Iddyoteque

The Week in music #2

2012-01-28T15:59:00.003Z

Yes, I know I missed one last week but there was no point reporting on just a couple of albums I heard. It's been a bit of a slow start to the year...up until this week that is. I've been off ill so it gave me a fair few chances to relax, listen to some classics and new albums.

Starting with the big leaks, Lana Del Rey's Born To Die is out there if anyone wants to have a listen since she's seemingly everywhere at the moment. I quite like the album, it trails off at the end, but if you want some nice Pop to listen to (in a similar vein to Gwen Stefani, I miss her) then give this a go. The hype around her is ridiculous, but to be fair she seems to be handling it pretty well. Good for her!

Another album to cause a few mini-excitements is Grimes' Visions, but it's a very divisive album. Similar to Gang Gang Dance's Eye Contact last year, squeaky vocals, synth-pop and a few J-Pop influences; I like it, and I honestly don't know why, because the first time I heard it it gave me an even worse headache than what I already had, but repeated listens later and it's something I can find myself listening to when hyped-up on sugar, or just a very immature and light listen.

Finally gave the new Guided By Voices album a go...not really that impressed. Feels half-finished and hit-and miss, and Tennis have a new album out too! They're probably the most inoffensive band ever, and it's a minor step up from their debut...but honestly, I have no idea where their 3rd LP will take them, they haven't really evolved their sound, so they might be the Pitchfork Oasis or something.

Of Montreal have exceeded themselves in pretentiousness too in Paralytic Stalks. They make Arcade Fire sound like The Vaccines; it's just a little bit too crazy for my liking, but I'm not giving up on it that easily.

That's about it! Next week I'll have an update on Perfume Genius (yay), Gonjasufi (hmm), Crippled Black Phoenix (ooooooh!), and perhaps Lambchop and Xiu Xiu...there's a fair bit of stuff coming out.

The Week in Music #1

2012-01-13T15:11:00.003Z

A new year brings new music, and at the moment things have started a bit slowly in terms of big names. There's still a few months before my favourite artists start releasing new material, but at the moment I'm just continuing to check out new stuff.

The best album I've heard so far this year (hah, only been 13 days...) is Cloud Nothings' 3rd album, where they've changed their sound from the Lo-Fi Punk to something a little more moodier. Quite a surprisingly good album and definitely a step up from last year's effort.

As for the best compilation, Pinch's Fabriclive is a good mix of Dubstep and Techno, and definitely something I can see myself listening to when I'm in the party mood. Lindstrom's latest album Six Cups of Rebel is a bit of a disappointment, it's a never-goes-anywhere kind of listen, and a very frustrating one at that. I really wanted to like it, but I can't bring myself to get enthusiastic about it.

The earliest contender for worst album of 2012 is almost definitely The Big Pink's Future This. Even though I thought their debut was alright, the 2nd album is an uninspiring and bland listen, and it just sounds like their repeated Dominoes 13 times.

Currently I still have to listen to Of Montreal's new album, I just hope it's much better than their last release, and a Dubstep offering from Goth-Trad (awful name, but it's a pretty solid album (needs more listens))

Interesting start to 2012 indeed.

Iddy's top 100: 3,2........1!

2011-12-18T15:58:00.001Z

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! (is now playing in your head)

So it's time to end this long list with the final 3. It's been so bloomin' stressful to try and order everything out, and unlike last year, there wasn't a definitive number 1 this time, and the order changed so many times over the last month.

Ask me again it might change, but I'm fairly certain this is it.

3. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

WARNING - this album will either drive you nuts and you'll curse me for putting it this high, or chances are you really like weird, Psychedelic Pop with squeaky female vocals...you'll fall into one or the other.

I really, really love this album, and it's hard to explain why. First of all, the lead single is a 12 minute slow build-up of a burst of happiness (the album opener Glass Jar), and then after that the album never really lets up. It goes from extremes to extremes, even includes a guest vocal performance by that guy from Hot Chip...y'know, that guy.

Then you have those random dance breakdowns, and believe me when I say it sounds fabulous when you're slightly drunk on wine at 1am on a Friday... Sounding interesting? Like I said at the start, it's a hugely divisive album. Don't say I didn't warn you.

2. Andy Stott - Passed Me By/We Stay Together

WARNING #2, these two mini-albums (released as one "big" album) WILL destroy your headphones, and I mean that in the way that it will reach the lower frequencies because it's such a bassy listen.

But I love this guy...I mean, pure bass love <3 Passed Me By is something like "swamp Techno", where it's devilishly dark and moody, while We Stay Together features longer, more progressive tracks that juggernaut. Like Bassy music? Want to listen to something...slightly different this year? Listen to these two.

By far and away the best "discovery" I made this year (thanks Atease)

Damn it, this is still number 1...

...It's a modern day classic if you ask me...

1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

A lot of things have been said about this album already and I'm not going to re-write all that. Instead, I'm just going to say that this album is just about the most perfect listen I've heard all year, there are no weak moments at all, and it's incredibly easy to love - I bought it for my mum and it's one of her favourite albums now!

It's also strange considering before her album was released, I was optimistic yes, but no-one was prepared for an album this good. We all know she's a bit of a legend, but it's great to see an artist still pushing their creative peak at the tender age of 40.

..and that's the end of 2011!

Thanks to those who've been reading. I know I'm not the best writer and all that, but I always like to make these lists and then look back over them at a later date. That, and it's also nice to celebrate good music, isn't it?

Merry christmas everyone, hope you all have a great 2012.

Iddy's top 100: 4

2011-12-18T13:13:00.000Z

4. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Oh hohoho, this was nearly number 1...very nearly, and considering there are 3 other albums above it, that's how undecided and confused more than anything as to what was my number 1 of 2011.

Personally, I reckon St Vincent goes from strength to strength. She hasn't released a single bad album, and continues to gather more fans, admirers and even casual listeners. I nearly saw her live a few weeks ago in the Deaf Institute, I was puzzled why she still plays in small venues :(

So what makes this album tick? It's pretty and kooky pop, throw in a few aggro, and it never ever gets dull. She deserves to be much bigger than what she is now.

Iddy's top 100: 5

2011-12-18T13:02:00.000Z

5. Lucy - Wordplay For Working Bees

"Wait, what? What is this shit?"

Well, this is yet another Techno album I got into this year, but it was a bit of a random choice. It was cruelly left out of Resident Advisor's top 20, but I'm pretty sure it's in every other Electronic music website's lists of 2011...or on most of them anyway.

Considering the genre it's very easy to get into it. I was pretty much hooked straight away, and this was always going to be the dark horse for my 2011 title. Unfortunately it didn't quite make it, but in any other year it could be top 3 at the very least. Poor Lucy.

Iddy's Top 100: 6

2011-12-17T18:57:00.001Z

6. Wild Beasts - Smother

This is where the going gets very tough. At one point Smother was top 3, then dropped a bit, then went back up, and has now eventually settled into 6th place.

It's very hard to pick my favourite track on this album, because I think the first half is flawless, and so is the album closer, and even the B-side Smother! I didn't hesitate to buy a ticket to see their show in Manchester next year, should be a great one.

Top 5 is coming tomorrow. I think I settled on a definitive one this time...

Iddy's top 100: 7

2011-12-17T18:41:00.000Z

7. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

This isn't a typical Hip-Hop album, it's so deep in weirdness, "pretentious" song titles and awkward time signatures, that it's one of the most outstanding albums of the year, nevermind just in the genre. Considering how odd it is at first, it became a favourite very quickly, and by the end of the year, I felt very comfortable with the music, and it usually takes me a while to get into Hip-Hop albums.

Iddy's top 100: 8

2011-12-17T13:13:00.002Z

8. The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Here is the first of his "albums" self-released this year, and it still sounds utterly brilliant 'till today. While the hype around Thursday was huge, Echoes of Silence is coming out soon hopefully (or in 2012...we will see)

So, what do I love about this album? Without sounding too much like a twit, he has a fairly druggy vibe about his music topics, lots of samples to give his music that really cool edge to it, and....it's free. Why lose out? Even if you don't like it, it's free! Bonus!

Great album, I'll continue to listen way beyond 2011.

Iddy's top 100: 9

2011-12-17T13:06:00.001Z

9. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

This album continues to please and bring about so many lovely melodies and surprises in each track. FF continue to evolve their sound without alienating their audience. I honestly think this is their best album, because some of the songs continue to grow on me even after listening to this album all year, and in a way it's nearly flawless. It's a tad too long, only a smidge, but I honestly have no other complaints. It's just too good.

Iddy's top 100: 10

2011-12-17T13:00:00.000Z

10. Machinedrum - Room(s)

Right, imagine an album where you can't stop dancing to....yeah, that's basically Room(s) in a nutshell. It is infectious how catchy some of the songs are, and they work on everyone too - I put it on at Uni and my friend (although drunk I admit) absolutely loved it. And she likes Paramore. See? Insta-win. Can't go wrong here.

Listen to it, thank me later. Or for those who have already heard it, just reaffirming how awesome this is.

Also, thanks to Machinedrum's hilarious picture for my end post on Muselive.

Hipster? Moi?

Iddy's top 100: 15-11

2011-12-17T12:31:00.002Z

I might finish this today y'know...

15. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

This is a surprise hit of an album. I always have liked them, but this here album has propelled them into the higher state. Not to mention the song Vomit, which is an absolute instant classic.

14. Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

KATE'S BAAAACK!!!!

Right, now that I got that out of my system (uber Kate Bush fan here), thankfully this album did not disappoint, and of course it wouldn't!! It was also released during my essay writing period, perfect background music, but it's also currently...snowing...ish in Wales (more like slush, but it's white anyway), so it's the perfect backdrop. It is such a great album, even the Stephen Fry collaboration is quite sweet, but the first 4 tracks are utterly perfect. Welcome back Kate, more in the future please.

13. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Moaaaar Ambient!!

I love this album, even if to some people it's a bit of a snooze-a-thon, but there's something very eerie and scary about it all.

I have been Ambient binging this year haven't I...I didn't even notice that, and this is not quite the final appearance of one either...

12. Tom Waits - Bad as Me

I literally had about 10% interest on this album because the man is a legend, but oh boy - what a great album it turned out to be! It jumped straight into the top 20 and has stayed there since. Even cruelly left out of Pitchfork's list (predictable bastards), it's highly regarded throughout the music world.

11. Grouper - AIA

Here's that one last slice of Ambient...

a double album worth of it too. I prefer the first cd because it has more distinctive tracks, but overall it's an otherwordly beast, but it's also a "love it or hate it" kind of album too. I absolutely love it.

Iddy's top 100: 20-16

2011-12-17T11:27:00.001Z

...and so the countdown reaches fever pitch.

20. Rustie - Glass Swords

It's not very hard to describe this music - Zelda video game music x far too much ecstacy = Glass Swords. I used a part of Hover Traps for my stop motion work in University recently and it fitted in with the theme perfectly ("Childhood memories", awww). I really didn't think much of it the first time I heard it, but now if I want a happy kick, I'd pick this everytime.

19. Kuedo - Severant

A more "mature" sound compared to Rustie, it was one of those albums that hit me straight away, built on layers and layers of electronic noise. It's a very unique and weird sounding album, another lucky pick.

18. Boris - New Album

Right, if you're a fan of Boris, look here now. If you're a fan of their heavy Psych riffs, you may want to look away. This Japanese-only release is a blend of Techno, Shoegaze, and J-Pop...*phew*. It sounds very confusing that, but it somehow works. It's just a bit of a mindfuck for old-time fans, but you can't blame a band for trying, I'm personally a massive fan of these guys, this album included.

17. Clams Casino - Instrumental

Making Hip-Hop beats for big-time rappers? Here's the instrumental collection (like it's named, huh). However it's far more interesting sounding than it lets out. For one thing, the production is smoooooth and dreamy, and even for instrumentals they make for their own standalone songs just as good. Must-listen.

16. The Horrors - Skying

Yeah they're not that interesting live, but I really liked their last album, so it was a no-brainer that I was going to listen to this too. It's lush - they've gone deeper into the psychedelic shoegaze territory - even sounding a bit like Pink Floyd on one or two songs - but also keeping that Pop Rock sound, but balancing the album with 9 minute monsters and something a little easier to digest for the casuals. Such a good album.

Iddy's top 100: 30-21

2011-12-16T11:38:00.002Z

Now that I'm finished with Uni for 2011, I have more time to sit back with a cup of tea in front of the fire and to finish this, hopefully by Sunday too. It's started snowing in my village, so the christmas spirit is well under way.

30. Pinch & Shackleton - Self-Titled

This is something of a Dubstep wet dream, similar to Kanye West's and Jay-Z's collaboration, except this time I feel like Pinch and Shackleton compliment each other seamlessly without neither dominating on their distinctive sound. If I had one gripe about it, it's probably that it's slightly too long, but otherwise it's a very enjoyable, dark and moody album.

29. LV & Joshua Idehen - Routes

Continuing with the Dubstep trend, this album has an injection of Funk into it compared to the last entry. It's probably a good starting point if you want something a little more danceable this year, and after listening to this all year it still remains a personal favourite of mine.

28. Panda Bear – Tomboy

It has nothing on Person Pitch, but even though it feels lacking and (dare I say it) "half-arsed" at times, some of the melodies are absolute gold. I think those positives outweigh the negatives, but it's another album that divides opinions on music forums.

27. Instra:Mental – Resolution 653

It's nearly impossible to categorise this into a genre, but let's say that this is experimental Electronic music, and some of it is gorgeous (Waterfall in particular) Mind-blowing at times.

26. EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints

I love this woman, basically because I saw her live and she shook my hand (or a very strange high five), and used my hand to strum her guitar (not a metaphor damn it!) But more importantly, her album is incredibly raw and full of "fuck you" attitude. They're even better live too.

25. Low – C’mon

I have a very soft spot for Low, they got me through some tough times this year, but I'd say that this album is such a lovely and easy listen, that it's a shame that some people consider it "boring".

24. Morphosis – What Have We Learned

Very creepy Techno music. It's probably more accessible than the previous Techno albums on this list too, but for a debut it's very impressive.

23. James Blake - Self-Titled

I am in two minds about this album, for one thing it is a very accomplished debut album, but I can't help but think it could have been a little better. That's just me nitpicking though, because from what I've heard from his later singles and EP's, album #2 will be just as good, if not better.

22. Mike Dehnert – Framework

I want to visit Germany just to experience the clubs and nightlife, and this is one of the reasons why. A little under-rated around some of the music reviewing websites and forums I go on, but I've always been hooked on it since I first heard it.

21. The Antlers – Burst Apart

For a very long time this was in the top 20, but it slid out right at the end as I compiled this list. Why? While it's a good album, after the first half of the album nothing really grabs me. Some of the songs are stunning (No Widows, French Exit), but compared to Hospice it doesn't have the same impact.

Iddy's top 100: 40(41?)-31

2011-12-15T15:29:00.005Z

Finally decided on my top 10, and boy did it change a bit.

Anyway, we still have a fair bit to go before that, so on with the list...

...damnit, I did the numbering wrong, so push everything back one place, and it's fine... silly me.

41. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar

I would recommend seeing them live about a billion times, the energy is amazing and it was definitely a highlight of 2011. The album is a little too long, but it has some stellar tracks on there, but my personal favourite will always be Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie. What a great way to open an album!

40. Roly Porter – Aftertime

Very moody ambient stuff again (there's a lot of ambient albums on this list...) but it's a bit of a slow burner this one. It reminds me of video game music in parts because it's brilliantly atmospheric.

39. 2562 – Fever

A Dubstep/Techno/Wonky Techno/Whatever you like to call it album made entirely out of old 70's disco record samples? Sounds crazy but it actually works. Doesn't always deliver, but when it does it's genius.

38. Oh Land – Oh Land

A very good Pop record by Denmark's next big thing. She's highlighted Bjork's Homogenic album as her main inspirational album, and if her debut album is this good, expect big things in the future.

37. Balam Acab – Wander Wonder

This made a massive jump to the top 50 spot right at the very end, mainly because at first I just didn't like it at all (I preferred Shlohmo, but that album isn't even in the top 50 anymore) I've since changed my mind, but it's an album you'll either love or hate. Can't guarantee people will like it.

36. Tune Yards – WHO KILL

Another opinion divider. I pretty much liked it from the start, as it's such a kooky album filled with hooks and great melody.

35. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

This was top 20 for a while, but I guess I just...got a little bored of it. It's still a very good album though, but what ruins it for me is the awful 80's album closer. Otherwise it would probably slightly higher up.

34. Bruno Pronsato – Lovers Do

Oh hello there, "disappointing" album. By dissapointing I mean it's nowhere near as good as his last album. Nevertheless, another (sigh, lots of these!!) dividing album - very long tracks, not a lot of melody, but what it lacks in melody it makes up in atmosphere. If you're new to Techno I wouldn't recommend diving into this album straight away, but otherwise, give it a spin, it's pretty.

33. Radiohead – King of Limbs

Oh hello, this had to make an appearance somewhere. When it comes to ranking Radiohead albums, this is probably in the lower half, but it's still an album I enjoy when I put it on, the second half of the album in particular is so good.

32. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne

Doesn't quite reach the heights of Kanye's 2010 album, but it's an enjoyable listen nevertheless. Didn't quite live up to the hype around it.

31. Destroyer - Kaputt

One of the first albums I heard all year, and it's still one of the best. I find it quite a nice summer album actually, very chilled out Indie.

Iddy's top 100 - 50-41

2011-12-14T11:54:00.004Z

The top 10 is still an utter nightmare to order, which is why I'm taking my sweet time with this list. That and the fact I'll be going home from Uni tomorrow so I'll have far more free time to finish everything.

On with the show...

50. Marissa Nadler – ST

I saw this get a good review from Drowned in Sound, so I thought I'd check it out. It's a very sweet, summery Folk album, definitely easy on the ears and full of melodies.

49. Surgeon – Breaking The Frame

Not an album for everyone, but it starts off as a lively Techno album before dissolving into an Ambient state. Bit of an odd transition but it somehow works.

48. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li kicked 2011's door down with this powerful Pop album. She's a lady that's going places, and good ones at that. Get Some is still one of my favourite songs of the year.

47. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

The ever-consistent Laura Marling hasn't put a foot wrong as far as I'm concerned. On her 3rd album she ventures down a more darker sound, but in a way I always wanted her to do that. She says she may go in a more "Punk" direction for her 4th album...whether she will or not, it'll be interesting nevertheless.

46. Class Actress – Rapprocher

In my Word document notes for this year's list, I put this under the short description:

SO BRING IT AWWWWWN, BRING ON THE WEEEEEKEEEEND!

Now, go quickly and listen to this slice of 80's nostalgia Pop, because it is a treat. One of my favourite random listens of the year, and definitely one to watch in the future. I've already converted James Lewis, more people now. Go! Spotify!

45. The Weeknd – Thursday

This is the weaker of the Weeknd albums/mixtapes/compilations or whatever, still no sign of the third and final part though, but it's still a good listen. However, if you're going to check out this guy this year, I'd listen to House of Balloons first...who knows where that will place...
I'd file it under druggy R&B, but not the Rihanna kind. Oh no sir.

44. Josh T. Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen

I'm not sure why this is so high, but it's an album that screams patience, and at times it can be downright painful and time consuming...and tiresome, but when the good bits come, they make it all worthwhile. Slow and moody Folk.

43. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica

Weird sampled Ambient. Definitely not a first listen love-in, but it reminds me of Burial in some places - it takes an age to immerse yourself in the music. If you check out one song from this album, make sure it's Replica.

42. Bjork – Biophilia

My favourite artist is baaack! Just like The King of Limbs, you either like or dislike this album, and fortunately I'm in the like camp. It doesn't have the dance qualities of her last album, but instead focuses more on atmosphere like Vespertine. Pick of the tracks? Mutual Core, one of her best songs in the last 10 years I'd say.

41.Smith Westerns – Dye it Young

Easy peasy Indie Rock. Another album I can't really explain why I like it so much, I guess it's a very accessible album to listen to (vocals can grate though), but it's also a fun and a bit of comic relief in this chart after some serious listens.

Sorry about the lack of pictures on the last few albums. Kind of in a rush, but I'll edit it once I get back from Uni :)

(If I can remember, I have the memory of a goldfish with these things)

My top 100 - 100-51

2011-12-12T13:13:00.002Z

Right, sorry this is a day late (for those who read, hurr), but it took a little longer than I thought to get this list done. I'm still going through the top 20 actually. It is a nightmare to get things right because I don't think I have a clear favourite album for once.

Right, onto the rollout! Lots missed the cut, but nevermind about that (some have "best tracks" or BT next to them):

51. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Kate Bush – Director’s Cut

The second Kate Bush album to appear on my list. Let's see where the first one comes in...

Stateless – Matilda

John Maus – We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves BT: Quantum Leap

Nicholas Jaar – Space is Only Noise BT: Space Is The Only Noise If you Can See

Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation

Robag Wruhme – Thora Vukk

Kode9 and the Space Ape – Black Sun

TV On The Radio BT: You

60.Battles – Gloss Drop

That's a pretty strong bunch right there. All of them were in the top 50 at one point, before September and later releases pushes them back (or I somehow got bored of them, I'mm looking at you TVOTR)

61.Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo BT:Ghost Town

Jamie XX/ Gil Scott Heron – We’re New Here BT: NY Is Killing Me

The Field – Looping State of Mind

Shlohmo – Bad Vibes

Feist – Metals

And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs BT: Search:Party:Animal

Area Forty_One – Discharging Clouds

Demdike Stare – Triptych

Yuck – Yuck BT: Operations/ Get Away

70. Perc - Wicker & Steel

Still a strong patch. I feel guilty for putting some albums so low, but that's how it pans out in the end...

71. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See

Planningtorock – W

Dustin O’Halloran - Luminaires BT: We Move Lightly

Tobias – Leaning Over Backwards BT: We Stick To The Plan

British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting

Mastodon – The Hunter

80.Cut Copy – Zonoscope

I really like the Mastodon album but it's sooooo long. If it was a few tracks shorter it would probably be in the top 50.

Boris – Heavy Rocks

2nd Boris album to appear on the list (there are 3 in total!), but the 3rd album (Attention Please) missed out on the top 100.

Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine

Atlas Sounds – Parallax

Wilco – The Whole Love

Esben and The Witch - Violet Cries

Austra – Feel It Break

Azari & III - ST

Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs Evil BT: I Did Crimes For You

Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning

90. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Tao of The Dead BT: Pure Radio Cosplay

RUN AWAY BEFORE PORCUPINE TREE FANS COME!!

91. Cass McCombs – Wit’s End

Cosmin TRG – Stimulat

Zola Jesus – Conatus

BNJM – Black Square

The Lost Rivers – My Beatific Vision BT: Death of Eve

Margaret Dygas Perlon – Margaret Dygas

Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean BT: Big Burned Hand

Iceage – New Brigade

Liturgy – Aesthethica

100.James Pants – ST

Woop. Now that's out of the way, later this week I'll roll out the top 50 in fabulous style...

The 2011 Iddy awards.

2011-12-08T16:15:00.002Z

Just bits and bobs of stuff I've enjoyed and despised over the year. Just put the kettle on, make a brew, and sit back :)

(ok, this has turned into random crap near the end...)

Artist of the year:

Andy Stott.

Two EP's, or count both as one LP like I do, of amazing dark techno music that caused quite a stir on forums and Electronic music sites across the internet. Throw in the fact that this guy was completely new to me this year, and he's quickly become one of my favourite artist in general.

Runners up:

Mike Denhert

The Joy Formidable

The Weeknd

Song of the year:

Glass Jar - Gang Gang Dance

An 11 minute behemoth that could have easily kept going for much longer. The slow build up and eventual burst of joyous synth giddiness is something I never grow tired of. This track is not for everyone, but I eventually found myself listening to this all the time when in need of a little pick me up.

Runners up:

Video Games - Lana Del Rey

Cruel - St. Vincent

Getting Me Down - Blawan

Posers - Andy Stott

Codex - Radiohead

Video Game of the year:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I've only played this for about 15 hours because my PS3 is at home and not at uni, but those 15 hours have been glorious, and I've barely dented the surface of this game.

EP of the year:

Bricolage - Mike Dehnert

A Techno masterpiece. He's been on fire this year.

Runners up:

Laurel Halo

Lana Del Ray

Marcel Dettman

Gig of the year:

The Joy Formidable, And So I Watch You From Afar & Creatures of Love at Manchester Academy

A perfect gig. Support acts were all great, but the main star was Ritzy Bryan. She can command the audience by just standing there.

Dog of the year:

Nel

Just because.

What I want for 2012:

End of Everything Party organised by me for December 21st 2012 - Bring everything and anything you want. If the world ends, great! If it doesn't, we'll have an awesome party to remember.

Mass Effect 3

NEW SSX

The Year of The Iddy

Did I like 2011?

No.

New Years Resolutions:

Stop smoking so much casually.

Listen to more music (yay!)

Favourite boardies of the year:

cnc and Ash.

God and Goddess of the year:

Kate Bush and James Lewis.

Music genius and tea-making master.

Welsh person of the year:

Amy Cook

Her tea is also amazing.

Best TV show ever:

The Wire

Best album ever:
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

Iddy's top 100 - the worst/most disappointing albums.

2011-12-08T13:38:00.003Z

2011 has been pretty consistent, but there are some albums that failed to click. Here's the list of 10 I found most disappointing, or in some cases, just downright awful.

1. Jessie J - Who You Are

I'm always willing to give new pop starlets a chance, and after I saw her on Jools earlier in the year, I thought she was pretty good. No dramatics - just good ol' acoustics and voice. And she has a good one.

But the album is an overlong mess of a few decent songs, and a majority of throwaway Pop. Nobody's Perfect stands out for having that annoying acrobatic vocals, or as I call it - gurgled vomit.

She's good a good future ahead of her, but...yeah, not to my liking, sorry.

2. The Vaccines - What Do You Expect From The Vaccines?

The future of British guitar music? If this is the future, then I might as well give up now.

3. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Viva La Vida was a hit for me personally, so I was quietly optimistic about this album...until I heard Every Tear... and Paradise. The rest of the album doesn't do it for me either, and it's a real shame because I enjoyed their set at Glastonbury. The production was also incredibly thin and disappointing - a forgetful album.

4. Justice - Audio, Video, Disco

This isn't awful but it is a bitterly disappointing album. Most of it sounds like what Muse would do if they went all electronica and did stadium electro rock. Civilisation is still a great song

though.

5. Emika - Emika

Another slightly disappointing one. After Double Edge was one of my favourite tracks from last year, the album sounds like it mumbles itself through without having Double Edge's nastiness. But hey, some love it, but unfortunately it doesn't do it for me. Not bad, but not something I'd stick on all the time.

6. IAMX - Volatile Times

Not bad by any means again, but by far the most disappointing IAMX album in my eyes. I'm either getting bored of his music (I really hope not), or it just didn't click. There's hardly any songs I'd call memorable.

7. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

I should point out that I DO NOT FIND THIS ALBUM BAD, before I get angry em

ails from Florence fans. In fact, the first half is great, but the second half for me trails off a little. Still, I'm a fan of What The Water Gave Me, and I think she's a good artist for British Pop, so keep going Welchy.

8. Zomby - Dedication

Nah, sorry. It just doesn't do it for me as it does for other people. An enjoyable listen but it feels unfinished (even if all the songs are very short, which I don't mind), but it feels like an album of sketches, rather than full bodied short songs.

9. Zola Jesus - Conatus

I'm a huge fan of this woman and I saw her live a few weeks ago, but the album didn't live up to my hype. It's still a good listen, but it could have been so much better.

10. Bruno Pronsato - Lovers Do

This is actually one of my favourite albums of the year, but it has nothing on his previous masterpiece:

Iddy's top 100 albums of the year!

2011-12-07T11:25:00.003Z

Oh come on, I'm not not going to do one of these, it's an unhealthy thing for me to create lists. The magazines and online publications are rolling out their lists steadily (my current favourite is FACT's list, but NME's is surprisingly not bad!)

This post will just be a teaser really - over the year I've heard about 145 albums, which is a crazy amount, but this time I just went for as much spotifying, gigs, and other random music recommendations I could find. Maybe you'll notice the increase in Techno/Dubstep music this year, I really got into those two genres of music this year, and I'm very glad I did.

As always, this list is totally personal and doesn't mean that my opinion is fact. This week, I'll start off with some Iddy awards, my worst albums of the year, disappointments, 2012 albums I'd love to see, and just a general look back over the past year. I'll probably start that tonight if I have time.

The main rollout will probably begin on Sunday.

Origin of Symmetry - cheers!

2011-08-22T16:29:00.004+01:00

So this Friday I'm off to Leeds to watch some bands and artists that take my interest. When I initially bought my ticket, the main attraction was Death From Above 1979, who play a handful of gigs around the country before (hopefully?) releasing a new album soon.

They were the main attraction. Right now that focus has shifted to Friday night's headliners Muse, who are a good live band, but over the last few years I've simply just...grown a bit tired of their stuff. I'm not a fan of The Resistance at all, and Neutron Star Collision...yeah, no thanks.

However, this time around it's a little different. Origin of Symmetry - their 2nd album - is 10 this year, and it continues to be one of my favourite albums to this day. The band have decided to play the whole album in full to celebrate its birthday, and personally speaking, it'll be a great way to see Muse for perhaps the final time, or the final time in the near future anyway. With Uni coming up, I doubt I'll be able to afford future gigs, and even if the future material is good, work + money = less live music, which isn't the best thing in the world, but I'll have to limit my music expenditure!

What I will take from the Muse gigs are the numerous amount of fan meet-ups and banter, many of whom I've become great friends with, and for that reason alone, I'll always have something to thank the band for.
Whether it's trodding in the mud at V Festival in 2008, bragging about seeing Space Dementia and Dead Star live, or collapsing at Manchester last year during Feeling Good (serves me right for only eating muffins all day) great memories I'll always remember.

We'll see what I'll do to celebrate at Leeds, probably bring a vinyard with me...

Cheers, Muse!

The White Stripes split-up

2011-02-02T18:03:00.003Z

Never thought this would happen so soon to be honest. Everyone knew that there was a slight chance they might never record again after they cancelled a string of shows back in 2007, due to Meg suffering anxiety problems, but to do a full announcement (albeit via their website) that they had split up? Well, the reaction from this young female is as follows;

Gutted.

I hate to use that word, but that's the best way to describe it. The White Stripes have been in and around my musical scope ever since the days of Seven Nation Army (when I was 11); it doesn't make me a hardcore fan or anything, but for a girl at that age it made a huge impression.
First off; it rocked. It was the catchiest thing I'd probably ever heard, and it was such a great song that everybody loved from around the world. Even to this day, football and gig crowds still chant it. The video really bewitched me too, and for someone who only really listened to low-grade Pop and 90's club floorfillers (thanks to my sisters) back then, this was a huge eye opener, and it's basically thanks to The White Stripes for getting me into "Rawwwk".

Later on I discovered the rest of their discography, slowly becoming an admirer of all their work. I love the fact that their live shows are so unpredictable (they literally make up the setlist on the spot), I love how minimal their stage set-up is, I love the look, the bluesy influence...just about everything about them I thought was great. You could always count on the two of them to drum up something great.

Just hope we see some great post-White Stripes solo stuff from Jack now, and I hope Meg pops up now and again!

In other news Gary Neville has retired from football, but no-one really cares about that.

5 things I've learned this week - 21st January

2011-01-21T14:57:00.003Z

I think I should do this a weekly thing, because there's always something going on either in music, films, games, or whatever that springs to mind...

1. Dubstep is very cool

I find myself listening to more Dubstep these days than ever before; maybe it's the cold weather? Or maybe it's because the good stuff is really great? Forget about the stuff on the radio; for real treats I'd recommend digging deep and checking out compilations and blogs/websites such as Fact Magazine for the latest and greatest.
What's also interesting about this genre is that some artists are already looking at what you can do with Dubstep elements, but in an entirely different way; Post-Dubstep if you will, artists such as Jamie Woon and James Blake have already been mentioned in this blog in the past, but there's probably more out there that I haven't heard of yet.
Chasing Voices: ‘Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit’ is my latest Dubstep crush. Unfortunately it's only on vinyl and I can't find it on youtube, but I did get a sneaky link earlier in the week, and it sounds terrific.

2. Actress has an exciting 2011 ahead of him

Apparently he's already recorded 2 albums since Splazsh! Some more space-aged Techno beats would go down well with this writer, considering I heard Hazyville for the first time this week, and thought it was great straight away.

3. Play.com is very slow these days

I used to always buy stuff on Play because I got them within the next 3 days. Nowadays I'm lucky if I get it in the same week! Maybe it's time I switched back to Amazon for my music/games/films etc. At least on Amazon I'm a "Prime" member (whatever that means)

4. Black Swan is as good as they say it is, and more importantly; Natalie Portman was fantastic.

I saw it for the first time a few days ago, which is quite late in internet terms since it came out in the States a while ago I think, but it was worth it. It's out today in the UK, and whilst this has been gathering quite a hype, I'd say "go and watch it" myself too.
Portman was the real star of the film however, not only did she act the part well, there were times where you were genuinly excited/terrified of what her character Nina would do next. Meg Griffin was great too! :)

5. Britain isn't really that great to live in at the moment

I'm talking about rise in fuel costs (which is shocking, considering I remember it was only 79p when I was 10 or so!!) rise of casual material, rise of food and drink, rise, rise, rise etc. The only thing that's not rising is wages, and with a tough economic road still ahead of us, times are only going to get tougher, especially with the ConDems in charge. Oh Clegg, how you've let me down...

R.I.P. Trish Keenan

2011-01-15T12:55:00.003Z

Broadcast has always been a solid band, but what made them shine was Trish Keenan's beautiful vocals. She's right up there with Liz Fraiser and Bilinda Butcher for me - she could transport you to a peaceful place with her singing.
One of the best examples of how hypnotizing her vocals is, listen to Echo's Answer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7-gk_RsIL0

That's by far my favourite Broadcast song, because it's very minimal and the focus through the entire song is on Keenan. It's amazing at how simple it is, yet you're still absorbed in the middle of it.

Tender Buttons (album) is another example of Keenan at her best. Truly a sad and unexpected loss.

Who to look out for in 2011 - The Iddy list.

2011-01-12T11:01:00.004Z

I must have read a dozen 'Big Things of 2011' lists, where everyone from newcomers and old heads alike are featured. I've compiled a list without the NME Beady Eye and Strokes bias and "Hipinions" across the internet for a nice, varied list. I'll try and keep it simple...

Radiohead

There's been a few whispers and words from the band themselves, but so far nothing concrete has popped up since These Are My Twisted words. They've played a few new songs already, including Give Up The Ghost, Lotus Flower, Present Tense, and probably a lot more that we don't know about. With no idea how this is going to sound like - whether it'll be Ambient Techno, or Stadium Rock (God forbid) - this is one of the releases to look forward to most in 2011.

Jay Z & Kanye West

After the brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy from Kanye last year, there's high anticipation for his collaboration with Jay Z, who's been responsible for some of the best Hip-Hop in the last decade; this will either be a triumph or a huge disappointment. I'm hoping for the former, because I like these two a lot. Time will tell I guess!

Lady Gaga

Yes - she's back. Bigger than ever apparently, because in her words, her 2nd album Born This Way is "The best record of the decade". Bold words, and now with that added pressure, can she deliver? However good it'll be, I can guarantee that she wont leave our TV screens and airwaves for the remaining year. Gaga haters, prepare to hide under a rock. Gaga fans, it's going to be an exciting few months before the release of Born This Way. The self-titled single is coming out mid-February.

Zola Jesus

After last year's excellent extended EP, Stridulum II, she should be back this year with a brand new shiny album. I'm getting quite excited myself and I have high hopes.

Portishead

Thankfully we wont see an eleven-year gap between Third and the fourth album; the upcoming album is scheduled for release this year, and after the Twit-rant by Geoff Barrow, us fans wait with anticipation as to what's to come. All three albums in my opinion are fantastic, and I'm hoping for the same in their next release.
Fleet Foxes

After a tense wait in 2010; nothing surfaced. So it was with much relief when Robin Pecknold wrote on the Ateaseweb forum that the new album is in its mastering stage, and even joked that it would "leak sooner rather than later". Watch this space...

Jamie Woon

I would put down James Blake, but mostly everyone's heard of him (his album leaked a few weeks ago too) so I've put the spotlight on the other "Post-Dubstep" artist. In The Night Air was released late last year to positive response, and with a new album out this year promising more moody music, Woon might possibly overtake Blake in the popularity stakes. Somehow, I can't see The Wilhelm Scream being played on daytime radio with Fearne Cotton screaming "choon!" in the background.

Justice

It's been so quiet in the direction of the French duo's music news that I'm starting to wonder if this will ever be released. I'm hoping it will though, but as I've heard nothing so far, we'll put this under the 'maybe' pile. If it's anywhere near as good as their debut, I'll be happy.
Another band that's been relatively quiet is...

Battles

...but information is starting to creep out. There's a lot going on in there apparently; "music to dance to, music for big cinematic epics, creepy music" etc. and a lot more to it. More Battles is always welcome, as it's been nearly four long years since Mirrored.

Bjork and the "Next Bjork"

"It will be announced in the next few months", let's hope that this is the case. Volta wasn't the best, but it wasn't the death of music of Iceland's most famous daughter. She had a pretty full year in 2010; duetting with Olof Arnalds and Dirty Projectors, so to finally hear LP7 this year would be a welcome return. Expect a more focused sound, with more electronics than you can shake a stick at.
So who's this "Next Bjork"? A certain duo called Oh Land; "With an opera singer for a mother, a theater organist for a father and Björk’s Homogenic on constant rotation, Oh Land was enraptured by the combination of experimental and classical arts. " - sounds great! Definitely someone to look out for this year, and with a year full of young new female singers (Jessie J, Katy B, Anna Calvi, Claire McGuire) and the return of experienced seniors (Florence and The Machine, Gaga, Annie) 2011 looks like the year of the females!

Top 100 of 2010: #2 and #1!

2010-12-28T14:57:00.004Z

...of if I'm honest, these two deserve to be tied number 1, but I'll go with what my heart says (awww) and keep the ranking as it is.

So, in second place is an album of epic proportions - it's due for general release in 2011, but as I've been a fan since first hearing their self-titled way back in 2008 (back in the days of musical n00biness, awww) I'm on the band's email list, so I had a chance to hear this before it went on general sale. My name is going to be in all future editions of this album! :)

I'm talking about a band called Amplifier - a Manchester trio that hammers home some incredible riffs like the golden days of Muse, but with some futuristic progressive elements, or in short this would would be tagged as Space Rock, and it's a mamoth double album. I'm talking about The Octopus, an album that's been in the making for 4 years and has finally reared its beautiful head at the fag-end of the year.

2. Amplifier - The Octopus

For the first time, we also hear some piano and brass instruments added for the music to truly sound biblical. The riffs sound like it would crawl under your skin, and unlike Have One on Me, it doesn't fall into the trap of feeling too long, even though it's a double album.

It's a monsterous, epic, awesome album that I'd recommend it to everyone that likes some good ol' rock-the-f*ck-out music. So number 1 must be something like a quadruple album right? Errr...no. It's actually an R&B album that does all the little things perfectly; it's catchy, has more styles than Lady Gaga, and in some cases highly under-rated. It's incredible to think that it's her debut album too...

1. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid (Suites II & III)

I don't know why I love this album as much as I do, but it's one of the most colourful releases of the year without any doubt. It's got incredibly catchy songs with some great lyrics, and even a guest appearance by Big Boi (yaay!) - it's Funk, Art-Pop, Bowie-esque, Electronic, and big-band Jazz etc. all in one album. It's music schitzophrenia at its best.

And that's that. 2010 is over! Oh wait...Gorillaz have released another album!? Oh shucks...

Nevermind! There's about 4 2011 albums that I wanted to hear that's already leaked. Here's to another 100 great albums next year!

Top 100 of 2010: #3

2010-12-28T14:37:00.002Z

3. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I'm not a Kanye fan by any means; in fact I've always thought he was a bit of a "jackass" as Obama would put it, but I've never denied his musical talent. On Twisted Fantasy we see him get a load of his celebrity friends together to create a wonderful album full of diverse styles; an unforgetable Nicki Minaj power verse in Monster, and even a bit of Aphex Twin-sampling in Blame Game. In short, this is an album that surprised a lot of people on how good it actually is. I'd never thought I'd write about how Kanye West has delivered one of the albums of the year.

It's undeniably good - not quite 10.0 Pitchfork good - but close enough. I feel quite bad putting it down in 3rd place considering one of the two albums that's coming up is due for general release in 2011 (even though it was fan-ordered in 2010, so I guess it counts) This album should also be noted for Runaway, which is one of my favourite singles of 2010.

Top 100 of 2010: #4

2010-12-24T14:32:00.003Z

4. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me

This was my favourite album for a looooong time, but eventually it was beaten by 3 others right at the cigar-end of the year. I think what made it lose its top spot was the fact that it's over 2 hours long, and in reality it's either hard to listen to it in one go without distraction, or you could be slightly (just slightly) bored, especially during the middle of disc 2.
That's just a very minor criticism though, as it's a fantastic listen overall. The first disc alone could've been named my favourite CD of the year, with such tracks like Easy, Baby Birch, and the fan-favourite Good Intentions Paving Company, it's easy to see why it earned so much positive critical attention.

In any other year, this would probably be my number 1, and for a lot of reasons this has been my favourite listen all year. She's an exciting artist and I cannot wait for her next batch of songs.

The top 3 wont come until Boxing Day, so from myself I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Top 100 of 2010: #5

2010-12-23T11:12:00.005Z

I'll start off by saying that the top 5 was ridiculously hard to order. I've enjoyed all 5 albums immensly but at the end of the day, only one can be my number one! /cheeeeese

So, I decided with much remorse, that my 5th favourite album of the year is...

5. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

I'm disappointed because it has some of the best music he's ever released, and it's such a sad feeling to know that he probably wont tour or release a full album ever again. Drunk Girls is like if Bowie decided to do some Dance-Punk songs, and it's packed with some great moments - I Can Change (a playful little dance track that has synths to tie you up in a knot), One Touch (sounds like Matthew Dear came along for the ride) and the fabulous Home. But one track stands-out miles from the crowd for me; in fact, it's my favourite song of 2010 - Dance Yrself Clean. It starts off quiet enough, building up some steam as it goes along, and by this point (the first time I heard it that is) I thought I wouldn't hang around much, but then those synths are so...I can't quite put my words on it, but it goes crazy, like The Knife just tagged along or something. It's a brilliant song, and recently awarded the title of Atease Web forum's best song of 2010 - nice one!

Top 100 of 2010: #6

2010-12-22T13:45:00.003Z

6. Deerhunter - Halycon Digest

Probably the biggest surprise of 2010 for me. I really like Microcastle, and the whole weird-ass vibe it gives out is a nice listen if you fancy something different. So when I first heard Halycon Digest I was wondering if it was the same band - it's no longer too weird to put it into words, but full of playful melodies and sweet, sickly left-field Pop songs.

Amongst them is one of the best songs of 2010; Helicopter. It's like nostalgia music wrapped in glitter - bloody brilliant in other words.

Top 100 of 2010: #7

2010-12-21T14:59:00.003Z

7. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

And the award for the most bonkers album of the year goes to one of Warp Record's most exciting artists. Combining experimental Jazzy elements with some boomin' beats, throw in some Psychedelic elements, and a handfull of guests including Thom Yorke, and you've got one of the most lively and interesting albums released all year.

Quite hard to take-in all at once the first time, but I don't think that really mattered to me because I loved it from the moment I put it on.

Top 100 of 2010: #8

2010-12-20T11:27:00.003Z

8. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Lo-fi Pop at its best right here. It has so many styles within one album that it's like listening through a million different records at once, but it somehow manages to work - from the lovely Pop melodies of Bright Lit Blue Sky, to the Post-Punkish finale of Revolution's a Lie.

A special mention to Round and Round - one of the best songs I've heard all year, and is the highlight of one of the most interesting and fun albums I've heard this year.

Top 100 2010: #9

2010-12-19T11:38:00.002Z

9. The National - High Violet

For a band that I'd only heard a couple of albums before hearing this, this came as quite a pleasant surprise. All the songs are memorable and have their own little drawing point, and it's definitely up here with Alligator for me.
I guess what I love about this album is the fact that even though it's not the most original sounding music on the planet, but they get the basics spot-on; great melodies, lyrics, music...it's just a fantastic record to listen to full-stop.

Top 100 of 2010: #10

2010-12-18T10:51:00.003Z

10. Tomorrow, In a Year - The Knife, Mt Sims & Planningtorock

I think this album splits a lot of people's opinion on the normal music album format - for starters it's an opera based on Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species, which sounds incredibly complex, which pretty much is; 2 CDs packed with some of the most bizarre sounds you'll hear all year, and this being the definition of a difficult album to listen to.

Approach it with an open mind however, and it becomes a real journey into the unknown. It steadily grows - much like evolution itself, before coming into present day with some synths that sounds like The Knife we all know and love. I admit it takes a lot of patience at times to get through it all, but it's so worth it. It's a great album that I keep visiting from time to time, just to get a sense of peace. It's wierdly soothing...

Top 100 of 2010: 15-11

2010-12-16T17:43:00.003Z

15. The Besnard Lakes - ...Are The Roaring Night

I think this band get a bit of unfair press for being labeled "the next Arcade Fire", just because they feature a husband and wife duo and create some of the best music you'll hear all year. For me, they're like a more orchasteral version of Pure Reason Revolution mixed with some Shoegaze elements - Albatross is such a wonderful song, but opening the album is the two-part epic Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent. These two tracks show that they can create great songs no matter what length, and I'm very much looking forward to their future releases.

14. Sleigh Bells - Treats

Along with Fang Island, this was one of the albums that put the fun back into music. Their music is quite simple - the lyrics are everyday-like and so is the melodies, but the guitars pack such a punch, it's impossible to ignore it. That's why I love this album - you get some sweet sickly vocals in the foreground whilst there's carnage behind it. In reality it shouldn't work, but it somehow does. It's some of the coolest Pop music I've heard all year.

13. Perfume Genius - Learning

Quite simply - one of the most stunning albums I've heard all year. I got into this one quite late too, but better late than never! The music is largely stripped back and you can bearly hear the vocals, but it's quite similar to last year's Hospice album by The Antlers - it's very melancholy and tender, but because of its Lo-fi production there's also an air of mystery to it. For me anyway, it was one of those albums that made me go "wow" on first listen.

12. Caribou - Swim

I've always liked Caribou, but never really loved his music until I heard Swim. It has some of the most interesting Electronic music all year - combining some aspects of Shoegaze, Dubstep and brass elements to this already varied record. It might take a while to get used to the weird happenings in the music, but it's a great album that keeps getting better with each listen.

11. Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To The Sky

It starts off with a bang (infact, No Words/No Thoughts reminds me of the song Hun Joro by Sigur Ros) and so should an album that's the first one released since 1997. It's a terrifying return to form, and the album is quite a difficult listen at first, but it opens up the more you hear it. In a nutshell - it's one of the most powerful records I've heard all year, and very nearly made my top 10 before it was bumped back thanks to a very, very late entry...

Top 10 starting tomorrow! Yay!

Top 100 of 2010: 20-16

2010-12-16T12:09:00.003Z

20. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This was probably the album everyone was looking forward to. Whether you were a fan of their music or not, there was much hype and wonder at how this album would turn out to sound. It doesn't sound anything like previous 2 albums; introducing synths to their pallette of sounds which gave the songs that extra dynamic edge to them. Sprawl II is undoubtedly the star of the album - Regine singing at the top of her game whilst the music drew influences of Heart of Glass and some of The Knife's more optimistic moments from Deep Cuts. With a rumoured new album out in 2011, Arcade Fire will be a force in the music world for years to come.

19. Twin Shadow - Forget

Another great little discovery - it sounds like the soundtrack to Autumn and has some great little moments that make this album a very nice listen. To me, it's a tight, consistent album in comparison to Arcade Fire (to those who thought my placing of The Suburbs was too low) and its fanbase is growing quickly by the looks of things.

18. Hans Zinner - Inception OST

Having another soundtrack may be a little off, but I don't think I could not include this - for starters, Inception is probably my favourite film of the year, and part of that reason is because the music that came with it was stunning, and was a success factor in my eyes. When I listen back to the soundtrack I can replay the film in my head so easily, even though I've only seen it once.

17. Fang Island - Fang Island

Happy Hi-5 music would be the best way to describe this album. It never fails to raise a smile at least, and it's one of this year's most unique sounding albums. It's perfect in length as well, so you can have that quick little boost after a long hard day. I know I sound cheesy as hell, but I'd like them to play at my parties one day. Imagine the fun...

16. Menomena - Mines

Such a fantastic record this is - I got into it late though because I was in Kos when it was released, so I had to play catch-up. It's one of my favourite Rock records of the last few years actually, and after the massive disappointment of The Resistance last year, it's great to know that not every band is going down that cheesy stadium-path that everyone seems to be doing these days, Definitely a great album with some fantastic songs in there.

Next batch of 15-11 is coming tomorrow! It should be snowing a-plenty here too, so I'll have plenty of time to do it anyway.

Top 100 of 2010: 30-21

2010-12-15T11:14:00.006Z

30. Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

A beautiful record that should be heard by everyone who has an interest in music. Whether folk is your thing or not, I don't think anyone could deny how some songs (Kids on The Run, King of Spain, Love is All) come across as great songs that you could listen to over and over. I think what hit me most was Kristian Matsson's vocals - it's fragile, but in a way that sells the songs to you in a positive way. Definitely one of my favourite artists or 2010 too.

29. Drums of Death - Generation Hexed

"His music is a blend of techno, old school house, punk rock and electro" Whoa, I had to check this album out! I love a good dance album, so when Drowned In Sound gave it a good review, I couldn't pass on the chance to hear it. I'm glad I did too - one of the most under-rated records around, it sounds like the 1990s dance scene had come back to life and got its glowsticks out. It had that lovely voodoo-edge to it that I haven't heard from albums I've listened to thus far. He's been touring with Hot Chip and remixed tracks for Tricky and Franz Ferdinand - I think it's time he got recognition for his own material now.

28. Owen Pallett - Heartland

Heartland was one of the first albums I heard this year, and it's still one of my favourites too. I love the blend of strings with harsh electronic sounds, but it doesn't sound overdone and overblown like Age Of Adz did with Sufjan Stevens, and I think Mr Pallett got the balance just right on this record. It's full of wonderful melodies and some bizarre imagery that makes you want to come back for more, even though some of it is a bit violent!

27. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II

If I hadn't seen them live in October this year (6 songs - but 6 great, crazy songs) then this album wouldn't be so high up. Hearing the songs live has made them catchier, crazier, and injected a bit of "oomph!" that has that feeling of rush and adrenaline of going to gigs. Now I really like this album, despite it being overlong. Baptism and Celestica are great songs, and the newly released song Not In Love (with Robert Smith!!) is also a bit of CC magic. Also, who samples Sigur Ros with some gritty electro beats!? Only Crystal Castles of course.

26. Forest Swords - Dagger Paths

This is one of the most surprising releases of the year. It was only released a few weeks ago in fact, but so fresh is the music that it's instantly clicked with me. Imagine a Burial for Wirral, or a more instrumental Fever Ray - that level of creepiness is evident throughout and it's almost impossible to pigeon-hole the album to a specific genre. I can't really describe it - listen and see...

25. Four Tet - There is Love in You

Another album that was released early on in the year, this has just grown and grown as a record. It's a wonderful listen because I always feel warped in the beats that just keep pounding, and it's one of the most rewarding listens this year - I've developed into a bit of a Four Tet fan thanks to this album.

24. Beach House - Teen Dream

It's so close this year, as this great album is way down in 24th. I did ignore this album for a long time too, but I heard Norway thanks to a free MP3 by Pitchfork, and I was suddenly blown away as to how beautiful the song was! I had to listen to the album, and I'm glad I did - wonderful Dream-Pop that features some fantastic vocals by Victoria Legrand. Utterly hypnotizing.

23. Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise

Another artist whom I've become a fan of this year. I think this album is such a rewarding listen because it features some excellent beats and textures that really draws you in from the go.

22. Matthew Dear - Black City

One of the three electronic albums that really grabbed my attention this year, this was one of the hardest albums to get into at first, but continued listens made me realise how great it is. The vocals are weird, and the beats even more so, but it represents the gloomy, grotty nature of dance venues all across the world. From the industrial Closer-esque You Put a Smell on Me, to the progressive Black City - this album is full of great songs and moments.

21. Robyn - Body Talk

A wonderful Pop record full of catchy hits, which also houses two of the best Pop songs this year - Hang With Me and the frankly brilliant Dancing On My Own. Robyn released a trio of mini-albums this year, each with their own highlights, but in the end I had to put the full Body Talk album on here, because whilst it is a tad overlong, it's still a great album that oozes hooks and Robyn's Swedish cuteness. She's been on fire this year really.

Top 100 of 2010: 40-31

2010-12-14T17:28:00.004Z

40. Daft Punk - Tron Legacy OST

Daft Punk are finally back, but not as we know them. I would've prefered them to do an album on their own terms instead of a soundtrack to a Disney film, but beggars can't be choosers I guess. There's still glimpses of old Daft Punk in there, but occupied with orchasteral elements it comes across in a more interesting way, to put it lightly. I'm not sure if I want Daft Punk to go in a string/electro direction in the future (whether they really want to or not) but at the moment, I'm enjoying this album as it is!

39. Anais Mitchell - Hadestown

Quite a long album that takes you on a mythological journey that's based on a live "folk opera", and it wont be the last album with the word "Opera" tied to it. One of the surprises of the year, because I'm still quite new to folk, but the more artists and albums I discover within the genre, the more I grow to love it. This is one of those records that makes me realise folk can be so much more than just an acoustic guitar.

38. Autolux - Transit Transit

My first impressions of this was that it was...well... quite dull if I'm honest. However, over time and listens, it grew on me and made much more sense. I love Shoegaze, so I thought I'd check this album out since their debut in 2004 was of a Shoegaze-esque sound, and I was initially disappointed that this album lacked it. Now though, I don't really care as the songs sound more focused - with Spots and Supertoys coming out as my personal favourites.

37. Gil-Scott Heron - I'm New Here

I pretty much ignored this album until the Summer, when I thought I'd might as well give it a listen as it had good reviews across the internet. I'm glad I did now too - it's a very good album from start to finish in just under 30 minutes, and because of the short length, it isn't drawn out but rather much more personal in its short running-time.

36. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

Ah great; another concept album. Hang on, this is quite good! As much as at times I'd like to *possibly* mute the singer's shouting at times, I do like the emotion that comes pouring out of this record. I do feel like I under-rate this album at times, but it's made my top 50 at a respectable position, so I guess it did quite well!

35. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

This was hyped to death, but then again it turned out to be a great record. I just feel that it could be one or two tracks shorter though, because at certain songs I start to get a little bored. At Glastonbury this year they didn't get the best review (I personally thought they were good, but I've been a fan of the band since I was 9, so maybe because I knew the songs I was impressed?) There was no doubting that it needed a few more uptempo songs to get thr crowd going earlier than they did, but the PB songs came across good-if not spectacular- live. Still, Damon Albarn is a bloody genius.

34. Actress - Splazsh

And now we turn to Techno! Thank you Atease, yet again you've found me an exciting new artist I can dig my teeth into. Now, this album is full of great dance tracks that reveal a new little detail each time you listen to it. I'd like to hear it in full blast one of these days - good earphones sometimes doesn't cut it.

33. Kno - Death Is Silent

Another rather obscure album. I only found out about this through Rate Your Music and not the review publications (I don't think I've seen a review of it anywhere bar the fan reviews on RYM) I'm glad I did check it out though; despite it's glum lyrical content, it's a good Hip-Hop album that I really enjoy listening to. Now to actually find a review for it...

32. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot

From one Hip-Hop album to another - this time it's one-half of Outkast Mr Big Boi's turn. I don't think I could praise it more than by just saying that I really enjoy listening to this album, as it's full of catchy songs with some funny moments thrown in too. He's also collaborated with one of my top 10 artists...

31. Grinderman - Grinderman II

I just...loved this album straight away really. I don't know why - maybe it's that raw Rock sound that's present throughout, but whatever it is, it makes me want to listen to it over and over. Whatever it is, it's definitely a great album that deserves the "universal acclaim" tag is has currently on Metacritic.

Top 100 of 2010: 50-41

2010-12-13T17:39:00.006Z

And here we go...

50. These New Puritans - Hidden

One of the first albums I heard this year, it continues to grow and expose new sounds and landscapes through the music. We Want War is one of my favourite songs of the year, and while I enjoy listening to the album, there are a few moments where I think "this song could be better", but those are minor complaints, as this is a great listen from start to finish - combining Foley techniques to make every detail heard, and every sword strike deadly. This was NME's number 1 album of the year, and even though this is way down in 50th for me, it definitely deserves the praise it gets.

49. Interpol - Interpol

It seems you either love or hate this album judging by the reaction. For me, it's probably tied 2nd favourite alongide Antics (behind Turn on The Bright Lights of course) and why I like it so much is because it's a lot darker than its predecessors. Some songs do feel flat (Try It On (The "no fucking way" line...really!?)) but the highlights make it up. Always Malaise and The Undoing both provide the dark undertones that I like from Interpol, and for all the flak it recieves, I like this album so much that I'm going to see them next March!

48. Warpaint - The Fool

One of the bands to watch in 2011 - all girl-group Warpaint has made an impressive debut album that has some beautiful songs. Undertow is certainly one of them, and it's recently grown a lot on me that it's one of my favourite songs of 2010. How do you know when a group is very good? When your Westlife loving sister sees them live on telly and calls them "crap"! You know they've done something right if they offend Westlife fans.

47. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Weird pop at its best. It tails off second half of the album, but the first half could've pushed it into the top 25. The Children, Ambling Amp, O.N.E....all fantastic songs that made me fall in love with Yeasayer's music. Such a shame it went downhill after Love Me Girl.

46. 65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Away

Seeing these guys live made this album really come alive. The energy it gives out is incredible, and it's packed with great songs to dance to. Your brains will explode away if you're not careful enough.

45. No Age - Everything In Between

This made a late dash to cross over the top 50 border, but I think it fully deserves to be here. A great album that I wasn't keen on at first, but like all great albums it grew on me until I could feel comfortable with the songs and style.

44. Glasser - Ring

A great album that was one of the surprises of the year! Glasser - AKA Cameron Mesirow - creates a beautiful Electro Pop album that sounds like a less intense Fever Ray. A great album that really needs more attention than it's currently getting.

43. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

An album full of great little treats. Not the most original artist in the world, but for her age she's incredibly talented and writes such beautiful songs. I can't wait to hear what she does in the future.

42. The Black Keys - Brother

Slightly overlong, but within the album lies a lot of great melodies and songs that stay with you for a long time. The album cover is witty and just states the bleedin' obvious, but don't let that put you off - it's popping up a lot in the "End of Year" charts everywhere, and rightly so.

41. Jonsi - Go

Jonsi live is something else entirely - Tornado is one of my favourite songs of the year, and it was incredible live too. It's just a wonderful album from start to finish - creating wonderful sounds and imagery through some of the most inspiring music. Iceland finally has a male Bjork to treasure.

Top 100 of 2010: 100-51

2010-12-12T17:13:00.003Z

So 2010 is about to end, and to me 2010 is a landmark year in music because it was the year I started to really branch out. I discovered new artists, genres, and went to as much gigs as I could afford to (Muse, Jonsi, 65Daysofstatic, Crystal Castles, missed Pure Reason Revolution sadly, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor) Hopefully I'll go see more in the new year (Interpol already booked, Take That in the bag too (family event! Yay!))

These are the albums that made the top 100 - it was hard to leave some out of the top 50, but these things must be done if you love end-of-year lists like I do!

100. Eels – End Times
99. Klaxons – Surfing The Void
98. How to Dress Well – Love Remains
97. Delphic – Acolyte
96. Massive Attack – Heligoland
95. Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
94. Clinic – Bubblegum
93. Olof Arnalds – Innundir Skinni
92. Former Ghosts – New Love
91. Carbon Based Lifeforms – Interloper

Nothing too shocking there perhaps. Might get a few dirty looks for putting Clinic and Massive Attacl so low.

90. M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\ (MAYA)
89. Delorean – Subiza
88. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
87. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
86. Liars – Sisterworld
85. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
84. School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desires
83. Eskmo – Eskmo
82. Belle & Sebastian – Belle & Sebastian Write About Love
81. Spoon – Transference:

I should stress that none of these albums were bad - they just didn't do much for me, although I did enjoy Spoon, Liars, and School of Seven Bells.

80. CEO – White Magic
79. Vampire Weekend – Contra
78. The Drums – The Drums
77. Max Richter – Infra
76. Emeralds – Does It Look Like I’m Here?
75. Exit Calm – Exit Calm
74. Wavves – King of The Beach
73. Future Island – In Evening Air
72. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
71. Teeth of The Sea – Your Mercury

Drowned In Sound's number 1 album of the year only made it to number 76 on my chart. Not that it means anything of course! Lots of good bands in there - Teeth of The Sea and Exit Calm in particular.

70. Best Coast – Crazy For You
69. Pure Reason Revolution – Hammer and Anvil
68. Autechre – Oversteps
67. The Phantom Band - The Wants
66. The Chemical Brothers – Further
65. Salem – King Night
64. Foals – Total Life Forever
63. Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer
62. Blood Red Shoes – Fire Like This
61. Teengirl Fantasy – 7AM

60. The Walkmen – Lisbon
59. The Radio Dept. – Clinging On To a Shame
58. Holy Fuck – Latin
57. Avey Tare – Down There
56. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
55. Darkstar – North
54. Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
53. Oceansize – Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up
52. Women – Public Strain
51. Wild Nothing – Gemini

All 10 of these could've made my top 50, so I'll name them my honourable mentions because I've enjoyed them all so much.
From tomorrow onwards I'll post 10 each day until Friday, where I'll reveal my top 10.

Top 100 of 2010: The rubbish 5 (101-105)

2010-12-10T16:22:00.002Z

Calling them rubbish is a tad harsh maybe, but these are the 5 albums that unimpressed me in 2010.

105. Hurts - Happiness
104. MGMT - Congratulations
103. Goldfrapp - Head First
102. Of Montreal - False Priest
101. Autechre - Move of Ten

I'll get some dirty looks for placing Congratulations so low, Head First has some catchy songs but largely felt like they were riding the Electro Pop revival, Move of Ten was too bizarre for my liking (Oversteps was much better) and False Priest...wacky stuff!

2010 in Music: Top 10 EPs

2010-12-09T11:58:00.003Z

First of my lists is the EPs. I didn't listen to every EP I could find, but I did find some good stuff.

Some honourable mentions:

How To Destroy Angels (Self-Titled) EP

Nine Inch Nails with tits - that's how you'd sum it up. Not quite up to NIN standard, but it's got some good songs on it, such as A Drowning, the wonderful closer that's reminiscent of Right Where It Belongs.

Gallops (Self-Titled) EP

I saw them support 65Daysofstatic in Wrexham back in October, and they were ear-achingly loud. The drummer was on fire, and as for the music there's definitely some promise to be heard.

Balam Acab - See Birds EP

One of the most promising names coming out of the Witch House scene, blending warped vocals with Dubstep influences and some interesting music textures. Expect more in 2011.

And here's my top 10 EPs of 2010:

10. Dirty Projectors + Bjork – Mount Witternberg Ocra EP

Bjork returns to Medulla-mode with the Brooklyn-based band. It has some lovely harmonies but lacks anything brilliant. Two great artists come together to create something that sounds so pure, but with a new Bjork album coming next year hopefully, this is a nice little music gap-filler that should satisfy both sets of fans.

9. Owen Pallett - A Swedish Love Story EP

It's been a busy year for Mr Pallet - helping out with string duties for the Arcade Fire bunch, an album and 3 EPs out this year. I've only heard the latest EP, and it's a nice mix of electronic blending with strings - Scandal at the Parkade is a brilliant song.

8. James Blake - CMYK EP

The first of two EPs by James Blake that appear on this list. He'll probably become massive in 2011, but before there was "Limit To Your Love", there was some loopy atmospheric Electronic music that made little sense, but somehow managed to sound great.

7. Dark Dark Dark - Bright Bright Bright EP

Cutesy Chamber Pop that sounds like lightweight Arcade Fire at times. They've released a new album this year too, but I haven't heard it yet. I'm not sure why, this is a very good EP that should be heard by more music fans.

6. Flying Lotus - Pattern+Grid World EP

Not satisfied with just a great album out this year, FlyLo released a psychedelic trip of an EP that carries on with the winning formula first tested on Cosmogramma. Warning; some tracks may cause brains to melt.

5. Pantha Du Prince - Lay in a Shimmer EP

A great EP by any means. Following his earlier released album this year, this marks the end of a successful year with some original mixes, which offer some interesting changes and sounds from album tracks.

4. James Blake - Klaiverwerke EP

And he pops up again! This time, the songs have better structure and are much more memorable. It just makes me wish that he'd release more of his old gems like he said recently. Can't wait to hear the album in 2011.

3. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP

Age of Adz is a bit of a mess in my opinion, but when Sufjan Stevens keeps it simple it normally turns out great. It has some faults (it doesn't need that stupidly long track at the end!) but it's a nice listen from start to finish. Shame I can't say the same thing about Age of Adz.

2. The Tallest Man on Earth - Sometimes The Blues Is Just a Passing Bird EP

Utterly beautiful. It's been a great year for him, and he continues to write great music and this EP just continues the consistency. Fantastic study music too!

1. Zola Jesus - Stridulum II EP

There was only ever one winner in this category! Zola Jesus combines dark, apocalyptic music with Siousie Sioux pitch-perfect vocals and Fever Ray levels of creepyness. This artist is going to be someone to watch in 2011, and if she's churning out quality songs on this EP, then her album will be something to really look forward to.

Top 50 of 2010: The disappointments

2010-12-05T13:57:00.003Z

So this is my first post of 2010 in music - over the next 2 weeks I'll post some of my thoughts on the artists, albums, songs, heroes & villains, and many other stuff. First, we start off on the disappointments.

2010 has been a year choc-full of the good and the great, but it hasn't always been that way. Overhyped records were quite rare in my experience, but then again I never did listen to the usual mainstream dross like Kings of Leon, so I can't say much can I?

Here are my 2010 disappointments:

Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle

I've always liked these guys, but their latest album is a little bit of a bummer. It's beautiful yes, but...that's it. There's no real spark or intent to do something that would make me go "wow". I spent the whole album wishing for something great, but the only track I took any notice of is Will There Be Stars.

Clinic - Bubblegum

I love Internal Wrangler, and this is only the second album I've heard from the band, so maybe I'm not in the best position to judge them, but this album was a let down. It had none of the itchy vibrancy of IW, none of that eccentric energy, nothing from it that I loved. It wasn't a total disaster, but it was a bit of a damp squid.

Former Ghosts - New Love.

Zola Jesus? WOW! She's in the group! I love her music...shame the production is so...well, rubbish. It was quite interesting to listen to, but I'm in no hurry to do so again.

Hurts - Happiness

Appart from Illuminated and a couple of other tracks, I very nearly fell asleep. One of the most over-rated bands I've heard in a long time.

Klaxons - Surfing The Void

Not terrible, but definitely over-hyped. I wonder how the pre-label interruption music would have sounded like. Unfortunately we'll probably never know, unless the band (or a sneaky label person) leaks it themselves. *hint*

MGMT - Congratulations

Where is this going!? My poor ears couldn't handle the psychedelic/LSD haze of a mess.

M.I.A. - MAYA

Such a disappointment. Forgettable tracks and none of that vibrancy found on Kala and Arular. XXXO started off great, Teqkilla is the star on the album, but everything else sounded like she tried too hard to be "out there". It's a shame, because she's a great artist, and maybe I was expecting something brilliant after two great albums.

My top 10 pieces of art: 1

2010-10-20T09:45:00.006+01:00

Guernica - Pablo Picasso (1937)

I thought long and hard about this, but I think this was a worthy piece of artwork for my top spot.
I'm not normally into Pablo Picasso; I do enjoy his Cubism work and his "Blue Period", but otherwise I find him to be slightly over-rated in my opinion. Not that I'm calling him a bad artist by any means, I just have different taste to the masses I guess!

However, there is one Picasso painting that I consider to be my all-time favourite; Guernica was painted during the Spanish civil war in the late 1930's, and it captures the emotional trauma the war brings.
Closer inspection of the figures shows ghostly figures of humans with gruesome features and frightened frozen faces, but because these humans are killed along with animals, Picasso proves that it's not only humans who suffer, but all form of life do - such is the brutality of war that the innocent often gets punished. There is plenty of symbolism in this artwork - something I often look to find in art - the monochrome colour suggests a bleak outlook and a stark reminded of what impact war really has on life. Another point on the importance of animals in the piece is that they are shown to be deformed and showing the same emotions as humans suffer, and the whole painting just shows chaos and pain at its worst.

I think the scale of the piece should also be taken into consideration - it's massive, and that shows the scale of the devastation, and it's quite impossible for the viewer to detach themselves from the piece. I'd like to see it for myself one of these days.

My top 10 pieces of art: 2

2010-10-20T09:40:00.005+01:00

London Calling - Pennie Smith (1979)

We've all seen this photograph. Even if you're not that into music, detest Punk, or have lived under a rock for the last 30-odd years - this is the image that defines Rock and Roll at its most violent and powerful moment.

The photograph nearly wasn't shot at all; Pennie Smith wasn't feeling up to another front row gig with the Punk rockers, but she changed her mind and the world of music was glad that she did. This particular gig, The Palladium in New York City on 21 September 1979 during the "Clash Take the Fifth" US tour, bassist Paul Simonon unleashed his frustration and anger on his bass when the gig was far from a success. One shot was all it took to capture Rock's appeal, and it is one of the reasons why it's included in my top 10. It's a simple photograph, luck had a part to play in the precise timing it required to capture the second before the bass got shattered, the smoky background plays a part in its "red mist" appeal, and the spotlight is focused on Simonon, so you can't help but focus on his bass-smashing antic!

A powerfull photograph - one that'll always be remembered. That's at least one great thing that came out of the Punk movement!

My top 10 pieces of art: 3

2010-10-20T09:32:00.006+01:00

Kid A/mnesiac - Stanley Donwood (2000/2001)

I'm cheating a bit here as there's two artwork, but I firmly believe that both of these artworks should be presented together as part of one big outlook of Radiohead's Warp Records phase.

Simply put; this was a drastic change of musical direction from the band's masterpiece OK Computer back in 1997. They were applauded as the saviours of rock 'Post-Britpop' when the likes of Oasis, Pulp, Suede and Elastica etc had ran out of ideas. And so a world tour followed, coupled by the pressures of touring, primary singer-songwriter and lead vocalsist/third guitarist Thom Yorke addmitted to having a breakdown, and so 3 years down the line, with the world of music holding its breath, they returned in 2000 with an album completely devoid of guitars and full of electronic blips, keyboards, and vocals that sound like they were sung in the bath. Commercial suicide? It actually cracked America!

Enough about the music - Kid A's album artwork is that of a cold, seemingly dead world surrounded by iced caps and strange ghostly shapes. For me it represents Kid A's music - an ambient atmosphere compared to pre-Kid A material. Look into the background however, and you can see an errupting volcano, or perhaps just fire looming. Couple this with Amnesiac's artwork, and the connection becomes clear.

Amnesiac was released in 2001 and is often called "Kid A's B-side album". Far from being B-side material, Amnesiac features more promising use of guitars and harsher electronic avant-garde equipments compared to its older brother, so how does the artwork resemble the music?

If Kid A was the "calm before the storm", Amnesiac's artwork is us "within the storm", or in this case, fire. The cover is a harsh red colour of danger (the fire) surrounding the pathetic figure of the bear that weeps in the middle (Stanley Donwood created the Kid A bears in companion to the album's release) Another case of looking into the artwork carefully to examine all the little details that really bring out the hidden meanings.

My top 10 pieces of art: 4

2010-10-20T09:28:00.004+01:00

The Persistance of Memory - Salvador Dali (1931)

Salvador Dali is my favourite artist, simply because his art is so bizarre that it's refreshing for an artist to image the world through his imagination, rather than be restricted by sight. Here we see a dream-like landscape, as the shapes are irregular and the colour vivid and almost "wax-like". There are many symbolizing moments in this painting, which I'll go thorugh...

The most obvious imagery is the melting clocks of course. For me, it signifies the slowing of time, or how it seems to dissolve around us. There's two above seemingly dead objects, such as the dead bark and the strange object on the ground. This is what happens when time eventually catches up with us - a bit of a harrowing conclusion maybe, but it's one that everyone must face.

The cliffs in the background are those that surrounds Dali in real life near his home in Spain, so there is some degree of reality in this bizarre painting. Maybe it's just me, but I find this artwork to be one of his "tamer" work in comparison to some of his wilder counterparts; like the Lobster Telephone for example, or even the Lip Couch, but when I think of Dali I think of this wonderfully weird masterpiece.

My top 10 Pieces of art: 5

2010-10-13T11:32:00.003+01:00

"I'm not mad. Just leave me alone". Well, that's a nice image to open this post isn't it? This is actually Radiohead's "Just" music video - a video famous for its mysterious character laying down on the road who refuses to move, citing that if everyone knew what he knew, they would want to lay on the ground too - or so the director would have you believe...

This isn't my favourite music video, but it's the one I keep coming back to. It's simple yet effective, and leaves you feeling amused and perhaps slightly frustrated afterwards!
It begins simply with the mystery man in question just lying on the road, when a passer-by trips over him...

Asked why he's lying there, the man simply replies the usual "Leave me alone" and "go away" etc - a clear sign that he wants to be left alone. But as the gathering crowd circle and even a showing of curiosity from Radiohead themselves playing in a room above the scene, the man finally lets loose about what's troubling him, but as he confesses, the subtitles are gone, thus making it impossible for us to know what he's saying. Even to this day, the band refuse to give the answer away, saying it would deaden the impact!
And the following scene...

...everyone is lying!
This video brings out our curious side that has rarely been used in music videos. For once, the music video is just as good (if not better) than the song itself!
It's not exactly groundbreaking in any way, but it's an enjoyable video to watch, as long as you can endure Thom Yorke's dodgy carrot-mop. Radiohead have plenty of great videos; from the majestic Street Spirit, which uses slow motion techniques, to the recent House of Cards video, which only uses no cameras whatsoever - only lasers to pin point solid objects.
For me though, Just comes out on top not just because of its simplicity, but because it's so effective aswell. I don't think I want to know the answer to be honest!

My top 10 pieces of art: 6

2010-10-13T09:42:00.007+01:00

The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏) Hokusai (1829-1832)

The Great Wave is a colour woodcut carved by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai and is one of the most famous Japanese artwork in history. The image is of a large "okinami lit" wave that batters the coast of Kanagawa, threatening the boats off the coast. I've often had a fascination with the Japanese culture - I find their artwork to represent beauty and purity - but one of the main attractions to this particular piece was how Hokusai managed to represent Japan in one piece; the symbolic peak of Mount Fuji - which is thought to mean "immortal" or "never-ending", the treacherous weather conditions that's similar to the Tsunami wave, the fishing boats, and the almost animated appearance of the whole piece.

One of the main attractions of this for me was how Hokusai managed to make the wave peaks look like menacing hands and fingers that are waiting to strike the boats, and the immense detail that goes into the design. We can see that these waves are very overpowering and menacing in nature, but because of its animated nature it resembles more of a historical document than a real-time artwork. This isn't a criticism, and it is part of the charm on why I'm attracted to the artwork.

Also, the design itself looks like a cartoon than an actual woodcarving. It looks like it was designed ahead of its time; it wouldn't look out of place in a present animated film!

My top 10 pieces of art: 7

2010-10-13T09:28:00.006+01:00

Banksy is a controvertial figure in modern British art; it's impossible to ignore him, given that he draws on nearly every bit of public surface that he wishes to. I'm personally a fan of Banksy's work, because he makes up his own political (or non-political like this picture here is) art with a witty twist attatched.

See this flower design here;
It is a simple design; take yellow paint and continue the road markings up a wall so that it plays around with road markings. It's simple, but so effective because he plays ar0und with society's starndard rules of road markings.
Banksy's fame is also derived from the fact that he's virtually unknown - we know nothing about him (or her) and that is what appeals to me - he could be the guy sitting next to you on the bus on your way to work, or a fitness freak at the gym. Whoever they are, it gives the chance for us "regular folk" to say out loud in art form about what we really think of the world around us. Not everyone agrees with what he draws, and not everyone agrees that drawing on public property is such a good idea! We live in a world that is dominated by the celebrity culture, so it is refreshing to see an artist wanting to remain in the shadows, while it's his work that gets all the attention.

Another attractive element to Banksy's work is that they work with the elements around them, and in some cases those artwork are then a part of the landscape -

I doubt we'll see this wall in its regular state again! Even if we do get rid of Banksy's work, the message imprinted will never be forgotten.

My top 10 pieces of art: 8

2010-10-06T09:45:00.006+01:00

The Velvet Underground & Nico - Andy Warhol (1967)

'The Velvet Underground & Nico' is one of my favourite albums, but a part of that appeal is in the artwork. The original cover had an interactive banana that invited people to "Peel off and see" what was under, which resulted in a flesh-coloured banana underneath. Such covers were unique and expensive in the 60's, but MGM considered it to be cheap in the long run given Warhol's huge popularity.

Warhol also collaborated with the band's live shows - creating a psychedelic stage show with lights and effects to make the music really come to life. The album was largely ignored on release, but its lasting influence is massive. Their early live shows paved the way for modern stage shows, and a large part was thanks to Warhol.

Back to the album cover, and even though it's very simple, it is that simplicity that I'm drawn to - a banana is a funny image and totally unrelated to the music, but it was an unique cover that showed the industry you didn't need to be overly serious with music.

Warhol also influenced a range of artists - one of whom was David Bowie, a huge hero of mine. Because of his connections with the 60's/70's music scene, he had a certain "cool" factor about his work that no other artist has yet to capture.

My top 10 pieces of art: 9

2010-10-06T09:20:00.005+01:00

Fighting Forms - Franz Marc (1914)
Oil on canvas, 91 x 131 cm

For my GCSE project I studied the artwork for the Expressionist movement, but I wanted the body of work to be vibrant and busy that also had a unique characteristic to it, as our theme was "Happiness". I found the perfect genre of art and I was influenced by the German movement; Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). The movement lasted from 1911 to 1914, fronted by Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Albert Bloch and Franz Marc amongst others. I was more drawn to Marc's work because of his portrays of horses and creatures in the wild.

Bringing nature to life is why I love this movement; the colours reminiscent the Fauvism movement - another movement in which I admired. I like the idea of manipulating the colours we see in reality and making them even more extreme, and there was a sudden burst of energy that I was able to feel coming out of Marc's work. It was like looking into a fantasy land that had no rules on how the laws of physics affected everything.

Take this image here; The Flight of The Animals. It is hard to decipher immediately what's going on.

I think it's a very powerful imagine taking the fact that it's mostly coloured in basic primary colours that normally associates with youth and childhood, but Marc takes these basic colours and creates something quite explosive and dramatic. The figure of the painting is bold and direct, but that element is a complete contrast to my 9th favourite piece - Fighting Forms.

Fighting Forms feels much more organic and fluid; with much more emphasis on energy. However, it is possible to make out that the red side of the "form" is an eagle, but heavily abstracted, which joined with the fact that Marc based his work firmly in the Abstract genre by this time. It was also a reaction at the possibility of War in the near future - which marks a dramatic departure from his normally nature-heavy artwork.

My top 10 pieces of art: 10

2010-09-29T10:15:00.010+01:00

Mark Rothko - Black on Maroon, 1959
Mixed media on canvas, 2667 x 3812 mm

This is for my art foundation contextual study, so if you have no interest in art whatsoever (shame on you!) don't bother reading on. I'll be updating this list in the next few weeks aswell.

At first glance it looks dull to the untrained eye, and merely just looking at his work won't get the full effect.
I stumbled onto his work when I visited Tate Liverpool for our annual gallery trip and Rothko was the main display on at that time (around 2008) and since it was the first thing you saw, many of my collegues glaced at his work, shrugged, and walked off upstairs - completely uninterested. I stayed behind with a friend and absorbed the artwork around me - the atmosphere it created was very unsettling, which was heped by the dim lights that was required. It took a minute or two for my eyes to adjust to the lights, but that was part of Rothko's work - to see it in weak lights was like looking into an abyss that engulfed you. I could've sat in there all day and try to decipher what it was about, but my mind merely wandered and didn't come to a full conclusion when I looked at the collection "Black on Maroon".

The tour guide came over and explained Rothko's life and works with us, and I could tell why he painted Abstract Experssionism - the first "multiforms" were bright and colourful - signifying ecstacy and vibrancy. but by the mid-1950's the colours gradually got darker - a small hint at the growing problems in his personal life. Even though it's a "simple" piece of artwork, he has influenced many artists - and even musicians - through his bleak work. It just goes to show that you could express human emotions through the simplest techniques - the general method for these paintings was to apply a thin layer of binder mixed with pigment directly onto uncoated and untreated canvas, and to paint significantly thinned oils directly onto this layer, creating a dense mixture of overlapping colors and shapes. His brush strokes were fast and light, a method he would continue to use until his death
This is that very room at Tate Gallery. The way the artwork were layed out was almost religiously done, creating a calming atmosphere. To be honest, I didn't want to leave!

"I realize that historically the function of painting large pictures is painting something very grandiose and pompous. The reason I paint them, however . . . is precisely because I want to be very intimate and human. To paint a small picture is to place yourself outside your experience, to look upon an experience as a stereopticon view or with a reducing glass. However you paint the larger picture, you are in it. It isn’t something you command!" - Rothko

It just goes to show, no matter how "simple" art may seem, there's a lot going on underneath the skin.

I need to post again...

2010-09-29T09:37:00.003+01:00

I've neglected the blog! I promise to resume normal services by the end of the year. Besides - I'll post my top 50 of 2010!

Music March!

2010-03-24T13:52:00.000Z

So, I haven't updated this blog in a while, mainly because of school work and what-not. So, I think from now on I'll be updating this less frequently, but I'll still be listening to as much music as possible.
Let's see, what's released this month...

* Sisterworld - Liars
* Plastic Beach - Gorillaz
* Tomorrow, In a Year - The Knife
* A Sufi and a Killer - Gonjasufi
* Oversteps - Autechre
* Head First - Goldfrapp
* Fang Island - Fang Island
* Broken Bells - Broken Bells
* Fire Like This - Blood Red Shoes

First of all, I've already reivewed The Knife, Liars, and Gorillaz' release, so putting those aside, I've discovered a real treat in Fang Island's self-titled debut album. Virtually unknown before Pitchfork reivewed their album, this is a really good listen. Described as "high-five" music, it's impossible not to smile when you're listening to their album. Oversteps is a confusing listen at first, but if you keep listening to it, decyphering all the noises heard, it becomes a rewarding album. Head First shows Goldfrapp back to their pop roots. It's not spectacular, but a solid effort nontheless. Then there's the psychedelic tendecies of Gonjasufi's A Sufi and a Killer; I personally like it a lot, but I know of others who hate it.

Broken Bell's self-titled is another good listen (more of a background music-type of album, but not in a bad way), so was Fire Like This (they reminded me of a "mellower" Death Form Above 1979). I think I've discovered so many new bands this month, it's hard to keep up-to-date with everything!

On the news of leaks, MGMT's Congratulations has leaked (haven't heard it yet), Jonsi's beautiful album Go has too. The one I have my eye on is Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma. I can't wait to hear it! (it's unclear whether the genuine or fake copy has leaked, but we'll find out soon)

Hmm...expect another post 2 weeks down the line with more round-ups!

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

2010-03-07T18:38:00.000Z

Much was expected from this animated band. Their debut wielded some great tracks, but the band really gained ground with the 2005 hit album Demon Days - a great album which managed to worm in many influences and bizarre melodies; it was these kinds of touches that made the album a classic for the noughties, so it was natural that the music community got altogether excited when they announced details of their third album.

As you get washed away by the lush string arrangements of the opening track (appropriately titled Orchestral Intro of course) you get greeted by Snoop Dog; love or hate him, there's something ridiculously cool in Snoop saying "Welcome to the world of Plastic Beach". It's as if he's personally welcoming you onto the album itself.
The next seven run of tracks is one of the best I've heard; Rhinestone Eyes drips of synthetic sweetness, while Stylo will make you want to strut for the rest of your life. Superfast Jellyfish is a perfect pop treat, and Glitter Freeze takes you on a Dr. Who style-trip, whilst Mark E. Smith asks "Where's north from 'ere?" as your brain gets fried.

After this terrific run of songs, it loses is slightly with Some Kind of Nature, but nothing to take away from this terrific album. The rest of the album will have you dancing on your butt-cheeks until the very end. It's consistent, exciting, and certainly one of the best albums I've heard this year.
The collaborators add their own take on their songs, but don't take away that essential Gorillaz vibe. Little Dragon, Bobby Womack, and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are my favourites; they really add that something extra.

This is an album that everyone MUST listen to. This time, the hype is justified.
It's not quite a masterpiece, but it's pretty damn close to being one.

Rating: 4.5/5
Released 8th March

What's coming up...March

2010-03-04T09:28:00.000Z

Another month gone, and there's at least one big artist releasing an album this month!

First off is Gorillaz's highly anticipated album Plastic Beach which will be released on the 8th of March. It's leaked already if you haven't heard it (it's *spoiler* quite different, but great at the same time!) Oversteps by Autechre is released, along with Sisterworld by Liars (I've already reviewed it, I thought it was released in january!)

I'm sure there's more though, I'll keep listening and reviewing some hidden gems I might find.

The Knife - Tomorrow, In a Year

2010-03-02T19:53:00.000Z

I think I should clear the air first by explaining that this is not like an ordinary album - far from it in fact. Simply put; it's an opera, but don't let that put you off. It's one of the most bizarre listens I've ever encountered; it's distressing, but incredibly organic at the same time.

It's certainly not Silent Shout II; if you were expecting more pitch-shifted vocals, dizzy synths or pounding rhythm, forget about it. As someone who's a big fan of SS, this was quite a dramatic shift.
At first, it's incredibly off-putting, but if you take it in - not as a "normal" album - but as an audio film-like experience, it makes perfect sense. It's difficult to put it into words, and it's not something you can enjoy straight away (if at all) It's a very difficult - but rewarding - album to listen to.

Everytime I listened to this album, it's like I'm walking on Earth when it took its baby steps. Everything is so detailed and atmospheric. If you do listen to it, good luck to you! You may need it first time!

Rating: 4/5
Released 1st March

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

2010-02-27T10:42:00.000Z

This is one of the most ambitious albums in recent years. This triple album (yes, you've read that right!) houses a host of beautiful tracks, great string arrangements, and throughout the album, Joanna sings and plucks her way to some of the most brilliant pieces of music I've heard.

Baby Birch is definitely the highlight for me; the first disc is flawless, and Baby Birch closes it off so elegantly - I'd say it was my favourite track of 2010 so far.
That's not to say that other tracks aren't as good: Esme, Kingfisher, Easy, Go Long, Soft as Chalk etc. All fantastic tracks - there's hardly any filler on there. The harp is present throughout the album - with the occasional piano - and its these elements (along with her Kate Bush-like vocals) which hypnotized me. It was as if I was at ease; I think the perfect way to listen to this record is with a red wine in hand, and with over 2 hours of lull to calm yourself.

That's the biggest weakness when it comes to double/triple albums; length. It's almost impossible to listen to the whole record in one sitting, and take it all in at the same time. This is no exception, but by listening to individual discs, they act like complete listens in themselves.

With so many great releases coming up (Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, possibly even Radiohead) Have One On Me is the leading contender for album of the year for me, so far. But will that last? Newsom will put up a good fight, that's for sure.

Rating: 4.5/5
Released 23rd February

It's oh so quiet...

2010-02-26T13:44:00.001Z

...but not where I am. There are massive reviews coming up, including the monster triple album by Joanna Newsom (!!!), The Knife's Tomorrow, In a Year, and Ellie Goulding's debut.

Then there's March, when Gorillaz' Plastic Beach is finally released; check out Super Fast Jellyfish if you haven't heard it yet. Autechre's album is also released, so there's plenty to look forward to!

Why the Brits are no longer relevant.

2010-02-19T13:29:00.000Z

Anyone with a decent taste in music would agree that the state of British music is in decline. We're surrounded by overhyped, "get-rich-quick" singers who are promoted ahead of real artists, who don't depend on auto-tuners and 2nd party songwriters. I watched the Brits just to see what went on, and here's my view on the winners and performers...

British Female Solo Artist:

Winner - Lily Allen

Who should have won - Bat For Lashes

I don't mind Lilly; she speaks her mind (whether you like it or not) and writes some decent pop songs. However, Bat For Lashes (AKA Natasha Kahn) is a real talent. Two Suns is a beautifully crafted album, which recalls the likes of Kate Bush and Bjork. Lungs by Florence and The Machine was a good album too, but Two Suns felt like a journey into a fantasy dreamland.

British Male Solo Artist:

Winner - Dizzee Rascal

What a terrible list. I don't mind Dizzee Rascal, I'm just sick of hearing Bonkers everywhere I go.

British Breakthrough:

Winner - JLS

Who should have won - The xx

Another terrible list. JLS; just an awful boyband. The xx was nowhere to be found unfortunately. Their debut album was one of the best of 2009.

British Group:

Winner - Kasabian

Muse were also in the mix, but they haven't had a great year, and The Resistance was inconsistent and overbloated to boot.

British Album:

Winner - Lungs

Who should have won - XX/ Journal For Plagued Lovers

Lungs is a good album, but I was disappointed that the Manics weren't mentioned; it's a great album.

British Single:

DON'T get me started.

Critics' Choice:

Ellie Goulding

Delphic

Marina and the Diamonds

3 good bands there. I think Ellie deserved it.

Brits album of the last 30 years:

Ridiculous choices. Where on earth was OK Computer? Mezzanine? Closer? Duffy can bugger off.

International Female Solo Artist:

Winner - Lady Gaga

Who should have won - Fever Ray/Lady Gaga

Depends if you're counting success. Fever Ray's album is a fantastic trip to the unknown, where Gaga has proven herself to be THE pop Queen of the last few years. Gaga is a real standout, in an otherwise dull, and unexciting pop industry.

International Male Solo Artist:

Winner - Jay-Z

Another artist I don't mind. I can't think of a male solo artist (my memory fails)

International Album:

Winner - The Fame (shouldn't it be The Fame Monster!?)

Who should have won - It's Blitz!/ Merriweather Post Pavilion/Hospice etc.

The Fame (Monster) is a good pop album, but there were better "albums" out in 2009. I could name a lot, but I better not go on...

International Breakthrough:

Winner - Lady Gaga

Who should have won - Phoenix?

What do they mean by breakthrough? Does it have to be their debut LP, or just someone who's been around for ages and have finally gotten recognition by the mainstream media? (Animal Collcetive were nominated, even though they've been around since 2000)

Highlights:

Kasabian's psychedelic 'Fire' performance. An excuse for me to stare at Sergio (mmmm....)

Lady Gaga's weird performance of Dance In The Dark (after a great acoustic performance of Telephone) She faced criticism for not playing Bad Romance (or any of her "well-known" songs) People should stop being so lazy and listen to her album. I think it's great she didn't perform the obvious choices.

Lowlight:

Cheryl "Nation's Darling" Cole miming so comically and terribly. It's an insult to everyone in the music industry who don't get recognition. The likes of Thom Yorke and Panda Bear have more talent in their toenails than what Cole has in her entire body.

Just ridiculous. Yet people still defend her, saying "oh, she was too upset to sing". No, the simple fact is she can't sing.

You can tell I'm bored, the fact that X Factor dominated the nominations is damaging.

Hurry up Joanna Newsom and LEAK! I need a slice of quality music after this horror show!

Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself

2010-02-16T10:16:00.000Z

Dear God, I Hate Myself...not a very optimistic title is it?

This will be a short review, as my feelings about this album is quite straight forward. There are moments where songs could develop into something great, but they never do. You sometimes think that it's too experimental for its own good, which is why after listening to it a lot of times, I still don't really get anything from this album; it leaves a hollow feeling if anything, and because the songs are so short, they just pass you by, without adding anything meaningful to the album.

Now for a good point; I really like its wacky nature, it's a breath of fresh air, but despite this, it doesn't make me want to stop punching Mr Jamie Stewart in the face for releasing a record that feels like it's toying with the listener. You just want to contact him yourself and say, "Hey, I know you're good. Now be serious for once."

Strange album. Listen to it if you want something slightly bizarre and different.

Rating: 3/5
Released 23rd February

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

2010-02-13T10:24:00.000Z

I've never really liked MGMT that much, in fact I think they're over-hyped beyond belief. Despite having some great songs like Kids and Electric Feel, I just thought that Oracular Spectacular was inconsistent . Why am I opening with MGMT? Because there is a rise of psych-pop bands at the moment; Empire of The Sun, MGMT, even Animal Collective are getting more commercial attention - and then there's Yeasayer.

I don't know a lot about them to be honest, so I started listening to this album with low expectations, and after the first listen I felt that I shouldn't have underestimated them so much. The tracks have that lovely vibe about them; so colourful and vibrant. There's a lot going on on each track; you'd never get everything on the first listen. The Children starts things off with a creepy, sluggish vibe, helped by the pitch-shift they used on the vocals. Ambling Alp is the hit of the album, providing a completely different atmosphere to The Children. It gives off that summery vibe, similar to My Girls found on Merriweather Post Pavilion. I Remember is an alien ballad, but not in the freaky sense - it's beautiful.

If you think we're done with the partying and summery vibe, then ONE just carries on the celebration. Shame the lyrics are of the negative kind, but Love Me Girl puts that right, which has a slight Hot Chip edge to it, not to mention it's insanely catchy to boot. Rome is a loony mindfuck; one comment on Last.Fm made me laugh; "One part sounds like Mario going down a pipe". Just imagine Mario traveling through Rome, and you pretty much have it!

After the first 7 tracks, the album slightly dips in form. Strange Reunions is tame compared to the hustle of previous tracks, and ending on Grizelda isn't the best way. It's too short for me personally, it just leaves a rushed feeling to end the album, even though it is a nice track. The dip in form is the real disappointment, but considering that those 3 tracks at the end are all at least good, it just goes to show what a great album this is.

What I love about this album is that is fuses pop and experimental elements successfully. It's great for mainstream casuals or those who like a little experimentation of the weird kind. It has a real shout in for album of the year.

Rating: 4/5
Released 8th February

Massive Attack - Heligoland

2010-02-08T16:28:00.000Z

This is it - The big one. If you can't tell already, I love Massive Attack. Mezzanine is a perfect record, it's one of the best records of the 90's, along with Blue Lines (an equally fantastic record). Well, Massive Attack are back after a 7 year gap between 100th Window and Heligoland. I had semi-high expectations of this album, even though I know they'll never reach the high points of Mezzanine again. What I found out was that Massive Attack still have the old magic, but can't use that magic on some underwhelming moments on the album.

The opening track is a familiar one - you may have heard it on their Splitting The Atom EP that was released last year (The said title track is also on here); 'Pray For Rain'. It starts the album off with a pounding drum beat and monotonic piano chords and sounds slightly bizarre. At first I hated it, but it's grown on me, but I do think a better track could have opened the album. 'Babel' comes charging in with its glitchy drum beat, but vocalist Martina Topley-Bird provides the track with much needed fluency. I'd describe it as a restricted Aphex Twin with vocals on top.

Then comes the first real highlight; 'Splitting The Atom'. A creepy slow-burner that recalls the days of Mezzanine. Horace Andy is back, in welcoming return to form. 'Girl I Love You' is dark, unsettling and bass-driven; just how I love them, but 'Psyche' is a nuisance because it ruins the flow of the album. Its repetitive spiraling riff is all very nice, but it goes absolutely nowhere, and the track is just a filler in my book. 'Flat of The Blade' has Guy Garvey singing on top of a largely loopy track (Elbow lead singer) and 'Rush Minute' is probably the worst track on record; even now, I can't remember how it goes, but it's a largely forgettable track. Meanwhile, Damon Albarn shines on 'Saturday Come Slow'. Anything that man touches seems to come out as gold!

Amidst all of this mediocrity (by their standard), there are two songs that stand out a mile; the amazing 'Paradise Circus', with Hope Sandoval providing vocals, and 'Atlas Air' - the synth-behemoth that closes the album on a real high. Like I said, 'Paradise Circus' is a touch of fragile beauty, Sandoval's vocals are incredibly beautiful. She reminds me of when Liz Fraser sang on 'Teardrop' and 'Group Four' on Mezzanine. She made those songs memorable in her unique way, and Cocteau Twins fans got a chance to hear exactly what she said without difficulty! The climax of 'Paradise...' is overwhelming. I just think it sounds so perfect; both chaotic and beautiful at the same time.

This largely dark album has some of the old Massive Attack spark, but it's not their best by any means. It's a good record, it has some of their best material to date ('Paradise Circus' is my favourite song of 2010 so far) but my main problem with this record is that it doesn't sound like an 'album', it sounds more like a compilation, and the vast amount of singers and collaborators just make it impossible for me to take this as a Massive Attack record. It's a shame, because while it's not brilliant, it's still worth a listen because on the whole, it's a pretty damn good album.

Rating: 3.5/5
Released 8th February

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

2010-02-06T10:06:00.001Z

Weeey, first review of February! Now then; Hot Chip. I saw them in V2008, and they were pretty good. Unfortunately I had to leave the tent since I....uh....got a bit sick due to the over-consumption of alcohol, and with virtually no food in my belly, not a good result! Anyway, in those short minutes I spent in that tent, they played 'Over and Over', which is one of my favourite dance tracks of the 00's. So, I was pretty excited to hear Hot Chip's latest offering...

OLS starts with a gleaming bang; 'Thieves in the Night' has an infectious melody to keep you going through it's 6 minute length, and the album just keeps getting better with the run of 'Hand Me Down Your Love', 'Feel Better', and the title track. These first four tracks are the real standouts. 'Hand Me...' infuses strings and piano onto a stingy rhythm, before 'Feel Better' goes one step further and includes steel drums on the chorus to great effect.
The real highlight for me comes in the title track; it's the lazy bass that does it for me. When I played it in ICT to my two friends, they went "WTF is this!?" Their little brains aren't used to this crazy beat ;) It's so bloody addictive in a strange way - and "lazy" (but in a good way) - but it's up there with 'Over and Over' for me, personally.

Anyway, after those four tracks, the album goes downhill sharpish. 'Slush' absolutely kills it for me, it's the irritating song of the bunch. It's different from what they've been doing (it has a bit more swing to it) but I don't like it, bluntly put. It doesn't help that the singer is a bit out of tune! 'Brothers' is ok, it's just a bit dull, and 'Alley Cats' steps up a tiny bit, but it again, it's not fun.

By now, you realise that this as an album is a lot more mellow and mature than their previous efforts. While I don't mind change (in fact, I welcome it) I think they did it perfectly in their first four tracks, because the album loses a lot of momentum by 'Brothers', and 'Slush' just kills it. It does get revived by 'We Have Love', so at least it's a return to form. 'Keep Quiet' reminds me of 'Atmosphere' by Joy Division, but obviously in a more synth-like way. 'Take It In' closes the album off with a psycho melody, but all-in-all it's a bit of a roller-coaster. You go from one extreme to another quality-wise.

It's all very well and good, but it's not that Hot Chip masterpiece fans have been craving for. They're one step closer to releasing it though. Just cut the crap!

Rating: 4/5
Released February 8th

What's coming up...February

2010-02-02T21:29:00.000Z

Album reviews to look forward to this month:

Odd Blood - Yeasayer
One Life Stand - Hot Chip
Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom
Dear God, I Hate Myself - Xiu Xiu
Heligoland - Massive Attack

At the moment, not as prolific as January, but we'll see if there will be any hidden gems out this month!

The Knife's "opera album" has leaked. It'll be reviewed before its physical release date (1st March)

Spoon - Transference

2010-01-29T13:35:00.000Z

Spoon - so under-rated on this side of the pond. Whilst Pitchfork have always been "very fond" of them, the major publications over here (like Q, NME etc.) have been quietly praising them. I don't think I know anyone personally who's heard of them, let alone like them. If you're going to start somewhere, I'd recommend Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (or Gax5 for the lazy person in me) and Gimme Fiction. Both great albums.

Anyway, back to Transference! I'm not a Spoon fanatic, but I was pretty underwhelmed when I first heard this album - and I still am after many listens. It's not that it's a bad album by any means, I just think that it lacks that something special and at times it's a chore to listen.

'Before Destruction' starts the album off with ghostly backing vocals and a slow-ish beat, before bouncing into 'Is Love Forever?', a much more optimistic track with its jagged-riff and psychedelic vocals. 'The Mystery Zone' is too catchy for its own good, but by the following track you'd probably be sick of the repetition.

The groove is back with the piano-led track 'Written In Reverse', one of the highlights of the album. In fact, the piano is (for me anyway) the real star of this album. I love the piano-led tracks, like the latter half of 'I Saw The Light', 'Goodnight Laura' and the weird piano samples on 'Nobody Gets Me But You'.

If you can handle a bit of repetition every now and again, then this will be a fine listen. It's a good album, but feels very unspectacular, and might leave you wondering "was that it?"

1. Before Destruction
2. Is Love Forever?
3. The Mystery Zone
4. Who Makes Your Money
5. Written In Reverse
6. I Saw the Light
7. Trouble Comes Running
8. Goodnight Laura
9. Out Go the Lights
10. Got Nuffin'
11. Nobody Gets Me But You

Rating: 3/5

Released 18th January

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

2010-01-25T20:43:00.000Z

'Rounds' is one of those records where I just let the music flow, so when I heard that Four Tet aka Kieran Hebden was releasing another album this year, I was quite interested to hear it.

First impressions were that it was similar magic that can be heard in every Four Tet album, but 'There Is Love In You' just sounds a lot more focused than previous efforts. 'Love Cry' is a 9 minute breeze - the music is so gentle and cold, it's perfect to put on in the background whilst you're having a walkabout, preferably when it's snowing.

At times, it sounds like a more focused Aphex Twin - you can hear it in the sampled vocals that Hebden's put on, and the melody reflects that heard on 'Selected Ambient Works vol.1' . Whilst this isn't exactly a dance record, if I was going to be all technical about it, I'd class it as "minimalistic ambient techno".
It's also a bit of a grower, because I didn't have the patience to listen to the music at first, but if you just let it flow (that sounds so cheesy!) it becomes an enjoyable listen. This is probably my favourite Four Tet record, beating 'Rounds', which is no easy feat. You probably wont get it on first listen; it's one of those albums where you have to really listen to it to uncover its beauty.

It's probably not something I'd listen to everyday, but I think it's a beautiful album. Despite being an electronically-dominated album, it has a very gentle - and human - touch to it.

Give it a listen. Or two...or three...

1	Angel Echoes
2	Love Cry
3	Circling
4	PabloÆS Heart
5	Sing
6	This Unfolds
7	Reversing
8	Plastic People
9	She Just Likes To Fight

Rating: 4/5

Released 25th January

These New Puritans - Hidden

2010-01-23T11:26:00.000Z

I wasn't really supposed to review this album, but it's had a lot of good reviews (Drowned In Sound and NME each giving it 9/10) so naturally I had to hear it for myself.

For some reason they remind me of The xx, even though the music isn't similar. The production is brilliant - it's very atmospheric at times - and sounds like nothing else out there. The vocals aren't the most unique, but the music is like a mixture of hip-hop, weird percussion, horns and 6ft Japanese drums. Sounds great doesn't it? Because of the Japanese connection, it does sound like it was made in the Far East, and Massive Attack would be proud of 'Three Thousand'.

My favourite has to be "Attack Music", because the swishing-sword samples and the weird bass clarinet really make it unique - and it's so damn catchy! Combining beat-dominating tracks and elegant instrumentals (such as the closer "5", I thought I was listening to Vespertine for a while) this album has a lot to offer.

It's a great album; the album title says a lot about this album, because the special moments on this album are usually hidden.
It's not perfect, and there could be improvements, but it's an impressive album that will take more than a couple of listens to 'get'. That's why I think it's my favourite album so far this year, tied with 'Heartland'. A must-listen.

1	Time Xone
2	We Want War
3	Three Thousand
4	Hologram
5	Attack Music
6	Fire–Power
7	Orion
8	Canticle
9	Drum Courts–Where Corals Lie
10	White Chords
11	5

Rating: 4/5

Released January 18th

Liars - Sisterworld

2010-01-20T12:01:00.000Z

I thought this was out in January, but it turns out it's not released until March! This has leaked very early then.

Liars are a three-piece group dabbling in experimental rock, sometimes sounding like a no-wave era Sonic Youth. They're not an easy group to get into straight away, but their self-titled album (released in 2007) was one of my favourite albums from that year, so I was quite excited to hear this.

The opener "Scissor" is a stop-start track, starting slowly before launching into a frenzied riff. "No Barrier Fun" continues the creepy-rock effect that the band are quite successful at, but unfortunately the album suffers for being monotonous; "Drip" is probably the worst of the lot, it goes absolutely nowhere and just lingers like a bad itch you can't scratch.

It picks up again with the buzzing-riff of "Scarecrows on a Killer Slant". But that uprising is short lived, as it falls into mediocrity again. The appeal doesn't last too long, and it all sounds the same by the end. It's a shame, because I really like Liars, but this album feels like a half-arsed attempt at times, but with some sparkling moments underneath. It wouldn't be recommended if you wanted to be introduced to Liars.
There's no denying that they're a talented bunch of musicians, and I know that they can do better than this, but it falls short and feels like an uneventful ride.

1	Scissor
2	No Barrier Fun
3	Here Comes All the People
4	Drip
5	Scarecrows on a Killer Slant
6	I Still Can See an Outside World
7	Proud Evolution
8	Drop Dead
9	The Overachievers
10	Goodnight Everything
11	Too Much, Too Much

Rating: 2.5/5

Released March 8th.

Owen Pallett - Heartland

2010-01-18T16:34:00.000Z

Formally known as Final Fantasy, having taken the name from the popular RPG video game series, this is Pallett's third album, released under his real name as it'll be his first album released in Japan - so he doesn't want to confuse all the gamers out there!

Sounding like Arcade Fire gone solo, this spunky baroque-pop is a concept album about a young farmer named Lewis - who has a bit of a violent streak. Fusing string arrangements and synths, it sounds very much like a soundtrack to (and I don't mean this as criticism) the Final Fantasy games themselves. Sounds typical, and I'm not accusing him of being a rip off at all. In fact it's worthy praise since the games always seem to have great scores.

The album goes through a range of catchy melodies, but on some occasions it sounds too overcomplicated. Pallett's vocals also sound lifeless on some songs, but full of passion on others. To me, a great album must have flow, and this delivers. It feels like a journey into a dreamy musical, full of beautiful melodies and menacing strings.

This is perhaps my favourite album of the year so far. Having worked with Grizzly Bear, Beirut, Death From Above 1979, and even Fucked Up, Pallett is a real virtuoso who is often under-rated. Check him out.

Rating: 4/5

Released January 12th

Delphic - Acolyte

2010-01-15T11:08:00.000Z

Finally, I can post my review!

I should start off by saying I wasn't very keen on this album on first listen. There's some hype around this album, and I didn't get it. Once I got to know the songs better, it clicked into place.

'Clarion Call' is my favourite song, and as it's the opener, you'd expect me to say that the rest of the album goes downhill. But it doesn't; the title track and 'Counterpoint' are great tracks. Songs like 'Submission' and 'Red Lights' are less inspiring maybe, they sound like they're just going through the motion instead of trying to be a stand-outs, but there aren't any major lows that count as embarrassments.

What they're doing isn't new or fresh, they sound like a less-hyperactive Klaxons on some songs, but Delphic have delivered a solid debut album, something that feels innocently fun. You can't help but love it. They sound like a promising band too, it'll be interesting to hear their next album.

It might not stand the test of time, but for now, I'd say it is a fun listen.

Rating: 4/5

Released January 11, 2010

What's coming up...

2010-01-11T19:34:00.000Z

Being an A-level student means that the next few weeks will mean endless studying for me, so I'll be reviewing albums much slower. I'll give a run down of what's coming up...

* Acolyte by Delphic will be reviewed (hopefully the review coming tomorrow). It's out today in the UK
* Transference by Spoon
* Sisterworld by Liars
* Heartland by Owen Pallet (previously Final Fantasy)
* There Is Love In You by Four Tet

February:
* Odd Blood by Yeasayer
* One Life Stand by Hot Chip
...and of course Heligoland by Massive Attack, which I'm very much looking forward to.

There's bound to be much more though.

Some news that's interested me: * M.I.A's new album will be released sometime in the summer. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, she described her new material as "really odd" and "more musical" than her previous efforts. Arular and Kala were both excellent efforts, so this will be an album to watch out for.

* The Knife are expected to release a "Charles Darwin-influenced opera" album. The new album called 'Tomorrow, In a Year', is said to be very different to the band's usual style of electronic. Album track 'Colouring of Pigeons' is streaming and is available to download at Theknife.net. One thing is for sure; do not expect 'Silent Shout' mark II.

Eels - End Times

2010-01-09T12:03:00.001Z

Another band of which I'm unknown to, but over at Atease they seem to be very popular, so I thought I should listen to their upcoming new album.

'The Beginning' opens the album with nostalgia; “Everything was beautiful and free/In the beginning”. I'm sure we've all felt like that when we were in a new relationship, but the album concentrates on the aftermath; the marriage breakup and old age. Bleak as that sounds, it's done very well.

It's a mature record, done with wit (“Outside my window there’s a cat in heat / Shut up cat, and leave me alone”) and told through teary eyes. A good balance of ballads and upbeat tracks, it paces the album well without a great deal of drag. The instrumental 'High and Lonesome' is surprisingly effective, even though it only contains samples of thunderstorms. It captures the atmosphere of the album well. 'On My Feet' concludes the album in a typical melancholy fashion; reflecting on his relationship and his life; beautifully done.

Because this is my first Eels experience, I can't compare it to past albums, but I would say it was a solid effort. I'd have no problems listening to this again and again.

Rating: 3.5/5

Release date: January 18, 2010

Vampire Weekend - Contra

2010-01-07T17:37:00.000Z

I think I better start with an explanation first of all; I haven’t heard their first album, so I’m basically listening through this album like a blind bat. I’ve heard some of their songs, in fact I have a love/hate relationship with A-punk, so I decided I should at least give this album a listen to first before I make my mind up about Vampire Weekend.

I’m pleasantly surprised to be honest. It’s a nice listen throughout. ‘Horchata’ opens the album with enthusiasm., and that youthful sound doesn’t stop. I love how they sampled M.I.A.’s ‘Hussle’ on ‘Diplomat’s Son’, the album’s longest track breaking the 6 minute barrier, it could also be an indicator to their future sound.

Clocking in at 36:40, it’s a short album, and even though it’s a fun album, I can’t see myself listening to this all the time. It’s full of quirky indie pop tracks without too much variation on offer. ‘Taxi Cab’ breaks the run of fast and catchy songs with a more slower and mellow approach, and the piano melody is beautiful in this track. ‘Cousins’ is typically catchy as well, but for me the letdown is the closer; ‘I Think UR a Contra’. A good song maybe, but it’s fairly uninspiring for me. (Plus I misheard it as "I think you're a c*nt now :S)

Overall, I’d say I like Vampire Weekend after this album, but I’m not exactly a fan. There’s so much indie pop I can take. It’s good though, just that once you’ve heard one song; you’ve more or less heard everything on the album.

Rating: 3.5/5

Released January 12, 2010

Woop! New blog!

2010-01-07T14:45:00.000Z

I'll be using it mainly to post music news, reviews and so on. I've decided to try and listen to almost everything that's released in 2010. I love discovering new music, so with a fresh year ahead of me, I'm looking forward to the year ahead :)