Singles Of The Year 25-11

Same as yesterday, top 10 to follow shortly.

11. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Heads Will Roll
12. White Denim- Regina Holding Hands
13. Thom Yorke- Hearing Damage
14. The Drums- Let’s Go Surfing
15. Joy Orbison- Hyph Mngo
16. Metric- Sick Muse
17. Julian Casablancas- 11th Dimension
18. Lost Knives- Solstice
19. Pulled Apart By Horses- I Punched A Lion In The Throat
20. Grizzly Bear- Two Weeks
21. Everything Everything- Photoshop Handsome
22. HEALTH- Die Slow
23. Bon Iver- Blood Bank
24. Sky Larkin- Beeline
25. Favours For Sailors- I Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams

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Albums Of 2009

1. The XX- xx

Where so many bands fill their space with noise and layers these four teenagers from London showed that less can indeed be more. Set to a musical backdrop of trip-hop, two step and dub dual vocalists Olliver Sim and Romy Croft open their hearts and mouths scattering broken hearted rhymes and brittle citadels of romance. From the upbeat pop tunes of ‘Basic Space’ and ‘VCR’ to the stunning ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Shelter’ this debut album never drops below astonishing. The future is neon bright for The XX but even if they packed it all in tomorrow they have left their indelible dark mark on 2009.

2. The Horrors- Primary Colours

It would have been so easy for The Horrors to conform to the stereotypes forced upon them and to churn out an album of sub Sonic/ Cramps tunes. The much maligned five piece defied expectations though and emerged from an underground studio having worked with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow on ‘Primary Colours’ 2009’s most unexpected hit. Much of the album works as a tribute to the bands influences, showcasing their love of 60’s psychadelia and bands like Neu! And Can resulting in tracks like the sprawling motorik beat of ‘Sea Within A Sea’. Elsewhere the aggressive glam stomp of yore is brought to a natural progression on ‘Who Can Say’ and ‘New Ice Age’. Every single copy of ‘Primary Colours’ should come issued with a big steaming slice of humble pie.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- It’s Blitz!

After the glitter punk thrash of their debut album and the experimental sounds of its follow up Karen O and co. took the natural progression on album number three and went all out disco pop. From the opening call to arms double bill of ‘Zero’ and ‘Heads Will Roll’ this album sees spirits high in the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s camp and as usual there is a battle between the distorted fuzz of Nick Zinner’s guitar and Karen O’s charismatic onslaught resulting in a double K.O. If at first it’s the fist pumping anthems that grab you then it’s the slower and more delicate moments that will have you coming back to ‘It’s Blitz!’ with ‘Hysteric’ and ‘Runaway’ rivalling anything the group have done before for elegance and poise.

4. The Maccabees- Wall Of Arms

This is the album which saw The Maccabees go from men to boys and burst out from the pack with a host of epic romantic anthems. Enlisting Arcade Fire producer Markus Dravs was a master stroke on the part of the Brighton band as his sense of the gargantuan merged with the shy indie promise shown on the bands 2007 debut record. This meeting of minds saw lead singer Orlando Weeks emerge as a town crier for the sad and alone, a klaxon for the soppy and love lorn. Listen to a song as good as ‘Love You Better’ or the National gone post punk brilliance of ‘No Kind Words’ and tell us that The Maccabees aren’t a band to cherish. You can’t and ‘Wall Of Arms’ is their tour de force.

5. Jamie T- Kings & Queens

It wasn’t mentioned much at the time but there must have been a great deal of pressure on Jamie T to follow up his superb debut ‘Panic Prevention’. Any signs of nerves or tension didn’t show one single bit however as with a swig of his brew Jamie hit the ball out of the court on ‘Kings & Queens’ showing his unique flow, spirit and precocious talent. This album has a real communal brothers in arms feel as swaying sing alongs like ‘The Man’s Machine’ line up alongside frantic skittering sugar rush tunes like ‘Chaka Demus’ and ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones’.

6. Arctic Monkeys- 'Humbug'
7. Danananaykroyd- 'Hey Everyone!'
8. Florence and The Machine- 'Lungs'
9. The Big Pink- 'A Brief History Of Love'
10. Wild Beasts- 'Two Dancers'

The Top 10 on Spotify

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KAREN O- ALL IS LOVE

Karen O, lead singer of New York trio Yeah Yeah Yeah's, has announced details of her first solo record and previewed the album with the single 'All Is Love'.

The single and album act as the soundtrack to the forthcoming movie Where The Wild Things Are, directed by Karen O's ex boyfriend Spike Jonze.

Whilst billed as a solo album Karen O has recruited a raft of star names to aid her in making the record. Alongside her bandmates Nick Zinner and Brian Chase O has also lined up Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, Dean Fertita of Queens Of The Stone Age, Aaron Hemphill from Liars and an untrained childrens choir.

The single 'All Is Love' will be available digitally from August 25th followed by the full album on September 29th. Where The Wild Things Are opens in cinemas on October 16th.

http://www.myspace.com/wherethewildthingsare

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2009's Quarterly Review: April- June

It's fair to say the last three months have been busy. With so many albums to get through let's crack on.

The Horrors defy all expectations.

'Stupid scensters with bad hair' The Horrors released the Geoff Barrow produced 'Primary Colours' in April and forced every critic in the country to listen to it accompanied with a steaming hot slice of humble pie. 'Primary Colours' is by far and away the best album released in 2009 so far. Esoteric and accomplished it brings light where once there was Cramps fuelled dark. The Horrors have always been a brave and confrontational unit and that transfers into this record, sure it takes some obvious and direct influence but great art is about looking to the past and transferring it to the future. The Horrors have done that and more- it will take a big effort to beat 'Primary Colours' in 2009.

It's Blitz!

When it comes to looking back over the past decade (as we will no doubt be forced to in 6 months time) then band of the decade could well be Yeah Yeah Yeah's. Over 3 albums and 2 EP's they have become a floor filling, tear duct welling tour-de-force that can't be messed with and It's Blitz! is perhaps their most accomplished work to date. Comprising all the components of a great YYY's album it has trashy glamour ('Heads Will Roll', 'Zero') heartbreaking Karen O moments ('Runaway', 'Skeletons') and maybe the best song of the year so far 'Hysteric'. An utterly perfect album.

Stepping up a notch

The Maccabees had the feeling of a band destined to be middle runners, 100% unjustified it would have been but in the great cull of landfill Indie 2009 they could so easily have been a casualty. Instead they came out fighting with 'Wall Of Arms' a gargantuan album with sonic reinforcement that almost matches the heart swelling sentiment that runs through every last second of their material. Produced by Coldplay and Arcade Fire co-hort Markus Dravs the stadium sized dynamics bleed through to The Maccabees touching indie pop to create a deep well of emotion that swirls and resonates beautifully. If they continue making steps up on this level the future looks bright for the Brighton 5 piece.

Hype sisters

They both have vaginas and the hopes of major label bosses resting on their shoulders and that is all but you're duty bound to asses Little Boots and La Roux as a pair. Both have now released their debut albums since they were crowned HOT ONES TO WATCH FOR THE FUTURE 2009 in January. Little Boots 'Hands' is an unashamed and big fun pop album that is most impressive. La Roux's self titled effort however is a more mature and long lasting album that sees a human tear roll down robotic cheeks. For all the talk of 80's influence Little Boots album is the most retro- it sounds like Vengaboys and Billie Piper in places. I fear for where she is heading.

Elsewhere...

Danananaykroyd and Future Of The Left made some of the most brutal but fun thrash pop of the year with their equally brilliant albums 'Hey Everyone!' and 'Travels With Myself and Another'. Bat For Lashes took her mystical boho-pop and with the help of Yeasayer and Scott Walker made it more cohesive and dark on 'Two Suns' whilst Metric took their foot off the pedal a bit and made a considered and at times fun record on 'Fantasies'. Passion Pit built on their early promise and delivered a euphoric pop album that sounds like a sugar rush in a Disney cartoon from the future, if you can hack the falsetto it's marvelous. White Denim continue to ram every genre since the 50's into three minute ditties that sound like they were written and recorded in a cave in the desert. Patrick Wolf released 'The Bachelor' the first of his two album opus these next two years. Featuring Alec Empire and Tilda Swinton it's a moving and powerful piece of work that is equal parts camp and emotional. Kasabian and Gossip both came out with 3rd albums- Kasabian experiment a bit but still can't take the leap fully, probably for the best as their lager anthems are still the best around. Gossip meanwhile made another album like their last only this time Rick Rubin produced it so it sounds nice and tight. Finally, Regina Spektor is beginning to sound comfortable on her major label and is duly bringing back the quirks and kooks on 'Far' an album that contains dolphin impressions and a song about a lost wallet- naturally.

Disappointments.

Maximo Park released 'Quicken The Heart', an album that has its moments but ultimately feels like a band running out of the steam their amazing debut granted them. Like The Horrors or The Maccabees Jack Penate re-invented himself on 'Everything is New'. The not so subtle title fails to mention how he is the new Lou Bega.

To see the best singles of April- June then click here

To get a Spotify playlist of April- June go here.

January- March Spotify playlist.
April- June Spotify playlist

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Heads Will Roll (Passion Pit remix)

Hmmm, I'l be the first to admit this isn't the greatest remix ever but y'know Karen O+ Passion Pit= Hype Machine zeitgesit. Also it gives me the chance/ excuse to post the very cool single artwork for 'Heads Will Roll' released on June 29th.

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April: Blog Highlights

So what happened in April? Well...

Trent Reznor kicked things off by being very funny indeed

The Horrors and Dananana made amazing albums for me to review.

I met up with Orlando from The Maccabees for a chat.

Then went to Manchester to see Karen O tear it up.

Alison Mosshart proved she was once human and not a robotic cool machine.

and Jamie T returned with new music from his Sticks N Stones EP.

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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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Yeah Yeah Yeah's- Manchester Academy- 22/04/09

///Gigwise///

A pink swirl enters stage left, the vamp synths of 'Heads Will Roll' start up and Yeah Yeah Yeah's burst out of the blocks at 100mph, "dance til' you're dead" seems less like advice and more like a command. Wearing a fluorescent neon luchadore mask Karen O has the Manchester audience in the palm of her hand all night, every flick of the hair and every time the microphone is raised is met with rapturous applause. 'Heads Will Roll' segways neatly into 'Black Tongue' and the crowd again go wild.

This 3 date UK jaunt is essentially a preview for the band's new album It's Blitz! however with the album having leaked over a month ago the audience are already well versed with the new material. 'Dull Life', 'Runaway' and 'Skeleton' get an outing tonight with the latter sounding particularly intimate, no mean feat in such a large venue. The fears that guitarist Nick Zinner has ditched his guitar proven nonsense as he riffs and thrashes at the six strings all night long. Bizarrely much of tonight's set is focused on the 'Is Is' EP with three of the EP's five tracks aired- whilst 'Down Boy' is a trashy gem to rival any of their material it does seem odd to play 75% of a release most of the audience are not overly familiar with.Still, with songs like 'Gold Lion' and 'Y Control' any nagging ennui is soon wrestled away with ease. Writing songs that sound both subversive and anthemic seems to come with ease to Yeah Yeah Yeah's. In an age where icons are few and far between Karen O stands alone- the image, the charisma and the charm it's all infectious. The only slight complaints about tonight's show would be the shortness of the set (just over an hour including a 15 minute break) and the use of a backing track on some songs. Minor quibbles though in a fantastic first foray into new material.

As the trio (aided by Dave Pajo on multiple instruments) come back on stage the anticipation is palpable. The cavernous drums of 'Maps' kick in and the song is dedicated to all the bands other half's. The room swells with the vision of endless young couples swaying to 'their song'. The set then ends as it begins, a glam-stomp with 'Date With The Night' kicking and flailing for all it's worth. The crowd wait anxiously for more, even booing when greeted with the house lights however any greed will be forgotten with the memories of a stellar performance such as this.

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March's Best Bits

Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz reviewed. link
Jack White and Alison Mosshart start new band. link
The Art of Stepping Up. link
Words with... School Of Seven Bells. link
Metric- Fantasies reviewed. link
Bat For Lashes- Two Suns reviewed. link
Jack Penate returns. link
So do Maximo Park. link
And The Horrors. link

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Top Of The Pops #2

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Hysteric
2. Tweak Bird- Whorses
3. Chew Lips- Solo
4. The Soft Pack- Nightlife
5. Filthy Dukes- This Rhythm
6. The Big Pink- Velvet
7. Dum Dum Girls- Jail La La
8. Casiokids- Fot I Hose
9. Phoenix- 1901
10. La Roux- In For The Kill (Skream's Lets Get Ravey Remix)



Dum Dum Girls- Jail La La (mp3)
La Roux- In For The Kill (Skream's Lets Get Ravery Remix) mp3

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs- 'It's Blitz!'

Following the lo-fi 'Isis' EP Karen O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase return with a glossy, emotive and ultimately superb third album.

From the moment 'It's Blitz' begins you know it is an album with eyes on the dance floor. The opening double salvo of 'Zero' and 'Heads Will Roll' are shimmering disco at its finest: big beats battling with even bigger melodies amidst a wall of synths introduce Karen O as the evenings master of ceremonies. It's an odd sound at first- so glossy and polished, so anti 'Fever To Tell' era YYY's that you almost long for the buzz saw guitars and pounding drums especially in 2009, a year saturated with synth pop.

This is, of course, pure coincidence though and if anyone is going to subvert electro and make it gloriously twisted then it will be Karen O. She spends much of this album bi-polar, manically switching between bouncing up and down and rocking back and forth. 'It's Blitz!' is an album of extremes, from the up-beat anthems to the melancholy tear jerkers. Making up the party starters are the aforementioned opening tracks alongside 'Dull Life' and 'Dragon Queen'. The latter is a Studio 54 slinky stomp with purred lyrics about kissing and getting high whilst 'Dull Life' sees Zinner strap on his guitar and channel the spirit of 2001 with barking riffs spurring his band leader into increasingly rabid vocals.

If the faster tracks on 'It's Blitz' are what initially draw you in then it is when things are taken down a notch that have you coming back. For all their trashy glamour Yeah Yeah Yeah's can break hearts with the best of them. 'Maps' from 'Fever To Tell' is widely considered a modern classic and 'It's Blitz!' has more than its fair share of follow up contenders. 'Runaway' is the tale of losing a relationship to the age old problem of being in a touring rock'n'roll band, "I was feeling sad, Can't help looking back, Highways flew by, Run, run, run away" set to an understated musical backdrop. Meanwhile 'Hysteric' has the finger prints of producer Dave Sitek all over it with a huge reverb and compressed drum sound enveloping a gorgeous ballad that is in equal measures down beat and euphoric- it's possibly their best song yet.

'It's Blitz' is another fine effort from perhaps the only band to emerge in the early part of this decade who have remained consistently brilliant. There are moments here that could see the New York trio explode into public consciousness juxtaposed with enough sonic experimentation to keep die-hard fans pleased. Whichever way you look at it the album is a bona-fide winner.

9/10

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Top Of The Pops #1

This is the first of new weekly feature where I will be charting the ten tracks in constant rotation on the Boring By The Sea stereo. As it's a new feature fully expect the title and whole concept to change pretty quickly.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeah's- Heads Will Roll.
2. Friendly Fires- Skeleton Boy (Air France Remix).
3. La Roux- In For The Kill.
4. Phoenix- 1901.
5. Bear Hands- What A Drag.
6. The Maccabees- No Kind Words.
7. Jack Penate- Tonight's Today.
8. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- Content.
9. The Joy Formidable- Cradle.
10. The Soft Pack- Parasites.
    

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Yeah Yeah Yeah's- 'Heads Will Roll'

This album can't come quick enough.

Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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First 30 secs of new Yeah Yeah Yeah's material

Here is a 30 second snippet of 'Zero' the first single from the forthcoming 3rd studio album from NYC's Yeah Yeah Yeah's. It's a sonic shift yet again for a band who refuse to sit still or get complacent. 'Zero' is a shimmering, electronic haze and you can hear it below.

Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'It's Blitz!' artwork revealed.

Karen O, Nick Zinner and er.. the other one today revealed the artwork for their forthcoming third album 'It's Blitz!'. The album will be preceeded by the single 'Zero', the cover art for which is below.

'It's Blitz!' will be released on April 14th and has guest appearances from TV On The Radio, Antibalas and Greg Kurstin.

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