The Daily Growl

I missed a train to Liverpool last week, so I had an hour to kick around Euston station till the next one. I killed some time in WH Smiths in the unusual activity of reading music mags, but what an uninspiring lot the end of year lists were. Q was surely the worst – a more boring and predictable list will surely not be found anywhere outside the NME. Elsewhere, others are getting in on the act. Last week we had Drowned in Sound’s rundowns (decent, with a few surprises) and over the weekend we’ve had The Guardian and the Observer’s (also decent, but with less surprises). Today we had the ever-interesting Rough Trade top 100 list revealed, which always deviates substantially from the rest, and this year is no exception.

I’m obviously going to pitch in with mine over the next couple of days running from 20 down to 1. I’m still putting the finishing touches to it, but I’ll be ready to unleash the first part today, hopefully. Then it’ll be the top 10 gigs of the year and top 30 songs of the year early next week. After that’s done, I’ll attempt a more text-based review of the year and round up some of the great albums that just missed out on my top lot. I love this time of year!

Before I do all this though, a quick look back to last year’s list. As always, what a difference a year makes. The end of year list is always reflective of where you’re at in a particular time and place, and looking back, there are always records that you wonder why were there. Here’s my retrospective 2006 list, based on what I’ve listened to most and continued to enjoy in 2007. Most are still there actually, but there are a couple of new entries, one of which wasn’t even in the top 20. As I expected, the Joanna Newsom album was a grower.

1. Danielson – Ships
2. Joanna Newsom – Ys
3. Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country
4. Absentee – Schmotime
5. James Yorkston – Year of the Leopard
6. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
7. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
8. Jeremy Warmsley – The Art of Fiction
9. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
10. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain

Tomorrow, we’re back to the present. Until then, the really committed list-spotters should look no further than Largehearted Boy’s annual meta-list.