The Recordstore Blog

Albums Of The Year 2010

It's bloody cold outside so what better time to wrap up warm at home, flick on the stereo, crank up the volume and take stock of the past year in music. Over the last few days I've done exactly that and compiled my top 30 (and bottom 5) albums of 2010.

Why not have your say too by clicking here >>>. Once all the votes are in I'll compile a definitve albums of the year list from Recordstore customers and everyone who completes their list by December 19th 2010 will also receive a £2 voucher to spend on the site. Early Christmas present to say thanks - nice eh? The only rules are that the albums have to be released in 2010 (so no XX or Mumford & Sons) and you can't just put the same album 10 times (Manics fans, I'm looking at you....). Get voting!

Not sure you can think of 10 great albums from 2010? Check out my Top 30 which may give you a few ideas.....

 1. Beach House – Teen Dream (Bella Union)

It may have dropped at the very start of the 2010, but every other release systematically failed to surpass it over the following months. With a delicate wash of sound that occasionally ventured into off-kilter queasiness to keep you on your toes and with vocal melodies to melt the coldest of hearts Beach House produced an album equally at home warming your cockles on a cold winter’s day as it was keeping you chilled on a sun kissed beach. For anyone who fell in love with Fleet Foxes or Animal Collective over previous years, this was the perfect gap filler.

 2. Caribou – Swim (City Slang)

Opening with ‘Odessa’, a tune Hot Chip would have killed for on their underwhelming ‘One Life Stand’ album, ‘Swim’ was without a doubt the dance album of the year. Add in the psychedelic groove of ‘Sun’, the 3am floorfiller ‘Kaili’ and the otherworldly magnificence of ‘Found Out’ and you’ve got an opening quadrilogy of songs that piss over pretty much everything else released this year. The genius didn’t stop there though and the remaining tunes consolidated ‘Swim’’s ability to straddle bedroom, club and festival with ease.

 3. Of Montreal – False Priest (Polyvinyl)

Just when you thought they wouldn’t top the psych-pop world-beater ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’ Kevin Barnes and his merry band of weirdos roped in R’n’B superstar-in-waiting Janelle Monáe and Beyonce’s sister Solange Knowles to create the standout pop album of the year. The relaxed funkiness of the songs detailing tales of mental girlfriends and surreal perversions add to the overwhelming feeling that Barnes may yet grab the “new Prince” tag he is blatantly striving for as ‘False Priest’ proved that there’s still space for the weird and inventive without compromising the ability to write a catchy tune.

 4. Yeasayer – Odd Blood (Mute)

2010 proved a landmark for experimental pop with not only Of Montreal’s tenth album but also Yeasayer’s astonishing second giving the world a host of catchy anthems a million miles away from the Cowell-sponsored karaoke that has been giving pop music a bad name for the past decade. Flitting between a multitude of genres and styles including synth-pop, Balearic house, New Romantic balladry and R’n’B beats ‘Odd Blood’ harked back to a time when Tears For Fears, Pet Shop Boys and New Order ruled the airwaves.

 5. Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin (Wichita)

Whilst not quite as awe-inspiring as 2007’s ‘Let’s Stay Friends’, Les Savy Fav’s fifth album still punched a hefty art-rock uppercut with the epic ‘Sleepless In Silverlake’ proving to be an anthemic highlight of their career. And whilst the tunes were still huge enough to take down entire cities it was the band’s continued excellence in the live arena that truly marked them out above their peers. Where else is it acceptable to rub your face in a sweaty fat-man’s belly other than a Les Savy Fav gig?

 6. Four Tet – There Is Love In You (Domino)

The best soundtrack to hurtling down an orange-lit motorway in the dead of night to emerge in years, ‘There Is Love In You’ is the sound of Kieran Hebden at the peak of his powers. Blissed out beats and haunting vocals combine to bring nostalgic yearnings for the mid 90s but this is no simple history lesson, instead Hebden offers up another envelope pushing collection worthy of dance canonisation.

  7. Pulled Apart By Horses – Pulled Apart By Horses (Transgressive)

A band with an enviable live reputation who actually, for once, managed to transfer their unfettered energy onto record, Pulled Apart By Horses proved that it’s not just the US producing radio-friendly punk rock. Standout tracks ‘High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive’, ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ and ‘Yeah Buddy’ balanced like a professional gymnast between inventiveness and stupidity and never once let you forget that there was ANOTHER BIG RIFF just around the corner. 

 8. The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night (Jagjaguwar)

Pretty much what the word ‘stunning’ was invented to describe, ‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night’ took the simple pop hooks of The Beach Boys and grafted them onto a prog-pop soundscape that sent shivers down the spine with every crashing melody. With Band Of Horses dropping a disappointing third album and Arcade Fire still unable to reach the heights of ‘Funeral’, the Besnard Lakes strode purposefully into the spotlight to grasp the indie-rock crown.

 9. Best Coast – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)

Lo-fi garage-pop doesn’t come more perfect than this, the debut album from LA’s Best Coast. Songs of such simple naivety and fun can often come across as grating but ‘Crazy For You’ manages to not only avoid the pitfalls but also have you coming back for more, time and time again. In a year when going fuzzy was the new going Goth Best Coast were oceans apart from the crowd.

 10. Built To Spill – There Is No Enemy (ATP Recordings)

Seven albums in and Built To Spill are still to be mentioned in the same breath as their peers Pavement, Guided By Voices or Sebadoh. All that really should change now because ‘There Is No Enemy’ is a return to form for the Idaho band and easily a match for their trio of classic albums ‘There’s Nothing Wrong With Love’, ‘Perfect From Now On’ and ‘Keep It Like A Secret’.  US indie at its very very best.

 11. Jaill – That's How We Burn (Sub Pop)

Sub Pop just never let you down and their finest offering this year came from the little known Jaill who, after signing to the veteran indie label and adding an ‘l’ to their name, produced a stunning slice of US indie pop reminiscent of The Shins, Spoon and Apples In Stereo.

 12. Wavves – King Of The Beach (Bella Union) 

The title track alone warrants inclusion in any end of the year poll but thankfully Wavves managed to back it up with a whole album chock full of fuzzy lo-fi garage gems. From the opening assertion that “you’re never gonna stop me” it’s clear that Nathan Williams has his sight set on becoming noise-pop royalty.

 13. Sleigh Bells – Treats (Columbia)

Pitched somewhere between M.I.A., Crystal Castles and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleigh Bells produced a debut album brimming with more noise and clatter than a family of Tasmanian devils trapped in a kitchen utensil factory....during an air raid. The actual songs were pretty fucking special too.

 14. The Fall – Your Future Our Clutter (Domino)

28 albums in and no sign of losing the snarling wit, intensity or sheer song-writing chops for Mark E Smith and his ever changing line-up of minstrels. ‘Your Future Our Clutter’ marked the first time in 15 years that The Fall line-up had remained unchanged for two albums straight and the resulting collection was one of the band’s most consistent and heavy in years. They should’ve been nominated for a Mercury over that ridiculously coiffured indie granddad Paul Weller too.

 15. Crocodiles – Sleep Forever (Fat Possum)

They didn’t include their brilliant ‘Groove Is In The Heart/California Girls’ mash-up but it didn’t diminish the impact of Crocodiles second album. A close cousin to The Horrors critically acclaimed ‘Primary Colours’ and taking influence from Jesus And Mary Chain and Spacemen 3, ‘Sleep Forever’ was a swirling, jangle-pop treasure.

 16. She & Him – Volume Two (Domino) 

Actress and all round indie pin-up Zooey Deschanel teamed up once again with M Ward for a second collection of beautifully realised indie-folk love songs. The lush production and exquisite melodies on every single song are so captivating that you soon forget the Hollywood ties and immerse yourself in the soothingly effecting songs.

 17. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack (Heavenly)

Pussying out and changing their name from the potentially controversial Muslims to The Soft Pack really should have instigated a complete hatred for this band but somewhere around the second listen to second track ‘Down On Loving’ I completely fell for their charms. A very simple but effective collection of garage rock nuggets that recalled The Replacements and The Modern Lovers.

 18. The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards (Third Man Records) 

Never shying away from a new side project Jack White returned to the drum stool for the second album in two years with The Dead Weather, his supergroup featuring The Kills’ Alison Mosshart, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Dean Fertita and Raconteurs’ bass player Jack Lawrence. A massive leap forward from their underwhelming debut, ‘Sea Of Cowards’ was a riff heavy, 70s rock stomp of an album that ranks alongside the best of White’s projects to date. Still can’t tell the difference between Jack and Alison’s voices though....

 19. Cancer Bats – Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones (Hassle) 

A name which suggests some Chris Morris faux-band featuring Goths with terminal illnesses and a cover of the Beastie Boys ‘Sabotage’ (a stone cold classic that doesn’t need touching) wouldn’t normally peak my interest but thankfully this primal scream of a hardcore record is one blistering thrill ride that you never want to end. The Beastie’s cover is pretty fucking special too (and the video rules).

 20. Deftones – Diamond Eyes (Warners)

Read a story today about Chino Moreno bemoaning his son’s love of current emo and hardcore with their “one growly vocalist and one melodic vocalist” line ups because he, in fact, can do both and on ‘Diamond Eyes’ he really does prove it. An absolute belter of a record from the former nu-metallers who have survived the breakups and breakdowns of their peers to become the most influential and acclaimed American metal band since Faith No More.  

 21. Silent Front – Dead Lake (Art For Blind Records)

London’s underground DIY scene is producing more and more bands who can take on the big boys of US and European hardcore and Silent Front are at the forefront. Mixing the dynamics of post-hardcore and the complexities of mathcore to produce an uncompromising assault on the senses that is as thrilling as it is progressive. If you buy one deep, noisy head-fuck of an album this year, make it this one. 

 22. The School – Loveless Unbeliever (Elefant)

If Spector-esque dream pop is your bag (and thankfully it is mine) then The School are gonna be right up your street.  One listen sweeps you into a nostalgic world of 60s discos and 80s indie where strings swoon and cymbals tinkle like falling snowflakes. We’ve been here countless times before with Belle and Sebastian, The Pipettes and Saint Etienne but rarely has the finished product been so utterly perfect.

 23. Autechre – Oversteps (Warp)

As with pretty much everything Warp release ‘Oversteps’ is another genre defying and consistently challenging journey into the dark depths of electronic music. As Autechre are the complete antithesis of a singles band it’s hard to pick out individual tracks that stand out, instead, better to immerse yourself in a record that is mesmerising, tense and an undisputed masterpiece.

 24. Errors – Come Down With Me (Rock Action)

Glasgow’s Errors’ sophomore effort owes as much to the post-electro tag that the Battles comparisons have placed upon them as it does to the dance anthems of LCD Soundsystem. The 10 songs here are pop anthems with a level of intelligence rarely seen in such blatant floor-fillers. The pun-tastic ‘Come Down With Me’ is an underappreciated gem. 

 25. Rolo Tomassi – Cosmology (Hassle) 

Always an exhilarating live proposition, Rolo Tomassi had never truly captured their essence on record until they roped in M.I.A. producer Diplo to work on ‘Cosmology’. The awkward math-core complexities remain intact as does the impressive roar from front woman Eva Spence but on their second album Rolo Tomassi not only improve their songwriting (there’s proper anthemic tunes here and Eva even sings!)  but also the depth of their sound. All that remains is for the general public to finally “get it”.

 26. Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder (Ipecac)

One of the best bands ever so any new material is gonna make my albums of the year list. Not quite as impressive as recent efforts ‘(A) Senile Animal’ or ‘Nude With Boots’ but with the Big Business boys still on rhythm section duty it was still gonna be an epic onslaught of killer riffs and pounding drums and so it proved. The cover of ‘My Generation’ is both confounding and genius all at once too.

 27. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (Parlophone)

It’s not as good as ‘Sound Of Silver’ and it is a bit overlong but still, the third album from LCD Soundsystem is a remarkably consistent, often funny and always enjoyable collection. This is dance music made by and for the art-school, and for once it’s all the better for it.

 28. Astrohenge – Astrohenge (Eyeofsound)

Instrumental, riff laden and groovy metal from London’s awesomely named Astrohenge that throws in prog, thrash, stoner and possibly a kitchen sink across its 11 immersive tracks. A head nodding work of immenseness that deserves your attention.

 29. 65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway (Hassle)

A much more dance floor friendly electronic vibe prevails on the latest from spell check bothering 65daysofstatic. From the opening onslaught of ‘Mountainhead’ it’s clear that this is a band rejuvenated and ready to move beyond post-rock into glitchy, drum’n’bass fuelled avenues of experimentation.

 30. Trash Talk – Eyes & Nines (Hassle)

Sometimes you just want your punk straight ahead. For all the post, math and grind prefixed hardcore doing the rounds ‘Eyes And Nines’ proves that sometimes simplicity is best. Anyone who doesn’t want to leap around like a demented chimp with a sore head to the mighty ‘Explode’ needs to check their pulse.

But less about the good stuff, there's also been some absolute dross this year and here (just for a bit of fun you understand) are the worst five albums I've had the misfortune to let pollute my ears this year:

 1. Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man (Columbia)

After all the hype I was dead excited to have a listen to this with its promise of dubstep darkness with a pop sheen. Unfortunately, the resulting album just sounded like the same tired old r'n'b that litters the chart with some, quite frankly, awful guest vocalists lacking any trace of originality or genre-defining sparkle. A wasted opportunity.

 2. The Jim Jones Revue – Burning Your House Down (PIAS)

The pedigree is certainly there and it's certainly refreshing to hear a band revel in the joy of playing pure rock'n'roll but something here just doesn't feel right. For all the gushing plaudits 'Burning Your House Down' is just not as exciting and visceral as it thinks it is. If a band of teenagers made the same record we'd be bemoaning the lack of originality in plundering the past so why excuse this? Pub rock for the Mojo set.

 3. Kings Of Leon – Come Around Sundown (Columbia)

How very, very disappointing. After the brilliant 'Only By The Night', Kings Of Leon returned with this, an album that sounded like a bunch of tuneless offcuts from their previous sessions phoned in whilst they ducked bird shit, indulged in groupie shagging and made videos so cheesy you'd think they were the house band for Butlins. Moreover, the public bought it in bucketloads. Truely disturbing.

 4. Expatriate – In The Midst Of This (Riverman)

Dreadful by-numbers indie that I really struggled to even listen to once. Punk came to destroy shit like this but it appears there's still work to be done. Avoid.

 5. Naive New Beaters - Wallace (Wagram)

French hip-hop infused pop should, by all accounts, be quite interesting. Unfortunately this lot sound like a shitter version of 3oh!3 (you know those twats that sing about "daisy dukes" whilst cavorting with Katy Perry). A dreadful skidmark on the underpants of pop.

That's it for another year folks and don't forget to have your say by clicking here >>>.

Cheers

Steve

Croc Roc

I still remember how I found about Crocodiles and their mix of lo and hi-fi atmospheric rock over a year ago. I was obsessed with US indie label Art Fag and the whole lo-fi scene and I fell in love with the band’s indecently good post punky debut album – 'Summer of Hate'. Also putting out singles and EPs on Art Fag were Graffiti Island, Ye Olde Maids, Pens and Reading Rainbow.

My love for lo-fi was so great and visceral that I started lowering my voice, wearing more black and generally becoming less conspicuous – it was then a way of life. But I didn’t stop there: I published my first zine ‘Dood’ and gave all these bands more than special mentions after having interviewed them and even got Pens to DJ at the launch party; quietly.

A year on I have changed, the zine is defunct and I raise my voice. Lo-fi went under the radar and never lived up to its potential; but wasn’t that the whole point of lo-fi in the first place? Also in the meantime many of the bands aforementioned released their first LPs with varying degrees of success and hype. But I couldn’t stop noticing Crocodile’s second album ‘Sleep Forever’ and how they (just like me) had mutated and become louder and bigger and stadium friendly and more psychedelic. And even as Ray “grime boy” Peakes in the office suggested they sound like an American version of the Horrors. But I have to admit that I liked the comparison and how their sound progressed. After all Crocodiles did tour with the Horrors for a reason.

We all have to reinvent ourselves and keep it fresh. Me and the croc rockers did it and we’re doing fine. I can only look back now and reminisce about lo-fi but then again why should I if there are always exciting new things coming our way. 'Sleep Forever is not out until September 13th but you can pre-order it now right here

Will

Everybody’s Happy Nowadays?: The state of independent music in the 21st century

Saturday 17^th April 2010: third annual Recordstore Day, a chance for the little guys:  independent record shops, to get together and celebrate their diversity, passion and knowledge and highlight to music fans everywhere that there’s plenty of choice beyond the ever decreasing racks of Tesco’s and HMV. Recordstore Day purports to be an event centred on the customer, offering limited releases and live performances to entice fans back to the recordstore and away from the evil behemoths Sainsbury’s and Amazon. All sounds rather worthy, good for independent music, good for music consumers – everybody’s happy right?

Well, not quite, in the past few years many independent record shops have gone out of business due, in some part, to the rise of online retail, lack of support from various record labels and the continuing trend to illegally download. So, when Recordstore Day came around on Saturday, where did the majority of music fans go to pick up their Blur or Rolling Stones 7-inches? They couldn’t just pop down the high street to visit their local indie because it no longer exists and their usual port of call (and only option) for such releases (Recordstore.co.uk – that’s us!, Norman Records – to name just two) couldn’t help because we’d been excluded like truant school children for being merely online retailers (you had to have a “proper” shop to be part of their gang you see). It didn’t matter that we (and Norman) are the most independently spirited record stores out there, keeping prices fair (unlike some of our more famous indie brethren) and with a history of offering limited and exclusive releases to our customers.  It didn’t matter that we are often the only lifeline for new and exciting music to hundreds of music fans across the globe. We were excluded meaning that  countless music obsessives out there were excluded too, leaving their only option to scour eBay in search of some unscrupulous seller with a high street record store in walking distance to screw them out of a couple of hundred quid. Hardly fair or in the spirit of inclusion that independent music should be about.  It smacked of elitism and an old-boy network mentality that has no place in the modern music industry let alone the independent music sector.

But that’s not all that stinks in today’s musical climate. Whilst many are quick to blame the public for illegally downloading or supermarkets devaluing the art of the record there are plenty of other factors across the industry that contribute to the general malaise. As an independent record shop (yes, that’s what we are Recordstore Day!) we don’t have the buying power of Play or HMV (I know I used to work for HMV) and although there are a majority of labels still happy to give us a level playing field with the big boys there are a handful that act as though they are doing us a favour by letting us sell their releases. So, as an example, as much as I loved the first two Band Of Horses albums on the wonderful Sub Pop the band’s recent shift of label means that, for their much anticipated third album, we won’t have the perks of price or free gifts like our illustrious online neighbours to make us an attractive buying destination. It’s this kind of thing that brands many independents as “rip-offs” when the truth is anything but. With a little help from the label (much less than they would give Amazon for instance) independents would be able to offer their customers a reason to stay loyal.

Meanwhile, the government is determined to prosecute anyone who downloads outside of the law – failing to realise that it’s essentially a modern day version of home-taping which hardly destroyed the industry in its heyday.  Instead of going after the small minority that set up the arenas for this activity, this witch-hunt style legislation sends out a message that it’s an “us against them” war between the music industry and the very people that keep it going – the fans.  Elsewhere live venues treat fans like they are a cancer ready to spread throughout their sticky floored, overpriced beer selling establishment (check out the Word Magazine Blog for a firsthand account) and some artists (I’m not naming names but regular Recordstore watchers will know who I’m talking about) treat fans with a level of contempt rarely seen outside a Rangers Vs Celtic game.

 For those that are in bands it can be even worse. Greedy promoters who take all the profit but do none of the promoting, venues who insist on a pay-to-play policy, bills that are cobbled together from disparate acts who have no interest in supporting each other, labels that tie bands up in unwieldy contracts and then drop them after the first stumble.  It’s a wonder anyone even makes any new music outside of X-Factor finalists anymore. In my other life I co-run a DIY night in North London and I know how to get a good crowd, great bands and pay everyone fairly (in fact we’re completely non-profit making that’s how DIY we are) – it’s this kind of spirit that keeps music alive, keeps people buying records and creates a solid community of music fans (but more on that in a forthcoming blog).

Whilst we have initiatives like Music Matters trying to tie up the links between the consumption of music and the artists that create it (worthy though it is) it’s not going far enough and puts the onus on the music buyer rather than the labels and sellers. Instead of establishing divides like the current digital economy bill, or bloody recordstore day we should be celebrating the fact the music is an all encompassing passion that touches so many people every....single....day. The music industry needs to take a look at itself and decide are short term profits garnered from overpriced products, suing fans and wriggle-free contracts really the answer? Shouldn’t it be trying to work out how to give the best possible experience to the people that actually matter – the fans and the bands? Because, without them, we’ll all be out of a fucking job.

Any Thoughts?

Steve

Recordstore Customers' 50 Favourite Albums Of 2009

After much vote taking, here are recordstore's albums of 2009 as voted for by you....our lovely customers:

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (Polydor) >>>

You Said:  "two sides to this record one wants to get its groove on the other wants to swoon you."

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (Warp) >>> 

You Said: "It's 2009's most perfect sound and harmonies"

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino) >>>

You Said: "euphoric widescreen harmonic intensity"

4. Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions (14th Floor) >>>

You Said: "Packed full of anthems"

5. The XX - XX (XL) >>>

You Said: "Sonic bliss!"

6. The Horrors - Primary Colours (XL) >>>

You Said: "butterfly-like transformation from scrawny clotheshorses into pastiche perfection"

7. Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (Columbia) >>>

You Said: "Every tune a belter!"

8. Florence And The Machine - Lungs (Island) >>>

You Said: "Really powerful vocals with good melodic songs"

9. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns (Parlophone) >>>

You Said: "Fantastically and hauntingly different. My copy is already wearing out"

10. Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers (Columbia) >>>

You Said: "Great tunes, and finally Richie's lyrics get realised" 

11. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (Domino) >>>

You Said: "it's smooth, soft and quiet. and amazing"

12. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (V2) >>>

You Said: "Their best in a long time with killer singles"

13. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug (Domino) >>>

You Said: "of course it's not as good as the other albums...but they're changing, not standing still (Oasis, Kaisers etc....) A real grower"

14. White Lies - To Lose My Life (Fiction) >>>

You Said: "A return to the 80's....a poppy mix of Furniture and Jesus and Mary Chain"

15. Fever Ray - Fever Ray (Rabid) >>>

You Said: "Awesome electronic pop layered with superb other-worldly vocals"

16. Morrissey - Years Of Refusal (Decca) >>>

You Said: "return to form" (scarily this is as articulate as Morrissey fans have got about their hero....)

17. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport (ATP) >>>

You Said: "truly extraordinary filled with diversity and utter originality. It sounds like something from another world."

18. Pet Shop Boys - Yes (Parlophone) >>>

You Said: "Return to form after so many dull years!"

19. The Maccabees - Wall Of Arms (Fiction) >>>

You Said: "like that feeling you get when you fall in love, they've matured so much from the first album"

20. Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another (4AD) >>>

You Said: "how are these guys not the biggest band in the UK?"

 

21. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (Fortuna Pop) >>>

 

 

22. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (Domino) >>>

 

 

23. Mastodon - Crack The Skye (Reprise) >>>

 

 

24. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (Island) >>>

 

 

25. Jamie T - Kings & Queens (Virgin) >>>

 

 

26. Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had The Blues, But I Shook Them Loose (Island) >>>

 

 

27. Editors - In This Light And On This Evening (Columbia) >>>

 

 

28. Noah And The Whale - The First Days Of Spring (Mercury) >>>

 

 

29. Madness - The Liberty Of Norton Folgate (Lucky Seven) >>>

 

 

30. The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant (Wichita) >>>

 

 

31. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust (Heavenly) >>>

 

 

32. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications (Rough Trade) >>>

 

 

33. Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe (Mute) >>>

 

 

34. The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love (4AD) >>>

 

 

35. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures (Columbia) >>>

 

 

36. Converge - Axe To Fall (Epitaph) >>>

 

 

37. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino) >>>

 

 

38. Passion Pit - Manners (Columbia) >>>

 

 

39. Muse - The Resistance (Warners) >>>

 

 

40. Paramore - Brand New Eyes (Fueled By Ramen) >>>

 

 

41. Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend (Echo) >>>

 

 

42. The Temper Trap - Conditions (Infectious) >>>

 

 

43. Japandroids - Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl) >>>

 

 

44. Wilco - Wilco (Warners) >>>

 

 

45. Bob Dylan - Together Through Life (Columbia) >>>

 

 

46. Flaming Lips - Embryonic (Warners) >>>

 

 

47. Girls - Album (Fantasy Trashcan) >>>

 

 

48. Pearl Jam - Backspacer (Island) >>>

 

 

49. Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter (Mute) >>>

 

 

50. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue (Parlophone) >>>

 

and these are your choices for the 10 worst albums released this year:

 

1. Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star (EMI)

2. JLS - JLS (Epic)

3. Cheryl Cole - Three Words (Polydor)

4. Lady GaGa - The Fame (Polydor)

5. U2 - No Line On The Horizon (Mercury)

6. Leona Lewis - Echo (Syco)

7. Black Eyed Peas - The End (Interscope)

8. Jonas Brothers - Lines, Vines and Trying Times (Polydor)

9. Chris Cornell - Scream (Polydor)

10. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream (Syco)

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

Raging For Xmas

The Christmas number one chart battle between politico-angst rockers Rage Against the Machine and vapid X-Factor muppet Joe McElderry is the biggest story in music right now and, as you might have guessed, here at recordstore towers support is firmly with the Rage camp.

There’s been tantrums, controversy and misinformation strewn across the world wide web since the campaign to get ‘Killing In The Name’ to number one this Sunday was first mooted as the pro-X-Factor cheerleaders begin to feel the warm stench of a number two may be coming their way. So, because everyone else is chucking their two pence into the arena of internet debate I thought I’d blog a little analysis of the criticisms levelled at the campaign.

What’s in a label?

So both songs are coming from the Sony family- the big bad evil major label. The people that started the campaign via facebook know that, the majority of people buying the song know that. But who the fuck cares? This is NOT about sticking it to Sony or THE MAN – it’s about getting a different song than an X-Factor finalist to the number one spot.  As one twitter statement I happened across read “the rebellion is in the song not who or which record company owns it, plus RATM put their profit to good use”.

Rage Against The Machine themselves struggled with the ethics of signing to a major label but when given the offer from Epic (a subsidiary of Sony) guitarist Tom Morello commented, “Epic agreed to everything we asked — and they've followed through.... We never saw a conflict as long as we maintained creative control”. He went on to challenge those that saw them as hypocrites for maintaining left-wing economic and political viewpoints whilst signed to a major corporation by saying, “When you live in a capitalistic society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would Noam Chomsky object to his works being sold at Barnes & Noble? No, because that's where people buy their books. We're not interested in preaching to just the converted. It's great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it's also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart”. This campaign was not started by RATM but now they are aware of it you can be sure that as a band who have lent their profits and support to numerous humanitarian and revolutionary causes over the years they’ll be donating money from this single’s success to something worthwhile – if they don’t then feel free to give them hell.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell’s Syco label (home to all the X-Factor winners until Cowell and the public gets bored of them) is also part of the Sony empire. But the naive out there have suggested that because of this all the campaign is doing is lining Cowell’s pocket. Now Cowell doesn’t own Sony so where has this little nugget come from? He may have shares in the parent company but are you honestly telling me that a few thousand downloads sold in one week (or even the extra copies of McElderry’s single that are sold as a result of this publicity) are going to make that much of a difference to him?

This isn’t about money. It’s about the statement it makes: that millions of pounds in TV exposure may make a powerful tool but when dissenting voices join together they can make an equal impact. Some may scoff that this is hardly an important cause for people power to suddenly take effect but if the members of the public who have joined the facebook group that began this quest take a minute to check out Rage Against The Machine and the views they hold then maybe we’ll see some real changes in the world.     

Oh the irony!

The doubters have been quick to point out that the famous statement from ‘Killing In The Name’ states “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” – which is, ironically, exactly what those that sign up to the facebook page are failing to adhere to. The naysayers suggest that this is all just another form of manipulation designed to provoke sheep into following the herd. But here’s the thing – X-Factor with all its TV, magazine and online exposure, is as guilty of audience manipulation as anything devised by this campaign. But look at it this way – what the facebook group have offered is not forced, it’s a choice. You buy one or the other (or neither – you have free will). In the week that Simon Cowell has suggested he should be thanked for killing off the race for Xmas number one with his previous X-Factor drones, a group of free-thinkers have stood up and offered up a choice that wasn’t there before. We all know who the real villain is.

Don’t pick on the wee Geordie

A couple of walking tits have tried to suggest that the Rage for Xmas campaign is nothing more than an attempt to bully a poor innocent 18 year old boy from the North East of England. Now a) the campaign was set up before he won and b) if anyone is guilty of bullying it’s the X-Factor format and the way it ridicules some seriously mentally challenged individuals in front of both a live audience and millions of viewers around the world. The organisers of this whole shebang have consistently maintained that this is not a dig at any one individual (and that includes the deluded lord of self publicity Simon Cowell). It is an attempt to change the tedious nature of the pop charts whereby whatever hyped up TV talent show wannabe we are offered we lap up like Tiger Woods in a room full of strippers.  

 3 is the magic number

Still more grumblers have suggested that the campaign is guilty of chart fixing by encouraging the buying of more than one download. Did they say the same thing when X-Factor fans voted more than once for Joe to win the show? Do they complain when a band gets a number one single by selling a CD, 2 7-inches and a download format of their single (essentially forcing the fan to buy the chart bound track four times)? Do they fuck. Chart manipulation has been part and parcel of the music game for as long as chart compiling has existed. Sony haven’t made any physical copies of the single available (but Joe fans have both options) so RATM fans are doing whatever they can to get their song to number one. Me? I’ve already downloaded it twice and I’ll do it twice more before the week is out.

No you’re stupid

Cowell has come out (about time) in the press as saying that this RATM campaign is both “cynical” and “stupid”. This coming from a man who has released records from such credible musical behemoths as Zig and Zag, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and The Teletubbies. Not a cynical way to bleed money from children and their parents then Simon? Oh, and getting RATM fans to also give money to Shelter whilst they’re busy with their cynical chart manipulation – stupid is it? Tell that to all the homeless that are helped from the thousands raised. You utter, utter nipple.

Mummy what’s a sex pistol?

This isn’t the first time that Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’ has been the subject of controversy. In 1992, on its initial release, the song was played uncensored on Radio One during the Top 40 countdown leading to over 100 complaints and in 2008 the song was played over the speakers of an Asda in Preston, Lancashire prompting several customers to protest. However, this is the first time the song has really hit the public consciousness making it this generation’s answer to ‘God Save The Queen’. Will it end up missing the top spot due to some underhand chart rigging like its predecessor? You’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out.

A couple of final thoughts

I read this comment which, although a little po-faced, sums up the campaign and the fools that criticise it very well:

“It’s about reminding people that they have clout as a collective. Why are we so passive nowadays, as though everything from climate change to the corporate rape of the developing world is just fate? What a gift we have in the web, a network of true, uncensored, individual voices. People in China are risking imprisonment and torture in pursuit of the thing we take for granted and even scoff at. And on come the derisive, sarcastic bastards who find the whole thing, on all sides, quite absurd. Their assumed intellectual superiority leads us to the conclusion of, y'know, do nothing. Yeah. And when the world finally does go to hell in a McDonald's-sponsored handcart, you fucks will be the first to complain.”

But overall remember – it’s just the Christmas number one and just a bit of harmless fun. If it raises awareness of other issues or makes a bit of cash for charity then all the better. But, you know, there are a lot more pressing concerns in the world than whether an aging bunch of rockers beat a rather dull Geordie who looks dead behind the eyes to the top of the UK singles chart.   

Now – fuck off and do what I tell you – buy Rage! Xmas is shit anyway.......

Steve

Here's a few important links:

Give Money To Shelter >>>

Buy 'Killing In The Name' (all our profit goes to Shelter) >>>

Albums of the Year 2009

The art of list making is what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom (imagine manatees debating the top 10 sexiest videos of the noughties) and with that in mind here’s my choice of the 20 best albums of 2009 (plus the five worst). Discuss away...  

The Top 20

1.    Japandroids – Post Nothing (Polyvinyl)

Scuzzy and fuzzy with lyrics that border on both childlike simplicity and swooning genius (the closing refrain of ‘Wet Hair’ proclaims, “Let’s get to France/So we can French kiss some French girls” – how great is that?), Japandroids’ debut hits top spot for just being so exquisitely tilted between garage messiness and perfect pop melodies that I’ve listened to it nearly every day since its release.

2.    Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another (4AD)

Riffs capable of levelling entire cities, basslines so full of dirty funk they’ll give you STDs and filthy synths straight from the bowels of a debauched hell. That’s enough to justify its placement before you even get to the lyrics. Album number two from the Cardiff based punks takes the blueprints laid down with previous band Mclusky and the critically acclaimed debut ‘Curses’ and ramps everything up to deliver a set of tunes to rival the best of Shellac, Pixies and Nirvana.

3.    Dananananaykroyd – Hey Everyone (Best Before)

Let’s start with the name. Some love it, some hate it – me, I think it’s fucking genius but I never type the right amount of ‘an’ when I try to spell it which is really annoying. The music sits alongside Johnny Foreigner and Los Campesinos! in the sense that it originates in twee but manages to be punk as fuck whilst also being a guaranteed highlight on any indie dancefloor. In at number three mainly for the brilliant opening to ‘Watch This’.      

 

4.    A Place To Bury Strangers – Exploding Head (Mute)

They’ve been called “the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear” which was good enough for me to be positively dripping with excitement when a copy turned up in the office. It’s all very Jesus and Mary Chain (although that’s obviously no bad thing) and reawakened my love of all things melodic but noisy just when I thought the rest of ’09 was going to be drowning in electronica.

5.    Pissed Jeans – King Of Jeans (Sub Pop)

Love Flipper, The Jesus Lizard or Tad? Then Pissed Jeans are the band for you. This is sludgy, riff laden rock that pummels your skull like a punk rock pneumatic drill. Sound unlistenable? Well, you’ll be surprised because underneath the toffee-like layers of noise lurk nuggets of pure melody that lift ‘King Of Jeans’ into the upper echelons of rock godliness.

6.    The Horrors – Primary Colours (XL)

There has been a tendency to treat The Horrors like a joke but despite the “look” the music was always fantastic and their influences immaculate.  I was looking forward to their sophomore effort but I didn’t expect the stylistic shift towards My Bloody Valentine territory that marked this as one of the finest albums to emerge from the UK in recent years. Atmospheric, noisy yet full of cracking tunes, ‘Primary Colours’ was the perfect response to the doubters.  

 

7.    Part Chimp – Thriller (Rock Action)

I’d seen (and loved) these guys live a couple of times before but never totally believed in their recorded output. This all changed as soon as ‘Thriller’ hit the stereo: a stoner rock masterpiece that owes a debt to Sabbath whilst never descending into pastiche. It wasn’t a hard rock covers album of the Wacko classic though, sadly.  

8.    Passion Pit – Manners (Columbia)

Having swooned to the gorgeousness of ‘Sleepyhead’ late last year, anticipation for Passion Pit’s debut full lengther was pretty high, but it wasn’t until seeing them live that I truly fell for this stunning band. A bit Flaming Lips, a bit euphoric dance and a whole lot fucking ace, ‘Manners’ marks the emergence of one of the best new bands in the world today.

9.    The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (Fortuna Pop)

The lush noise-pop of ‘Come Saturday’ hooked me initially but over the course of the year I came to fall in love with the entire Jesus And Mary Chain-meets-My Bloody Valentine (them again!) indie of this stunning debut album. As fuzzy, shoe-gazey pop returned to the hearts of music lovers everywhere in 2009, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart swayed beautifully at the top of the tree.

10.    Daniel Johnston – Is And Always Was (Feraltone)

The real Daniel Johnston (not that godawful name stealer on X Factor) has never quite reached the level of public adoration that his beautifully simple tales of love and loss deserve despite a critically acclaimed documentary and the patronage of Kurt Cobain. However, on ‘Is And Always Was’ Johnston roped in ex-Jellyfish man and Brendan Benson collaborator Jason Falkner to bring an extra sheen and the results are one of his most accessible albums yet. Let’s hope the public finally takes notice.

11.    Dinosaur Jr – Farm (PIAS)

One of my favourite musical stories from this year was the announcement that the new Dinosaur Jr album had been mastered too loud which was, considering how fucking loud the band are anyway, both hilarious and ironic. Did I send my copy back in exchange for one without ear-bleeding levels of feedback, did I fuck...the louder the better. Another masterclass in guitar noise and cracking tunes ‘Farm’ is a classic from the Mascis/Barlow stable. 

 

12.    Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications (Rough Trade)

Geek king of Britpop ropes in the geek overlord of US alt-rock and the finished article is nothing short of remarkable. Jarvis is on top form throughout singing his unique tales of sexual longing and mid-life fantasy over some of the punchiest tunes in his repertoire. It’s a far cry from the days of Pulp and arse wiggling at the Brits and all the better for it as ‘Further Complications’ establishes Cocker as one of the brightest jewels in the British indie crown.  

13.    Sonic Youth – The Eternal (Matador)

Sixteen albums and no signs of mellowing from NYCs premier art-rockers. After the commercial frills of 2006’s ‘Rather Ripped’, ‘The Eternal’ saw a return to the more challenging tunes of albums past yet still retained a pop sensibility that is rarely glimpsed in bands of such experimental leanings. ‘The Eternal’ also saw the band leave the relative safety of major label Geffen to take up refuge with indie titans Matador, hinting that there’s still a lot of life in the old dogs yet.

14.    The Juan Maclean – The Future Will Come (DFA)

The point at which The Human League meet LCD Soundsystem, The Juan Maclean’s second album ‘The Future Will Come’ is a supersonic ride through squelchy electro, retro disco and anthemic dancefloor mayhem. 12 minute+  closer ‘Happy House’ is so monumental it should come with a national preservation order attached.  

15.    Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport (ATP)

The authoritative stamp of producer Andrew Weatherall is all over this album and the result is a stylistic leap forward from ‘Street Horrrsing’,  the Bristol duo’s critically acclaimed debut. A leap which essentially makes ‘Tarot Sport’ sound a bit ‘Screamadelica’, but a leap nonetheless. Huge washes of sound soak the listener with aural beauty creating a sea of magnificent noise that you’ll want to dive into like a pig in shit. Awe inspiring stuff.

16.    Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend (Echo)

The greatest songwriter of his generation (my opinion, but I’m right) returned with a fourth album of McCartney-esque alt-pop after the slight creative misstep of 2005’s ‘Alternative To Love’. In the interim he’d become a full on rock god as part of Jack White’s Raconteurs project and the effects on his latest solo outing were obvious. The songs here have a bulkier feel and the delivery is one of confidence and swagger suggesting Benson may be ready to step out of White’s shadow to become a legend in his own right.  

17.    Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (4AD)

Glasgow’s finest exponents of twee indie reached album number four whilst delivering two of the most gorgeous slabs of pure pop in ‘French Navy’ and ‘The Sweetest Thing’ not privy to a Phil Spector production. A band so heartbreakingly lovely that listening to them will make you want to hug all the breath out of the world before reviving it with tender kisses. Even for a miserable old punk lover like me this is pretty irresistible.

18.    Cougar – Patriot (Ninja Tune)

From the furious opening salvo of ‘Stay Famous’ you’ll get sucked into this astonishing record of instrumental post-rock from  Wisconsin’s Cougar. References to Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai are relevant but underneath the sweet guitar noodling and crunchy riffs lurks a percussive beast that takes cues from the likes of Four Tet and sees them more akin to bands like Battles.  Beats the crap out of most po-faced post rockers more interested in beard stroking than rocking out.

19.    La Roux – La Roux (Polydor)

I tipped La Roux right at the start of the year and having seen them perform live at a Universal new music event back in February I held firm with my opinion despite a bunch of industry bleaters telling me that the other acts that night (Gary Go (who?), Noisettes (what?), Melody Gardot (why?) and I Blame Coco (fuck off Sting)) were all more destined for stardom. Despite the hair, despite the hype this album shone through as a pinnacle of where pop music can go in the 21^st Century. Daring, exhilarating and damn-fucking-danceable.

20.    Vetiver – Tight Knit (Bella Union)

Devendra Banhart cohort Andy Cabic dropped this fourth album of laid back West Coast folk back in March but it has rarely been far from the stereo ever since. ‘Tight Knit’ is groovy yet lazy, funky yet half asleep but in amongst these contradictions lies an album of sublime craftsmanship and undoubted beauty.

Bubbling Under

Big Business - 'Mind The Drift' , Vivian Girls - 'Everything Goes Wrong' , Maps - 'Turning The Mind' , Alice In Chains - 'Black Gives Way To Blue' , Tom Morello/Boots Riley - 'Street Sweeper Social Club' , NASA - 'The Spirit Of Apollo' , Kong - 'Snake Magnet' , Grizzly Bear - 'Veckatimest' , Lily Allen - 'It's Not Me, It's You' , Telepathe - 'Dance Mother' , Cate Le Bon - 'Me Oh My' , Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard - 'Em Are I' , Manic Street Preachers - 'Journal For Plague Lovers' , Lovvers - 'Ocd Go Go Go Girls' , Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'Beware' , Howling Bells - 'Radio Wars' , Animal Collective - 'Merriweather Post Pavillion' , Eels - 'Hombre Lobo' , The Thermals - 'Now We Can See' , Empire Of The Sun - 'Walking On A Dream' .

The Worst 5

There's been a plethora of shit this year and I almost made this a top 10 (Alphabeat would have featured but the album isn't out until next year). However, 5 is enough for any man to have to revisit so here we go.... 

1. The Living End - White Noise

Lyrically banal and musically inept. Provoked endless laughing in the office even after we turned it off.

2. Kasabian - West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Oasis-lite dress up like extras from a Blackadder episode and attempt to go psychedelic. Results are a bit like watching someone pretend they are on acid when, in fact, they've only swallowed a stamp.

3. Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

Dropped once then re-signed by the same label on the strength of one single. Single is a massive hit after huge advertising campaign. Album fails to deliver follow-up. My spider sense suggests another dropping is on the cards. This sums up why the music industry is up shit creek without a paddle.

4. Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs

Rap-metal, how very ten years ago. Now fuck off back to your mum's and get on with playing Warcraft. Twats. 

5. Reverend And The Makers - A French Kiss In The Chaos

No doubting the validity of the man's politics but musically the good ol' Rev just doesn't cut it. We've given you a couple of goes now Rev - stick to what you're good at (shouting your mouth off) and leave the music to the professionals.  

Opinions? Comments? - let me know your highs and lows of 2009.....

take it easy

Steve

 

Recordstore’s Rated & Slated #2

November brings five more personal highlights that have got me smiling like Simon Cowell’s bank manager and five low points that are making me as glum as Rafa Benitez when he’s filling out his team sheet.

Rated

1.    Jedward    Every...single...fibre...of my being says I should hate X-Factor for its dumbing down of the creative process, the lack of credibility, the sheer shittyness of the whole thing. It’s a cancerous growth on the arse of the music industry but one that refuses to be nullified by the chemotherapy of good taste. But Jedward, the very antithesis of everything I hold dear, are just so fucking watchable. Enjoying their bumbling village idiot shtick makes you feel as guilty as Pete Townsend doing online “research” and should probably result in social exile but just like Craig Charles after a drug bust you forgive them because of that cheeky charisma.

2.    Season 6 of Lost  Rumours, gossip and mis-directions litter the web as the countdown begins towards the finale of one of the most innovative, exciting and downright odd shows on TV. What is the smoke monster? Will Claire return? Is the Island actually the Garden of Eden? And how the fuck does Alan Dale get a part in every single US drama series that needs a nefarious patriarch...when he’s from New Zealand? All will be revealed....I’m so excited I would happily listen to every single Robbie Williams album in all their mediocre, smug twat glory...twice over... just to get the series moved forward a month.

3.    Flight Of The Conchords   Album number two has been keeping a permanent smirk on my face for the last couple of weeks with classic lyrics like: ”Make sure you know before you go/The dance floor bro-hoe ratio/Five to one is a brodeo” and “Chillin' in my store, doing my thing/When in walks a guy with his dick in a sling/I'm like, "holy shit, what happened to you?"/He said, "how much will you give me for the family jewels?"/I said, "ten bucks"/He said, "no way"/"Ten bucks and frisbee?"/He said, "okay"/And I took his sugalumps and put them up in a display/And sold them as hacky sacks later that day”. Whether they can sustain it for album/series number 3 remains to be seen (unless, of course, they put a whole lot more Murray in) but until then, sit back, relax and let those New Zealand minstrels keep you warm this winter with tales of cross-eyed girls, epileptic dogs and hurting the feelings of rappers.

4.    The Thick Of It  The only show so beautifully obscene they hire a swearing consultant returns after the big screen shenanigans of ‘In The Loop’. Political satire has never been so deliciously nasty and in Malcolm Tucker they have the most perfectly formed anti-hero in the history of television.   “I'd use the carrot and stick approach. Take the carrot and shove it up his ass, followed by the stick, followed by a nobblier carrot...” – poetry. But where the fuck is his untethered Rottweiler Jamie (“SHUT IT, Love Actually! You want me to hole-punch your face”)? The angriest man this side of The Hulk after he’s had his balls removed, covered in wire wool and stuffed inside his own foreskin. Seethy....

 

5.    End Of Year Polls    I love this time of year, not because of the Xmas cheer that is cautiously entering the public consciousness or the chilly winter evenings that demand the cosy decadence of log fires and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Not even the magnificently hilarious sight of people slipping over on icy streets. No, I just love the publication of ream after ream of end of year lists. Favourite albums, movies, TV moments whatever the list I’m hooked in. Until, that is, I realise that Kasabian have topped everyone’s album lists and I have to leave the country in disgust.

Slated

1.    Spotify  I recently received an email from Spotify letting me know that the new Robbie Williams album was available on their service. Now, I’m not normally one to complain about unwanted emails as a) I have the use of all my fingers b) I have a workable delete button and c) I have a fucking life. But shit – I don’t even have a Spotify account (the whole concept just doesn’t do it for me) and I really fucking hate Robbie Williams. So all this experience has done has consolidated my loathing for one of the most overrated “entertainers” in Britain and ensured that I’ll never use Spotify in my life (although if they last another 6 months I’ll be surprised anyway).

2.    Giving up the booze  I spent the last month on the wagon after a particularly heavy night (details are sketchy and not for family consumption) and was subjected to so much abuse from those close to me (ranging from “what next? meat?” to “I’m not speaking to you again until you have a beer” ) that I felt like a plague victim in the 14^th Century ringing a bell and shouting “sober, sober stay away from the bloke who can string a sentence together and walk in a straight line”. Despite saving so much cash I felt like Steve Jobs wiping his arse with fifty dollar bills and feeling healthier than I have since I was 10 I only lasted a month because  peer pressure, even in your 30s, it’s still a powerful thing and, to be honest, drinking is bloody ace.

3.    DJing with iTunes   if you’re going to show off that you have a better taste in tunes than anyone else then at least have the decency to do it with proper records (or at least CDs – they’re easier to carry).  Djing with your Mac is like driving a Smart Car – it gets the job done but you look like a cunt.

4.    Famous People at Gigs  I was lucky enough to watch Biffy Clyro last month at the Kentish Town Forum (a great little venue apart from all the corporate HMV bollocks plastered everywhere) and whilst visiting the loo (complete with HMV logo) noticed three rather miniscule but instantly recognisable characters at the bar oblivious to the fact a gig was going on the other side of the doors. Now, they must have got in for free and have therefore taken up valuable space that could have been allocated to proper paying fans but the most galling thing was the lack of respect they were giving the band by completely ignoring their set.  These three “stars” – Matthew Horne, Dave Berry and the Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones – should be ashamed of themselves.

5.    Andy Parsons   the Mock the Week panellist has been getting on my tits for a couple of years now but my loathing of this man has now reached a point where even looking at his face makes me want to grab him by his ridiculous little beard and force feed his head up his own arse. The stupid comedy walk, the inability to tell jokes that haven’t already been done better by the rest of the guests and the way he starts every sentence with “well, yes, the thing is you see” etc just make him the most loathsome television “personality” since Peter Andre returned to our screens....whilst I’m here Gina Yashere can fuck off too

Until next time

Steve

 

The Curious Case of Devendra Banhart

The first time I laid eyes on Devendra Banhart was back in my teens when coming back from the local half cut and hoping to catch a bit of Jools Holland. The cheeky chap Holland was waltzing around the floor like he usually does, squeekily enthusing over each act. The show then cut to the middle of the stage floor, Holland promising "a wondering, beautiful, psychedelic minstrel". Despite looking like the evil witch girl from 1973 film Don't Look Now, Banhart performed Sight To Behold on some sort of Aladdin style persian rug, surrounded by candles and an entranced audience. 

Alas I was late to the phenomenon that was/is Banhart. Back in 2004, America became obsessed with him and a new genre, dubbed Freak Folk. The New York Times published an article, describing Banhart as "the most prominent of a highly idealistic pack of young musicians whose music is quiet, soothing and childlike, their lyrics fantastic, surreal and free of the slightest trace of irony." It is also interesting to read that they portray him as some sort of Charles Manson (a thought never lost on me) who has his own harem of musicians including Animal Collective, The Dodos and Vetiver.

After becoming the poster boy for a new but slightly rehashed genre and releasing two albums in a year, the American/Venezuelan became rankled with the press attention and retreated for another year. Whilst he was away, the US market was still keen milk the new found fame, Orange using "Little Yellow Spider" in their ads and the Hollywood remake of The Hills Have Eyes II eerily channeling "Insect Eyes" in the trailer .

The past few years have expectedly been no different, releasing solo albums such as Cripple Crow, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon and readying What Will Be Will Be. Back in 2004, the music press wrote that musicians flocked to him, now it seems it is the other way round. Banhart has lended his talents to the Megapuss album, remixed Oasis and Phoenix tracks and performs regularly on Beck's Record Club. Just last week, papers, magazines and blogs were rife with rumours that he and Wu-Tang legend The GZA were going to record an album out of the fact GZA remixed Banharts new single, "Baby". 

Released on October 26th, What Will Be Will Be is his debut release for a major label, Warners. Banhart himself joked "it was shocking that a major would want anything to do with me". Reading press for the new album, he has been his usual verging on the insane self. Snippets include telling Uncut that he'd "like to own Paul McCartney's foreskin" and that "Michael Jackson belongs to the same race of 'future' people who built the pyramids and Stonehenge". It is clear listening to the new tracks such as "Baby" and "Angelika" that he has shed his rustic sheen and is easily his most polished record to date. Unsurprisingly and unfortunately there is a couple of 'filler' tracks that have always followed Banhart's career but "What Will Be Will Be" is a reassuring case that he is America's most creative and curious artist.

Martin

Recordstore's Rated & Slated

Every month I’ll be letting you know what’s getting me all lathered up in a frenzy of excitement and what’s making me more miserable than Robbie Williams with a fistful of prescription meds.

Rated

1.    Part Chimp – Thriller Check out the front cover for a start: zombie arms, space soldier, laser gun – and that’s fucking amazing enough without even listening to the sludgy genius that lurks within. If you buy one heavy rock album this year make it this one.

 

2.    James Buckley playing a young Del Boy. The foulmouthed, sex starved star of The Inbetweeners is playing the sixteen year old Derek Trotter in a new Only Fools And Horses. Lovely jubbly!

 

3.    Flashforward  - will it replace Lost? Who knows, but after 2 episodes full of cracking dialogue, stunning visuals and a delectable premise (can you change a future that you’ve already seen?) this could be the most discussed show on the ol’ goggle-box for some time.

 

4.   Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 – I’m not a massive gamer but this is just too much fun to ignore. Take control of a bunch of Marvel superheroes in this updated Streets Of Rage style beat ‘em up that involves hours of button bashing but a satisfying sense of achievement every time you kick someone’s butt. My preference is to play as The Hulk – hilarious dialogue and maximum devastation.

 

5.   DIY gigs – why pay through the nose to see a second tier indie band fail to sparkle in Brixton Academy when you could head down to your local boozer and catch a plethora of hip young things plying their trade for less than the price of a pint? No booking fees, no rip off merch and no sound problems – rock’n’roll as it should be heard.

Slated

1.   People who bring their bike on the train. For fuck’s sake either ride the thing or get public transport don’t do both. You look all smug in your lycra get-up and your little helmet pretending you're super fit when in fact you cycle 2 mins to the station and 2 mins to your office (the same distance the rest of us WALK!)  and your bike takes up valuable space on the train that the rest of us could use for little things....like breathing.

 

2.   Lil Wayne’s appearance in the new Jay Sean video. a) Jay Sean is utter shite and b) Lil Wayne turns up looking like some weird amalgamation of a high school nerd and an alien who hasn’t quite worked out how to look completely human yet (like that fella in Men In Black)...and then he raps.....badly.

 

3.   NME’s dead Rock star issue. With a new editor I mistakenly thought we might be in for really exciting changes in the UKs favourite (only) indie weekly. Sadly, the “New” in the title has been completely ignored in favour of a whole issue dedicated to “Old” music. If I wanna read about a load of forgotten heroes I’ll read Mojo, stick to your remit NME and tell me about someone I haven’t already heard of.

 

4.   The filesharing debate. Bored now. People have been illegally sharing music for ages (I’ve still got loads of tapes made by my mates from when I were a nipper) and they’ll continue to do so. There will always be people who want to own and collect music (my flat looks like a record shop it’s so packed with records) and meanwhile there will always be people who want it for free (whether that be listening to the radio, copying CDs, illegally downloading or filesharing). The fact is the music industry had a lovely time for a while whilst everyone wanted CDs and sales rocketed. Now it faces the reality that there isn’t a universal format that people want to pay for anymore. Deal with it and move on.

 

5.   Kids wearing glasses with no lenses in them. I’m not having this new fashion for being a spectacles wearer. I’ve worn glasses since I was 4 ‘cause my eyes are fucked. I was called ‘four-eyes’ and ‘speccy’ as a kid and quickly moved onto contact lenses as soon as I could. Now it seems that glasses are fashionable...so much so that kids are wearing them without any  bloody lenses in them  - what the hell is that all about? If you’d spent your formative years with the nickname Joe90 you wouldn’t find them so pissing cool now....you cunts.

until next time

Steve

 

 

Dead Men Do Wear Plaid: An Essential Guide To Grunge

There’s been very few scenes during my lifetime that have had a huge impact on my life, ‘Britpop’?, as much as I loved Oasis and Pulp, it was horribly obsessed with its own Britishness and I’ve never been one to toe the flag-waving line of our motherland, ‘trip-hop’, too middle-class and cosy, ‘big-beat’ – too fucking dumb, ‘grime’ – give me a break....I was never a Goth, never baggy and never a skate-punk.  But, when it came to grunge I was hooked.

I was 16 when the sludgy guitars and plaid shirts of Seattle first started to take root in the lives of British teenagers and now some seventeen years later I still return to Cobain, Vedder, Corgan et al with ardent regularity. Records like 'Ten', 'Nevermind', 'Dirt' and 'Dust' kick started my adoration of all things heavy that continued into the discovery of post-hardcore heroes At The Drive-In and Fugazi, the drone of Sunn O))) and Boris, Queens Of The Stone Ages’ stoner genius or the new wave of hardcore exemplified by The Bronx and Fucked Up. To put it another way, without grunge I might be listening to the latest pile of unimaginative dross from Kasabian (its music for thick people, we all know it) right now rather than loving the gorgeous fuzziness of Japandroids or the brutal noise of Pissed Jeans.

So, why the nostalgia you may ask? Well, the end of 2009 is looking a bit like a grunge revival with Pearl Jam returning this week with their ninth album 'Backspacer', Alice In Chains (with a new singer and a distinct lack of lyrics about smack) unleashing 'Black Gives Way To Blue’ (their first new material in 14 years) and Nirvana finally releasing a live document of their legendary Reading festival show from 1992. Sources say that Smashing Pumpkins (or what’s left of them since they keep losing members faster than the Sugababes) have a new album in the pipeline (I’m betting on a collaboration with Keisha Buchanan) and Foo Fighters (the last credible band to emerge from grunge’s shadow) have racked up enough killer singles to release a ‘Greatest Hits’ in November.  There’s even a bunch of grunge nights popping up in the capital (and maybe somewhere near you) prompting scores of 30-somethings to dress up like lumberjacks and sway mournfully across the dancefloor.

With that in mind I thought it was an apt time to highlight the finest 25 albums that grunge gave the world (or the 25 that don’t include 'Nevermind' as everybody owns that....you don’t? What the fuck is wrong with you?). So here, in no particular order (they’re all awesome – just buy them) are my choices for the 25 finest grunge albums of all time:

 

Various Artists – Sub Pop 200: the compilation that started it all drawing together early tracks from Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden (‘Sub Pop Rock City’ is a mini classic). For a snapshot of what grunge is about this is the best place to start.

Green River – Dry As A Bone/Rehab Doll:  a bit Stooges a bit hard rock – featuring future members of Pearl Jam and Mudhoney, Green River were the genesis of the scene. They split up over the classic “musical differences” but their minimal output set the blueprint for what was to come.

Mother Love Bone – Mother Love Bone: not strictly speaking grunge but Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament laid the template of what would later become the grunge sound epitomised by their next band, Pearl Jam. A bit glam for some tastes but still a phenomenal record.

Temple Of The Dog – Temple Of The Dog: following the death of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood this Soundgarden/Pearl Jam supergroup produced a classic tribute. Chris Cornell takes lead vocals but new boy Eddie Vedder turns up to lend his distinctive vocal to the brilliant ‘Hunger Strike’.

Mark Lanegan – The Winding Sheet: early appearance of Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic on Lanegan’s version of ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ – which Nirvana later covered during their ‘Unplugged’ show. Lanegan has become a legend of the genre having also been a member of Screaming Trees, The Gutter Twins and Queens Of The Stone Age.

Dinosaur Jr – Bug: features the track ‘Freak Scene’ which (alongside ‘Touch Me, I’m Sick’) can pretty much be described as one of the ultimate alt-rock anthems. Again not strictly grunge but the distorted guitars and lyrical content were a huge influence on the Seattle sound.

Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff: features ‘Touch Me, I’m Sick’ – one of the most important singles in grunge history. They also sampled Peter Fonda’s famous dialogue from ‘The Wild Angels’ on ‘In ‘N’ Out Of Grace’ before Primal Scream lifted it for ‘Loaded’. Play it at your local indie night and look at the confusion on the faces of the crowd.

Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger: Soundgarden would become more psychedelic and overblown on later releases, but here they sounded like the coolest metal band on the planet. ‘Rusty Cage’ and ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ will get you channelling your inner rock god every time they’re played.

Afghan Whigs – Congregation: again not strictly grunge, but this Cincinnati band found a home on grunge label Sub Pop with their uniquely soulful take on heavy alt-rock. Not as good as the album ‘Gentlemen’ but that’s not available anymore (find it on eBay – you’ll love it).

The Jesus Lizard – Liar: a major influence on many grunge bands including Nirvana who released a double a-side single with The Jesus Lizard featuring this album’s ‘Puss’. This set was also produced by Steve Albini who went on to take control of ‘In Utero’.

Melvins – Lysol: another huge influence on Nirvana, drummer Dale Crover even played with them before Dave Grohl joined. This is one of their better early albums but their later heavier records are career highlights.

Alice In Chains – Dirt: one of the most intense albums from the scene. Singer Layne Staley would eventually succumb to the drug addiction he documented so vividly here leaving an engaging statement of one man’s struggle. A dark, unforgiving record but totally essential as part of the grunge lexicon.

Nirvana – Incesticide: odds and sods that bridge the gap between the heavy sludge of ‘Bleach’ and the pop perfection of ‘Nevermind’. Single ‘Sliver’ remains a high point of the band’s career but there are also some stunning covers including The Vaselines’ ‘Son Of A Gun’ and ‘Molly’s Lips’.

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream: another band who rode on the coat tails of the Seattle scene although these Chicago natives produced their own unique take on the alt-rock sound of the early 90s which has never been matched. ‘Today’ pretty much became an anthem for the disaffected youth of America in the early 90s (along with Radiohead’s ‘Creep’).

Stone Temple Pilots – Core: written off, unfairly, as mere Pearl Jam copyists, this debut has remained a classic example of the grunge sound. Originally called ‘Shirley Temple’s Pussy’ the band were forced into a name change when they signed to a major but retained the initials STP.

Various Artists – Singles Soundtrack: a grunge movie directed by Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) featuring cameos from Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. The soundtrack is a stunning reminder of how exciting the Seattle scene was and features Pearl Jam (with the magnificent ‘State Of Love And Trust’), Screaming Trees and Alice In Chains as well as tracks from former Replacements singer Paul Westerberg and Seattle legend Jimi Hendrix.

L7 – Bricks Are Heavy: When not throwing bloody tampons on Channel 4 yoof shows, L7 produced some of the finest girl-grunge of the era. Alongside Hole, Babes In Toyland and the female-centric Riot Grrrl movement L7 rebranded women musicians as dangerous, sexually liberated and a match for any of the boys.

Sonic Youth – Dirty: this New York art band made better albums (Evol, Daydream Nation, Goo) but this is the record that saw them take to their role as grunge mentors with the anthemic singles ‘100%’ and ‘Swimsuit Issue’. They took the relatively unknown Nirvana on tour with them in 1991 (documented in the film ‘1991: The Year That Punk Broke’) and were instrumental in Cobain ditching Sub Pop in favour of the marketing muscle of Geffen for the release of ‘Nevermind’.

Earth – Earth 2: Their leader Dylan Carlson may be most famous for buying the gun that helped Kurt Cobain end his life but his band Earth, along with Melvins, produced some of the best experimental drone metal to emerge from the Seattle scene.

Nirvana – In Utero:  ‘Nevermind’ may be the album that turned the music scene on its head but purists will always highlight this as the band’s finest moment. Produced/Engineered (for the most part) by Steve Albini, ‘In Utero’ consolidated Cobain’s desire to make searing punk rock with a commercial edge.

  

Pearl Jam – Vitalogy: Released after the death of Kurt Cobain, Pearl Jam’s most ambitious and uncompromising album is seen by many as a direct response to their rival’s suicide. Lyrics bemoaning the pressures of fame and weird stripped down punk workouts make the album an ideal companion to ‘In Utero’ marking the two artistic highlights of the entire scene.

Hole – Live Through This: released just four days after Cobain’s body was found, ‘Live Through This’ will forever be linked to the Nirvana frontman. Rumours have always circulated that Cobain had a hand in writing the songs that feature here but whilst these remain unsubstantiated it is clear that Courtney Love was heavily influenced by her more talented partner resulting in her finest work to date.

Screaming Trees – Dust: the final release from Mark Lanegan’s psych-grungers and widely regarded as their best. Lanegan’s deep roar was always one of the most distinct voices in the grunge scene and here he really lets loose on tracks like ‘Halo Of Ashes’ and ‘Dying Days’.

Babes In Toyland – The Best Of Babes In Toyland: there’s not much available from this Minneapolis all girl band so we’ll have to make do with this best of which covers all the highlights plus some of lead Babe Kat Bjelland’s solo work. Interestingly, Courtney Love was once their bass player.

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters: and finally.....Dave Grohl, having written a host of songs during his time in Nirvana, found himself without a job following the death of Cobain and entered a studio to record his debut album as Foo Fighters (he played and sang everything himself – except one guitar part from the Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli). The result was one of the few post-grunge albums that could be seen to rival the classic albums of the Seattle scene.

So there you go, a few notable mentions must go to Tad’s ‘Inhaler’, Paw’s ‘Dragline’, Brad’s ‘Shame’ and the ‘Hype!’ soundtrack which all would have featured alongside the aforementioned ‘Gentlemen’ by Afghan Whigs if they were still available (come on labels, how about some deluxe editions of all five?) but what you have there are 25 stone cold classics of one of the most influential eras in modern music.

Have I missed anything out or picked the wrong album by your favourite grungers? Let me know – just don’t try to put up a case for Bush or Collective Soul – you’ll get abused more viciously than Chris Cornell’s collaboration with Timbaland.

I’m off to go find my DMs

Later

Steve