Top 5 of 2007, Part II

#3 Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Blitzen Trapper joins the many successful bands that call the Pacific Northwest home. Their sound is a veritable melting pot of other bands and influences, from fuzzed out guitars to southern-rock head-bobbing rock. The title track, Wild Mountain Nation, just begs to be played at big open-air festivals with the long-haired stoner kids bobbing around in the crowd, briefly thinking they may have found their replacement for the greatful dead. Then they are shocked to hear Futures & Folly, which may as well have been written by the Shins. Do I know what the singer is singing about? No way. Not a clue. Do I care? Nope. This album is like a great day outside, the chance to do a little of everything. This may not make a lot of other people's top of 2007 lists, but it does what a good album should; makes me want to listen to it.

#2 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
This has apparently been the year for soul for this painfully white kid from Louisville, Ohio. The Daptone label has opened my eyes and I've been baptized into a world of music that I had never really even been truly aware of. Yes, this album could have been recorded thirty years ago - and better funk and soul albums probably were recorded then... But this album woke me up to all of it. I've already sung Miss Jones's praises earlier on this blog and I've told everyone I know to listen to it. A lot like the Budos Band, this album makes me want to find the dancefloor. I want to see this stuff live. I know that Amy Winehouse got all the press this year, and the Dap Kings will probably make way more money off that album, but I really hope that this is the stuff that Daptone keeps releasing. Daptone, you've got my love and respect - keep making this stuff

On a side note- she's at bogarts on January 31st. I want to go to this. But I hate going to bogarts. And I worry that Cinci's crowd would suck for this. What to do?