- Top Tens
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.
- Top Tens
Well it's that time of year again.
If you would like your Top Ten added for 2014 just drop us a mail with your selections for any of the categories below to:
Thank you.
Top Ten Albums (UK release in 2014)
Top Ten Gigs
Top Ten Festival performances
Best Song (One only)
- Top Tens
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;
David Bowie |
The Next Day |
Israel Nash Gripka |
Israel Nash's Rain Plans |
Jason Isbell |
Southeastern |
The Leisure Society |
Alone Aboard The Ark |
Caitlin Rose |
The stand-in |
Jagwar Ma |
Howlin' |
Vampire Weekend |
Modern Vampires of the City |
Local Natives |
Hummingbird |
Kurt Vile |
Wakin on a Pretty Daze |
Daft Punk |
Random Access Memories |
I Am Kloot |
Let It All In |
Steve Mason |
Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time |
Frightened rabbit |
Pedestrian verse |
Kanye West |
Yeezus |
Savages |
Silence Yourself |
Sigur Ros |
Kveikur |
Apparat |
Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre) |
British Sea Power |
Machineries of Joy |
Lisa Knapp |
Hidden Seam |
Low |
The Invisible Way |
Mark Kozelek and Jimmy Lavalle |
Perils from the Sea |
Toy |
Join The Dots |
Daniel Avery |
Drone Logic |
Dutch Uncles |
Out Of Touch In The Wild |
East of Eden |
Contagion |
Eluvium |
Nightmare Ending |
Haim |
Days are Gone |
Johnny Marr |
The Messenger |
Lorde |
Pure Heroine |
Manic Street Preachers |
Rewind The Film |
Midlake |
Antiphon |
Milo Greene |
Milo Greene |
Turin Breaks |
We Were Here |
Biffy Clyro |
Opposites |
Houndmouth |
From the Hills Above the City |
Mogwai |
Les Revenants |
Neko Case. |
The Worse Things Get |
Stone Sour |
House of Gold & Bones pt2 |
Stornoway |
Tales From Terra Firma |
The Kissaway Trail |
Breach |
Fallen Trees |
No Country for Poor People |
Jagwar ma - Dub |
The Time and Space Machine Dub Sessions |
Jonathan Wilson |
Fanfare |
Public Service Broadcasting |
Inform, Educate, Entertain |
The Civil Wars |
The Civil Wars |
Wampire |
Curiosity |
Camera Obscura |
Desire Lines |
Fallout Boy |
Save Rock & Roll |
Keaton Henson |
Birthdays |
Pet Shop Boys |
Electric |
Tracer |
El Pistolero |
Deap Valley |
Sistrionix |
Filthy Boy |
Smile That Wont Go Down |
Peace |
In Love |
Shinedown |
The Warner Sound live |
Tift Merritt |
Travelling Companion |
Ulrich Schnauss |
A Long Way to Fall |
Waxahatchee |
Cerulean Salt |
White Denim |
Corsicana Lemonade |
Boards of Canada |
Tomorrows Harvest |
Drenge |
Drenge |
Heidi Talbot |
Angels Without Wings |
Laura Veirs |
Warp & Weft |
Money |
The Shadow Of Heaven |
Paul McCartney |
New |
Pearl Jam |
Lightning Bolt |
The Men |
New Moon |
Bella Hardy |
Battleplan |
Bring me the Horizon |
Sempiternal |
oldheart Assembly |
Long Distance Sound Effects |
Jake Bugg |
Shangri La |
Lord Huron Lonesome Dreams |
Lonesome Dreams |
Mark Kozelek & Desertshore |
MK & D |
Primal Scream |
More Light |
San Fermin |
San Fermin |
Suede |
Bloodsports |
Bon Jovi |
What About Now |
Cloud |
Comfort Songs |
Connan Mockassin |
Caramel |
Ed Harcourt |
Back Into The Woods |
Everything Everything |
Arc |
Fuzzy Lights |
Rule of Twelfths |
Heirlooms of August |
Down At The 5-Star |
London Grammar |
If You Wait |
Night Beds |
Country Sleep |
Phoenix – Bankrupt! |
Bankrupt! |
The Besnard Lakes |
Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO |
Unknown Mortal Orchestra |
II |
- Top Tens
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
- Top Tens
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
- Top Tens
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.
- Top Tens
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!
- Top Tens
if you would like your Top Ten added for 2013 just drop us a mail with your selections to:
Categories are:

- Top Tens
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
- Top Tens
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
- Top Tens
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
- Top Tens
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