Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

Unlike The Grammies, which in March 2008 will celebrate the (probably most objectionable) music of 2006, this blog wastes no time in honouring the Best of 2007. And, no, I haven’t heard the Radiohead album, and, yes, I know I’m From Barcelona and Auggie March where released in their countries last year. The winners will be announced on Sunday, or thereabouts.

And the nominees are:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
Nominees to be announced with the category awards

Indie Album of the Year:
Swedish:
Billie the Vision & the Dancers – Where the Ocean Meets My Hand
I’m From Barcelona – Let Me Introduce My Friends
Loney, Dear – Loney, Noir
The Mary Onettes – The Mary Onettes

Other places:
Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin
Feist – The Reminder
Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The Shins – Wincing The Night Away

Rock Album of the Year:
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
Collective Soul – Afterwords
Foo Fighters – Echoes Silence Patience & Grace
Fountains Of Wayne – Traffic And Weather
Manic Street Preachers – Send Away The Tigers

Pop Album of the Year:
Abra Moore – On The Way
Barenaked Ladies – Are Me
Colbie Caillat – Coco (see Songbirds Vol. 5)
Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight (more here)
Sara Bareilles – Little Voice

Country Album of the Year:
Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Tim McGraw – Let It Go
Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles – Diamonds In The Dark (see Songbirds Vol. 2)
Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
Rickie Lee Jones – The Sermon On Exposition Boulevard (see Songbirds Vol. 1)

Americana Album Of The Year
Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog
Son Volt – The Search
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Singer-Songwriter Album of the Year
Male:
Cary Brothers – Who You Are
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala (more here)
Josh Rouse – Country Mouse, City House (more here)
Josh Woodward – Not Quite Connected

Female:
A Fine Frenzy – One Cell In The Sea (see Songbirds Vol. 1)
Brandi Carlile – The Story (see Songbirds Vol. 2)
Brooke Fraser – Albertine (see Songbirds Vol. 4)
Kate Walsh – Tim’s House (see Songbirds Vol. 5)
MariaTaylor – Lynn Teeter Flower (see Songbirds Vol. 4)
Missy Higgins – On A Clear Night (see Songbirds Vol. 1)
Rosie Thomas – These Friends Of Mine (see Songbirds Vol. 3)

R&B/Hip Hop:
Alicia Keys – As I Am
Amerie – Because I Love It
Common – Finding Forever
(yes, I did struggle in this category)

Best Kicked-Back Album:
Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge (more here)

Overrated Artist of the Year:
Amy Winehouse
Comparable album people should listen to instead: Nicole Atkins – Neptune City

Best Newcomer:
A Fine Frenzy
Colbie Caillat
I’m From Barcelona

Most Disappointing Album:
Joseph Arthur – Let’s Just Be

SONG OF THE YEAR:
Final nominees to be announced with awards

Pop/Rock:
Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
Foo Fighters – The Pretender
Hello Saferide – I Was Definitely Made For These Times
Jens Lekman – A Postcard For Nina
Michelle Featherstone – Rest of My Life
Powderfinger – Wishing On The Same Moon
Relient K – Deathbed
Richard Hawley – Valentine
Rilo Kiley – Breakin’ Up
Sara Bareilles – Gravity

Indie/Americana:
Augie March – One Crowded Hour
Bright Eyes – If The Brakeman Turns My Way
I’m From Barcelona – Oversleeping
Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Loney Dear – I Am John
Pelle Carlberg – Crying All The Way To The Pawnshop
The Bird & The Bee – Fucking Boyfriend
Wilco – Impossible Germany

Singer-songwriter/Country:
Abra Moore – Family Affair
Adam Merrin – Still Alright
Brandi Carlisle – The Story
Elvis Perkins – While You Were Sleeping
Fountains Of Wayne – Fire In The Canyon
Ingrid Michaelson – Keep Breathing
Josh Rouse – Sweetie
Kate Walsh – Is This It
Phil Campbell – Maps
Rosie Thomas – Much Farther To Go
Tim McGraw – Nothing To Die For

South African Song Of The Year:
Velve – Overpass

BLOG AWARDS

Best Blog of The Year
MUSIC
Album blogs:
Earbleedingcountry
Just Good Tunes
Pascal’s Country Sounds
Peanut’s Playground
RegnYouth
Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers
Touched Mix

Single blogs:
Digital Citrus
Echoes In The Wind
Don’t Burn the Day Away
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
Ill Folks
It’s Hard To Find A Friend
Jefitoblog (R.I.P. till the resurrection)
Music Of The Moment
The College Crowd Digs Me
The Glorious Hum
The Hits Just Keep Coming
The Late Greats
Tsururadio

Retro blogs:
ALBUMS:
Beehive Candy
DeaconBlues
Fullundie
Music Buzz

SINGLES:
Lost in the ’80s
Mine For Life
Not Rock On
Retro Remixes
The Wolfman Howls
The Infonistacrat

NON-MUSIC
15 Minute Lunch
Csíkszereda
Girl On A Train
Invereskstreet
Spangly Princess
Stay-At-Home Indie Pop
Sunset Over Slawit
The Black Hole
The Ghost Of Electricity
The Silwane Files

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Totally Fuzzy
with a BIG Thank You for the fantastic service these guys provide to the bloggers and those who search for great, new blogs. One more time: Fuzzy And Blue by the Sesame Street monsters

YOUR VOTE:
Best Any Major Dude series