Giant Step Staff Picks of 2007 Article by Jay Yee, Jan 03, 10:17 AM EST

Following in the annual Giant Step tradition, each one of us from the office has picked out our favorites of the year. Whether it's music, movies, video games or books, we felt compelled to put the Best of 2007 down in list form. Note: Lists are in no order unless denoted with numbers.

Adam Kurzawa Catalina Peters Elias Kassatly Erik Schneider George Xanthopoulos Jay Yee

Jessica Sagert Jonesy Maurice Bernstein Mawuse Ziegbe Mehmet Dede Melanie Hendel

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Adam Kurzawa

Top Albums
Georgie James - Places [Saddle Creek]
Outlines - Our Lives Are Too Short [Sonar Kollektiv]
Feist - The Reminder [Polydor / Interscope Records / Cherry Tree Records] | Listen
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga [Saddle Creek]
Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime [Blue Note Records] | Listen
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible [Merge Records]
Koop - Koop Islands [Atlantic Records] | Listen
Radiohead - In Rainbows [W.A.S.T.E.]
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - Pimpoint [Victor Japan]
Ra Ra Riot - Ra Ra Riot EP [Ra Ra Riot / The Rebel Group]
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur [Domino Recordings Co.] | Listen

(TheseWereTheBangingest) Top 5 Songs of 2007
Justice - "D.A.N.C.E." | Listen
DJ Mehdi - "Lucky Girl" (Outlines Remix)
Ra Ra Riot - "Each Year" (RAC Mix)
Me & You - "Brown Paper Bag"
GrandMagneto - "Let’s Dance" b/w "Heart of Glass" 7"

(YouShouldReallyReadThese) Top 5 Books of 2007
God Is Not Great - Christopher Hitchens
The New Father: A Dad’s Guide To The Toddler Years - Armin A. Brott
A Brief History Of Time - Stephen Hawking
I Am America (And So Can You!) - Stephen Colbert
Wanted (graphic novel) - Mark Millar

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Catalina Peters

Top 5 Fonts
1. Helvetica Neue
2. Akzidenz Grotesk
3. Mrs. Eaves
4. Cheltenham
5. FuturaBT

Top 5 Video Games
1. Halo 3
2. Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
3. Assassin's Creed
4. Bio Shock
5. Super Mario Galaxy

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Elias Kassatly

Top 5 Albums
4 Hero - Play With The Changes [Raw Canvas]
Amel Larrieux - Lovely Standards [Bliss Life]
Herbie Hancock - The Joni Letters [Verve]
Robert Glasper - In My Element [Blue Note Records] | Listen
Pharoahe Monch - Desire [SRC/Universal]

Top 5 Mixtapes
DJ Soul - Assorted Donuts
Mick Boogie & Busta Rhymes - Dillagence
Future Soul Sessions Volume 1
J*Davey - Land of The Lost Mixtape
DJ Ian Head - Warm Beats For Cold Days

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Erik Schneider

--- alphabetical by genre ---

Funk/Soul Albums:
Bamboos - 'Rawville' - TRU THOUGHTS
DJ Day - 'The Day Before' - MELTING POT
East Of Underground - (self-titled) - WAX POETICS
Lefties Soul Connection - 'Skimming The Skum' - MELTING POT
Orgone - 'The Killion Floor' - UBIQUITY
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - '100 Days, 100 Nights' - DAPTONE
The Budos Band - 'The Budos Band II' - DAPTONE
The Greyboy Allstars - 'What Happened To Television' - KNOWLEDGE ROOM
The Harlem Experiment - (Self-Titled) - ROPEADOPE
V/A - 'Soul Sides Volume 2: The Covers' - ZEALOUS

Electronic/Tempo/Remix Albums:
Deela - 'Mano Mano' - SWITCHSTANCE
Justice - 'Cross' - VICE
Kid Gusto - 'KG Originals' - TRUE GROOVES
Kutiman - 'Kutiman' - MELTING POT
M.I.A. - 'Kala' - INTERSCOPE / XL
Romanowski - 'Party In My Pants (Remixed)' - TROUSER TROUT
Soulphonic Sounsystem – 'Volume One' – CONVINCING WOODGRAIN
V/A - 'Bastard Jazz 2007 Compilation' - BASTARD JAZZ
V/A - Daptone Records Remixed - SCION
Zeb - 'Stop The Earth, I Want To Get Off' - WONDERWHEEL

Reggae Albums:
Cocoa Tea - 'Biological Warfare' - MINOR 7 FLAT 5
Collie Buddz - 'Come Around' - SONY
Prince Fatty - 'Survival Of The Fattest' - MR. BONGO WORLDWIDE
Stephen Marley - 'Mind Control' - REPUBLIC
Ticklah - 'Ticklah vs. Axelrod' - EASY STAR
The Dynamics - 'Version Excursions' - FAVORITE / GROOVE ATTACK
V/A - 'Studio One Dub Vol. 2' - SOUL JAZZ

Hip-Hop Albums:
Blu - 'Below The Heavens' - SOUND IN COLOR
Connie Price & The Keystones - 'Tell Me Something' - UBIQUITY
DJ Jazzy Jeff - 'The Return of the Magnificent' - BBE
DJ Vadim - 'The Soundcatcher' - BBE
Ghostface Killah - 'The Big Doe Rehab' - DEF JAM
Marco Polo - 'Port Authority' - RAWKUS
Pharoahe Monch - Desire - UMVD
Phat Kat - 'Carte Blanche' - LOOK RECORDS
Talib Kweli - 'Ear Drum' - WARNER BROS

World Albums:
Afroreggae - 'Favela Uprising' - MR. BONGO
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - 'Security'
Quantic Soul Orchestra - 'Tropidelico' - TRU THOUGHTS
V/A - 'Jazzanova's Nueva Vision' - SONAR KOLLEKTIV
V/A - 'The Rough Guide to Latin Funk' - ROUGH GUIDES

12-Inches:
All Good Funk Alliance - "Rec" b/w "Twang" - FUNK WEAPONS
Big Daddy Kane & Percee P vs. Connie Price & The Keystones – SCION A/V
Chico Mann - Manifest Tone Remixes, Vol.1 (Quantic) EP - KINDRED SPIRITS
Deela - Ruhrfahrt EP - SWITCHSTANCE
DJ Chicken George: The Swed.U.S.H Connection 2 - SWEDISH BRANDY
Sabo - Sol Selectas 5 - SOL SELECTAS
Soul Vigilantes - "Do It Like Roger" EP - LOVE MONK
Rakim, Nas, Kanye, KRS, & DJ Premier - "Classic" - NIKE
V/A - Bstrd Boots 01 - BSTRD BOOTS

7-Inches:
Beastie Boys - "Electric Worm" b/w "Suco DeTangerina" - CAPITOL
DJ Sun - "Sure" b/w DJ DRM remix - SOULAR GROOVES
Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On" (Truth & Rights Remix) - AL FINGERS
Maker - "Elephant Strut" b/w "Romance" - BULLY
Subatomic Sound System - "Our Father, Our King" - BASTARD JAZZ

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George Xanthopoulos

Coming soon!

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Jay Yee

Top 5 Mixtapes
The Avalanches - Some People | Download
Fred Deakin - Triptych
Sheila B - Jazzman Radio | Download
Rory Phillips - Live at Our Disco 2/23 | Download
We're Not Cool! - Bugged Out! Competition Mix | Download

Top 5 Albums
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black [Universal] | Listen
M.I.A. - Kala [Interscope] | Listen
Late of the Pier - Zarcorp demo
Tinariwen - Aman Iman [World Village USA]
Robert Glasper - In My Element [Blue Note Records] | Listen

Top 5 Dance Singles
Coming soon!

Top 5 Print Publications
1. Dummy (gone Digital)
2. Oyster
3. Wax Poetics
4. Preen
5. Straight No Chaser (R.I.P.)

Top 5 Nights Out
1. Joe Claussell @ Dope Jams 11/3
2. Amy Winehouse @ Joe's Pub 1/16
2T. DURRR @ The End 12/29
3. Kiiiiiii! @ Cake Shop 4/4
4. Justice (DJ Set) @ Studio B 10/20
5. Koop @ Hiro Ballroom 11/2
5T. Rich Medina @ APT 11/21

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Jessica Sagert

Coming soon!

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Jonesy

Top 5 Albums
Jill Scott - The Real Thing: Words And Sounds, Vol. 3 [Hidden Beach]
Lily Allen - Alright, Still [Capitol/EMI] | Info
Dalminjo - One Day You'll Dance For Me Tokyo [Krystal Entertainment/Deeplay Music]
Wunmi - A.L.A. [Documented]
Herbie Hancock River - The Joni Letters [Verve]

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Maurice Bernstein

Top 5 Albums
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black [Universal] | Listen
Miles Davis - On The Corner (Reissue) [Legacy]
Mark Ronson - Version [Allido Records / RCA] | Listen
Robert Glasper - In My Element [Blue Note Records] | Listen
VA - Gilles Peterson Digs America Vol. 2 [Ubiquity]

5 Artists To Look Out For In 2008
Jose James
Duffy
Little Jackie
Erykah Badu
Q-Tip

Top 5 Movies
Eastern Promises
American Gangster
Michael Clayton
Talk To Me
Superbad

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Mawuse Ziegbe

Top 5 Albums
1. Mark Ronson - Version [Allido Records / RCA] | Listen
2. M.I.A. - Kala [Interscope] | Listen
3. Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future [Geffen Records]
4. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black [Universal] | Listen
5. Calvin Harris - I Created Disco [Almost Gold]

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Mehmet Dede

Top 5 Albums
Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon [XL]
M.I.A. - Kala [Interscope] | Listen
Fanfare Ciocarlia - Queens & Kings [Asphalt Tango]
Blonde Redhead - 23 [XL]
Yes King - Rock This World [Yes King Records]

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Melanie Hendel

Top 5 Albums of 2007
1. Sharon Jones - 100 Days, 100 Nights [Daptone Records]
2. M.I.A. - Kala [Interscope] | Listen
3. Radiohead - In Rainbows [ATO]
4. Outlines - Our Lives Are Too Short [Sonar Kollektiv]
5. Orgone - The Killion Floor [Ubiquity]

Top 5 Mixtapes
1. Ticklah Vs. Axelrod [Easy Star Records] | Listen
2. Alchemist - Rapper's Best Friend - An Instrumental Series [Decon]
3. Babu - Beat Tape Vol. 1 [Nature Sounds]
4. J Dilla - Delicious [Delicious Vinyl]
5. Kon and Amir - On Track [BBE Music]

Top 5 Jam Tracks
1. Amp Fiddler feat. Corinne Bailey Rae - If I Don't [Genuine] | Listen
2. Collie Buddz - Tomorrow Is Another Day [BMG]
3. DJ Vadim - Black Is [BBE Music]
4. Monosylabikk - Et [Kitty-Yo]
5. DJ Blaqstarr Shake It To The Ground feat. Rye [Mad Decent Records]

Top 5 Hip-Hop Jams
1. DJ Zeph and Azeem - Come One Come All [OM]
2. Jay Z - Roc Boys [Roc-a-fella]
3. Ghostface Killah - Walk Around [Def Jam]
4. Wax Tailor - Positively Inclined [Decon]
5. Common - Forever Begins [Geffen]

Top 5 Gems
1. East of Underground - East of Underground [Wax Poetics]
2. VA - Home Schooled: The ABC's Of Kid Soul [Numero]
3. Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different [Light In The Attic]
4. Betty Davis - Betty Davis [Light In The Attic]
5. Vieux Farka Toure - Vieux Farka Tour [World Village] | Listen

Top 5 Guilties
1. Rihanna - Umbrella [Island Def Jam]
2. Chris Brown - Wall To Wall [Vitamin Records]
3. Chrisette Michele - Good Girl [Def Jam]
4. No One Alicia Keys [BMG]
5. Ryan Shaw - We Got Love [Razor & Tie]

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