[mini-rant] About pfork’s “top tracks” methodology…there is a problem there. They say they are now looking at any TRACKS, not just singles. but then how can they chart songs that were released in 2007 and only became SINGLES this year? That doesn’t make any sense. “Flashing Lights,” I’m looking at you. Especially because my friends and I (and maybe pretty much everyone?) thought flashing lights was amazing back when Graduation came out last year. It was one of my favorite tracks of 2007 (but then so were Stronger and Can’t Tell Me Nothin). did pfork just miss it? [/rant]

oh, and f*** fleet foxes. that shit is boring.

Basically, what I’m implying without really making much of an effort to mount an actual argument is that Pitchfork is, among the aboveground publications devoted to writing about and reviewing new music, one of the better music pub’s out there. And I do think that the quality of the writing and the thoughtfulness of the opinions expressed has consistently improved over the past few years. Given the current state of music writing and the presence of much more virulent annoyances out there (Hey Stereogum! How’s it going?), Pitchfork is, on balance, a good thing. And, again, I like the list. But, seriously, Fleet Foxes over Portishead or Badu… really?!? And I know they’re reissues but will somebody please give Steinski and Franco some love. Please?

(and i don’t mean to imply that cultivated critical opinions necessarily exist on a higher plane than basic likes/dislikes. i personally enjoy the CC album, and if gaining knowledge about the genre means losing that pleasure i get from listening to it, i’m not sure that’s a positive outcome.)

And thank god there is no Gaslight Anthem.

yeah, you know, i think a lot of the people who are like ‘OMG PITCHFORK GAVE THIS A 7.1 IN APRIL HOW CAN IT BE GOOD NOW’ are forgetting (intentionally or not?) the whole idea of the ‘grower.’ shoot, the hercules & love affair album was one of those for me.

of course this could get into a whole discussion of whether the internet allows for records to grow on you etc etc.

@Nunya B: I’m sorry. I love Made in the Dark so hard it’s a little scary.

Without piggybacking on Stereogum’s post-mortem (heaven forbid), I really agree with p’fork’s analysis of Vampire Weekend. I settled on a different quote than the stereogum did, however:

At the end of the day, all they’ve done is craft an album of crisp, endlessly replayable guitar pop songs with expressive, detail-heavy lyrics and charming music that serves as a welcome antidote to today’s more overly compressed sounds. How dare they.

Also, lack of danceability has little to do with my disappointment over Seventh Tree — I would’ve liked it a lot more if it had material that was as engagingly weird and vocally gripping as “Pilots” or “Lovely Head” or some of the other choice pre-electro Felt Mountain material. (And “A&E” got remixed anyways.) Still, I ain’t gonna begrudge anyone their enjoyment of it, at least not in retrospect.

That Shed album is indeed awesome, btw.

if the issue is that people aren’t talking about H&LA for being electronic-based, well, plenty of “disco” was electronic-based, too, as is plenty of other stuff on this list (cut copy, crystal castles, etc. etc.). so it’s not really the most relevant aspect of the album, to me.

you’re right though that more cerebral stuff like Move D & Benjamin Brunn and Patrice Baumel and Shed didn’t get up there, which is definitely something i could see a person arguing about.

anyway, rambling, sorry!

I have this fantasy that in the future CDs will come with certificates to download iPod-friendly rips, but the CDs themselves will be mastered at ear-friendly volumes.

That being said, I sure loved that Goldfrapp record a whole lot. And I was really annoyed with people who haterated on it because it wasn’t Black Cherry/Supernature redux, and completely refused to give it the time of day because you couldn’t dance to/remix it.

Re: H&LA- I think the disco moments on H&LA are some of the finer moments on the record, which is maybe the focus the Pitchfork writers want to take? It’s an excellent album overall but for Pitchfork to lavish the praise on it that it has some of its weaknesses have to be elided.

Is Cut Copy backlash on its way? I’m a little shocked by the high placing of In Ghost Colours- it’s fun, I guess, but at the same time it’s nothing amazing. Dan Whitford is kind of cute though I guess.

I’m surprised Crystal Castles and Santogold made it onto the list at all, considering Pitchfork’s almost aggressive middling review of the Santogold album (7.1, which for an artist as hyped up as Santogold was almost as bad as the 6.8 they gave MGMT). And I wish someone- anyone- had been as much of a fan of the Goldfrapp record as I was. But I’m not dissatisfied with the list- Made in the Dark aside (that record bites, my God, what are people ON?).