It's coming up to the end of the year, and this means all those obligatory 'best of' lists are frantically popping up like young boys watching Basic Instinct for the first time. Erhm, maybe that's a bad metaphor, but remember that big deal scene where Sharon Stone does that stupid uncross/crossing of legs thing and everyone practically broke their necks trying to see her "secret place"?! Yeah, I know it's a random thing to write about, but I recently re-watched it and for the life of me I can't figure out who decided that Michael Douglas would be the sex symbol of the 90s. What is that about?! How is that a good idea? Those sex scenes totally lost their sexiness at the exact moment that the image of Michael Douglas getting his nipples licked was forever engrained into my eyeballs. Ugh! All I know is that he is a monster.

Anyways, I digress. The fine folk over Tag Team Records have already sent out their annual year end round up, and why they chose to ask me my favorites is still kind of a mystery, yet one that I still find gleefully sweet. What were your favorite records of 2007? Favorite moments, favorite songs, lyrics that defined this year and will always stick in your head?

Mine are as follows:
Top 5 Albums of 2007 (in no particular order)

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - Merge
Everyone I know will probably put this on their list, so I will too. No, but seriously, how can you hate this album? How do you not love it? How do the rousing sing alongs, the great instrumentals, the cleverly gregarious yet slightly tinged with the Christian right lyrics and the general all around goodness of all if it? Sometimes hype is hyped because shit is good.

Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian - Absolutely Kosher
One of the best things to come out of West Coast Canada (he's from Victoria, BC) is Carey Mercer. This album is probably a bit less accessible than his others, so try out The Folded Palm, which might be one of my all time favorite records ever made.

Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future - Geffen/Polydor
You know, I hate the term new rave but I'll let someone else complain about it. This is one of those albums that's kind of embarrassing to listen to whilst at home, sober and clear-headed, but is also one of those albums that are totally awesome when you're really really drunk with your friends and simply don't give a shit anymore. Dancing! Lots of exclamation points!!

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Did anyone read Pitchfork's review of this album? It made me want to puke. Still, this record is beautiful, lush, simply wonderful.

The Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam - Domino
Originally, I couldn't decide between this and Panda Bear's 'Person Pitch', but this won out because it's so ecstatic and makes you wanna jump up and down and celebrate and so on. Also, it makes me think of the lush greenery of Vancouver, and how we used to spend whole summers roaming the streets and the clubs and the parks in dizzying, sometimes substance enhanced, exquisitely beautiful states of bliss and ignorance and innocence and happiness. (When we did this, we did it in the non-creepy, not annoying, non hippie-ish love mother nature way.)