Well a slightly belated Happy New Year to you! I hope you all indulged in sufficient merriment over the festive period. Now it's January. It's cold, wet, the middle of winter, none of us have any money because we bought presents and then spent all our Christmas money before New Year's Eve, radio DJs never seem to shut up about it being New Year and you've probably already failed to go jogging. Fun!
You're probably the same, but I've had an extremely mixed relationship with New Year's Resolutions. One year I'm for, the next I'm against. There's that constant battle between a scepticism of the concept in general, your own laziness and human inclination to fail, and your optimism, your hope, your determination. You know that, physically, you CAN do whatever it is you'd like to, so why don't you? It's odd.
This year, I've been continually toying with the idea. I wasn't sure where my sword was going to fall on the proverbial battle ground this year. Then I read a blog by a guy called Michael Hyatt. I follow him on Twitter, and he's the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, a Christian publishing company in the US. He is probably the best blogger I read. He is the master of crafting blog posts. They're frequent, succinct and to the point. Definitely follow him if you're into that sort of thing.
He wrote a post called "How To Make New Year's Resolutions Stick". If you want help keeping yours, read it. It's what persuaded me to make some resolutions this year and to treat them in the way I am.
Basically, he says you need to: 1. Make them specific, not generalised sentiments 2. Keep them few in number 3. Keep them SMART (see the blog post for the meaning of the acronym) 4. Write them down 4. Go public
Well, that's what I'm doing. I've made 5. Some are quite personal and just a bit irrelevant to this post right now but one is ALL about these posts.
MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION FOR 2011: Write at least 2 blog posts a week between Monday 3rd of January 2011 and 31st December 2011.
There it is. It's out there. It's written down. And if you are a faithful reader of my blog I'd like you to pull me up on it (if you remember...) Since I started focussing specifically on music in this blog back in early October, I've pretty much averaged that, so I'm now making a strong point of it, determining myself.
At the start of a New Year, I'd also like to reassert the purpose of this blog, remind you (and myself) of why I write it.
1. It's cathartic. Writing this blog is, I guess, something I do because I want to vent my thoughts. Get them into a place where they're in front of me, manageable and subject to review.
2. To share with you. Yes you. As well as wanting to get my thoughts out for my own sake, I want to share them with other like minded or perhaps not so like minded people. I find it difficult sometimes to either find people who think and talk about music like I do, or to make enough time to talk to people who DO think and talk about it like I do. I really do hope that my thoughts on music and the music that I share/post enriches you in a very real, sincere way.
3. To practice. Practice may be the wrong word, but I want to be a music journalist. And I want to be as good at writing about music as possible, and to make myself as employable as possible one day - hopefully to a music publication that I love and respect. Writing this blog - and perhaps more importantly, writing it in a disciplined manner - will hopefully help me along my way.
So I hope that you do have a very happy 2011. A 2011 full of blessings and growth. Not necessarily happiness. I saw philosopher called Peter Vardy speak last year (woah, 2010 is now LAST YEAR!) who made a very vocal point of stating that the purpose of life is not for you to be comfy, content and happy. But I hope that in 365 days time, you will be more enriched and hopefully closer to God than you are now. God bless you this year, and may your resolutions be resolute.
Honourable Mentions 'All of the Lights' by Kanye West 'Hollywood' by Marina & The Diamonds 'Heartbreaker' by Girls 'Romance is Boring' by Los Campesinos! 'Sea Talk' by Zola Jesus 'Giving Up The Gun' by Vampire Weekend 'A More Perfect Union' by Titus Andronicus 'If You Wanna' by The Vaccines ‘Walk in the Park’ by Beach House ‘O.N.E.’ by Yeasayer 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains' by Arcade Fire 'Hologram' by These New Puritans 'Butterfly House' by The Coral 'Blackberry Stone' by Laura Marling 'Goodbye England, Covered In Snow' by Laura Marling 'The Calm Before the Sword' by Captain Ahab 'Summerblow' by Chief Black Cloud 'Have a Heart' by Lonely Galaxy 'The Withering Giant' by Ghosthorse
20. 'Veronica Sawyer' by Summer Camp Summer Camp are a band to watch in 2011, and their Young EP from this year shows why. This standout track is a melancholy, slightly twee indie pop number that has one of the most addictive choruses I’ve heard all year. It’s a detailed, engrossing account of teen loneliness, bittersweet in lyric and melody. There’s a very individual sound to this song and the band as a whole, and a convenient opening in the indie pop market.
19. 'This Orient' by Foals For me this was immediately the standout track of Foals brilliant album, and still is. I love “Spanish Sahara”, but this blows it out of the water as far as I’m concerned. A spliced, breathless info gives way to an inspired mix of guitar, bass, drums and vocals that sweeps you away into a cinematic journey of a song, with a massive chorus, boasting one of the most romantically grandiose lyrics I’ve heard “It’s your heart that gives me this Western feeling”.
18. 'Undertow' by Warpaint When this one his the internet blogs, there was a little bit of an online orgasm. And rightly so. This song from my favourite new band of the year is captivating and alluring on absurd levels. It boasts a chorus that worms its way into your head, ingeniously hijacking a Nirvana melody, laced with sultry, slinking bass and echoing guitar lines. The gorgeous female vocals croon about ensnaring a lover, and ensnaring is certainly what this song does.
17. ‘We Want War’ by These New Puritans Often toted as the prime example of the brilliance of my album of the year, We Want War is a sublime piece of music. It bursts open with a massive drum beat, freaky synths and terrifying bass drone. It splices epic percussion with dark, entrancing vocals. It sounds like its tital- looming, violent, aggressive, huge and brilliant.
16. 'The Wild Hunt' by The Tallest Man on Earth The opener of my #3 album of the year, this is just a fantastically written folk song. It whisks you away in a world of evocative images, earnest vocals and warm, embracing acoustic guitar. Kristian Matsson’s voice leaps and strains upwards then drops down in pitch and delivery for brief moments to beautiful, emotional effect. It's a lyric about wonderfully carefree resignation to the inevitabilities of life, surrendering the pointless things and seizing life by it's gorgeous throat. Oh this song just overflows with life in every possible way!
15. 'Not In Love' by Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith This song had “BRILLIANT” written all over it from the moment the very idea was conceived. This icy synth pop song was so good that it made us all forget that a) it was a cover and b) there was a Smith-less version on Crystal Castles album. This song is massive, uplifting, emotional. It feels like your heart beating inside your chest at a moment of emotional fear and anticipation, perched delicately between euphoria and despair. Masterful.
14. 'The Oh So Protective One' by Girls Girls made the song “Heartbreaker” available for free from their “Broken Dreams Club” EP and, again, the blogs went crazy (as did I!) But for me, this is the strongest song on the EP. Lead singer Christopher Owens somehow manages to sing and write from the point of view of a loverlorn teenage girl and make it sound tear jerkingly genuine and emotional. Musically its pure 50s guitar band, like The Shadows or something. But its superb indie guitar music, and lyrically brilliant. It makes me feel warm inside.
13. ‘I Want the World to Stop’ by Belle & Sebastian I wrote a post on why I love Belle & Sebastian and their new album a while ago, and so it only makes sense for a track from it to make this list- but fairly so. This song is absurdly addictive, the melody genuinely intoxicating. The chord progression is just sensational, a genius piece of songwriting, and the contrast between chorus and verse inspired. Lyrically, it’s a fantastically human account of modern alienation and loneliness, yet still manages to be captivating indie pop. It’s just lovely everyone.
12. 'Alley Cats' by Hot Chip Hot Chip’s album One Life Stand hasn’t quite made the cut across lots of end of year lists, and I can see why in part, but its full of some brilliant songs, a lot of them tender and emotional and- for me- none more so than this. Simple keyboard and drum open up the track, and Alexis Taylor’s distinctively light voice is so soft and tender that I can’t help but give myself over to it. The whole thing is comfy, warm and affectionate and just makes me think of home.
11. 'Power' by Kanye West The first big indication that Kanye was soon going to the rule the whole damn world. This distils a lot of what his new album is about. It’s Kanye rapping about being Kanye. Its huge, ostentatious, cinematic. It’s boastful and grandiose. But lyrically it’s a masterpiece. A full West dissection. It’s a confession of his failures, his idiocy, but a slap in the face of haters and sceptics. This is the sound of triumph.
10. 'Girls' by Marina & The Diamonds I adore Marina Diamandis. I confess, I love everything about her. Including this song. The vocal delivery is so absurdly individual and distinct, I can’t help but adore it. She just fires on all cylinders on a superbly vicious and sarcastic attack on superficial, vacuous modern girls. The lyrics are detailed and specific, yet never come across as cluttered or dated. Maybe I’m just so absurdly attracted to Marina that my judgement has been clouded. If so, I don’t care. Not when pop music this good is involved.
9. 'Tell 'Em by Sleigh Bells One of the best riffs ever. Fact. Too soon? Maybe. Wrong? No. There is no denying the riff on this song is INSANELY awesome. And that’s just the start. MASSIVE drum beats. HUGE whirring sounds. GORGEOUS and sweet vocals that shouldn’t work against the intense heavy metal guitars and mammoth drums, but they do. And the melody is as insanely addictive as the riff. This song is twisted pop brilliance that just whacks everything up to 11 and is about nothing other than making as much brilliant noise as possible.
8. 'Rambling Man' by Laura Marling Laura Marling cemented herself fully as one of the best (if not THE best) songwriter in the UK with her second album, and my favourite track from that album has got to this one. The melody is just so superb and the song builds and grows so much that, with its sentiments of identity and independence, it’s something ‘epic’ (though using that word doesn’t seem quite right). Brilliantly arranged, lyrically masterful and beautifully delivered. This is just a brilliant song.
7. 'The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future' by Los Campesinos! Los Campesinos! are one of those bands who are able to tell entire stories and build entire, believable characters in the space of one song, and the most effecting example of that is here. An engrossing guitar line and tragic, brooding cellos draw you into a tragic tale of anorexia , bereavement and reflection. Probably my favourite song as a lyrical whole from the whole year, which is only helped by the chillingly detached vocal delivery. And it all crescendos into a sublimely noisy chorus. This song hits an emotional chord and draws me in in a way that I don’t experience very often.
6. 'I Can Change' by LCD Soundsystem Despite the fact that it’s now used in adverts on Dave, this song has been one of the best pop songs of the year since it first appeared. It’s probably one of the best James Murphy has ever written. It uses his classic trick of repetition with subtle variation to create an addictive and engrossing piece of pop music. The melody is quite beautiful and I really can’t say enough about the chorus. That itself is an example of the repetition with a little bit of variation, and its AWESOME to belt out. Lyrically, it is spectacularly vulnerable and human, qualities people very often don’t seem to associate with James Murphy, and it contains some of my favourite lyrics of the year.
5. 'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire I find it difficult to believe that anyone who truly likes rock music could not love this song. The inspired mix of honky tonk piano, guitar, plodding bass and steady drums creates a disarmingly simple underpinning for a truly brilliant track. This song was a statement of intent as the opener of Arcade Fire’s sublime album. The lyrics veer from cinematic and grand in feel to beautifully specific details about learning to drive and your mother’s keys. Beautiful.
4. 'Runaway' by Kanye West This song was how Kanye decided to announce his public return, at the MTV Awards. This song is similar in a lot of ways to “Power”, but in my opinion is the greater of the two. It sounds MASSIVE and pompous, like some imperial vessel moving onwards… imperiously. But its coupled with a melancholy chorus that is probably my favourite individual lyric of the year. Kanye wraps up his own self loathing and the loathing he feels for his critics and exorcises the two with a stupendous and actually quite amusing chorus. The whole of the new album is about what it’s like to be Kanye, and I think that this track nails that on the head as well as everything else you could possibly want in a pop song.
3. 'I Don't Have a Dick' by Captain Ahab This track is so high on my list purely because it is genuinely unlike anything I have ever heard. Lyrically, it is hilariously, unbelievable absurd. It is the arrogant, ostentatious first person account of the mythologised Captain Ahab who spends most of the track rapping over a constantly shifting background about how he doesn’t have a dick, and what that means for him exactly. This song is overflowing with grandiosity, absurdity, EVERYTHING, in a way that Kanye or even GaGa can’t possibly hope to rival.
2. 'Trainwrecks' by Weezer Unless you’ve bought Weezer’s most recent album, you probably won’t have heard this track. It’s not a single, at least as of yet. Lots of people have said that Weezer returned to form this year and for me the best example of that is Trainwrecks. Guys this song is just amazing. It’s a massive rock ballad. Heartwarmingly unpretentious, euphoric and rebellious, I have lost count of how many times I have belted this out in my car. It has “Season Finale” written all over it in a way DOESN’T seem crap. Lyrically its disarmingly simple, it’s honest, self aware. Rivers Cuomo’s vocal delivery is emotional, raw, varied and just bloody awesome. If you fob this off as uninspired, uninventive rock then you’ve missed the point you pretentious twat.
1. 'Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk' by The New Pornographers I raved on Twitter a while ago about how much I love this song. Unless you read that then you probably have no sodding clue about it. This song isn’t a huge statement. It’s not a game changing pop revolution. It’s not a social diatribe. This is just a genuinely PHENOMENAL indie rock song. It has one of the best riffs I have ever heard. It’s vaguely off key, an inspired use of semitones, and thus has something I find so attractive – the twisting and warping of pop music. The melody is mind blowingly catchy. Genuinely. From the moment I heard it I haven’t been able to shake it. The chorus still just blows me away every time. It’s just amazing! I can’t tell you why, it just is. The way this song chops and changes into different repeated sections, the beautiful interplay of lead male and female vocals, the vulnerable lyrics. Good grief, this is just such a perfect song. I love it. I really love it. It has decimated every other song in my iTunes play count. It got me into this band. In years to come few will probably rave over the album, let alone this one track. Well screw them. This is my favourite song of the year, because it is just hits the mark in untold ways on every level that a song should.
So there you have it! My top songs of the year. Whaddya think folks? Hope to hear from you soon :) have a merry Christmas!
If you have talked to me AT ALL about music in the last few months then you'll have known that I have fallen head over heels in love with Warpaint. The all girl American four piece entranced the world with their SXSW performances earlier this year, and their Exquisite Corpse EP became the record to own. Anticipation about their debut album was high. And they delivered in a gorgeously superb fashion. This album is a dark, sinister yet alluring journey. Menacing drums, throbbing huge bass lines, creepy guitar echoes and ghostly, sultry female vocals weave together to create a genuine experience. The songs veer in multiple directions at times ("Set Your Arms Down"); lending it a proggish air, but it never loses focus or drifts into aimless twiddly wankery. The engrossing music is coupled with simple yet evocative lyrics. This album is all about getting lost in emotion, weighed down by the dark underbelly of love and desire ("Undertow", "Lissie's Heart Murmur", "Baby", "Bees") I have fully given myself over to this album's enchantment, and I don't think I'll ever regret it.
5. 'This Is Happening' by LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem may very well appear in the musical dictionary next to the term "critic's choice". I have yet to read an "Album of the Year" list that doesn't feature this album, and a lot of people may think it's been included across the board purely due to expectation and a degree of entitlement. Well you're wrong. This is a genuinely brilliant album, and, if it IS James Murphy's last effort under the old moniker, a perfect swansong. Musically, the album retains a classic LCD template - epic dance tracks that use repetition to stunning effect. True. But there's a distinct sound to this album. It's probably more electronic than its predecessors and definitely a lot cleaner production wise. But the music is still sublime. Like lots of entries in this list, James Murphy takes pop music and shapes it into his own subversive image. Intoxicating pop hooks abound, especially on killer singles "Drunk Girls" and "I Can Change". You can't NOT sing along to those songs, the former being one of the most absurdly fun things ever. The whole album is just so danceable, and James Murphy nails the thing that I find so amazing about him. He takes dance and pop music and combines it with lyrics that are perceptive, honest and clever, covering paranoia ("Dance Yrself Clean"), vulnerability ("All I Want", "I Can Change") and, as always, his unique relationship with the music industry ("You Wanted A Hit"). A stunning record. Musically, sonically, lyrically and emotionally it's triumphant on all fronts and, at the end of the day, friggin' brilliant to hear.
4. 'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire
I'll be honest. It took me MONTHS to get round to buying this album. I watched on as the hype and praise was heaped upon Arcade Fire, constantly dogged by the knowledge that I really SHOULD buy this album. It was an event. It would probably be looked back on as a classic in years to come. By the time I got to it, I was expecting either to be let down or to end up feigning appreciation to save my indie cred. But this album. This album. It broke through anything else I had heard or soaked up about it and, as I sat in my room listening to it, it was as if I was being introduced to a total stranger who instantly captivated me. Charmed me. Made me fall in love. The themes of this album are obvious - varied reminiscences of the bands suburban upbringings in the light of their adult lives. But that subject matter involves so much - a whole spectrum of recalled childhood emotions and experiences that spirals through the bittersweet, the triumphant, the defeated, the ignorant, the romantic, the disappointed, the broken. This is a true ALBUM. It covers all the angles of its subject matter, but not in a business like efficiency. In a way that genuinely reflects human experience. Whether it's fear ("The Suburbs"), insecurity ("Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"), loss of innocence ("City With No Children"), loneliness ("Ready to Start") or a million and one other subtle feelings and emotions, this record overflows with humanity and lyrical beauty. Musically, it flows and varies and enters numerous new territories for the band, whilst always maintaining that enchanting, cinematic quality Arcade Fire pull off earnestly in a way Coldplay and U2 never will. A lot of people will be put off now by the fact that they're playing stadium shows. Screw 'em. This music was made to be huge. The word masterpiece is bandied about a lot nowadays, often with no justification. Not so here.
3. 'The Wild Hunt' by The Tallest Man on Earth
I'm confident that most of you won't be familiar with this record, which kind of makes me glad. Not because I want to inflate my pretentious, musically informed ego (well, probably) but because I hope I'm telling your something you haven't already been told. The Tallest Man on Earth, a.k.a Kristian Matsson, possesses the enviable ability to do untold amounts with simply his voice and an acoustic guitar. This album is a stunning, genuinely stunning, collection of songs. The sparse arrangements create an album that is warm, organic and inviting; and to put it simply Matsson is a superbly talented acoustic guitarist. Regardless of the fact that English is Matsson's second language (he's Swedish) this album is one of the most lyrically beautiful I've probably ever heard; full of emotional confession as well as vivid imagery. He covers mortality ("The Wild Hunt"), unrequited love ("A Lion's Heart"), playful fantasy ("King of Spain"), guilt ("Kids on the Run") and more. Those may sound like weighty, depressing lyrical themes but this album is beautiful and welcoming, like lullabies with well worn but effecting morals. A timeless gem of an album.
2. 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' by Kanye West
The world of Kanye, and the world WITH Kanye, is an insane place to be. Rather then repeat myself, read my previous post on why this album is so amazing. And really. It is amazing. It is a stone cold, terrifying classic. I can hyperbolise and dish out superlatives as long as I want. There really aren't words. Massive. Sublime. Bizzarre. Historic. I don't know. Just listen. Listen and marvel.
1. 'Hidden' by These New Puritans
Well here we are. For me, there has never really been a threat to the top spot for this year since Hidden was released. We've had nearly the whole of 2010 to digest this album. NME crowned it their album of 2010 and I anticipate an immediate wave of scepticism as a result of that. But if that is you: get stuffed. There really is no other option for album of the year. This album gave me the amazing experience of hearing something genuinely NEW. Sonically, nothing has been done like this album before. Chief song writer Jack Barnett has been open about his influences, and they're there if you listen, but they've been stripped, dissected, atomised and shaped into a terrifying, triumphant and sensational piece of work. The musicianship on this album is genuinely phenomenal. As a musician, it just blew me away. The percussion throughout is textured, varied and adventurous, both underpinning and at times dominating proceedings. They accompany throbbing, monolithic bass sounds to create the mind blowing "We Want War"- a mysterious, shadowy beast. It's a prime example of the inspired and mind boggling use of hip-hop beats and rhythms throughout- evident on equally dark "Attack Music"- and the aforementioned beats are combined with intricate and thoughtful arrangements for a woodwind ensemble. Bassoons and big beats? The thought is, and always was ridiculous. But it has been pulled off. And not JUST pulled off. It's unbelievable. The album experiences soft, vulnerable beauty as well- "White Chords" and "Hologram" are supremely beautiful and vulnerable, as well as stunningly textured. Nearly every track is a revolutionary piece of pop experimentation, bastardised and reshaped into something that I still cannot describe. This album is a true leap. Jack Barnett has said himself that this album is not experimentation for experimentation's sake. This music is sincere people. It's real and revolutionary, a towering example of just how original and exciting music can still be in 2010. But this isn't just a flash in the pan. Even if These New Puritans all die tomorrow, this album will stand as one of the most accomplished of the decade and, years from now when I can say this without being torn down, one of the most accomplished in the history of popular music. And the best part? The whole thing is overwhelmingly enjoyable to listen to.
Well there we have it! My top albums of 2010. You probably disagree with some if not not all my decisions. In years to come, I may look back and heartily wish to rearrange. Who knows. I just know that this year, I have loved each of these albums. Bring on 2011.
So it's that time of year! I love end of year lists and have been quite excited about writing and publishing my own for a while. Now. I thoroughly belief that there is music that is objectively good and objectively bad. It does not come down to opinion. Fact. There are lots of things that go into that, but it's fact. I considered compiling a list of the objectively best albums of the year and those I personally prefer, but couldn't be bothered... so these are my favourite albums of the year, painstakingly put in rough order or preference. Though all of them are objectively very good music it would seem! And bear in mind this is only the albums that I've heard this year. There's always plenty we miss. Oh to have time to listen to them all! So I hope you enjoy, agree and disagree. Do feedback to me :)
Honourable Mentions: 'One Life Stand' by Hot Chip 'Teen Dream' by Beach House 'Plastic Beach' by Gorillaz 'The End of Irony' by Captain Ahab 'Belle & Sebastian Write About Love' by Belle & Sebastian 'Go' by Jónsi
12. 'The Family Jewels' by Marina & The Diamonds
Marina Diamandis is the best thing to happen to pop music this side of GaGa. She's clever, witty, perceptive, original and incredibly sexy - all hallmarks of a great popstar. And those qualities spill over into a phenomenally accomplished debut that is both a posing pastiche but also incredibly human. The album is basically about fame, the obsession with ("Hollywood", "Shampain", "Are You Satisfied?") and the vacuous underbelly of the commercial 21st century ("Girls", "Numb", "I Am Not A Robot"). "It's been done!" right? Maybe. But lyrically, this album is something else. Marina is so fantastically self aware - critical of fame and commercialism but fully aware of how enamoured she can be by it all. Spectacular, sparkling, seductive pop - a hard thing to come by in 2010.
11. 'I Speak Because I Can' by Laura Marling
Laura Marling is arguably a very strong contrast with Marina Diamandis, but is still endlessly deserving of a spot in my top albums. I fell in love with her and her debut, and her sophomore album is so much more than just a good second album. This album is beautifully and quiveringly personal, a beautiful memoir into the mind of a young girl becoming a woman (she's only 20!) She sings about independence ("Made by Maid", "Rambling Man"), urban alienation ("Alpha Shallows") and recounts memories of men in her life across the whole spectrum of emotional experience ("Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)", "What He Wrote", "I Speak Because I Can"). Her delivery is downbeat and subtle, beautifully vulnerable, allowing the emotion to push through with ease. The arrangements are more traditionally folky than the last album, and her guitar ability has become more accomplished and a more central part of the sound. Lyrically, she's only gotten better and is one of the most mind blowingly talented song writers. And she's hardly unattractive...
10. 'Romance is Boring' by Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! are a fantastic example of a band who have refined their sound through successive albums, working out what they're best at, where they excel, where they hit the mark, and then putting all of that into a fantastic record. This album is undoubtedly the best thing they've recorded, for so many reasons. A lot of it is mile a minute indie rock, and quite simply makes you want to thrash and jump around ("These Are Listed Buildings, Romance is Boring") but the band have a new grasp of texture and scale back for unbelievably earnest and tearful slower numbers ("The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future", "Who Fell Asleep In") though it all remains euphorically noisy. Frontman and songwriter Gareth has long been gestating as one of the UK's best lyricist, and that shines through in his musings about love, sex, football and religion. Gareth writes about his differences with religion in a way that is very candid and sceptical, though never outwardly biting or critical. As a Christian, I find it refreshing that a non-Christian is able to write about the church in such a way, without descending into offensive and childish Dawkins style insults. A truly accomplished record from an increasingly individual and inspiring band.
9. 'Treats' by Sleigh Bells
There's not a VAST deal to say about this album. But that's not a disadvantage. Quite the opposite. Sleigh Bells are probably the most enjoyable band of the entire year. This album has one setting- REALLY FRIGGIN' LOUD AND REALLY FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!! Lead songwriter Derek Miller takes pop music structures and melodies and bastardises them with terrifying heavy metal guitars and insurmountably huge beats ("Tell 'Em", "Infinity Guitars", "Crown on the Ground" - heck, every bloody song) and then the absurdly attractive front woman, Alexis Krauss, laces the mixture with a voice like poison bubblegum made from fire. This album is balls out, amps up, heads thrashing, bodies brawling. Hell yes.
8. 'Contra' by Vampire Weekend
It's safe to say that the indie community fell a little bit in love with Vampire Weekend when they released their debut a couple of years ago. That coupled with "A-Punk" soundtracking everything from Come Dine With Me to The Inbetweeners made me wonder how they could successfully follow it up. But they delivered. Oh yes they did. Thematically, it's not as unified as their debut, songs here based on rice drinks ("Horchata"), Joe Strummer ("Diplomat's Son") and Japanese history ("Giving Up The Gun") But that doesn't matter. Every song on this album is irresistibly melodic; the whole thing is bursting with hooks. At the same time, it's all exquisitely arranged and proves that Vampire Weekend are sublimely talented musicians. This is truly progressive pop music. Call them pretentious, preppy, whatever you will. Something tells me these guys don't care. And when the music is as upbeat, original and funky as this, I'm inclined to side with them.
7. 'Total Life Forever' by Foals
No one could quite believe it when new Foals material appeared. The shouty, prickly sounding landfill indie band of yesteryear had vanished. They'd been submerged beneath a warm tide of oceanic guitar, enveloping bass, funky drums and full, tender crooning. The transformation was sublime and the British indie world fell to its knees. This album is just brilliant to listen to. Standout, massive tracks like "Miami", "Total Life Forever" and "After Glow" are just incredibly well written indie pop songs, stamped with the intoxicating dance vibe that Foals have cracked into on this album. Then there's the magnificent beauty of "Blue Blood" and "This Orient", marked by some superbly emotional and vulnerable lyrics. The album ends in the stop-dead-in-your-tracks threesome of "Alabaster", "2 Trees" and "What Remains". This album is such an accomplishment for the band, but is also an enveloping, comforting piece of music. Sublime.
If you've read even half a sentence in passing of one of my blogs, you'll know that I'm a huge lover of music and a huge hater of the charts. No change here I'm afraid. 2010 is seeming like an incredible year for music as far as I can see. Here are the albums out so far (we're only halfway through March!) that I've fallen in love with:
Vampire Weekend- "Contra" Gorillaz- "Plastic Beach" Yeasayer- "Odd Blood" Liars- "Sisterworld" Beach House- "Teen Dream" These New Puritans- "Hidden" Titus Andronicus- "The Monitor" Frightened Rabbit- "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" Hot Chip- "One Life Stand" Los Campesinos!- "Romance is Boring" The Magnetic Fields- "Realism"
Seriously, these are all quality. If you haven't heard of them then PLEASE investigate! Seriously, they're all quality albums. If you think I'm assuming an "indier than thou" position well I'm sorry for avoiding the ready-meal style of the charts.
In addition to this, there are some albums I am incredibly excited about which have yet to be released!
Laura Marling- "I Speak Because I Can" (although I've heard all the songs, legally, already!) The National- "High Violet" MGMT- "Congratulations" (more anxious than excited...) The Hold Steady- "Heaven is Whenever" Of Montreal- "False Priest" LCD Soundsystem- TBA The Strokes- TBA (again, more anxious than excited...) Arcade Fire- TBA
Those are the biggies at the moment! I'm loving this year musically. If not as a whole, I'm having a fantastic personal journey. There are so many great, individual, original, honest bands appearing; earning their stripes and making the effort to appeal to fans and listeners in new ways. There are no discernible trends or scenes dominating, apart from the ever more loathsome "femtronica" movement (Ellie Goulding, I'm looking in your uninspired direction)
So yeah, that's my report on Music in 2010 as of the 15th of March. How about you? Have you got any tips for upcoming artists or albums? Things I've missed and should be listening to? Please do feed back to me :) God Bless you.
