DC ROCK CLUB
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Monday, December 31, 2007

Thorkelsons 2007

Just in time for 2008, DC Rock Club presents its 2007 year-end wrap-up and awards show.

In case you weren't around for the 2006 Thorkelsons, I'll provide some background for you.

The Namesake: The Thorkelson Award is named for Washington DC musician Peter Halsten Thorkelson. You may know him better as the one and only Peter Tork, of The Monkees. Every year we present Mr. Thorkelson with his own Thorkelson, for Outstanding Achievement in The Field of Being Peter Thorkelson. Well done, sir. You win again.

The Statuette: Each Thorkelson award statuette (better known as a "Golden Peter") stands six feet two inches tall and weighs 328 pounds. These dimensions match exactly Peter Thorkelson's current height and weight. The statuette is made from blood diamonds and conflict gold. For each statuette produced, an average of 4.8 Africans die of exhaustion and starvation.

Please, this statue is very heavy. May I take a break to smoke a cigarette?

(Note: this blog has been criticized for making light of the serious situation in Africa. I want to note to our readers that we have donated the Thorkelson Party Fund--$453.28--to our favorite charities, SaveDarfur.com, and AfricaRelief.com. I highly recommend visiting these two sites for more information. Go ahead, click the links. Do it.)

The Sponsor: The Thorkelsons are sponsored by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Chubb: providing you and your family coverage gives us a Chubb-ie.

Okay, let's do this. Today we'll do the Music Category--best/worst albums, and best songs of 2007. Tomorrow, we move on to best live music, movies, and a little category I like to call "Potpourri," because it smells so nice.

Category: Music

1. Best Album of 2007

Sacklunch:

(1) In Rainbows, Radiohead--no doubt the best album of the year.
(2) The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, The Besnard Lakes.

Besnard Lakes
(3) Good Bad Not Evil, The Black Lips.

Potsy:

(1) Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon.
(2) Neon Bible, Arcade Fire.

Jumbo Slice:

It's no coincidence we've seen all these bands live. Maybe if I saw Arcade Fire, they would have made the list. Who knows?

(1) Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon.
(2) Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem.
(3) Friend and Foe, Menomena.

Jimbromski:

The usual caveat--for a "music guy" I don't really buy that much new music. Plus my laptop died in October so that put a crimp in my music buying for Q4. Anyway, here goes:

(1) Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem. Perfect album--short, punchy, full of great songs. LCD isn't just a gimmick or a mere "electronica" band, they're the real deal.
(2) The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, The Besnard Lakes. For some reason I assumed these guys were from Los Angeles--they have that sort of sound. They're actually from Montreal. It seems that hit record producer Bruce Dickinson now lives in Quebec.

Calice de tabernac, il faut que plus cowbell

(3) Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon. It's just easy for them, isn't it?

Honorable Mentions: A Poet's Life, Tim Armstrong--ex-Rancid frontman released free album before Radiohead. Imagine Our Love, Lavender Diamond--listen to this while drinking herbal tea and grooming your cat.

2. Worst Album of 2007

Sacklunch:

(1) Baby 81, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. This album blows.
(2) Some Loud Thunder, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Worse than Baby 81.

Potsy:

(1) Venus Doom, HIM
(2) Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, Miley Cyrus

I seriously doubt Potsy listened to this album. For all we know, it was awesome.

(3) Young Modern, Silverchair

Jumbo Slice:

(1) Zeitgeist, Smashing Pumpkins. I tried to give it a fair shake but it was just as bad, if not worse, than his solo album. Hang 'em up, Billy.

Jimbromski:

(1) Baby 81, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Bloated and listless, just like your mom after a three-day meth and junk food binge.

3. Song of the Year

Sacklunch:

(1) "O Katrina!" The Black Lips



(2) "Teddy Picker," The Arctic Monkeys
(3) "The Pelican," Menomena

Honorable Mention: "Sea Legs," The Shins

Potsy:

(1) "The Underdog," Spoon
(2) "Keep The Car Running," Arcade Fire
(3) "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," Vampire Weekend

Jumbo Slice:

(1) "Okie Dokie," Dan Deacon. "The Crystal Cat" and "Wham City" are often cited as Deacon's best songs, but I'll never forget being in the middle of a dancing mob at the Pitchfork Festival when he played this song.
(2) "North American Scum," LCD Soundsystem
(3) "Bros," Panda Bear

Jimbromski:

(1) "All My Friends," LCD Soundsystem. James Murphy's best song to-date shows that he can write the serious songs just as well as he writes the funny. The man's a national treasure.
(2) "Take Your Medicine," Cloud Cult. I didn't hear much else from this band beyond this track, but man, what a song. Perfect soundtrack to a Columbine-style school shoot-up.

(3) "Melody Day," Caribou. I'm a classic rocker at heart but I love techno-type shit like this.

Honorable Mention: "Veni Vidi Vici," The Black Lips. Why can't more bands sound like the Black Lips? It doesn't seem that complicated.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't fine the Tim Armstrong for free anywhere...looks like you have to buy it now. I was an Op Ivy fan.

Besnard Lakes live...too big for black cat backstage. They kept trying to use a smoke machine and we kept coughing. Good show otherwise, though.

KCG said...

I'm hipper than I thought I was! I actually have some of this music. LCD Soundsystem, Spoon (Austin rules), and Hanna Montana - I mean - Radiohead.

Heck, I'm a soulpatch and a pair of Pumas away from being a DC Rock Club real deal!

Jumbo Slice said...

Lots of love for Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, and The Black Lips. I'd glad Jimbromski included Caribou. His album is great. Just missed my top 3.

Ken, you can borrow my Pumas anytime. As for the soulpatch, you're I your own. I don't do surrogate facial hair.