So here we are at the end of another year. What do we have to show for it?

Well, T.I. was on his way to being the Jay-Z of the South, while Jay-Z was working on becoming the Jay-Z of 1998. The Tims brought sexy back. Kanye West became the best-paid hipster in North America, Brandon Flowers tried to become Springsteen before listening to Neon Bible, and TV on the Radio made an album, did anybody hear that one? Then there's the bands that we'll be talking about next year (Glasvegas, Murs, Black Mountain, Burial).

However, all that is in the past. The best-of lists are being compiled and nothing can be changed. Everybody longs to have the definitive outlook, but nobody ever gets it right. So here's what we will be doing: We will be analyzing the year end lists of some other "reputable" music publications, I'll sort of edit them accordingly to fit my preferences, and then play those songs on the Snobcast. Then you, the reader, can tell me what you think should stay; what should go; and what should be added or subtracted from the list/playlist. In the end we will have compiled the definitive Best of 2007 list.

After our first round of criticism we have concluded that Paste Magazine's target demographic is not the Elitist Hipster Snobs that reside at the Donnybrook Writing Academy. In other words, Paste sucks. Know who doesn't suck though? Our readers. After the first round of votes, this is who has been dismissed from and who has been added to the list:

Additions: Subtractions:
Richard Hawley Bruce Springsteen
Calvin Harris The White Stripes
Rumskib Modest Mouse
The Mary Onettes Amy Winehouse
Yelle Kanye West
Animal Collective Jens Lekman
St. Vincent LCD Soundsystem
Kevin Drew The Black Lips
Kings Of Leon Spoon
Rilo Kiley PJ Harvey
Georgie James Peter Bjorn & John
The New Pornographers Justice
Jason Isbell Linda Thompson
Neil Young Battles

Our next subject of criticism is Harp Magazine. All I know about Harp is that they are "aimed at serious music enthusiasts" and judging from their top 50 albums of 2007 it does seem that they take more risk. For example, Future Clouds & Radar are at #4, and Jason Isbell makes the top 10 beating out The White Stripes. That makes my day. However, Okkervil River (?) are #1 and both Band of Horses and Feist are still in the top 5, huh? What do you guys think?

Here's their List:

50 Tunng - Good Arrows
49 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
48 Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You
47 Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
46 Manu Chao - La Radiolina
45 Bettye LaVette - The Scenes Of The Crime
44 Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
43 Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
42 Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back
41 Dr. Dog - We All Belong
40 Ian Hunter - Shrunken Heads
39 Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
38 Eleni Mandell - Miracle Of Five
37 Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
36 Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
35 Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
34 Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
33 St. Vincent - Marry Me
32 Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
31 Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
30 Grinderman - Grinderman
29 Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
28 Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - This Is Somewhere
27 of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
26 Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade

25 Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust And the Open Halls Of The Soul
24 M.I.A. - Kala
23 Bill Callahan - Woke On A Whaleheart
22 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living With The Living
21 The National - Boxer
20 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
19 Bruce Springsteen - Magic
18 Georgie James - Places
17 The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
16 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
15 The New Pornographers - Challengers
14 The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
13 Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
12 Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
11 The White Stripes - Icky Thump
10 Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
09 Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
08 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
07 Radiohead - In Rainbows
06 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
05 Feist - The Reminder
04 Future Clouds & Radar - Future Clouds & Radar
03 Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
02 Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
01 Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Here's the songs:

"The General Specific" Band of Horses Cease to Begin
"1234" Feist The Reminder
"Shining Light" Neil Young Chrome Dreams II
"The Devil Is My Running Mate" Jason Isbell Sirens Of The Ditch
"Sleeping Lessons" The Shins Wincing The Night Away
"Challengers" The New Pornographers Challengers
"What Light" Wilco Sky Blue Sky
"Need Your Needs" Georgie James Places
"Close Call" Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight
"$20" M.I.A. Kala
"Charmer" Kings Of Leon Because Of The Times
"TBTF" Kevin Drew Spirit If...
"Paris Is Burning" St. Vincent Marry Me
"The Well And The Lighthouse" The Arcade Fire Neon Bible
"Derek" Animal Collective Strawberry Jam
"A Cause des Garcons" Yelle Pop Up
"Void" The Mary Onettes The Mary Onettes
"Where Are the Flowers" Rumskib Rumskib
"I Created Disco" Calvin Harris I Created Disco
"Valentine" Richard Hawley Lady's Bridge

DISCLAIMER: Songs featured on the Snobcast are FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY. If you like what you hear, go buy the albums – contact us if you don’t know where to find them. And if we feature your music and you want it taken off the Snobcast, email us at GoDonnybrook@gmail.com. Rock!