Hey, if you can’t beat em…
My top thirty this year. And, I know, Florence and The Machine must be gutted. But it’s just her voice…It drives me mentile. And, no, I don’t know why WordPress does that for number 8 on any list I do…
1) Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Proof positive that French music is smarter and sleeker than ever. Not a duff track in a peerless set of clever-boots Gallic pop. Great cover too.
2) Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest
Not good in a cathedral. Still warm and fuzzy in bed (with headphones, not in person. That would be awkward)
3) Antlers: Hospice
Harrowing, tender and the only palliative care album your collection really needs
4) Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
Wildly ambitious, smarty-pants song cycle that more than lives up to its promise
5) Metric: Fantasies
Is ‘Help I’m Alive’ this year’s best song? I think so. Canadians still cool shock.
6) Miike Snow: Miike Snow
Swedish studio boffins come (slightly) out of the shadows. And they’re in Liverpool in Feb. Bra!
7) Neko Case: Cyclone
New Pornographers lady goes New Country for old men (like me)
8) Loney, Dear: Dear John
Great, clever songs in the Scandinavian tradition. ABBA meets the Concretes.
9) Low Anthem: Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
In a year with too much Darwin, this was its sublime soundtrack.
10) Ludovico Einaudi: Nightbook
Piano, strings, slight electronics and percussion evoking a moonlit cityscape. Beautiful.
11) Royksopp: Junior
Uncool and unnoticed, the Bergen duo created a career best album.
12) Fuck Buttons: Tarot Sport
A sonic surge of dirty, happy squelchy tub-thumping electronica.
13) Madness: The Liberty of Norton Folgate
Life in the old dogs yet – and their best album since Rise and Fall.
14) Wilco: Wilco
As soft as cashmere, and luxurious as, erm, Ferrero Rocher? More, probably.
15) Seven Worlds Collide: Seven Worlds Collide
Neil Finn and friends release double album for charity. Not as bad as it sounds.
16) Fever Ray: Fever Ray
Side project that’s no half-arsed hobby horse. Dreijer Andersson, one half of The Knife mixes electronica with soul.
17) The XX: XX
Believe the hype (don’t see also ‘Glasvegas’).
18) Roseanne Cash: The List
Johnny’s eldest carries on the name (and his favourite songs) with class.
19) Leisure Society: The Sleeper
Big, beautiful West Coast sounds, with ‘Last of the Melting Snow’ the Christmas No1 that’ll never be.
20) Dan Deacon: Bromst
Gorgeous soundscapes from a man who, like Cheryl’s hair, has got his mojo back.
21) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
22) Bat For Lashes: Two Suns
23) múm: Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know
24) Great Lake Swimmers: Lost Channels
25) Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz
26) Filthy Dukes: Nonsense in the Dark
27) Vetiver: Tight Knit
28) Golden Silvers: True Romance
29) Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
30) Mirah: (A)Spera
so predictable
only joking. not sure on The XX or Neko Case. And hers is the worst LP cover. Never been a fan of Madness either. The Rosanne Cash concept was right up my street, but too much polish on the record. Lovin the rest though boss… Grizzly Bear, ace; got into Decemberists record too; Wilco could be their best; love the Low Anthem too. Missing? Bruce, white denim, wild beasts, broken records, pete yorn…
Give Roseanne time to soften. And, Wild Beasts, yeah, they could’ve made it. Bruce, I think, it’s no ‘Magic’…
Definitely missing some Wild Beasts and White Denim. Basically needs more ‘W’s. Solid list though.
Why did I forget Wild Beasts? And me a son of Kendal? Shame.
As suspected, I am now officially out of touch; I own none of these and have heard of barely half of them. So when you want to live, how d’you start, where d’you go, who d’you need to know?
let me do you a mix tape! (and don’t knock yourself, you’d heard of CasioKids, and they’re far more underground!)
Hurrah! Can’t remember the last time someone made me a mix tape. Thanks. (Erm…it won’t actually be a tape, will it?)