Ed Marcelle (Lead Pastor)   

Four Winds – EP  (…along with Cassadaga)      Bright Eyes

I actually liked the EP better than album.  I am a biased Conor fan.  This album represented his musical diversity on the traditional side (no digital Conor here), but it was the maturity of the lyrics that got me.  Conor has always been a great communicator of his emotion and experience.  Lyrically, from his whimsy songs like to True Blue, political protest (when the president talks to god) to a hundred moving ballads, he has always reminded me of Dylan.  He has always written well.  He has also been a bit dark.  I felt this album was a turn toward hope and the Conor who was once writing that all hear while listening for patterns in the sound was endless static seems to be hearing some spiritual tones.  Of course, communing with the dead is not a great entry point into the world of spirituality, but hey, it’s a start.

 

The Sun is Always Brighter   Joshua James

I saw him live at Valentine’s.  He was opening with Meiko (honorable mention, but not on the list) for Brett Dennen.  I was blown away by this skinny kid with drips of dark hair hanging out of his hoodie.  He sang like a prophet having to exercise his message from his soul.  God, devil, sin, soul was the constant vocabulary of his lyrics.  He was all the things I like folk / anti-folk (someone can explain to me someday why the so called anti-folk movement sounds just like folk), intensity and well worded, honest lyrics.

 

Soundtrack to I’m Not There

I waited to get it for Christmas.  Nobody got it for me.  I bought it myself, fingers typing and clicking at the speed of lust.  Richie Havens doing Tombstone Blues…it was a great cameo in the movie and a great place for him on the album.  From Sonic Youth to Eddie Vedder, Iron & Wine to Los Lobos, this album has something for everyone musically and held together by the words of the greatest American songwriter, Bob Dylan.  (And Scott Womer finally gets his wish, all those good songs sung by others). 

 

Recycled Recipes    Donovan Frankenreiter

This one I got recently and it keeps the cover thing going.  Born in the 1970′s in California, Frankenreiter started his musical career in the 90′s, but always had that sort of 70′s thing musically.  This is a cover album.  He tributes CCR, Dylan, Dr. John (remember, 70′s sound), but also Wilco. 

  

Lifeline   Ben Harper

Emotive blues and folk singer songwriter Harper is still writing songs of the soul well.  I walked around singing Lifeline so much my poor daughter told me she was bored of the album before ever listening to it.  Harper is a preacher.  He has something to say.  While some may say musically he is in a stall, I don’t care.  I have to admit, I mainly listen to the words.

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

Begin to Hope  Regina Spektor

I know it was an 06 album, but I discovered it in 07.

 

Meiko  Meiko

The pixie with the moody songs most likely to be heard on network TV.  The tracks How Lucy We Are and Give Me a Reason To Fall in Love are the only two. 

 

Icky Thump  The White Stripes

Simple, paired down, White Stripes rock.

 

Fields and Floods   Joshua James

A friend gave it to me for Christmas.   I gave it to friends for Christmas.  It was the EP gift of 2007.  Well worth the money.

 

 

Matthew Miller(Community Extension Pastor) 

 

 

Honorable Mentions:  

Some of my favorite artists, The David Crowder Band, Ben Harper and Lyle Lovett all put out fine new music.  It’s hard to leave a new band off my list … The National, their CD is called “Boxer”.  Derek Webb received some critical acclaim for “The Ringing Bell”.  His song “This Too Shall Be Made Right” lingers.

 

My Top 5 CDs of 2007.

 

#5.  Brandi Carlile – “The Story”.   She’s fierce.

 

#4.  Okkervil River – “The Stage Names”.  Scott turned me on to this … infectious.

 

#3.  Eddie Vedder – “Into The Wild”.  His haunting voice perfect for the soundtrack. 

 

#2.  Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band – “Magic”.  An artist of integrity making hope-filled music with his friends for over 30 years.  We saw him here in Albany last month and there is not a better live rock show on the planet …  pure joy!  “Magic” doesn’t break new ground musically but The Boss is still relevant and important.  A great American voice.

 

#1.  The Avett Brothers – “Emotionalism”.  Mix bluegrass and punk?  Banjo and kick drum?  Newgrass?  It sounds terrible and I could hardly blame you for disregarding “Emotionalism” … but then you would be missing the most fun, most foot stomping, best sing along CD of 2007.  If not for Bruce, The Avetts would have been my favorite live show of 2007 as well.  A great evening out with some of our Terra friends!

 

*You can find selections from my favorites, including the honorable mentions, in my iMix on iTunes at: 

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=271251824 

  

 

Phil Taylor (Executive Pastor)

 

 

 

Scott is making me give him my top five CD’s for 2007, to give you, the average Terra Nova church goer, a feel for the soundtrack of the Terra Nova office culture. But the thing is . . . I don’t concentrate very well if there are words in my ears from a song. So when Miller is rock’n out to Springsteen in the office next door, or Ed is badly singing along with Dylan (though really anything is an improvement on Dylan’s voice) I tend to close my door.

When I do happen to be doing something somewhat mindless, or eating lunch, I tend to listen to Podcasts of News from NPR. So, guess that’s my Number One CD–NPR Podcasts, especially “Marketplace” “Business Story of the Day” and “World Story of the Day”.

I guess Number Two would be music without words like Vivaldi, Brahm, Dvorak, Bach, some opera, Enya and every now and then a little Paul Oakenfold (I know, it shocks me too).

Number Three is almost always going to U2, cause those guys just never get old. I’m a musical idiot, so I need my music simple. Three cords and the truth.

< /span>Number Four is probably Green Day. If you happen to walk by my office and hear Green Day’s “American Idiot” blasting out–I’m either really mad about something, or I have way too much energy.

Number Five would probably be David Crowder of some sort.

 

 

Scott Womer (Worship Arts Pastor)

 

 

 

There have been some amazing musical releases this year, more than I can remember in awhile. So many, that narrowing it down to 5 seems almost impossible and certainly a crime to those of you reading this (although I was the one to set that limit, so I only have myself to blame). The way I will get around this self-imposed rule is to take a cue from Pastor Miller and use the Honorable Mention excuse.

 

Honorable Mentions this year go to releases by Bjork (Volta), Brandi Carlile (The Story), Iron and Wine (The Shepard’s Dog), The Shins (Wincing The Night Away), Arcade Fire (Neon Bible), Tegan and Sara (The Con), The White Stripes (Icky Thump), Bright Eyes (Four Winds EP), and Band of Horses (Cease To Begin).

 

But, as good as the above were, they were no match for these 5 CDs:

 

#5 – Over The Rhine “The Trumpet Child”

                  This Cincinnati, Ohio duo has always put out great music, but on their latest release, they progress into a folky-jazz style, with influences that seem right out of a New Orleans nightclub. This CD wins the prize for “most gifted CD” for Patty and I this year.

#4 – Wilco “Sky Blue Sky”

                  Based in Chicago, IL, Wilco, fronted by master songwriter Jeff Tweedy, has gone through multiple personnel changes. But on Sky Blue Sky, Wilco lands on a lineup which includes jazz/avant-garde guitarist Nels Cline. Cline can move from smooth lap steel, to a lightning fast jazz riff, and end with a manic country-rock burst, all within a five minute song. Although Sky may not have the experimental aspects of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost Is Born, it is a fine collection of well-played songs that reflect a songwriter that has moved from anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, to a place of peace and contentment. 

#3 – Modest Mouse “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank”

                  MM certainly wins the prize for CD title of
the year. This record really had to grow on me, but sometimes that is the most satisfying process. Isaac Brock’s voice often reminds me of early Talking Head moments, seeming like he’s talking more than he’s singing. But this project became the CD that got the most plays on my iPod and I always heard something new in it. Much of their growth on this release is due to the addition of guitarist Johnny Marr, originally a member of The Smiths. Buy this and give it some time, you won’t be sorry.

#2 – Sigur Ros “Hvarf – Heim”

                  For starters, Sigur Ros has given me an appreciation and love for Iceland. For some reason, I have a real connection with Icelandic artists, including Sigur Ros, Bjork, Mum, Amiina, and of course Magni of last season’s Rockstar Supernova (one of the greatest TV shows to go off the air). Sigur Ros’s audio release “Hvarf – Heim” is a collection of unreleased songs, acoustic versions of songs from past CDs, and live performances taken from their just-released film “Heima”.  Lead singer, Jonsi, sings in a mixture of Icelandic and a made-up language he calls “Hopelandic”. Their music is rich, beautiful, intense, and is the most inspiring art I have experienced in years. 

#1 – Radiohead “In Rainbows”

The year’s greatest audio moment has been the much anticipated new project from Radiohead “In Rainbows”. Regardless of how much you decided to pay for this (a sad moment when your “fans” value you enough to only pay an average of $2.16 for your new CD. One can only hope for “fans” like this in their musical career. But I digress…), no one can argue that Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and the rest of this legendary band have created a musical and sonic masterpiece.  Now that Thom Yorke has a solo career that allows him to explore his electronic side, In Rainbows settles into a groove that sounds like a full band again. For those that thought OK Computer was the peak of their career, In Rainbows proves there’s much more to come from this amazing band. 

*You can find selections from all of my favorites, including the honorable mentions, in my iMix on iTunes at:

 

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=271203729