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.

LPs of the Decade

The Pitchfork beating LP of the Decade List (Don’t worry about the last 6 months!)

1. Bright Eyes - Lifted or The story in is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground (2002) 
2. Sleepy Jackson - Lovers (2003)
3. At the Drive In - Relationship of Command (2000)
4. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005) 
5. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
6. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001) 
7. Primal Scream - EXTRMNTR (2000)
8. Beck - Sea Change (2002) 
9. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker (2000) 
10. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
11. The Shins - Chute too Narrow (2003)
12. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed America/Jimmy Eat World (2001)
13. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) 
14. Black Mountain - Black Mountain (2005) 
15. Lindstrom & Prins Thomas - Lindstrom & Prins Thomas (2005) 
16. White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
17. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002) 
18. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
19. Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
20. Death From Above 1979 – You’re a Women, I’m a Machine (2005)
21. Hope of the States - The Lost Riots (2004)
22. M. Craft - Silver & Fire (2006)
23. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (2007)
24. Pulp - We Love Life (2001)
25. Royksopp - The Understanding (2005)

LPs 2010

Mark’s Lp’s of 2010 - Unfinished, but never going to get finished now!

1. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz. At first listen you wonder if Sufjan has totally lost the plot as the abstract electronic beats dominate.  The second listen finds the pop hooks deep in your mind.  By the third it all falls together and you mind explodes.  One of the finest lp’s I’ve ever heard.  Only Wilco’s - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has made this kind of impression in such a short time in the last 15 years.
2.  Fang Island - Fang Island.  An album of National Anthems.  Happy Mogwai (thank-you James).  Kind of joyous, happy, chanty punk.  Just a few of the ways I’ve tried to describe this lp to friends this year.  Whatever it is, nothing has put a bigger smile on my face this year.  Nothing sounds quite like Fang Island.
3. The National - High Violet.
4. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest. 
5. Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner. 
6. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Before Today.  
7. Chemical Brothers - Further.  Exactly what Tom and Ed should sound like in 2010.  A nuclear powered, psychedelic trip to places only previously attempted by My Bloody Valentine.
8. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor.  Only got on this late in the year.  A heavy cross between Bruce Springsteen and Bright Eyes.  Themed around the US Civil War and full of historical references but don’t let that take away from the musical brilliance.
9. Neil Young - Le Noise.
10. Robyn - Body Talk.
11. No Age - Everything In Between
12. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
13. Foals - Total Life Forever
14. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise
15. Caribou - Swim
16. Stornoway - Beachcomber’s Windowsill
17. Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
18. Gayngs - Relayted
19. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
20. MGMT - Congratulations