Mark’s Lp’s of 2008
(The new Dad with less time to indulge himself on the computer edition!)
Gigs: Primal Scream and MC5 at the Royal Festival Hall will live long in my memory as one of the most euphoric nights of my life.
My Bloody Valentine reformed and played the same set as 18 years ago (they were the 3rd band I ever saw live), but were by far the live band of the year at both the Roundhouse and Bestival. Bestival was again the festival of the year: Foals, The Count and Sinden, Let’s Wrestle, Grace Jones, Underworld, Sebastian Tellier and especially Hot Chip & The Specials were all highlights, along with my 7 month pregnant wife who not only survived but danced her way through the torrential conditions.
Neil Young graced a windswept Hop Farm with wigged out majesty. Bruce Springsteen gave me the most unexpectedly fun night out of the year after I blagged into The Emirates stadium for a tenner.
Iron Maiden rocked better than ever at Twickenham. After Rage Against the Machine’s mighty performance it was an uphill struggle for all the other acts, but Pete & The Pirates, Digitalism, Bloc Party, Mystery Jets and Conor Oberst were all brilliant.
- Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago. Out of nowhere, Bon Iver has emerged with an LP so raw, heartbreaking and magical it it is this years unanimous best. Written and recorded by himself in a hunting lodge in Wisconsin after the break-up of his previous band and his relationship. The stark, cold, loneliness is all over these nine tracks, this is not just a collection of songs, but a remarkable statement of personal experience. Wondrous.
- M83 - Saturdays = Youth. Forth LP from one of my favourite bands, this one needs to be listened to loud, not because it rocks, but because it contains such a tapestry of sounds, good quality headphones really do it justice. An 80’s influence has made this their most accessible LP yet and Graveyard Girl possibly the song of the year.
- Mystery Jets - Twenty One. The development of the Mystery Jets has been guided this year by DJ/Producer extraordinaire Erol Alkan. This coupling has produced a slick indie disco classic of an LP, any other band would kill to have written either Young Love or Two Doors Down, yet these two shine and are ably backed up by what is by far the funnest [sic] LP of the year.
- Beck - Modern Guilt. People want different things from Beck, most want the hip hop sampling sound of Odelay and when he produces anything but that, it is regarded as a disappointment. I’d take being disappointed by Beck every year if this is what he produces. Teaming up with like minded soul Dangermouse the pair have produced an LP of equal parts shoegaze and melancholy, which rewards repeated listens and almost matches his best LP Sea Change.
- Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim. Discovered after hearing her duet with the Mystery Jets, this quickly become the family favourite LP this year. Defies her age (19!) with the maturity of the sound but somehow her age shines in the freshness of the lyrics. Essentially a female, acoustic, folk LP with pop sensibilities, in reality an irresistible, charming masterpiece.
- Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours. A sunshine drenched collection of bangers from the jewel to the Modualr crown. This has been the soundtrack to the summer referencing Talking Heads to New Order, this has an eighties feel sprinkled with some noughties magic. After their superior Fabric Live mix they shacked up with LCD Soundsystem’s Tim Goldworthy, to make their own dance floor fillers, unashamedly euphoric, indie tinged, house music. Essential.
- Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel. Erol Alkan’s second produced album in the top ten. This young group are heavily influenced by club music and have seemingly thrown every different beat and rhythm they have danced to into this glorious melting pot of an LP. A complete mess on first listen but then evolves in front of your ears to be this years most exciting and original debut.
- Jay Reatard - Singles 06 - 07. Lo-fi garage rock from Memphis, Tennessee, just dripping with catchy hooks and instant melodies. Ok, it might take a little to get past his chosen monicker, but let’s forget that for now! Bought on a bit of a whim this has proved to be my loudest favourite bedroom pogoer(!?) of the year. At times this has the pop hooks of Blur, White Stripes or even Supergrass, this guy should really be massive. This is more a collection of tracks (there are seventeen here, not all brilliant) than an LP, but hopefully will serve as an introduction to what will follow.
- Primal Scream - Beautiful Future. Their best since 2000’s XTRMNTR, but a very different LP to that sonic assault. This has been influenced by a wide spectrum of sounds ranging from New York disco to the German Krautrock scene. It excels with the dubbed out disco of Uptown, possibly the best track they’ve produced in recent times (dig out the David Holmes & Andy Weatherall mixes). The LP falters with the terrible Zombie Man, but recovers with the stark Fleetwood Mac cover with Linda Thompson, this is the Scream at their heart-aching best. Forget the more populist sound, when they do this country tinged, Memphis blues my heart is theirs.
- Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too. Minimal balearic techno, from the furthest most technicolour disco in the sky©. Shades of LCD and Giorgio, in fact shades of many electronic artists impeccably pieced together by this Norwegian artist. Works as atmospheric background music, turned up loud it will destroy a dance floor of deep house heads. Three tracks running at over fifty minutes, this is a musical statement like no other this year.
- Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
- Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
- TV on the Radio - Dear Science
- Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
- David Holmes - The Holy Pictures
- Black Mountain - In the Future
- Spiritualized - Songs in A & E
- Pete & The Pirates - Little Death
- Foals - Antidotes
- No Age - Nouns
I haven’t forgot Bloc Party - Intimacy. It has fallen from number 1 back down to twenty something, a great experiment with some amazing tracks (Ion Square). It just hasn’t held up as a great LP.
2009? Mumford and Sons harmonies are beautiful and original, if they can produce an LP of similar quality then it could well be one to love. Grammatics have taken all year to produce their highly anticipated debut, hopefully it lives up to the gestation. I’ve loved Let’s Wrestle this year hopefully the full length debut will encapsulate their live chaos.
Little Boots and White Lies look like being pretty big, not convinced about either yet.
Can’t wait for the new LP’s from Doves, The Shins, Regina Spektor and Sufjan Stevens.
Happy Christmas and, as ever, Believe in Magic in 2009….
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