Welcome to Part II of my look back at the fifty best albums of 2007.

The first six years of the 21st century were hit or miss, when it comes to music and, well, to other stuff... But 2007 was simply magnificent.

Just look at my first installment. Marquee names like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Spoon, Wilco and Bright Eyes barely cracking the top 50? Their respective releases could have made the top 20 or higher in lesser years, like the lackluster 2006, for example. And don't even get me started on the albums that didn't even crack the top 50. There are a few albums there that I could easily see in the top 50 if not top 20 of other years.

Then there were the newcomers and lesser known, but no less relevant artists. I almost had to wince as I placed albums from Caribou, Aesop Rock, Liars, No Age, Black Lips and Andrew Bird in the lower ten of my list. But every slight and oversight should be quickly forgotten and/or noted as a testament to the year in music that was 2007. And maybe if you see one of your favorite albums listed "too low", you may also ponder the fact that you might have missed something, too ("If album X is listed this low, I can't wait to see what's next!").

And when I'm finally done with my shenanigans, please point out to me anything that you think I may have missed. That's what this is all about: Learning about some great new music and sharing it with each other. Unfortunately, you're going to have to spend some more of your hard earned money in the process, but not all of the best things in life are free.

Brothers Gonna Work It Out
40. The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
Their primary genre could perhaps be best described as Americana music for hipsters: The Avett Brothers masterfully dabble in alt-country, folk, pop and Spanish music among other things. If they didn't do all of those things so well, it might come off as a tad bit grandiose, but it works for these guys. There's not a lot that's not working for them these days. If they respond to this momentum positively, they could take that big step from stellar to spectacular and before long, they will be impossible to ignore. Stay tuned. You may have no choice. Some of these tracks are so good, their bound to be beer commercial fodder before long.

For fans of: Bright Eyes; Loudon Wainwright III; the Jayhawks; Wilco; Cracker

Windy City Heat
39. the Ponys - Turn the Lights Out (Matador)
Chicago's the Ponys are a bit of an acquired taste, but it's through no fault of their own. Their music isn't exactly abrasive, although I'm tempted to call it "hardcore pop". It just needs to catch you off guard, that's all. If you listen to it in album form, from front to back, you may not be able to appreciate how beautiful some of the individual songs are, but when you put them on your favorite MP3 player's playlist and hit "shuffle", you'll be floored by their confidently slick chops.