Paste Pastes Up Their Picks

by | Nov 27, 2007

Paste Magazine likes The National’s 2007 effort, Boxer, a lot. In fact, it’s their album of the year. I have to admit, I don’t have it and I know next to nothing about the band. So, let’s push on through the Atlanta-based music mag’s top ten (they actually rate their 50 best).

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At number 10 is Shepherd’s Dog by Iron & Wine
No. 9) Cease to Begin by Band of Horses
No. 8) We’re Dead Before the Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse
No. 7) Sky Blue Sky by Wilco
No. 6) Kala by M.I.A.
No. 5) The Reminder by Feist
No. 4) Icky Thump by The White Stripes
No. 3) Magic by Bruce Springsteen
No. 2) Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
No. 1) Boxer by The National

Number seven is the disc that gets played over and over in this household. It’s also nice to see The Boss rank so high. And when you consider Iron & Wine, Band of Horses, Modest Mouse and The White Stripes are on this list, it becomes a celebration of songcraft.

Some of the albums in Paste’s picks 11-50, I would have put in the top ten instead. Namely, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon and Cassadaga by Bright Eyes.

It was a good year for new music. Some other albums I’d push to the top of any pile are Dirt Farmer by Levon Helm, Handshake Smiles by Arthur Yoria, From the Corner to the Block by Galactic, The Stage Names by Okkervil River and La Cucaracha by Ween.