Lists of the noughts and ‘09

Posted on January 1st, 2010 by Andy

Artists of the noughts

Kristin Hersh – For more than just the music she made – for being the person she is and for painting a future that I can believe in.

Nina Nastasia – Never disappointing on record and one show that I will rate amongst my most memorable. If pushed You Follow Me might be my album of the decade.

The Clientele – Probably the band I’ve seen most over the decade, and not disappointed, not even once… and a run of perfect albums over that time too.

Damon & Naomi, Luna, Dean & Britta – I consider myself very lucky that in Galaxie 500’s demise I was gifted with three acts I adore and the chance to be friends with some of the nicest people.

Joanna Newsom – Two stunning albums, one great (and one fairtly good) performance. Ys could have been album of the decade but I’m now unable to put it into lists or charts – it can’t be found next to anything else.

Honourable mention to Ballboy, Yo La Tengo, The Decemberists

Albums of ‘09

The Xx – The snob in me is bothered by just how popular The Xx have become. But I still keep listening to the album and it really is quite excellent.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – This year has been sprinkled liberally with nostalgia – whether it has been me dipping into my metal past with Sabbath and Hawkwind, or spending time with Lush, Pale Saints, Bleach and Drugstore – the late 80s and early 90s nostalgia was fueled by The Pains…

13 Most Beautiful… – The DVD is good but I’ve mostly listened to 13 Most Beautiful as an album, having ripped the audio from the DVD. It works beyond the films.

There were plenty of others too… Julie Doiron, Cheval Sombre, The Clientele, Wye Oak, School of Seven Bells etc.

Gigs of ‘09

13 Most Beautiful… – Carnegie Hall – Not just for the show – although that was exceptional, but for the event, for the before and the after. And for Tugboat as an encore.

Damon & Naomi – The Luminaire/Cafe OTO – two great shows although I had to leave the second one early so the Luminaire show takes the prize.

Dean & Britta – St Giles – More for what it was because if I think to hard there were disappointments – the venue worked better as an idea than in reality. But lovely all the same.

Most shows I went to this year were wonderful so I’ll chip in honourable mention to Julie Doiron, Pastels/Tenniscoats, The Clientele, Spiritualized

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Album of the decade #7: Tacoma Radar, Ballboy and The Zephyrs

Posted on December 15th, 2009 by Andy

No One Waved Goodbye – Tacoma Radar

Tacoma Radar like Galaxie 500 and they wear that love pretty openly but that doesn’t mean this album is just derivative. There’s plenty here to make it special. Mostly Jennifer Cosgrove’s vocal. A slightly cleaner production would make this even better. As it is I love it to pieces.

A Guide for the Daylight Hours, The Sash My Father Wore – Ballboy

Ballboy have been consistently great over the course of the decade but these two albums are their best (so far). A Guide… is Ballboy the indie band and The Sash is them a little more grown up and stripped down. But across both albums is all the things to love about them.

When the Sky Comes Down it Comes Down on Your Head – The Zephyrs

If this album only had one track on it, if that track was Stargazer it would still be in the running for album of the decade. As it is it has Stargazer and a stack more – maybe none as perfect as Stargazer but most come fairly close. And it had a beautiful video too…

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Albums of the decade #6: Interpol and Cat Power

Posted on December 15th, 2009 by Andy

Turn on the Bright Lights – Interpol

I love this album and yet for some reason I’ve pretty much ignored all their subsequent work. For no other reason than I just didn’t get around to it. I saw Interpol at The Scala around this time, it was a good if not great show. Maybe if it had been great I wouldn’t have let them go so easily. Listening to Antics now.

You Are Free – Cat Power

I think I instantly liked The Greatest better but almost never go back to it. I have to admit that I have found her more recent stuff pretty close to unbearable.

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Album of the decade contenders #5: Kristin Hersh, Yo La Tengo and Bjork

Posted on December 10th, 2009 by Andy

Learn to Sing Like a Star, Speedbath – Kristin Hersh

Kristin is a treasure. She is unique both in her music and in her vision. She makes music for the best reasons and in Cash Music she kicked off a model of the future that I can understand. And on top of that she keeps making stunning music. My love for Kristin is unbounded.

And Then Nothing…, I Am Not Afraid of You… – Yo La Tengo

It’s prob too recent for “of the decade” status but I’m sure in years to come Popular Songs will be in this list and Summer Sun probably should be too! YLT are consistent without being obvious and variable without ever being disappointing or frustrating. I expect them to keep not disappointing me for many years to come.

Vespertine – Bjork

I have so much time for Bjork but a lot of that time is spent in the company of The Sugarcubes. There’s something a little big about her solo work that makes me inclined to shy away from it. I buy them all and listen occasionally but rarely actually love. Vespertine is the exception, it is closer to how I want Bjork to be.

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Album of the decade contenders #4: The Galaxie 500 connection

Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by Andy

Romantica, Rendezvous – Luna

Two albums that don’t make my top three Luna albums but are both still in the running for album of the decade. Neither is perfect but both contain perfection. Romantica works better in retrospect and Rendezvous was more instantly likeable.

With Ghost, The Earth is Blue – Damon & Naomi

In years to come when historians look back on Damon & Naomi’s contribution to rock music, and they will, With Ghost will be cited as their classic and The Earth is Blue as their sweetest.

L’Avventura, Back Numbers – Dean & Britta

One was during Luna and one was afterwards, and they sound different because of that. L’Avventura works at being different whereas Back Numbers finds it easy. Both are lovely.

Peel Sessions – Galaxie 500

I’ve kept away from comps and reissues but this gets a mention because it isn’t really either and because it’s brilliant and it’s Galaxie 500!

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Album of the decade contenders #3: Julie Doiron & Nina Nastasia

Posted on December 3rd, 2009 by Andy

Goodnight Nobody, I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day – Julie Doiron

I was pretty late to the Julie Doiron love only discovering her greatness with Goodnight Nobody. Snow Falls in November makes me swoon. I Can Wonder… will b e back when I start talking albums of the year. Great gig this year too at The Luminaire.

The Blackened Air, Run to Ruin, You Follow Me (with Jim White) – Nina Nastasia

Nina Nastasia released five albums in the decade, all of which should be here, every one is a beautiful gem, all different and all unmistakeably Nina. In a more sensible world she’d be a star but I love how she’s not because I really think its because she knows it’s perfect to be the way she is!

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Album of the decade contenders #2: The Clientele & Camera Obscura

Posted on December 2nd, 2009 by Andy

Strange Geometry, God Save The Clientele, Bonfires on the Heath – The Clientele

The Clientele might well be my “band of the decade.” I’ve certainly seen them more than any other band this decade, having first seen them in 2001 (probably even earlier – and last seen them a week ago). All the albums they’ve released in that time, including The Violet Hour which isn’t listed above because I chose an arbitrary limit of three per artist in my list, is a classic. The one I love most differs from day-to-day.

Biggest Bluest HiFi, Underachievers Please Try Harder – Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura’s first two albums had a sweetness that I think subsequently got lost. Maybe with the departure of John they took on a more professional feel that took away a little of that sweet naive appeal. I still love them but not as much as I loved them in 2003

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Album of the decade contenders #1: The Decemberists & Joanna Newsom

Posted on November 27th, 2009 by Andy

I quickly skimmed through my Songbird library pulling out the albums that I might consider for my album of the decade list. With very little effort I reached 50… and there’ll be more. Here are some quick thoughts on a few of them…

Castaways & Cutouts, Her Majesty The Decemberists, Picaresque – The Decemberists
I loved the first three albums by The Decemberists and rate their first show at The Water Rats as one of the gigs of the decade. But the relationship has always been an awkward one. Something bothered me and still does. I listen to all of these albums rarely now but still love them when I do.

The Milk Eyed Mender, Ys – Joanna Newsom
Ys is exceptional, I don’t listen to it that often because it takes requires a commitment that I don’t often have. All the things I said before still apply. It is an album so far removed from anything else that it really requires a list of its own. So when the need arises I generally reach for The Milk Eyed Mender.

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Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen… @ The Royal Festival Hall

Posted on October 13th, 2009 by Andy

Spiritualized (photo by stëve)

Last night I sat through a spellbinding performance of Spiritualized masterpiece Ladies & Gentlemen We are Floating in Space. I wasn’t really too sure what to expect – I di love the album but wasn’t entirely sure that the live setting and the chosen venue would work. I like the Royal Festival Hall but wasn’t entirely sure that it was the perfect setting for Ladies & Gentlemen (although I’d pick it over the Barbican which is the other venue that this show will appear at). My fears however were pretty much allayed from the get go.

Jason sitting on the right-hand side of the stage (obscured completely by the large headed chap in front of me) was accompanied by… two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, a percussionist, an eight piece string section, brass, saxophones, and a gospel choir… oh and a light show.

Highlights, in an evening of highs, was the phenomenal ten minute (no idea how long really… it might have been much longer… I was lost!) Electricity blow out with hypnotic noise and strobing lights. Cool Waves was awesome and the Cop Shoot Cop finale was perfect, particularly when the choir came in to pull it back in line.

They encored with Out of Sight (from Let it Come Down) – and it was all over. I’d have preferred a standing venue… something a bit more “rock” but otehrwise I have no complaints. This was a very special evening.

The most weird part of the evening however was being tapped on the shoulder by the guy sitting next to me who then said… “are you Andy?” – I mean the whole of the RFH and I’m sitting next to Dan from the Galaxie 500 Mailing List (and he recognised me!). I’d never met him before, and I’m not very good at spontaneous social interaction (actually any social interaction) but it was definitely cool to have a chat (albeit a brief and stilted one) with a listee.

Cycle home mostly uneventful (it was the cyclist in front of me who so nearly got killed by a taxi in Knightsbridge).

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Songs with SFX # 1 (slight return): Black Sabbath

Posted on September 22nd, 2009 by Andy

An excerpt from Ozzy Osbourne’s upcoming autobiography “I am Ozzy” was published in The Times Online this week and as well as the stories of drink, drugs and small animal decapitaions he also describes playing the first Black Sabbath album to his dad…

I can picture him now, fiddling with his reading specs and holding the cover in front of his face. Then he opened the sleeve, went, “Hmm” and said: “Are you sure they didn’t make a mistake, son?”

“What d’you mean?”

“This cross is upside down.”

“It’s supposed to be like that.”

“Oh. Well, don’t just stand there. Put it on. Let’s have a bit of a singalong, eh?”

With the first clap of thunder, my dad flinched.

I grinned nervously at him.

Then: Bong! Bong! Bong!

“Son, when does . . .”

BLAM! Dow! Dowwwwwww!!!

Dooooowwwwww!!!!!

My poor old man turned white. I think he’d been expecting something along the lines of Knees up Mother Brown.

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