2006 was a great album release year, one of the best ever, but 2007 has been even better! The standout features this year have been the quite extraordinary musical diversity, the rise and rise of the singer/songwriter, and the improving standard of song writing from a select range of UK and USA bands. In a year that pop mediocrity has been hailed by the music media, we unearthed the most involving, meaningful and emotional music, played with skill and passion. Unusually in 2007, UK singer/songwriters exchanged punches with their USA counterparts and, arguably, drew slightly ahead on points; even our top album of the year featured a UK singer/songwriter…

Our list this year is split three ways: Album Of The Year, The Best Of The Best, The Best Of The Rest (Highly Commended). In addition we’re also including the following categories: Best Film Soundtrack, Best Compilation, Best Live Album, and Best Music DVD.

A new feature this year is a list of the very best rock records by the North West’s finest alternative DJ, listed separately.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

An epic, brave and thoughtful contemporary blues rock album. A masterpiece.

Recoil subHuman. Mute

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Stephanie Dosen A LILY FOR THE SPECTRE. Bella Union

David Ford SONGS FOR THE ROAD. Independiente

Keren Ann KEREN ANN. Decabel

Phil Campbell JOY. Safehouse

Sparta THREES. Anti/Hollywood Records

The Arcade Fire NEON BIBLE. Sonovox

Earlies THE ENEMY CHORUS. Names

The Hours NARCISSUS ROAD. A&M

T.D. Lind LET’S GET LOST. Tell Tale

Loney, Dear LONEY, NOIR. Regal

The Beasts Of Bourbon LITTLE ANIMALS. Albert Productions

Explosions In The Sky ALL OF A SUDDEN I MISS EVERYBODY. Bella Union

Story One DISPOSABLE. Shy Records

Tom McRae KING OF CARDS. V2

Aqualung MEMORY MAN. Epic

Bat For Lashes FUR AND GOLD. Echo

Goldspot TALLY OF THE YES MEN. Fontana

Linkin Park MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT. Warner

Smashing Pumkins ZEITGEIST. Martha’s Music/Reprise

King Creosote Bombshell. Warner

Akala FREEDOM LASSO. Illa State Records

Thirteen Senses CONTACT. Mercury

Wooden Wand JAMES & THE QUIET. Ecstatic Peace

Neurosonic DRAMA QUEEN. Bodog Music

Simon Breed THE FILTH AND WONDERS OF…. Re-Action Records

Air Traffic FRACTURED LIFE. EMI

**page*

THE BEST OF THE REST (Highly Commended)

Sarabeth Tucek SARABETH TUCEK. Echo

Steven Lindsay KITE. Echo

The Enemy WE’LL LIVE AND DIE IN THESE TOWNS. WEA

Queens Of The Stone Age ERA VULGARIS. Interscope

Catherine Feeny HURRICANE GLASS. Tallgrass

Kevin Drew SPIRIT IF…. Arts & Crafts

Fireworks Night AS FOOLS WE ARE. Kartel

PJ Harvey WHITE CHALK. Universal

The Proclaimers LIFE WITH YOU. W14 Music

Editors AN END HAS A START. Sony BMG

Cherry Ghost THIRST FOR ROMANCE. Heavenly/EMI

Pogoda POGODA. Ecstatic Peace

Madina Lake FROM THEM, THROUGH TO US, TO YOU. Roadrunner

Bright Eyes CASSADAGA. Universal

The Kissaway Trail THE KISSAWAY TRAIL. Bella Union

Neil Young CHROME DREAMS II. Reprise

Serj Tankian ELECT THE DEAD. Reprise

Crash My Model Car GHOSTS & HEIGHTS. My Dad Recordings

Stephen Fretwell MAN ON THE ROOF. Fiction

The Shins WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY. Transgressive

Sum 41 UNDERCLASS HERO. Mercury

Shiny Toy Guns WE ARE PILOTS. Mercury

Pepe Deluxe SPARE TIME MACHINE. Cats Kills Records

Grinderman GRINDERMAN. Mute

**page*

BEST LIVE ALBUM

Neil Young LIVE AT MASSEY HALL 1971. Reprise

Sia LADY CROISSANT. EMI

John Cale CIRCUS LIVE. EMI

BEST OGIGINAL FILM SOUNDTRACK

ONCE Music By Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Sony BMG

BEOWULF Music composed and conducted by Alan Silvestri

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Mute

THE PROPOSITION Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Mute

BEST MUSIC COMPILATION

Ani DiFranco CANON. Righteous Babe

Sigur Ros HVARF-HEIM. Run

BEST MUSIC DVD

Sigur Ros HEIMA. Run

The Flaming Lips U.F.O.S AT THE ZOO. Warner