Best-Ofs: LEO critics tout their Top 5

1) Wax Fang "La La Land" (Don't Panic) — The exciting disc by the exciting band is now available for everyone to discover. I’m talking to you, scouts at Sub Pop or Merge or whomever else can help this trio spread their sound around the world. (We still owe the world a giant apology for Days of the New, anyway.)

2) Radiohead "In Rainbows" (Radiohead) — For the first time in 10 years, they play to their strengths — a bunch of really good songs, played extremely well.

3) "You’re Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson" (Palm Pictures) — I don’t know why Daniel Johnston gets more lip service from the kids today (Is Kurt Cobain’s influence really still felt? Or is it Bright Eyes now?). Roky was and still is the much more musical, fascinating Texan crazy freak. You don’t love him yet? Watch this inspiring, bewildering story unfold.

4) Battles "Mirrored" (Warp) — Older and younger dudes joining forces, melding heavy rock and weird electronics. It shouldn’t work but it does, uniting trendy girls who just wanna have fun and awkward guys with no social skills who want the girls to appreciate how smart they are, god damn it.

5) Marissa Nadler "Songs III: Bird on the Water" (Kemado) — Suddenly elvish girls who do the opposite of rock are everywhere, and most have already been sent back to their local Ren Fair. Marissa Nadler pulls off sounding ancient and modern simultaneously, can compose songs that offer lovely substance over hip attitude, and can even cover a Leonard Cohen song without embarrassing herself.


C. 2007 LEO Weekly