Shelley's Top 5 albums of 2007

Shelley Peckham is the most recent dane101 contributor to submit a end of the year list. To read them all click on "2007 Reflections" above.

1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Baby 81

Just when I thought this band couldn’t possibly get any better, BRMC raised the bar once again with the release of their epic fourth album, Baby 81. If you knew nothing about the band upon first listen, you would be hard-pressed to pinpoint what era the mixed bag of heavy psychedelic blues, shoegaze, and grunge songs were recorded in, but BRMC is anything but a throwback band. The grit-infested power of their music combined with the sincerity of their stand-up-and-count-for-something ideals makes them a truly unique and admirable trio of performers. It’s also been proven that listening to their music instantly raises your cool points by a minimum of 25%, which never hurts. If Baby 81 doesn’t convince you that BRMC is a band deserving of massive respect, nothing will.

You have to hear:

“Weapon of Choice”

“Berlin”

“Need Some Air”

2. Manic Street Preachers – Send Away The Tigers

It’s truly a shame that the Manics don’t get the same attention here in the U.S. that they do around the rest of the world, especially when they’re still making music as moving as what they present on Send Away The Tigers. The tracks of their latest release are reminiscent of the grand, sweeping songs of their landmark Everything Must Go album, but with an additional touch of pop accessibility. Les enfants terribles of Welsh music were thought to have mellowed a bit with age, but this album is proof that they have no plans to abandon their punk and glam rock roots. Few bands have managed to achieve such a successful marriage of intellect, art, politics, integrity and excitement, but the Manics seem to do it with ease again and again.

You have to hear:

“Send Away The Tigers”

“Autumnsong”

“Indian Summer”

3. The Horrors – Strange House

One of the best new bands to make major waves this year is The Horrors. Though they draw understandable superficial comparisons to veteran fright punks The Cramps, The Misfits and The Damned, The Horrors are devoid of the sometimes cartoon-like silliness that their elders mastered and offer a sound that is refreshingly unique to modern music. Styled like the bastard children of English dandies and Droog undertakers, the band has laid a foundation of explosive, dark, yet danceable tracks with Strange House that demand to be taken seriously.

You have to hear:

“Horrors’ Theme”

“She Is The New Thing”

“Count In Fives”

4. Matt Hopper & The Roman Candles – Reverse Odyssey

Alaskan troubadour Matt Hopper is a songwriter to keep a close eye on. His latest release is a long-awaited collection of piercing songs that howl with universal appeal, maturity, and fun. Reverse Odyssey is soaked with heartbreaking honey-sweet melodies and more than a few kick-in-the-ass rockers. His prolific writing ability coupled with a love of both classic rock and folk make it easy to see why he is frequently compared to artists such as Ryan Adams and Elliott Smith. A onetime Madisonian, Hopper even gives a tender nod to his former residency in a song named after our favorite city.

You have to hear:

“Hot Mama”

“Madison”

“Head To Feet”

5. Jesse Malin—Glitter in the Gutter

Jesse Malin makes no effort to suppress his musical influences on his third solo release. A duet with Bruce Springsteen, a Replacements cover, and a song for Lucinda Williams are just a few of the tributes Malin makes to his idols. The former

D-Generation frontman’s radiant first two solo albums gained him a horde of devoted fans, much critical respect, and immunity from absurd sellout accusations plaguing almost all punk artists at some point in their careers. Glitter in the Gutter is an apt title for a record brimming with themes of romanticism, hope, and rebellion wrapped in catchy rock hooks and rough-around-the-edges charm. Jesse Malin proves once again that he is a genuine rebel poet.

You have to hear:

“Prisoners of Paradise”

“Don’t Let Them Take You Down”

“Little Star”