Every year around this time, a very well-known alleged “music” magazine releases their picks for the top 50 albums of the year. And every year I’m amazed that they can come up with 50 albums. Here at Blog of Sound, we don’t set such lofty goals as we know that any list of 50 of the best albums of the year would be 90% crap. So, we’ve come up with a list of our 10 favorite albums of 2007. We’re taking a little liberty with the word “album” as this list includes a few EP releases that we think were good enough to warrant a spot on our list. They’re not all indie and they’re not all rock, but we like it.

10. Because I’m Awesome – The Dollyrots

There is nothing about The Dollyrots that we don’t like. They are probably the best punk/pop band around right now and this follow up to “Eat My Heart Out” is proof of that. It’s got a slightly harder edge than their previous album but Kelly Ogden’s one-of-a kind vocals and Luis Cabeza’s punk guitar riffs drive “Because I’m Awesome” into our top 10. Every song on the cd is a solid rock performance, complete with catchy choruses and mosh-worthy tempos. The title track of this album really says it all. If you haven’t heard The Dollyrots before, pick up this album and you’ll discover why they can get away with calling themselves “awesome.”

9. What’s the Time Mr. Wolf – The Noisettes

A lot of good music has come out of the U.K. in the past and The Noisettes are no exception. “What’s the Time Mr. Wolf” is pop rock but it really defies any actual category. This female fronted trio cranks out a new dimension of sound which really redraws the standard line of thought associated with pop rock. This album debuted high on the UK charts when it was released early this year and with songs like “Scratch Your Name” and “Mind The Gap” it’s really no suprise.

8. The Dethalbum – Dethklok

Not everyone will like “The Dethalbum,” Not everyone will understand “The Dethalbum” but know this: it’s called metal, Dick. The [Adult Swim] hit show Metalocalypse is bigger than the network thought and now Dethklok, a fictitious band of metalheads is tearing the world apart with the Dethalbum. It contains music from the TV show but don’t take this album too seriously. This CD is what the movie “Spinal Tap” was to metal. It’s funny and, yes, metal but it’s not a joke. There’s nothing more brutal than “The Dethalbum.”

7. Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments – Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments

There’s only five songs on Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments’ EP and that makes it difficult to see what the future holds for this amazing band. We’re slightly biased here at Blog of Sound because we’ve seen them perform live numerous times but this CD captures the musicianship if not the energy that Donita and her band bring to the table each and every night. We’re particular fans of “Dare, Dare,” “He’s Got the Honey,” and “Infancy of a Disaster.” Ok, forget it. We love all the songs.
6. What if Leaving Is A Loving Thing – Sahara Hotnights

The Sahara Hotnights are back with an album chock full of songs that get stuck in your head and make you want to sing along. More polished and pop than previous releases, “What if Leaving is a Loving Thing” is a great album for listening to in the car, on your iPod, or just about anywhere.
This album is no “Jennie Bomb” or “C’mon Let’s Pretend” but it was still better than nearly every other album released this year and that says a lot about this band as well as the state of music.

5. Move to the Music EP – American Bang

You either love Southern rock or it makes you want to rip your ears off. But with American Bang you instantly love their brand of rock and roll. There’s only four songs on their “Move to the Music” EP but its four songs that are completely worthwhile. The title track has been already featured in Verizon Wireless ads while “Good as Gold,” “All Night Long,” and “American Ride” prove themselves to be better than the band’s first commercial hit. In a short album filled to the brim with tight grooves and great guitar riffs we can’t wait for American Bang to release their first full-length album in 2008 so we can add it to next year’s list.

4. Under the Blacklight – Rilo Kiley
There’s a reason Jenny Lewis, frontwoman for Rilo Kiley was #4 on Spinner.com’s July 2007’s list of women who Rock Right Now. “Under the Blacklight” holds its own next to the band’s previous release “More Advenuturous” and combines rock and pop with R&B and soul to create an album that is uniquely Rilo Kiley. The songs are catchy and enjoyable that listeners run the risk of addiction but with this album its a risk well-worth taking.

3. MantaRay – Siouxsie

You probably know Siouxsie Sioux best from her days with the Bansees but with “MantaRay,” Siouxsie’s first official solo album, is a display of crushingly powerful grooves and untameable guitars. The album incorporates industrial rock with glam and punk and pop and puts together an album that is unmistakeably Siouxsie. Solo albums are rarely well-received by fans but Siouxsie kicks aside any and all fears and puts out an album ripe with everything fans could possibly want from Siouxsie. At 10 tracks, the only complaint we have for “MantaRay” is that we want more.
2. White Chalk – PJ Harvey

There were few albums we looked forward to as much this year as “White Chalk” and it was worth the wait. Make no mistake, this is not “Is This Desire” or anything close but it’s a great album. It’s acoustic and whispery, it’s haunting and complex. It’s PJ Harvey. Harvey is known for being an artist and this is truly a piece of art from an insanely talented musician.

1. Bitchin’ The Donnas

We’ve done an awful lot of talking about this album this year so it should come as no surprise that The Donnas’ “Bitchin’” sits at the very top of our top 10 albums of 2007. With 14 years and seven albums under their belts The Donnas have come out swinging, parting oceans with giant drums and earth shattering bass lines. Entire buildings and forests have moved out of the way of the massive guitars and anything that was brave enough to survive the first few instrumental moments of the album’s title track went into protective custody when the vocals finally kick in. Rock and roll hasn’t been done this well since the days of AC/DC and KISS but The Donnas have seemingly captured lightning in a bottle. Hands down the band’s best effort to date, it’s hard to believe that mainstream hasn’t latched onto radio-friendly cuts like “Don’t Wait Up For Me,” “Here for the Party,” and “Save Me.”