Christina Rentz (Publicity)

1. Spoon @ Roseland Ballroom – October 20, 2007: 3200 fist-pumpers, a Merge shout out, a Destroyer cover (!!!), and the euphoria that comes with seeing a fantastic band at the top of their game!
2. The National – The Boxer: Took me awhile, but now I’m obsessed!
3. Oakley Hall @ Antone’s – March 2007: The first time I saw Oakley Hall, I thought how great they would sound in a real old time “music hall.” Boy, was I right!
4. Peter, Bjorn & John @ The Blender after-party SXSW: Free Sparks and crazed front row dancing at 3am to the catchiest songs I have heard this year.
5. Shout Out Louds “after-party” in the Cat’s Cradle parking lot October 2007: Shots out of cowbells, Swedish caviar in a tube, and sing-a-longs with The Rosebuds to strange Swedish televangelists.
6. The Ladybug Transistor, The Lucksmith’s & Still Flyin’ @ Duke Coffeehouse – October 2007: Made me wish I did more drugs! Also, too uncool to be at what turned into a very crazy party!
7. Arcade Fire & Spoon on SNL!
8. M.I.A. – Paper Planes: Will always make me think of my best friend’s bachelorette party. Cruising through the Tennessee Mountains in an SUV imitating the gunshot noises in the chorus with our mouths.
9. M. Ward w/ Norah Jones @ War Memorial Auditorium – April 2007: Watching Matt Ward woo more than a thousand Norah Jones fans, and then spending an hour and a half wondering if Norah and I could really share clothes (I totally think we could!)
10. Onion AV Club & Idolator: my internet soulmates.

Lindsey Kronmiller (radio/video/online promotions)

Top 10 non-Merge albums of ’07 (1 – 10):

The National – Boxer
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
Menomena – Friend and Foe
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls
Akron/Family – Love Is Simple
The Sea & Cake – Everybody
Bishop Allen – The Broken String
VARIOUS/SOUL JAZZ – Brazil 70 : After Tropicalia – New Directions In
Brazilian Music In the 1970′s

Top 10 (including Merge albums)

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The National – Boxer
Caribou – Andorra
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
The Clientele – God Save The Clientele
The Broken West – I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
Menomena – Friend and Foe
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls

Charlotte Walton (Chief Financial Officer)

1 Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge
2 Club 8 – The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming
3 Iron and Wine – Shepherd’s Dog
4 Bishop Allen – The Broken String
5 Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara
6 Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
7 Little Name – How To Live and Swim
8 Loney, Dear – Loney, Noir
9 The Clientele – God Save The Clientele
10 Elliott Smith – New Moon