Albums Of The Decade

It's taken me a while to round up my thoughts, but spurred on by being asked my favourite British albums of the last decade - and thus realising all my favourites were not applicable. Here are some thoughts:

Listen to all my albums of the decade on a Spotify playlist here

YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT

Wilco (2002)

Never has an album encapsulated me from first listen as much as this. Again, the love is possibly heighetened by the "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" documentary, but there are so many tunes that mean so much on this album

Listen to 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' on Spotify here

PLEASE BELIEVE IT

The Party Of Helicopters (2003)

Odd choice, but POH are simply the best live band I ever saw, and my love for this album is near unrivalled. Just ask anyone I subjected it to while on the road with Forward Russia.

Listen to 'Please Believe It' on Spotify here

THE TEXAS-JERUSALEM CROSSROADS

Lift To Experience (2001)

Such scope and vision, my heart lifts and sags with every crescendo and swell of Josh T Pearson's voice

Listen to 'The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads' on Spotify here

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE

Low (2001)

The perfect Low record. Which is pretty perfect really

Listen to clips of 'Things We Lost In The Fire' on Last.fm here

Download tracks from 'Things We Lost In The Fire' from the Kranky website here

THE MEADOWLANDS

The Wrens (2003)

Existing as if from nowhere, it's a mish-mash of indie slants that shouldn't works, yet does, better than you can imagine

Listen to 'The Meadowlands' on Spotify here

YOU FORGOT IT IN PEOPLE

Broken Social Scene (2002)

A blueprint for pretty much every great band of the last x number of year. Pretty much. Unrivalled

Listen to 'You Forgot It In People' on Spotify here

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO.

Songs: Ohia (2003)

Hard, but tips the Molina scale for me, if just for "Hold On Magnolia" and "John Henry Broke My Heart"

Listen to 'Magnolia Electric Co.' on Spotify here

DESPERATE YOUTH, BLOOD THIRSTY BABES

Tv On The Radio (2004)

Again, how do you weigh up 3 TVOTR albums, but this album as a statement of intent

Listen to 'Depserate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes' on Spotify here

SET YOURSELF ON FIRE

Stars (2004)

The other side of the Broken Social Scene coin, a wistful explosion of sugar coated morose pop midget gems

Listen to 'Set Youself On Fire' on Spotify here

Soundtrack to this post: M83

O, Josephine!

Much has been professed of my love for Magnolia Electric Co. on this blog over the last year or two. Last September, I was lucky enough to tempt main man Jason Molina to the Brudenell to perform a solo show, and with new album Josephine complete, the whole band are turning up this year - on Friday 4th September

The press continue to fawn over Mr Molina - check out the title cut from the new album, followed by some gushing praise (click to enlarge)

Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (taken from the album Josephine)

Magnolia Electric Co. - Little Sad Eyes (taken from the album Josephine)

Magnolia Electric Co. at Secretly Canadian

Soundtrack to this post: Yonderboy, Riceboy Sleeps

Hold On Magnolia 2009

Hold On Magnolia

Nina Nastasia + Jim White + Boom Bip

I just got round to buying the Nina Nastasisa & Jim White album - You Follow Me. Wonderously haunting I think. 

But I was really suprised on track 5 to find 'Our Discussion' - a track I already knew well as the album closer on Boom Bip's Blue Eyed In The Red Room.

Unfortunately I'm stuck in a Travelodge with terrible internet, otherwise I'd upload both songs, to hear a great song done 2 different ways, but for now, I'll just link to the Last.FM pages:

Boom Bip - The Matter Of Our Discussion (Feat. Nina Nastasia)

Nina Nastasia & Jim White - Our Discussion

Oh, and look who's a similar artist for Jim & Nina, Songs: Ohia. Might have some fun news about him soon

Soundtrack to this post: The Slits, Scott Walker

Daphne & Tings

  

I just heard a Ting Tings song and thought it was Daphne & Celeste. Says something

Soundtrack to this post: Songs Ohia

Slow Week

It's wierd when you end up being so busy you can't explain what you've actually achieved? Aimless attempts of doing something worthwhile. 

I've some idea this week actually. A chunk of this week I've been on tour with DUELS, who have proved themselves and their new album to be just about the greatest band / album in recent times. Honestly. Good news is a few people might be picking up on that. 

So, rocked up to Newcastle and York with them, so the great and the good of those cities, Alan ex-Kubichek! and so on. 

On Wednesday I spent the day in Wakefield with my friend Jamie recording tracks for MI MYE, his band / project with all his friends. It sounds great and we're hoping to go out and play a few more gigs live

Skip to Friday and it was the Dance To The Radio alldayer, which was definately good, but definately had it's odd moments. Ida Maria, fuck me. Appaling

Oh and I passed my driving theory test on Tuesday, and I'm booked in my proper test in May. Sodding tour got in the way a bit there though

Music-wise? I dunno, I'm still rocking to Songs:Ohia. Last week I played bass for my friends band International Trust so my scrobbler chart got taken over by that

Read--->Pitchfork Neutral Milk Hotel Interview

Soundtrack to this post: The Shins

Fine Wines

Just a post about 3 bands I hadn't heard 4 days ago, that I really really like...

OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE

MYSPACE / LAST.FM

Possibly quite late on this... apparently they released a debut album on FatCat in 2006, but the tunes are just captivating. It's actually too ambient to be postrock, too much subdued electronica. A fantastic mix

LINK TO MP3 - Our Brother The Native - As They Fell Beneath Us

SONGS: OHIA

MYSPACE / LAST.FM

I don't really know anything about this, other than it's Jason Molina and he's collaborated with everyone (read: Billy 'Prince' Billy, Magnolia Electric Co. and more). Lots of streamable tracks at Last.FM

HAMMER NO MORE THE FINGERS

MYSPACE / LAST.FM

North Carolina residents make good time, playful indie, with a sort of cross between Wilco / Sunny Day thing to my eyes. You know it's the kind of thing that fits in with a few things but is hard to place. And I'm still not sure where I heard them from! Listen on Last.FM

Soundtrack to this post: all the above