The music rundown for 2008.
So, the music I've been listening to this year. It's not all from this year, but most of it is, and the stuff that isn't is stuff that I've still got stuck in my mind and my heart.
Firstly, a handful for the people who like "the rawk".
We kick off with Four Year Strong. Imagine if Panic! At The Disco had beards and power chords. If that's a happy place you've gone to, or you're just curious, go check them out. It amuses me that they list one of their genres as "Melodramatic Popular Song" :P
I shouldn't like Shinedown but I do. It's a guilty pleasure to like a band that were chosen as a soundtrack for a WWE Wrestling event. Go listen to "Devour" and see if it raises you out of your seat, though. They're better when they're not pissing about with ballads.
I'd love to recommend Karate High School because I love the name, but they're a bit hit and miss. I've been listening to them, now I find myself skipping a lot, but someone might find them interesting.
Paramore. Yes, I like Paramore. Live with it!
I should mention at this point, that although it was one of my choices from last year, you should still check out Flyleaf's Much Like Falling EP, and their 2005 self-titled debut. The next person to say "but... but it's Christian Rock, so it must be shit..." gets a punch, in the face.
Right, back on to what's been making up the core of my playlists this year then.
Crystal Castles - s/t. Once described to me as sounding like "a really sexy homeless drunk having a screaming argument with a broken Gameboy". With a description like that, I was hooked. "Reckless" is actually now my ringtone, so don't be surprised if I take a while to answer...
Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke. It's the 80s all over again, but in a good way. I ought to thank Rich & Nev for this, since I first heard Ladyhawke on the radio while we drove home from the cinema one Friday. Go watch the video for Dusk Til Dawn, and then see what I have to say about My Delirium later.
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight. There's something perversely beautiful about a song in which a man contemplates suicide on the Forth Bridge. Check them out if you like Snow Patrol or strong male vocal folk pop.
Three Trapped Tigers - EP. Who needs vocals anyway? Their debut EP is well worth getting hold of. Some may call it "experimental rock". I call it awesome.
Neon Neon - Stainless Style. Gruff Rhys of SFA fame pissed about with Boom Bip for a couple of years on weekends, writing a concept album about the Delorean Motor Company, and they accidentally made an 80's synth album. I heard an interview with him, where he confessed that "no-one was more surprised than me". There's only one bum note on the album, Trick for Treat with Har Mar Superstar guesting, but it's easily skipped. I Told Her On Alderaan is 3:43 of throwback joy.
M83 - Saturdays=Youth. I've waxed lyrical about this album elsewhere, and it remains one of my key favourites of the year. I'm forever in two minds about whether it beats Before The Dawn Heals Us as an album, but they're both amazing, so I don't care. Soundtrack the movie your perfect teenhood with this album.
Alice In Videoland - She's A Machine. It's not as good as Outrageous. But then again, short of Jesus turning up on the back of a Kawasaki dirt bike with a genie in a lamp that has three wishes primed, *nothing* is as good as Outrageous. So, She's A Machine is a great slice of passive/agressive electronica with a touch of bubblegum thrown in for good measure.
Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart. I'd love to say I'd been listening to Ida Maria before I Like You Better When You're Naked got popular, but I'd be lying. It turns out there was a track of hers on a compilation a friend had given me, but I'd never got around to listening to it. The album is fun and well worth buying, even if not everything is the same as I Like You as some people seem to have decided it should be. Plus, she's a Norwegian with heavy eye make-up and a bob. Like I could resist?
Hello, Blue Roses - The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty... Sweet, sweet sounds; a labour of love from two people in love. It's a wonderful thing. One half of the pair is Candian hairy bloke Dan Bejar who also provides...
Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams. The wonderful Kate Beaton, whom I am probably a little bit in love with, often bemoans that there's more to Canadian music than Bryan Adams, if people would only look and listen. So look. Listen. Love.
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into. This one is thanks to lupercal, who put it forward when arwel was hunting for tunes earlier this year. It's it's odd album where you can put half the tracks next to the other half, and you'd never believe it was the same band. It's all good, though, from the shameless electro of Battle Royale to the happy indie pop of Dawn of the Dead.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - EP. SHOEGAZE LIKE IT'S 1991! I COMMAND IT. They're touring at the moment with The Wedding Present, which is fitting really. I'm tempted to see them in Manchester on the 6th of December. Just go listen to them.
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing. Undeniable fun. Some people don't like them, but that's ok. Some people don't like breathing, and they're soulless dead corpses too. :P Listening to this album just brightens my mood right up, any time, and of course Shut Up And Let Me Go is one of my singles of the year.
Honorable mentions also go to:
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
Vampire Weekend - s/t
Florence & The Machine
The Knife
Familjen
The Tough Alliance
So, finally, on to my two singles of the year...
Here, have some video links.
First up is Shut Up And Let Me Go, by the Ting Tings. Why? It's an amazing, irresistible piece of pop that actually makes me forget everything and dance in the street/shop/supermarket when I hear it. Dance.
Second is My Delirium by Ladyhawke. It's just a beautiful song, that takes everything that was good about early 80s electro pop and turns it into a song for today. Plus, I like the video. A lot. The escapism and the theme that runs throughout the song really strikes a chord with me.
So, I can't decide between them, but there you have it - my music for this year. Enjoy?
Oh, actually, that's not quite it. The Wombats have pretty much nailed my lack of enthusiasm for the Christmas period. If you just catch a snippet of it, you'll be forgiven for thinking "oh god, another crappy Christmas song", but if you actually listen to the lyrics...
I'm betting we'll hear it in the supermarkets next year, and I for one will be laughing.
Oh, and this has taken about 3 hours to write, with a break inbetween. Ye gods.
Firstly, a handful for the people who like "the rawk".
We kick off with Four Year Strong. Imagine if Panic! At The Disco had beards and power chords. If that's a happy place you've gone to, or you're just curious, go check them out. It amuses me that they list one of their genres as "Melodramatic Popular Song" :P
I shouldn't like Shinedown but I do. It's a guilty pleasure to like a band that were chosen as a soundtrack for a WWE Wrestling event. Go listen to "Devour" and see if it raises you out of your seat, though. They're better when they're not pissing about with ballads.
I'd love to recommend Karate High School because I love the name, but they're a bit hit and miss. I've been listening to them, now I find myself skipping a lot, but someone might find them interesting.
Paramore. Yes, I like Paramore. Live with it!
I should mention at this point, that although it was one of my choices from last year, you should still check out Flyleaf's Much Like Falling EP, and their 2005 self-titled debut. The next person to say "but... but it's Christian Rock, so it must be shit..." gets a punch, in the face.
Right, back on to what's been making up the core of my playlists this year then.
Crystal Castles - s/t. Once described to me as sounding like "a really sexy homeless drunk having a screaming argument with a broken Gameboy". With a description like that, I was hooked. "Reckless" is actually now my ringtone, so don't be surprised if I take a while to answer...
Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke. It's the 80s all over again, but in a good way. I ought to thank Rich & Nev for this, since I first heard Ladyhawke on the radio while we drove home from the cinema one Friday. Go watch the video for Dusk Til Dawn, and then see what I have to say about My Delirium later.
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight. There's something perversely beautiful about a song in which a man contemplates suicide on the Forth Bridge. Check them out if you like Snow Patrol or strong male vocal folk pop.
Three Trapped Tigers - EP. Who needs vocals anyway? Their debut EP is well worth getting hold of. Some may call it "experimental rock". I call it awesome.
Neon Neon - Stainless Style. Gruff Rhys of SFA fame pissed about with Boom Bip for a couple of years on weekends, writing a concept album about the Delorean Motor Company, and they accidentally made an 80's synth album. I heard an interview with him, where he confessed that "no-one was more surprised than me". There's only one bum note on the album, Trick for Treat with Har Mar Superstar guesting, but it's easily skipped. I Told Her On Alderaan is 3:43 of throwback joy.
M83 - Saturdays=Youth. I've waxed lyrical about this album elsewhere, and it remains one of my key favourites of the year. I'm forever in two minds about whether it beats Before The Dawn Heals Us as an album, but they're both amazing, so I don't care. Soundtrack the movie your perfect teenhood with this album.
Alice In Videoland - She's A Machine. It's not as good as Outrageous. But then again, short of Jesus turning up on the back of a Kawasaki dirt bike with a genie in a lamp that has three wishes primed, *nothing* is as good as Outrageous. So, She's A Machine is a great slice of passive/agressive electronica with a touch of bubblegum thrown in for good measure.
Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart. I'd love to say I'd been listening to Ida Maria before I Like You Better When You're Naked got popular, but I'd be lying. It turns out there was a track of hers on a compilation a friend had given me, but I'd never got around to listening to it. The album is fun and well worth buying, even if not everything is the same as I Like You as some people seem to have decided it should be. Plus, she's a Norwegian with heavy eye make-up and a bob. Like I could resist?
Hello, Blue Roses - The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty... Sweet, sweet sounds; a labour of love from two people in love. It's a wonderful thing. One half of the pair is Candian hairy bloke Dan Bejar who also provides...
Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams. The wonderful Kate Beaton, whom I am probably a little bit in love with, often bemoans that there's more to Canadian music than Bryan Adams, if people would only look and listen. So look. Listen. Love.
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into. This one is thanks to lupercal, who put it forward when arwel was hunting for tunes earlier this year. It's it's odd album where you can put half the tracks next to the other half, and you'd never believe it was the same band. It's all good, though, from the shameless electro of Battle Royale to the happy indie pop of Dawn of the Dead.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - EP. SHOEGAZE LIKE IT'S 1991! I COMMAND IT. They're touring at the moment with The Wedding Present, which is fitting really. I'm tempted to see them in Manchester on the 6th of December. Just go listen to them.
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing. Undeniable fun. Some people don't like them, but that's ok. Some people don't like breathing, and they're soulless dead corpses too. :P Listening to this album just brightens my mood right up, any time, and of course Shut Up And Let Me Go is one of my singles of the year.
Honorable mentions also go to:
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
Vampire Weekend - s/t
Florence & The Machine
The Knife
Familjen
The Tough Alliance
So, finally, on to my two singles of the year...
Here, have some video links.
First up is Shut Up And Let Me Go, by the Ting Tings. Why? It's an amazing, irresistible piece of pop that actually makes me forget everything and dance in the street/shop/supermarket when I hear it. Dance.
Second is My Delirium by Ladyhawke. It's just a beautiful song, that takes everything that was good about early 80s electro pop and turns it into a song for today. Plus, I like the video. A lot. The escapism and the theme that runs throughout the song really strikes a chord with me.
So, I can't decide between them, but there you have it - my music for this year. Enjoy?
Oh, actually, that's not quite it. The Wombats have pretty much nailed my lack of enthusiasm for the Christmas period. If you just catch a snippet of it, you'll be forgiven for thinking "oh god, another crappy Christmas song", but if you actually listen to the lyrics...
I'm betting we'll hear it in the supermarkets next year, and I for one will be laughing.
Oh, and this has taken about 3 hours to write, with a break inbetween. Ye gods.