Clanking of Crystal, Explosions Off in the Distance

So, this is the New Year and I don't feel any different. Okay, maybe it's not quite the New Year yet, and even though you may not feel any different, the music scene has experienced more break-out releases than Angelina Jolie has had covers on tabloids in these past 12 months.

Looking back, we have celebrated the birth of Lily Allen onto the scene while mourning the loss of Interpol to major-label land. We have taken comfort from Elliot Smith's posthumous voice while trying to ignore Britney Spears' attempt to resuscitate her career. We have applauded Bright Eyes' embracement of the country twang, accepted Feist's movement into the mainstream and stood behind Radiohead as they gave the industry the middle finger. And though we bamboo banga-ed to M.I.A., came alive with the Foo Fighters, spent a weekend in the city with Bloc Party, took a long walk home with Springsteen and even winced the night away with The Shins, we are bound to have some regrets over the empty slots in our music collections. You won't have to kick yourself over missing two of the most influential, yet under rated albums of 2007, however. They may not make Amazon.com's Top 10 List or line Best Buy's $9.99 holiday bargain rack, but these albums need to take a page from Dumbledore's book and come out of the proverbial closet of obscurity and onto the airwaves.

23 by Blonde Redhead. Seven certainly seems to be the lucky number for this international yet New York City based trio. Their seventh release, 23, packages the eerie dissonance of their earlier albums into melodies that are simulatenously pensive yet danceable. The title track is one of the strongest on the disc, Kazu Makino's un-mimicable vocals ringing out as clear and resonant as church bells over the teasingly electronic rhythms and lush orchestration of fellow bandmates Amedeo and Simone Pace. And the allusion to a higher power is completely grounded — Blonde Redhead's mysterious and modern album will act as a savior to any New Year's Party. Whether it is the upbeat jive of suck tracks as "Dr. Strangeluv" and "Spring and Summer by Love" or the haunting melodies of "The Dress" and "SW," 23 unwraps the perfect soundtrack for an all-night rager or a quiet evening over wine, depending on whether you want to bring in 2008 with a bang or whimper.

Night Falls Over Kortadela by Jens Lekman. Just because we find ourselves trapped by the "Middlebury Bubble" in terms of worldly affairs, doesn't mean our iPods need to be confined to jam-band vibes and the Seattle music scene. Sweden's own Jens Lekman provides a much needed jilt to a Scandinavian scene dominated by the beautiful yet dragging compositions of Iceland's Sigur Ros. The Swede's sixth release, yet only third full-length album, Night Falls Over Kortadela is Lekman's most masterful mix-match of genres to date. From sampling Renaldo and The Loaf to the lush orchestration on "And I Remember Every Kiss" to the harder hitting "Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo," he proves that he is not just a pop singer — he is a DJ, vocalist and occasional comedian with lyrics that are laugh-out-loud funny. And even though his vocals are reminiscent of the 80s icon Morrissey mixed with pop jingles that hearken back to 60s Motown, Lekman is progressive - his ability to synthesize sounds transcends genre and decades, making Night Falls a perfect compliment to the New Year. Lekman's album serves as a reminder to look forward while still holding onto influences from the past, and always with a sense of humor.

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