Thursday 3 January 2008

Tracks of the Year (2007) Yeah!!!!

1) Throw me The Statue – About To Walk

I discovered this track by total chance. Whilst awaiting a knee operation I perused a implausibly large amount of MP3 blogs, downloading anything and everything I came across for the impending hospital stint. After my operation doped up on delightfully strong pain killers I had these tracks playing randomly on my generic MP3 player, most of which I was nonplussed when, as if a gift from the Gods I heard this, and I loved it from the get-go. I think I must have listened to it back to back for and hour and even now after literally hundreds of listens my adulation hasn’t waned.

There are many reasons why I absolutely adore this song; for its wit and originality, the great drum break where the drum machine almost goes out of time, the almost Malkamus esque cryptic lyrics and ‘ahhhh ahhhhh ahhhhh ahhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhh’ sing a long vocals to name but a few.
The debut album Moonbeams is due to be released in February, which I hope will be followed up with a tour and equally brilliant follow up releases.


MP3:
Throw Me The Statue- About To Walk

http://www.myspace.com/throwmethestatue



2) BAAR – The Song is the Single

A perfect cross between Pavement and The Fall. Driving Bass and drums with a spoken word ramble. “So sick in the Travel Lodge in Leeds in the rain” perfectly and succinctly epitomises the dreary accommodation during a small scale UK tour. (My own personal Travel Lodge hell would be Exeter during our first ‘proper UK tour’ doing nothing but watching crappy day time TV and eating Mini Baby Bells)

MP3:




3) The Besnard Lakes – Devastation

The foundations of this song are built around a towering riff and bass line that will have you punching the air and banging your head like a fool. A drum breakdown towards the end is -without wishing to sound like a complete tool- "off the hook!!"


MP3 link via Hype machine:





4) The Fall – Reformation

Unmistakably Fall-ish in it’s approach only with a more infectious repetitious bass line than ever. I insist you purchase the 12” extended version and play it loud, play it proud.




www.thefall.info/



5) Midlake – Roscoe

This song starts off like 'Suicide is Painless- Theme From M*A*S*H' which is a god enough reason as any to adore this.


www.myspace.com/midlake


6) Euros Childs – Henry a Matilda Supermarket Super

If I could sing, I wish I could sing like Euros Childs. I love the fact that I have no idea what this song is about, but love that Black Lace type keyboard sounds and Euros’ voice sounds as soothing and sweet as ever.

MP3

www.myspace.com/euroschilds



7) LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends

Nuff said already… The live versions of this (note the use of the plural…yes I have seen them twice this year) will make your hair stand on end and your body move uncontrollably even for the staunchest non-dancers such as I.





8) Electrelane – To The East

This song starts so well and just builds and builds and builds…The band have gone into hiatus but hopefully they’ll return to continue where they left off.

MP3


www.electrelane.com/




9) The Twilight Sad – And She Would Darken The Memory

The stand out track from their impressive debut.

www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad
www.twilightsad.com



10) Thee Neerlymen – Boomerang

This track was the first in a collection of 3 songs sent to me in February last year, it ticks all the right boxes as far as influences go and has a fantastic loose feel to it. The opening music to my bawdy imaginary sit-com.



www.badappleclub.co.uk



11) Animal Collective – For Rev Green

One word: Epic!



www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband



12) Blitzen Trapper – Wild Mountain Nation

Retro sounds Southern rock from a band whose album I enjoyed listening to lots, but this is easily the highlight.

MP3








13) Maccabees – Latchmere

The Maccabees released their incredibly underrated debut ‘Colour it In’ in May last year from which this song was taken. Officially this is my 2nd favourite song about swimming pools ever.





14) CSS – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above

A stomping and lolloping bass line drives what is in all intents and purposes a very simple yet highly infectious track.








15) Nina Nastasia & Jim White – Odd Said the Doe

I’ve been re-listening to this album lots recently and this, is a particular highlight. Nina’s stunning voice and soft guitar is perfecting compliments by Jim White’s spacious drums. I would recommend anyone with a soul to acquire this album at your earliest opportunity!








16) Jeremy – Make Love Not War

The sing-a-long chorus of the year bar-none!

Downloadable from their Myspace site:
Make Love Not War




17) Beirut - Nantes

Further brilliance from Zach Condon & Co. They re-iterated their brilliance with this performance of Later...With Jools Holland.






18) Hospital Beds – Cold War Kids

Saw these guys support the hugely disappointing Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah though missed most of their set queuing for a beer. This is the standout track on the album.

MP3
Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds





19) Fionn Regan – Put a Penny in the Slot

Gentle and soothing sounds from a seasoned songwriter, evoking Dylan and Drake comparisons.



http://www.fionnregan.com/



20) Silversun Pickups- Lazy Eye

Obviously this band draws it’s influences from The Smashing Pumkins, who unfortunately haven’t written a song as good as this for well over 10 years.



www.silversunpickups.com

1 comment:

markwoff said...

Macca's got a brand new blog [jingerningerningerningerningerning] OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
You are Count Rockular, this is great.