Before I finish my Top 100 albums for the decade, I’ll take some time out to write about the best albums of 2009. Commercial radio again ignored good Australian music and as usual there were some great new Australian bands.

Well, here it goes, I hope you all enjoy reading…

.

Top Albums of 2009

25. To Lose My Life… – White Lies

24. Rain Machine – Rain Machine

23. Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper – Julian Plenti

22. Kid Sam – Kid Sam

21. Crack The Skye – Mastadon

20. The Sunspot Letters – Leader Cheetah

19. Veckatimest – Grizzly Bear

18. Smoking Gun – Lady of the Sunshine

17. Octahedron – The Mars Volta

16. The xx - The xx

15. It’s Blitz! - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

14. A Woman A Man Walked By – PJ Harvey & John Parish

13. Conditions – The Temper Trap

12. Zounds -Dappled Cities

11. Swoon – Silversun Pickups

10. Humbug – Arctic Monkeys

9. The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb – Regular John

8. Lungs – Florence + The Machine

7. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

6. Manners – Passion Pit

5. Solar Gambling – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez

4. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand

3. Post-Nothing – Japandroids

2. Hospice – The Antlers

1. Travels With Myself & Another – Future of the Left

Honourable Mentions

The Parallels Amongst Ourselves – Sugar Army

Far – Regina Spektor

Hope Is For Hopers – Philadelphia Grand Jury

Escape From The Sun – Operahouse

Further Complications – Jarvis Cocker

.

Top Tracks of 2009

25. While You Wait for the Others – Grizzly Bear

24. My Girls – Animal Collective

23. The Price – Dappled Cities

22. Escape From The Sun – Operahouse

21. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – Florence + The Machine

20. Lucid Dreams – Franz Ferdinand

19. New Moon Rising – Wolfmother

18. Down To The Cemetery – Kid Sam

17. Lapsed Catholics – Future of the Left

16. 11^th Dimension – Julian Casablancas

15. Fire – Kasabian

14. All Is Love – Karen O

13. This Is The End of Everything – Toma

12. I Quit Girls – Japandroids

11. Laughing With – Regina Spektor

10. Tongues In Cheeks – Sugar Army

9. There Are Listed Buildings – Los Campesinos!

8. Carol Brown – Flight of the Conchords

7. Arrow – Tegan & Sara

6. The Royal We – Silversun Pickups

5. Here It Comes – I Heart Hiroshima

4. Cotopaxi –The Mars Volta

3. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I – Them Crooked Vultures

2. Blood – The Middle East

1. Crying Lightning – Arctic Monkeys

Honourable Mentions

Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons

Exogenesis: Symphony - Muse

Useful Chambers – Dirty Projectors

Magnetic Arrest – Bridezilla

Dominoes – The Big Pink

.

Top EP’s of 2009

5. The Food Chain – Dragging Pianos

4. Ayrton Senna – Delorean

3. Art Vs. Science – Art Vs. Science

2. Blood Bank – Bon Iver

1. No One’s First And You’re Next – Modest Mouse

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Best Gig of 2009

Mammal @ Moonee Valley Youth Festival – April 5^th

 In mid/late 2008 after gaining a fair size following in Birmingham & Wolverhampton The Siege were offered a small recording contract with Pop Up records (Germany). After the AR guy went to see another band in a small town in Germany unimpressed with what he saw that night he got chatting to the girl behind the bar who offered to let him listen to her new Favourite band from England..

The Siege a band she had discovered on Myspace and instantly fell in love with and ordered a copy of there demo. After a few e-mails changed hands the deal was put on the table for The Siege

The offer led to a few of the band members pulling in different directions about the offer, to cut along story short , the drummer decided it was time for pastures new and left the band.

After auditioning several drummers over a few months nobody really seemed to gel with the band, so rhythm guitarist Dan, took over on the drums. The band decided to start again from scratch and after 2small warm up gigs the band agreed to support there Friends The E-gos at there Headline gig at the Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton( The E-gos are the first unsigned band to headline the Wulfrun)

So just after 9pm on the freezing Saturday night in Wolverhampton The Siege took to the stage for there biggest gig to date. Opening with “Forgotten Fires” Quickly followed by “Times Don’t Change”

Not long into the two opening songs the many people who were hovering in the bar area while waiting to see there Local hero’s The E-gos, made there way from the bar to front of the stage ,

With in two songs opening salvo The Siege had gone from playing to a crowd of around 300people to having 800 people now dancing along to there new sound for many this would be there first experience of The Siege but some how I don’t think it will be there last.

The Siege played a sold 30min set throwing in mid set old crowd favourite “Will Be Will Be” and ending the set with a stunning reworking of old song “riders” but for me it was the introduction of the new songs that really got the crowd going,

a few months ago I saw Kasabian next door at the civic as good as Kasabian were, The Siege have something that seems missing in the void that Oasis left , fire in there belly and songs that make you want to dance!!!

2010 the year of The Siege!!!

The Siege  Ste, Joe, Dan, Tom

click here for full set of photos

 photos and Review Andy Watson

To be honest, there were fairly few albums that I can honestly say I was disappointed by in 2009 – which probably implies that I haven’t listened to enough records in general, but never mind. Maxïmo Park’s third effort, Quicken The Heart, was solid but unspectacular, feeling like the band were on auto-pilot more often than they should be. Another “difficult third album” came in the form of West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, which saw Kasabian toying with experimentation but ultimately failing as much as they succeeded. And with The Resistance, Muse didn’t so much push the boat out as push it somewhere into outer space – but the results varied from the brilliantly ridiculous (‘United States Of Eurasia’) to… well, just plain ridiculous (‘I Belong To You’).

However, there is one record that, for me, stands out as a particularly crushing disappointment. The ‘winner’ of “Biggest Disappointment Of 2009″ goes to…

Howling Bells – Radio Wars

Howling Bells - Radio Wars

To understand how disappointed I was by Radio Wars, you have to understand just how much I loved Howling Bells’ self-titled debut. That record was a masterpiece of bleak, 3-am loneliness, all haunting guitars and fragile emotions – it’s easily one of my all-time favourite albums, and penultimate track ‘In The Woods’ is one of my absolute favourite songs EVER.

For me, the level of expectation for their second album was high – perhaps too high to live up to – but in any case I found myself let down. Not because Radio Wars is a bad record – it’s competent at worst, and it certainly has its moments – but because it felt like Howling Bells had forgotten everything that made me love them in the first place.The album has been largely washed-over with a well-produced sheen – the guitars feel dulled, and Juanita Stein’s once arresting sentiment now rings hollow, meaning that moments where the band re-capture the feel of their first record are few and far between. Despite their poppier sound, ‘Treasure Hunt’ and ‘Into The Chaos’ both take a decent stab at it, and Juanita’s strained cry of “…and now there’s nowhere to run” in the chorus of ‘Golden Web’ almost grasps the emotion of old – but even that feels like she’s not really giving it her all. ‘Cities Burning Down’ seems to be the lone exception to the rule – and tellingly, it’s a re-vamped version of a three year old B-side. It’s also the best thing on here – and it’s definitely not a good sign when a three year old song trumps everything else you’ve written for your latest album.

On a personal level, the biggest crime committed by Radio Wars is that rather than leave me wanting more, as the band’s debut did, it pretty much just leaves me cold. I’ve listened to the two records back-to-back, just to make sure I’m not overstating this too much – but honestly, Radio Wars doesn’t even come close to being as arrestingly beautiful as Howling Bells. As such, I have mixed feelings about a third record from Howling Bells – anticipation that perhaps it might be a return to form, but also a sense that I shouldn’t get my hopes up. For now, I’ll be wistfully playing the band’s debut and hoping that Radio Wars is just a bit of a blip…

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY TIM!

Fire by Kasabian will forever remind  me of this night, because it played over and over and over again (not Hot Chip style).

I liked it though. 

Proofs:

Chris Edwards, British musician (Kasabian)

10. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
“It was fantastic to hear this multi-instrumental folk band go through the stages. Seeing them in May for the first time supporting the Maccabees, in July at Oxegen festival, then in August at Field Day Festival, their progression was phenomenal.

By the time I saw them for their headline tour in October, the band were brimming with confidence to match their ever-present talents.

They finished the year by bringing out one brilliantly produced LP. With songs like ‘Sigh No More’, ‘Dustbowl Dance’ and ‘Thistle and Weeds’, the quartet are keeping Britain in touching distance with American bands like Fleet Foxes, Monsters of Folk and Bon Iver in the folk takeover of 2009.” -Chapperdeemus

9. The xx – xx
“From obscurity to almost universal celebration, the xx have had quite a year; their success is however well deserved and their debut album is something of a masterpiece.

Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim provide the perfect counterpart to each other’s vocals while soft instrumentals build into seemingly intense crescendos only to fade away like the half whispered, half sung lyrics.

A truly individual record, the album can easily be described as “lovers’ rock…for lovers who can’t help but talk about their love”. This perfectly sums up the sensual, sometimes frustrated, sometimes quietly confident lyrical content of many of the tracks that leaves the listener in somewhat of a limbo deep within Croft’s and Sim’s relationship.

A true friend through the night, the album grows with every listen and I hope we’ll be hearing a lot more from this London-based group in the years to come.” -SimR

8. Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
“Every song on this album is genius. The choice of song order is absolutely perfect. Despite there being an equal measure of mellow songs and rifftastic anthems, each song leads brilliantly into the next and you are never left feeling slapped by an abrupt change of pace.

Rarely does an album with so many catchy singles flow so well. Normally, if you want to make a great album that flows from start to finish, you have to sacrifice single success a bit.

But not West Ryder…. It is so easy to get into and love this album. And sometimes you need that, an album where you don’t have to be a snobby little bitch music lover where you have to try to “get” the sound that is being “portrayed”. This is straightforward brilliance.” -Chapperdeemus

Kasabian- Fast Fuse

7. Toddla T – Skanky Skanky
“2009 has in many ways been this man’s year. The meteoric rise of Tom Bell, a.k.a. Toddla T, can easily be explained if you’ve ever read an interview with him, listened to him on the radio or in fact listened to any of his tunes. Almost single-handedly bringing the electronic side of Sheffield’s sound back to the fore is no mean feat but one that rests comfortably on the Toddla’s shoulders. He’s infectious and he’s brilliant.

Skanky Skanky is a record that wants to be played loud, proud and in spite of any club sensibilities you may have. Bass-led, dancehall sounds accompanied by superb cameos from featured friends, especially Mr Versatile, create an album that is youthful and hedonistic in spirit while the solid production and force that it hits you with belie the age of the man himself. A simply fantastic album.”  -SimR

Toddla T – Boom DJ from the Steel City [BN]
Toddla T – Boom DJ from the Steel City [MF]

6. Simian Mobile Disco – Temporary Pleasure
“After the runaway success of their first album and huge international demand for their DJ talents, much was expected of SMD’s follow up effort. Following the Chemical Brothers method of collaborating with other artists, SMD took a risk of the sound no longer being their own and of producing a series of disjointed singles without any sort of coherence.

However, as you’ll know, they succeeded at every hurdle as Temporary Pleasure positively booms with their own unique form of house that won them legions of fans the first time round.

Surely a must-buy for any dance music fan, SMD proved themselves worthy of the hype and hopefully will continue to please in years to come. Great singles, amazing live and a fantastic album.”  -SimR

5. The Prodigy- Invaders Must Die
“The dons are back. And it’s all of them this time. I’m not knocking Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, but let’s face it, without the energetic vocals of Keith and Maxim, Liam is more limited.

But this time last year we were loving the title track Invaders Must Die, safe in the knowledge that in the coming months there would be a new album with all the members for the first time since the days of Smack My Bitch Up.

And the fathers of electronic music did not disappoint. Omen owned. Thunder thrashed. Colours crushed. A mental album and THE best live band of the year for Hotcakes.”  -Chapperdeemus

4. Passion Pit – Manners
“A divisive album it may be but Passion Pit have found a niche in a somewhat saturated electro-pop market that makes their sound enjoyable, highly remixable and downright fun to dance to. By treading a fine line between being sickly sweet and contagiously joyful, the album harnesses the best of pop music while still being grounded in superb production and songwriting.

With a frontman in Michael Angelakos, who’s falsetto lyrics form the main drive of the album, the band have an unusual sound (and almost shy, yet endearing stage presence) that begs to be let loose on the dancefloor. I’m sure I’m not alone by saying Manners formed the foundation of my summer soundtrack.”  -SimR

3. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
“What the boys from Sheffield have done with this album is make a flowing, brooding and simmering record from start to finish, to completely challenge their first two brilliant albums.

Lead single ‘Crying Lighting‘ seems the only track poppy enough to succeed in the charts. But the chorus on opening song My Propeller, the drum beat on Dance Little Liar and the lyrical delivery in Pretty Visitors provide exceptional moments in a slow burning album.

Remember 2009 as the year where the Arctics instruments achieved what their new haircuts failed to do: they’ve become the sort of band your children will listen to in 30 years time.” -Chapperdeemus

Arctic Monkeys- Dance Little Liar

2. Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People …Lazers Do
“A debut collaboration of epic standards that shocked eardrums all over the world. The dancehall rhythms flow throughout but it’s the sheer diversity of sounds and genres that make this album so unique and give it a replay value rivaled by only a select few releases this year. Dominated Leeds Mint Club when we saw them.

Diplo and Switch are both highly respected through their solo work as DJs and remixers but it’s through the coming together of these two titans that we see their true talent as well as what really sets them apart from the competition. Fingers crossed Major Lazer isn’t just a fleeting experiment. “  -SimR

Major Lazer – Jump Up (ft. Leftside and Superhype) [BN]
Major Lazer – Jump Up (ft. Leftside and Superhype) [MF]

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
“A pretty much unanimous Hotcakes decision, this album has dominated our listening this year. Taking on such a different sound to their early days, the trio have maturity oozing through them, whilst still maintaining the early vigour and life throughout the album.

This is one of those few brilliant records that delight the mainstream and alternative types alike. A truly beautiful collection of slow, fast, rousing and sorrowful songs, carried out by rigorously powerful instrumental work and vocals that we had no idea Karen O was capable of.

One of Hotcakes best live bands of the year also, Karen O can work a stage as well as I dream she can work…you know…other things.”  -Chapperdeemus

I admittedly knew nothing about Kasabian until a month ago even though they’ve been around for some time. Besides that inescapable single “Club Foot” from years ago, which has found its way into countless movie trailers and ‘being badass’ montages, I hadn’t really paid much attention to the group and had written them off as being of non-interest.

Then I happened across the video for a track off their new album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum and was instantly impressed. Starring Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh fame, Vlad the Impaler is a glorious, Super 8-style madcap murdering romp. Vlad is scary and menacing yet kind of endearing in the midst of all his carnage. A lovable vampire!

Turns out Dan the Automator produced the release, which explains the awesome samples, dark DJ-Shadowy vibe throughout and probably why I like it so much.

Particularly love the country-tinged West Ryder Silver Bullet. That’s Rosario Dawson singing backup, totally channeling Holly Golightly. Random and awesome, no?

Kasabian – West Ryder Silver Bullet

Another year in music is coming to a close and these 10 albums will be kept in our mind

Share this:

10/ ‘Ignorance’ – Paramore: ‘Misery Business’ with different lyrics. Good harmless fun.

9/ ‘Sweet Disposition’ – The Temper Trap: The best U2 song in years.

8/ ‘Juggernauts’ – Enter Shikari:  Best Mike Skinner impression of 2009.

7/ ‘Daniel’ – Bat For Lashes: Should have won Natasha Khan the 2009 Mercury Prize. And everything that Lily Allen is not.

6/ ‘Dominoes’ – The Big Pink: Used to sell just about everything from games consoles to TV programmes, but disappointingly not pizzas.

5/ ‘Fire’ – Kasabian: The only ever Kasabian song not to sound like a poor man’s Oasis?!

4/ ‘Poker Face’ – Lady Gaga: Inescapable and annoying, yet oddly likeable. Pretty much like Gaga herself then.

3/’The Only One’ – Manchester Orchestra: Their best single offering to date.

2/ ‘Young Cardinals’ – Alexisonfire: What AOF do best, in one addictive song.

1/ ‘Cornerstone’ – Arctic Monkeys: Goodbye Alex Turner cheeky indie scamp. Hello Alex Turner classic songwriter.

Other highlights:

‘ New In Town’ – Little Boots, ‘Cheat On Me’ – The Cribs, ‘The Vulture’ – Gallows, ‘(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To’ – Weezer,  ‘Crying Lightning’ – Arctic Monkeys,  ‘The Reeling’ – Passion Pit,  ‘Sticks and Stones’ and ‘Chaka Demus’ – Jamie T, ‘Kingdom of Rust’ – Doves, Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘Zero’ and ‘Heads Will Roll’,  Say Anything ‘Hate Everyone’,  The Prodigy ‘Warrior’s Dance’, Biffy Clyro ‘That Golden Rule’ and ‘The Captain’.

here’s mah baby. i hope you cats like it!



Dont be lame, go to youtube and watch it in HD.

the video is a short documentary featuring two avid sneaker collectors, sam turner and mike porto. it took two days to film and around 16 hours to edit. enjoy

maltdisney out

Too many people give Lily Allen a hard time, because of who her father is, because she’s got an unfettered mouth, because she writes songs that tell how it is – at least for a young LDN lady. She’s undervalued as an artist. She runs the full gamut of pop – straightforward catchy songs, ska, hip hop, even country – and somehow is taken less seriously for it. Where the hell was her Mercury nomination? Sweet Jesus, Glasvegas got a nomination. Kasabian got one.

‘The Fear’ is Lil’ at her best: sharp, witty, personal, snippy and set to the best pop hook of the year. For Junior, it means earnest school disco dance moves and her parents coughing loudly over the swearwords.

Packing plastic:

20 songs that defined our year

01. Kasabian – Underdog

02. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero

03. Phoenix – 1901

04. Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension

05. Jamie T. – Sticks ‘N Stones

06. The Boxer Rebellion – Evacuate

07. The Horrors – Who Can Say

08. Lily Allen – The Fear

09. The Brothers Movement – Blind

10. Julian Plenti – Only If You Run

11. Kasabian – Fire

12. Jay-Z – Empire State Of Mind

13. The Enemy – No Time For Tears

14. Editors – Bricks And Mortar

15. Friendly Fires – Kiss Of Life

16. Reverend & The Makers – Silence Is Talking

17. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

18. Arctic Monkeys – Crying Lightning

19. Ian Brown – Stellify

20. John’s Revolution – Pocket Symphony

these tracks rocked our world over the past year. Disagree with our choices? You send your own favourites to ThePopscene@web.de

-> # our 10 favourite albums of the year will be up tomorrow. so watch out… #

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Here’s my list, it took a great deal of deliberating.

20. Dirty Projectors- Stillness Is The Move

19. MSTRKRFT- It Ain’t Love

18. HEALTH- Die Slow   [Download]

17. Spinnerette- Ghetto Love

16. The Prodigy- Omen

15. Biffy Clyro- That Golden Rule

14. Muse-  Uprising

13. Major Lazer- Pon de Floor

12. Passion Pit- Sleepyhead

11. Animal Collective- My Girls

10.  Them Crooked Vultures- No One Loves me and Neither Do I

When the Vultures released the first 16 seconds of this song as a teaser to the masses, I was not really impressed. It seemed really standard. But I was stupid to prejudge. Add the rest of the 5 minutes to this song and it is actually amazing. When the final part explodes at the end and Grohl sounds like he’s trying to break the drum kit he’s hitting it so hard, it is amazing.

9. The Horrors- Mirror’s Image

This song gets second place for sexiest bass line of the year. The moment I heard this song, I realised the Horrors were actually good, despite their first album.

8. Kasabian- Underdog

I first heard this song on that sony advert with Kaka, and I was loving the guitar riff. After a few views I was asking if anyone knew who the artist was, and the rest was history.

7. Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks

The best song on a brilliant album. the piano riff is amazing. I read on last FM some fool say that they had taken the riff from Dr Dre’s Still D.R.E. Wetters.

6. The Maccabees- Love You Better

Sentimentally means a lot to me this one.  Third sexiest bass line of the year here for me. And some of the best drumming. I’ve seen it live 3 times this year and it’s still not getting old.

5. Fleet Foxes- Mykonos

I love this song. It is definitely Fleet Foxes’ best one. The only reason why I’m not putting it even higher up is because it’s quite old now. Really it came out in 2008, but I put it in on a technicality because the single was released in 2009. It had to be in the list.

4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Zero

It was a really tough choice to pick a song from this album. I only wanted one song per artist, otherwise ‘Hysteric’ and ‘Run Away’ would have been in the list too. I saw them live last week, and this was one of the last songs. It represents their amazing change of sound so well.

3. Arctic Monkeys- Crying Lightning

Another tough one to choose from their album. I could easily have put in ‘Dance Little Liar’ or ‘Pretty Visitors’ instead. I chose ‘Crying Lightning’ for the same reason I chose ‘Zero’, it encapsulates the whole brilliant album in the space of four minutes.

2. Bat For Lashes- Daniel   [Download]

Sexiest bass line of the year. Such a chilled out song,  yet so brilliant played very loud. ‘Daniel’ dominated my playlists over the spring. When I first heard it on the radio, I liked it, but neglected it for a while. I’m so relieved I made the effort to come back to it, because it reached number 2.

1. The Big Pink- Velvet

The first song that I heard from the duo, I loved it immediately. I first heard about the Big Pink when someone told me they were amazing in support of TV on the Radio. I gave them a go, before the ‘Dominoes’ days, and Velvet stood out from day one, and still does. It has a huge sound that I like to imagine would come from Pavarotti falling in a car crusher.

So there you have it. Honourable mentions should go to some songs that didn’t quite make the grade or that I left a little too late for me to consider them: Massive Attack’s ‘Pray For Rain’, Portishead’s ‘Chase the Tear’, Monsters of Folk’s ‘Whole Lot of Losin’, Seams’ ‘Nightcycles’ and Animal Collective’s ‘What would I want? Sky.’

Kasabian are looking to expand on the Pink Floyd influenced track they experimented with earlier this year when they released the successful West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum album by devoting an entire record to the sound.

Discussing their fourth studio album singer Tom Meighan told radio internet station Dabbl.co.uk, “it’s very Dark Side of The Moon, Pink Floyd. [Its] very essential and very beautiful, piano-based songs that sound beautiful and we’re going to really grunge them up a bit.”

Having already written most of the album the band won’t be heading into the studio anytime soon with a touring schedule that will keep them on the road through February. Kasabian has been added to the 2010 Big Day Out festival lineup.

“We’ve just got to go and take West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum round the world and show it to people,” Meighan added. The album has garnered four charting singles including Fire, Where Did All The Love Go, Vlad The Impaler, and the most recent Underdog.

Kasabian Tour Dates:

1/15/2010 Auckland, Australia

1/17/2010 Gold Coast, Australia

1/22/2010 Sydney, Australia

1/26/2010 Melbourne, Australia

1/29/2010 Adelaide, Australia

1/31/2010 Perth, Australia

2/08/2010 Paris, Olympia, France

2/18/2010 Milano/Alcatraz, Italy

2/19/2010 Bologna/Estragon Italy

2/20/2010 Roncade/New Age Italy

So here it is – My choice of 2009’s top tracks. This actually took me ages to compile so please to be giving it a good look over. As usual, opinions/comments = love.

I’ve set a few rules. Every track is a single – no album tracks or B-Sides and no re-releases.

If you click on the song, you will directed to Youtube for the vid.

HCP – Highest UK Chart Position Reached

‘L’ next to the title – Seen live by me and The Wifey

LET’S GET THIS SHIT GOING, RIGHT?

SPECIAL MENTIONS

The ones that nearly made it:

• Love You Better – The Maccabees
• Turn The Lights Out – Hadouken! (L)
• The Kids Are Sick Again – Maximo Park (L)
• Who Can Say – The Horrors
• Get Shaky – Ian Carey Project
• Embers – Just Jack
• Bonkers – Dizzee Rascal
• Song Away – Hockey
• Sticks N Stones – Jamie T
• Last Of The English Roses – Pete Doherty
• Crying Lightning – Arctic Monkeys (L)
• Treat Me Like Your Mother – The Dead Weather
• When Love Takes Over – David Guetta ft Kelly Rowland
• Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz
• Cheat On Me – The Cribs
• The Captain – Biffy Clyro

20      ‘Zero’ - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (L)

            HCP: 49

            Album: It’s Blitz!

            Genre: Alt. Dance

            NME’s Top single of the year, This is a sexy sexy song. From the opening drum beats perfectly complimenting Karen O’s vocals it builds and builds to a crashing crescendo of synths and shrieks. Hot.

19     ‘Juggernauts’ - Enter Shikari (L)

         HCP: 28

         Album: Common Dreads

         Genre: Post Hardcore/Alt. Rock

          Probably the most mished-mashed song in the countdown – that’s a good thing. Short explosive passages, melodic meandering  and a good old scream along. Sounds great live too.

18     ‘I Don’t Care’ (This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things) - The Blackout feat. Josh Franceschi (L)

          HCP: 107

         Album: The Best In Town

          Genre: Post-Hardcore

This is such a fun song and you know I have a thing for these boys. Gav’s vocals perfectly compliment Sean’s screaming and the catchy hooks are bound to get stuck in your head.

17     ‘Papillon’ – Editors

          HCP: 5

          Album: In This Light And On This Evening

          Genre: Post-punk/Synthpop

Despite my feelings towards the band themselves (not good) I am unable to deny the quality of the songs produced and this is no exception. A perfect example of electro-indie and one of the best bass lines around.

16     ‘End Credits’ – Chase & Status feat. Plan B

          HCP: 9

          Album: More Than Alot

          Genre: Dubstep

Chase and Status have been massive on the dance scene since 2008 and this single had crossover help by featuring on the soundtrack to the 2009 film ‘Harry Brown’. Not that help was needed as this is a storming track. A mix of Plan B’s impressive vocals, haunting lyrics and an irresistible bass. Quality

15     ‘Supernova’ – Mr Hudson feat. Kanye West

          HCP: 2

          Album: Straight No Chaser

          Genre: R&B

This is one of my favourite pop hits of the year. Catchy and summery it brings a smile to the face. Mr Hudson = Definitely one to watch in 2010.

14     ‘It’s Not The End Of The World’ (But I Can See It From Here) - Lostprophets (L)

          HCP: 16

          Album: The Betrayed

         Genre: Alt. Metal

First for fucking ages doesn’t disappoint and a good taster for Jan 2010’s VERY eagerly awaited ‘The Betrayed’. TBH, it’s not one of their best ever singles – I don’t know if I would even place it top 10. But it’s Lostprophets, kay? Objective reviewing goes out the window here and Ian reading the phonebook would be better than 85% of the shit that’s out there today. TOON!

ETA: AFTER A SUGGESTION FROM THE WIFEY, MY NEXT BLOG WILL BE: ‘IAN WATKINS: LOOKS GREAT FROM ALL ANGLES’

13     ‘One More Chance’ – Bloc Party (L)

           HCP: 15

           Album: N/A

           Genre: Alt. Dance/Alt. Rock

Bloc Party doing what they do best. A storming indie-dance hit this was one of the songs of the summer and went down such a storm at Reading. The boys are going on hiatus now and will be leaving a massive hole in the British Indie scene. At least we have such a class back catalogue of hits to keep us going ’til their back.

12     ‘Omen’ – Prodigy (L)

          HCP: 4

          Album: Invaders Must Die

          Genre: Rave/Punk Dance 

“The writing’s on the wall, it won’t go away. IT’S AN OMEN.”  What. A. Fucking. Tune. The prodigy are untouchable when it comes to dance and this is the sort of song that makes you want to dance and mosh til your head explodes. Which, at Reading, we did. Good. Times.

11     ‘Fire’ - Kasabian

          HCP: 3

          Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

          Genre: Indie Rock

I don’t mean to sound smug but I’ve been trying to champion Kasabian for a few years now. This year, Oasis split, and suddenly Kasabian are being extolled as the UK’s Top Rock band. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, EH PEOPLE! Fire – what can I say. Top TOP tune. A sleazy beat, Tom’s superior vocals and a catchy as hell chorus. Awesome vid too.

10     ‘Remedy’ – Little Boots

          HCP: 6

          Album: Hands

          Genre: Electropop

This catchy hit has been absolutely everywhere this year and I for one, love it! A great party tune that will always get you dancing, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking pure fun hits like this.

9      ‘Audacity Of Huge’ – Simian Mobile Disco

         HCP: 60

          Album: Temporary Pleasure

          Genre: ElectroHouse

This song, is just absolute genius. There is no other way to describe it. Probably the most unique song I’ve heard this year. I don’t know how to describe it other than fucking awesome. If you’ve not heard it, click on the link and check out the brilliant vid while you’re at it.

8     ‘Heads Will Roll’ - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (L)

          HCP: 5

          Album: It’s Blitz!

         Genre: Alt. Dance

“Off Off with your head. Dance Dance ’til your dead.” If there is a sexier, sleazier dance track this year, I challenge you to find it. Nope. Didn’t think you could. Once again YYY prove they are at the top of their game and deliver tune after tune. Off the charts this, fab vid too.

7      ‘Paparazzi’ – Lady Gaga

         HCP: 4

         Album: The Fame

         Genre: Synthpop

Love her or hate her, there’s no denying Gaga’s massive influence on the music scene. I am absolutely, positively not ashamed to admit I love this crazy-ass girl. Just Dance and Poker Face were fantastic but Paparazzi is just LUSH.

6      ‘Underdog’ - Kasabian

         HCP: 32

          Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

          Genre: Indie Rock

This is an ANTHEM baby! Catchier than a case of the herp, this is the type of song that was made to be sung along too. THAT IS ALL!

5      ‘Undisclosed Desires’ – Muse

          HCP: 51

         Album: The Resistance

         Genre: Alt. Rock/Synthpop

When Undisclosed Desires first hit, there was some derision about ‘Muse trying to be sexy’ Well? So what. You can keep your insipid R&B shit. THIS is one of the sexiest songs I’ve ever heard. Perfect synths, Gorgeous lyrics and who will refute that Matt Bellamy is one of todays best vocalists? I was – actually still am – slightly obsessed by this song. Utter quality.

4      ‘That Golden Rule’ - Biffy Clyro

         HCP: 10

          Album: Only Revolutions

          Genre: Post-Hardcore

Undoubtedly the best rock song of the year. No contest. this has everything you need. Slammin’ guitars, A perfect rhythm and Simons’  powerful rawk vocals. The last minute is just pure rock instrumental euphoria. This is music people, long may Biffy reign

3      ‘Jump In The Pool’ – Friendly Fires

          HCP: 57

          Album: Friendly Fires

          Genre: Alt. Dance

My God, I fell in love with this song the very first time I heard it. Starting off with a cool carnival-like beat and then does an about turn into one of the most ethereal dreamy choruses you will ever come across. It works absolutely perfectly. This is one of the best floorfillers you will have the luck to come across and also goes down a storm at Rock & Indie festivals.

2      ‘Farewell To The Fairground’ – White Lies (L)

         HCP: 33

         Album: To Lose My Life

         Genre: Indie Rock/Post Punk

 First off,  let me say that I am not biased. Ok fuck it – I am biased. But even if I didn’t have connections to the band I would still think the band, their album, this single are pure pure class. They have received massive critical acclaim and rightly so. To Lose My Life is an album in which every single song is a gem. Having to choose out of the singles released, I’ve gone for this. Fantastic drums, guitars are keyboards combined with Harry’s trademark moody yet angelic vocals. The tune is fantastic, the hooks are awesome and it’s just a god-damn pure perfect song. Many will try to copy this, none will come close. White Lies are here to stay, and thank fuck for that.

1      ‘Sometime Around Midnight’ – Airborne Toxic Event

          HCP: 33

          Album: Airborne Toxic Event

          Genre: Indie Rock

Not only is ‘Sometimes Around Midnight’ one of my favourite songs of the year, it’s now one of my favourite songs ever. This is the absolute epitome of an indie love song. It has everything. Opening with beautiful strings, It has an unbelievably haunting, melodious score and heartbreaking lyrics. If you are in love, if you are heart-broken, if you are missing someone, if you’ve just had the best fuck off your life….This song can evoke so many pure emotions. I don’t know if we will ever come across a song like this again, so enjoy.

And it starts, sometime around midnight.
Or at least that’s when you lose yourself
for a minute or two.
As you stand, under the bar lights.
And the band plays some song
about forgetting yourself for a while.
And the piano’s this melancholy soundtrack to her smile.
And that white dress she’s wearing
you haven’t seen her for a while.

But you know, that she’s watching.
She’s laughing, she’s turning.
She’s holding her tonic like a cross.
The room’s suddenly spinning.
She walks up and asks how you are.
So you can smell her perfume.
You can see her lying naked in your arms.

And so there’s a change, in your emotions.
And all these memories come rushing
like feral waves to your mind.
Of the curl of your bodies,
like two perfect circles entwined.
And you feel hopeless and homeless
and lost in the haze of the wine.

Then she leaves, with someone you don’t know.
But she makes sure you saw her.
She looks right at you and bolts.
As she walks out the door,
your blood boiling
your stomach in ropes.
Oh and when your friends say,
“What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Then you walk, under the streetlights.
And you’re too drunk to notice,
that everyone is staring at you.
You just don’t care what you look like,
the world is falling around you.

You just have to see her.
You just have to see her.
You just have to see her.
You just have to see her.
You just have to see her.
You know that she’ll break you in two.

Kasabian have revealed that they’re working on a Pink Floyd sounding new album. The follow-up to this years ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’, frontman Tom Meighan revealed they’ve already got a selection of “beautiful” new tracks.

“[Guitarist] Sergio [Pizzorno]’s got a body of work already, its very ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, Pink Floyd. [Its] very essential and very beautiful, piano-based songs that sound beautiful and we’re going to really grunge them up a bit.”

Although, the Leicester band are busy working on their new album, Meighan admitted that it would be some time before they look at heading into the studio, because of the group’s touring commitments. “We’re nearly there,” he explained. “But we’ve just got to go and take ‘West Ryder [Pauper Lunatic Asylum]‘ round the world and show it to people.”

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Kasabian Frontman Tom Meighan spoke to an internet radio station and said that the band is writing new material that sounds a lot like Pink Floyd.

“[Guitarist] Sergio [Pizzorno]’s got a body of work already, its very ‘Dark Side Of The Moon‘, Pink Floyd. [Its] very essential and very beautiful, piano-based songs that sound beautiful and we’re going to really grunge them up a bit.”

It wasn’t that long ago when Tom was bragging that Kasabian would be taking over the British crown from Oasis. Maybe they want the legacy of Pink Floyd as well.

Pipe dreams.

The band has to finish up much touring, however, before they settle down in the studio to lay down these tracks for the next record. I’m sure they’re good, but nowhere near Dark Side of the Moon.

Genre: rock

Kasabian took the British press by storm in the early 2000s by mixing traces of the Stone Roses , Happy Mondays , and Primal Scream with Oasis -sized confidence and DJ Shadow -influenced electronics. Named after Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson ’s getaway driver turned state witness, the Leicester-based group also stole a page from the Band by moving into a remote farmhouse to brew its music. Communal life and a slew of shared influences produced an electronic, rock-oriented sound that harked back to the Madchester days of baggy pants and druggy dancing. Kasabian expanded that sound on later albums, but the band’s foundation remained rooted in swaggering, fragmented dance textures and boisterous rock & roll. read more…

Yeah, he’s the person I hate the most on the planet.

I watch him sometimes just to raise my heart rate (my doctor said I should do it more often), so I watched the show when he had David Tenant on. This was a while ago, but I assure you the essence of my observations are correct.

He made a SHIT ‘innuendo’ (‘Ooo, I’d like to travel in your tardis!’) and everyone ignored him as it was one of those awkward moments when someone talked over him as he said it. So he said it again. No response, so he said it again. At that precise moment, a switch to activate the second of the two brain cells allocated to Justin Lee-Collins fans switched. Much in the manner of an insects hive-mind, they all exclaimed;

‘AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

and clapped him so forcefully that the issue of whether their hands met for the clap itself became an irrelevance. They dribbled from the mouth, shitting themselves while their eyes rolled to the back of their heads as their limbs went weak from laughing so much.

So, why do people watch him? To see what shit 80s pop culture reference that was shit even in something as awful as the 80s he’s going to talk about next? Everyone likes a bit of the 80s, don’t they? Bit of Mr T, huh? ‘I pity da foo!’! AM I RIGHT GUYS, YEAH!’ etc etc

He’s the sort of person who’d make a joke about the Frosties kid (maybe he should try and ‘find’ him in 20 years), or make a reference about Chuck Norris. He’s the sort of awful cunt who refers to people as ‘legends’ because they answered back to a bus driver once, 3 years ago.

At least he’s got cool hair, though!

Listening to Kasabian were we, Justin?

As things start to wind down, all the magazines are printing their lists of the year as not much else is happening. Last month you may remember I submitted my albums of the year for NME and Hot Press and as they’re now published I can post up what  I submitted (exciting, eh?). I haven’t seen Hot Press’ list yet, but I have seen NME’s and I think it’s quite similar so I’m on the same page as at least a few folk. Pick up this week’s copy as I’ve written some of the accompanying blurbs.

Anway-enough labbering-here’s my albums of the year (insert drum roll here)

Albums Of The Year (Edwin McFee)

1.      Gallows ‘Grey Britain’ (Warner Bros)

2.      Kasabian ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ (RCA/Columbia)

3.      Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘It’s Blitz!’ (Interscope)

4.      Therapy? ‘Crooked Timber’ (Demolition Records)

5.      The XX ‘XX’ (Young Turks)

6.      The Cribs ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ (Wichita)

7.      Morrissey ‘Years Of Refusal’ (Decca)

8.      Julian Plenti ‘Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper’ (Matador)

9.      Iron Maiden ‘Flight 666 Soundtrack’ (EMI)

10.    Lily Allen ‘It’s Not You, It’s Me’ (Regal)

11.    Amanda Blank ‘I Love You’ (Downtown Records)

12.    Karen O and the Kids ‘Where The Wild Things Are OST’ (DCG)

13.    Rancid ‘Let The Dominoes Fall’ (Hellcat)

14.    Spinnerette ‘Spinnerette’ (Anthem)

15.    Dananananaykroyd ‘Hey Everyone!’ (Best Before)

16.    Kill It Kid ‘Kill It Kid’ (One Little Indian)

17.    Paramore ‘Brand New Eyes’ (Fuelled By Ramen)

18.    Empire of the Sun ‘Walking On A Dream’ (EMI)

19.    Biffy Clyro ‘Only Revolutions’ (14^th Floor)

20.   And So I Watch You From Afar ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’ (Smalltown America)