The Cold Cut

Things are ticking along nicely now, but I've decided to include a few more categories in my 'best of year' list. Keep checking back daily for updates, and comment, whether you like my list or not.

As ever, if you want to see a bit more about each band, click on their name, and if you want to buy the albums, click on their titles. If you think I've missed something glaringly obvious, please let me know. I'm always on the lookout for new material to promote... if it isn't here, I either haven't heard it, or I'm not a massive fan.

10. Les Savy Fav- Let's Stay Friends
I've literally been bombarded with opinions over this album, from those who claim its the album of 2007, to those who think Les Savy Fav are 'past it'. I didn't take the time to listen to it until very recently (i.e this week, when I started noticing it appearing all over the shop), and I lie firmly in the first category. Les Savy Fav have been slogging away for 10 years, and if their back-catalog possesses anywhere near this quality, they have been dealt a great injustice. Somehow, they produce a distinctive guitar sound (come on, its the most popular instrument in the music nowadays), and lead singer Tim Harrington's slightly loopy lyrics brighten things up. Now all I have to do is listen to their formidable collection.

Favourite Track: Patty Lee

Whilst many tracks on this album are extremely crazy, Patty Lee retains the fun side of things whilst focusing a bit more on a cleaner sound. It helps.

9. Daft Punk- Alive 2007
Alive 2007 really came out of the blue, and although live albums don't possess the same sheen as studio ones, I can confidently say that this is the best Daft Punk album, ever. Homework and Discovery are fully deserving of their cult-status, but when you meld them (and the better moments form Human After All) into an hour live set, something far superior is created. On the basis of this, Daft Punk are on of the few bands who are technically and musically better live than on a record.

Favourite Track: Too Long/Crescendolls/High Life

8 minutes, 3 songs, 2 robotic DJ's- the best dance song in a long, long, time.

8. Radiohead- In Rainbows
No surprises here: even if 'In Rainbows' hadn't turned out so great, it would deserve a place on this list for the controversy surrounding it. With their 'you choose the price' scheme, Radiohead proved a valuable point, and made shed loads of cash in the process. By cutting out the middle man, they took all the money, and despite all those who paid nothing (a little bit shameful), the average price paid was still higher than what they normally receive for a label-supported album. A much deserved victory for a band that produce consistently first-rate music.

Favourite Track: Reckoner

Only Radiohead could pull this off. 2 minutes 20 seconds in, and a breakdown occurs- one of the most chilling moments in music of 2007. Beautiful.

7. ?- The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Damon Albarn should really be given a medal or something, for high-standard prolific songwriting. First came Blur, then Gorillaz, and now this. Unfortunately, I was turned off immediately by his pretentious claim that the band didn't have a name, and that The Good, The Bad And The Queen was just the album title. However, I got over it, and once that happened, I was fully able to grasp the quality of this album; its a supergroup, and oh boy, is their music super. After three side-project albums, Albarn's hopefully got them out of his system, and the Blur reunion can move ahead.

Favourite Track: Herculean

The first, and best, single from The Good, The Bad And The Queen. Its about a post apocalyptic wasteland:
"And the medicine man here 24/7
You can get it fast in Armageddon
Everyone on their way to heaven
Slowly"
By no means cheery, but genius nonetheless.

6. Burial- Untrue
As well as being one of my top 10, Burial also wins the prize for 'biggest surprise of the year' and 'most sensitive timing for album release'. Untrue came along at just the right time for me, just when I was in the gutter after being rejected by Cambridge with 'no prospect of gaining a place'. Pretty harsh, but this album was almost like therapy. I've never heard anything like it before; when dubstep is a household genre (in 2020 of course!), Burial will be remembered as the forerunner.

Favourite Track: Shell Of Light

The first time I heard this- on the Hype Machine of course- it opened my mind to another world of musical opportunities. I really have never listened to anything that is simultaneously so wrong, but so right.

Rating: 'That't Hot!'
I've never been lucky enough to see them myself, but I'm told that their live shows are nothing short of sensational. After seeing them at the 02 Wireless Festival in London last year, my brother told me (in a tired voice) that they were one of the best acts he's ever seen. Whether he still feels that way remains to be seen, but that Daft Punk can have such an impact over one performance says something about them.

It was, with great fascination, then, that I picked up the new Daft Punk live album, 'Alive 2007', the first Daft Punk branded CD (other than mix album Musique) since the disappointing 'Human After All' in 2005. And don't even mention 'Electroma' the duo's first foray into film, which was met with mixed reviews: not surprising considering the plot, which concerns two robots'- essentially Daft Punk's- quest to become human, a la 'Human After All'. Stop wasting your time on films and make some more music!

I was hoping that this album would give me a small picture of what a Daft Punk performance is like, but I got way more than I bargained for. First off, this album is not just a spin-off to keep the die-hard fans happy- its a solid album which stands up on its own, and unless you've seen them live, you will never have heard Daft Punk in this way before. Listening to 'Homework' and 'Discovery' is all good, as they are both excellent albums, but 'Alive 2007' takes Daft Punk to a whole new level. The main difference is the way the music is performed- the 'Alive' set contains all the hits, blended together masterfully into a non-stop mash-up of all their best material, and the set doesn't let up once throughout their (give or take) hour long performance. After seeing Justice at Lowlands 2007, its easy for me (and any other Justice fans) to see where they get their live cues from. Another thing this live album has going for it is the great sound quality: you are able to witness the full Daft Punk sound in all its glory. You can hear the crowd going insane (at the Palais Omnisport, where this was recorded), which is a nice touch, but the quality of the music is untouched. The blending of the songs is such that I actually prefer some of the versions on this album to the originals. Take the 'Too Long- Steam Machine' mix- 'Steam Machine' is a pretty boring song on its lonesome, but when joined with 'Too Long' it becomes one of my favourites on this album.

Daft Punk are special, and I don't believe that Justice will ever measure up to their greatness. There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the two: from their names (the ludicrous Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter) to their robot suits and their day-glo pyramid-enhanced live shows, the mystery surrounding this band has always been one of their calling cards.

I now have another band to add to my ever-increasing list of must-see acts. Has anybody seen them recently? Were any of you lucky enough to be at the O2 Wireless festival? Alive 2007 is one of the best live albums I've heard, and its a good representation of why Daft Punk are still the most popular dance act in the world. Whilst on that topic, I think its right to mention that Daft Punk's music transcended the dance genre a while ago. Maybe thats why they're so bloody amazing...

Daft Punk- Robot Rock/Oh Yeah
Daft Punk- Too Long/Steam Machine
Daft Punk- One More Time/Aerodynamic

'Alive 2007' can be bought here. Discovery and Homework can be purchased here.