While I looked back at 2007 in my last journal entry, it would only be appropriate to also gaze toward the future: music expected to be released in 2008. The following is a list of artists whose albums I plan to listen to that I believe will be releasing new albums in 2008:

Built to Spill
Cat Power - Covers II (1/22)
Coldplay - (5/19)
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (5/13)
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Doves
dredg
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (3/17)
Franz Ferdinand - (summer)
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath (1/29)
Mercury Rev…

Welcome to yet another account of the music of the year 2007. Undoubtedly, there are many releases which I did not listen to. If you did not find what you were looking for (as far as an album which I did not recapitulate here), give me another year, and maybe I’ll listen to it. If you are upset with a “rating” which I gave an album, you are free to express your opinion as a comment. If you are happy with a “rating” which I gave an album, you are free to express your opinion as a comment. Any general…

The ultimate journal post (or maybe several) summarizing 2007 in music (that I've listened to) will be arriving in the next several weeks. There are still a few loose ends to tie up as far as albums to which I still need to listen, but otherwise, I just need to write something down.

Ah, yes - if you are wondering about how many LPs & EPs I've listened to released in 2007 (in America), the number is comparable to the number of baseball players listed in the Mitchell report.

This is the sixth chapter of my musical discovery as catalogued on last.fm. I listen to tons of albums that I've never heard before, but I only review the ones that are new in 2007 because of time considerations. Also, my writing style isn't the most descriptive because of the aforementioned time considerations, but oh well. Maybe I'll make the year in review journal entry more interesting.

West Indian Girl – 4th and Wall: Gushing with optimism, “To Die in LA” starts off the album with dreamy pop-rock drenched in synthesizers. “And you don’t know how you got there,”…

Liars – Liars: This New York group is currently one of two bands opening for Interpol on the latter’s “Our Love to Admire” tour. At first, I thought opener “Plaster Casts of Everything” would be boring since the same guitar riff persisted, but by the end of the song, it’s apparent this group might offer something more. “Houseclouds” is quite different, sampling the same synth pattern over and over. Electronica also pervades “Leather Prowler,” as the drum beats are highly processed. I really dig “Sailing to Byzantium” – who thought traveling to the Middle East could be so enjoyable?…

Primus – Miscellaneous Debris: This collection of B-sides kicks off with a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Intruder.” What made me buy the album, though, was track #2, a cover of XTC’s “Making Plans for Nigel.” Obviously, the bass is way louder, and the pace is quicker, but the real treat is a short but sweet bass solo by Les Claypool towards the end. “Sinister Exaggerator” is a cover of The Residents, of whom I have never heard. A great groove is laid down in “Tippi Toes.” Too bad it’s only 1:26 long. Ending this eclectic menagerie…

Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold: “Horse and I” begins the album with a solemn harpsichord and medieval-sounding drums; the woman singer could very well have a husband going off to war from the sound of it. The bass is loud in “Trophy,” playing minor thirds under a male-female duet and dissonant guitars – a sweet track. Something that sounds like a mandolin opens “Tahiti,” with piano joining shortly thereafter – the track won’t remind one of Tahiti at all, though. I don’t care for the depressing ballad “Sad Eyes.” “The Wizard” is a cool bass- and guitar-backed…

My Morning Jacket – The Tennessee Fire: My Morning Jacket’s 1999 debut, The Tennessee Fire has been lost to the sands of time. In just eight short years, the band’s recent material has netted the group much acclaim amongst music critics and fans alike – rendering this LP moot (practically). However, some of the most emotional, forlorn songs I’ve ever heard appear on this very disc. Take the opener, “Heartbreakin Man”: it’s hard not to do both the head bob and cry at the same time as Jim James sings, “Twenty times I wish you’d understand / That you’re…

Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha: “Fiery Crash” is a “chill” rock song with laid-back drums, synths that mimic strings, as well as an actual cello. The bridge in “Imitosis” also makes heavy use of strings, including mandolin; the staccato pickings of the electric guitar make for an exotic feel to the proceedings. A “hit” is “Heretics,” rocking out louder than the previous numbers and having a tastier beat provided by the drums. A string quartet commences “Armchairs,” and then a piano takes over before Bird starts singing. “Darkmatter,” intensely rhythmic, reminds one of a U2 or Doves tune with…

6/2:

The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium: The full-length debut of The Mars Volta in 2003 was not just a success – it forced its way onto the music scene like a Level 5 hurricane. Songwriting of the highest quality and obscenely talented musicianship blend together in this record, progressive rock for the 21st century. This band is not quite King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, or some post-hardcore group – they quite clearly have their own style, and it leaves quite a mark.

The first full-length song, “Inertiatic ESP,” is probably the group’s biggest hit thus…