Cool Hunting

Time once again to crush on our favorite albums of the year. As a sampling of our 2007 soundtrack, each of these stellar releases was required listening for road trips, subway rides, all-night benders and for easing the hangover the next morning. We encourage you to download the single we've made available from each to make your own holiday soundtrack. Trust us, it'll make the transition to 2008 that much sweeter.

1. Radiohead: In Rainbows
Leave it to Radiohead to casually release a masterpiece on the internet with no promotion or warning. The songs sound worn-in and comfortable, and even without making a stylistic jump forward, it's still the best album we've heard all year.

3. Feist: The Reminder
She's known now as the iPod queen, but that track just scratches the surface of her true song-writing abilities. Usually an album so poppy and accessible doesn't stand the test of time, but The Reminder was stronger than we initially expected as evidenced by this heartbreaking ballad "Intuition," one of our top tracks of the year.

2. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
There's something completely insane yet totally innovative and amazing about Of Montreal where there is so much going on, so many sounds and references your head is spinning but at the same time your body is moving. "Faberge Falls..." is a perfect starting point for someone to experience exactly what I mean. Enjoy.

4. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
There are thousands of bedroom producers all over the world, but only one of them is capable of making "Pet Sounds" on a cheap sampler. The only logical thing to do when this album ends is to play it over again.

5. Deerhunter: Cryptograms
This band elicits a rather divisive reaction from people but at its core it's really just an amazing pop band with iconic characters and sometimes abrasive psychadelics. (spelling?). "Hazel Street" creeps up on you and will have you rocking out in no time to Mr. Cox's angelic vocals. Keep an eye on these guys.

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Photograph by Amelia Bauer