POWERLINE A.D.

Now that the Champagne has been put back on ice, the confetti has been swept up, the pointy hats and noisemakers have been stored away until next December 31^st, and the hangovers have dissipated, it is time to look back upon the year that has just passed and pick the best of the year’s music. We'll start with John Curley’s Picks for 2007:

SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR: PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey had a stellar year in 2007, releasing her amazing White Chalk album and performing one critically acclaimed concert after another. Listening to the album and various interviews with Harvey, one gets the sense that she is at her creative peak right now. And she’s got another album due in 2008. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Harvey changes styles with every new recording.

BAND OF THE YEAR: Klaxons

London-based new ravers Klaxons released their debut album Myths Of The Near Future in January 2007 and later in the year won the highly coveted Mercury Music Prize for the album. The album is a stellar piece of work and includes hard-charging rockers such as “Atlantis To Interzone” and “Gravity’s Rainbow.” Judging from the appearances that the band has made on some of the UK TV music programs, they are quite intense in concert as well. Klaxons are currently working on their next album, which should be one of the highly anticipated releases of 2008.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: White Chalk by PJ Harvey

White Chalk is Polly Harvey’s eighth studio album. Containing 11 tracks, the album was a considerable departure from Harvey’s previous work. For one thing, piano, and not guitar, is the primary instrument on the album. (Harvey taught herself piano in preparation for the album.) In a very risky move, Harvey also adopted a different singing style for the album. She has referred to the new singing style as her “church voice” and claims it is how she used to sing when she attended church with her grandmother as a child. White Chalk does require a few spins in the CD player to fully appreciate it. But do give it the attention and the time that it needs to get into your head. Led by the amazing single “When Under Ether,” White Chalk is a masterpiece.

BEST NEW ARTIST: Kate Nash

Harrow, England’s Kate Nash rose from complete obscurity to UK superstardom during 2007. Nash, 20, released her debut single, “Caroline’s A Victim,” early in the year and followed that up later in the year with her first album, Made of Bricks. (The album is being released on January 8^th here in the States.) It was “Foundations,” the wonderfully written lead single from the album, that was the catalyst for Nash’s ascension to stardom. I saw Nash perform in New York in September. I can attest that she can deliver in concert as well. The coming year looks to be very busy for Nash.

BEST NEW BAND: The Hedrons

The Hedrons, an all-female power-pop quartet from Glasgow, Scotland, had quite a year in 2007. The year began with the band quickly recruiting a new bassist for an impending UK tour after their original bass player was injured in an auto accident. The band released their debut album, One More Won’t Kill Us, in February in the UK. They then embarked on their first North American tour, which included appearances at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. They played several festivals in the UK over the summer months, including a main stage appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival. Then, it was back to North America for another tour. Following a Q&A with Powerline A.D., The Hedrons landed a much-coveted support slot for the Sex Pistols at a gig in their hometown of Glasgow. Shortly after the Pistols’ gig, the band jetted back to America for more shows on the West Coast, including several support slots for the legendary SoCal band Social Distortion. The new year promises a second album from The Hedrons as well as a busy touring schedule. I had the opportunity to see The Hedrons perform four gigs in 2007. They are one hell of a live band, and they’ve got a great future ahead. They are definitely a band to watch out for in 2008.

BEST SINGLE: “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough” by Manic Street Preachers (with Nina Persson)

The lead single from Send Away The Tigers, Manic Street Preachers’ eighth studio album, “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough,” featuring a lead vocal shared by the Manics’ James Dean Bradfield and Nina Persson of The Cardigans, is both the catchiest and most commercial tune that the Manics have ever recorded. And that is definitely not a bad thing. “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough” is a great song. It received a great deal of airplay in the UK but was seemingly ignored here in America. The song is well worth seeking out and downloading. And the song’s video is pretty cool as well. After all, it features the amazing Nina Persson!

BEST VIDEO: “Staring At The Rude Bois” by Gallows (with Lethal Bizzle)

“Staring At The Rude Bois,” an absolutely ferocious cover of The Ruts’ original by the UK punk band Gallows assisted by the rapper Lethal Bizzle, provided the soundtrack for what was easily the most intense video of the year. Set in the claustrophobic confines of a train, the “Staring At The Rude Bois” video absolutely crackles with energy. As the respective crews of Gallows and Lethal Bizzle stare each other down, it seems like all hell is going to break loose at any moment. A powerful piece of work, the “Staring At The Rude Bois” video is well worth a look on You Tube.

BEST LIVE GIG: PJ Harvey at the Beacon Theatre, New York City, October 10, 2007

While Polly Harvey’s latest album, White Chalk, is a pretty intense listen, seeing and hearing the songs performed live added yet another dimension to them. Performing solo, Harvey captivated the audience at the Beacon with material both new and old. It was thrilling to be in attendance at that show. For more, see Powerline A.D.’s review of the concert at http://www.powerlinead.com/live.

BEST RAPPER: Lethal Bizzle

UK rapper Lethal Bizzle had a pretty big year in 2007. He seemed to be all over the place in the UK music scene in 2007, guesting with Gallows on their cover of “Staring At The Rude Bois” as well as putting out his own material, including his update of The Clash’s “Police On My Back.”

BIGGEST MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR: Led Zeppelin at the O2 Arena, London, December 10, 2007

The heavily hyped reunion of the surviving members of Led Zeppelin (with late drummer John Bonham’s son Jason on drums) at the tribute concert for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun apparently lived up to the hype, and then some. The show garnered rave reviews worldwide and sparked rumors of a full-scale tour. While Led Zep frontman Robert Plant will be spending at least part of the New Year touring with Alison Krauss in support of their critically acclaimed album, Raising Sand, concert dates for Led Zeppelin are rumored to be penciled in at large venues in both North America and the UK. Now, it is a waiting game to see if the tour will actually take place.

BEST COMEBACK: Mick Jones and Tony James of Carbon/Silicon

While it was tempting to cast my vote for Led Zeppelin in this category as well, I was not in attendance at the London reunion show and, therefore, can’t give an eyewitness account of the event. I did, however, have the great fortune to see Carbon/Silicon, featuring Mick Jones of The Clash and Tony James of Generation X, perform a fantastic gig at a club in New York City. Jones and James, longtime friends, were in great spirits at the New York show, and it showed in their performance. While Jones and James started working together again in 2002 and have released numerous recordings on the Internet, their physical debut album, The Last Post, was released in 2007. The album is excellent and leads one to believe that Carbon/Silicon still have a lot of good music left in them.

ARTIST TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2008: Adele

Nineteen-year-old Londoner Adele saw her beautiful and moving single “Hometown Glory” get a lot of airplay on UK radio in 2007. Adele seems on the verge of a breakthrough, and quite a few UK music critics see her as a star in 2008. Based on the performance of “Hometown Glory,” I have no reason to disagree.

BEST VIDEO:
White Stripes Icky Thump