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

The Take Away Show

LA BLOGOTHEQUE is one of the most awesome websites on the net, I wish more of it was in English, though I also like the fact that it's so French. La Blogotheque is a French Drowned In Sound / Pitchfork, but less magazine based I guess, and closer to a... blog. Which means it has cool features on cool bands, with less concern over how topical it is

The really amazing thing about La Blogotheque is THE TAKE AWAY SHOWs. These are films of bands kind of busking, but really well thought out. The really special ones are often directed by Vincent Moon, who recently did short films to accompany the National and Mogwai albums. These can turn out really special, here are some of my favourites:

Here they take Fleet Foxes to a disused University in the Grand Palais, for maximum echo effect on the acoustic stylyings. Below is The National, and then Bon Iver

Soundtrack to this post: Stars

Damien Jurado

DAMIEN JURADO has been on my 'radar' for a few months, since he came over in August. He's a Seattle singer-songwriter on Secretly Canadian, which should tell you a lot about him really! His new album is called 'Caught In The Trees' and I can thoroughly recommend it, it's got good tunes and very relaxed. If you need more encouragement 2 of the best sites for free MP3's have, free MP3's from the album:

Damien Jurado - Go Home @ RCRDLBL.com

MP3----> Damien Jurado - Gillian Was A War Horse

Secretly Canadian is of course a stamp of quality. And on from that, me & the good Nath have just arranged for their (Jagjaguwar's really) new signings WOMEN, to come and play Brudenell on 15th February. Should be much fun!

MP3----> Women - Black Rice

MP3----> Women - Group Transport Hall

Soundtrack to this post: Stars, Three Trapped Tigers

Mercury Music Prize

I'm a bit annoyed I forgot when the Mercury Music Nominations were announced, as I'm still away and I quite fancied a flutter on Portishead as early as possible.

Instead here's a desperate prediction I posted on another forum, just to get my oar in before the announcement... again, tidy up when I get home.

Certaintie

Duffy
Adele
Kate Nash
Mystery jets
Portishead
Foals
Radiohead
Last Shadow Puppets
Ting Tings


Potential curve balls:

Burial
Jamie Lidell
Neon Neon (probably not critically acclaimed enough)
Robert Wyatt


Others with potential:
Hot Chip
Guillemots
MIA
Coldplay
Elbow


I reckon Portishead to win, if not Radiohead. I think the extraneous circumstances around those two records will pip the post

There's a lot of talk about them, but I kind of hope Burial hasn't entered, I think it'd be kind of dissapointed if he had as I think it'll throw up a few awkward questions he obviously doesn't want to deal with

It's a funny one, with it being all about UK artists, it kind of makes you realise how much 'ahead' the US is in commercial interesting music. You'd have to think Fleet Foxes, MGMT, Vampire Weekend and Hercules & Love Affair would've been good for the money if the shoe was on the other foot

Anyway, back to the Sun...

Soundtrack to this post: Stars