It must be the night before the night before Christmas: here's the post that's leading a bunch of people to this blog lately. Got to love the keyword search meta info magic powers I have, and chuckle at the thought that more than a few people are winding up here, of all places.
The funny thing is, half are searching for "perfect christmas gift" and half are searching for "taking revenge."

And since we've reached the last week or so of the year, it must be time for everyone to toss around their 10/20/50/100 best singles/albums of the year. Here's one place to start finding a few of those.

Me, I'm not good at putting together these best-of lists. No, "not good" is a weak way to put it: I'm downright terrible at thinking about things in such ways, and so I rarely try. To begin with, I'm a bit lazy sometimes - but you knew that. What's more, I'm averse to the whole list concept, from the generally random or nonexistent criteria, to the pretense of judging Album A three slots better than Album B. Which is a shitty old music magazine cliche (I'm looking at you, Rolling Stone) that every blogger now feels compelled to mimic.

As if that weren't enough, I never feel like I've heard enough music anyway. There's just too much music out there and not enough time. When's the last time I listened to whole albums? I'm as unconcerned with "cred" as anyone who disingenuously says they're unconcerned with "cred," but if you knew how many of 2007's hyped-up acts and must-have records I haven't heard note one of, you'd shit. And then you'd ignore my "list."

Nevertheless.

Over the next few days, as 2007 shuffles off to wherever old, used-up years go, I'll count down ten songs that made me especially glad to have ears this year. I'm not saying they're the best or most significant things to be pressed to electrons this year. Nor do I see any need to order them, as if that meant a thing. Some you'll have heard of (especially since I've probably written something about them before), some you likely haven't.
Just think of them as my little, intensely subjective, year-end aural gift to you, wrapped up in a piece of me.
My, doesn't that sound gross.

Without further ado, the first of my Ten Most Songs Of 2007. With sound, when I can find it.


10. Between My Legs - Rufus Wainwright

I had been programming Going To A Town on the show for weeks before its bitterness and ornateness slapped me awake around 4 one Sunday morning while I drove to a race; that got me into Release The Stars. Rules and Regulations has similar pop quality and that hysterical campfest of a video going for it. But this is the song of the album for me, and the best song about lust and the apocalypse I've heard all year. I'm a sucker for tales of lust and the apocalypse, especially when they soar ever higher and higher like this. By the time the spoken word part ends, it's cutting through the stratosphere. And cocking a snook at the Phantom of the Opera. Terrific.

(no luck at linking from Hype Machine or Myspace, so live via Youtube will have to do.

Labels: most songs of the year, rufus wainwright