The Curious Case of Matt C & the Albums of 2007

(ed. note: TALive welcome's our new contributor: Matt C from 99X in Atlanta!)

Hi. My name is Matt. Friends from high school call me Corduroy (because my
last name is Courtoy and it's kind of similar). College friends call me
Crouton (thanks to an unfortunate typo). Now everyone pretty much calls me
Matt C. I have a radio show every night from 7 p.m. to Midnight on 99X. Of
all the things above, I assume the last one is why they asked me to write a
series of music essays for TALive.

So Happy New Year!! Initially I had envisioned an entirely different first
article, but unfortunately I came down with what's known in the business as
"writer's block." Instead you get MY list of the best albums of 2007. I know
I know... another list. But who knows? This list may the one that provides
you with that much needed closure you can't live without..

10) Kanye West - GRADUATION

This year I finally figured Kanye out. Kanye West is a hip-hop FAMILY GUY -
throwing various pop culture references at his listeners at high speed. Some
("I'm like a fly Malcolm X/ Buy any jeans necessary") work and some ("Whipped
it out/ She said I never seen 'Snakes on a Plane'") don't. No COLLEGE
DROPOUT, but better than LATE REGISTRATION.

9) Arcade Fire - NEON BIBLE

I ignored this album for six months, but now I'm a believer. "Keep the Car
Running" is one of the best songs so far of this young century.

8) Radiohead - IN RAINBOWS

Good album. GREAT marketing strategy.

Q: Will I listen it to it more than HAIL TO THE THIEF?
A: Yes.
Q: Is it as good as THE BENDS?
A: No.

7) Against Me! - NEW WAVE

Some people called this record their sell-out. I disagree. I think it's a
fine mix of pop and punk that suits frontman Tom Gabel's raw vocals. Check
out "Up the Cuts" if you don't believe me. (buy tickets to Against Me! in Little Rock)

6) Jay-Z - AMERICAN GANGSTER

A fine return to form for HOV. Skip the first two Diddy (over)produced tracks
and head straight to "Hello Brooklyn 2.0." This album stands just fine on its own, but really shines after viewing its inspiration - the Ridley Scott profile of mob boss Frank Lucas (coincidentally titled AMERICAN GANGSTER).

5) Foo Fighters - ECHOES SILENCE PATIENCE AND GRACE

There aren't many bands from the 90s still around. And there certainly aren't any making better music than the Foos. Don't be misled by the predictable first single, "The Pretender," this album is an incredible record that draws influence from every genre imaginable. 50 years from now bands will site the Foos, not Nirvana, as their biggest influence.

4) The Hives - THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM

I often wonder if bands log on to music forums anonymously and see where they stand with their fans. Something tells me that The Hives did, and after seeing the umpteenth post that read "All Hives records sound alike," they crafted this mind melting record. Slowed only by a misplaced instrumental track, this album has a little new wave, a little hip-hop, a little pop and a LOT of rock. Check out "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S" to get a little taste of ALL of them...at the same time.

3) Spoon - GA GA GA GA GA

Our country's at war. I can't afford to buy gas. But this album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 - so maybe there is hope for our society. Check out tracks like "Black Like Me" and "Don't You Evah" and you'll see why Spoon is one of the all-time best American bands.

2) The White Stripes - ICKY THUMP

Just how many different sounds can a two person band possibly make?? If you're the White Stripes - A LOT. Thankfully this one has a way better jamming-to-wacky ratio than GET BEHIND ME SATAN.

1) The Shins - WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY

This album was released in January and set the bar so high for other 2007 releases that none, in my opinon, even compared. The Shins are incredible in the fact that they can change their sound between albums and actually improve and enrich their signature style. They reached perfection with their previous release (CHUTES TOO NARROW) and almost do so again with WINCING.

So there you go. I hope this essay is the beginning of a beautiful writer/reader relationship for us. If you have any desire to contact me, feel free to drop me a line at mattc@99x.com. Don't bother spamming me, I have a Spam Filter called Barracuda, and, let me tell you, it is a BEAST. And check
out my radio show every night from 7 p.m. to Midnight on 99X (99.7 FM in the Atlanta area and 99x.com WORLDWIDE) if you're so inclined. Until next time...

Matt C