Billy Altman's Top 10 CDs of 2007

1. Radiohead: In Rainbows (radiohead.com). You get what you pay for — and whatever you decide will be worth every cent, as Thom Yorke and crew continue in their ever-surprising, ever-expansive way. As they say: no static at all.

2. Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters (Verve). In the best tradition of jazz masters like his old boss Miles Davis, a contemplation of the music of Joni Mitchell that's both deep and accessible. No mean feat, that.

3. Miranda Lambert: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Columbia). Maybe she's no American Idol, but this Nashville Star can take our wheel anytime. Just don't cross her, or it'll cost you — dearly.

4. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (Universal Republic). It's too bad that her trainwreck of a personal life has at least temporarily derailed what started out as a pretty cool musical retro-ride.

5. Peter, Bjorn, and John: Writer's Block (Wichita). They're cute. They write nice songs. They whistle. Got a problem with that?

6. Levon Helm: Dirt Farmer (Dirt Farmer/Vanguard). Now you know: You can indeed raise a Cain back up when it's in defeat. Rag, papa, rag — all over the barn.

7. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge). As eclectic as they are artsy. A chill in their air, to be sure, but remember: They are from Canada.

8. Mavis Staples: We'll Never Turn Back (Anti-/Epitaph). This gospel treasure has never sounded better — and that's saying something. (Producer) Ry Cooder, consider your ticket punched.

9. Björk: Volta (Atlantic). If life is like a box of chocolates, then every Björk CD is like a packet of Fizzies. As long as my ears keep on tickling, I'll keep on listening.

10. Woody Guthrie: The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 (Woody Guthrie Publications, woodyguthrie.org). It's been nearly 60 years since this recently unearthed concert recording by the folk icon was made — and yes, his machine still kills fascists.

1. Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic). Panoramic, transcendent, sonically impeccable, and simply beautiful. You want music that'll take you to a higher plane? Start here.

2. Radiohead: In Rainbows (radiohead.com). The most talked-about "music event" of the year is actually a damn fine album. Thom Yorke wails, guitars flail, strings sail. An in-the-zeitgeist triumph.

3. The White Stripes: Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner Bros.). The power of two: Jack and Meg create the hardest-stomping and most mystical Zeppelin set in years.

4. Rush: Snakes & Arrows (Anthem/Atlantic). Prog vets thunder ever onward, displaying apt muscle, sinew, and an unbreakable Geddy — er, giddy — spirit of adventure.

5. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss: Raising Sand (Rounder). An unexpected yet satisfying duo that brilliantly merges Percy's latter-day smoky atmospherics with Krauss's bountiful bluegrass harmonies. Credit producer T Bone Burnett with laying the groundwork.

6. Crowded House: Time on Earth (ATO). A bittersweet reunion that transcends melancholy and reinforces Neil Finn's singular songwriting gifts.

7. Iron and Wine: The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop). The introspective Sam Beam branches out of his usual magnificent gloom to dive into a fully realized group setting. A full-length chronicle of a whisper to a scream.

8. John Mellencamp: Freedom's Road (Universal Republic). Forget the TV ad flack: Road is a solid winner, chock full of slice after tasty slice of JM's organic heartland rock. A great American songwriter captured in continuing full bloom.

9. Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City (Vice). The latest in British generational angst, fueled by angular guitars and skittery drum 'n' bass.

10. Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino). Shrugging off the hype, these postpunk Brits avoid the sophomore slump by keeping it short and sweet, with gobs of harmonic riffs and clever lyrics.

1. Kristin Hersh: Learn to Sing Like a Star (Yep Roc). Career peak for a consistently fascinating artist. Whether invoking the Muses or striking in new directions, she rocks with beauty and dances with mystery.

2. Bruce Springsteen: Magic (Columbia): River-style energy meets Tom Joad worldview on an album that may be his best in decades.

3. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (Universal Republic): Her subsequent meltdowns aside, this was a rare commercial blockbuster that deserved it, with a flat-out classic (and prophetic) single in "Rehab."

4. The Fiery Furnaces: Widow City (Thrill Jockey): Another wildly inventive disc from the Friedberger sibs, with enough gorgeous pop to make the odd quirks worthwhile.

5. Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic). Aims to be a modern progressive-rock masterpiece. Damn near succeeds.

6. Graham Parker: Don't Tell Columbus (Bloodshot). Every third GP album tends to be a gem. This one's right on schedule.

7. Lucinda Williams: West (Lost Highway). Her best albums always have some messiness and sprawl to them. No exception here.

8. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge). Though modest as Spoon albums go, this has some of Britt Daniel's most appealing tunes, including one ("The Underdog") that Billy Joel must wish he'd written.

9. The Hives: The Black and White Album (A&M/Octone). Honest-to-God garage rock on a major label — gussied up just enough to let the songwriting shine.

10. The Stooges: The Weirdness (Virgin). It's really crude, the lyrics are juvenile, and most critics hated it. Same as it ever was!

1. Richard Thompson: Sweet Warrior (Shout! Factory). Another flawless outing from Mr. Doom and Gloom — literate, provocative, and musically delicious.

2. Sloan: Never Hear the End of It (Yep Roc). For those who just can't get enough of Side 2 of Abbey Road, here's a string of 30 (count 'em!) irresistible pop pearls.

3. moe.: The Conch (Fatboy). Sparkling guitars, amiable melodies, and bittersweet reflections from an ever-maturing band.

4. Umphrey's McGee: Live at the Murat (SCI Fidelity). Defining double disc: Live Dead for a new generation.

5. Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic). Smart, chilling visions of alienation, riding on waves of hauntingly beautiful progressive rock.

6. Tori Amos: American Doll Posse (Epic). A 23-room dollhouse full of alter egos: her richest songwriting since Under the Pink.

7. The Roches: Moonswept (429 Records/Savoy Label Group). Sisterly folk that's both playful and poignant. A long-awaited return to form for these masters of three-part harmony.

8. Uncle Earl: Waterloo, Tennessee (Rounder). Old-timey string-band fun never sounded so fresh; the g'Earls will tug on your heartstrings, too.

9. Kristin Hersh: Learn to Sing Like a Star (Yep Roc). Vulnerable but volatile vocals, simple yet unsettling poetry: her finest (if most angst-ridden) solo effort.

10. Nellie McKay: Obligatory Villagers (Hungry Mouse/Vanguard). Giddy meditations on modern life dressed up as show tunes. Savvy and instantly engaging.

1. Ron Sexsmith: Time Being (Ironworks). Sexsmith has always been a modest boy, and his songs never overstate themselves or overstay their welcome. Louder mouths may get more attention, but Sexsmith's dedication to his craft is absolute.

2. Roddy Woomble: My Secret Is My Silence (7-10 Music). The Idlewild singer makes the solo album I'd been hoping for. Woomble's voice was always the band's biggest drawing card, and here he's free to add and subtract to his sound at will.

3. Akron / Family: Love Is Simple (Young God). Grab a couple of friends, a few mind-altering chemicals, a bog campfire, and a vague idea that you want to start your own religion, and this is what you end up with.

4. Willy Mason: If the Ocean Gets Rough (Astralwerks). This young Martha's Vineyard songwriter has just enough rust in his voice to convince me that, in a few years, he's really going to have something to say. For now, he uses his imagination — and it's a fertile one.

5. Fionn Regan: The End of History (Lost Highway). One of the lonelier albums I've heard this year that makes me want to stay up late into the night without regrets toward the next day.

6. Magnolia Electric Co.: Sojourner (Secretly Canadian). A four-CD boxed set (with a bonus DVD) from the unknown but prolific Jason Molina. Somehow he can settle on just a few chords and wring new melodies and tortured emotions.

7. John Frusciante: Ataxia II: AW II (Record Collection). He makes what seems like an album a month. This loose trio jams out and lets the imperfections fall where they may. Nothing like the sound of a band in a room when the vibe is right.

8. Band of Horses: Cease to Begin (Sub Pop). Ambient tones, gentle silences, strong melodies, shades of Goth, hints of twee — all done as a chance to relax.

9. José Gonzáles: In Our Nature (Mute). Give a man an acoustic guitar and let him ponder. If the man can play the guitar well enough, he can ponder anything and make it seem profound. Because there's nothing more profound than a beautiful melody.

10. Black Lips: Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo (Vice). Whether or not this is a "live album" remains debatable. Sure, there's audience yelling and stage patter, but the Black Lips always seem like they're in the midst of chaos. That said, this is a horrible-sounding album — and that's what's good about it. Garage rock delivered from the garage, barely in one piece.

1. Radiohead: In Rainbows (radiohead.com). Melodic guitars and some of Thom Yorke's best vocals — especially when the falsetto kicks in — make this the most tuneful Radiohead listen since OK Computer.

2. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge). Big, colorful arrangements once again illuminate this band's mission.

3. The White Stripes: Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner Bros.). Jack White couldn't decide if he was Page or Plant, so he went for both on this dizbuster of an album.

4. Bruce Springsteen: Magic (Columbia). The Boss's best since Born in the U.S.A. is a fiery, heartfelt set of rockers. There was probably blood on his Telecaster.

5. Against Me!: New Wave (Sire/London/Rhino). These punks retain their gritty, ballsy bravado on this major-label debut.

6. Jay-Z: American Gangster (Rock-A-Fella). Well, some people do incredible work after retirement.

7. High on Fire: Death Is This Communion (Relapse). Guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike wages another mind-altering metal assault.

8. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss: Raising Sand (Rounder). Just imagine a whole album's worth of "The Battle of Evermore." Sort of. A spellbinding gem.

9. M.I.A.: Kala (XL/Interscope). Different, innovative, enjoyable. It doesn't get much better than this when it comes to . . . um . . . hip-hop? A warning against categorization.

10. Air: Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks). They're back, Air-y as ever — so stop talking about their debut and immerse yourself in this sonic wonder. 1. The Subdudes: Street Symphony (Back Porch). With unerring feeling and a rootsy set of songs, this New Orleans band sings about America at a crossroads, hailing its decency and lamenting its failings.

2. Nick Lowe: At My Age (Yep Roc). Several decades beyond his New Wave heyday, a master songwriter/producer doesn't flinch at a touch of gray on this album of wise, age-appropriate words and music. Absolutely delightful.

3. New Pornographers: Challengers (Matador). The hooks are consistently killer, as the NPs' main brain, A.C. Newman, figures out new ways to make pop do just that.

4. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge). At last, an indie-rock band that paints on a large canvas with unapologetic ambition.

5. Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic). Strapped to the mast and facing down a raging storm of human folly, Isaac Brock and welcome new helpmate Johnny Marr have made the densest, toughest, and poppiest MM disc yet.

6. Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (RCA). For those who continue to rock, we salute you.

7. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge). The indie-rock Credibility Police are grumbling that Spoon has gone "mainstream" — as if improving one's craft, art, and outlook is a cardinal sin. I call it progress, and on this album's evidence, the sky's the limit for Spoon.

8. Band of Horses: Cease to Begin (Sub Pop). On this wistful, Southern-accented folk-pop gem, shimmering chords and autumnal melodies seem to linger in the air — the better to savor their gorgeous melancholy.

9. Ween: La Cucaracha (Rounder). The best Ween album since Chocolate and Cheese is sharp, varied, and double-over-with-laughter funny.

10. The Polyphonic Spree: The Fragile Army (TVT). Hope springs eternal, and orchestral, from Tim DeLaughter and his not-so-fragile army.

1. Sloan: Never Hear the End of It (Yep Roc). Cue up this 30-song, nearly 80-minute marathon of pure pop for Fab people, and you won't want to hear the end of it.

2. Bruce Springsteen: Magic (Columbia). I've never been one of those mega-mega Boss fans, but this album has one stunner after another. That's gotta count for something.

3. Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic). Not since King Crimson's Red has progressive rock sounded so bleak, so glorious.

4. Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (RCA). Relentless, even when it's acoustic. And Dave Grohl never forgets to bring the hooks and riffs.

5. Tori Amos: American Doll Posse (Epic). Sounds like a big-time comeback to me, with big-time rock and — despite its 79-minute running time — welcome focus in each of its 23 songs.

6. The Hives: The Black and White Album (A&M/Octone). Seemingly left for dead (already), the Hives have blasted back to give Alex Turner a run for his Monkeys.

7. Nellie McKay: Obligatory Villagers (Hungry Mouse/Vanguard). Our national musical treasure writes a "small" album for a "big" band and proves that her talent remains extra large.

8. Lily Allen: Alright, Still (Capitol). Personally, I think that "rival" Amy's album doesn't sound genuine, especially post-rehab and all. Meanwhile, after the smiles, smirks, and smudges Allen has been through, these pictures of Lily remain fresh.

9. M.I.A.: Kala (XL/Interscope). The umbrella here isn't that annoying Rihanna rant but, instead, something under which the whole musical world seems brought together in the voice of one remarkable singer.

10. Kaiser Chiefs: Yours Truly, Angry Mob (B-Unique/Universal Motown). Only two albums in, these guys are already sounding like deep-careerists. And live, they're truly angry.

1. Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather (Virgin). One fiendish earworm after another. Adam Schlesinger is a freakin' genius!

2. Bruce Springsteen: Magic (Columbia). His best since The River. And if you don't get the Iraq War subtext, you're not paying attention.

3. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge). Gloriously anthemic stuff — so good that I have overcome my longtime prejudice against bands that use a triangle.

4. Feist: The Reminder (Cherrytree/Interscope). Isn't she just the cutest thing?

5. Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (Universal Republic). I can't help it: I think it's so cool that the Keith Richards of her generation is a Jewish woman.

6. Lucinda Williams: West (Lost Highway). I can't help it: I think it's so cool that the Bob Dylan of her generation is a goyish woman.

7. The Hives: The Black and White Album (A&M/Octone). Garage rock from a place (Sweden) that obviously has high-end garages.

8. Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino). Sharp songwriting, lethal performances — and so British you can practically smell the Guinness.

9. Mary Weiss: Dangerous Game (Norton). Comeback of the year (and yes, I also heard the Stooges).

10. Various Artists: I'm Not There (Columbia). The good news about this soundtrack: Most of the Dylan covers are revelatory. The bad news: You can't see Cate Blanchett.

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