The End Of The Year = Awards Season!

So here we are again, the end (almost) of another year, and it falls to me to tell all of you incompetent fools what the album(s) and song(s) of the year are, and why you should bow before their awesomeness. Now don't let the lack of reviews fall you, most of these were released before this blog came into full existence. There have been 12 albums released this year, and all of them have been amazing, astounding and all around great to listen to.

Now over the last 2 weeks I have put myself through the painful process of listening to all 12 of these albums in order to deduce the Album of the Year 2009. Now unlike 2008, where there was only going to be one winner (Steven Wilson – Insurgentes), 2009 was a much closer contest, even now as I'm writing this I am undecided as to which album is to be number one, although I think that it has to be the one which I'm listening to...

So just to quell curiosity here is the short-list for AotY 2009 :-

30 Seconds To Mars – This Is War
Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love
Jonsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps
Muse – The Resistance
Placebo – Battle For The Sun
Porcupine Tree – The Incident
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Rammstein – Leibe Ist Fur Alle Da
Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition
U2 – No Line On The Horizon
Mew* - No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away

*Please note that Mew would be in alphabetical order IF the album title wasn't so bloody long!!

The format for this award will be me telling you the top 5 albums this year, along with a short paragraph explaining the good points of the album and why they are better than the rest (to just skip to the number one then press CTRL+F and search for “1)” then hit enter twice) I have to say that even I am surprised at the top 5, admittedly I'd been waiting for one of them since 2005, and the others just came out of nowhere this year. None of the prime suspects are there as well. It has been a thoroughly good year for music. By the way, just a prewarning, you might not have heard of some (any) of these bands unless you actually listen to me when I'm talking complete sh*t or (in one case) follow the Mercury Awards or read NME or Kerrang!.

Right let us begin...drum-roll please...No? No one wants to do it? Fine...here I go...

Budubudubudubudubudubudubudubudubudu Tish!

5) Mew – No More Stories... (I'm not typing that again)

This album is the only one in my Top 5 which doesn't surprise me, after all And The Glass Handed Kites (2005) was epic and Frengers was even better (2003). What's that I hear? Nothing can be better than epic? But you sir (Madame) are incorrect in this assumption! No More Stories... is one of those albums where you both do and don't want to hear it. You want to hear it to see where the band is headed in terms of musical/lyrical style, but you don't want to hear it because you don't want to be disappointed that it's “Not quite as good as the last one”. There have been many instances where bands have had a really good/well received album and followed it up with a piss poor excuse for an album. Sigur Ros with Takk... and the follow up Med Sud are a prime example. This album however is one where the band have pushed through that barrier and have made something superb, that combined with the fact that if you play the opening track backwards it's a bonus song, makes this album an essential in this top 5.

4) Jónsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps

Riceboy Sleeps is a very interesting album in the sense that the band (or “duo”) never intended to release it as an album, it was written and produced with a view to putting it on the documentary that the two of them (Jónsi Þór Birgisson (from Sigur Rós) and Alex Somers (Visual Artist who produced covers to SR albums)) were making at the time, but when they presented the documentary to the studio they were advised to release it. And I'm bloody glad they did, this album is amazing, much better than the most recent Sigur Rós album, it epitomizes the genre Ambient. It is so relaxing and fluid that it should be classed as an illegal substance and banned, but I would still “use” it!

3) Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

Bat For Lashes released her début album Fur And Gold in 2006, to critical acclaim, and also received a Mercury Award nomination, so Two Suns was right at the top (well almost) of my Most Wanted list for 2009, even though it was another case of want to have it but don't. It was quite annoying, then, when I couldn't get a hold of a copy until 3 months after release. I don't regret the wait however, the wait was worth it, the wait might have indeed made the album for me. Actually scratch that, the MUSIC made the album for me. This album is another indie classic, released to more critical acclaim than Fur And Gold and giving Bat For Lashes another Mercury nomination.

2) Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition

I started listening to Riverside by accident. Working at The Shittle Thistle we are often visited by a dutch group Oed, and one time when they came one of them brought with them a stack full of CDs (enough for one for every member of staff) and gave them to my manager, he put them out the back and we forgot about them, a few weeks later I was working a Sunday shift (which is slow on the best of days) and heard some music on which I liked, I asked my co-worker at the time what CD he had put on, his response “Some of that Dutch sh*t”. I took an album (Riverside – Rapid Eye Movement) home, listened to it, and liked it. Anno Domini High Definition (ADHD) is the follow up album to that album. In the grey area between Prog Rock and Prog Metal Riverside are right up my street. ADHD is an album consisting of five 8 minute + songs. It is epic on an epic scale.

Right then, here we have it...the Album of the Year for 2009 is...

1) The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love

I went to see The Decemberists a few weeks ago and, looking back, I can safely say that they are one of the best bands I have ever seen live. The Hazards Of Love (HoL) is a concept album in the style of medieval folklore, this one being quite grim and gruesome. It's one of those albums where you have to listen to it start to finish to get the best effect. Listening to the lyrics is not a requirement but is very much advised. HoL is a fantastic album and contains some of the most atmospheric and varied sounds to appear on any album ever. It well and truly deserves the number one spot!

Next up on the agenda is the Song of the Year 2009, I'm not going to post a shortlist or even explain my choices, I'm just going to tell you what the 5 best tracks of the year have been.

5) U2 – Unknown Caller – No Line On The Horizon
4) Placebo – Julien – Battle For The Sun
3) Porcupine Tree – Drawing The Line – The Incident
2) The Veronicas – Untouched – Untouched: Lost Tracks - EP
1) Steven Wilson – salvaging (pat mastelloto mix) – NSRGNTS RMXS (EP)

Wahey what a way to end the year, all that excellent music (By the way, I'm running out of superlatives...) and a great big long blog post.

So, to finish off let me tell you my Most Wanted for 2010 (Listed by release date)

Massive Attack – Heligoland - 8th Feb 2010
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach – March 2010
Good Charlotte – Cardiology – March/April 2010
Elbow – N/A – Q3 2010
Guillemots – N/A – TBC (2010)
Innerpartysystem – N/A – TBC (2010)
Linkin Park – N/A – TBC (2010)
Radiohead – N/A – TBC (2010)
Sigur Ros – N/A – TBC (2010)
Thirteen Senses – N/A – TBC (2010)

Now hopefully there will be more albums than this released, and hopefully some new artists will enter the mix...watch this space...

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
See you all in 2010...

GB
x

Review : 30 Seconds To Mars - This Is War

Well here we are, 16 days before Christmas, and a brand spanking new 30STM album sitting on my...well that's funny isn't it...there's no sign anywhere of "This Is War" anywhere near me, or even in my "Music" folder. I haven't purchased this album as of writing, I have merely listened to it via Spotify. The reasons I haven't purchased this album are both work related, working too many hours at work (75 hours last week!!) and not being paid PROPERLY for 2 Months...Huzzah for me!!

Anyway, onto the review...

Now I should mention before writing that through using Spotify I have come to realise two things.

1. Spotify is by far the best (legal) method of listening to music without buying it.
2. Spotify is by far the worst method of listening to music with or without buying it.

These two things may seem contradictory to the untrained eye (and to be honest they are to the trained eye as well...not the point) but they are in fact both true! It is the best method, essentially, because it is so easy to use. It is the worst method because of the advertising! I would love this App to be free of charge to everyone without someone trying to sell me Wife Beater.

(Once again) Anyway, onto the review!!

Despite having only two previous albums 30 Seconds To Mars are quite a success in both the UK and USA. Their previous album "A Beautiful Lie" is one of those albums that you either love or hate, I personally love it and as such recommended it in a previous post. 30STM have had some very difficult times trying to get "This Is War" to be released, this includes an estimated $30m legal battle with Virgin Records. Since the last album 30STM have shed their "Emo" look, Jared Leto has had a haircut (!), and it seems to have had an effect on their music. "Kings and Queens"
the first single off of the album is a complete contrast to "A Beautiful Lie" the last single from the previous album. Not that the change of style is a bad thing, it was just very unexpected. The three "Stand-out" tracks from "This Is War" are "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Search and Destroy" and "Hurricane". "Stranger in a Strange Land", the penultimate track, is a deep and brooding track which is full of dark guitar riffs and electronic synth sections. As such it is right up my street, I always say that bands are better when being dark and brooding, just look at Elbow and Sigur Ros.

"Search and Destroy" is probably the closest thing on this album to anything from "A Beautiful Lie" think "From Yesterday" with more electronic sounds. The final track I wish to pick apart "Hurricane" is a fantastic track, both musically (Lots of orchestral sections, excellent synth parts) and Lyrically. The predominant question throughout the song is "Would you kill, to save a life?" while an interesting question in itself, it shows the bands grasp of thought producing lyrics.

The whole album is very well produced, from the crowd "sing-along" in most of the songs, to the monk chanting in both the opening and closing tracks. All in all this album is very impressive, and boosts 30STM from being a "recommendable Emo band" to an "essential purchase" for anyone with even the slightest Rock leaning.

Writing – 10 –

Lyrics are thought provoking and well processed. I have already mentioned the great morality questions in "Hurricane"

Flow Of The Album – N/A –

I have been unable (as of yet) to listen to the whole album from start to finish.

Originality – 9 –

30 Seconds To Mars have almost completely reinvented themselves with this album, making it almost completely original!

Overall Sound – 8 –

The overall sound of this album is good, although I fear it will only appeal to Rock lovers, and the 9s and 10s in this category must appeal, at least with some tracks, to everyone.

(~B~)*

*This is a B only because I am unable to analyse the "Flow of the Album", once I have purchased the album and listened to it from start to finish then I will adjust the score!

P.S. Just finished listening to "Paramore" - "Brand New Eyes" will review soon.
P.P.S. The Song of the Week is :-

Panic! At The Disco - New Perspective

iTMS - No Spotify Link ATM