Singles of the year 10-1

1.Wild Beasts- Hooting and HowlingTwo years in a row, two singles of the year titles for Wild Beasts. I honestly didn’t think they’d ever top 2008’s ‘The Devil’s Crayon’ but to be quite honest I could pick three or four songs from ‘Two Dancers’ which are better than anything else released this year. ‘Hooting and Howling’ is my favourite though. The first song we got to hear from the Lake District bands second album it boasts a calm and controlled demeanour but you can hear the spiky theatrics and passionate longing just bursting to explode. Lyrically this song is on another level as well. Where else in 2009 did we hear something as unique and special as a man singing, “I’m not saying the lads always deserve a braying, and I’m not saying the girls are worth the fines are paying, we’re just bruised, bored in our bother boots, we’re just bruised clowning round in cahoots.” There are more stunning things about Wild Beasts than I have time to mention but pretty much every single one is packed into the four and a half minutes of eloquent perfection on ‘Hooting and Howling’.

2. Arctic Monkeys- CornerstoneIf you want to get really obsessive over great musical moments one of my favourite from this year has been they way Alex Turner sings the words “Parrots beak” on ‘Cornerstone’. With added emphasis on the final syllable it makes an almost clicking sound, one that is repeated throughout the song. A swooning croon ‘Cornerstone’ is not the song that the critics would have you believe exists on Arctic Monkeys third album ‘Humbug’ but amongst the Homme approved riffs is buried this absolute gem of a song. An instant classic it sounds like a Kinks song given the cinematic Scott Walker treatment and ranks alongside ‘505’ and ‘A Certain Romance’ as one of the very best Arctic Monkeys songs.

3.Bat For Lashes- Daniel

The line ‘When I run in the dark’ from this song is an odd one as I think we all know Natasha Khan rides her bike in the dark. Pop star lies aside this is simply a wonderful slice of 80’s inspired pop from BFL which sounded like everything I’d ever wanted her to sound like and more. Direct and focused yet still pretty beyond belief ‘Daniel’ is the purest moment from the excellent ‘Two Suns’ album and easily one of the best singles of the year.

4.Dirty Projectors- Stillness Is The Move

There are some bands who I really struggle to get into, desperately waiting for the moment they click in my brain and I can appreciate what so many other people hear in them. For a long time it was Radiohead, nowadays it’s probably Animal Collective and you can definitely rank Dirty Projectors in the same category. I hated the Black Flag covers album they recorded and didn’t really dig ‘Bitte Orca’ but ‘Stillness Is The Move’ remains a firm favourite- lodged in my brain for evermore. Thick with layers and playing with the R’n’B template to art-school perfection the Brooklyn band have achieved their perfect moment on ‘Stillness…’.

5.Girls- Lust For Life

I like pizza, I like wine, not too fussed about boyfriends but as simple love equations go I think Chris Owen’s has this one down.

6.Dum Dum Girls- Jail La La
7.Camera Obscura- French Navy
8. PJ Harvey- Black Hearted Love
9. Simian Mobile Disco- Audacity Of Huge
10. The Big Pink- Velvet

Singles of 2009 by BoringByTheSea

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Hold the phone...

Since when did The Horrors have sun tans? I feel cheated.

In other news the Mercury Music Prize nominees have been announced. Shockingly (but probably correctly) omitting Doves, Manic Street Preachers and Lily Allen it's a typically eclectic list with Bat For Lashes, La Roux and The Horrors probably battling it out for the eventual gong.

• Bat For Lashes: Two Suns


• Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires


• Florence and the Machine: Lungs


• Glasvegas: Glasvegas


• Lisa Hannigan: Sea Shew


• The Horrors: Primary Colours


• The Invisible: Invisible


• Kasabian: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum


• La Roux: La Roux


• Led Bib: Sensible Shoes


• Speech Debelle: Speech Therapy


• Sweet Billy Pilgrim: Twice Born Men

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For The Record: April

Anyone considering 2009 to be a bit of a musical dud must surely have had their worries well and truly forgotten by the treats April served up. The albums from Bat For Lashes, Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Danananaykroyd are all fantastic. Deciding on album of the month for April was a tricky decision indeed though I think the outcome may just take the album of the year poll too. We shall see...

Albums

Bat For Lashes- Two Suns (review)
Danananaykroyd- Hey Everyone! (review)
Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz! (Album of the month+ review)
Asher Roth- Asleep In The Bread Aisle
Golden Silvers- True Romance
Metric- Fantasies (Review)

Download these

Bat For Lashes- 'Daniel'
Danananaykroyd- '1993'
Yeah Yeah Yeah's- 'Hysteric'
Asher Roth- 'Lark On My Go-Kart'
Metric- 'Sick Muse'
Golden Silvers- 'True Romance'

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Bat For Lashes- 'Two Suns'

The career trajectory of Natasha Khan a.k.a Bat For Lashes is an odd one. Having emerged as a cult act in 2006 with her single 'The Wizard' released in Drowned In Sound records (RIP) and then the album 'Fur and Gold' Khan was establishing herself at a gentle and organic pace. Then came the Mercury nomination in 2007 (pitting her against Amy Winehouse and the eventual winners Klaxons) along with the BRITs who included her in their short-list for Best Female and Best Newcomer in the same year. This took an underground artist relatively mainstream, with Khan's unique fashion sense aped by teenage girls the country over and numerous cuts from 'Fur & Gold' popping up as incidental music on TV shows. Now album two has more to live up to than anyone involved would presumably have ever imagined.

'Two Suns' is an impressive follow up- boasting forays into more mainstream sounds alongside the ethereal twinkling showcased on the first album. Album number two also has a few points of interest before you even press play, mainly the duets with Scott Walker and Yeasayer as well as the musical move du-jour- the dual personality. Like Beyonce/ Sasha Fierce this album is not just the work of Natasha Khan, certain tracks are possessed by the spirit of 'Pearl' Khan's hedonistic alter ego dreamed up in drink fuelled nights in Williamsburg, New York.

The breaks between characters is not made too obvious audibly though. Much of 'Two Suns' operates like 'Fur & Gold', the character of Pearl is no punk-rocker or drum'n'bass nut. 'Siren Song' is Pearl's biggest moment as it were and it is standard Bat For Lashes breathy and atmospheric creep-folk however 'Pearl's Dream' is a afro-beat, psych dance moment of brilliance . Yeasayer's influence, whilst not over bearing, is noticeable throughout specifically on the more tribal elements of the LP ('Glass', 'Two Planets') providing a sturdy backdrop for Khan's waif-like vocals. The final track is the much talked about Scott Walker duet 'The Big Sleep'. After ten tracks of pretty, feminine vocals to hear Walker interjecting with his baritone and morose warbling is both a welcome change and disturbing shift in emotions. Noticeably, it's about as far removed from Last Shadow Puppet's territory as you can get.

Critically speaking 'Two Suns' perhaps fails to take advantage of the more accessible elements of the Bat For Lashes sound, a few tracks ('Good Love' 'Travelling Woman') evaporate into the ether entirely. Perhaps an album more in line with the lead single 'Daniel' would have truly impressed this critic however the most admirable quality Khan has is that she is seemingly from another world. Whether it is Khan or Pearl you are listening to on 'Two Suns' you can't help but be transported there.

7/10

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New video round up

\\\ LA ROUX /// IN FOR THE KILL

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Bat For Lashes- 'Glass'

Here we have the first sneak listen of Natasha Khan's return. Following the super amazing 'Fur and Gold' comes 'Glass' a taster of album number two titled 'Two Suns' due on April 6th.

'Glass' has a tribal/ afro style beat and a haunting and sparse backdrop accompanying an ethereal and soaring vocal. It bodes well for the new album that includes duets with Yeasayer and Scott Walker.

Hear the track below.

Glass - Bat For Lashes

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