I'll Do the Driving

Annual Pointless Grammy B****

Herbie Hancock?  Sure, the guy's unquestionably a legend, but this was a dubious pick even considering that Album of the Year has tended to be more like a career achievement award for a while now.  I mean, it's an old jazz guy doing Joni Mitchell covers; that's more questionable than either Two Against Nature or Genius Loves Company were, though probably not as bad as Tony Bennett Unplugged.  (For the record, Dylan's Time Out of Mind totally deserved its win back in '98.  Even if the fact Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde both lost to Sinatra albums back in the day probably was in the back of voters' minds.)

New R.E.M.

Pitchfork has posted a stream of the new R.E.M. single "Supernatural Superserious."

My first reaction is it's hardly the best thing they've ever done, but after the last three albums it's nice to hear the boys from Athens, GA rock out again.

2007 in Music Lists

It's a bit belated, but here are my personal favorites (and least favorites) from last year in the world of music.

20 Worst Singles
20. Garth Brooks - "More than a Memory"
19. Pink - "Who Knew"
18. Kate Nash - "Foundations"
17. Colbie Caillat - "Bubbly"
16. Gym Class Heroes - "Clothes Off!!!"
15. T-Pain - "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')
14. Ashley Tisdale - "He Said She Said"
13. Fergie - "Glamorous"
12. Gwen Stefani feat. Akon - "The Sweet Escape"
11. Martina McBride - "Anyway"
10. 50 Cent feat. Timbaland and Justin Timberlake - "Ayo Technology"
9. Shop Boyz - "Party like a Rock Star"
8. Hinder - "Better than Me"
7. The Fray - "How to Save a Life"
6. Hurricane Chris - "A Bay Bay"
5. Plain White T's - "Hey There Delilah"
4. Fergie - "Fergielicious"
3. MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot"
2. Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
1. Soulja Boy - "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"

5 Best Videos
5. Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"
4. Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
3. Feist - "1-2-3-4"
2. Lily Allen - "Alfie"
1. Jarvis Cocker - "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time"

20 Best Singles
20. Kanye West - "Stronger"
19. Mika - "Grace Kelly"
18. Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go"
17. Tegan and Sara - "Back In Your Head"
16. Immaculate Machine - "Jarhand"
15. Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"
14. The Shins - "Australia"
13. The White Stripes - "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)"
12. Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
11. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
10. The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"
9. Arcade Fire - "Intervention"
8. Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
7. Of Montreal - "Heimdalsgate like a Promethean Curse"
6. Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining"
5. Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black"
4. Feist - "1-2-3-4"
3. Modest Mouse - "Dashboard"
2. Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
1. LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"

20 Best Albums
20. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
19. Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond to You
18. Walker Kong - Deliver Us from People
17. Caribou - Andorra
16. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
15. Jens Lekman - Night Falls over Kortedala
14. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
13. Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Living with the Living
12. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
11. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
10. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
9. The New Pornographers - Challengers
8. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
7. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
6. The National - Boxer
5. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
1. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?