Top 7 Albums of 2009 so far

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, it’s my best of ‘09 so far section!! 7 albums for the 7 months.
For artwork/reviews, click on the images on the right sidebar in the best of ‘09 section. The picture is meaningless, google image search threw it up on me.

7. N.A.S.A. – The Spirit of Apollo
Probably more for the cover being my stand out favourite album artwork of the year. But regardless of design, the N(orth) A(merica) S(outh) A(merica) dj/rapper/singer mega collaboration work just builds up so well and concludes in similiar manner and it is the concluding track, N.A.S.A. Anthem, of which’s epic score I just am so enthralled by. Also includes brilliant collabs with Kanye, Santigold, Lykke Li, Chuck D, David flippin’ Byrne and many more.
N.A.S.A. – Gifted

6. White Lies – To Lose My Life
They’ve done the brave thing by having a year-start album release, with people still reeling from 2008, White Lies’ album could of been released at the end of the year, but instead was for late January and by doing so risks the chance of being forgotten for the rest of the year. And to me it almost did, I loved and still do, this album. It is such a great showcase of the brilliance behind White Lies in terms of both the morbidly depressing lyrics and the highly Joy Division reminiscent music.
White Lies – Fairwell To The Fairground

5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
This album, for a long time for me, suffered from “4 Song Syndrome”, in that the first four songs were undoubtedly the best, but a few listens in, it is such a grower and songs like “My Girls” are bloody brilliant it’s hard to ignore the impact and importance of this band. Just listen and enjoy the synth-fantasia that is Animal Collective, they are undoubtedly one of my biggest highlights for the year.
Animal Collective – Brother Sport

4. Passion Pit – Manners
I’m not entirely sure WHY I’ve put Passion Pit in fourth place, over AC, but there is something special, fantastical and utterly brilliant about their debut album. It’s packed full of urging, beautiful lyrics and soothing, but also energetic music. Coupled with the fact I’m highly excited to see them live as it makes for such a live-sounding album, yeah there are over-produced elements, but it’s music I think will transition well and is so easily danceable. Get on it.
Passion Pit – The Reeling

3. Discovery – LP
“THIS IS ALT HOP!” is the battle cry I expect to hear the supporters of Discovery as this record scream, I’m sure, as Discovery will produce as much ‘hate’ as they will go onto spawn a thousand off-shoots and inspired by bands/groups/producers. It proves the artistic merit of all the production techniques and especially AUTOTUNE. I love it, so should you.
Discovery – Osaka Loop Line

2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Ok, 2nd I know, where I’ve been touting this album so long, and for me it got beaten awkwardly, but Grizzly Bear’s album cannot be undermimed. It’s a soothing, sweeping, meditative and ultimately beautiful set of songs that cannot be ignored, anyone who is remotely interested in music should hear and appreciate the brilliance that is Veckatimest. It could/would/should become part of everyone’s year end lists.
Grizzly Bear – All We Ask

1. Wavves – Wavvves
I don’t care what you say, Wavvves is the best album released this year. SO IS. Ok, it’s distort as fuck, completely monotoned vocals in some songs, ridiculously simple music and the list of wrong can/will/should go on. But this album by Nathan Williams aka Wavves is most definitely more than the sum of it’s parts. It just WORKS. Plain and simple, the music comes together perfectly and makes the best collection of songs I have heard this year. They’re teen anthemns, maybe more for the surfer/stoner/skater easy punk crowd, but it just appeals to me, most defnitely my generation and songs like ‘So Bored’ would be big hitters if this one-man outift had more airplay/publicity. Just listen if you haven’t already, read my review by clicking on the album artwork on the sidebar to your right.
So Bored (Acoustic Session)

This acoustic session was recorded for the brilliant They Shoot Music Don’t They

White Denim @ Talking Heads, Southampton

What an amazingly good live show. White Denim absolutely blew me away with the intensity of their live show and just how brilliant they performed their songs. It was like a long, drawn out medley, songs went into each other brilliantly and they probably stopped a total of like 3 times during the hour and bit they played for. Definitely had all the predictable live highlights from their two albums. It’s mightily indescribable how awesome they were, but I seriously recommend you to watch them if you get the chance. They’re currently in the middle of a UK tour, have two more dates in Bristol and London respectively to play.

I’d write out the setlist if I had a sheet (they didn’t have one on stage) or remembered it, but I was just in the moment, wanted it to last a lot longer than it actually did. Found their rider list though in a shop nearby by mega coincidence, made me laugh, I will put it up later in a separate post.

White Denim – El Hard Attack DCWYW

Festival Watch; Global Gathering

This year’s Global Gathering is setting up to be an absolutely brilliant and unmissable festival. It occurs on the 24th and 25th of July Already has an incredible lineup with headliners The Prodigy, Orbital and Pendulum. Rather surprisingly, there are still tickets available of which you can buy here

This year, a new addition is the newly dubbed ‘Tuborg Live Stage’ (Tuborg being a Danish beer) of which is shaping up veryvery nicely. Acts so far confirmed are;
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Sneaky Sound System
The Whip
Tommy Sparks
Frankmusik
Dan Black
The Subs
Regular readers will be familiar with my fascination of Frankmusik, adoration of Dan Black and the down-right danceable DIOYY?. Joint with the other acts on this stage, Sneaky Sound System brought out a great single last year, Pictures, which I loved and the Australian 5-piece are not to be confused with James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem for those unsure.

The Whip are another band that I’m kind of growing infatuated with, simply by listening to their Myspace output you can see quite abit into the epicly dancable beat making they are capable of. Tommy Sparks, another act on the up-rise, his last single ‘She Got Me Dancing’ was a stomping tune. So the Tuborg Live Stage is definitely one to check out on the Saturday.

I’m also ridiculously excited by the new addition of the Dubstep Terrace, being centred around and titled after possibly the fastest growing genre ever, Dubstep. It’s got sets from two of the biggest names in dubstep with Rusko and Caspa topping the bill for the saturday-only stage. Definitely something I want to witness, and a stage that I predict will be immensely popular, due to songs like this storming the radiowaves in recent weeks.

Anyway, here’s some mp3s to enjoy, couple of bands from the Live Stage, couple from the Dubstep Terrace
Dan Black – U + Me =

Does It Offend You, Yeah? – We Are Rockstars (Cold Blank Remix)

Caspa – Cockney Violin

Rusko – Cockney Thug

Glasto

Ok, a little late, but nonetheless, watching the BBC coverage of glasto, made me incredibly jealous of all those present. But then, I remembered I have a Reading ticket. However, some bands like THE SPECIALS and blur, obviously could convince me otherwise that glasto would of been a good choice. blur even had Phil Daniels on! RESULT! I could rant on about how amazing it was, but I wasn’t there, I can’t fully appreciate it. A few song-highlights of what I saw.

The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

blur – Parklife

The Specials – A Message To You Rudy

Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood

Fits Review

The brilliant White Denim have thankfully returned. With ‘Fits’ the follow-up to their bloody fantastic debut ‘Workout Holiday’ which is nestled in my Best of ‘08 section along the top bar. This album though, furthers and in some ways betters the progress made with their first effort. It opens up in the same eclectic, maddened enraged, jazz rock style with Radio Milk How Can You Stand It. Building on their typically unusual song structure and immense use of loops, Foals on overdrive is the easiest comparison I can make, starts the album brilliantly and you can expect more of the same throughout.

The real heavy hitter and my favourite song is I Start To Run, an intense, almost magical jaunt of a song that just shouts out so much, over lapping vocals can’t hide the almost frustrating aspect that this music wants to rip out of, to break its constraits, again it’s angry brilliance from the Texan trio. Bringing together the better aspects of previous singles Let’s Talk About It and Shake Shake Shake to create something amazing. This new single is easily the biggest highlight of the album and is central to it’s awesomeness.

Other highlights include All Consolation and previous free track giveaway (via NME) Mirrored and Reverse. I heartily recommend this strong, forceful, merciless album. The three piece have possibly outdone themselves in topping previous work and make such a loud racket that I can’t wait to see them on the 5th of July in Southampton.

I Start To Run