Top 10 Albums of the year

Before we get to the main meat of this post, there's a couple of albums worthy of mention that didn't quite make it into the top 10. Bjork's "Biophilia" and Radiohead's "The King of Limbs" were both excellent returns to form, although at the same time falling a long way short of their artists' stellar best, and Lupe Fiasco's "Lasers" was a minor disappointment -very good but missing something indefinable.

Anyway, onto the list.

10. Mariachi El Bronx -II.
Following up the Bronx' excellent first Mariachi album was always going to be hard, but they've managed to make another one that's actually better than the first attempt.

9. Electric 6 - Heartbeats and Brainwaves.
You pretty much know what you're going to get with an E6 album -insanely catchy pop rock with a slightly unsettling edge to it. This one is better than most of theirs and contains one of the years best tracks in "French Bacon".

8. Janes' Addiction - The Great Escape Artist.
This is way better than I expected -I actually suspect it's way better than JA themselves expected- and well worth a purchase if you like the band.

7. Bon Iver - Bon Iver.
The next big thing. If you're unfamiliar with these guys, you won't be for long. Brilliant folky rock from very accomplished musicians. Check out the song "holocene" to hear them at their best. Also good for fans of bands with missing letters in their name.

6. Skindred - Union Black.
There aren't many truly unique bands about, but Skindred are certainly one of them. They effortlessly fuse metal, ragga and dubstep into one massive thunderclap. Brilliant, but best heard live -and that's the reason they're down at No.6. This album also contains the best version of the British national anthem ever.

5. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Don't go into this one expecting something you've never heard the like of before, because on first listen, it's a fairly bland poppy album sung by a man with a pleasant if slightly whiny voice. Simple Math, however has hidden depths -and what depths they are. Lyrically, this is perhaps the most brutally honest album you'll ever hear. Keep listening to it and you'll fall in love with it.

4. Cage The Elephant -Thank You, Happy Birthday.
Conceptually a million miles away from "Simple Math" this is more of a "Happy" album - put this on when you're in a good mood and you'll soon be dancing around the room. I've just realised that that might just be me, but never mind, it's still a cracking album. It's only made No.4 because it's essentially a Pixies tribute album but if you're going to rip off someone, make sure it's someone unspeakably brilliant.

3. Mastodon - The Hunter.
Fan opinion on The Hunter was split, some seeing it as an incoherent piece of rubbish, others -like me- feteing it as Mastodons' finest hour. Rather than an album wide concept the Atlanta boys have given us a collection of largely unrelated songs, but what songs they are.

2. The Black Keys - El Camino.
The worlds' most underrated band return with their second brilliant album in as many years. This is the best rock album of the year by far. No arguments, go and buy it.

1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake.
I didn't want to name this as the best album of the year -mainly because it seems nearly everyone else has- but you really can't deny the fact that it is. And it's the best by quite a large margin.
Musically, it's beautifully arranged and Harveys' voice is clearer and sharper than ever. Lyrically it's both powerful and sensitive without ever becoming maudlin or depressing, and she handles difficult subjects with subtlety and ease. It's not far short of a masterpiece.

PJ Harvey, yesterday. Brilliant.

Worst Albums of the year 2011

This kind of falls into a couple of distinctly different categories -those albums which are not terrible but a bit dull, those which are disappointing because they've been made by bands who are usually ok and those which are frankly, poo.

In the "not terrible but a bit dull" section first up, it's the Subways.
Their album "Money and Celebrity" can best be summed up as a party album for people who like rock. It's not all bad -indeed, the first single from the album " We don't need money to have a good time" is quite good, but everything else on the album sounds the same to the point where they all meld into one whiny singalong mess. Not good.
In the next category are Kasabian, which I have to say came as a bit of a surprise.
To my mind at least, Kasabian had been steadily improving, each album showing some progression -but "Velociraptor!" is a massive leap backwards. It also features some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard. The album comes across as an incoherent mess. Must do better lads.

Ok, now we're into the "Poo" section.
Normally, in any other year I could think of, Gold Cobra would have run away with the worst album of the year award, for reasons I -and quite a lot of the rest of the web- have discussed before (hint ; He stands at the front and wears a cap).
Sorry Fred, this year you've been blown away in the crap stakes.

Enter Metallica and Lou Reed with "Lulu".
A double album, no less.

I'm not a Metallica fan, but I can't imagine many of their fanbase will be happy with this. Kirk Hammett's signature guitar solos are largely missing, and bassist Rob Trujillo seems to have been on holiday at the time of recording, so the whole thing is driven along by James Hetfield's chugging rythmn guitar. Terrific. Never mind though, here comes Super Lars and his pet Snare Drum to save the day!
Um, no. Lars' answer to the assault on your ears is to hit everything very hard. All the time. Thanks.
Lou mumbles and stumbles his way through the lyrics at one point shouting "JACK" for what seems like forever. He also pretends to be a girl in one song. No, I'm not making it up.
In what appears to be a desperate attempt to distract the listener, James Hetfield tries to convince us that he's a table. Yes, you read that correctly. Listen

Sadly, and remarkably, these are the better efforts on an album that's best quickly forgotten.

Lou Reed and Metallica yesterday, being poo.

Short thoughts.

The London Olympics -even though they are still some 8 and a bit months away- are managing to piss me off.
To be fair, the olympics always piss me off -what seems like 24 hour coverage of skinny men running in circles for hours at a time, not really my thing- but it's never been this bad before.
Every time an ad arrives on the TV whatever the product is, it's suddenly become the official 2012 Olympic version of it's former self.
So far this morning I've spotted the Panasonic Smart Viera tv - the official tv of the olympic games, Cadburys Dairy Milk - the official tooth rotter of London 2012 and a couple of others as well.
I understand the need for corporate sponsorship, but does everything have to have a commercial tie-in? Really?
Tampax, the official feminine hygiene product of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Scott Weiland, erstwhile singer, professional substance abuser and frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots -who were alright- and Velvet revolver -who were shit- has a new album out. Nothing remarkable about that you might think, and, in a sense, you're right. But Scott has released a Christmas album full of yuletide favourites like White Christmas and such. Are things really that bad Scott?
Is this a desperate attempt to cash in on a seasonal event or a new career direction as a lounge singer? Take a guess.

It's generally around this time of year I do my top 10 albums of the year, but I'm going to hold it off until the new Black Keys album lands through my letterbox. It's due out on December 6th but hopefully I'll get it a bit before that.
If you've no idea who I'm talking about, have a listen to this -it's a great video too.

Bush - The Sea of Memories

First up, an apology. I haven't posted for a fortnight or so because -no, not ebola this time- we've been busy getting our youngest daughter to university and dealing with the fallout of all that entails. I shall try to get back to some sort of regular posting schedule from now on. Thanks for listening. Reading? Whatever, thanks anyway.

And so onto Bush. Remember them? A sort of British version of Nirvana -not as good obviously, although they were far superior to Silverchair -the Australian version, or Nirvana in Pyjamas as I like to call them- they were pretty good and despite being largely overlooked in their homeland, they were quite popular in the US and achieved a fair bit of commercial, if not critical success.
Until a couple of days ago, Bush hadn't released a new album in 10 years -and that was the not very good Golden State.
10 years is a long time, people and tastes change and given that my last memories of Bush were on the aforementioned Golden State, as I started listening to this I was more than a little anxious.

"Will I like this?"
"What if it's poo?"
"Did I ever like Bush?"

Initially at least, it seemed as though my fears were unfounded, as the first 3 songs are good. Very good. Huzzah! Bush are back and just as good as they were on Razorblade Suitcase.

Erm....no.

Not by a long shot. After the excellent opening tracks we descend into radio friendly AOR combined with the sort of filler tracks seen on a hundred average rock albums. Did they get bored after the opening of this album or what? Did Gwen come down into the basement and tell Gavin that playtime's over and his friends have to go home now? It certainly seems that way.
A major disappointment.

Bush, yesterday

Mariachi El Bronx 2

When I first heard about The Bronx's plan to do a mariachi album I thought that someone was playing a joke on me. I mean, c'mon, The Bronx. Doing an album of mariachi tunes. What's next, Radiohead doing dubstep? The Deftones releasing a disco album? Muse releasing something good? Exactly. The idea was on the verge of preposterous.
Then the album arrived. And it was the best thing I'd heard the whole year. I could scarcely believe my ears, such was the brilliance of what I was listening to and the quantum shift of the musicians from premier league hardcore punk band to english language mariachi kings.
Now, 2 years later, they're back for more.
The new album runs the gamut of emotions like the first did, but it's more polished, more confident and, crucially, just as good. It might be even better -but I haven't listened to it enough to make a firm judgement on that yet-  I particularly like the story of the seemingly tireless lothario told during "48 Roses" and  the lovesick pleadings of  "Norteno Lights" , but they're all good.
This isn't just a good album for a bunch of punks who've made a mariachi record, it's a good album full stop. It might even be a great one.
Go and get it.

El Bronx, yesterday

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

Just recently I've been having a bit of a listen to Gold Cobra, the comeback album by Limp Bizkit -hey, everyone has to punish themselves from time to time- and it's not exactly brilliant.
To be fair, I don't think anyone was expecting a White Pony from Florida's finest, but this is....well, as the French would say, merde.
Actually, let me qualify that abit. Four fifths of LB are fine with Wes Borland proving beyond any doubt that he's an excellent guitarist, a solid rythmn section and even poor old DJ Lethal lazily scratching away, no doubt reminiscing about the glory days in House of Pain. The problem with Limp Bizkit is Fred Durst.
Moby once described them as "Rape Rock" but I think "Idiot Rock" or maybe "Retard Rock" is far more appropriate. Durst is a man with little to say and a singularly unappealing way of saying it, hearing a 40 year old singing (sort of) about "Haters" and skateboarding is heading into the realms of ridiculousness, and if I think you're ridiculous, you're in serious trouble.
This is by far the worst thing I've heard this year. Well Done.

A gold Cobra, yesterday

Incubus - If not now, when?

I could never work out why Incubus weren't more popular. A bunch of good looking guys -apart from the guitarist- who played radio and MTV friendly poppy rock with a bit of an edge. It sounds like a recipe for global success, but, alas, it wasn't. Whether it was the rise of "Nu-Metal" or the fact that they sometimes descended into the realms of Prog-Rock pomposity, Incubus' career never quite reached the heights it could and should have.
But now it's 2011, roughly 10 years after their popularity peaked and they've released a new album- an album which apparently showcases a more mature side to the band.
Yeah, I'm not sure about that either.
Halfway through listening to this, it's becoming clear that the band have used "mature" as a simile. While that would have been fine if mature had been likened to smooth, or even considered, it hasn't been.
Here, mature means dull. Or forgettable. Maybe even dreary.
It has its' moments,  mostly provided by singer Brandon Boyd and his trademark vocal gymnastics - but he's all too often let down by subpar arrangements and production. There's a couple of shrill and squeaky clean ballads on here that could fit straight onto on of those fathers' day special CDs - and that's not a good thing.
Overall, this album isn't exactly bad -there's some decent musicianship and Boyds' voice to redeem it- it just seems a bit half arsed, a bit "that'll do".
Very disappointing.

Incubus yesterday, being mature.

Ps. I'll do a State of Origin wrap tomorrow, when my bitterness has subsided to manageable levels.

Fantasy Band Line Up

I've done these things before, but I've never really given the line up much thought -as in who would be the best fit together- I've generally just gone for someone close to the best in their field and figured they'd all be talented enough to make it work.

This time however, I've attempted to make a line up which I think would actually work together.

Lead Vocals - Jeff Buckley.
Guitars - Thurston Moore and John Frusciante.
Bass - Geddy Lee.
Drums - Danny Carey.


That was the best I could come up with as a cohesive band, although I was undecided between Carey and Mike Portnoy for the drumming spot for a fair while, the Tool stickman getting the nod for his greater subtlety. Not exactly the heaviest band ever, is it?  I suspect they'd be utterly brilliant though, what do you think?

Jeff Buckley, not yesterday. Sadly.

PS. If you don't know who any of these people are, google them - you'll be glad you did.

Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

Sometimes there are bands that I can't work out why they're not far more popular than they are - Placebo, Lcd Soundsystem, Hot Chip - I'm usually told that they either " look funny", "sound funny" or are just plain depressing.
I'm under no such illusions about the Manchester Orchestra though, I know they look and sound funny, and on occaision they are quite depressing. Happily for us though -and them I imagine- they're also quite brilliant.
Their previous two releases -I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child and Means Everything to Nothing- were good, really good- but never quite reached true greatness, this has.
They're always a heartbeat away from either a bombastic cataclysm or honey sweet crooning, and throughout the highs are tinged with dispair, the lows with hope and all this makes Simple Math an album way, way above most of it's contemporaries.
This will end up in all sorts of year end lists -including mine- and rightfully so. I just hope it brings them a bit more recognition than they've recieved so far.

The Manchester Orchestra looking funny, yesterday.

Short thoughts

Nathan Van Someren, a not particularly well known participant in Australia's 2nd best team sport -AFL- was sent off on saturday. Why am I telling you this? Surely being sent of in the rufty-tufty world of Aussie Rules can't be that rare? Well, no. No it isn't.  But this guy was sent off for having a dangerous haircut. I'm not even making it up. hahahaha

Here's the offending do in all it's dangerousness.

Nathan yesterday, being dangerous.

A man from Brighton has been fined £80 by some particularly joyless bastard from the local council for allowing his terrier to skateboard around the streets of the town -again, I'm not making this up- He was fined for the dog being "Out of control". What, couldn't it land a kickflip properly? Too much rotation on a 360? No, apparently his Lakeland Terrier was a "Risk" because 2 women tripped over his skateboard. Sorry, but if you can't get out of the way of a dog on a skateboard, you should be worrying about other shit before reporting the canine and it's owner to the council.

Not the dog in question, yesterday.

The last week saw the death of Severiano Ballesteros, who I'm shocked to learn, was widely considered "The Greatest" amongst his peers. I'm no golf fan, but this guy's death struck a chord with me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we're the same age -and this has made me think about my own mortality really for the first time- and secondly, the man simply transcended his sport. Even people who have no interest in golf -like me- knew who he was and had nothing bad to say about him -and I have plenty of bad things to say about almost everyone.

Most sports have a star who becomes bigger than the game -Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Don Bradman- in golf it was Seve.

Skindred - Union Black

For those of you who don't know them -and I suspect that that's most of you- Skindred are one of the UK's premier rock bands. But they're a rock band with a difference, seamlessly melding metal, hardcore, dubstep and, most importantly, reggae, into a unique sound which they've dubbed "Ragga Metal"
The album opens with the surreal title track that features a slow build up to a Drum n' Bass version of the British National Anthem (yes, really). Hmmm......this can best be described as "interesting". Not the greatest of starts, but fear not, the boys are back on track soon after with a belting track called "Warning" which is so good not even an unwelcome guest appearance by the singer from Papa Roach can fuck it up. From here, things go pretty much as expected and as a package this is far superior to their previous effort, "Shark Bites and Dog Fights". But this is not an album that everyone is going to fully appreciate first time and that some might not appreciate ever, especially fans of the more straightforward rock songs they have done, particularly on "Shark Bites....." but as you get used to the many twists that the album throws at you it becomes better and better. Union Black manages to be both a painfully relevant state of the nation address and a hugely enjoyable party record, which in my mind at least is no small feat.

 Skindred, Yesterday. Nice.

Deftones - Covers

What's this, a new Deftones album -how did this sneak through without me noticing? Well , strictly speaking it is a new Deftones album - but in reality it's nothing of the sort.
Released last saturday to promote something called "Record Store Day" -no, I don't know what it's about either- this is a combination of tracks from the "B-sides and Rarities" CD/DVD thing from about 5 years ago and the digital deluxe version of Diamond Eyes.

So, is it worth getting then? Well, yes and no. If you're a hardcore Deftones fan like myself, you're probably going to already own everything here, so probably not. However, if you've missed out on the brilliance of Chino singing "Simple Man" or Duran Duran's "The Chauffeur" then absolutely get it. I realise I'm biased, but no other band has done as many great cover versions as the Deftones.

Chino, yesterday. Nices shades.

Short thoughts

You know when you're in the cinema and someone near you is noisily munching their way through what seems to be a titanic sized vat of popcorn? It annoys the crap out of me frankly, but I doubt I'd shoot someone for being a bit loud during a film. What am I talking about? Well, that's exactly what happened during a screening of Black Swan in the Latvian capital Riga, last week. Riga police confirmed that a 27 year old man had shot a 42 year old man at the city's Cineplex, and that the argument began over how loudly he was eating his popcorn. The moral of this story? Don't annoy Latvians.

A Latvian, yesterday. Scary.

Here's a question. Do you take a sword to work with you? No? How about a bazooka? I thought not. I mean, there are some jobs where you might take a weapon to work - Ninja, Yakuza, train robber, Game Keeper - but not that many, and certainly not footballer. So why then, I've been wondering , did Ashley Cole take an air rifle to Chelsea's training ground with him and then promptly shoot a work experience kid with it, albeit accidently. Because he's a fucking moron, that's why. Case closed.

Finally and sadly, Jane Russell has died aged 89. Most famous for starring in westerns and with Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she was one of the most beautiful of the Hollywood leading ladies in the post war era.

Cage the Elephant - Thank you, Happy birthday

This album is a fraud. No, really, it is. I mean, it's good -really good- but it sounds like Cage the Elephant have raided my CD collection and got stuck in the section where the Pixies, Nirvana and a little bit of the Melvins are kept, because if you threw those 3 bands into a pot and boiled them (bear with me, this slightly clunky analogy will finish soon) you'd end up with CtE.
60% Pixies, 35% Nirvana, just a dash of Melvins, perfect.

Anyway, on to the album itself. It's good -better than their much ballyhoo'd debut cut- and tracks like "Aberdeen" and "Shake me Down" are impossibly catchy, whilst "Japanese Buffalo" might be the best track I've heard this year (that isn't written by PJ Harvey). However "Indy Kids seems too contrived with it's musings about "being just like you" and doesn't sit well with the rest of the album, but the hits here far outweight the misses, and this would be a good addition to any collection.

If you're going to rip someone off, make sure it's someone good.

PJ Harvey -Let England Shake

For me, a new PJ Harvey album is a cause to celebrate. There hasn't been a single one I haven't enjoyed listening to again and again, so when I found out that the theme of LES was war, I was slightly concerned -I mean who wants to listen to an hour of war songs?- Not me, that's for sure. However, whatever misgivings I might have had about the album were torpedo'd halfway through the first song.
Put simply, this is PJ's finest effort since 2000's Stories from the City, Stories From the Sea.

You see, this album is not only about war, it's about nationalism and imperialism as well and how their effects are felt by the people on the receiving end of their twin pronged attack.
This is a history lesson on the regimes and bloodshed of the reasonably recent past, a history lesson done with beautiful, haunting vocals and heartstring tugging guitars. It's Harveys' lament to her country, chronicling her distress and her love for England. Just Brilliant.

Go and buy it, download it, whatever - just make sure you get a copy.

White Lies - Ritual

White Lies first album, To Lose My Life was one of the more pleasant surprises of the year back in 2009 and now they're back with a not-particularly-eagerly-awaited follow up album, Ritual.
Listening to this for the first time, I'm imagining what a night out with these guys might be like (bear with me, this analogy won't last too long, I promise). I'm getting a dull, fairly humourless affair, young men sitting in the corner of a brown pub raising their voices slightly, then two listening intently to the third as he unleashes all of his fury at the way the world is headed. Glasses get smashed, blood drips on the brown pub's brown carpet.
Not that much fun then.
What's happened here is that White Lies have had a classic sophomore slump, the difficult second album as it was called when albums were still things you bought from a shop. For my tastes, this sounds a bit too much like the Killers/Brandon Flowers, and that's never a good thing, although if you liked TLML you might find something to enjoy a bit. Maybe. Your best hope is to put it on quietly and hope that someone thinks it's the Editors. But it isn't, and it isn't even close.

Ooooh, moody

The Naked and Famous - Passive me, Aggressive you

So, a couple of days ago I'm sitting here at the PC and my daughter Gabi is watching the music channels on the TV as she often does, nothing too unusual there,  but a song comes on and it's very, very good "Who's this, MGMT?" I enquire, "No, I don't know who it is, but it's a girl singing" Hmm. Anyway, we subsequently find out the name of the band and neither of us had heard of them -which, to be fair is a fairly unusual occurrence. A quick google shows me that they're from New Zealand -well you can't have everything- and that the song in question (Punching in a Dream) is in fact their second single. "Terrific", you're thinking, "but what does this have to do with the album?" Well, nothing. But if the first time I hear a band they remind me of MGMT, they're going to be good. Very good. And they are, because PM,AY is a stunning debut album.
There are plenty of 80's and 90's influences at work here, all the way from Duran Duran to Pretty Hate Machine style Nine Inch Nails through Ride style Shoegaze to hints of early Chemical Brothers on the song Spank, and all of these myriad influences are wrapped in a bunch of Indie loveliness.
This is a great album -and one that'll be hard to follow, intriguingly- and it would have figured in my top 10 of 2010 if I'd gotten it earlier.

Go and get it.

Gorillaz - The Fall

A new Gorillaz album so soon after Plastic Beach? Well yes, sort of.
The Fall is the first album to be recorded on an Ipad, and it plays out as a kind of diary of Gorillaz very long North American tour -which is fine- but I don't think I'd have been overly happy if I'd paid money for it.
I’m not sure whether it’s because of the limitations of the Ipad, but this album doesn't have the usual and unmistakeable Gorillaz feel that the other ones have had. Put it this way, if you didn't know you were listening to Gorillaz, you wouldn't be able to tell from over half of this album. That's not a good thing, although this might work as dinner party ambience music, I'm fairly sure that's not what they were after.

This album was never going to be Damon Albarn’s greatest work. It was written on an Ipad while on tour after all. Experimentation can either go great, or very wrong. It looks like it’s the latter this time. I hope this is not the last we hear from Gorillaz -as has been rumoured- because if it is, they haven’t ended on a great note.

Hello

Hi everyone out there in internet land, it's been quite a while since I last inflicted a blog post on you (ok, it's only been about 2 weeks, but it seems like a long while), and because it seems like a long while, I'm going to do a sort of retrospective of what's been happening since my last post.

Australia have tamely surrendered the Ashes, and although it pains me to say it, England deserved to retain the urn. They've been the better team throughout -Perth aside- and are currently heading towatds a win in the Sydney test too. Happily, these things are cyclical, and it's England's turn to be on top for a while. Not for too long with a bit of luck.

Chin up, Skip

 

Staying in the southern hemisphere, a 110 year old Malay man has just got married for the 6th time to a youngster of 82. Ahmad Mohamad Isa, who has 20 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren, showed that romance wasn't dead when he said   

“It doesn’t matter who she is, as long as she can cook for me.”

"Huh, what?"

Ronaldinho might be joining Blackburn. Yes, that Ronaldinho and that Blackburn. I can't say I've ever been jealous of BRFC before, but if this happens........... Come on Bill, sell a few more tickets to one of your shows, find a few quid and sign him. Yes, I know he's not what he was, and that he's a bit fat, but if you ever wanted a signing to raise the profile of the club.....it's a minimal risk. Even if he does bear a striking resemblence to Donkey from Shrek.

Eeeee-yore

And finally a sad farewell to British actor Pete Postlethwaite, most famous -to me at least- as Mr Kobayashi from the Usual Suspects, he was once described by Steven Spielberg as the best actor in the world. For what it's worth, I agree.

RIP Pete

Top 10 albums of the year

When I did this last year (not on here, sorry) I really thought that because the quality of the top 5 albums in the list ( Black Gives Way To Blue, Battle For The Sun, Crooked Timber, Grey Britain and Mariachi El Bronx) That it was going to be a one - off. You know, the much talked about death of the music industry beyond the current Reality TV led acts, other assorted pop trash and the Bieber demon. 

This years list is much better than last years. Waaaaaaaaay better. So, providing you like broadly the same styles of music as I do, you're probably better served in 2010 than you ever have been - you just have to look a bit harder to find the acts you really love.

Before we get to the actual top 10, a little bit about some albums which didn't make the cut.

Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels. An excellent pop debut from the Welsh diva, this proves that not all chart music has to be vacuous rubbish.

Sleigh Bells - Treats. This probably would have made the top10 if I'd gotten it a bit earlier, it's a really good pop punk album, well worth checking out.

Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones. Another rock hard effort from Canada's finest. It is, however, completely overshadowed by their previous album Hail Destroyer, and for that reason it doesn't make it onto the main list. Sorry guys, I still love you though.

Right then, onto the countdown.

10. Yeasayer - Odd Blood.

This sounds like a cross between The Flaming Lips, Radiohead and David Bowie. Utterly brilliant synth pop with massively expressive vocal harmonies.

Standout Tracks - Ambling Alp, Madder Red.

9.  Alkaline Trio - This Addiction

The Chicago punks return with an album which far exceeds expectations.

The title track sets the tone with its exploration of heroin addiction as a metaphor for relationships, but it's "The American Scream"--a gritty, neo-gothic parable--that best illustrates Alkaline Trio's unique take on the world using only 3 chords.  

Standout Tracks - Fine, The American Scream

8. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

This band gets more sophisticated with each release. it's not as instantaneous as their earlier work, but it's more rewarding, and sees them stepping out of James Murphy's rather large and very talented shadow.

Standout Tracks - Alley Cats, Thieves in the Night

7. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

In most years I'm fairly confident that this would sail to the No.1 spot pretty easily, so much so, it feels slightly ridiculous ranking it so low. Sorry Damon.

The whole thing works beautifully, moreso with each listen.
Standout Tracks - Stylo, Some Kind of Nature

6. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the Devil's Tattoo.

Acoustic ballads, space-rock forays, and splashes of glam bubble up before it's all over, while a pervasive darkness holds the album together. Devil's Tattoo is unremittingly grim, and undeniably fun. I love this.
Standout tracks - Aya, Bad Blood

5. Alain Johannes - Spark

It wasn't that long ago that I reviewed this, go here to read it. Only the shortness of Spark kept it from the top spot. Easily my favourite 30 minutes of music this year.
Standout Tracks - Endless Eyes, Gentle Ghosts

4. Deftones - Diamond Eyes

When I reviewed this back in march (here) I really couldn't see anything beating it to the top spot, such was my love for it. Nearly 9 months on, I still feel the same way about the album - which should give you a clue to how good the next 3 are.
Standout tracks - Sextape, You've seen the Butcher

3. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

There aren't many albums where you love every single track the first time you hear it. This is one of them. Easily LCD's strongest outing, brilliance from start to finish My review here .
Standout tracks - Dance Yrslef Clean, You Wanted A Hit

2. Tricky - Mixed Race

Dense yet accessible, fleeting but full of memorable moments, Tricky's done here what he always does at his best, let the listener share the soundtrack of his involving, nomadic, outsider spirit. Absolutely awesome, his best since Nearly God.
Standout tracks - Every Day, Come To Me.

1. Chemical Brothers - Further

Free from building tunes to fit collaborators – with the exception of snatches of Tom Rowlands or Stephanie Dosen (on Snow), used more as accents and motifs than to guide proceedings – the duo are let loose to stretch their disco legs and make the technology the star. Synths are brutally manhandled and pushed to their limits across the eight tracks, with the pair’s well-known winning recipe of techno textures and mind-tilting psychedelia unleashed. Turn all the lights off, close your eyes and listen to this through the darkness. Incredible.
Standout tracks - All of them.

"Yay, we won!"