Stanislav

The Best of 2007
The Little Lighthouse official year-end chart

Albums

1. The Moaners - Blackwing Yalobusha

Second effort for the two rockinest ladies on contemporary music scene. The new album is stretching beyond the neo-blues genre, with “When We're Dead And Gone” having a melody of a 60s girl group hit and a nod to blaxploitation in “Foxy Brown”. In addition, Melissa and Laura are capable of pulling the most exciting live show you can imagine.

2. Disciplina Kicme - Kada kazes muzika na sta tacno mislis reci mi

Bass-less bands are quite a common occurrence today. This band, however, has no guitar – just bass and drum. The leader of this band, Koja, is also the leading personality of the rock scene in (whatever was left from) Yugoslavia since the mid 80s. It's impossible not to admire Koja's consistent will to experiment with new sounds, keeping the groove, fun, funk and kink, never loosing the link to the most basic and primitive rock postulates of rock'n'roll. Disciplina's first album in their mother tongue since Yugoslavia broke up, brings additional surprises for the new generations. Even though Koja tried to export his sounds internationally in the nineties, he remains unknown outside of his country. The new album is among the best work he ever did, so this is a good place to start exploring his unique crossover across pretty entire history of rock'n'roll: hard rock, blues, punk, underground and hip-hop.

3. Rickie Lee Jones - The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard

Rickie Lee manages to sound fresh after being present on rock'n'roll scene for 30 years with a bold mixture of expressionism, beat poetry, post rock and traditional singer-songwriting. This is not a return or a reunion, it's part of Rickie Lee's consistent journey of constant rejuvenation. Spiritual and sacriligious, lighthearted and deep, sexy and modest at the same time. Timeless as always.

4. King Louie & The Loose Diamonds - Memphis Treet

Record that not only sounds explosive, but literary has a burning myth about itself. This record was conceived in Memphis legendary Easley Studios when an electrical short started a fire and burned down the studio. It was finished later on in Mississippi and the two sessions were put together by legendary producer Jim Dickinson. King Louie is legendary itself, helping the tragic Exploding Hearts in writing their contemporary classic Guitar Romantic in 2002. A lot of what we loved about Guitar Romantic is in “Memphis Treet” as well, but with much more musical layers added here by an all star Memphis line-up.

5. Royal Purple - Psychoacoustics

If you're in a rock'n'roll band, you can go ahead and try to come up with a brand new sound. That's easy, because you don't have to know anything about rock'n'roll, you don't even have to know how to play and you don't need a heart – but you'll probably fail like the most bands around. Or you can go ahead and make a honest retro record and pay a tribute to the past. If you are not a good musician and have no clue about rock'n'roll history, you'll fail at that too. Royal Purple are insanely good while following the retro path. Their record Psychoacoustics is like reading the most perfect book about 60s rock'n'roll. All cliche's are there, but the special ingredient is easiness, musicianship and lots of love that they put into every note and beat they make.

6. King Khan and The Shrines - What Is

Party record of 2007. This is a garage deal with soulful horns and Beefheart in heart. Packed with concentrated fun and great humor, this CD has plenty of fuel when your engine is down.

7. Harlan T. Bobo - I'm Your Man

Second album for Bobo who emerged as the leading artist in contemporary Memphis. Possibly the only record that moved both those who despise Pitchfork and those who devour it.

8. Marc Ribot - Ceramic Dog

Possibly the greatest guitar player ever finally decided to make a hard rock record with heavy guitars and drums sounding like Mitch Mitchell was behind them. Recorded live, it has enough energy to power an entire state.

9. Trolleyvox - The Karaoke Meltdown

Trolleyvox was around for awhile, but I heard their opus only earlier this year. Karaoke Meltdown appeared in 2006, and it's a playful and energetic powerpop burst. It contains some of the finest songwriting with clever lyrics. The standouts are “You Just Wait” charged with political anger and “I Know That You're High” psychedelic pop answer to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. This year, the band published two more albums, fully acoustic “Luzerne” and electric “Your Secret Safe”. However, they are a bit of a lengthy stretch and both lack the immediacy and sense of urgency of “Karaoke Meltdown” although they do contain some great moments too.

10. Sonic Chicken Four

Perpignan in South of France is Memphis of Europe. It seems that every band that I heard from that town has the same rawness and insanity of bands that typically come from Memphis. Although bands from the area seem to prefer the short form, Sonic Chicken Four showed up this year with a long player. They have that dirty garage sound with a humorous twist and slight French accent that can keep you going all night.

11. Dax Riggs - We Sing of Only Blood or Love

Dax Riggs is a Louisiana man with a great taste. Listening to this record will make you think that this might be some cool unknown work from the golden era of grunge, at other moment you hear a 70s style confessional blues. And then he'll hit you with a cover of Richard Thompson's “Wall of Death”. But at all moments it won't escape you that Riggs is an authentic talent with something new to say.

12. John Doe - A Year In The Wilderness

Legendary X bass player is not losing his steam. In fact, he is building an even more consistently strong reputation as a solo artist than what his famous band had in the past.

13. David Bromberg - Try Me One More Time

Acoustic set puts legendary Bromberg back into the music radar.

14. James Luther Dickinson - Killers From Space

Famously chaotic discography of legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson seems to become more periodic in his later days. Album with the most hideous cover this year actually contains extremely strong stuff between the grooves. You could say that you can't expect anything lesser from Dickinson, but this year he surpasses his last year's album “Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger” by far.

15.-20.
Soulsavers – It's Not How Far You Fall It's The Way You Land
Danny & Dusty – Here's to you Max Morlock
Danny & Dusty – Cast Iron Soul
Bamodi
Sirens – More Is More
The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America

21.-25.
Linda Thompson – Versatile Heart
Pop Levi – The Return to Form Black Magick Party
Thurston Moore – Thurstota
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Singing Loins – The Drowned Man Resuscitator
Pieta Brown – Remember The Sun

26.-30.
Detroit Cobras – Tied and True
Buffalo Tom – Three Easy Pieces
Lucinda Williams – West
Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
Deadstring Brothers – Silver Mountain


Singles, EPs and other short form

1. Double Negative - The Wonderful and Frightening World

Furious 15 minutes of pure 1980's hard core. The record will be over and you won't know exactly what just happened to you.

2. Jay Reatard - Night of Broken Glass

Out of a series of great Retard's eps and sps this year, Night of Broken Glass comes out as most interesting, almost a weird crossover record between garage rock and hip hop.

3.-5.
British Sea Power – Krankenhaus
Jay Reatard – I Know a Place
The Black Keys – Live Ep

Comps and reissues

1. True West - Hollywood Holiday Revisited

Seminal ep of the paisley underground scene reissued with in gorgeous fidelity and with their first lp Drifters as a bonus. It wouldn't hurt at all if there would be a second cd of demos and such, but I'm definitely happy with the two tracks extra that there are.

2.-5.
NRBQ – Ludlow Garage
Warren Zevon – Preludes Rare And Unreleased Recordings
Love Is the Song We Sing – San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970

Blast from the past

1. Kathy McCarty - Another Day In The Sun

Once upon a time in Austin TX there was an extraordinary band called Glass Eye. Kathy and Brian were in it. Glass Eye had a timeless sound that was difficult to place. With full drum sound, heavy bass and Katy's spacey vocals, they were completely different than any other 80s underground act. You could say they were ahead of their time. Kathy and Brian reunite for the new album in 2005 for the first time since the Glass Eye broke up with original songs, although Kathy and Brian published two cds of Daniel Johnston songs in the nineties. “Another Day In The Sun” is an incredibly strong LP. Had I heard it in 2005 when it came out originally, it would've been my favorite that year. Since I missed it then, it was by far my favorite spin this year.