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Staff Picks: Best of 2007
The results are in! This year we had a couple of ties- one for first and a three-way tie for tenth. The list includes new releases that came out in 2007 - no comps or reissues. See how things turned out:

1. The National - Boxer
    Panda Bear - Person Pitch
2. Joe Lally - Nothing Is Underrated
3. Radiohead - In Rainbows
4. Big Business - Here Comes The Waterworks
5. Antelope - Reflector
6. Pissed Jeans - Hope For Men
7. Georgie James - Places
8. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
9. Blonde Redhead - 23
10. Jens Lekman - Night Falls over Kortedala
      Sinead O'Connor - Theology
      Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971 (previously unreleased)


Best of 2007: Breakdown by Employee

Just a little while ago, we posted the tally of staff favorites. Here's the breakdown by staff member:

Ian
1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. Ampere/Daοtro - Split
3. Kidcrash - Jokes
4. Daniel Striped Tiger - Capital Cities
5. Circa Survive - On Letting Go

Erin
1. Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks
2. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
3. Haram- Drescher
4. Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust

Basla
1. Antelope - Reflector
2. Battles - Mirrored
3. Des_Ark (split with Ben Davis) - Battle of the Beards
4. The Eternals - Heavy International
5. Joe Lally - Nothing is Underrated
6. Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water is Life7. Mary Timony - The Shapes We Make
8. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

Tariq
1. pissed jeans - hope for men
2. lullabye arkestra - ampgrave3. pink reason - cleaning the mirror
4. warhammer 48k - an etheral oracle5. a hawk and a hacksaw - the way the wind blows
6. sj esau - wrong-faced cat feed collapse
7. times new viking - ...present the paisley reich
8. big business - here comes the waterworks
9. pre - epic fits
10. shellac - excellent istalian greyhound

Holly
1. jens lekman - night falls over kortedala
2. electrelane - no shouts, no calls
3. panda bear - person pitch
4. radiohead - in rainbows
5. shout out louds - our ill wills
6. black lips - good bad not evil
7. national - the boxer
8. georgie james - places
9. blonde redhead - 23
10. pelle carlberg - in a nutshell

Matt
1. neil young - live at massey hall 1971
2. national - boxer
3. panda bear - person pitch
4. thurston moore - trees outside the academy
5. baroness - red album
6. elliott smith - new moon

Bill
1. Joe Lally- Nothing Is Underrated
2. National- Boxer
3. Panda Bear- Person Pitch
4. Grinderman- S/T
5. Ian Hunter- Shrunken Heads
6. A Place To Bury Strangers- S/T
7. Shocking Pinks- S/T
8. Les Savy Favy- Let's Stay Friends
9. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
10. Blonde Redhead- 23

Helen
1. Sinead O' Connor - Theology
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bjork - Volta
4. Joe Lally - Nothing Is Underrated
5. Ted Leo - Living With the Living
6.Georgie James - Places
7. Blonde Redhead - 23
8. National - Boxer
9. Antelope - Reflector
10. Panda Bear - Person Pitch


Staff Picks: Best of 2006
We tallied up all the votes on everyone's Top Ten lists & have the results!

1. Yo La Tengo - I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
2. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
2. Evens - Get Evens
3. Aquarium - S/T
4. Gothic Archies - Tragic Treasury
5. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
5. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
6. Bad Brains - Live at CBGB's 1982 DVD
7.  Joe Strummer - Let's Rock Again DVD
7. (Th' Sounds of) Kaleidoscope - From Where You Were to How You Got There
7. Tom Waits - Orphans
8. Joe Lally - There to Here
9. Primal Scream - Riot City Blues
9. Benjy Ferree - Leaving The Nest
9. Minutemen - We Jam Econo DVD
10. The Black Angels - Passover

Most voted for:
1. Yo la Tengo - I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
2. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

Best of 2006: Breakdown by Employee
We asked everyone who works at Crooked Beat for their Top Ten releases of the year.

Andy
In No Particular Numerical Order:
Aquarium-S/T
Bad Brains-Live At CBGB's (DVD)
DC Snipers-Missile Sunset
Benjy Ferree-Leaving The Nest
Daniel Higgs-Interdimensional Song Seamstress
Daniel Johnston-The Devil and Daniel Johnston (DVD)
Melvins-A Senile Animal
Minutemen-We Jam Econo (DVD)
Sonic Youth-Rather Ripped
Tom Waits-Orphans:Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

Gareth
1: Luke Haines, Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop - The sound of T-Rex having sex with Girls Aloud, the sound of Gary Glitter being emasculated by his own band, the sound of the Yorkshire Ripper and Jack the Stripper skipping in the streets, the sound of the darkest moments in British history turned into pop gems, all of this is the sound of the best album of 2006 (and it's all your fault that it's not sold here).
2: Jarvis Cocker, Jarvis - Pulp frontman returns with a piece as stark as This is Hardcore, as enchanting as We Love Life, as raucous as Different Class, but featuring the beauty and heartache that has been missing in modern music.
3: The Gothic Archies, The Tragic Treasury - Not as evil as Luke Haines, but where else will you find the lyric "Even babies kill..."
4: Stephin Merritt, Showtunes - There is no instrument on Earth that Stephin Merritt can't use to make a great song. Play In The Spring When I Was Young and Eno's Here Come The Warm Jets back-to-back, I think Merritt nicked Eno to wonderful effect.
5: Scott Walker, The Drift - Yes, this was terriffying to listen to in the dark. Nevertheless, i've never heard anything like it.
6: Decoration, Don't Disappoint Me Now - John Peel approved and the sons of the Wedding Present, this group made a solid debut of guitar-pop with biting lyrics and heart-bursting melodies. They also borrowed from Bowie's Heroes to wonderful effect on the opening track.
7: Howling Bells, Howling Bells - Setting Sun and Blessed Night are two of the best songs i've heard this year.
8: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Ballad of the Broken Seas - Since this is one of the best sellers for Crooked Beat, I really don't have to say anything.
9: Primal Scream, Riot City Blues - Silly? Sure. As good as the last two LP's? No. Ridiculously fun? God yes.
10: Stereolab, Fab Four Suture - It may not be as great as Margerine Eclipse, but this was still pretty ace. Plus their live performace of Excursions Into Oh-A-Oh was epic.


Carmen
1. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
2. Radio 4 - Enemies Like This
3. Primal Scream- Riot City Blues
4. Yo la Tengo - I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
5. Isobel Campbell- Milk White Sheets
6. Neko Case- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
7. Joanna Newsom- Ys
8. Goldfrapp- We Are Glitter
9. Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped
10. M Ward- Post War

Jay
1. the black angels "passover"
2. sonic youth "rather ripped"
3. tom waits "orphans"
4. radio birdman "zeno beach"
5. sareena maneesh "s/t"
6. quasi "when the going gets dark"
7. belle and sebastian "the life pursuit"
8. sparklehorse "dreamt for lightyears in the belly of a mountain
9. french toast "ingleside terrace"
10. yo la tengo "i am not afraid of you and i will beat your ass"


Basla
The Evens- Get Evens
The Aquarium- 11 Songs
Joe Lally- There to Here
Soccer Team- "Volunteered" Civility and Proffessionalism
Minutemen- We Jam Econo DVD
Badbrains- Live at CBGB's DVD
Link Wray- White Lightning: Lost Cadence Sessions '58
M. Ward- Post War

Holly
1. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
Sing along to every song – it's that consistently good. No draggy, mopey parts – just a great, listen-the-whole-way-through album.
2. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
A return to their poppier, more melodic roots (a la Dirty).
3. Mates of State – Bring It Back
Boy/girl pop harmonies make me smile. And want to buy an electric piano.
4. Love is All – Nine Times That Same Song
Frantic, noisy Swedish pop. Tasty.
5. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
Tambourines + hand claps + a Victoria Bergman guest spot= a lovely album of pop gems.
6.Yo La Tengo – I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
This is all over the board, but in a good way.
7. (Th' Sounds of) Kaleidoscope – From Where You Were to How You Got There
Dreamy, swirly garagepsych pop songs with crunchy/jangly riffs and Zombies-esque vocals.
8. Aquarium – S/T
Anthemic & catchy retro-kitsch.
9. Soccer Team – "Volunteered" Civility & Professionalism
Lovely lo-fi guitar pop.
10. Essex Green – Cannibal Sea
I am a sucker for jangley pop. do we see a pattern here?

Brendan
1. (Th' Sounds Of) Kaleidescope - From Where You Were To How You Got There
OoooOOoooo...burrrpblatzrAmllloOoOOszzninkMUHmyeyeNDND
2. OM - Conference of the Birds
Can one ride cymbal shine a light on truth? Maybe no, but this get close! Too close for comfort! JIM J. BULLOCK'S BEST WORK!
3. Archie Bronson Outfit - Der Dang
As Scum Of The Earth put it so plainly in their lyrics "Love is Murder/Murder is Love/I'm a Rock and Roll Hoodlum/With a Black Leather Glove" THE best release of the year.
4. Television Personalities - My Dark Places
The master returns from his sleep in the lake of ire. Blessed are the pop songs he's placed apon us.
5. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Gooey pop gems from front to back. I like it best out of everything they've ever done.
6. Flin Flon - Dixie
Teenbeat fashion consultant/graphic remixer Mark Robinson releases his best work in years. Loose and rough where all the Flin Flon records used to be tight and clean, the result? Chewy.
7. Benjy Feree - Leaving The Nest
Singer songwriters can often spend far too much time being too complicated, too clever, and too damn sweet. Benjy does none of this, good songs, catchy songs, good stories, great production from Dennis Kane and Brendan Canty.
8. Shortstack - The History Of Cut Nails In America
Shortstack's second record finds tehm exploring a darker territory from their first full length. Having moved over to the Gypsy Eyes label they've opened open their sound more, while holding onto the strong rockabilly backbeat. Dig.
9. Liars - Drums Not Dead
Uhm, yeah, ya like it or ya don't.n I du as you, we du, we du we doobie-doobie-du.
10. Minutemen - We Jam Econo DVD
My favorite stories about my favorite band. Great live footage, and oral tradition from Mike Watt. Realing out tour-spiel after spiel. The real story of punk rock...? Geeks with guitars...? sorta!

Our address is:
Crooked Beat Records
2318 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
Hours Mon-2-9.Tues-Wed-12-9.Thurs-Sat 12-10. Sun 12-7

If you're in DC, come on by and say hi to us. - Bill & Helen & staff

Welcome to Crooked Beat 

Upcoming In-Store Performances

Friday, May 9
DC Improvisers Collective


If you have any suggestions, comments or questions please email us at crookedbeat@crookedbeat.com.