to see love for Jeff Lewis and the Cribs.
the ting tings song is GREAT! it’s insanely catchy.
standing in the way of swiss roll is in this year’s chart because it got re-released and went top 10 in 2007, despite it being around for aaaaaaaages (it might even have been a second re-release that finally did it).
I think NME had the best taste in music since EVER, but my surprise comes with the absence of Burial’s Untrue in albums and Ali Love’s Late night session in tracks. And what happens with Radiohead? The record is a mix between their discography and Thom Yorke’s Eraser… And the new album of The Cribs it’s a shit. Talking about not included hip hop albums, it’s a perfect choice i mean, because the style is dying since… Outkast’s Speakerboxxx!!! The Kanye West album is listeneable but too much commercial and reiterative. Nothing more. (Pardon my english buy I’m spanish speaker).
@Lax: Er, I misspoke — no one’s really surprised that there’s not “enough” hip hop on this list (whatever that means…)
This year’s list ommits some essential albums. To name some:
Digitalism – Idealism
Editors – An End Has A Start
The National – Boxer
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga
@Ned Raggett: i think we soon forget that when it leaked, this was THE track. it was the first single, it rated high on those RIDICULOUS “best of the year?” threads that pop up on message boards in MOTHERLOVING FEBRUARY, etc. first few times through the record i thought i was only enjoying “all my friends” so much because i *really* like new order.