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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 11, 2007 22:59:55 GMT
Hummm, guess its that time of year again...I can't say I've quite decided yet but getting there, will reply to myself when I have! How about everyone else?
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Post by Lawrie on Dec 11, 2007 23:25:44 GMT
If we're not counting the European 2 disc release of The Dark Third - which I'm not, because it is 2 new tracks, not a whole new album - then my top #5 of 2007 is: 1. "Myths Of The Near Future" - Klaxons. Absolutely brilliant mix of prog and pop. I don't care that they are NME darlings, their music is simply outstanding. Album of the year by miles. 2. "Attack Decay Sustain Release" - Golden Section (new band from Chichester, see www.myspace.com/goldensection). These are kind of poppy, and I don't mind that: nothing wrong with pop if it is done well. Sound like The Cooper Temple Clause if they decided to write songs aimed at getting on the radio. In fact, not a million miles away from PRR's 'pop' moments like Nimos/Apprentice/Intention Craft etc. 3. "The Destruction Of Small Ideas" - 65daysofstatic. Subtle album from them (and not as good as One Time For All Time imo), but still a really good record. The Distant & Mechanised Glow Of Eastern European Dance Parties is worth the CD price by itself. 4. "In Rainbows" - Radiohead. By Radiohead's high standards, I'd say this is good, but not great. Nude, Reckoner and Jigsaw are all fabulous, but House Of Cards IS their worst song EVER (and I am a Radiohead diehard geek like you wouldn't believe!). If we are counting CD2 that came with the discbox as part of the album, this pushes up a place to #3 ahead of 65dos. 5. "Favourite Worst Nightmare" - Arctic Monkeys. Oooh, it's been a bad year for new music (that I've come across anyway). I don't like this album all that much: I'd score it 6-7/10 (as oppposed to an 8-9/10 debut album). The last track is brilliant, and there are odd highlights here and there, but this is patchy. I don't really like to put this in my top #5, but my other new albums this year were from Arcade Fire, QOTSA and Bloc Party, and I was really disappointed by all of those. It's really a top #4 for new music for me, I spent a lot more in 2007 investigating the back catalogues of bands I've recently gotten into (like Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, Sons & Daughters etc). Anyway, Arctic Monkeys are here by default.
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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 12, 2007 0:24:16 GMT
2. "Attack Decay Sustain Release" - Golden Section (new band from Chichester, see www.myspace.com/goldensection). These are kind of poppy, and I don't mind that: nothing wrong with pop if it is done well. Sound like The Cooper Temple Clause if they decided to write songs aimed at getting on the radio. In fact, not a million miles away from PRR's 'pop' moments like Nimos/Apprentice/Intention Craft etc. Their album is called WHAT?! Two bands with the same album name in the same year...(Simian Mobile Disco released an epic album, which will probably be in my faves, of the same name) Wonder who ripped who off....Golden Section, if we are to go by release dates but I know that isn't necessarily true!
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Post by Lawrie on Dec 12, 2007 0:46:34 GMT
Ha ha, I noticed that as well when I did an online search looking to buy the Golden Section album, and the first 5 or so pages of Google all pointed me towards Simian Mobile Disco! To be honest, I think you may well be right, I reckon GS nicked the name off SMD - and there is no arguing with the release dates! Then again, I can't believe that a new band would be that stupid to release an album with the same name as a higher-profile band's release in the same year, so maybe GS were just unlucky that SMD got there first! I'm eagerly awaiting the new PRR album: The Bedlam In Goliath, I believe it is called... Oh, and I saw SMD supporting Klaxons at Brixton last week: can't say I was overly impressed. Liked the 'Chems-y' feel to their music, but even during the course of a 30-40 minute support set, the tunes started to blur into each other and only random snatches really stood out. The first support band (Fist Fite - see www.myspace.com/fistfitefistfite, although beware the epileptic fit-inducing background) were quite good as a little curio, though it will be interesting to see if they can get enough mileage out of what seems to be a fairly one-trick style to make a decent album, let alone a career. Worth a look though, anyway.
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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 12, 2007 1:09:13 GMT
Meh, but I've seen Klaxons and have detested them ever since, when I saw them they couldn't sing, were barely in time and only managed a 30 minute set- not great when they're the headliners of a big venue! Probably most disappointing gig of the year really (well, apart from possibly Porcupine Tree but my sudden illness during that wasn't their fault...I don't think anyway haha!)
But I haven't seen SMD live, not til next Feburary...their album really is great though...if you like that kinda thing that is!
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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 12, 2007 1:25:12 GMT
OK, OK, I think I've settled it....though I am suprised at how many albums were battling in my mind, I didn't realise until I actually looked more closely how many albums have been released that I've really liked this year....I'm not convinced this is actually in order though, simply would depend on my mood!
1) "Cross" - Justice. Awesome electro from start to finish...yes, quite samey but I find in a good way due to it being a dance album and I just get more and more into it. Also awesome live, have got better every time I've seen them (I think it's 3, maybe 4 times this year...) Considering I wasn't a dance music fan at all at the start of the year, this band have really got me into a whole new genre of music. Standout track - Phantom (I'm cheating, as it's in two parts but never mind...)
2) "Favourite Worst Nightmare" - Arctic Monkeys. Probably predictable but I don't care, still a great album after a few listens, I was totally unimpressed at first but it's grown on me an incredible amount...Alex Turner's lyrics are brilliantly clever, you can't deny him that. Standout track - Teddy Picker
3) "Our Earthly Pleasures" - Maximo Park. Another grower but probably the album I keep coming back to the most from this year...I love Paul Smith's accent, I think it practically makes Maximo Park! For an indie band, very interesting chord changes etc too...oh, and they were awesome at both Glastonbury and Leeds! Standout track: Books from Boxes
4) "Mirrored" - Battles. Amazingly pretentious and intricate music that has a strangely addictive quality...just takes everything they've done before up a notch, especially with the addition of the vocals. Hypnotising and beautiful in a less than beautiful way (Yeah, getting flowery with the description now but never mind!) Standout track: Tonto
5) "In Rainbows" - Radiohead. It just had to be there for me really...no, not their best, OK Computer still wins but I love it all the same. Not a lot else to be said really, it's just Radiohead on form as far as I can see...one of the most anticipated albums in a long time and I don't think it disappointed. Only reason it isn't higher is that I don't find myself listening to it quite as much as the others. Standout track: 15 Step (yes, yes, I know, everyone else thinks it's the Reckoner...)
Honourable mentions have to go to; "Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release" - SMD (look, they didn't even make it in after all of that discussion!), "Puzzle" - Biffy Clyro, "Songs For The Road" - David Ford and "Fear of A Blank Planet" - Porcupine Tree (considering I couldn't stand them at the start of the European tour and spent three of their sets sitting in the bar after PRR had played, thats more than a bit of a turnaround)
Oh...and 'A Weekend In The City' - Bloc Party... Done now, I promise...can't even keep to the rules of my own thread!!
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Post by Lawrie on Dec 12, 2007 1:28:19 GMT
Hmmm, I'll ask my mates and see if any of them have the SMD album to borrow: when I saw them live I didn't mind them, but equally I wouldn't go so far as to call their set 'good'. But as they sounded like The Chemical Brothers (whose albums I love, but who would bore me sh*tless live), I'll try to check out SMD on record. For some reason I find dance bands work better on a CD than during a live set: that's probably the wrong way round, but it's how it goes for me!
Klaxons, on the other hand, were masterful. I qualify that by admitting that I absolutely love every single song on their debut album, so I was pre-disposed to thinking they'd be great, and that probably colours my opinion. Still, they WERE great...! Nearly as good as Ladytron, who were the best act I saw live this year, beating Muse at Wembley Stadium. Anyway, I'm hijacking the topic, back to people's favourite album...
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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 12, 2007 1:30:49 GMT
I'm sensing a 'best gig (apart from PRR who we all know are wonderful)' thread coming on...but enough with me and thread starting for this evening, I should do something productive...
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Post by the dark fourth on Dec 12, 2007 15:17:21 GMT
Scat, how do you know the name of the next PRR album?
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Post by Lawrie on Dec 12, 2007 15:45:08 GMT
Scat, how do you know the name of the next PRR album? The Bedlam In Goliath is the new album (to be released in January 2008) by The Mars Volta. I said that it might be the name of the new PRR album after joking that no band would be stupid enough to release an album that shares a name with an album from a more popular band in the same year, as has happened with Golden Section and Simian Mobile Disco, who both released a "Attack Decay Sustain Release" album in 2007. Ooof, I know my jokes aren't working when I have to explain them: d'oh!
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Post by the dark fourth on Dec 12, 2007 22:49:52 GMT
Ah...never really got into the Mars Volta, but it proabably would have been a perfectly good joke if my musical knowledge were a bit better. You did have my hopes up for a second though...
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Post by ryan on Dec 13, 2007 2:37:44 GMT
I'm really struggling with this. It's been a pretty ace year for music really. I'll keep thinking...
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Post by the dark fourth on Dec 13, 2007 13:01:51 GMT
Dunno about five, but my top two were definitely (in no particular order): Make This Your Own by the Cooper Temple Clause (not up to usual standard but still brilliant and growing on me) and Icky Thump by the White Stripes (the only band which I like that is not remotely proggy: again this album is not as good as some of their early stuff, but still amazing).
I also LOVED the 65daysofstatic album, forget what it's called now, and HATED the Artic Monkeys. I'm sure I will love In Rainbows, but I've decided to wait until I can get a hard copy before I listen to it. I know there's other albums that I've liked this year, but I can't really remember them right now...
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Post by the dark fourth on Dec 13, 2007 15:23:17 GMT
Oh of course! I forgot to mention oceansize. I thought despite some critisism Frames was actually pretty good...
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Post by blondeambassador on Dec 13, 2007 16:19:32 GMT
Make This Your Own was pretty dodgy if you ask me, a real disappointment...it has about 5 good tracks on it but it all starts to go downhill when you get to 'Waiting Game' probably one of the cheesiest rock songs of the year!!
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