The Shins – Australia

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Like I said before, 2007 was the year of music. Not just for the released albums (as I said), also for me personally, cause I met a person who opened me the door to so much more and so much more good music. Therefore some of the listed songs and albums were not released this year, but I discovered them just now. Since I find it difficult to rank music (how can say Elliott Smith is better than Foo Fighters?), the lists are in alphabetical order and because some artists did not make one special defining album or song, but impressed me with their work as whole or were important to me in 2007, I added a “artist of the year”-list.

my albums of the year

Die Ärzte – Jazz ist anders – Like a typically die ärzte-album you have to listen to it a couple of times till it hit you, but then it hits you hard. For me four songs stick out of the pack: Himmelblau, Lasse reden, Junge and Allein.

Muse – Absolution – Not from 2007, but an amazing album with a lot of “hymns”: Time is running out, Song for Absolution and of course Endlessly.

The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible – Perfect! Just Perfect!

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away – For me definitely their best album. It is fun, easy, for having a good time.

Travis – The Boy with no Name – Really a beatiful album. Selfish Jean, Battleships, Closer and My Eyes around the best songs.

Wir sind Helden – Soundso – As good as Von hier an blind. Besides The geek there is no really special song that sticks out, but the other songs are on such a high level it doesn´t matter.

my songs of the year

+44 – When your heart stops beating – Fast, easy Punk/Skate-Rock-Song like Blink 182. But I don´t know what exactly attracts me.

Die Ärzte – Himmelblau – As I said before, on Jazz ist anders are some really good songs who could be listed here easily, but I think one Die Ärzte-Song is enough. Himmelblau was chosen, because it is such a happy song, which helps you a lot when you have to leave somewhere special and/or end a really great time abroad (worked for three different persons). Especially the lines “Jetzt stehst du hier / und du hörst nicht auf zu lachen / Die Welt gehört dir / und der Rest deines Lebens beginnt!” are so true :D. For me it is a second “Beautiful Day”, so I will play it just on special occasions.

Muse – Endlessly – An amazing song. Almost indescribable. Kind of a “hymn” like Clocks or Angels. Just great!

Piano Magic – Incurable – Also a great “hymn”-like track. Gets more and more powerful in the end.

Plain White T´s – Hey there Delilah – One of the big hits 2007. Really nice, quiet indie-song, that you can here almost everywhere and everytime.

Rihanna – Umbrella – Maybe it is a little embarrassing to list the song here, but it is THE song of 2007. I mean you couldn´t go out without hearing this track at least one time a night (even on the ferry to Stockholm). And for that reason you can´t get “ella-ella-eh-eh-eh” out of your head for days. Additionally it is not a bad song even if it is R&B, so I can put it here without any doubts.

Sia – Breathe me – Another song that wasn´t published 2007, but hit my ears this year. And not only my ears! It is the song that is played in the best last ten minutes in television-history. The pictures combined with the fantastic pressuring but also quiet music are sooo moving, that you need a few minutes to recover from the Six feet under series-finale.

The Arcade Fire – Keep the car running – Can not say much, it is just a great song. And the cover from the Foo Fighters is almost better than the original.

The Fray – How to say a live – I can´t remember where I heard it first, probably Scrubs, but that does not matter: Wonderful quiet, maybe too “easy” track.

Travis – Closer – One of the few songs that hit me at the first listening. I heard/saw it first on MTV and was immediately hooked. So beautiful.

Wir sind Helden – The geek (should inherit) – This is easily the best song of 2007! I could quote the whole lyrics, but I think “Du musst hier nicht dazugehören /aber such dir, was zu dir gehört” gives a pretty good impression of the song and are one of my favorite lines. Ever.

my artists of the year

Die Ärzte – The release of Jazz ist anders remembered me of the quality of die ärzte. I mean for almost every situation in life there is a song: Happy (a lot of songs), sad (nichts in der welt) or motivational (nicht allein, deine schuld). Really, really good band. The slogan “Die beste Band der Welt” might not be an overstatement and I am looking forward to the concert in may.

Elliott Smith – An artist I got introduced to in Finnland. A little depressing, quiet, but still awesome. A fond farewell might be the best song of him

Madsen – As the texts of “die ärzte” the lyrics of Madsen are sometimes so true, it´s amazing. Especially “Vielleicht ist das der Anfang / Vielleicht ist das das Ende /Doch es gibt nichts Schlimmeres als ungewiss zu sein” (Vielleicht), “Ich mach die Augen zu / und nehme all meinen Mut / Denn ich weiß, heute muss ich etwas Gutes tun” (Ich rette die Welt).

Muse – Another Coldplay. I cannot say more…

Radiohead – Well, the album wasn´t that great, but the distribution of it was incredibly! Hopefully a model for a lot of other bands.

Rilo Kiley – I don´t know why I list them here, but when I look at my last.fm stats, they are the 3rd most played band this year, so they have to be some kind of important to me ;)…

The Arcade Fire – Easily the best band this year. The two LP´s are great, but also some other stuff on the net shows the quality of the band. Especially this.

honorably mentioned

Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay (every year), Colin Hay, Death Cab for Cutie, Die Toten Hosen, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, FOTOS, Ghinzu, Nada Surf, The Living End, The Postal Service, Tocotronic.

So, das Jahr ist schon wieder halb um und ich habe festgestellt das es das Jahr Musik ist. Soviele große Bands veröffentlichen ihre neuen Alben. Vorhin beispielweise gelesen das sowohl die beste als auch die bäste Band der Welt im Herbst ein neues Album auf den Markt bringt. Yeah! Aber auch das Frühjahr war von großartiger Musik nur so erfüllt. Ganz vorne dabei, die neuen Alben von Wir sind Helden, Travis, Arcade Fire und The Shins.

Im Laufe des Jahres werde ich daher immer mal ein paar Listen veröffentlichen mit den Sachen die mich im Musikjahr 2007 beschäftigten/beschäftigen. Heute also Teil 1:

Songs 2007 in Dauerrotation:

Sia – Breathe Me (Six Feet Under-Finale erst im Januar gesehen)
Travis – Closer
Wir sind Helden – The Geek (shall inherit) (Grandios!!!)
+44 – When your heart stops beating
The Fray – How to save a life
The Shins – Australia (schönes Video)