Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Paul & Adam from Merge

Paul, Adam & Spoon's Hot Pocket

photo of Guv'ner featuring Bridget Cornog & Spott Merge by Bradley Searles

We’ll have more “official” photos soon, but in the meantime, check out the great coverage on the web of our festival. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us! We wouldn’t be here without you! If we missed any good links, please post them in the comments!

Paste Magazine
Spin.com
Pitchfork
Bradley’s Almanac
Washington Post
Triangle Music
In the Black & White
Aquarium Drunkard
And definitely watch Philly Boy Roy on YouTube!

Laura blowing out the candles on the XX Merge birthday cake at Piedmont

Finally after months of planning, XX Merge week is here! Merge with Motion was a huge success on Saturday night, and a great way to kick off the celebration. Lovely features ran in the News & Observer and Pitchfork with a big one planned in the Independent for Wednesday.

Oh, and Superchunk played at South Street Seaport on Friday! BrooklynVegan has great photos!

Visitors to Carrboro during XX Merge should stop in for a delicious Acme bloody mary and check out the show!

We also have a new official Facebook group. Please “follow” and “friend” us!

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

The Ladybug Transistor/Lucksmiths/Still Flyin’- LIVE @ Duke Coffeehouse (10/1/07)
Au Revoir Simone
BMFD
Bowerbirds
Feist
The National
New Magnetic Wonder
Panda Bear
SLGTM
Springsteen
St. Vincent

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

My top 10 music (I do have a top 10 of best soccer games of the year, but that might bore everyone.):

1. Clutch – From Beale Street To Oblivion
2. Bad Brains – Build a Nation
3. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Palomar – All Things, Forests
5. Superchunk – Misfits and Mistakes
6. Darkest Hour – Deliver Us
7. Avril Lavigne – Best Damn Thing
8. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
9. Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works
10. MIA – Kala

Been fretting over Top 10s of late…a lot of great stuff came out this year and I don’t think I can get it down to 10! And as usual I’m including no Merge releases, which I naturally listened to more than anything else…so without too much analyzing, these kept making their way back into the player over and over this year:

Dirty Projectors – Rise Above
Feist – The Reminder
Panda Bear – Person Pitch
New Pornographers – Challengers
Bill Callahan – Woke On a Whaleheart
Shins – Wincing the Night Away
The National – Boxer
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
Robert Wyatt – Comicopera
Okkervil River – The Stage Names

and all tied for #11…:
Tracey Thorn – Out of the Woods
Bishop Allen – The Broken String
Caetano Veloso – Ce
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
Kevin Drew – Spirit If…
Robert Plant / Allison Krauss – Raising Sand
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War
Loney Dear – Loney Noir
Majik Markers – Boss
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Man o’ man like I said too much great stuff to narrow it down! And surpsingly “indie” when I look at it now — a great year for indie rock whatever that means, and i think you do. People complained about the Feist Apple ad — they watch too much TV, and 1234 wasn’t nearly the best song on there. Panda Bear took me by surprise as I’ve never been absorbed into the Animal Collective’s clutches really. Tracey Thorn‘s record is so good and without deserved fanfare. I’m still not sure if I’m spelling Loney Dear correctly.

Not mentioned here were some amazing reissues as well: Neil Young – Live at Massey Hall, Young Marble Giants Colossal Youth, and the Betty Davis reissues come to mind. Sonic Youth reissued Daydream Nation live on stage.

Records I couldn’t catch up with long enough to get to know but that I probably will love soon include the Fiery Furnaces – Widow City, Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger, Battles, and maybe even that Radiohead record…it’s on my computer somewhere….

Here’s hoping 2008 is as plentiful.