The Year in Review: Guest picks of the best of 2007

From Staff Reports

Each year, we ask our friends in the local music scene for their assistance in compiling the best albums and concerts of the year.

Here are the selections of those who participated this year.

Derek Senter, co-host of “The Funhouse,” airing from 8-10 p.m. every Friday on WUTK-FM, 90.3 The Rock

Top 10 Albums (national release)
Superdrag, “4-Track Rock/Complete Bender Sessions”
Superdrag, “Changin’ Tires On the Road to Ruin”
Dinosaur Jr, “Beyond”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Baby 81”
Mic Harrison and The High Score, “Push Me On Home”
The White Stripes, “Icky Thump”
Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black”
Ministry, “The Last Sucker”
John Davis, “Arigato!”
Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers “Swampblood”

Local albums
The High Score, self-titled
1220, “Miss Legendary”
Stewart Pack, “Beached Whale”
Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, “Reconstruction (live)”
Westside Daredevils, “Brave New Nothing”
The Leningrads, “Sharing The Blame”
Cutthroat Shamrock, “The Wake”
The Tenderhooks, “Vidalia”
Mic Harrison and The High Score, “Push Me On Home”
Superdrag, “4-Track Rock/Bender Sessions”

Best concerts
Superdrag at Barley’s Taproom (sponsored by “The Funhouse”) and getting to hear “Cinderella” live for the first time since 1994
Dinosaur Jr in Nashville and Knoxville
Lucero at Barley’s Taproom (another “Funhouse” show)
The Flaming Lips at Bonnaroo

Rob Levering, co-host of "The Funhouse" on 90.3 The Rock

The Top 10 albums of the year (national release during calendar year 2007)
1) Bruce Springsteen, “Magic”
2) The Arcade Fire, “Neon Bible”
3) John Davis, “Arigato!”
4) Mic Harrison and The High Score, “Push Me on Home”
5) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Baby 81”
6) The White Stripes, “Icky Thump”
7) Explosions in the Sky, “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone”
8) The Black Diamond Heavies, “Every Damn Time”
9) Black Francis, “Bluefinger”
10) Jason Isbell, “Sirens of the Ditch”

Local albums
1) Mic Harrison and The High Score, “Push Me On Home”
2) Stewart Pack, “Beached Whale”
3) Superdrag, “Changin’ Tires on the Road to Ruin”
4) The High Score, self-titled
5) The Leningrads, “Sharing The Blame”
6) Westside Daredevils, “Brave New Nothing”
7) 1220, “Miss Legendary”
8) The Tenderhooks, “Vidalia”
9) Cutthroat Shamrock, “The Wake”
10) Superdrag, “4-Track Rock!!!/Complete Bender Sessions”

Best concerts
1) The Flaming Lips at Bonnaroo
2) Superdrag at Barley’s Taproom
3) Lucero at Barley’s Taproom
4) The Black Diamond Heavies at Barley’s
5) Todd Snider at “The Shed” at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Maryville
6) Dinosaur Jr at The Valarium
7) High on Fire at Blue Cats
8) The Black Diamond Heavies at Barley’s
9) Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Tennessee Theatre
10) Hottfest at The Corner Lounge

Virginia Prater, owner of Prater Publicity (artist management, public relations and booking)

Albums of the year
1. Bjork, “Volta”
2. Radiohead, “In Rainbows” (tie)
2. Feist, “The Reminder” (tie)
3. Of Montreal, “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?”
4. The Fiery Furnaces, “Widow City”
5. Jesca Hoop, “Kismet”
6. Metheny Mehldau Quartet, self-titled
7. Andrew Bird, “Armchair Apocrypha”
8. Dan Deacon, “Spiderman of the Rings”
9. P.J. Harvey, “White Chalk”
10. LCD Soundsystem, “Sound of Silver”

And, since I didn’t participate last year, I feel the need to mention three albums that were released (in 2006) that I still play out like the day I bought them (I think these should count!): Leonard Cohen, “I’m Your Man” soundtrack; “Shortbus” soundtrack; Thom Yorke, “The Eraser”

Local albums
1. Stephanie’s Id, “Grus Americanus” (Asheville-based, but does have a huge following here and plays here every month!)
2. The Tenderhooks, “Vidalia”
3. Hudson K, “Safety Line”
And any of my other bands that decide to release an album this year!

Best concerts
1. Bjork at Coachella Music Festival in California in April: How much do I love Bjork? I jumped a plane to California just to see her at Coachella this year. We flew into Los Angeles, rented a cherry red Mustang convertible and drove through the desert all day just to get to Coachella. The drive was a moving experience all its own, but the show blew my mind! We were so excited to see her that we sat through Jesus and Mary Chain and Interpol just so we could try to bum rush the stage to get a good spot for Bjork. And bum rushed we did! As soon as Interpol finished, a massive group of Bjork fans ran to the front of the stage to secure their spot for ideal viewing. We were all packed like sardines, so much so that my feet were barely touching the ground because I was being held up by my shoulders. I didn’t realize I was claustrophobic until this show! Something about seeing someone like Bjork outdoors in the middle of the desert was just amazing!
2. Bjork at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta
3. The Flaming Lips at Bonnaroo
4. Ornette Coleman at Bonnaroo (even though it was a sad ending!)
5. Gillian Welch at Bonnaroo
6. Dan Deacon at The Pilot Light (twice!)
7. Lou Donaldson and the Dr. Lonnie Smith Quartet at Bonnaroo
8. Yard Dogs Road Show at Bonnaroo
9. Jacky Terrasson Trio at Bonnaroo
10. The Goodies at Preservation Pub on Halloween

Benny Smith, general manager for WUTK-FM, 90.3 “The Rock”

Best albums
The Dexateens, “Hardwire Healing”
Glossary, “The The Better Angels of our Nature”
Talib Kweli, “Eardrum”
Madlib, “Beat Konducta Vol. 3, 4”
Hackensaw Boys, “Look Out”
The Arcade Fire, “Neon Bible”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Baby 81”
The Aggrolites, “Reggae Hit L.A.”
The White Stripes, “Icky Thump”
Galactic, “From the Corner to the Block”
Honorable mention/box set: “The Brit Box” on Rhino Records, featuring various artists

LIVE MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR FOR ME: Earth Wind & Fire live at The Tennessee Theatre, and sharing that experience with my wife and two of my best friends while at this great show! One of the best R&B bands of all time, and they still have it.

So many of the live in-station performances at WUTK, including G. Love, Bela Fleck, Hackensaw Boys, Dexateens, Michelle Malone, Chris Barron, Peter Case, all the great local artists and more!

And a very special shout out to all of the greatness that was the local music releases for 2007! Too many to mention, but I would put K-Town’s local scene up against any. The amount of amazing local releases in 2007 will be hard to top. But be on the look out for a very, very cool WUTK compilation CD in spring of 2008!!!