So what are the Best (and worst) albums, singles and gigs of the year? What have you been listeniing to constantly? What new "old" band have you fallen in love with?

Tell us now!

Best albums for me (in no order) were

M.I.A. - Kala
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
Lambchop - Damaged
Monkey Swallows The Universe - The Casket Letters
Arcade Fire -Neon Bible (Not as good as Funeral but still a good album)

There's probably more but I can't remember what other albums I bought this year that were released this year; most of the albums I've bought this year have been old bands that I've been investigating, including The Rolling Stones, Tom Tom Club, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits. I think I listened to Tom Waits more than any other artist this year.

An obvious one from me... Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. I think this album is easily the best they've done since There Is Nothing Left To Lose or maybe even The Colour And The Shape. And they backed it up with an absolutely cracking live show.

Second favourite of the year would be Rogue Wave - Asleep At Heaven's Gate. I could listen to this every day and not get bored of it. Great stuff. I never would have discovered them if it weren't for 'Heroes'.

Has anyone else heard the Lightning Dust album?

S'very good.

http://www.myspace.com/lightningdust

Did The Decemberists' The Crane Wife come out this year? That was a good'un.

As were The Go! Team's Proof of Youth, Grinderman's Grinderman and Richard Hawley's Lady's Bridge.

Ooh, This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys was also superb. I'm not sure if it was out here this year but I saw them supporting Hot Chip and bought it this year so I discovered them this year, at least.

Best albums (in no order)

MILES HUNT - Not An Exit
Wonder Stuff fans were pretty spoiled this year - a rarities album, a live solo album, and this, Miles' best solo effort to date.

GRINDERMAN - Grinderman
A best of wouldn't be a best of without Nick Cave

SPENCER DICKINSON - The Man Who Lives For Love
HEAVY TRASH - Going Way Out
JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION - Jukebox Singles
2 Jon Spencer side-projects and a compilation of early singles. Top class rock'n'roll

PATRICK WOLF - Magic Position

BRIGHT EYES - Cassadaga

THE ENEMY - We'll Live And Die In These Towns

KINGS OF LEON - Because Of The Times
Was never really impressed by the previous two albums but this was a major surprise.

SISTER VANILLA - Little Pop Rock
The Jesus Mary Chain's little sister makes a pretty corking album with the help of her brothers

GUITAR WOLF - Dead Rock

ASOBI SEKSU - Citrus
Japanese band that sometimes venture into My Bloody Valentine territory

HOT FUZZ SOUNDTRACK
Despite a pointless Fratellis cover of a T-Rex track, one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while

GALLON DRUNK - The Rotten Mile

KATE NASH - Made Of Bricks

MODEST MOUSE - We Were Dead....

SIOUXSIE - Manatray

HOURS - Narcissus Road.

What with a lot of the choices above, and good stuff from Springsteen, Neil Young and Dave Gahan, it was a pretty good year for the "oldies"

These were also some of the best albums I heard this year. Now that I actually start to think about it, I'm starting to recall a lot of good stuff being released in the last year.

On the subject of soundtracks, I thought that Death Proof's was fantastic as well. I have no desire to ever sit through the film again but I still listen to the soundtrack on a regular basis.

Hang up your chick habit...

Which is now one of my favourite tracks EVER!

April March was one of my major "old" new discoveries this year. Along with other glorious girl fronted garage/pop/punk brilliance by The Bristols, Nikki & The Corvettes & Thee Headcoatees. And a re-falling in love with The Runaways.

Most listened to album this year had to be Lil Chris. Fucking brilliant album and I'll fight anyone who thinks otherwise.

I had a good year music-wise:

Echaskech - Skechbook; Underworld - Oblivion With Bells; Paul Hartnoll - The Ideal Condition; Longrange - Madness and Me; The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night; Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye; Tom Middleton - Lifetracks; Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature; Dan Arborise - Around in Circles; Hybrid - I Choose Noise; and lots of cheese from iTunes!

The worst stuff I've heard is the glut of Clash rip-offs who followed Arctic Monkeys, and the dreadful gimmicky nu-rave stuff like Hadouken! etc.

I had a good year music-wise this year:

Echaskech - Skechbook; Underworld - Oblivion With Bells; The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night; Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye; Tom Middleton - Lifetracks; Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature; Dan Arborise - Around in Circles; Hybrid - I Choose Noise; and lots of cheese from iTunes!

The worst stuff I've heard is the glut of Clash rip-offs who followed Arctic Monkeys, and the dreadful gimmicky nu-rave stuff like Hadouken! etc.

Pleasent surprises.. The Pigeon Detectives, The Hedrons & The Holloways (was that this year)

Let Downs...PJ Harvey, Rufus Wainwright, Arcade Fire, Decemberists, Interpol, Bjork, Air, Mark Ronson, The Good The Bad And The Queen

What's the fuss all about albums...The View, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, Bloc Party and most of all The Klaxons (do reviewers have a record collection older than 10 years?)


The worst

THE GALLOWS
If they weren't so serious it would be hilarious

THE MACCABES
MAximo Park are so-so. A third rate Maximo Park is dull

But these are no way as bad as

ENTER SHIKARI
Without a doubt one of the worst albums I have ever heard. Fucking abysmal. And for some reason people thought it was original too. This sort of stuff appeared in the bargain bin on a regular basis in the late 80's /early 90's.
A big pile of shit with shit sprinkles, shit garnish. Witha side order of shit. And shit pudding.

I'll just repost what I said in the Metal thread:

1. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli

A band who's always been good, but with this album they're at the best they've ever been. This album just gets better with every listen. Shagrath's vocals are far better than usual, I used to see him as a poorer Dani Filth but on this album he's shown he's much better than that. The new drummer, Hellhammer, certainly deserves his name and I definitely prefer him to Nick Barker.

2. Machine Head - The Blackening

Best album they've ever released. Even better than Burn My Eyes, and that took some beating. I can't believe I thought they were past it a couple of years back and ready to just ignore them. Absolutely outstanding.

3. Anaal Nathrakh - Hell Is Empty And All the Devils Are Here

By far the most extreme album in this list, another band that seem to be getting progressively better. Their previous album, Eschaton, was the first I got and liked one hell of a lot, but this album seems to go a step further and although extreme, they go much further than just creating a wall of unrelenting noise like other "extreme" bands do. VITRIOL's vocals are just inhuman, the range of stuff he can do is amazing. The quote on the front cover summed it up best: "A rabid whirlwind, a storm of schizophrenic malice, wide eyed terror and inhuman hatred and venom that is as encyclopaedic in its genre defying convulsions as it is downright vile".

4. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos

Personally, I consider this a return to form for Dream Theater, since I found Octavarium to be a bit of a disappointment.

5. Soilwork - Sworn To A Great Divide

Admittedly nothing much new, but they've got a formula that works and they're sticking to it, and so far, quite rightly so. Excellent stuff.

I've been listening to David Bowie this year. ...(I know. Surprised aren't you.) Mostly Aladdin Sane, Low & Station To Station. I've bought another couple of his albums recently. (Black Tie White Noise & Young Americans)
I've also probably listened to too much Beck.

Aside from that I've really gotten into old favourites The Cure, recently. ...as well as Iggy Pop, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix & Pink Floyd.

I've not really bought any new new albums this year. (I usually discover music a couple of years after it's released!)

My favourite gig has to be James, who played a couple of mini gigs, & were certainly the best thing I'd seen in a few years.

My worst gig? ... probably The Fratellis. Though they weren't particularly bad, they were a little disappointing, as their album (which was so good that I probably played far too often at the start of the year) had a lot to live up to.

Finally, my love of dance music has been re-ignited, thanks to revisiting my Underworld and Chemical Brothers' albums... and discovering a fantastically funky dance act called Circulation. Check 'em out.

Actually I quite liked both those albums too. As well as Ulrich Schnauss and Sigur Ros.

Listened to the last Beck quite a bit this year too.

gonna have to disagree mightily with you there sos. i love the maccabees, think they're one of very few indie bands who have performed in the last year, and gained deserved notoriety. they also put on a great live show, saw them twice this year and they were great. but, different strokes etc. also, they sound nothing like maximo park.

what i liked:

the maccabees - colour it in. see above.
ryan adams - easy tiger. the guy continually makes superb albums, not his best but still a superb work. really deserves more recognition, second only to dylan in my mind.
feist - the reminder. surprising given that i dislike most female singer-songwriters. well-written songs, emotionally charged and very catchy. recommend.
arctic monkeys - favourite worst nightmare. better than their first, and arguably the best indie record of the year.
kings of leon - because of the times. a third cracking album in what is becoming a standout career. add that to a superb reading performance, and you probably have the band of the year.
arcade fire - neon bible. one of few bands making truly original music at the moment, and dong so with great energy.
i'm not there ost. i'm obviously biased being an enormous dylan fan, but i found this to be a superb collection of covers by an eclectic group of artists. particularly good are sufjan stevens, the hold steady, john doe and antony & the johnsons.
limbeck - limbeck. if you like feeling good about yourself, limbeck are the band you want. alt-country rock about sunsets in arizona and friends in california. chirpy and fucking ace.

what was alright:

klaxons - myths of the near future. highly touted, generally disappointing but redeemed for me by a few brilliant tracks, namely two receivers, it's not over yet and golden skans.
bright eyes - cassadaga. not a patch on i'm wide awake... for my money, but still a good album from mr. oberst, four winds is one of his best songs to date.
kanye west - graduation. a lacking third album after two great ones. some of his best songs - champion, the glory - but some proper shit aswell - stronger, flashing lights.
interpol - our love to admire. perhaps it's only because antics is so good that this felt average, but either way wasn't as brilliant as i'd expected.
the shins - wincing the night away - similar to the above really, chutes too narrow and oh! inverted world are superb albums and this felt weaker in many aspects.
the cribs - men's needs, women's needs, whatever. the cribs are so good live that on record they always sound a lot worse. there are a few great tracks on here - men's needs, our bovine public - but it all sounds really similar.
the pigeon detectives - wait for me. it all sounds very similar and it's not as good a sound as the cribs.

what was shit:

kate nash - made of bricks. an album which could so easily have been good is instead rubbish. some really catchy tunes, but some of the worst lyrics i've ever heard in my life. foundations is the only complete track, the rest are rushed and contain some, i stress, diabolical lyrics.
the view - hats off to the buskers. big pile of wank. superstar tradesman is average indie and that's the best track. same jeans is completely ripped off of brimful of asha and it doesn't help that the singer is eminently punchable.
the enemy - we'll live and die in these towns. not a good album in pretty much every way. anthem-full it may be, but that doesn't make it good.
the twang - love it when i feel like this. a shame, because either way shows how good they can be, but the album is too long and feels like a shit happy mondays in places. the happy mondays, incidentally, are also crap.

Good lord that was difficult to read



You say tomato I say tomato. You say Maxïmo I say Maximo!



When I first heard them they reminded me a lot of Polyphonic Spree, and The Decemberists remind me a little of AF. Probably just me.



I can understand people not liking her delivery or singing voice, but her lyrics are really not that bad. She's telling stories much in the same way Mike Skinner does in The Streets, and to an extent Lily Allen. Her song writing could possibly be called naive. What it does lack is unecessary pretention, which is far more welcome.

Any of the artists that either you or I have mentioned could provide us with lyrics, which taken away from the recording would read as equally bad/good.

The first time I heard them they reminded me quite a lot of British Sea Power and, a few years later, I was glad to see that Arcade Fire cited BSP as an influence on them.

That makes sense. I've never understood the appeal of the Arcade Fire and I was bored to tears at a British Sea Power gig a couple of years ago.

M.I.A. - Kala is the only thing I've really loved this year. There hasn't been any worst moments because I don't listen to shit music.

i disagree. i like the streets and (to an extent) lily allen, and nash doesn't come close to telling stories with the panache of allen or gravitas of skinner. they are naive songs, but my problem is really with the lyrics and song construction.

mariella has a great middle section in terms of melody, but the beginning and end are shit and the lyrics as bad as any on the album. she doesn't say anything, genuinely.

but mariella just crossed her arms and walked up the stairs and she went into her bedroom, and she sat on her bed.
and she looked in the mirror and she thought to herself: if i wanna play, i can play with me, if i wanna think, i'll think in my head.

that is probably the worst pairing on the album, and epitomises it for me, just very amateur and stirs nothing in me except horror. compare that with the insightful foundations, which feels complete, and showcases songwriting skill:

my fingertips are holding onto the
cracks in our foundations,
and i know that i should let go,
but i can't.
and everytime we fight,
i know its not right,
every time that you're upset and i smile,
i know i should forget,
but i can't.

i don't blame her entirely - the record company clearly rushed the album out and unlike the arctics who had a huge repertoire of songs beforehand, it's obvious nash didn't and had to hurriedly cobble songs together. she has got a future i think, but the company needs to give her time and maybe we'll see an album of quality.

Well it all sounds fine to me in the context of the song. In fact it's the lyrics and song construction which make the track more interesting.
She's no genius, but she's not that bad either.

i think you give her too much credit, but i'm not going to tell you you're wrong, it's your opinion etc.

probably something to do with the fact that my favourite artists are lyrics-based - dylan, ryan adams, sufjan stevens, antony and the johnsons - and that influences me in terms of what i like.

i reckon nash's second album will be reet good though, something tells me.

Nash's lyrics really grate on me too, but she seems like a poppet so I forgive her.

Hmmm...a pattern here. It's because she's a woman isn't it

Don't worry I'll beat the misogyny out of him when we're married.

Sounds like some strange twisted kind of aversion therapy

Boys love a good punch in the arm.

she is hot aswell.



sounds wicked, to be honest.

Tell me you love me *whack* Tell me you love me *whack* Tell me you love me *whack*

Alright I love you

Goood boy

Filth.

No shame.

But Filth.

My Music Year

TOP 5 ALBUMS

1. Because of the Times - Kings of Leon is practically perfect in every way, with nary a duff track in sight.

2. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire didn't quite meet the same dizzying heights of their debut, but it comes damn close, expanding on, rather than simply emulating, their original sound.

3. Proof of Youth - The Go! Team may have taken a few times to get into as I did with the first record, and the sound has barely evolved, but it soon won me over with its tubthumping enthusiasm. And was I the only one to like their cover of Sonic Youth's Bull in the Heather?

4. In Rainbows - Radiohead is a late addition, but a pretty excellent one. A fair few groovy tracks, and Jigsaw Falling Into Place may be my favourite single of next year.

5. Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys was a solid follow-up with perhaps my favourite single this year in the shape of Fluorescent Adolescent.

TOP 5 JAPANESE ALBUMS
I've still yet to listen to the new Halfby record (Farmer's Delight) and the new DJ Scotch Egg (Scotchausen), but will do soon. In the meantime...

1. Karate House - Polysics is a bit of a no-brainer for my number one spot, but I have an undying love for this band, so there. It's their best collection since For Young Electric Pop with plenty of spunky punk mixed with catchy upbeat gems. Little bit of filler hither and thither, but they're the hardest-working band in Japan, constantly touring and releasing new material, so it can slide.

2. Nuit - Cubismo Grafico was a real surprise as I rented it on the whim that he did a remix I hadn't heard of a track of another artist I liked. But it's a damn fine gentle electropop concept piece filled with gorgeous night-time sounds.

3. 不等式とその解 - Hoover's Ooover sees the Adam and Joe Go Tokyo stars release their second full-length album. Not quite up to Art.No.5. standards, but some very good songmaking indeed.

4. Hurtbreak Wonderland - World's End Girlfriend may be just more of the same of his last release, but for exceptionally gloomy yet uplifting apocalyptic classical/electronic soundscapes, there's none finer.

5. Transworld Ultra Rock - Electric Eel Shock was a tad disappointing and short compared to their previous Beat Me album. But it's worth a place for their audacious cover of Minnie Ripperton's Lovin' You.

ARTISTS
Japanese bands I discovered this year, but had already split up, were Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (excellent ladypunk/pop with attitude and sweetness in equal measure) and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (exceptional garage punk). And my love for the Second Royal record troop continued apace. Also been listening to Portishead A LOT. Looking forward to the new album.

Of course, been listening to Bowie very muchly, and I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that Heathen is my favourite (as much as people go on about old Bowie and how new Bowie is supposedly not as good - but boo-sucks to them). Also, I finally listened to Bowie favourites Supercar penultimate release Highvision, and it's easily in my top 10 favourite albums of all time.

GIGS
Live Earth in Kyoto was a dream come true, seeing both Rip Slyme and Yellow Magic Orchestra live was something I'd never thought I'd do, and I was plain lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Polysics were stunning as ever (third time and counting), and Arcade Fire at Alexandra Palace (technical issues notwithstanding) were spectacular.

Oh, and I miss karaoke in Japan so much, it's not funny. I was literally struggling to get too sleep last night because there is such a void in my life right now.

How did I miss getting that? It's on my to buy list now.



Art.No.5 was okay, but I was disappointed Connection wasn't on it. Don't suppose it's on the new one?




Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her sound like they are worth checking out. For more Japanese girl punks try The Banana Erectors and 54Nude Honeys.

Kudos for discovering Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. Fantastic band

The track you're thinking of is called Collection, but ain't on the new one. Japanese bands release lots of mini-albums and single only releases in between actual full-length albums, and Collection was on one of those sadly.

Seagull... are really quite something. I got there 17 and Future or No Future albums, but I believe there are two best-ofs (Dying For Seagulls and Red Talk) which I'd assume to be good primers, but neither have some of my very favourite tracks from the albums I have (notably Coma off 17 and Six in the Morning off the other).

As for TMGE, only got one album (High Time), but it's a beaut. Bowling Machine is just about the rockingest rollingest instrumental track I've ever heard (with added bowling sound effects in the background).

Think I'll be on ebay tonight.

TMGE have a very good Best Of out. Also worth checking out the film Blue Spring. Their music is used brilliantly throughout.

Funny you should mention Transworld Ultra Rock. Bought it Monday and listened to it for the first time on the way hime tonight. Not bad. The cover of Lovin' You is a corker

That name alone has inspired me to check them out.

2007 for me would be most notable for the shit Umbrella song and that Leona song which is also getting on my tits. Busy year for reunions, Take That, Spice Girls, Floyd, Zep, The Police and now Boyzone. The brilliant Foo Fighters coming back with their new album and The Pretender which is a cracking song, Muse playing Wembley blew me away, the Download Festival was fantastic.

LCD Soundsystem, Grinderman, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Machine Head also great albums this year.

I think that's my favourite album of the year. There isn't a song on it that I don't like. Stranger Things Have Happened is my personal fave, with The Pretender and Erase/Replace in at 3rd/4th.

Nothing's come close to that for me, to be honest. They're has been some good songs out, but I've not been compelled to buy any albums, which is a shame.

I've really got into Richard Hawley this year. My mum went to see him last year, so I gave his albums a listen and got to see him live, which was amazing.

Ray LaMontagne's album Trouble was the soundtrack to my holiday, too. I really like him, he's very laid back and his voice makes me sleepy. Especially Shelter, which is an amazing song.

He's just brilliant live because you never know what he's going to say between songs and the atmosphere in the audience is just so warm and friendly.

I have no idea if the following were first released this year, however, this year is the first time I've discovered them:

1) Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Amazing mix of folk, alt. country and a spine tingling voice.

2) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
<2AM> Whaaa?
Eh?
Uh?
Yeah, this is nice</2AM>

3) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Agree with those who don't rate it as highly as Funeral, but still a decent album. Very good live, too.

that was in fact an album from last year, but it's still very good. bamnan and silvercork is also worth checking out. find them a bit samey, but have a superb, original sound.

Best Gigs

Guitar Wolf at 93 Feet East

Grinderman at The Forum

The Jesus & Mary Chain at The Royal Festival Hall & Brixton Academy

OK... I know there's going to be some self serving interest here...

Best Album
Torn Asunder - 15 Minutes to tell the World
Alter Bridge - Blackbird

Best Single
Torn Asunder - Love to Look at You - And you can still download it to help Great Ormond Street Hospital
Nickleback - Rockstar

Gig:
Haven't been to any that I haven't been playing in... And I missed Download.

Heathen's great, but personally it's my least favourite of his recent albums. Earthling, Hours, & Reality sound better to my ears.

Having said that, his only era that I don't dig is the late 80's/tin machine.

Interesting. My friend's a big Bowie man and thinks Outside is the best of his more recent work. Earthling and Reality have their good tracks, but all the songs on Heathen "float" my "boat" for want of a better expression. That said, I haven't listened to Hours yet, though I would very much like to.

Outside is indeed Bowie's masterpiece of recent years (if you call 1995 recent)... But it's a concept album, quite experimental & I don't find it as accessible/user friendly as other albums of the period. Though there are at least 5 tracks on there that I'd include amongst his best. ... I've not given it a listen recently though. ...I think I need to remedy that.

As for Hours, the critics loved it,... whereas the hardcore bowie fans thought it was a bit hit & miss. Personally, I think its amazing (except for track 6). The album's the first one I'd bought when it was released. At the time (1999) I only owned his first 5 studio albums... it basically introduced me to modern bowie.

Wow, you guys are sounding much more cohesive nowadays! It's finally starting to gel!

Best personal discovery of the year: Mastodon

I actually can't believe it took me until this year to hear of these. Brann Dailor has jumped straight into my list of favourite drummers.

Cheers mate... We've worked really long and hard at this.... hopefully it will finally pay off...

Some albums that don't seem to have been mentioned yet.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Gruff Rhys - Candylion

Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus

Air - Pocket Symphony

Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5.55

Bonde do Role - With Lasers

How on Earth did I forget that one? Fantastic album.