LP's of 2014

1 - Sun Kil Moon - Benji

Rarely these days does an album stop me in my tracks and physically wrestles me into listening to it's lyrics.  Benji is a rare beast, I literally can't have this on in the background.  Mark Kozelek is known for making beautiful, sad and thought provoking albums, stretching back to the days of the Red House Painters.  However, this is a life-affirming masterpiece.  Granted it is mostly about death, but please don't let that put you off.  I genuinely believe Kozelek has not only made his masterpiece, he has made a record for the ages.

2 - King Creosote - From Scotland With Love

An LP with a story, with soul and with most importantly great songs.  This has been recorded as a soundtrack to an archival film about life in Scotland.  The passion in these songs creates at times a stack listen and that is before I have even seen the footage of miners or dock workers being soundtracked.  The climax is 'Pauper's Dough' a rousing call for a Socialist uprising.  Kenny Anderson has produced a stunning piece of work and a worthy successor to Diamond Mine.

3 - The Antlers - Familiars

On first listen I felt The Antlers had struggled to follow up 2011's best album in Burst Apart.    On this occasion I was thrilled when I was proved wrong.  Familiars is The Antlers comfortable in their own ambition and the arranged,tents of the music they are writing.   There is a real literary depth to Peter Silberman and his distinctive vocals are what set this band above what their peers are producing.

4 - Kiasmos - KiasmosThis Icelandic collaboration between revered classical componser Ólafur Arnalds and vocalist Janus Rasmussen.  This is a beautiful amalgamation between minimal techno and classical.  This could make it sound rather dull, but this has a real groove to it.  The layers Kiasmos have entwined through this album create an experimental yet infectious treat.

5 - Edward - Into a Better Future

Kraut-House is not a term I had heard before, now I want to investigate everything on the amazing German label this is released on (Giegling).  This is a journey through the deepest type of house music with a major Krautrock influence.  Skating Beats has a tight rhythm followed by a breakdown guaranteed to make a bad day feel better!

6 - Objekt - Flatland

More incredible German electronic music this time from the techno end of the spectrum.

7 - Grouper - Ruins
8 - Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
9 - Woods - With Light and With Love

Jangly indie pop at it's very best.  I absolutely love this band and this LP is up there with their best.

10 - Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

11 - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lose
12 - Caribou - Our Love
13 - The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
14 - Real Estate - Atlas
15 - Royksopp & Robyn - Do It Again 
16 - Ben Frost - Aurora
17 - FKA twigs - LP1
18 - Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
19 - East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
20 - A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Sea When Absent

Nearly made the top 20: Tweedy, Roman Flugel, Future Islands, Hookworms, Todd Terje, Cheetahs, Sisyphus, Clark

Another poor year of gig-going for me.  Luckily, End of the Road in September was the best yet, with stunning performances from Flaming Lips, White Denim, Woods and The Gene Clark No Other Band.  Thanks to the latter, Gene Clark's back catalogue has been on heavy rotation No Other and Two Sides to Every Story are both incredible.  Cloud Nothings and Hookworms were both excellent at the 100 Club in the Summer.  The National at Hyde Park was my favourite drunken sing-out-loud gig of the year (shame I couldn't stand by the time Neil Young came on!).  Steve Mason and Mouse on Mars were highlights of a slightly odd Camden Crawl back in June.  Nine Inch Nails rocking the O2 on Friday night followed by QPR winning at Wembley on the Saturday was a life highlight that will be very difficult to ever be topped!

LP's of 2016

1. School of Seven Bells - SVIIB
2. Preoccupations -Preoccupations
3. DIIV - Is The Is Are
4. Tegan and Sara - Love You to Death
5. Eagulls - Ullages
6. Dawes - We’re All Gonna Die
7. Shura - Nothing’s Real
8. Kornél Kovács - The Bells
9. Pinegrove - Cardinal
10. Christoph - 8-track, Vol. 1
11. American Football - American Football (2)
12. Jackmaster - DJ Kicks
13. Mitski - Puberty 2
14. Radio Dept. - Running Out of Love
15. Bon Iver - 22, A Million
16. Cass McCombs - Mangy Love
17. Whyte Horses - Pop or Not
18. Conor Oberst - Ruminations
19. Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam - I had a Dream That You Were Mine
20. Bleached - Welcome The Worms

LP's of 2013

1 - Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

The most incredible pop lp for years.  Reminds me of early Madonna in places.  Signed to Neil Young’s label, they’ve worked with producers famous for work with NIN and Beck to take a huge step forward in their sound.  Popular with all the family, the lp was released in January and is still on heavy rotation.

2 - Hookworms - Pearl Mystic

This young Leeds band released their debut record back in March.  At times this reminds me of early Mercury Rev with some real Psychocandy rock hooks thrown in.  A complete piece of music, which builds slowly to a gorgeous crescendo.  As startling a debut as the Stone Roses.

3 - John Murry - The Graceless Age

Discovered this after seeing the emotion his set brought to a friend at End of the Road.  It then didn't leave my stereo for 3 months.  Officially released in 2012, this is a raw lp about drug addiction and loss.  I can see this lp being hailed as a masterpiece for years to come.  If you only listen to one lp from this list, make it this one.  

4 - Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus

After their Olympic glory, F Buttons return with another noise filled psychedelic masterpiece.

5 - Phosphorescent - Muchacho

Another beautiful lp from this singer songwriter.  Hook laden with some of my favourite songs of the year, especially the outstanding Song for Zula.

6 - Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare

Jonathan Wilson has gathered together a cast of Laurel Canyon legends including David Crosby, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash to produce this years best country rock lp. 

7 - John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts

Initially I was put off by the electronic tracks produced by the guy from GusGus.  After spending more time with it and seeing it performed live in Oxford it finally sat with me as complete lp.  I prefer Queen of Denmark, but this is still a fantastic lp.

8 - John Talabot - DJ Kicks

I can't remember the last time I heard a DJ mix lp that sounded like a complete piece of work.  John Talabot can do no wrong at the moment in my eyes.

9 - Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory - Elements of Light

This was billed as: 'This ambitious project is a symphony for electronics, percussion and bell carillon, a three-tonne instrument comprising 50 bronze bells.'  A description that would normally mean I wouldn't even come close to listening to it! My prejudice has now been cast aside.  This is a majestic, percussive set, in which the bells and the beats sit in unison to create a glorious electronic soundtrack.

10 - The National - Trouble Will Find Me

Even a slightly below par National set is easily one of the best of the year.

11 - Disclosure - Settle 

12 - Jon Hopkins - Immunity

13 - Eels - Wonderful, Glorious

14 - 65DaysOfStatic - Wild Light

15 - Daniel Avery - Drone Logic

16 - Dan Stuart - The Deliverance of Marlowe Buildings

17 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

18 - Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

19 - My Bloody Valentine - MBV

20 - Veronica Falls - Waiting for Something to Happen

Nearly made the top 20 - Steve Mason, Money, Oneohtrix Point Never, Pet Shop Boys, Follakzoid, Caitlin Rose, Manic Street Preachers, Applescal, Ed Harcourt & Matthew Dear.

Worst ever year for gigs for me.  Teaching and young children do not create the best opportunities for gig going!  Death in Vegas and Toy were fabulous as ever back in March. John Grant was hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.  The Walkmen, Belle and Sebastian, Eels and Caitlin Rose were highlights of another wonderful End of the Road Festival in September.  Apart from the new lp's listed above Eels and Tindersticks have been my most played artists of the year, really enjoying ploughing through their back catalogues!

LP's of 2012

1 - Grizzly Bear - Shields
Adore this lp.  Saw them perform the new tracks headlining End of the Road in September and found them totally unmemorable, I was left with less excitement about the new lp.  Then I heard it.  It’s a perfect 10 tracks with magnificent arrangements that really drive through it’s heart.  This is the only lp this year that I have found time to play from beginning to end, a quick dip in just does not suffice.  My favourite track changes weekly (currently a tie between A Simple Answer and Sun in your Eyes).  An all-time classic.

2 - Liars - WIXIW
In which Liars finally use electronics in their music with astounding results.  Think Liars/Kraftwerk/Primal Scream/Matthew Dear/LCD Soundsystem with great vocals and songwriting.  A real back to basics approach to sampling has made this record feel fresh and accomplished.  Deserve to be much bigger than they are.

3 - Chromatics - Kill for Love
Have you seen the film Drive?  Maybe do that before you listen to this.  This album creates a warm electronic atmosphere of sparse beats, looped beneath the most beautiful pop songs.  It creates a cinematic landscape that sounds totally immersive.  Listen to this through headphones and prepare to fall in love.

4 - Efterklang - Piramida
Startlingly beautiful Danish pop music, backed by the Danish National Chamber Orchestra.  Like a cold snow-swept landscape in a Henning Mankell novel with warm vocals floating through the air.

5 - Wild Nothing - Nocturne
Glorious indie pop that harks back to the C86 Creation era.

6 - Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Loud, spiky, indie rock, that has been hollered by my daughter and I more than any other lp this year.

7 - First Aid Kit - The Lions Roar
The Swedish sisters second lp really found it’s voice with the help of Connor Oberst and Mike Mogis.  ‘King of the World’ is my track of the year.  The whole family love this one!

8 - Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Only bought this at the end of November and it’s growing on me by the day.  Hardly left the stereo this month.  A startling voice.  Completely addictive.

9 - Beach House - Bloom
They just keep getting better!

10 - Dan Deacon - America
A new artist for me.  Dan Deacon makes an absolutely massive racket with electronic beats from which beautiful pop music surfaces.

11 - Chairlift - Something
12 - DIIV - Oshin
13 - Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
14 - Errors - Have Some Faith in Magic
15 - Holy Other - Held
16 - John Talabot - Fin
17 - Perfume Genius - Put You Back N 2 It
18 - School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
19 - Toy - Toy
20 - Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

Favourite live bands this year were Toy (who just seem to be on fire at the moment), Beach House and Tindersticks were magical at End of the Road, and Grandaddy headlining the same festival gave one of my favourite performances ever, sheer joy!

Where Daft Punk get their samples from...

Love this.

LPs of 2011

1. The Antlers - Burst Apart 
2. How to Dress Well - Love Remains
3. Bright Eyes - The People’s Key
4. Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit
5. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
6. I Break Horses - Hearts
7. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
8. Azari & III - Azari & III 
9. The Horrors - Skying
10. Rustie - Glass Swords 
11. Pete & the Pirates - One Thousand Pictures
12. Title Fight - Shed
13. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
14. Locussolus - Locussolus
15. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
16. The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
17. Jeniferever - Silesia
18. Wilco - The Whole Love
19. Death In Vegas - Trans Love Energies
20. SBTRKT - SBTRKT

Special mention to: Other Lives - Tamer Animals, only just bought this due to other recommendations.  If I had longer with it it seems almost certain to be top 5.