RECORDS FOR THE YEAR, SO FAR (UPDATE)

And as another attempt to my update on this blog, here we have some of the records from this year I've been listening the most so far, in alphabetical order.

AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT - I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART
The record that let us know that Mr. Moffat has a middle name is the record that resumes his sex obsessions the most. The first one that he publishes under his name is a compendium of short songs/poems and a long story with samplers of classic, camera music, beat boxes, accordions, film sequences and many other things. The final result makes blush Mr. Tellier with his concept album about sex. Fun the first time you listen to it, but also a complex musical record for your romance nights if you want to avoid to play again Marvin Gaye.

ATLAS SOUND - LET THE BLIND LEAD THOSE WHO CAN'T SEE BUT CANNOT FEEL
Under this pseudo-biblical name lays my favorite record of the year so far. The guy under Deerhunter publishes the record of his side project and exceeds the achievements of his main band. Psychedelia, shoegaze, feedback, atmospheres and good songs, not only in the record, but also in the many eps and songs that you can download for free in his blog. Even more songs and as good as in the record. This is quite more impressive than the Radiohead pay-what-you-want effort. Can't wait to see them live.

EL GUINCHO - ALEGRANZA
Many things in many places have been already written about this record. The most impressive thing, probably is that he's Spanish and he's having an impressive international success with his first record. And the record is really good, probably so influenced by Animal Collective and Panda Bear (as you can see in all the reviews) but also with a lot of personal characteristics like the inclusion of tropical stuff that makes it quite a festive record. See him play live in one of the three dates planned for this month in London.


FOALS - ANTIDOTESYeah, I know. Too much interest probably in this band before the publishing of their first record. I quite lost my interest before listening to it and after seeing the forth single sounds exactly the same as the first three. But wait, the record is enjoyable and more assorted than what you can expect. Don't believe the hype but this is not a bluff, at least not yet...

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - H.A.L.A.
Most people will track this record thanks to knowing about Antony's collaboration in Blind. And his collaboration in the band, in many other songs of the record, is crucial. Who could predict that his voice could fit that well in a post-disco wrap? But this is not all in this record. The other voices, the arrangements and the songs themselves have also enough value to consider this project not only another one where he helped adding his personal voice.

HIGH PLACES - 03/07- 09/07
Probably this is the closer we've been to listen to the sound of water in a record. All the arrangements in the record look like they've been filtered out under the sea: pianos, African orchestras, percussion instruments of all kind and vocal melodies that remember the happy easy days of Beat Happening. Probably the most original production of the year so far.

LITTLE ANNIE AND PAUL WALLFISCH - WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PIANOS
Little Annie maybe should have to change her name as she's not little anymore. She's older and bigger than ever before in this cover record that recovers our faith in the genre after listening to the deception of the second Cat Power's effort miles away to her previous one in personality and success. Annie takes the songs to her cabaret flavour atmosphere. Maybe the closest Tom Waits feminine version we have nowadays.

SAMAMIDON - BUT THIS CHICKEN PROVED FALSEHEARTED
Nobody sang that bad in a folk record since the first Will Oldham efforts with a result that it's not annoying but enriches the songs giving them more naturallity and emotion. Nothing new but good songs and good performance.

Some songs for the year

Because of my lazyness, here you have a resume of some of the most interesting songs of the year so far:

HOT CHIP - READY FOR THE FLOOR
OK, probably already fed up of listening to the song and watching the video. But saw them live last Friday and enjoyed it so much


HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - BLIND
Antony in a disco anthem. Not a good idea before listening to the song. A strange but perfect marriage after listening to it


MGMT - TIME TO PRETEND
Psychodelia, Flaming Lips, and a strange look close to The Klaxons for a perfect pop song.


MORRISSEY - THAT'S HOW PEOPLE GROW UP
And Morrissey publishes his compilation number eight, but this time with two new tracks, at least. This is one of them


NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - DIG, LAZARUS, DIG
They are back after the Grinderman lapsus. As biblical and strong as always


BLOOD RED SHOES - YOU BRING ME DOWN
Published some months ago as a B Side now it becomes a deserved single before the album comes out. Teenage rage.


NOAH AND THE WHALE - 2 BODIES 1 HEART
Another quirky home-made video for another happy-sad song.


ANNI ROSSI - WHEELPUSHER
Another folk girl, not with an harp or a guitar, but with a violin.


ALICE AND THE MAJESTY - I COULD LOVE YOU
Alice McLaughlin hidding behind her band.


YILA FEATURING SCROOBIUS PIP - ASTRONAUT
The beardy man did it again. Another infectious crazy dance song.


VAMPIRE WEEKEND - MANSARD ROOF
One of the bands with more "One to watch in 2008".


FOALS - CASSIUS
And the band with definetely more "One to watch in 2008"s


BAND OF HORSES - NO ONE'S GONNA LOVE YOU
A really beautiful song

Back in Business

OK. I had a long lazy period. Half of the reason is my problems with an Internet connection for the last months and the other half is laziness, busy times or I don't know why. But well, I'm going to try a regular periodicity again, and who knows, maybe I'll get it this time.
I'm going to start with the discovered-to-late-to-be-on-the-end-of-the-year-list records.

THE HONEYDRIPS - HERE COMES THE FUTURE
A record that could have been published in the post-madchester/shoegaze fever, close to Screamadelica, Ride, The La's or the first Charlatans but also close to the end of the nineties revival of the genre but filtered through a Swedish clean pop vision not far from some of their contemporaries.


MIRACLE FORTRESS - FIVE ROSES
And another shoegaze-inspired record full of perfect pop songs, this time with more electronic and string arrangements and with vocal harmonies close to the sound of the Beach Boys. Totally addictive and perfect for sunny days.


EUGENE MCGUINNESS - THE EARLY LEARNINGS OF...
A boy who is not older than my neighbour's dog and already has the poetry and harmonies of a long lived man with a voice that you will recognise after just one listening. he's suposed to form part of a new scene of young folk-pop singers including Laura Marling, Emily the Great and Lightspeed Champion but he is absolutely the one who is a step forward in the class.

BEST RECORDS OF 2007

And with quite a delay here there is the best of the year record list.
Concived three weeks ago but not upload until today.

80 – CASTANETS – IN THE VINES
79 - !!! – MYTH TAKES
78 – THURSTON MOORE – TREES OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY
77- TWO LONE SWORDMEN – WRONG MEETING I & II
76- SPOKANE – LITTLE HOURS
75- FUTURE CONDITIONAL – WE DON’T JUST DISAPPEAR
74- CHROMEO – FANCY FOOTWORK
73- PELLE CARLBERG – IN A NUTSHELL
72- APPARAT – WALLS
71- BRAKEN – WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEED
70- PANTHA DU PRINCE – THE BLISS
69- DINOSAUR JR – BEYOND
68- DEVENDRA BANHART - SMOKEY ROLLS DOWN THUNDER CANYON
67- LITTLE DRAGON – LITTLE DRAGON
66- AVEY TARE & KRIA BREKKAN – PULLHAIR RUBEYE
65- YO MAJESTY – YO EP
64- DEERHOOF – FRIEND OPPORTUNITY
63- A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
62- THE GO TEAM – PROOF OF YOUTH
61- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – ASK FORGIVENESS
60- FIREWORKS NIGHT – AS FOOLS WE ARE
59- A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW – SCRIBBLE MURAL COMIC JOURNAL
58- MUSCLES – GUNS BABES LEMONADE
57- DIZZEE RASCAL – MATHS & ENGLISH
56- LITTLE WINGS – SOFT POW’R
55- BJORK – VOLTA
54- VON SUDENFED – TROMATIC REFLECTIONS
53- BARR – SUMMARY
52- JUSTICE – CROSS
51- YOKO ONO – YES I’M A WITCH
50- ELVIS PERKINS – ASH WEDNESDAY
49- OKKERVIL RIVER – THE STAGE NAMES
48- ROBERT WYATT – COMICOPERA
47- ANGELS OF LIGHT – WE ARE HIM
46- SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO – ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE
45- BLACK LIPS – GOOD BAD NOT EVIL
44- HOLY FUCK – HOLY FUCK
43- THE SHINS – WINCING THE NIGHT AWAY
42- NO AGE – WEIRDO RIPPERS
41- DAN DEACON – SPIDERMAN OF THE RINGS
40- MAHOGANNY – CONNECTIVITY
39- DEERHUNTER – CRYPTOGRAMS
38- DAVID KARSTEN DANIELS – SHARP TEETH
37- TUNNG – GOOD ARROWS
36- V.A. / PILOOSKI – DIRTY EDITS VOL.1
35- BILL CALLAHAN – WOKE ON A WHALE HEART
34- BENJY FERREE – LEAVING THE NEST
33- DIGITALISM – IDEALISM
32- RADIOHEAD – IN RAINBOWS
31- PHOSPHORESCENT – PHOSPHORESCENT
30- LONEY DEAR – LONEY NOIR
29- BOWERBIRDS – HYMN FOR A DARK HORSE
28- CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – SOME LOUD THUNDER
27- THE NATIONAL – BOXER
26- IRON & WINE – THE SHEPHERD’S DOG
25- GRINDERMAN – GRINDERMAN
24- ALASDAIR ROBERTS – THE AMBER GATHERERS
23- JULIE DOIRON – WOKE MYSELF UP
22- GRIZZLY BEAR – FRIEND
21- MATHEW DEAR – ASA BREED
20- BEIRUT – THE FLYING CLUB CUP
19- ARCADE FIRE – THE NEON BIBLE
18- KLAXONS – MYTHS OF THE NEAR FUTURE
17- ANDREW BIRD – ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA
16- SANTOGOLD – I BELIEVE IN SANTOGOLD
15- AKRON/FAMILY – LOVE IS SIMPLE
14- LIARS – LIARS
13- JENS LEKMAN – NIGHT FALLS IN KORTEDALA
12- BURIAL – UNTRUE
11- ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – STRAWBERRY JAM
10- STUDIO – WEST COAST
09- BATTLES – MIRRORED
08- LOW – DRUMS AND GUNS
07- ALELA DIANE – THE PIRATE’S GOSPEL
06- THE TWILIGHT SAD – FOURTEEN AUTUMNS AND FIFTEEN WINTERS
05- LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – SOUND OF SILVER
04- THEE STRANDED HORSE – THEE STRANDED HORSE
03- FEIST – THE REMINDER
02- M.I.A. – KALA
01- PANDA BEAR – PERSON PITCH

the end of the year so far...

And another year is going by, and the best of the year lists arrive.
As habitual, I've prepared mine, both of them, Best singles of the year and Best albums of the year.
I have to announce new rules for the singles one, rules that I've auto imposed to myself. These are the following rules:
1- All the songs on the list must have been physical single during 2007. If it's not like this, download single or promotional song/video of the album is allowed.

2- Evident re-editions, in a year that they've been so common, are not taken into account. No covers too.

3- No more than one song per artist is included on the list.

4- Songs that appeared in last year's list are not included as well.

So the list is longer than ever, 100 songs that make the soundtrack of this year, most of them with its promotional video or live performance in the case there's no video. Here we go in countdown order:

100- BONDE DO ROLE - SOLTA O FRANGO


99- JOSE GONZALEZ – DOWN THE LINE


98- CRYSTAL CASTLES – AIR WAR


97- WILCO –WHAT LIGHT


96- SHIT DISCO – OK


95- LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION – GALAXY OF THE LOST


94- PJ HARVEY – THE PIANO


93- M. WARD – TO GO HOME


92- SHOCKING PINKS – VICTIMS

91- THOMAS TANTRUM – SHAKE IT SHAKE IT


90- LO-FI-FNK – THE CITY

89- NANCY ELIZABETH – I USED TO TRY

88- A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – TO FIX THE GASH IN YOUR HEAD


87- SUBURBAN KIDS WITH BIBLICAL NAMES – MARRY ME

86- PRINZHORN DANCE SCHOOL – YOU ARE THE SPACE INVADER


85- CHROMEO – TENDERONI


84- NO AGE – EVERY ARTIST NEEDS A TRAGEDY

83- SCOUT NIBLETT – THE KISS


82- THE GO TEAM – DOING IT RIGHT


81- DINOSAUR JR – BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME


80- DEERHOOF - +81


79- DNTEL – THE DISTANCE


78- SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR – CATCH YOU


77- !!! – HEART OF HEARTS


76- SONS AND DAUGHTERS – GILT COMPLEX


75- SEVENTEEN EVERGREEN – HAVEN’T BEEN YOURSELF


74- PETER, BJORN AND JOHN – OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION


73- RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – I’M GOING TO A TOWN


72- BISHI – NEVER SEEN YOUR FACE


71- ROISIN MURPHY – OVERPOWERED


70- BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – STRANGE FORM OF LIFE


69- MUM – THEY MADE FROGS SMOKE TILL THEY EXPLODED


68- HOT CHIP – MY PIANO

67- SHY CHILD – NOISE WON’T STOP


66- DANIEL JOHNSTON – DEATH OF SATAN

65- DIGITALISM – POGO


64- BANGERS AND CASH - B.O.O.T.A.Y.


63- CANDIE PAYNE – I WISH I COULD HAVE LOVED YOU MORE


62- THE NATIONAL – MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS


61- ELVIS PERKINS – WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING


60- LE VOLUME COURBE – FREIGHT TRAIN

59- JAMES YORKSTON – WOOZY WITH CIDER


58- DIZZY RASCAL – PUSSYHOLE


57- NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB – THE BOMB


56- LIZ GREEN – BAD MEDICINE


55- FANFARLO – FIRE ESCAPE


54- THE SHINS – AUSTRALIA


53- ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI – HEART IT RACES


52- IRON AND WINE – BOY WITH A COIN


51- JULIE DOIRON – NO MORE


50- BLACK LIPS – KATRINA


49- BENJY FERREE – IN THE COUNTRYSIDE


48- BLONDE REDHEAD – 23


47- I BLAME COCO- I BLAME COCO

46- BLOOD RED SHOES – IT’S GETTING BORING IN THE SEA


45- LONEY, DEAR – I AM JOHN


44- VON SUDENFED – FLEDERMAUS CAN’T GET IT


43- BEIRUT – ELEPHANT GUN


42- MATTHEW DEAR – DESERTER


41- EBONY BONES – WE KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU


40- ADELE – HOMETOWN GLORY


39- RIHANNA - UMBRELLA


38- MILK KHAN FEAT. DOLLY PARTON – HERE YOU COME AGAIN

37- OKKERVIL RIVER – OUR LIFE IS NOT A MOVIE OR MAYBE


36- YO MAJESTY – CLUB ACTION


35- BILL CALLAHAN – DIAMOND DANCER


34- STUDIO – WEST SIDE PART 1 & 2

33- CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – SATAN SAID DANCE


32- FRYARS – THE IDES


31- NOAH AND THE WHALE – IN 5 YEARS TIME


30- AMY WINEHOUSE – BACK TO BLACK


29- TUNNG – BULLETS


28- BAT FOR LASHES – WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO


27- LITTLE DRAGON – TEST


26- JUSTICE – D.A.N.C.E


25- GRINDERMAN – NO PUSSY BLUES


24- GOSSIP – JEALOUS GIRLS


23- ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – PEACEBONE


22- FEIST – 1234


21- THE TEENAGERS – HOMECOMING


20- METRONOMY – RADIO LADIO

19- ALELA DIANE – PIECES OF STRING
.

18- THE TWILIGHT SAD – THAT SUMMER, AT HOME, I HAD BECOME THE INVISIBLE BOY


17- KATE NASH – FOUNDATIONS


16- LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – NORTH AMERICAN SCUM


15- LIARS – PLASTER CASTS OF EVERYTHING


14- SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO – IT’S THE BEAT


13 - KLAXONS – GOLDEN SKANS


12- BARR – THE SONG IS THE SINGLE


11- ARCADE FIRE – NO CARS GO


10- JENS LEKMAN – FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE DRIVE IN BINGO


09- DAN DEACON – THE CRYSTAL CAT


08- M.I.A.- JIMMY


07- FRIENDLY FIRES – ON BOARD


06- FOALS – HUMMER


05- BJORK – DECLARE INDEPENDENCE


04- BATTLES – ATLAS


03- PANDA BEAR – BROS


02-DAN LE SAC VERSUS SCROOBIUS PIP – THOU SHALT ALWAYS KILL


01- GRIZZLY BEAR – KNIFE

rear-view mirror: JOY DIVISION

It's the Joy Division year, no doubt. With Control on the cinemas, the deluxe re-edition of their albums, and many groups imitating their sound in the last years, everybody is talking about them again.
If you want some information about the band (is there anybody out there who still doesn't know their story?) you just have to watch the great Anton Cobijn biopic based on the book Mrs Curtis wrote some years ago. Here we are to celebrate that his music is more famous than ever before, and maybe more current and up-to-date are we seem we are leaving again a period of global depression.
Here we are some of their most relevant tunes:
ATMOSPHERE


TRANSMISSION


LOVE WILL TEAR US APART


SHE'S LOST CONTROL

album of the week: YO MAJESTY - YO EP / SPANK ROCK & BENNY BLANCO - BANGERS AND CASH EP

Yeah I know, two EPs don't make an album but these are the tunes for this week.
Yo Majesty is the feminine answer to electro hip hop masters Spank Rock or the new and wilder version of an up-to-date Salt 'n Pepa, and they even make a tribute to them in Kryptonite Pussy where they hum Push It . With only this EP in the market they've already signed to Domino Records for the next release. Their songs are fun and so are they, so they use to perform live topless, No Bra style. And they're going to be huge now that fat is cool (Beth Dito is their declared number one fan). Wait for Club Action to be a massive hit when somebody on TV discovers it and uses it in a commercial or as the tune for a TV series.
CLUB ACTION


Spank Rock's mc, also called Spank Rock, has teamed up with Benny Blanco to make this Bangers and Cash EP. Five songs, all of them including a sample of 2 Live Crew, with dirty lyrics and dirty tunes. But even more dirty are all the different covers and art work they are preparing to promote this release. here you have some of them:






It's difficult to decide which one is more disturbing...