Best Bands of 2007

The BS Awards in this category do not actually include the best band of the year as that is kinda album of the year. The award for Best New Band is for bands I had not heard of prior to the year. Yeah, they were probably around. But if I haven't heard of them, can they really exist? The award for Breakout Band is for bands that I have heard of but I just never really embraced of appreciated as much as I do now.

Best New Band

1. Art Brut - A very late entry but they took over my ipod at the end of the year and have rocketed to the top of bands that I want to see live. I found them through one of the Top Podcasts of 2007 (awards handed out later), NPR - All Songs Considered. Always a sucker for clever lyrics and upbeat rock, Art Brut delivers both. Each song is a little story, with the lead singer really talking more than singing. Love them!

2. The Fratellis - They hung around all year, get multiple plays on the ipod. Great upbeat party rock.

3. Flight of the Conchords - Hopefully some of you have checked out the HBO show. If not, you have to see the first 4 first. They are gold. It's hard to give a music award to a tv show, but they deserve it. Funny dudes singing fun songs.

4. (tie) Office & 1990s - I got into these two bands at the same time and they kinda sound alike so it is hard for me to decide which band is which much less who is better, so they tie.

Breakout Band of the Year

1. Electric Six - Glam/dance rock that sounds like a bit of a combination of Louis XIV and Tenacious D. Another upbeat band with clever lyrics that keep me shakin' and laughin'. Another band I didn't really get into until the end of the year, but when I did I fell into them in a big way.

2. The Hold Steady - If Bruce Springsteen really rocked, he'd sound like this. Good story telling in the songs though most of it ends up with him getting high. Not all songs are winners, but I got enough for a sweet ipod playlist.

3. Incubus - I really liked their album Light Grenades out this year. It led me to download some of their past songs that I just kind of glazed over. Incubus used to always be a fringe band for me. I wouldn't change the radio if they were on, but I never really bought much of their stuff. Now I have a nice collection.

4. Radiohead - This is the most surprising entry for me on this list. Radiohead has been a huge band for years and I just never really got it. With their clever sales promotion of letting the customers determine the price for download of the album, I couldn't resist downloading it. I played it a few times at work and thought it was ok. Then I listening to it with headphones and heard it all in a completely different light. I cannot really categorize the music and maybe that was my problem before. It's not really rock. It's more alternative, but it's not emo or new wave. Anyway, welcome to my world Radiohead.

5. Tokyo Police Club - There's a big drop off here from the top four, but I downloaded a few songs from this band this year that I really liked.