2007 Year End Survey | Dan Bolles

With Casey's departure for DC, Dan Bolles stepped up and became the new music editor at Seven Days and de facto blogger on solidstate. The thing that has amazed me about his first six months in the chair is the number of shows he attends. I feel I see Dan at every show I hit. Perhaps that's just because our musical tastes seem similar but I get the sense it has more to do with him busting his hump in his new job.

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

Sheesh. Too many to choose from to pick just one. Much like Tanner, I tend to be an album guy. But as I'm also prone to letting my iPod be my personal DJ, I'll give it a whirl, knowing full well this will be a woefully incomplete list and that I'll probably be up all night thinking of more tunes that should be here. C'est la vie.

Lazy Dreams With Susie Sue — Nose Bleed Island
Plus Ones — Okkervil River
In Our Blood — Horse Feathers
Woman, Angel, Demon, Child — Moses Atwood
Paris 2004 — Peter, Bjorn & John
Nobody — Ryan Shaw
Sleeping Lessons — The Shins
Impossible Germany — Wilco
None Shall Pass — Aesop Rock
Heretics — Andrew Bird
Don't Make me a Target — Spoon

2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

Maybe this speaks to my personal issue with the first question, but my "favorite album" tends to change with the seasons, rather than the calendar. Earlier in the year, The Shins' Wincing The Night Away was in constant rotation. As Winter faded into Spring, Wilco's Sky Blue Sky took its place. Akron/Family's Love is Simple was pretty sweet. Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass tickled my hip-hop funny bone. Amy Winehouse's Back In Black was simply awesome.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

I've seen more concerts this year than I can count, so again, picking just one is a toughie. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

The Shins @ Metropolis
Feist @ the Flynn
Farm and Kamikaze Hearts @ Kriya
GWAR @ HG
Band Of Horses @ HG
Ryan Shaw @ Nectar's
The Mathematicians @ Jazz Fest
Wilco @ Shelburne Museum
Emmylou Harris @ Shelburne Museum
Andrew Bird @ HG
Horse Feathers @ The Skinny Pancake
Gogol Bordello in Montpeculiar

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

Aside from the Sox winning the World Series? Hmmm . . . how about changing jobs? This new one is pretty sweet. And quite a learning experience to boot. In fact, writing for Seven Days is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. That, and the Sox winning the World Series.

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

Through some fluke in the space-time continuum, the year only goes up until July 1st and I'll eternally remain 29.

The new Rambo movie is every bit as awesome as the trailers make it look. Ditto the new Alien Vs. Predator.

The New England Patriots cap off a 16-0 season with a Super Bowl win in February.

Phish reunites. Not because I like Phish, which I don't. Rather, I'm hoping that if they get back together it will stem the tide of jammy knock-offs vying to be the "heirs to the throne." Puh-lease.

I continue to grow and improve as a writer and critic.

Someone from VT other than Grace Potter makes national waves. To clarify, I don't have a problem with GPN's success whatsoever. I just hope their good fortune helps to shed light on the incredible things VT artists have been doing all along. A guy can dream, right?

I start playing music again.

The writer's strike ends and we have some new episodes of The Daily Show.

George W. Bush is tried and convicted of High Crimes Against the State/Humanity and general douchebaggery.

HBO pulls its head out of its ass and green lights the final episodes of Deadwood.

Okkervil River | Plus Ones | Buy

Peter, Bjorn & John | Paris 2004 | Buy

Wilco | Impossible Germany | Buy

Andrew Bird | Heretics | Buy

Spoon | Don't Make Me a Target | Buy