It's that time of year again.

What with the Golden Globes and the Grammy Awards (such as the ones Mary J. Blige is holding to the left, to the left) announcing who their favorites are in movies, TV shows, and music, I thought now would be as good a time as any to name my favorite music of 2007, awards-show style. (There will be no New Music Tuesday post next week because it's Christmas, y'all! I gots gifts to open!)

Below are 5 categories with 1 winner selected and 4 other nominees, along with 5 honorable mentions for each category. As usual with the music posts, for songs click the "listen" or other instructions next to the title and artist (remember links and YouTube videos don't last forevs!)

For the album category, I tried to include links to where you can preview, download or purchase all the songs from that particular album, so you may have to devote some time to perusing if you want to get a feel for the album as a whole.

Ready?

Great!

Band strike up some cheesy award show music and let's begin. We'll start with the most important category:


Favorite Album of the Year

Winner:


- "Lagrima" by Capitan Melao

(Preview songs at the artist's MySpace page, eMusic or Amazon; watch the video for first single, "Estelar," here)

Let's start from the beginning. Javier Weyler is the drummer for the UK-based band Stereophonics. He decided to devote some time to his side project, called Capitan Melao (which roughly means "captain of mellow" in Spanish but not really), and make an album called "Lagrima" (which means "tear" as in "tear drop" in Spanish). Playing most all the instruments himself and enlisting a group of other talented singers and musicians for various tracks, the album was released in April this year.

The album is, um, how do you say... stunning.

Wait, I found a few more words. The sound scape is expansive; it pivots from modern rock to electronic to Latin folk and back again with making you dizzy. While some of you may not understand Spanish (and that's OK, you'll still love it), just accept that these lyrics are quite beautiful and often cause me to sing along (although my two years of college Spanish often betrays me).

Seriously, I can't say enough good things.

Other Nominees (in order of preference):


- "X" by Kylie Minogue
- "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" by Spoon
- "Ms. Kelly" by Kelly Rowland
- "Release the Stars" by Rufus Wainwright

Honorable Mentions (in order of preference): "Good Girl Gone Bad" by Rihanna, "Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)" by Raúl Esparza and Cast, "The Reminder" by Feist, “American Doll Posse” by Tori Amos and "Upfront & Down Low" by Teddy Thompson


Favorite Album Single of the Year

Winner:


- "Don't You Evah" by Spoon from "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (listen)

Austin, Texas band Spoon, led by the rakish Britt Daniel, absconds with a then unreleased song called "Don't You Ever" by New York City band (and their friends) The Natural History, dirties it up and makes everything a bit tighter.

Presto!

"Don't You Evah" becomes a great little rock tune to which you can also dance along. Do yourself a favor and take a listen.

Other Nominees (in order of preference):


- "Big Wheel" by Tori Amos from "American Doll Posse" (listen)
- "Love Story" by Katharine McPhee from "Katharine McPhee" (listen)
- "Sensual Seduction" by Snoop Dogg from "Ego Trippin'" (2008) (listen)
- "Umbrella" by Rihanna from "Good Girl Gone Bad" (listen)

Honorable Mentions (in order of preference): "My Moon, My Man" by Feist from "The Reminder," "Movin' On" by Elliott Yamin from "Elliott Yamin," "Slow Me Down" by Emmy Rossum from "Inside Out," "Estelar" by Capitan Melao from "Lagrima," and "Me Haces Falta" by Jennifer Lopez from "Como Ama una Mujer"


Favorite Album Track (Non-Single) of the Year

Winner:


- “Speakerphone” by Kylie Minogue from “X” (watch YouTube video here)

I already talked about my love of this song but it bears repeating how amazing I think this track from my girl Kylie is.

From the first "music makes you lose control" to the call and response of the chorus, this is just one of those songs that makes you forget your problems and just dance sing along. Sure the lyrics are stupid, but who cares!?

Produced by Bloodshy & Avant, the same team who produced Britney Spears' "Toxic," this is just a great, great song. It's that simple.

Other Nominees (in order of preference):


- “Te Amanezco” by Capitan Melao from “Lagrima” (Preview at eMusic)
- “Flashback” by Kelly Rowland from “Ms. Kelly” (watch the YouTube video here)
- “Wow” by Kylie Minogue from “X” (listen)
- “Finer Feelings” by Spoon from “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” (listen)

Honorable Mentions (in order of preference): “Lágrima” by Capitan Melao from “Lagrima,” “Sanssouci” by Rufus Wainwright from “Release the Stars,” “Marry Me a Little” by Raúl Esparza from “Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast),” “Love” by Kelly Rowland from “Ms. Kelly” and “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone” by Teddy Thompson from "Up front & Down Low"


Favorite Track from a Non-Traditional Release (Compilations, Singles, Remixes, Independent and/or Unofficial Releases)

Winner:


- “Simple Minds Do Simple Things” by Junior Senior from “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – EP” (listen at Rhapsody)

Danish power pop duo Junior Senior released an album called Hey Hey My My Yo Yo like forever ago (forever ago=2005) but it wasn't released in the United States until this year. While I didn't care for much of it, the group paired it with an 8-song EP called "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye."

I didn't care much for that either until I heard "Simple Minds Do Simple Things," a rollicking thumper that starts off slow and adds. First it adds an errant guitar riff, then increasingly loud backing vocals, all until you reach a crescendo that is what fireworks would sound like in music form.

Must I ever come down from this high?

Other Nominees (in order of preference):


- “I Love You” by Cheri Dennis from “In and Out of Love” (2008; 2007 iTunes Release) (listen)
- “The Jimmy Choo’s” by Chester French from “Love the Future” (TBA) (listen)
- “Jesse” by Ivri Lider from “Music With a Twist: Revolutions” (watch the YouTube video here)
- “You Know I'm No Good (Skeewiff Mix)” by Amy Winehouse from “Back to Black” (2006) (listen)

Honorable Mentions (in order of preference): “Lose Control” by Kylie Minogue from “X (Unofficial Album),” “Fun” by Guy B from “Within Me,” “In the Words of the Governor” by Sufjan Stevens from “Cue the Bugle Turbulent: The 2007 Believer Music Issue CD,” “Kiss Kiss Kiss” by Yoko Ono & Peaches from “Yes, I’m a Witch,” “Entering Bootytown” by Haley Bennett from “Music & Lyrics (Music from the Motion Picture)”


Favorite Music Video of the Year

Winner:

- “Sensual Seduction” by Snoop Dogg



Again, I've already talked about my love for this video from Snoop Dogg. However, I chose it as Favorite Video of the Year because not only is it a great video, it's a great depiction of the tone, energy and feeling of the song.

I think without this video, the song would be middling and without this song, the video would be utterly strange. Together they work wonders.

Other Nominees (in order of preference):

- “My Moon, My Man” by Feist



- “Don’t You Evah” by Spoon



- “Big Wheel” by Tori Amos (watch video here)

- “Jesse” by Ivri Lider



Honorable Mentions: “2 Hearts” by Kylie Minogue, “Umbrella” by Rihanna, “Me Haces Falta” by Jennifer Lopez, “Slow Me Down” by Emmy Rossum and “Love Story” by Katharine McPhee

That's it!

I didn't cast my net as wide this year, which is why there are some repeat names, but they truly are my favorites for the year. If you think there's something I should add, let me know!

Now, I'm going to ice down my fingers from all this typing.

See you in the New Year with some New Music!