Top Tens

02 December 2014

1. The War in Drugs - Lost in the Dream

2, East India Youth - Total Strife Forever

3. Beck - Morning Phase

4. Jamie T. -Carry on the Grudge  

5. Perfume Genius - Too Bright

I bought the usual 50+ CDs this year.  Like most of them, but they don't really hit the mark as top ten.  So I have a top 5

Kevin B.

20 January 2014

Thank you to all who cast their votes this year.. 100 albums received individual nods of approval and our combined Top Ten Albums of 2013 looks like this:

1          The National    Trouble Will Find Me

2          Laura Marling  Once I was an Eagle

3          John Grant      Pale Green Ghosts

4          Parquet Courts            Light up Gold

5          Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds     Push the Sky Away

6          Arcade Fire      Reflektor

7          Arctic Monkeys           AM

8          Foals   Holy Fire

9          Phosphorescent          Muchacho

10         These New Puritans    Field of Reeds

Other albums receiving votes;

10 December 2013

Top Albums

1.    Jagwar Ma                             Howlin

 2.    Johnny Marr                        The Messenger

 3.    Frightened Rabbit              Pedestrian Verse

 4.    Local Natives                      Hummingbird

 5.    Camera Obscura               Desire Lines

 6.    Haim                                      Days are Gone

 7.    White Denim                       Corsicana Lemonade

 8.    Neko Case                          The Worse Things...

 9.    Night Beds                         Country Sleep

10.   San Fermin                        San Fermin

Read more ...

10 December 2013

Top Albums

1. Arcade Fire                                       Reflecktor

2. Arctic Monkeys                                AM

3. The National                                     Trouble Will Find Me

4. John Grant                                        Pale Green Ghosts

5. Vampire Weekend                           Modern Vampires of the City

6. Queens of the Stone Age              Like Clockwork

7. Foals                                                   Holy Fire

8. Manic Street Preachers                 Rewind the Film

9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds        Push The Sky Away

10. Laura Marling                                 Once I was an Eagle

 Reg 

09 December 2013

Albums

1. The National- Trouble Will Find Me

This record maintains a level of sophistication that no other album has this year and includes a number of standout songs. A fantastic record, and one in my view, that deserves to number one.

2. Milo Greene- Milo Greene

So near, yet so far. This record was my number one for most of the year, but fell at the final hurdle. This west coast pop rock band have produced a fine record filled with great songs, catchy riffs and lyrics to match. Only downside is its length.

3. The Kissaway Trail- Breach

A fantastic record from the Danish trio. It's been a few years since their last offering and after loosing a few members they have come back with an equally strong record this time round.

4. Sigur Ros- Kveikur

There aren't too many superlatives left to describe this album, but after taking time out, and losing members, Sigur Ros have come back bigger and better than before with their best album since Takk...

5. Local Natives- Hummingbird

The second record from the Los Angeles natives, produced by The National's Aaron Dessner was a corker to say the least. Nearly four years since the release of their debut, most people could be forgiven for forgetting about this band, but boy are they back.

6. Peace- In Love

A band from Worcester, who act like they are from Brooklyn. This is a debut that provides the swagger and rock n roll that a lot of indie bands lack.

7. Paul McCartney- New

Whatever you do, don't underestimate this record. Macca may have been on the tail end of some dodgy hits over the past decade, but this proves that working with the right people really does deliver.

8. Dutch Uncles- Out Of Touch In The Wild

The second coolest thing to ever come out of Marple, Dutch Uncles bring their typical time signatures to the mainstream with their toe tapping third record.

9. Everything Everything- Arc

Everything Everything returned this year with a sophisticated indie record that put them well on the road to success. This singles filled album is one that has seen their song writing improve tenfold.

10. White Denim- Corsicana Lemonade

Amazingly, their sixth album, this is a record that saw White Denim take a leaf out of The Black Keys book of success. A change from their usual sound to a catchier indie rock that, the masses want. A band to watch on the rise in 2014.

Read more ...

08 December 2013

Top Ten Albums 2013

1.         The National                           Trouble Will Find Me

To me, a greatest hits album straight off of the bat, I can play and sing-a-long to this album all day long.

2.         Eluvium                                   Nightmare Ending

An epic and awesome ambient masterpiece from Portland’s Matthew Cooper

3.         David Bowie                            The Next Day

The Thin White Duke returned as cool as ever

4.         Israel Nash Gripka                    Rain Plans

A new discovery this year. His latest album took over the Jonathon Wilson mantle of last year. Neil Young esqe and superb with it.

5.         Jason Isbell                              Southeastern

Ex Drive By Trucker. This album puts him up there with Ryan Adams as one of Americana’s finest songwriters.

6.         Low                                         The Invisible Way

This band keep churning out gems, this time with Mimi Parker’s vocals to the fore on the record with stunning results.

7.         Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds     Push the Sky Away

A master of the musical narrative and yet again with the Bad Seeds they didn’t disappoint, even getting back to a performance high with this record.

8.        Neko Case The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You

A career high on a record that does not shun away from the dark side of the topics covered on this devastatingly great LP

9.         Heirlooms of August                                   Down At The 5-Star

Ex-Red House Painter Jerry Vessel with a truly beautiful second album as Heirlooms of August

10.       Haim                                        Days Are Gone

Could not stop playing this infectious record for a month. Toes are still tapping!

Read more ...

01 December 2013

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31 December 2012

Thank you all who cast their votes this year.. 88 albums received individual votes and our combined Top Ten Albums of 2012 looks like this:

1. Django Django                       Django Django

2. An Awesome Wave                Alt-J   

3. Crown & Treaty                      Sweet Billy Pilgrim

4. Given To The Wild                  Maccabees  

Read more ...

31 December 2012

Top Ten Records of 2012

1.   Nada Surf - The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy

2.   Beach House – Bloom

3.   Grizzly Bear – Shields

4.   The Figgs - The Day Gravity Stopped

5.   The District Attorneys – Slowburner

6.   Ben Gibbard - Former Lives

7.   First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

8.   Earlimart - System Preferences

9.   Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light

10. Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO

Chris

30 December 2012

Only 3 as almost everything I bought in  2012 came out in 2011!

Top Three Records of 2012

1) Alt-J - An Awesome Wave

2) Django Django - Django Django

3) Father John Misty - Fear Fun

Top Ten Gigs

1) Jeff Mangum - Union Chapel

2) Stone Roses - Heaton Park

3) Django Django - SBE

4) Eddie Vedder - Apollo

5) Jack White - Brixton

6) Santigold - Heaven

7) Jonathan Wilson - Lexington

8) Laura Marling - Colston Hall

9) The Shins - Forum

10) Kurt Vile and the Violators - Forum

Only went to End of the Road so I've limited my list to 5:


Top Five Festival performances

1) Alt-J - EOTR

2) Antlers - EOTR

3) Alabama Shakes - EOTR

4) Jonathan Wilson - EOTR

5) Patti Smith – EOTR

Best Song

Alt-J - Breezeblocks

Best Musical experience of the year:

The overwhelming sense of love and happiness in the audience at the Stone Roses' Heaton Park Sunday gig.

Most disappointing musical experience of the year: 

Leonard Cohen cancelling his Hop Farm gig and shifting it to Wembley (I claimed my refund)

Best Book  

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Best Film

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Lou @ReluctantLou 

29 December 2012

Top Ten Records of 2012

1. The Maccabees, Given To The Wild

2. Mystery Jets, Radlands

3. Hot Chip, In Our Heads

4. Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose

5. Spector, Enjoy It While It Lasts

6. David's Lyre, Pictures Of Our Youth

7. Beach House, Bloom

8. Field Music, Plumb

9. RoloTomassi, Astraea

10. Django Django, Django Django

Top Ten Gigs 

Beach House, London Roundhouse



Hot Chip, Southampton Guildhall



Race Horses The Lexington



Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, Southampton Cellar



Rolo Tomassi, Xoyo



Spector, 100 Club



Ed Harcourt, Cecil Sharp House



Guillemots, Village Underground



Jake Bugg, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Polica, Heaven

Bombay Bicycle Club, Portsmouth Guildhall


Top Ten Festival performances 

Richard Hawley, No Direction Home

The Low Anthem, Truck Festival

Pulled Apart By Horses, XFM All-Dayer, Camden Barfly


Django Django, No Direction Home

Peace, Dot-to-Dot Nottingham

Alt-J, Bestival

Mystery Jets, Truck Festival

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, Bestival

Willis Earl Beale, Bestival

Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, No Direction Home


Best Song  

Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, Lilliput


Best Musical experience of the year:

The BSP Krankenhaus club night series.  We went to all 7 Brighton events, each one a different eclectic mix of bands and fun, including an early view of some up n coming 2012 bands like Palma Violets, and Savages first ever live performance.


Most disappointing musical experience of the year:

Getting to Lucy Rose gig a bit late at Winchester Railway and getting stuck at the back with the chattering Winchester youth. 


Best Book  

How To Watch The Olympics


Best Film  

The montage of film clips screened by Public Service Broadcasting as a backdrop to their fantastic live sets