Tracks of 2010

So I made a compilation of 31 of my favourite songs of 2010. Go here to view and listen to the Spotify playlist*!

M

*NB: Some albums aren’t on Spotify yet (The Wonder Show of the World, Wild Smile etc. etc.) and some won’t be there full stop seemingly (The Suburbs) so I couldn’t put them on. Woulda, shoulda, coulda!

Tags: 2010 songs, Playlist, Spotify, tracks of 2010

Albums of 2010

2011. Here we are. Albums of 2010. Here we go.

Debuts

Small Black- New Chain

A debut that is easily one of my favourite albums of the year, New Chain is enough to make me dance in my sleep. Listen to ‘Search Party’, ‘Photojournalist’ or ‘Light Curse’ and you’ll catch my drift, which is 100% factual drift.

Twin Shadow- Forget

George Lewis Jr. What can one say? Not much more than “his producer was Chris Taylor” is needed in my book as far as Forget goes. Love. Love. Love.

Suckers- Wild Smile

Going on its four part harmonies and falsettos, Wild Smile could work on vocal strength alone. ‘Before Your Birthday Ends’ is worth particular note in this respect. Listen and love, listen and love.

Album covers

S. Carey- All We Grow

Crammed full of melodies akin to that of Sufjan Stevens, All We Grow is the perfect accompaniment to any lazy afternoon. The album’s artwork mirrors this in an idealistic photograph, which is surely the envy of any non-driving city dweller (i.e. me). For now however, the album’s gorgeous atmosphere is more than enough.

The Phantom Band- The Wants

Scottish lads after my own heart, The Phantom Band combine rustic vocals with off-kilter blips and beeps here. As far as artwork’s concerned, The Phantom Band are pretty original. The Wants‘ cover is completely different to its predecessor’s and reflects the album’s divided nature.

Broken Social Scene- Forgiveness Rock Record

A patchwork of vibrant melodies, Forgiveness Rock Record displays its coat of many colours in more ways than one. With artwork reminiscent to that of Person Pitch, Broken Social Scene have done it again across all boards.

Defending champions

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs

Three albums on and not one jot of interest has been lost in Camp Machin as far as Arcade Fire are concerned.

The National- High Violet

High Violet is a record full of electric, bristling songs bursting at the seams with a very unique energy. Just when I think The National have hit their stride, they add another layer to the cake that is their career and leave their followers dumbstruck in the process. Hear hear!

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & the Cairo Gang- The Wonder Show of the World

Sombre and seemingly calculating at times, The Wonder Show of the World adds another well-earnt feather to Will Oldham’s cap. Highlights include ‘Someone Coming Through’ (can’t describe that song well enough) and ‘The Sounds Are Always Begging’ amongst others, the album’s flavoursome duration melting cohesively elsewhere.

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 If you’d like to see my top ten albums, go here right now.

In case you were wondering, which I doubt, I had a lovely New Year’s Eve (and Day) with Moss n Schofields drinking Budweiser and considering wine alongside some party snacks, cake and chat. Going out is a bit of a stretch these days.

M

Tags: album, album artwork, Albums of 2010, Arcade Fire, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the Cairo Gang, Broken Social Scene, Sean Carey, Small Black, Suckers, The National, The Phantom Band, Twin Shadow

2010

Twenty ten, you’ve been good, you’ve been bad, let’s call it a day, eh?

In the way of music, like most years, 2010′s been brilliant. Not only have there been some great releases, be they single, EP or album, but you and I can look forward to 2011 with expectations of sonic standard that are sure to be met! An albums of 2010 list, or general muddle through, is to follow, but for now, head over to Aesthetic Octopus and swot up on our Top Ten Songs and Top Ten Albums of 2010 lists! Gigs have also been my way of getting out of my cocoon of a room, providing me with a distraction from the everyday grind and a fairly good tune or two (slight understatement) to boot. This year, Yeasayer, The Black Keys, The Agitator, Boy & Bear, Small Black, and Phosphorescent have impressed. Next year I’m looking forward to witnessing the musical athleticism of Twin Shadow, Tennis OR Metronomy (that’ll be a toughie!), Jamie Woon and Efterklang plus many, many more in January and February alone. Small Black’s ‘Photojournalist’ is a definite jam of the year, enjoy…

My continuing appreciative war on Literature reached new heights. Curveballs were thrown, recommendations were gathered and taken out from Glasgow University’s mammoth library and Nick Hornby once again danced an imaginary charleston dance of victory in my head out of amazingness. As is customary for my Christmas breaks, I have a toppling collection of books I need to read before January including the remainder of “London Calling: A Countercultural History of London”, “Ulysses”, “The Driver’s Seat”, amongst others. This year has also seen my introduction to Colum McCann, who I would advise you to search out right away. His collection of short stories, “Fishing the Sloe-Black River” is spell-binding in short. I’m currently awaiting the delivery of “Let the Great World Spin”, which I am hoping is as good as I’ve heard. I’m hoping 2011will not see me returning the question “Have you read ________?” with “No…” as often as it feels has been the case this year, I do love those conversations filled with recommendations, but I love replying with an affirmative “Yes” even more to said question.

I haven’t had the chance to do many art gallery visits, but Dorothy Bohm’s exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery this Summer was unforgettable. Once I’m back in Glasgow, the book, “A World Observed”, that was released alongside the event is being whisked straight to my door, believe me. In terms of films, I very much enjoyed Joann Sfar’s biopic of Gainsbourg, cleverly entitled, Gainsbourg.

Hopefully not spending NYE at home, but at Schofield towers, this year, so until 2011, I shall love you and leave you. The New Year shall bring you a retrospective, but mild, listomania. Happy NYE smooching, I’m off to look at my favourite Birthday/Christmas present again!

M

Tags: 2010, Colum McCann, film, Gainsbourg, Joann Sfar, lists, Music, Small Black, trailer

Neon Indian: T-Rex cover and Mind Drips video

Following the spirit of marches and demonstrations against tax dodging bigwigs, we’re looking at you Philip Green, and the disgraceful rise in student fees, it’s with a rebellious spirit I present you with Neon Indian’s cover of T-Rex classic, ‘Children of the Revolution’, which you can nab from here.

Alongside this, is the brilliant new video for ‘Mind Drips’, which was captured in one of the most unique ways I’ve ever heard of… 

From the video’s press release: “…The LZX Visionary (an analogue video synthesizer) manipulates and creates images in the same way a normal synthesizer does for sounds. ‘Mind Drips’ is the first music video to utilize this unique synthesizer, and all of its visual effects are recorded in real-time using techniques such as abstract pattern synthesis, video feedback, and analog compositing. For more information on the LZX Visionary video synthesizer, for more information, visit www.lzxindustries.net“

Tags: cover, Mind Drips, mp3, Neon Indian, T-Rex, video

Young

Summer Camp, Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley, have created a burbling and fuzzy snapshot of life as they seemingly know it in these six songs. As jam-packed with brilliance as some full length albums come, the duo appear to have hit upon something rather novel with this EP, here’s to youth and Young itself…

 

 Sharing the vocal spotlight in turns, and at times together (huzzah!), ‘Round the Moon’ showcases Warmsley’s unique voice first and foremost, Sankey joining in, and echoing at the appropriate and well tempered points within choruses. Unapologetically romantic in its lyrics (“We danced all night and we held each other tight”) this opening track provides a peek of what’s yet to come in the words department on Young.

 

‘Veronica Sawyer’ could have come straight from the diary of any teenage girl in the throes of self-discovery, Sankey voicing the observations of a party going youngster, eventually concluding “It’s okay, I got so much more than this”. This disillusioned mentality of youth is another side to Summer Camp’s lyrical appeal and is all part of their distinctive nostalgia.

 

One of my absolute favourite tracks from the outset of their career and this EP, ‘Ghost Train’ is a best amongst first place entries as far as Summer Camp go. Combining the very best of Sankey’s alluring vocals and a clip-clopping rhythm, the track is spell-binding and calming all in the same breath.

 

‘Jake Ryan’ closes this debut EP in a personal manner, its lyrics demanding “Go on and ruin me/Take my life and run/Go on and have my heart, every beat/Finish with me now” amidst a murmur of contrasting and bubbling synths. The chaotic and emotive atmosphere of Young leaves me, for one, eager to hear more from Sankey and Warmsley. The different moods and airs of each individual song leaves them hard to figure out, Summer Camp are a curious mystery indeed.

Tags: 2010, Elizabeth Sankey, EP review, Jeremy Warmsley, Music, review, Summer Camp, Young

Champ

Despite the fact that they hit their stride early on with classic EP, A Lesson In Crime, Tokyo Police Club’s strong burning flame of fame hasn’t seen a flicker in all its days. 2010’s second full length album, Champ, only reinforced this fact, bringing the Canadian quartet’s fan base out in a loving tour de force of spirit.

 

 Equally as gripping as early material, Champ gets off to a great start with ‘Favourite Food’ and ‘Favourite Colour’, similar names, very different songs. Well, not massively different, but different all the same. After a hesitant opening, ‘Favourite Food’ smacks the listener with all it has, providing a lively piece of proof that some bands should never stop making music, and hopefully never will (as long as their health isn’t in danger, mind…unless they‘re cool with writing songs from a hospital bed…). ‘Favourite Colour’ doesn’t make any of its predecessor’s concessions, making an immediate move for energy, grit and vigour, Dave Monks demanding “Tell me what/Tell me what’s your favourite colour” within the track’s stop and start chorus.

 

This energy loosens and whirls in an entirely different manner during Champ’s third track, ‘Breakneck Speed’, which includes one of my favourite lyrics of this album, “I remember when our voices used to sound the exact same/Now we just translate”. Although nuances at intellectual thought such as this lyric might sound contrived, within the nostalgic context of ‘Breakneck Speed’ ‘s melodies, the song’s lyrics aren’t sickly sentimental, but more of an inside joke in this reviewer‘s humble opinion.

 

‘Bambi’, my favourite track of Champ, absorbs much of the record’s best attributes and blurts them out in a stuttering flash of brilliance. Whilst Monks unfurls an again beautiful ribbon of lyrics, at times everyday and at others poetic, subtly dark keyboards and gurgling guitars surround his words, almost enveloping and consuming them entirely. The mood of ‘Bambi’ is hard to pin down, protective though the lyrics are (“You can watch it when you get a bit older/But for now in the bad bits I should cover your eyes”), the instrumental sections show a more menacing underbelly to the song.

 

Akin to the air of ‘Breakneck Speed’ is that of ‘Hands Reversed’. Sombre and lingering, the song’s atmosphere forcibly makes itself known in every aspect of the music, from the drawn out guitar melodies and down tempo drums to words such as “You’ve got to come into my kitchen for a cry”.

 

Oddly titled, ‘Frankenstein’ closes Champ on an dynamic note. Tempered by its choruses and downhearted lyrics “A gold star turns black”, ‘Frankenstein’ manages not to bolt from the door completely, creating a feeling of wistfulness that only moves to affect the listener’s own mind. 

Tags: 2010 album, album review, Champ, Dave Monks, Graham Wright, Greg Alsop, Josh Hook, review, Tokyo Police Club

Family

Family are a London based quartet who seem to like taking a backseat when it comes to describing their music, judging from their elusive and minimal presence here and there on the web. Relying for the most part on vulnerable yet ballsy guitar parts, the band spin a very unique yarn of melodies. The distinctive vocals of Family, that at times harmonise (big brownie points), are as emotive as they come, and compliment the instrumental components of songs such as ‘Arjun’ in gorgeous style.

For now, we the listeners, have five tracks to enjoy over and over again via the group’s bandcamp. Personally, I couldn’t recommend a particular favourite, and this isn’t to say the songs all merge into one, simply that Family’s material is so cohesive, you almost can’t have one track without the others. However, if you’re looking for a swatch of Family’s various artistic attributes, try ‘Eileen’ on for size. Can’t wait to see what 2o11 has instore for these guys.

Tags: 2010, bandcamp, Family, London music, Music, review