The NME got in on the act early. This Sunday the Observer Music Monthly publishes its top 50. So I thought I might as well have a go. I wanted to get mine done first and see how much common ground I’ve got with the OMM seeing as its my favourite music mag. It’s harder than you’d think to select just 50 albums that span 2000-2009. I’ve had to leave out some records I really like. But here we go… Please comment as you feel necessary!

50 – Daft Punk: Discovery.

49 – Bob Dylan: Modern Times.

48 – Camille: Le Fil.

47 – Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

46 – The Blue Nile: High.

45 – New Order: Get Ready.

44 – Mercury Rev: All Is Dream.

43 – R.E.M.: Accelerate.

42 – Fionn Regan: The End Of History.

41 – The Beatles: Love.

40 – The Avalanches: Since I Met You.

39 – Badly Drawn Boy: The Hour Of Bewilderbeast.

38 – Roots Manuva: Awfully Deep.

37 – Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever ago.

36 – Mark B & Blade: The Unknown.

35 – Coldplay: Parachutes.

34 – Malcolm Middleton: Into The Woods.

33 – Seafood: When Do We Start Fighting…

32 – Doves: The Last Broadcast.

31 – Duke Special: Songs From The Deep Forest.

30 – Morrissey: You Are The Quarry.

29 – Guillemots: Through The Windowpane.

28 – Bruce Springsteen: The Rising.

27 – The Gaslight Anthem: The ‘59 Sound.

26 – Billy Bragg & Wilco: Mermaid Avenue Vol. II

25 – Richard Hawley: Coles Corner.

24 – Fleet Foxes:  Fleet Foxes.

23 – Athlete: Vehicles & Animals.

22 – Spin Doctors: Nice Talking To Me.

21 – Sigur Ros: Takk…

20 – Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain.

19 – Maxïmo Park: A Certain Trigger.

18 – Delirious?: Glo.

17 – The Shins: Wincing The night Away.

16 – Ben Folds: Rockin’ The Suburbs.

15 – Green Day: American Idiot.

14 – Neil Young: Living With War.

13 – Ray Lamontagne: Til The Sun Turns Black.

12 – Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs.

11 – Idlewild: The Remote Part.

10 – Johnny Cash: American IV: The Man Comes Around

An extraordinary achievement for a man in his final year. Johnny Cash’s last ‘proper’ album has the power to bring me to the edge of tears. I bought it the week he died in 2003 and played it a lot. A mixture of originals and covers, Rick Rubin’s brilliant production means there’s pathos dripping from every track. ‘Hurt’ is one of the songs of the decade which couldn’t even be ruined by that dire Nike advert. When I first heard ‘I Hung My Head’ it stopped me dead in my tracks. Just like most of the rest of this awesome album.

9 - Interpol: Turn On The Bright Lights.

I think there’s a good case to be made for Interpol as the band of the decade. To my shame I’m yet to see them live but their three dark, brooding and melodic albums demand that I get round to it soon. I think their debut is the pick of the bunch. Starting with ‘Untitled’ which takes its cues from the shoegazing bands of the early 90’s, the album goes onto channel the best of My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division and classic Krautrock. I suppose it can be said about all the records in the list but I can’t listen to this album too many times. It sends me to sleep, it wakes me up and generally soundtracks my life.

8 – Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend.

The drums alone deserve some kind of award. Chris Tomson is, for my money, the best drummer in a rock band at the moment. But this isn’t Keith Moon fury, or John Bonham theatrics. He sees the drum kit as a melodic and harmonic instrument. The kit is a lead instrument here and when allied to fantastic songwriting, it’s a winning combination. The African influence if overstated (this isn’t even the noughties’ Graceland, let alone Fela Kuti or Ali Farka Touré). However, the hints of afrobeat are enough to make this stand out from the crowd. Walcott is a great track – but there aren’t any duds here.

7 – Grandaddy: The Sophtware Slump.

This outstanding record is often compared favourably with ‘OK Computer’. Well, I’ll put my cards on the table. There’s only one winner; and it isn’t Radiohead. Grandaddy are impossible to categorise, but this record combines the best bits of alt-country, electronica and post-rock. The audacity of a 9 minute opening track has been matched by many bands. The difference is they’ve not made a song as arresting as ‘He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot’. ‘The Crystal Lake’ is among the best songs of the decade while ‘Undreneath The Weeping Willow’ showcases a brilliant knack for melancholy. Released at the start of the decade, very few records have got anywhere near matching Grandaddy’s Magnum Opus.

6 – The Hold Steady: Boys And Girls in America.

‘Best bar band in the world blah… blah… blah’ said the music press. Talk about damning with faint praise. The Hold Steady are one of the greatest bands of the 21st Century, full stop. And though their earlier albums are packed with gems, this breakthrough album sees their manifesto fulfilled. How many bands could start a record quoting Jack Kerouac but never fail to be fun? The sound was compared to classic E Street Band and that’s probably as close as you can get to describing this joyous racket. Craig Finn’s lyrics are always interesting and frequently brilliant. So looking at our checklist we’ve got superb music, superb lyrics and some guys that seem delighted just to be playing rock and roll. It’ll do for me.

5 – Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid.

I suppose too much has already been written about this album. It’d be easy to include ‘Asleep In The Back’ to prove I’ve liked Elbow since I used to play them on student radio in 2000. But that would miss the point: for once, the awards committees, journalists and hype-merchants got it right. This is an amazing album. There’s not an average track in sight in an hour’s running time. Picking highlights almost seems crazy, but ‘Grounds For Divorce’ and ‘On A Day Like This’ have deservedly grabbed the headlines and soundtracked a million daytime DIY programmes. But some of the less well know tracks contain stunning music and lyrics. When Guy Garvey croons ”We kiss like we invented it” on ‘Mirrorball’ it’s enough to melt your heart.  We await their next move with eager anticipation.

4 - Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther.

Take a moderately successful Texan indie band and give them a copy of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’. Stand well back and light the blue touch-paper. Doesn’t sound promising does it? How wrong could we be??? This was THE album of 2006. Inventive harmonies, layered synths and lyrics pining for the antebellum South came together to produce a stunning record. The guitar solo that comes halfway through ‘Head Home’ is one of my favourite musical moments of the decade, but this album contains several contenders for that title. The real genius of ‘…Van Occupanther’ is its ability to keep you on your toes. Just when you think it may slip into mid 70’s FM rock pastiche, the band pulls out a track like ‘Young Bride’ which forces you to admit this is a record which is far more than the sum of its considerable parts.

3 – Damien Rice: O.

David Gray is a perfectly decent singer songwriter. The same can’t be said for the likes of James Morrison and James Blunt. But how any of them came to be spoken of in the same breath as Damien Rice is beyond me. The irishman deserves to be in far better company (Jeff Buckley for example). This debut album was a slow-burning word-of-mouth behemoth that managed to retain artistic dignity while being offered on 2-for-1 deals in Tesco. Its strengths have been repeated endlessly, but any blogger who can’t find room for Lisa Hannigan’s beautiful vocals, the stunning string arrangements or the strange re-working of Silent Night is a fool. If this album has a flaw, I’m yet to find it. I can’t pick one track as a highlight because the others simply look at me reproachfully and say ‘actually we’re all rather lovely’. And they truly are.

2 – My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves.

This album sounds like the best party you’ve ever been to. If you want to label it I suppose it’s alt-country. But what on earth does that matter when the music is as much fun as this? Don’t get the idea this is some kind of comedy record though. Howling vocals, squealing guitars and pounding drums fuse together to create a brilliant racket. ‘One Big Holiday’ has a guitar hook to die for, but this isn’t an album of simple pleasures. The genius of the songs reveals itself slowly. The first time you hear it, it sounds like these are well crafted and edited jams. But like Led Zep at their peak, the tracks are more cunningly moulded than that. Crazy Horse are another reference point and when talking about a rock and roll band there are fewer bigger compliments than that. It’s a long record (71 minutes) but unusually for an album of that length, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Superb.

1 – Stephen Fretwell: Magpie.

I’m annoyed I couldn’t find a decent picture of this album without the parental advisory sticker on it. Ok, maybe it doesn’t make an ideal present for a toddler, but any parent who’s doing their job properly should be investing in this if their child shows any kind of serious interest in music. It’s as close to a perfect record as its possible to get. At the start of the decade, Scunthorpe’s Stephen Fretwell found himself in Manchester as a promising singer-songwriter. A little while later, he was in a recording studio creating some of the most beautiful music that great city has ever produced. By 2004 it was ready for release. In reality, the Manchester thing is a bit of a red herring. Fretwell owes little to the genius of the Smiths and Joy Division or the more prosaic talents of Oasis. He’s just a good old-fashioned acoustic troubadour. So who are the key influences here? I’d guess Neil Young, Bob Dylan et al. But that doesn’t tell you much about this record’s greatest strength. Fretwell’s gift for melody is astounding. Songs like ‘Emily’, ‘New York’ and ‘Rose’ are beautifully crafted and sung. But there isn’t a track here which leaves you cold. You may know ’Run’ as the Theme of ‘Gavin and Stacey’ but don’t stop there. Investigate it immediately. Buy it and love it. There’s only one album of the decade after all; whatever the Observer says!

Back in 2007, I got very very obsessed with the sophomore album from Sunderland’s Field Music, a 30-minute progressive punk art rock odyssey into the mundanity of small-town life. In borrowing the least lifestyle elements of Steely Dan and fusing them to a jerkiness that recalled Wire, the then-trio (comprised of the two brothers Brewis, and their friend Andrew Moore) created a masterpiece that provided concise chunks of song that packed in a multitude of musical ideas – from Billy Joel-esque piano, to crisp beatboxing. Tones of Town was magnificent, and its lack of fame was nigh-upon criminal. When the band announced they were going on hiatus, I practically cried myself to sleep.

Well now, via several intriguing side projects, they’re back. And in a more expansive mood, clearly, because their forthcoming third album, entitled Field Music (Measure), is a double album, with twenty songs that aren’t afraid to be less cohesive, in a manner apparently styled after Tusk and The Beatles. Predictably, I’m very excited, especially since the band (now a four piece, sans Moore) are whetting our appetites with two choice cuts from the album.

The first, “Each Time Is A New Time”, cruises in on a liquid bassline and some pretty FM-rock guitar, backed up by typically intricate drumming. When the vocals come in, the way they harmonise and interlock is sophisticated and aurally pleasing. Halfway through, the song cuts to a stripped-down passage that builds back up with insistently mellifluous guitar figures, wordless chanting and military percussion, before breaking straight back to the original riff. And then, in true Field Music style, it’s over.

The second sample, the title track, “Measure”, explodes from a suitably baroque string arrangement into a clanging, rustling, piano-led groove. The band has not lost its knack of combining the ancient with the modern, as the vocal interplay and hand claps (which sit alongside the strings, and some very steely guitar) will testify. The mood is wistful and meandering, interspersed with occasional shouts that recall Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac. As the song fades out to looped strings and a thrumming beat, I can’t help but feel a wave of relief that the band has stretched away from the brilliant style they had previously perfected, in order to explore new ground.

Both songs are little gems, and, wonderfully, both are available for free, from the band’s charming website. Field Music (Measure) is released 16th February 2010, on Memphis Industries, and promises to be one of the year’s most intriguing albums, not only in terms of scope and scale, but also in terms of the fascinating, filigree-like music it will contain.

autoKratz se apunta a la moda de lanzar sesiones para sus seguidores, y nosotros encantados, oye. Don Diablo, The Prodigy, Boris Duglosh, Maximo Park o ellos mismos con dos temas son algunos de los protagonistas de la mezcla que han hecho para celebrar el inicio de su tour por Gran Bretaña. Con estos nombres, que nadie espere una sesión suave, porqué fieles a su línea los de autoKratz usan toda una mezcla de estilos, siempre con el hard delante. La facción dura de Kitsuné, son.

Sean AKA Nordic Soul is the Decibel Festival Curator and Director, he is my good friend and one of the greatest contributors to Seattle’s thriving underground music community. This is a very insightful summary of electronic music in 2009 with his Top 15 list at the bottom as well:

From Sean:

Every year it’s part of my job at PlayNetwork to come up with a list of top albums and overall assessment of music trends for the year. Below is my brief review of what I felt was a pretty landmark year for electronic music in the US and in general. Barring any incredible releases over the next month, these are my picks for the year. Keep in mind this list is strictly made up of albums; not EPs, 12’s or remixes (i.e 95% of the electronic music I purchased this year).

2009 in Review : Binary Pop, Warp’s Legacy, Dub Mutations and the Return of Sexy Dance Music

2009 has been an incredibly innovative year in relation to music production. Artists like Animal Collective, Fever Ray, Royksopp and Moderat have proven once and for all that digital beats and electronic sound design can appeal to a pop audience that otherwise wouldn’t find themselves listening to “electronic music”.

This year also marks the 20 year anniversary of the greatest electronic music label (arguably greatest label) of all time, Warp Records, which has had an exceptional year across the board with strong indie releases from Grizzly Bear and Maximo Park as well as strong releases from their more obscure electronic artists like Tim Exile and Clark. Warp’s 20th anniversary box set is not only one of the best reviewed collections of they year, it’s also a brilliant testament to the label’s vast catalog of ground breaking artists (i.e. Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Jamie Lidell, Nightmares on Wax, Prefuse 73, Autechre, Broadcast, Plaid, Battles, Squarepusher, etc).

In addition, 2009 witnessed the rise of Dubstep as a respected genre in the US through acclaimed UK labels like Hyperdub (Burial, Kode9, Joker, Zomby, Flying Lotus) and Tectonic (2562, Martyn, DJ Pinch, Benga) both of whom continue to blur the boundaries between Grime, Dub, West Coast Hip Hop and Detroit Techno. With the avid support of tastemakers like BBC Radio 1’s Mary Anne Hobbs and Low End Theory’s Daddy Kev (Alpha Pup Records) UK Dubstep and West Coast Glitch Hop / Hip Hop have both become quintessential styles on the electronic music frontline in the US. From Burning Man to this year’s Movement festival in Detroit, Dubstep and Glitch Hop have fully emerged in 2009 as a staple sound in North America.

Another emerging trend has been the Deep House and Tech House revival, which has been experiencing a resurgence the past few years as club-goers have tired of the heady, sterility of Minimal Techno and the frenetic, over the top sound of Electro House. Artists like Gui Boratto, Voodeux, Pezzner, Milton Jackson, Stimming, Mode D, Catz n Dogz, DJ T and Dixon have all helped in keeping underground dance music both sexy and musical.

Overall 2009 has been a phenomenal year for technologically driven music, proving that creativity is truly catching up with the tools used for musical expression in the digital age.

Here are my Top 15 albums of the year:

1. Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavilion” Domino Records

2. Various “Warp 20” (Box Set) Warp Records

3. Moderat (aka Apparat & Modeselektor) “Moderat” Bpitch Control Records

4. Fever Ray “Fever Ray” Rabid Records

5. Phil Kieran “Shh” Cocoon Recordings

6. Nosaj Thing “Drift” Alpha Pup Records

7. Jon Hopkins “Insides” Domino Records

8. Various “5 : Five Years of Hyperdub” Hyperdub Records

9. Lusine “A Certain Distance” Ghostly International

10. Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest” Warp Records

11. Gui Boratto “Take My Breath Away” Kompakt Records

12. 2562 “Unbalance” Tectonic Records

13. Modeselektor “Body Language Vol. 8” Get Physical Music

14. Tim Hecker “An Imaginary Country” Kranky Records

15. Voodeux “The Paranormal” Mothership Records

Então, como eu estava devendo, vou postar hoje as fotos do PT. Aliás algumas das que se salvaram e as que saíram antes de minha bateria estranhamente acabar. Essa bateria NUNCA acabou antes assim. Mas enfim…

O primeiro show que eu assisti foi Maxïmo Park, que aliás fiquei MUITO LOCA, mas o ruim é que cheguei uns 2 minutos atrasada e não consegui ficar no meião da galere animada. Fiquei bem na frente, mas  ali acho que só eu e amigs sabíamos quem era Maxïmo Park. Mas quem liga? Cantei e pulei fazendo o maior ECO mesmo. Show do MP não é todo dia. E aliás, foi ma-ra-vi-lho-so. Fiquei querendo mais depois.

Depois voei para o outro Stage pra esperar por meu divooooooooooo Patrick Wolf, e ainda tava acabando o show do Copacabana Club. E me espantei porque estava CHEIO, tipo… minha teoria estava errada e teve gente que trocou Maxïmo Park por essa bosta Copacabana Club. Mas enfim, né? gosto é uma coisa que NÃO se discute.

Ia demorar um pouco pra chegar meu muso daí eu não consegui ficar ali ouvindo aquilo e fui buscar um energético porque eu estava há quase 48 horas sem dormir e com as pernas e os olhos morrendo. Mas não podia morrer antes de ver PW e Metronomy. Nem pensar…

Pois então, voltando pra ver Patrick, fiquei na grade mas bem de ladinho com uma segurança de 60 metros de altura na minha frente, ou seja, várias fotos tive que cortar a cabeça dela, mas até que saíram boas e o show dele também foi maravilhoso. Ele estava bem gay como sempre, cheio de glitter, trocou de roupa 2 vezes e repetia incansávelmente que ele estava amando estar ali e que ele amava todo mundo. Numa das indas e vindas dele do palco pra galere, ele caiu tentando subir de volta no palco. Ali ele ficou e começou á ter orgasmos. Me-mo-rá-vel. Um dos melhores shows que eu já assisti. E pra melhorar, no fim do show, ele veio até mim e eu peguei nele. Morri.

Tudo homem ali berrando pelo Patrick

Momento orgasmos múltiplos

Momento sou uma fada

"Meu lugar favoritoo..." senti um xaveco no cinegrafista

Acabou Patrick, ali mesmo fiquei pra assistir Metronomy. Ali mesmo não, cheguei mais pro meião, mas na grade ainda. Esperei na chuva por uns 40 minutos, observando meu amor fazer a Sound Check (meu amor= Oscar Cash) e observando também o quanto ele é baixo e o quanto aquela calça colada branca estava marcando seus dotes daquele ângulo. Fiquei um pouco chocada também com a quantidade de pessoas que sabia as músicas e o quanto o show ficou cheio e na hora de Sonic Youth. Medo. O show foi maravilhoso também, ai, mas quando acabou deu até dó. Só não curti que Oscar não interagiu, só ficou ali fazendo caras e bocas jogando toda a sua sedução e nem pra dar um oi pra galera… Mas é a vida né?

Essa calça tava uma perdição meu pai....

Ai sofri quando o show acabou. Não queria que acabasse também.

Depois de Metronomy ainda assisti Iggy PoP, que foi muuuuuuuito looooco, indescritível sensação de estar ali. Pena que nessa hora minha câmera já tinha morrido. Depois ainda peguei um pedaçinho do N.A.S.A. e depois rumei para uma after party, aliás dormi na after party. E foi isso.

Foi  maravilhoso o Festival. Podia ter sido melhor se eu tivesse menos morta. Mas mesmo assim foi maravilhoso. Quero maaaaaaaaaaaaaais.

E ah, Metronomy e Patrick disseram que estão programando outro show aqui ano que vem. Galere, se prepare!

Algo tengo, pero qué es, ni la más pálida idea. ¿Entonces? Comida, House, bailar, y putear contra la facultad.

Y recordar lo increíble de A Year Of Doubt.

Are you bored or are you blind?
Beware the contents of your mind

I wait to find a different race if so
Then I will not compete
My pain is worth no more than yours
In time we give up on ourselves

Simple life is not an option,
Try to define the word ’satisfaction’

I wait behind the factory gates for you
To finish off your shift

Solitary confinement never sounded so good
You said that you were speechless
And God I wish you were

Too late to gather in the sails
Commit I face a year of doubt
Stand up to what we both despise
Forlorn is that we find a friend

Never pays to be complacent,
Nature will always choose a replacement

Debo recordar, cuando quiera hacer un vistazo de vieja(?) al 2009, que definitivamente fue a year of doubt.

Det legendariske pladeselskab Warp fylder 20 år i år. Selskabet har i mange år været synonymt med banebrydende alternativ elektronisk musik fra kunstnere som Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Autechre, Squarepusher og Plaid. I de senere år er spektret blevet bredt ud til også at rumme mere rockede kunstnere som Grizzly Bear, Maxïmo Park og Battles. 

Jubilæet bliver fejret med diverse opsamlingsplader, bl.a. dobbeltalbummet ”Warp20 (Chosen)” med mere eller mindre kendte numre fra selskabets imponerende bagkatalog. Albummets første skive indeholder numre udvalg af fans, den anden Warp-medstifteren Steve Beckett’s personlige favoritter. 

Lyt f.eks. til Plaids stemningsfulde nummer ”Eyen”:

Den flotte udgivelse er en virkelig god introduktion til selskabets kunstnere, samtidig med, at den byder på kræs for kendere. 

Lån ”Warp20 (Chosen)” på HvidovreBibliotekerne.

Lån albums fra Warp-kunstnere her.

/thorlund

“Do you ever want to wear your body out, until there’s nothing left to take”

“Taking long walks in perfect silence.
Joined together in useless harmony.”

ps: uma pena que num está inteira!

Después de este fin de semana (que terminó hoy martes), no sé. Me retiro de la vida. Mucha magia, mucho alcohol, mucha música, mucho baile, mucho dolor de piernas, y un buen par de moretones. Parece que tengo noche (y día también).

Lo único que le faltó, fueron mayores cantidades de comida

Ah sí: Agustín Benitez es mi persona favorita en el universo (Paul Smith entra primero en otro tipo de listas de genialidad).

Aparentemente, eu tenho uma nova mania, que é a de perder o começo dos shows que eu mais quero ver!

Pois é, aconteceu no Radiohead e aconteceu antes de ontem no Maximo Park, a diferença é que eu sai 17:30 de casa, mas me perdi, depois num tinha vaga em estacionamento! Nessa busca por uma vaga, o Maximo Park subiu pontualmente as 19:00 no palco, além de eu estar escutando da rua, meu celular começou a tocar desesperadamente, porque todo mundo sabia o quanto eu queria ver eles! Foi horrível! Depois de  implorar e gastar 50 reais, consegui uma vaga num estacionamento, então começou minha maratona, eu corri que nem uma louca, cheguei  perto do palco e comecei a me acabar!! Em apply some pressure, eu achei a música mais fraca que o cd, comecei a ter medo se seria assim o show inteiro, mas eu estava enganada!

Devido a emoção eu não lembro a ordem do set list, estava me matando, quando encontrei o Tchina que estava indo ver Copacabana! Então tocaram books from boxes, tão fofa, quase chorei!!! Então veio um dos melhores momentos do meu ano!

Começou com o Paul dizendo que eles não tocavam aquela música fazia tempo, e começaram a tocar I want you to stay do a certain trigger! Oi??? Se existe uma música que eu realmente num esperava escutar era essa! Eu quase tive um ataque do coração, gritei tanto que fiquei sem ar!! Então recebi uma msg da Pat By, que estava do outro lado do palco, fui até lá mas num achei ela!

Quando eles estavam tocando I haven’t seen her in ages, surge uma pessoa pulando e gritando na minha direção!!! Era a Pat!! Dizendo que estava apaixonada pelo Paul e que queria casar com ele! rs!

Então outro momento super alto do show para mim, eles disseram que iam tocar uma música mais rock, mas o teclado começou a dar pau, então no improviso, eles mais do que fofos tocaram postcard of a paiting, que tinha uma garota com um cartaz pedindo! Então em seguida veio Limassol, oi???  Morri e liberei o Ian Curtis que mora dentro de mim! Então veio Our velocity, going missing, (que eu fiquei tãooo emocionada, e tive que cantar uma parte para a Pat), e girls who play guitar!!

Observações gerais:

1- Paul Smith é simpático demais, tem uma energia contagiante, canta e escreve com a alma

2- Set list foi incrível!

3- O por do sol com o show só fez ele ser mais mágico

4- Eu amo Maximo Park, mas  nunca imaginei que o show fosse tão incrível!!

5- I want you to stay e Limassol no mesmo show!!

6- Todos sempre bem vestidos, mas o Paul Smith sempre me mata com a elegância dele!

7- O grande problema é que agora eu num consigo parar de pensar nas letras das músicas!

8- E fica a dica para quem não foi no show, ou assim como eu, quer assistir o show de novo 5 vezes em um dia…no terra tem os videos dos shows! Entra aqui para ver!!

9- As fotos são do terra! Num vou postar as fotos nem os videos mega tremidos que eu fiz!! =)

10- Depois do Radiohead, esse foi o melhor show do meu ano

11- Eu deveria ter ido embora depois do Maximo, porque eu fiquei com favoritismo demais, não aproveitando devidamente os outros shows

Tem mais dos outros shows do Planeta Terra daqui a pouco!!!

Hoje tem posts sobre o Planeta Terra, que a Annahy e o Tchininha me ajudaram a fazer!!!

Porque a vida para mim acabou depois do Maximo Park, estava em ecstasy!

para quem foi em algum show ontem  e morreu por ele!!

Mamá: ¿Cuándo era que tenías el recital ese?
Flor: …el domingo. Igual te aviso que este fin de semana probablemente casi ni me vean.
Mamá: Ah, bueno, está bien. Entonces hacemos planes sin vos, joya.

No maté a mi madre por decir “el recital ese” al referirse a mi banda favorita, cuyo nombre siempre olvida y ya me cansé de repetir (y eso que fui a almorzar con ella el día que me enteré que venían y la volví loca hablando del tema). ¿Estaré madurando?

Dicho sea de paso, y para exteriorizar un poco: faltan tres días. Uno, dos, tres.

uno
dos

tres

Hannah Claydon is the guest blogger this week and guess what?  She’s Forever Manchester!   

“Manchester changed the world’s politics: from vegetarianism to feminism to trade unionism to communism, every upstart notion that ever got ideas above its station, every snotty street-fighter of a radical philosophy, was fostered brawling in Manchester’s streets, mills, pubs, churches and debating halls.” – Stuart Maconie

So, what made me decide to go to University in Manchester as a Mancunian who could have gone anywhere in the U.K.? Well, that’s easy! Whether it’s having a taster of the V.I.P. treatment at Sankeys, mingling with Liam Fray; frontman of Manchester band The Courteeners in 42nd Street, settling down for an acoustic set at Abode in Chorlton or simply having a long lunch and a gossip over tea and biscuits in Mr. Scruff inspired café ‘Cup’ in the Northern Quarter with the girls, there is no better place for me!

University of Manchester

Not to mention the fact that Karl Marx and Fredreich Engels resided on the spot where Whitworth Park Halls of Residence now stand, or the fact that The University of Manchester is now third place nationally, behind only Cambridge and Oxford. What a proud position to be in as someone who is Mancunian born and bred.

During the past few weeks, I have been to see The Maccabees at the Student Union, a gig which eventually descended into chaos, at which point lead singer Orlando Weeks had to step in during his rendition of my personal favourite ‘Precious Time’ to calm things down. This was followed days later by a trip to the Apollo to see Newcastle band Maximo Park. As always, lead singer Paul Smith got the crowd going with energetic performances of ‘Books from Boxes’, ‘Our Velocity’ and ‘Acrobat’ to name but a few, accompanied by his now infamous high jumps and hip-wiggles.

 Yes, having the beautiful John Rylands Library as a place to study admittedly makes revision and research times more bearable, as does much deserved afternoon trips to vintage stores in the Northern Quarter! Although I have to confess, the removal of the Morrissey montage on the side of Afflecks Palace is a little upsetting.

At the moment, I am studying Victorian Britain and to think that the industrial gem of the North was such a successful town for trade just shows why and how Manchester has reason to celebrate its reputation as a place in which business and creativity can coexist so easily; all these years after Manchester was established as the city which epitomised Victorian values of industry and merchantry.

One of my favourite things about being a student and growing up in Manchester is its diversity; from Oriental cuisine in China Town to authentic curries in Rusholme, Manchester has something for everyone. I have to tell you all that I’ve recently discovered Fruli, a continental beer on offer in many quirkier bars such as Odder and many in the Northern Quarter, as well as Trof in Fallowfield and The Deaf Institute; just off Oxford Road. It’s delicious!

During the summer, as always, I travelled to Leeds Festival. Of course, acts like Kings of Leon, Radiohead, Placebo and The Arctic Monkeys delivered great sets. But, for me, it was Stone Roses frontman and Mancunian legend Ian Brown who delivered the ultimate showstopper. He began his set exclaiming “right, let’s have some fun…Are you all gonna have a bop?” This was followed by his infamous swagger which accompanied classics such as F.E.A.R. and Fools Gold.

 So, I think it’s easy to see why I chose to go to University in Manchester, despite the fact I grew up in this fantastic city. I just love everything it stands for. Essentially, I am Forever Manchester!

Hannah

Blimey Hannah, when do you get chance to study?  Anyway, keep living the dream. 

Hannah has also contributed a poem that you can read on the Forever Manchester website: http://forevermanchester.com/supporters

More ramblings from me to follow soon, in the meantime here is a pearl of wisdom from the bottom of Soap Street near the excellent This & That Cafe (which is also Forever Manchester) in the Northern Quarter.

Chris

Hello everyone
How’s your weekend going?
I’m busy working on my to-do-list which contains lots of cleaning and university-related stuff.

As the title and my last post suggested, we went to see Maxïmo Park in Frankfurt on Wednesday. They truly are my favourite band and even though the concert lasted for about an hour only, we had so much fun. (And the warm-up band were the Blood Red Shoes, really cool as well!) I made it to the fourth row and therefore was able to see Paul close-up performing. He’s such an entertainer and really professional (there were sound problems plus he said he had lost his voice this morning). Loved everything about it. So here’s a card I made (total and utter CASE of Kristina Werner’s recent autumn card) in order to thank them for this great concert. [I had trouble finding their postal address, so I don't know where to send it yet.]

Cardstock: SU!, PTI; Patterned Paper: BG Lemonade; Stickers: Cosmo Cricket; Other: Leaf Punch, Fiskars Scallop Sentiment Punch, 3D glue dots, Signo White Gel Pen.

Autumn is in full swing over here, lookit
Enjoy & have a nice Sunday!

P.S. That little innocent-looking creature “cleaned out” the fridge just one day after the cupboard incident. Oh boy.

Last London gig

Setlist :

She’s Lost Control, Shadowplay, These Days, Transmission,
Love Will Tear Us Apart, Atmosphere, Waiting For The Sirens’ Call,
Ceremony, Who’s Joe, Crystal, Regret, Guilt Is A Useless Emotion,
Bizarre Love Triangle, Temptation, The Perfect Kiss, Blue Monday
(encore) Love Vigilantes, Turn, True Faith

Part 1

Part 2