speed of dark

lovely photo from ohmpark
Once again, it was extremely difficult to assemble this list of my favorite songs of 2007. While I was able to narrow down the songs I wanted for my top 25 in about a week of constant listening, I spent a much longer time trying to decide in which order each song should appear. Finally, I just came to a point where I decided that all of these songs are fabulous and so the "ranking" of them should be taken with a grain of salt.
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25. The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room: Flight of the Conchords [buy]
you're so beautiful/you could be a air hostess in the 60's
I was introduced to the wonderfulness of Bret and Jemaine earlier this year and have since bought their HBO series season one DVD and their short and sweet EP, on which this track appears. While this is a comedy album, this song made me laugh so many times that it had to be featured on my list of favorites. Also great from this album is "Business Time": watch the videos for both songs here.

24. Seen How Things Are Hard<: Elliott Smith [buy]
using all your strength/to keep the world at an arm's length
Although this is not a new song, it was featured on this year's New Moon, a collection of mostly previously unreleased tracks by the late musician. This soft, sad recording accompanied by jingle bells tugged at my heartstrings and remained a track I listened to repeatedly.

23. Love is a Losing Game: Amy Winehouse [buy]
for you I was aflame/love is a losing game
Amy! You've got a gorgeous voice, a true talent, and yet you waste it with drugs, alcohol, and crazy antics. This short song was one of the best tracks off of her album Back to Black, full of heartbreak and longing. Hopefully Amy can clean up her act and not throw her talent down the drain.

22. What We Had: Handsome Furs [buy]
and what we had don't mean a thing/and what we had is already gone
Since Alt-gramma already chose this as one of her favorites, I won't repost it, but it was also one of the songs I listened to on constant repeat. This song about the loss of love is the album opener on Plague Park, Handsome Furs' debut album and is by far the standout track.

21. You're a Wolf: Sea Wolf [buy]
the one that you are looking for, you’re not gonna find her here
Alex Church, otherwise known as Sea Wolf, is a former member of the band Irving, as was Shana Levy, who is now the frontwoman for Let's Go Sailing, another L.A. area band on my favorites list for this year. Isn't it a small world? I love this repetitive song about searching for love and expanding one's horizons. The lovely strings draw me in every time.

20. Lovesong of the Buzzard: Iron & Wine [buy]
no one is the saviour they would like to be/the lovesong of the buzzard in the dogwood tree
I love the soft drums and the changeup that Sam Beam delivered with his latest album, The Shepherd's Dog. While I admit that it's all very nice, I didn't like the complete album as much as some. This is the song from the album that grabbed me and didn't let go.

19. Would That Be Alright: Brendan Losch [buy]
the days go by/you live your life/until you die/would that be alright?
This song, with its echoey, down the well sound and sad, lovesick lyrics was one I constantly went back to listen to again and again. Check out more of Brendan's music on his myspace page or at his own music blog, Count Me Out.

18. Hey: Underwater Getdown [buy]
i can't see right through the raindrops/i can't stop in time to take you/lights flashing/cars passing
This self-proclaimed no-nonsense band from Tempe, Arizona introduced me to this beautiful mix of male/female vocals and a super fuzzy drum intro on this song, as well as several others on their debut album, Supersymmetry. Hopefully they will tour outside of the greater Phoenix area and I can see them live soon.

17. The Cap'm: They Might Be Giants [buy]
did you say what I think you just said/my hat looks good on me?/I agree, I agree
Any year that TMBG releases an album, you can expect to find one of their songs on my list of favorites. I have loved this band as long as I can remember, and this song makes me laugh every time when I imagine the Cap'm himself, at his helm. I especially love the audience noises, the clapping and cheering.

16. Sleeping Lessons: The Shins [buy]
jump from the hook/you're not obliged to swallow anything you despise
This is an album I came into late - but I'm glad that I finally did listen to it. This song about being your own person and not following trends nor religion became a fast favorite, but I'm still absorbing the rest of the album.

15. Roll Down: Saturna [buy]
i've never felt this way/silence won't say anything
For those of you missing The Catherine Wheel as much as I am, Saturna's lovely power rock and howled vocals on this track may comfort you. I constantly listened to this track throughout the last half of the year, but the first time I heard it, I knew it would be on my favorites list.

14. Wolf and Crane: Siberian [buy]
i'll swim in your hair/it's like a river, Colorado/running through you
Siberian was an awesome discovery this year, made by alt-gramma, and I had a difficult time choosing which song to feature from this album on my favorites list. This song, with its isolation theme, came out my favorite, but the whole album is fantastic. If you're in the L.A. area, you can catch Siberian on Saturday, January 5 at the Knitting Factory. Hope to see you there!