Yes, 'tis the season for year-end "Best of" lists from music critics, and the Nonesuch Journal is sure to let you know about the occasional one or two over the next few weeks. But SF Weekly has decided against the usual critics' list and offers instead "MyTunes"—lists of the year's best according to Bay Area luminaries. Among those weighing in: Kronos Quartet's David Harrington.

In the introductory note to David's list, SF Weekly's Jennifer Maerz points out its international scope and that of the music that Kronos tends to play. Harrington says that his search for music beyond America's borders is, in part, a reaction against the current administration's bellicose international relations. "We are trying to be a witness to some of the things that are happening," he tells Maerz. "Every concert we play is an attempt to find balance in a world that's very unbalanced."

The article points to the broad range of collaborations Kronos has participated in this year alone, including projects with Sigur Rós, Tom Waits, Asha Bhosle, Glenn Kotche, and Henryk Górecki, as well as to the forthcoming Nonesuch release of Terry Riley's The Cusp of Magic with Wu Man in 2008, as examples of the Quartet's interest in playing beyond any preconceived boundaries.

"If somebody really loves something, I have to find out about it," David tells Maerz. "If somebody really hates something, I have to find out about it ... I don't believe in categories. They have no meaning for me."

Among the albums, artists, and musical experiences he enjoyed in 2007: Monkey: Journey to the West, a theater piece by Damon Albarn, who's now writing a piece for Kronos; Valgeir Sigurðsson and Múm, both of whom performed at New York's Wordless Music series this season; M.I.A.; Bettye LaVette; and an album of ethnic minority music from Southern Laos.

For the complete list, visit sfweekly.com.