2010 Mix Tape

It wouldn't quite fit on a C90 but who cares, I have no means to actually put it on a tape over here in NZ anyway.

Side A
Wolf Parade - Cloud Shadow on the Mountain [4:22]
Love is All - Repetition [2:31]
Dum Dum Girls - Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout [2:34]
Los Campesinos! - Letters From Me to Charlotte [3:43]
The Tallest Man on Earth - King of Spain [3:26]
Laura Stevenson and The Cans - Landslide/The Dig [1:51]
No Age - Glitter [3:48]
The Walkmen - Blue As Your Blood [4:16]
The Bundles - Pirates Declare War [4:11]
Blur - Fool's Day [3:27]
The New Pornographers - Silver Jenny Dollar [2:52]
Allo Darlin' - Let's Go Swimming [4:31]
Zola Jesus - Night [3:40]
Deerhunter - He Would Have Laughed [7:29]

Side B
Belle and Sebastian - I Didn't See It Coming [5:02]
Tunng - Hustle [4:27]
Woods - Blood Dries Darker [4:29]
Frightened Rabbit - Nothing Like You [3:04]
Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em [2:56]
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Trick Pony [2:52]
The School - Can't Understand [2:42]
Beach House - Norway [3:54]
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio [4:35]
Jens Lekman - The End of the World is Bigger Than Love [4:34]
Broken Social Scene - Sweetest Kill [5:09]
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can [4:01]
The Besnard Lakes - Albatross [4:42]
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) [5:25]

Top 50 albums of 2010 (so far...)

1. Two Thousand and Ten Injuries - Love is All
2. Forgiveness Rock Record - Broken Social Scene
3. A Record - Laura Stevenson & The Cans
4. High Violet - The National
5. Expo 86 - Wolf Parade
6. Romance is Boring - Los Campesinos!
7. I Will Be - Dum Dum Girls
8. Together - The New Pornographers
9. Teen Dream - Beach House
10. The Bundles - The Bundles
11. Travellers in Space and Time - The Apples in Stereo
12. The Winter of Mixed Drinks - Frightened Rabbit
13. At Echo Lake - Woods
14. Are the Roaring Night - The Besnard Lakes
15. I Speak Because I Can - Laura Marling
16. ...And Then We Saw Land - Tunng
17. Gorilla Manor - Local Natives
18. Fire Like This - Blood Red Shoes
19. Life is Sweet Nice to Meet You - Lightspeed Champion
20. Volume 2 - She & Him
21. Astro Coast - Surfer Blood
22. IRM - Charlotte Gainsbourg
23. Odd Blood - Yeasayer
24. Treats - Sleigh Bells
25. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
26. Contra - Vampire Weekend
27. Go - Jonsi
28. European - Sambassadeur
29. The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man on Earth
30. Crushes - Mates of State
31. One Life Stand - Hot Chip
32. American Ghetto - Portugal. The Man
33. Realism - The Magnetic Fields
34. Beachcombers Windowsill - Stornoway
35. Tomorrow, In a Year - The Knife
36. A Coming of Age - Lucky Soul
37. The Five Ghosts - Stars
38. Fossils and Other Phantoms - Peggy Sue
39. Clinging to a Scheme - The Radio Dept.
40. The Chaos - The Futureheads
41. Dear God, I Hate Myself - Xiu Xiu
42. A New Athens - The Bluetones
43. Transference - Spoon
44. Coconut - Archie Bronson Outfit
45. Wild Smile - Suckers
46. Pigeons - Here We Go Magic
47. Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom
48. The Courage of Others - Midlake
49. There Is Love in You - Four Tet
50. Nothing Hurts - Male Bonding

Laura Stevenson and The Cans

An artist I've discovered recently and am enjoying immensely is Laura Stevenson and The Cans.

Her songs are a sort of lo-fi indie/folk /punk sort of thing with definite influence from Neutral Milk Hotel (hence me loving her)

She has an album called 'A Record' which I believe is only available on import from the states but it is well worth checking out.

Broken Social Scene new album!

It's been five years since Broken Social Scene last graced us with a full album. But after the two sort of solo albums (Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew & Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning) the group is ready to release the official follow up to 2005's self titled effort.

The album will feature familiar faces from their previous records, Feist, Amy Millan (Stars) and Emily Haines (Metric) among others.

The album which is yet to be titled will be released in Canada and the states on May 4th so the UK release will hopefully be around that time too.

Suede Reunion

As a big Suede fan, I've gotten quite excited today by the news that they're to reform for a one-off charity gig in March at the Royal Albert Hall. It'll be the 'Coming Up' era line-up of Brett Anderson, Mat Osman, Richard Oakes, Simon Gilbert and Neil Codling.

There's an official announcement up on the Teenage Cancer Trust website.

Do you think they'll let us mosh in the orchestra pit?

Can't wait!

New albums 2010

My last batch of mp3s were wrongly taken down by blogger so these ones come with a notice.

All mp3s posted on this blog ever are freely and legally available from other websites.
These are legitimate free mp3s linked from other sites. All that i am posting here are links to download them from other legal sites.
With that in mind please don't take these links down and if anyone has a problem with them they should contact the website hosting the mp3s.

Thank you.

Here are some mp3s of tracks from new albums this year.
Right click and 'Save Target As...'

Beach House - Norway
From new Beach House album 'Teen Dream' released 25/01/10
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
From new Charlotte Gainsbourg album 'IRM' released 25/01/10
Los Campesinos! - The Sea Is a Good Place To Think Of The Future
From new Los Campesinos! album 'Romance is Boring' released 01/02/10
Pavement - Gold Soundz
From 'Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement' released 08/03/10
Vampire Weekend - Horchata
From new Vampire Weekend album 'Contra' released 11/01/10
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
From new Yeasayer album 'Odd Blood' released 08/02/10

Top 100 Albums of the decade

Now that the decade is over (the 2000s, the noughties, whatever you want to call it) I bring you my top 100 albums of the decade.

Make no mistake, this was hell to compile. There are some great albums that missed but at the moment I think this is an accurate reflection of my 100 favourite albums of the last 10 years.

Here goes...

100. The National - Alligator

99. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows

98. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?

97. Brazilian Girls - Brazilian Girls

96. The New Pornographers - Challengers
95. Beck - Sea Change

94. Jeffrey Lewis - The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane

93. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

92. The Bluetones - Science and Nature

91. The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away

90. The Maccabees - Colour It In

89. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon

88. Cat Power - The Greatest

87. Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction

86. Tilly & The Wall - Wild Like Children
85. Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You
84. Matt & Kim - Matt & Kim

83. Murry the Hump - Songs of Ignorance

82. The Teenagers - Reality Check

81. Graham Coxon - The Kiss of Morning

80. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

79. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

78. Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

77. Jeffrey Lewis - It's The Ones Who've Cracked That The Light Shines Through

76. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning

75. Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly

74. Grandaddy - Sumday

73. Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself

72. Doves - The Last Broadcast

71. The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done

70. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise

69. Animal Collective - Feels

68. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

67. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

66. The Knife - Deep Cuts

65. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

64. The Shins - Oh Inverted World

63. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

62. Radiohead - In Rainbows

61. The Antlers - Hospice

60. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette

59. Stellastarr* - Harmonies For The Haunted

58. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

57. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

56. The Moldy Peaches - The Moldy Peaches

55. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

54. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

53. Sigur Rós - Takk...

52. Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

51. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

50. Muse - Origin of Symmetry

49. The Breeders - Title TK

48. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

47. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

46. The Voluntary Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea

45. The Futureheads - The Futureheads

44. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

43. Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank The Cradle
42. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

41. The Postal Service - Give Up

40. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

39. Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This

38. Hope of the States - The Lost Riots

37. The Decemberists - Her Majesty...

36. Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines

35. Neon Neon - Stainless Style

34. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

33. TV on the Radio - Dear Science

32. The Strokes - Is This It

31. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat

30. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World

29. Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power

28. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country

27. Life Without Buildings - Any Other City

26. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News

25. The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder

24. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

23. Architecture in Helsinki - Fingers Crossed

22. Radiohead - Kid A

21. Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch

20. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

19. Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun

18. Super Furry Animals - Mwng

17. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

16. The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird Bark

15. Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard - Em Are I

14. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

13. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

12. Stellastarr* - Stellastarr*

11. Blur - Think Tank

10. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica

9. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

8. Pilotdrift - Iter Facere

7. The Knife - Silent Shout

6. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People

5. Love is All - A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night

4. Arcade Fire - Funeral

3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

2. Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die

1. Love is All - Nine Times That Same Song

Love is All: New Album

The band responsible for two of my top 5 records of the last decade (including the number 1) have announced the release of their third album.

They've moved from their long time label 'What's Your Rupture?' to new label 'Polyvinyl' and will release the new album 'Two Thousand and Ten Injuries' on March 23rd.

You can listen to new track Kungen here.

Top 5 albums of 2009: In depth

It was quite an odd look to my top 5 albums this year, no real big names with the exception of maybe Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
So in order to enlighten you a little more here is a small write up on each of the top 5.

5. The Voluntary Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea
The Voluntary Butler Scheme is one man band Rob Jones, he plays everything on this album as well as recreating it live by himself too, which as anyone who has caught him live this year will tell you is quite an event to witness.
This was probably my most eagerly awaited album of the year. The 'Trading Things In' single made number 1 on my top tracks of 2008 so this record had a lot to live up to and it certainly did not disappoint.
The worry of songs translating to the stage is reversed in Rob's case, such is the charm and creativity of his live performances it must have been a difficult task to capture that on record. Happily he succeeded. The other singles 'Tabasco Sole' and 'Multiplayer' are both brilliant and there are a whole host of songs on here that would have made equally good singles.

4. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
It was late one night in 2004 while watching MTV2 that i was first exposed to Karin Dreijer Andersson's voice on The Knife track 'Pass This On'
As a great fan of unusual voices i was instantly hooked, finding myself a copy of the 'Deep Cuts' album and being generally pleased with my find.
This was followed in 2006 by the 'Silent Shout' album which found its way to number 2 in my albums of the year becoming the first album you wouldn't find filed under 'indie' to make my top 5 of the year. Well here's the second.
On first listen you can immediately tell this is a great album, it's one of those records that demands to be listened to in its entirety, only after spending some time with it can you begin to pick out highlights to explain why it's so good.
It's altogether a darker and more atmospheric album than any of The Knife's offerings but Karin retains a quirky and almost childlike persona in her lyrics "Magpies, I throw sticks at them" from Triangle Walks. "Talk about love, talk about dishwasher tablets" from Seven.
She incorporates sounds into this album that would usually have no place on any respectable record, (pan pipes for fuck sake!?) but somehow it just works.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs were in danger of becoming irrelevant i felt after the release of their last album 'Show Your Bones' in 2006. True, it spawned possibly some of the bands best singles in 'Cheated Hearts' 'Gold Lion' and 'Turn Into' but the rest of the album faded into obscurity, it didn't have the raw energy of their debut and it hadn't really taken them in any particular direction befitting the band.
'It's Blitz' was a gutsy move no doubt about it, ditching the guitars which tore through 'Fever to Tell' making that record what it was (still a fantastic debut) and replacing them with synths. Karen O said of the new record it would sound different but still like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and she was so right, this new direction suits the band down to the ground.
This album has everything, the instant anthems 'Zero' and 'Heads Will Roll', the more tender moments they've always excelled at 'Skeletons' and 'Little Shadow', and the iconic album cover. Their best album yet.

2. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Sunset Rubdown have never so much as broken into my years top 30 so what has happened to get this new record so high? Well at the halfway point of 2009 'Dragonslayer' was heading for another mid table finish for the band. But you know those albums that people call 'a grower'? Never has that term been more relevant than here.
Like all great 'grower' albums, you'll start to love each track separately over time. 'Silver Moons', 'Idiot Heart' and 'You Go On Ahead' should be first on your radar but you'll soon see there's not a bad song on here.
Seeing them live in Cardiff in September probably played its part in bringing the songs to life but listening to it now I'm amazed at how it took so long to fall in love with this album.
The eight tracks on 'Dragonslayer' (yes there are only eight tracks but it still clocks in at over 48 minutes) are to my mind the best eight tracks Sunset Rubdown have ever recorded and a lot of them are better than anything Spencer Krug's Wolf Parade have put out too. (and I love Wolf Parade's 'Apologies to the Queen Mary') It really is that good.

1. Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard - Em Are I
The anti-folk storyteller has delivered his best and most complete album yet. Lewis has had an arsenal of great songs for some time now 'Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror', 'The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song', 'Back When I Was 4' and 'Creeping Brain' to name just a few but thus far they've been spread across all of his albums.
With 'Em Are I', the first album to credit his backing band The Junkyard, Jeff has created an album that has everything and plays to all of his strengths.
Energetic opener 'Slogans' kicks things off before the brilliant 'Roll Bus Roll' a sweet tribute to the joys of riding the Greyhound bus and trying to get some sleep "A rolled sweatshirt makes the window soft" advises Jeff.
The album has its pop moments, 'Good Old Pig, Gone to Avalon' and 'Whistle Past the Graveyard' still draped in Lewis' wit and humour as well softer hazy afternoon moments like 'To Be Objectified'. Jeff's brother Jack provides the albums darker moment with the menacing 'The Upside-Down Cross', like I said, this album has everything.
While you can never recreate the experience of a Jeffrey Lewis gig (the comics and banter really make those) it's reassuring to know he's got an album as good as this to draw on to make those gigs even more unforgettable. Deservedly the album of the year.

Indie Christmas MP3s

Here's a selection of Christmas MP3s for all to enjoy.
(Right click and 'Save Target As...')

Banjo or Freakout - White Christmas
Can - Silent Night
Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
Lightning Dust - Ho Ho Ho
Lucky Soul - Lonely This Christmas
Parenthetical Girls - Thank God It's Not Christmas
Slow Club - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Happy crimbo and all that.

J