This time of year we here at YCD would normally tell you our favourite albums of the year but with time being precious and just simply not enough time to present one I am just going to give you a quick top of my head years favourites.
I can say however undoubtedly that my favourite album of the year is Travel By Sea’sTwo States And The BlindnessThat Follows. An absolute gem of an album with not a bad track on it. I wrote about that here and I urge everyone to buy it.
So, off the top of my head I can recommend the stones inspired The Lucky Strikes, Nathaniel Rateliff is a definite top ten, Although her album did not come out this year, she was new to me this year and I have huge hopes for her future and she is Jessica Lea Mayfield. PhosphorescentsHere’s To Taking It Easy would be in my top five of the year, just a brilliant slice of country music that would change the opinion of anyone who say’s country music is dead. Staying with country but not as punchy as Phosphorescent Ben Weaver’s Mirepoix and Smoke is another year’s favourite.
With a good slice of indie pop Spoon released one of the year’s best with their album Transference and the track Mystery Zone getting plenty of airplay not only on my show but across the net. Finally, I highly recommend Adam Haworth Stephens‘ We Live On Cliffs. Demo songs that had been around for a while were finally released as a solo album by the Two Gallants singer and has received high praise across the blogosphere.
So, although not a definite top 10, just an off the top of my head list of what I enjoyed this year. i could add loads more but would be here all day.
So, here’s to another great year of music and wish you all the very best.
Back to summer favs ? I’m a bit late pointing you on this one but in case you’ve missed this fabulous release, be sure to buy the first collection from this awesome irish soulwriter : James Vincent McMorrow ! Here we go…
Everything fine Laura ? Enough handkerchiefs Trini ? Get Ready for a second one ?
Let’s have a short break from my recent posts… It’s not a “fav” but it may soon become one…
Matrimony released a collection of catchy tunes, which make me feel this same exact mood than the one I feel listening to a recent favorite summer tune from Heather .
Jump to their base bandcamp site and stream the hole album.
It’s a non-stop-loop since the early days of its release ; It’s a cracker ! “History from Below” is so far my best 2010 alt-rock album and its ending track “Ballad of Vitaly” is absolutely stunning.
“In the German sky there once was a plane
It carries 71 children and their mothers to spain
Well this plane was sure something
It was full of young Russians
Proudly to gander at topics discussin’
Now Pete the Swiss was doublin’ shifts
Jugglin’ the iron controlled by his lips
Not a minute too soon children fell to their doom
Struck dead in the air, orphan a father or two
He just laid in the alley
Now orphan Vitaly met a young girl
Married her quickly
Was so damn in love that they had their two kids
Had a great job; construction in Spain
They were going to see Papa from Caucasus mountain range
Now that damn Swissman crashed them into a plane
I will find where he lives
Speak to his face with the blood in my eyes
He will see my pain
Many weeks passed
For fear of a suit
The airline said nothin, Vitaly turned blue
For the killing they done
No apology made
Is it ’cause we are Russian you treat us this way
Through a friend that he new Vitaly found Pete
He came to his doorstep expecting to speak
But Pete blew him off
Threw down the pictures Vi brought
Pictures of the 3 most important he lost
As the pictures fell down
Re-enacting the day
Vitaly’s eye blackened
No human remained
Well so much can be said
For a man in his shoes
There’s no glamour in vengeance
There’s only this rule:
That the lives that you lost can never come back
And the deed in return is worse than the act
Blinded by love and the pain of his loss
He could not remember the act of assault
He awoke in his room all covered in blood
The cops they’d come knockin
They knew what he’d done
The government leaned
Vitaly was free
They called him the hero, a man above kings
A shadow of man, they were praising his deed
He was alone
Killed a father of 3
No deed that he did could make him complete
It could have been different if only Pete said
“I’m sorry for killin’ the few joys you had”
But now there’s nothin’ for Vitaly to do
But step off a cliff or hang in the noose
Robbed of forgiveness that he could’a gave
There’s no man left to save ”
I’m not sure but I guess that except from that one track from Emily Loizeau, I’ve never found the opportunity to post (about?) a single french lyrics song. To renew this prowess – i’m a bit shameful – I needed to pick a track from this huge canadian pond, a band from Quebec : Auguste !
They’ve just released on May 6th, their first eponymous ep ; a too short 4 beautiful compositions high on emotions. Born from the ashes of a previous band (August and me) using english compositions, frontman Sébastien Pomerleau finally chose his mother tongue to cover some addictive melodies and delicate arrangements.
Wise Children is a musical project from the South Coast of England created by multi-instrumentist Robin Warren-Adamson. He released couple days ago (on April 7th) his second ep “Absence & Reunion” a stunning 6 tracks collection. Don’t miss his previous one available as a free download on his bandcamp site ; this guy is gold.
I think sometimes you have to challenge yourself as a listener to explore other genres or sounds and give them enough time to grow, not be put off by first listens or bad reviews. Not that has happened to Nurses as far as I can gather but it is certainly an album that requires more than one listen, in fact takes quite a few if only to ‘hear’ it properly as there’s so much going on. What strikes you first is the swirling vocal harmonies which are prominent throughout the album but after more listens you start concentrating more on the electronics or the piano which I read somewhere give the impression that the band are evolving as you listen and this is true, it’s ever changing but not too much so you lose interest, in fact the more listens you give it the more brilliance you find in it, I think they’ve created a masterpiece. It’s impossible to put this kind of music under any genre as it covers many, folk, Psychedelia, alt-country and pop, in fact it’s the pop side of it that I find works brilliantly, take a listen and see what you think. Signed to the brilliant dead oceans label they are often compared to the likes of animal collective, yeasayer and Sunset Rubdown but I hear a little bit of The Low Anthem in there too. They’re currently on a huge U.S tour, go see them. Available as a download, cd and vinyl either from Dead Oceans or your local independant record store. The mp3 available here you can also grab along with another one on the dead oceans website. Enjoy.
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