To Live and Die in the MMVII
1. Patton Oswalt, "The Miracle of Childbirth" (from Werewolves and Lollipops, Sub Pop)
2. BrakesBrakesBrakes, "Hold Me in the River" (from The Beatific Visions, Rough Trade)
3. M.I.A. ft. the Wilcannia Mob, "Mango Pickle Down River" (from Kala, Interscope)
4. Lil Mama, "Lip Gloss" (from single, Jive)
5. Modest Mouse, "Florida" (from We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Epic)
6. Stars, "Take Me to the Riot" (from In Our Bedroom After the War, Arts & Crafts)
7. Black Kids, "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" (from Wizard of Ahhhs, myspace.com/blackkidsrock)
8. Bat for Lashes, "What's a Girl to Do" (from Fur and Gold, Echo)
9. Patrick Wolf, "The Magic Position" (from The Magic Position, Low Altitude)
10. Tegan & Sara, "I Was Married" (from The Con, Sire)
11. Gogol Bordello, "American Wedding" (from Super Taranta!, Side One Dummy)
12. Franz Ferdinand, "All My Friends" (from LCD Soundsystem's A Bunch of Stuff, EMI)
13. Brother Ali, "Faheem" (from The Undisputed Truth, Rhymesayers)
14. Ween, "Your Party" (from La Cucaracha, Rounder)
15. Kanye West, "Everything I Am" (from Graduation, Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
16. LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" (from Sound of Silver, Capitol)

If I had one complaint about 2007, it's that there weren't enough songs about making babies. (And I don't mean songs about sex, where the possibility of babies lurks in the background, unspoken and terrifying, for fear of killing the mood.) Leave it to the stand-up comedian to lay the scientific foundation for this life-spanning mix.

In certain circles, the birth lands you in a baptismal pool, and no one had ever depicted the dunk in a way that a heathen like me could understand prior to Eamon Hamilton's explanation (it somehow involves Scarlett Johansson). If that hasn't scared you off water forever, to the bridge! Revel in an afternoon of fishing, while Maya Arulpragasam provides some unsettling foreshadowing about skipping town because there's no money to pay the bills. But for now, whatever income you can scrounge goes straight to MAC and L'Oreal (or, if you don't have a record deal, Wet 'n' Wild and Bubblicious).

You're safe and loved and living rent-free, but all that must come to an end. In regards to leaving Florida, wise man Isaac Brock says, "far enough, far enough wasn't far enough," which is precisely the sentiment expressed by everyone I know who's lived there. It isn't just Florida. Some indescribable force will drive you away from everything you know and you'll take solace in your introduction to reckless, sleepless, and possibly lawless nights.

While we're talking about maturing, it makes sense to incorporate some adult themes. You can't get to the singing-in-the-streets love song without muddling through some romantic rivalries and dreadful breakups. (Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan's wrenching account of breaking someone's heart cuts so deep it somehow makes the receiving end the enviable position.) But once you're done with all that you get to experience one of the happiest days of your life (provided you're not, you know, gay). Still, the reception sucks because you can't keep the party going for three straight days anymore. And when the parties fizzle out, people disappear. (Pardon the track-listing creativity—not cheating—that brings the first of two James Murphy songs to the table. The guy just tugged harder on my heart than anyone else this year.)

Hopefully you've abandoned your friends with good reason. Brother Ali performs the old "kid, your ma and I split, and I spend a lot of time on the road, but I swear I love you" track that's never surprising but always manages to get me. And Ween accompany the sort of soiree that oozes with grown-up accomplishments (wealth! sophistication! social status!) despite being utterly ridiculous. You've come a long way. Indulge in some tri-colored pasta.

Of all people, who would've thought that it would be Kanye who delivers the ultimate—and strangely modest—declaration of complacency that marks a successful life? In the end, if you've done it right, you'll leave someone wondering why your sudden absence hasn't worsened the taste of coffee. Really, what more could you ask for?

Lindsey Thomas is an editor for MTV News. She is a former music editor for Minneapolis' City Pages, and her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, and The Village Voice, among others.