News and Reviews for 2007

This year as every year I, like many, take stock and evaluate. I have seen many great things in disparate places and in my old age found yet more foods I am not allowed to eat. As is often the case, what I like is not what you like so herein is only my recommendations, it's what I've taken from the year and you're welcome to ignore me as a viceregent and evaluate it on your own and to be your own arbiter of things. My thinking is far from sacrosanct, we engineers get hung up on measuring things.

Best Pastrami Ruben: Reins Deli in Manchester CT
I stopped here after a long drive down from New Hampshire. Their ruben sandwich is the gold standard. To be truly great you have to be better than them. Honorable Mention to Moe's Diner in Osseo, WI for the best Dagwood.

Best Music Blog:Locust Street
It's reading is better than Moistworks, and better music than even the Probe. Each time I visit I actually read the whole essay. Honorable Mention to Office Naps for educating me every week.

Best Radio Show Playlist: The Drive in Speaker Box on KXUA.
Monday Nights at 8:00 pm With host "Boom Operator" plays film scores and movie soundtracks from all over the map. the concept is original, and the deep library cuts span decades seamlessly.

Best Record Store: Stereo Jack’s in Cambridge, MA.
If I wasn't forcibly removed, I'd have a bought real estate. They had it all LPs, CDs, 45s, and even a nice selection of music books in the back.

Best Local Paper: The City Pages, Minneapolis, MN.
I actually read about local politics as a total outside and they wrote so compellingly that I actually gave a damn.

Best Disk Jockey: Rex of Fool's Paradise on WFMU
The retro-rock playlist, and the spazzy 60's presentation complete with movie clips is just unbelievable in combination. He's a throwback, a dinosaur and a classic.

Best Concert: Neptune at the Middle East Cafe Boston, MA I bought one of every album at the merch booth. That was an amazing show.

Top 10 records of 2007*
(In no particular order)

1. Jared Micah and Hats - T.C.H.T.O.B.
2. Panthers - The Trick
3. The Braille Tapes - F-Bomb
4. Alina Simone - Placelessness
5. Qui - Love's Miracle
6. El Paso Hot Button - When I needed Sympathy
7. Dalek - Abandoned Language
8. Saul Williams - Niggy Tardust
9. Health - Self-titled
10. Pleasureboaters - Gross

*Note: This is different than my top 10 for Stranded in stereo. This is only because I found a few I missed after submitting. Isn't that always the way?